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Post by Gord on Jun 13, 2023 16:57:26 GMT -8
I found what I really like for an Alder Flycatcher at the far end of Limbert Road about 100m west of where the corn field ends. All the calls, song and even visually (for what it’s worth) worked out despite my efforts to make it a Willow Flycatcher. Will upload some audio files and a couple photos later this evening. No chat that was previously reported but did get a Grey Catbird as well at the same location. The catbird…audio-bombed…?… me while recording the Alder. Nice to see a Mourning Dove and a couple mature Bullock’s Oriole males.
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Post by Gord on Jun 13, 2023 23:00:33 GMT -8
Attached audio of song and calls. Song was always "Ree BA!" with this bird over the 20 minutes spent with it. Willow sometimes makes a similar song but is just a single-syllable "Riiipp!" and then goes back to "Fitz-Bew" in short order. The call notes of a sharper "Pip!" almost like a Western Kingbird call that I recently heard and is different from the dry "Whit" of Willow. The Alder also had a "Whee-O" call spaced in with the "Pips" and song. ALFL Song.mp3 (463.42 KB) ALFL Calls.mp3 (1018.06 KB) I got the best call notes after he had an altercation with a Willow Flycatcher and also the best photos. Visually, one can't say which is which for sure; or at least prove a leaning one way or the other on a silent bird. However, this bird's plumage works well for Alder at least in a supporting role. Eye-ring usually always on Alder while often absent or faint on Willow. Overall a tad brighter green-olive to my eye and the wingbars and terital edging stood out well against the wings.  _0239338 by Geordie LaForge, on Flickr  _0239355 by Geordie LaForge, on Flickr  _0239367 by Geordie LaForge, on Flickr |
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Post by Gord on Jun 15, 2023 22:11:54 GMT -8
Continues early this evening
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Post by Chris on Jun 16, 2023 12:35:30 GMT -8
Continues around noon today. Wasn't calling too often.
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Post by Gord on Jun 19, 2023 18:28:56 GMT -8
Still there today but not as vocal. Wet weather would not have helped with creating the mood to sing.
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Post by kenneth2019 on Jun 20, 2023 19:05:59 GMT -8
Well, I think I eventually and accidentally found the Alder Flycatcher. Went looking for it and found lots of birds, even two Willow Flycatchers, but they gave me no indication they were anything but willow. They sounded like Willow and Merlin said Willow, when I played a Willow song I got little to no response? Playing an Alder Flycatcher song got an angry response from the Willow and no Alder sounds. An hour and half and I gave it up, but driving away I saw another one that for some reason looked different. It was in the shrubs along the river bank, so I followed it down the road until it just vanished, the sounds sounded Alder, but I got no recording.
Worth the trip down there even without the Alder Flycatcher.
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Post by ed on Jun 25, 2023 11:51:51 GMT -8
I’ve gone out 3 times🤷♂️. You guys are all hearing things😂
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Post by Gord on Jun 25, 2023 22:01:48 GMT -8
Ken, tough birds for sure. It has been quite dedicated to the area nearer the tracks on his territory and I'd be surprised if it moved through the Willow's territories to feed in that area along the river. Not to risk sounding negative when intending to share observations/knowledge.
This afternoon we stopped by to see if Benny could get get it. Given how uncommon they are, I was hoping it would still be there for him. And it was. He knew what to listen for and pointed out the song himself which was, as probably guessed, a proud dad moment again. We saw it at the top of a shrub singing several times as well. Not sure if he has a mate be it a likewise lost female Alder Flycatcher or a Willow Flycatcher female. If the latter, we can look forward to possible confusing hybrid. Just because they're not confusing enough as it is. I guess it depends on what song the bird sings and if the male hybrids learn from the Alder dad who will share his song. So unlike the usual visual parts of hybrids that often share feather colour/patterns of both species to varying degrees, we won't expect a hybrid flycatcher to have a song somewhere in the middle of Willow and Alder. And given how similar they are visually (try basically identical) maybe a hybrid is no more confusing than a pure one. Anyway, that was a rabbit hole and a half.
We also had a Grey Catbird singing his heart out. We were interested to note that it sounded like he had a few Alder Flycatcher songs incorporated into his song as well with a couple other species and the usual jumble of sounds. Cool stuff to see (hear) that possibly the catbirds use sounds they have recently heard and add them to their routine. There was a catbird at Eagle Point a few years ago that had a fantastic array of mimicry of other species including Purple Martin.
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Post by ed on Jun 26, 2023 19:40:54 GMT -8
I had a chukar there this evening!
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Post by ed on Jun 27, 2023 7:58:10 GMT -8
When I went to the right location, I heard him calling fairly regularly.👍
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Post by b1schmor on Jun 27, 2023 15:15:05 GMT -8
Hello birders,
I've been a few times and have also only found chukar. Should I be looking near the train tracks, by the Slough, or between the Slough and cornfield?
Thanks,
Brent Schmor
Mission
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Post by ed on Jun 27, 2023 17:10:10 GMT -8
Brent, if you walk north on the track/path between the slough and the cornfield you will hear it calling from across the slough. Good luck!
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Post by Chris on Jun 27, 2023 19:31:20 GMT -8
I had a chukar there this evening! Interesting. One of my students has an assortment of animals at his place. If I remember in September I will inquire! He does live very close to Limbert Rd. |
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Post by oldfulica on Jun 28, 2023 7:12:06 GMT -8
Brent, if you walk north on the track/path between the slough and the cornfield you will hear it calling from across the slough. Good luck! We spent over an hour there on Tuesday and didn't hear it either. I presume the pin on your ebird list is not the spot? We went to the very end of the road up to the train tracks and slowly walked back. There was a slough there. Further east from there was a trail on the edge of the cornfield. Is this the trail where you head north? Where was the Catbird in relation to this location. Thanks Ed. |
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Post by Ben on Jun 28, 2023 7:48:09 GMT -8
Every time I've had it, I've been standing roughly here: 49.235260,-121.851935 (if you look on Maps with satellite imagery should be able to see the spot). It is on what looks like a tractor path that runs north along the western side of the corn field. Not sure if it's private property, but I've never seen anyone and there's no signs. Alternatively, I have also heard it from where the gravel road crosses the slough, though the sound was very faint and could easily get crowded by other bird song/traffic noise. I also managed to hear it from Dyke Road as well, on the other side of the tracks (just like 50 meters from the gate on the dike). My best guess for the location of where I've seen the bird sitting while hearing it sing would be in the trees near this pin: 49.235646,-121.853483 goo.gl/maps/1awov378eT4TowVQA Hope that's helpful  Edit: I heard the Catbird from same location on path... |
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