[obol] Ash-throated Flycatchers in north-central Oregon

[Joel Geier]

Hello folks,

To echo & amplify a bit on what Donna Lusthoff has said, Ash-throated 
Flycatcher is probably more common in appropriate habitats in 
north-central Oregon than might be expected from birding the moister, 
more "birdy" habitats in the canyon bottoms.

I've regularly encountered them while doing field geology in the canyon 
country, usually well off the roads on dry slopes with scattered snags 
where they seem to be fairly common. Rock Wrens sometimes seem to be 
their only avian company.

I've only seen a couple of pairs of ATFLs from roads in north-central 
Oregon. In both cases those were well up dry slopes with a few juniper 
snags.

Incidentally, one of those pairs (this spring) was in the hex containing 
Mitchell in s. Wheeler Co., where the Oregon Breeding Bird Atlas shows a 
blank. I'd guess that this and other holes on the OBBA map in 
north-central Oregon have more to do with restricted access to 
appropriate habitat, than actual non-presence of this species.

Good birding,
Joel

--
Joel Geier
jgeier at attglobal.net