[texbirds] Re: Laredo birds of late, also request for Flycatcher ID (Traill's)
- From: Holly Reinhard <holly.reinhard@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: Brush Freeman <brushfreeman@xxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Tue, 16 Sep 2014 17:23:29 -0500
I have gotten more discussion on this bird, and it has been identified as
an Eastern Wood-Pewee. Tony Leukering pointed out the bird's long primary
projections, extensive yellow mandible, and wide, obvious wing-bars, as Sam
Fason also mentioned.
Thank you all for your input on this! I appreciate the discussion and help
from all.
-Holly Reinhard
On Tue, Sep 16, 2014 at 12:41 PM, Holly Reinhard <holly.reinhard@xxxxxxxxx>
wrote:
> I had been wondering about Pewee, but the undertail coverts are so clear
> and white on this bird (vs. smudged in Pewee). And the throat and whole
> breast seemed so white, as well, compared to Pewee. Of course, different
> field guides show different characteristics--Sibley lists smudged undertail
> coverts as one field mark to distinguish Pewees from Empidonax flycatchers,
> and yet the illustrations in National Geographic show Pewee with perfectly
> white UTC. Also, the behavior of this bird, foraging and returning to
> branches 3 feet to 5 feet off the ground, seemed to be more consistent of
> Traill's. I do not claim to be an expert at flycatchers, though. I'd be
> interested to get more discussion on this bird.
>
> On Tue, Sep 16, 2014 at 12:26 AM, Brush Freeman <brushfreeman@xxxxxxxxx>
> wrote:
>
>> oooh yeah ...I just looked at a couple of the first and the clear throat
>> etc....The later photos do show some long prim.s Dirty job but someone
>> has to throw the first penny against the wall. :-)...So how does this rule
>> Western?...t...Soft parts don't mean squat in wood-pewees in Tx..
>>
>> **********************************************************************
>> Brush Freeman
>> 503-551-5150 Cell
>> 120 N. Red Bud Trail. Elgin, Tx. 78621
>> http://texasnaturenotes.blogspot.com/
>> Finca Alacranes., Utley,Texas
>>
>> On Tue, Sep 16, 2014 at 12:10 AM, Sam Fason <scfason@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>>
>>> I think the unIDed Flycatcher looks more like an Eastern
>>> Wood-Pewee...the first pictures do look awfully Traill's-ish, partially
>>> because of what seems to be the lack of a crest, but the bird in profile
>>> shows extremely long primaries, much longer than I'd expect to see on a
>>> Traill's. The bird has a dusky "vest" as well, and the last two images show
>>> a much more typical Contopus like crest. Just my two cents.
>>> -Sam
>>>
>>> On Mon, Sep 15, 2014 at 10:37 PM, Brush Freeman <brushfreeman@xxxxxxxxx>
>>> wrote:
>>>
>>>> I should know better, but I think you have your ID spot on.
>>>> **********************************************************************
>>>> Brush Freeman
>>>> 503-551-5150 Cell
>>>> 120 N. Red Bud Trail. Elgin, Tx. 78621
>>>> http://texasnaturenotes.blogspot.com/
>>>> Finca Alacranes., Utley,Texas
>>>>
>>>> On Mon, Sep 15, 2014 at 7:16 PM, Holly Reinhard <
>>>> holly.reinhard@xxxxxxxxx>
>>>> wrote:
>>>>
>>>> > Hello TexBirders,
>>>> > It's been awhile since I posted, so I thought I'd mention what I've
>>>> seen
>>>> > lately in Laredo.
>>>> >
>>>> > Migration has begun! Yellow Warblers are everywhere, and so are
>>>> Blue-Gray
>>>> > Gnatcatchers.
>>>> >
>>>> > At Lake Casa Blanca State Park lately:
>>>> >
>>>> > - I seem to see an Osprey at the park every day now, and I suspect
>>>> more
>>>> > will be arriving very soon.
>>>> > - As mentioned, Yellow Warbler and Blue-Gray Gnatcatchers seem to be
>>>> > everywhere!
