Subject: [Tweeters] Skagit Least Flycatcher, etc
Date: May 29 20:30:03 2011
From: Gary Bletsch - garybletsch at yahoo.com


Dear Tweeters,

Bob Kuntz and I chased some Skagit birds today from Milltown to the county line. Bird of the day was a LEAST FLYCATCHER at Corkindale.

Actually, the bird species of the day was Lewis's Woodpecker--much cooler than an Empidonax, but becoming almost commonplace this spring!

We dipped on the Black-throated Sparrow that Michael Willison photographed yesterday at Milltown. We were there shortly after dawn and stayed an hour. Later in the day, we ran into Mary-Francis Mathis (excuse any misspelling), and she told us that quite a few parties had tried for it with no success after we left Milltown.

At Martin Road, Bob and I spent a few hours total, visiting both morning and afternoon, and could not find the Calliope Hummingbird or the Least Flycatcher. However, we had smashing looks at the LEWIS'S WOODPECKER at very close range. There were fifteen to twenty Chipping Sparrows on Martin Road--this has been a bonanza season for that species in the Upper Skagit.

The south side of Corkindale produced no rarities, but we did see a late WESTERN KINGBIRD, only my second of the spring.

On the north side, we walked only about 200 meters or less, before encountering a chebecking LEAST FLYCATCHER. Bob sprinted back to the vehicle for the scope while I stayed with the bird. We ended up logging about an hour of observation on this flycatcher. It kept up singing "chebec" almost constantly. Bob and I had to admit that this bird's chebec sounded a tiny bit less clear and crisp than we would have expected--but then, that is the same impression that a singing LEFL made upon me the summer before last, when I found one at DeBay's Slough in August of 2009.

This small Empidonax also gave a "wit" call once in a while. It had a narrow, pale eyering. On the lower back was an area of rather grey plumage, but the rest of the upperparts were an olive-brown. Wingbars and tertial edgings were whitish. The bill was very short and stubby, rather stout. We never did determine if the lower mandible was orange-tinged, but whenever the bird snapped its head back to sing, I could see much orange; I couldn't rule out that this was color inside the mouth. The tail was held down, and the overall posture was fairly upright. The bird caught flying insects from low perches in blackberry and other low shrubs and small trees, all along Corkindale Creek; it never resorted to higher perches in the trees here. The throat was whitish, as was the vent. There was a bit of a smudgy-grey vested effect on the sides of the upper breast. The brown cap contrasted with a greyer face. The "wit" call and the "chebec" song left us with no
possibility other than Least Flycatcher. Never did we heard any "peep" calls as one hears from Hammond's.

At the County Line Ponds was a VESPER SPARROW, found independently earlier in the day by Dick Abbott and Mitch Blanton.

At Newhalem were scads of turistas, as well as a flock of at least 26 Chipping Sparrows near the tennis courts.

We tried for Veeries and Redstarts at a few spots, to no avail.

On both the drive up- and down-river, we saw the LEWIS'S WOODPECKER at the east end of Corkindale, opposite the Buffalo Run Ranch. However, we could not find the LEWO that has been seen recently at SR 20 milepost 100 (just west of Cascadian Farm stand).

Bullock's Orioles were conspicuous at Martin Road, SR 209 milepost 100, and Corkindale.

Oh--at Corkindale, at 1020 in the morning, broad daylight, a BARN OWL was flying around up in the sky, circling with a Common Raven, much to the consternation of a flock of swallows.

Yours truly,

Gary Bletsch


Gary Bletsch?Near Lyman, Washington (Skagit County), USA?garybletsch at yahoo.com?Mentre che li occhi per la fronda verde
ficcava ?o s? come far suole
chi dietro a li uccellin sua vita perde, lo pi? che padre mi dicea: ?Figliuole,
vienne oramai, ch? ?l tempo che n?? imposto
pi? utilmente compartir si vuole?.??