[obol] Mink and Dusky Flycatcher at dead end of W. 5th, west of Wallis
- From: Barbara Combs <bcombs232@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: Oregon Birders OnLine <obol@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Wed, 28 Aug 2013 19:02:12 -0700
I have been checking periodically to see what changes might happen at the
"Stewart Pond" area in West Eugene. There wasn't much happening on the
south side of the area, so I went to the north end. There wasn't much
water left, but there was enough in the small pond by the overlook on the
south side of West Fifth where it dead ends west of Wallis for a mink to be
swimming in it with prey in its mouth. The prey was buffy in color with a
long thin tail, so I suspect it was some sort of rodent. The mink climbed
out of the water on the west side of the pond, and continued west on land.
I lost sight of it behind brush and grasses.
In the bushes at the overlook, I sighted a big-headed empidonax with its
classic two pale wing bars in the shrubby trees right at the overlook. The
bird managed to stay hidden most of the time, but called frequently.
Though I did not see it well, I heard the bird make a high-pitched "whit"
call that rose slightly in pitch at the end. I listened to the bird for
close to 5 minutes as it flitted around on the other side of the bushes
from me. I left after the bird stopped calling. I assumed that the bird
had left. I visited the xeno-canto web site and found a virtually
identical call recorded by Richard Webster at Clark Mountain, San
Bernardino, California. He ascribed it to a Dusky Flycatcher. It is at
http://www.xeno-canto.org/124632. I spent quite a bit of time at home
listening to many flycatcher calls from many sources and am convinced that
this bird had to be a Dusky Flycatcher. Other empids' one-note calls are
either lower in pitch and/or they have more complex tones.
--
Barbara Combs obie '70
Lane County, OR
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