Sure, when we begin birding the Blue Heron and Sandhill Crane can be confusing. Goldfinch or warbler? Sorting the cormorants on the coast can be daunting at first. Sparrows always hold their own special ID tortures. House-Purple-Cassin’s Finch can be an intense short course. But then we graduate to the fall warblers, the peeps; some birders even take on the first and second year gulls. But for all of us, each spring at this latitude, there comes the time when the easy birding is OVER, so over. At this latitude, each spring, there comes the time when a quick glance at the willow or Doug-fir doesn’t confirm: another Yellow-rump, or Mountain Chickadee, or one of the chickadees. No. it is the annual return of the Empids.
After birding Ashland Pond this morning, I’d had a birdy, busy morning. Many of the birds I saw were Yellow-rumps, but among them was my first Wilson’s Warbler of the year. Also saw my first FEMALE Black-headed Grosbeak. Then as the Great Blue Heron settled onto the shore my sub-conscious asked, “When will the little green guys come back?” Within a few seconds the first Green Heron of my birding year wafted its way across the pond. As soon as it settled down the big blue bully came and drove it away. So I was feeling pretty bird-wise and bird-satiated. Then it happened.
A small upright bird flitted nervously out of an ash tree, then zipped back into the foliage. The fly out, zip back pattern was repeated. Then the little bird with a darkish back began jumping from limb to limb. It was my first Empidonax flycatcher of the year. Never a simple challenge:
we get four Empid species here regularly each spring, plus occasionally other pass by. Somebody’s already reported a Gray Flycatcher on its way to eastern Oregon’s sagebrush country. Here we can expect: Pacific-slope, Willow, Dusky and Hammond’s.
The clues I used in sorting out (maybe, if I am right) this bird: not a whole eye-ring but a visible one. That eliminates Willow. If you read David Irons comment below you will see that original supposition that this was a Pac-slope is not correct…it’s a Hammond’s. That species will not linger long in the valley but will eventually move upslope and nest in dense conifer forest.
BLOG BIRD FEST BOILERPLATE
HERE IN ASHLAND, OREGON, THE KLAMATH BIRD OBSERVATORY IS SPONSORING OUR FIRST-EVER MOUNTAIN BIRD FESTIVAL. IT IS MAY 30-JUNE 1. PACIFIC-SLOPE FLYCATCHER, WHITE-HEADED WOODPECKER, CALLIOPE HUMMINGBIRD, WESTERN SCREECH-OWL, SANDHILL CRANES ON NESTING GROUNDS, BOTH EAGLES, NESTING OSPREY, ACORN & LEWIS’S WOODPECKERS, MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRD AND CHICKADEE, HERMIT AND MACGILLIVRAY’S WARBLER, CASSIN’S FINCH AND VIREO, BAND-TAILED PIGEON, BLACK TERN, RED-BREASTED AND WILLIAMSON’S SAPSUCKERS, GREEN-TAILED TOWHEE, LAZULI BUNTING, AMERICAN DIPPER, WRENTIT, TOWNSEND’S SOLITAIRE–SOME OF THE BIRDS WE EXPECT TO SEE. WITH A LITTLE BIRDING MOJO WE CAN ADD GREAT GRAY OWL, SOOTY GROUSE, MOUNTAIN QUAIL, NORTHERN PYGMY-OWL, SWAINSON’S HAWK, EVENING GROSBEAK AND NORTHERN GOSHAWK.
Towheeblog 
This is a Hammond’s Flycatcher. Pacific-slopes have a yellow throat and are mostly green and yellow below, with greenish vest, yellow trough down the middle of that and a yellow belly and vent. They have no gray anywhere in their plumage. They also have a longer and more broad-based bill with an entirely orangish-yellow mandible. The rather short very pointed bill, along with the gray vest and throat fit Hammond’s, as does the proportionally large head and short narrow tail. Hammond’s also have long primary projection, with the extension of the wingtips in these photos suggests.
By: Dave Irons on April 28, 2014
at 11:12 pm