>All summer we have had many willow flycatchers (voice, appearance) in the
>area and more recently near our water source, but this morning we had a
>clearly different visitor: empid size, pronounced elongated eye ring
>("Egyptian eye") which may have been slightly yellowish, definite buff-tan
>wingbars, strong crest effect, very pale sulfur colored belly and lower
>breast shading into a tan throat. The back was, at least in part, slightly
>olive and looked as though it was just coming into adult plumage (more fluffy
>gray on the sides). The bill appeared to be less contrasty top/bottom than
>our adult willows. Naturally it wasn't saying anything.

Looks to me like you nailed this one down correctly. The only other
possibility would be Hammond's, which has a smaller, darker bill and less
elongated eyering (but non-"Westerns" can sometimes be very similar to that
type), and is less yellowish beneath. Hammond's can be conspicuously pale
yellow on the belly, but the breast is usually gray, the throat whitish.

Dennis Paulson, Director phone 206-756-3798
Slater Museum of Natural History fax 206-756-3352
University of Puget Sound e-mail dpaulson at ups.edu
Tacoma, WA 98416