Tweets,

Spurred on by the positive affirmations of Scott, Gary, and Wayne I set off
in search of the Alder Flycatcher this morning, arriving at the appointed
spot about 8 AM under overcast skies. I was the first on the scene and
enjoyed a quiet conversation with not only the Alder Flycatcher but a nearby
Willow Flycatcher, and a couple of Lazuli Buntings, among others. I got
fairly decent digital recordings which I would post here except for being
advised against attachments to tweeters. If anyone would like a copy to run
a sonograph on, I'd be happy to send it. I also managed a couple not very
good digiscope shots. It's for real.

Wayne wondered where all the Washington twitchers were yesterday. I think
the reason we didn't all run off immediately after Scott's report is due to
the "little boy who cried 'wolf'" syndrome with Alder Flycatchers here.
There have been many false alarms, particularly in the last two years but
dating back to the 1970s when Oregon claimed a population of Alder
Flycatchers breeding in the Wallowas, which was widely published but
eventually retracted when it was realized that Willow Flycatchers don't only
say "fitz-bew" but also frequently slip in a more Alder-like "frree-beu"
[Sibley writes it as "rrrEEEP-yew," accented on the first syllable]. Also,
Gary's description of the song as "rrree-beep" sounded more like that
alternate Willow song than the classic three-syllable "fee-BAY-eu" [Sibley
has it "rreeBEEa," accented on the second syllable.] Also, whether it goes
"pip" or "whit" is not something I'd bet my life on. Also, after chasing
Wayne's sighting of ca. 1990 only to find and record what proved to be
either a hybrid or an aberrant Willow, I was not feeling lucky.

In any case, apologies to Scott and Gary for having doubts. Seeing
(hearing?) is believing.

The bird looked quite different to me also [compared to a Willow nearby],
more olive than brown on the back with decidedly more contrasting wing-bars
and a noticeable white partial eye-ring, conspicuous behind the eye, very
much like Sibley's illustration of a perched adult.

The bird is still nearly continuously vocal, moving from perches in various
willows and alders (my first Alder was perched in a willow in a Jasper marsh
next to a Willow perched in an alder!) on both sides of the trail at Scott's
cairn.

Also, there was one singing male American Redstart at the County Line Ponds
and several Black Swifts over the Marblemount boat launch parking lot.

Gene Hunn.