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Re: Alder Flycatcher at Alpha Ridge Park

From:

Frederick Fallon

Reply-To:

Frederick Fallon

Date:

Fri, 21 May 2010 15:38:39 -0700

While I can't address the particular empids at Alpha Ridge, I can say that I have heard Willows sounding exactly (to me) like Alders, in AA Co, well after migration was over - and was well fooled by the similarity. 

Fred Fallon
Huntingtown




________________________________
From: Kurt R. Schwarz <>
To: 
Sent: Thu, May 20, 2010 4:14:16 PM
Subject: Re: [MDOSPREY] Alder Flycatcher at Alpha Ridge Park

Multiple experienced birders saw and heard the Alpha Ridge Park bird.  It is believed to be the same bird that was found by the Big Day trip on adjacent landfill grounds (not open to the public) the day before.  And since they're being sighted all over the state, I sure hope that this is not a case of mass delusion.  I did try to make an audio recording with my camera (which I have successfully used to record Sinaloa Wren in Arizonza), but all I got was Canada Goose honking.  Prior to this I've heard and seen them in three counties, including on the breeding grounds in Finzel Swamp, as well as in Ohio.

Bob does raise an interesting note of caution, Willows do, indeed, occassionally utter a call that could be taken for Alder, what USGS refers to as the Weeo call.  There is an excellent discussion of Willow vocalizations at
http://sbsc.wr.usgs.gov/cprs/research/projects/swwf/wiflvocl_guide_to_surveyors.asp

You'll probably have to use Internet Explorer to make it work, I could not do so with FireFox.

Another USGS site with Willow vocalizations is at http://sbsc.wr.usgs.gov/cprs/research/projects/swwf/wiflvocl.asp , but these appear to lack the narrative featured on the first.  Note that both are threatened SOUTHWESTERN subspecies, but they sound the same to me.

Want to see the comparative wave forms of the WIFL weeo vs. ALFL fee-bee-o? Go to
http://www.appliedbioacoustics.com/Repertoires/Passeriformes/Tyrannidae/wiflalfl.html

Click on the spectrogram, and you'll get the sound via QuickPlayer (if you have that on your computer).

To really confuse things, a Wild Bird Unlimited webpage says the CALL of the WIFL is fitz-bew and the SONG is fee-bee-o (See http://whatbird.wbu.com/obj/348/behavior/Willow_Flycatcher.aspx)

The Stokes recordings do NOT include the WIFL weeo call.  So if you BirdJam uses those recordings, you can't reference it there.

I certainly got an education today, after dipping on the Bar-tailed Godwit in NJ (last seen May 17.)

Kurt Schwarz
HowCo
goawaybird at verizon dot net