>>>> > - FOS Sora on Friday
>>>> > - Wilson's Warblers are coming in, too, though not near as numerous as
>>>> > Yellows
>>>> > - Lesser Nighthawk still around
>>>> > - I didn't get out on Sunday, but Carlos Escamilla, a professional
>>>> > photographer who is one of our local Audubon members, had Dickcissel
>>>> and
>>>> > Blue Grosbeak at the park Sunday (with terrific photos of both).
>>>> > - Scissor-tailed Flycatchers seem to be flocking up, or maybe just in
>>>> > family groups.
>>>> > - Least Sandpipers around the lake shoreline
>>>> > - a young Laughing Gull was around the shore last week. Haven't seen
>>>> any
>>>> > other gulls yet.
>>>> > - A few weeks ago I saw some Black Terns at Ranchito Road ponds and
>>>> later
>>>> > that week flying over the Lake. New species for me in this area!
>>>> > - The White-collared Seedeaters appear to have stopped singing for the
>>>> > season. I had not been out to the area in the park where they nest
>>>> for over
>>>> > a month, but on Friday I spent significant time there and did not
>>>> hear a
>>>> > peep. Last year they sang through the month of September, but maybe
>>>> they
>>>> > decided to call it quits earlier this year. I will post to TEXbirds
>>>> if I
>>>> > have any updates, but I think that they are done for the season, which
>>>> > means that they're back to their super elusive ways until spring.
>>>> >
>>>> > Ranchito Road pond adjacent to the park was getting very low on
>>>> water, but
>>>> > since we had a few very good rains the past few days, the water has
>>>> come
>>>> > up. The majority of the shorebird action seems to have happened about
>>>> a
>>>> > month ago, but there are still some shorebirds around.
>>>> >
>>>> > - 5 Black-necked Stilts on Friday
>>>> > - 1 Greater Yellowlegs on Friday
>>>> > - I saw Painted Buntings (3) on Friday, in the same location where
>>>> I'd seen
>>>> > them a few times over the past month or so. I think they nested in
>>>> this
>>>> > area. Friday I saw an adult female and two brown young-looking birds.
>>>> >
>>>> > ___
>>>> >
>>>> > I birded North Central Park for over 2 hours today, and despite the
>>>> fact
>>>> > that I hit it at 11 am, things were very active there. Of note:
>>>> > - Least and Yellow-bellied Flycatchers were both relatively common
>>>> > - Myiarchus flycatchers are still around, either Brown-crested or
>>>> > Great-crested. I did not get a good look at either of the two I had
>>>> today
>>>> > to determine which they were.
>>>> > - 1 American Redstart (I also had one at Lake Casa Blanca SP the
>>>> other day)
>>>> > - 1 YELLOW-THROATED WARBLER, a first for me for the area!
>>>> > - 1 Olive-sided Flycatcher
>>>> > - 1 Eastern Kingbird (I also had one at LCB State Park this past week
>>>> too)
>>>> > - Vermilion Flycatchers are back!
>>>> > - 1 Baltimore Oriole
>>>> > - 3 Summer Tanagers
>>>> > - 3 Yellow-breasted Chats
>>>> >
>>>> > - I also had either a Willow or an Alder Flycatcher, and I am hoping
>>>> for
>>>> > opinions on this bird. It was foraging low to the ground, from 3 feet
>>>> to 5
>>>> > feet off the ground. It was not by the water per-say, but probably
>>>> only
>>>> > about 50 feet from the water as the Flycatcher flies. I don't know if
>>>> this
>>>> > species is identifiable without hearing it call (it was totally silent
>>>> > while I watched it), but I thought I'd give it a shot. Link to photos
>>>> is
>>>> > here:
>>>> > https://flic.kr/s/aHsk32V9rc
>>>> >
>>>> >
>>>> > A few weeks ago some friends and I had our FOS Orange-crowned Warbler
>>>> at
>>>> > North Central Park as well.
>>>> >
>>>> > Complete reports on eBird. Overall, the birds are definitely changing
>>>> up as
>>>> > summer (finally!) starts moving into fall.
>>>> >
>>>> >
>>>> > Good birding,
>>>> >
>>>> > Holly Reinhard
>>>> > Park Interpreter at Lake Casa Blanca State Park
>>>> > Laredo
>>>> >
>>>> >
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