I spent about an hour and a half before sunset at the park (Reston, Fairfax
County) this evening.
Highlights were:
* Empidonax flycatcher (described below)
* Eastern Kingbird
* 8 Solitary Sandpipers - 6 in the ditch in front of the smaller parking garage
* 2 Killdeer
* some goslings
* 14 ducklings
* many visible and vocal towhees
* an Eastern Phoebe with obvious black flanks - I've seen this bird twice now.
Both times flying under the far end of the boardwalk, where I'm guessing it is
working on a nest, so it should be easy to relocate. Any idea why it would have
this coloration?
I saw the flycatcher when I first arrived at the park. It was in a willow just
before the boardwalk to the left of the path. I saw it up close (approx. 15
feet away) and in good light for about 45 seconds before it flew across the
path. I'm pretty sure it was a Least Flycatcher, but I'm hesitant to make that
call because 1) I've never seen a Least Flycatcher before, and 2) it was
silent.
Here are the notes I took just after it flew off (and before looking in any
field guides). Any comments regarding a potential life bird would be
appreciated!
* prominent eye ring - wider in back than in front (probably not a Willow or
Alder)
* prominent bold wing bars - wide, bright/white (suggests Least, Acadian,
Yellow-bellied)
* closer to medium than to short primary projection (not long like the
depictions of Acadian in field guides)
* light/white throat (probably not Yellow-bellied)
* olive/gray sides (I didn't notice any yellow on the underside of the bird)
* head and back colored light gray/olive (consistent with Least, but I hesitate
putting much emphasis on my perception of the drab colors of those birds)
* appeared "big-eyed" (suggests Least?)
* reminded me of a kinglet when flitting & flycatching from branch to branch -
small, active, short wings, didn't simply fly out and return directly to branch
like a phoebe, much more active in the air, flapping quickly
I couldn't find much info on behavior in my books, so it would be great to get
feedback about Empids' behavior (or any feedback at all!).
Still waiting for the warblers to come to Reston,
Andy Rabin
Reston, VA
andyrabin@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
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