One of the exciting challenges that I've faced on the Yakima Training Center
is identyfying Empidonaxes on migration this summer. In places, the trees
and shrubs fairly swarm with flitting and the sounds of snapping bills of
flycatchers. TYhe pewees and Olive-sided Flycatchers and kingbirds are
fairly straightforward. The Empids are a different matter.

Much info has accumulated over the past 15 years or so on what used to be
considered "impossible" to identify birds. Armed with the excellent 4-part
series (Whitney and Kaufmann authors) in BIRDING in 1986 and 1987 plus
Kaufmann's chapter in "Advanced Birding" (Houghton Mifflin) and many hours
afield, it seems possible to peg many of them. Kaufmann emphasizes we are
deluding ourselves if we think we can name them all though. A fair % go down
as Empidonax spp.

My strategy is to stay with an individual until it calls which can be a
period of time at this time of year. A call note is usually helpful in
eliminating a species or two. Shape is helpful in my mind too (eg. Dusky vs.
Hammonds's). Behavior is a help too, but probably oveerated except for Gray
Flycatchers (evidently very rare in Washington away from breeding locales).

I have found habitat structure a useful hint on the Yakima Training Center.
Most individuals seem to zero in on tree/shrub structure that mimicks their
breeding ground habitats. For example, "Western" Flycatchers on migration
tend to slip into shady, dense understories of trees, in my view mostly low
in the tree, Hammond's in the same situation, but tending higher in the
tree. Duskyies in shrubbery or in the open. Willow Flycatchers again are low
and in dense vegetation.

I am interested in Jerry Tangren's statement that "Hammond's have completed
their pre-migration molt by now and thus are bright, closely resembling
'Western" Flycatchers.' Have all Hammond's completed this molt by now? Anmy
opinions?

Andy Stepniewski
Wapato WA