Yes, another empid post. Sigh.

[expiallyd]

It’s been at least 5 minutes since the last post about empid flycatchers, so here I go again with an ID question. Was at Hayward Lake and spent at least half an hour craning my neck looking up into fir and adjacent deciduous trees along the trail between the lake and the forested slope (at the start of the railway trail) trying to catch glimpses of at least 3, possibly as many as 5 flycatchers. Seemed to be a family group with at least 1 begging youngster. The adults seemed small and fairly dark with light wingbars, some yellow on the belly, and a very distinct complete bright white eyering that was noticeable even when the birds were in the shade and other details were not visible. Round eyering, not noticeably teardrop shaped like Pacific slopes. The top of the head appeared slightly darker than the rest of the head but that may have been a trick of the light. Birds were very active, hopping up from the branches to catch bugs and occasionally hovering under leaf clusters in the same way that kinglets do, and sticking around in the same fir tree for quite a while. They did not at any time sit on an open perch and fly out of the trees to catch insects in the open. I am thinking that these are least flycatchers. Did not hear the che-bek sound that I associate with leasts; but they were almost constantly making a sharp wheet sound and sometimes there seemed to be some skirmish accompanied by rapid wheets and chattery noises. Eventually they moved on and so did I. I did not get many good looks at the birds and I have no pictures except a poor one of this bird which I take to be a juvenile. Grey overall and grey vest with a yellow undershirt. I don’t want to report these as leasts if anyone can tell me that this bird is most likely NOT a least. Thoughts, anyone?

[expiallyd]

Update: In case it matters, I should add that the 'fir' tree was probably a hemlock.I don't know trees very well either.

[paulos]

Hi Anne,

Breeding Least flycatchers would be unlikely in the Fraser Valley. There have been one or two odd sightings of individuals most summers, but you are probably looking at something more common. Leasts would also have a smaller bill than this appears to be. But with what you saw of the eye ring, who knows? All empidonax flycatchers have the yellowish wash and the wing bars, so the bill, eye markings, and wing and tail length are the most important things to look for.

Given the habitat, Hammond's or Pacific-slope would be possibilities, but it is hard to say from this shot.

[expiallyd]

Thanks Paul. Yes, terrible photo. I am just going to record them as empid sp.

Anne

[birderbert]

My guess is Western wood-pewee based on that waistcoat front!

[expiallyd]

Jul 18, 2019 16:20:07 GMT -8 birderbert said:

My guess is Western wood-pewee based on that waistcoat front!

Thanks for that thought, Bert.  I can see how this very poor photo would suggest that, but I did rule out western wood-pewee for several reasons. I have recorded the sighting as empidonax sp. and will just keep working on building experience to figure out these flycatchers. 

[Gord]

Hammond's gets my vote. The vest points to it as well as the habitat is a fit. Always a fun conversation; thanks for sharing! Don't give up on them.