** Reply to message from Scott Atkinson <scottratkinson at hotmail.com> on Mon, 10 Jun 2002 14:39:21 -0700


> On Washington reports of Alder Flycatcher:
>
> There was a bird reported northwest of Palmer Lake in Okanogan County many
> Junes back (early 80s) in scrubby riparian habitat, I remembering chasing it
> unsuccessfully. The WRBC ultimately said no to this report; similarly,
> Terry Wahl lists a couple of June reports for Whatcom County in his book,
> but I believe the WRBC said no to those also, so I don't believe we have an
> accepted record. Given how distinctively the bird sings (wee-BEE! to my
> ear, the second note louder and higher), and that they occur commonly
> further west than our area in areas close to the coast, in south coastal AK
> (and even further west to near the Dillingham area on Bristol Bay, I had no
> trouble finding them there in July 1980) you'd think by now we would have an
> accepted WA report, as we do for Blackpoll Warbler, a bird with similar
> breeding season distribution.
>
> Scott Atkinson
> Lake Stevens
> mail to: scottratkinson at hotmail.com
>
> >From: "Mike Wile" <mikewile at attbi.com>
> >Reply-To: mikewile at attbi.com
> >To: <ipaulsen at krl.org>, <tweeters at u.washington.edu>
> >Subject: Re: Alder Flycatcher in WA
> >Date: Sun, 9 Jun 2002 17:58:55 -0700
> >
> >Hi-
> >
> >Not to my knowledge. I had one in Carnation a few years ago, but got no
> >photos/sonograms etc. I called it in and was told there had been no
> >confirmed records.
> >
> >Good birding
> >
> >Mike Wile
> >Redmond WA
> >425-503-5766
> >mikewile at attbi.com
> >----- Original Message -----
> >From: "ian paulsen" <ipaulsen at krl.org>
> >To: <tweeters at u.washington.edu>
> >Sent: Sunday, June 09, 2002 4:54 PM
> >Subject: Alder Flycatcher in WA
> >
> >
> > > HI ALL:
> > > I don't think there are any records of alder flycatcher in WA! Are
> >there?

I live in central BC where Alders are the abundant empid of riparian sites. I just drove through the "demilitarized zone" between Willow and Alders yesterday. I think I can state that songs are about 95% separable and call notes close to 100% separable. Willows do not have anything in their repertoire resembling the strong PEEP! call note of the Alder which sounds like a Hammond's but about a fifth lower pitched. Caution is advised with songs, though, since there is likely some hybridization ongoing. We had a location on one of our BBSes a few years ago where a Willow Fly was replaced with a bird singing a song midway between Willow and Alder. We never did hear it give a call note.

Jack Bowling
Prince George, BC
mailto: jbinpg at shaw.ca