The Lincolnshire Bird Club

Afternoon all, any thoughts on that flycatcher at blakeney?
Was there on Monday late 1730 and a very knowledgeable chap reckons it might have been a yellow bellied?
Something about a tear drop behind its eye!
So that's yellow bellied, least, willow and alder it been called...

What say you lot?

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Kind Regards

Steve

http://www.southlincsrspb.org.uk

Hi Steve

The Empidonax at Blakeney was indeed an awesome find and well worth the 6 mile slog on shingle to see it! However early reports were in error and this bird is not a Yellow-bellied as first reported. Least Flycatcher has also been ruled out and the bird is a ‘Traill’s Flycatcher’ a term used to describe two very closely related spp, Alder and Willow Flycatcher. They are very difficult to separate even in the hand.

There are currently 14 pages of ‘debate’ on this bird on the Rare Bird Sightings page at BirdForum which I would suggest you have a read of if interested. Some birders from across the ‘pond’ who have considerably more experience and knowledge of this difficult group are tentatively suggesting Alder Flycatcher based upon the olive tones to the back, grey nape and well defined pale eye-ring amongst other things, but its still a difficult call.

Hope this helps

Grahame