[obol] Alder Flycatcher at Malheur?

Fri Jun 1 14:51:01 PDT 2007

Wayne and Dave and Co.,

Thanks for the feedback. The bird I heard doing my
"freeBEER" call (accent on the second syllable) was as
far as I can tell the same bird song I heard in N.
Minnesota and on the Stokes Guide under Alder
Flycatcher.  I have been overly cautious on this
species, primarily because there are no accepted
records in Oregon and because of the mystique we've
had over past records not being accepted.  I have
heard this song at least one other time in Oregon, I
can't remember where or when anymore. Looks like I
need to get myself a $60 recorder Jay, where did you
find yours (you can respond off-line)?  Hopefully, the
Benton bird can be recorded if it's still around.

Tim R
Coos Bay

--- "Wayne C. Weber" <contopus at telus.net> wrote:

> Tim and Oregon Birders,
> 
> Attempts to depict bird songs phonetically are
> almost
> always doomed to failure, because they sound
> different to different
> observers. To me, the Alder Flycatcher song sounds
> like
> "ree-BEEE-wip", with the third ("wip") note softer,
> and undoubtedly
> harder to hear at a distance. However, every Alder
> Fly song I
> have ever heard is distinctly 3-noted. The key point
> is that the
> second note is the loudest (and highest-pitched),
> unlike the Willow,
> in which the first note is the loudest and
> highest-pitched.
> (This applies to both of the 2 main alternating
> phrases which are
> included in Willow Flycatcher songs.)
> 
> Differences in attempts to phonetically depict bird
> songs are one
> reason why I believe that extralimital records of
> Alder or Willow
> Flycatchers should not be based on verbal
> descriptions of songs,
> but only on recordings of songs, which can be turned
> into
> sound spectrographs (sonagrams) and described
> objectively,
> independent of observer interpretation. We
> originally accepted
> Alder Flycatcher on the Vancouver, BC bird checklist
> on the
> basis of a 1981 record which was well-described, but
> not recorded.
> However, this species was later removed from the
> list, and not
> until 2006 did we get a local record of Alder
> Flycatcher which was
> substantiated by a recording. I still believe that
> the 1981 record was
> valid, but it cannot now be verified.  (Sound
> familiar, anyone??)
> 
> To Mike Patterson and Jeff Gilligan-- two of
> Oregon's most
> capable and respected observers-- my apologies if I
> did not
> quote you accurately. However, it seemed to me that
> both of you
> were at least suggesting that there was some
> regional variation
> in song patterns of Willow Flycatchers within the
> Pacific NW.
> I have not seen (or rather, heard) the slightest
> evidence of this
> in the Pacific NW--  at least, not variation that
> can be easily
> detected by the human ear. It seemed to me that some
> of the
> "song variation" described by Mike, at least, was a
> result of
> confusing the "fweee-beeer" call of the Willow
> Flycatcher with
> the song of one or both species.
> 
> I continue to be baffled by the difficulty that many
> observers
> seem to have in separating the songs of Willow and
> Alder
> Flycatchers, which to me is quite straightforward. I
> have
> a much tougher time consistently separating the
> songs
> of Townsend's and Black-throated Gray Warblers--  or
> even Dark-eyed Juncos and Chipping Sparrows-- than I
> do in
> separating Willow and Alder Flycatchers. I'm glad
> that Dave Lauten,
> at least, agrees with me that the separation is not
> all that
> difficult. What I find REALLY difficult is trying to
> separate these
> or many other species of Empids based strictly on
> visual field
> marks--  much tougher than separating the songs!!
> But then, that
> may be because I have good hearing and poor
> eyesight...
> 
> 
> Wayne C. Weber
> Delta, BC
> contopus at telus.net
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Tim Rodenkirk" <garbledmodwit at yahoo.com>
> To: <obol at lists.oregonstate.edu>
> Sent: Friday, June 01, 2007 12:07 PM
> Subject: [obol] Alder Flycatcher at Malheur?
> 
> 
> Well I listened to the Stokes E. Guide again (been
> listening to it on shuffle for a few weeks to
> sharpen
> me up for my Michigan trip) and the Alder Flycatcher
> song on the tape seems identical to the song I heard
> along the central patrol road (CPR) south of Benson
> Pond on 5/24.  It's interesting to note that the
> field
> guide mnemonics given for some birds do not "work"
> for
> me, so I make up my own when I need to.  I remember
> hearing Alders in N. Minnesota a couple years ago
> and
> thinking they were singing freeBEER- if there was a
> third syllable in their I missed it, and I seem to
> miss it on the Stokes CD also.  Anyhow, suffice to
> say
> that if you are over at Malheur, and would like to
> take a walk and listen to lots of Willow Flycatchers
> and maybe an Alder (it's been over a week since I
> heard this mystery bird), I'd recommend that first
> half-mile south of Benson Pond on the CPR.
> 
> Tim R
> Coos Bay
> 
> 
> 
>
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