Subject: [Tweeters] Gray Flycatcher - Lincoln Park/Seattle
Date: May 12 12:55:22 2008
From: Eugene and Nancy Hunn - enhunn323 at comcast.net


Tweets, Jim, et al.,

The flycatcher was still there, precisely as described, foraging mostly
rather high in the cedars, firs, and madrones north of the baseball
backstop, between 11:15 and 11:45 AM this morning.

Brien Meilleur and I spent quite a while chasing the "whit" notes, which
were given somewhat intermittently but allowed us to locate the bird as it
moved very actively through the tree tops. At one point it dropped to eye
level in some brambles and an ornamental cherry a bit east of the backstop,
affording excellent scope views, but mostly it stayed 30-50 feet up and was
in constant motion.

Clearly a GRAY FLYCATCHER. Long tail, particularly narrow at the base, with
conspicuous white outer webs of the outer tail feathers. Basically white
below and pale gray above, head to foot. The head seemed relatively small,
with a flattish rounded profile. The eye ring was whitish, narrow, but very
even, suggesting a Nashville Warbler though less prominent. The bill is
longer than wide at the base, yellow-orange below except for a dark tip. It
nearly constantly wagged its tail snappily downward.

I have records of five previous King County sightings, all from Seattle.

There may have been a Hammond's Flycatcher in the vicinity as well. Lots of
Townsend's Warblers singing, Warbling Vireos foraging, and an Olive-sided
"whipping-three-beers" nearby.

Gene Hunn
18476 478th Pl NE
Lake Forest Park, WA
enhunn323 at comcast.net

-----Original Message-----
From: tweeters-bounces at mailman1.u.washington.edu
[mailto:tweeters-bounces at mailman1.u.washington.edu] On Behalf Of Jim Flynn
Sent: Monday, May 12, 2008 10:04 AM
To: tweeters at u.washington.edu
Subject: [Tweeters] Gray Flycatcher - Lincoln Park/Seattle

Hi Tweets,

Just a quick note from home as Marissa Benavente, Penny Rose and I are doing
our Birdathon today. Around 9 AM we found a probable Gray Flycatcher in
Lincoln
Park, just north of the Fauntleroy Ferry Terminal.

The bird is near a baseball field just about 100 yards north (uphill) from
the
south parking lot. There are ballfields in the north part of the park also,
so be
sure to go to the south lot, closest to the ferry.

The bird was foraging from ground level up to about 20' up in the plane tree
(sycamore) and cedar on the west and north edge of the ball field.

What we observed was a very drab, grayish empid with low contrast on the
face
- the eyering being quite narrow and while distinct, not really strong in
contrast to the
rest of the face. The bill was long and narrow and was mostly orange
underneath,
with a small dark tip. The wings were short and the tail rather long, which
it
wagged downwards in that fluid, phoebe-like motion.

Good luck if you go to look for it!

--
Jim Flynn
merlinmania at comcast.net
Seattle, WA
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