Bird of the Week – Alder Flycatcher
Thurshes may be omnivore but the flycatchers pretty much limit themselves to bugs. There’s a genus of flycatchers called Empidonax, which would be on most birders’ list as the very hardest birds to properly identify. Except when they sing. And this handsome Alder Flycatcher was singing his tonsils syrinx off on a warm summer evening.
Alder Flycatcher perched in, yes, Alder, Fairbanks
The song, a lovely fee-bee-o, is the prettiest of all the flycatchers, in WC’s judgment. This is a largely boreal species, split from its cousin, the Willow Flycatcher, back in 1973. The Alder Flycatcher migrates to northern South America where– and you can trust WC on this – there are lots of bugs, too. There’s not been a lot of research on this species. But as warmer temperatures allow the Willow Flycatcher to breed further north, there’s some evidence that the Alder Flycatcher is being displaced.
Camera geek stuff: f6.3, 1/800. ISO200
For more bird photos, please visit Frozen Feather Images.
Had first snow flurries today in NW by gawd ioway. Take that you people up there.
Good read,Dagian. Wingnuts prefer style over substance and end up with substance abuse. Is it true if one was to fly into alder thickets,the chances of getting caught by a mean old bear increase astronomically?
What a lovely bird.
This was a funny opinion article and I think some readers will enjoy it:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/the-gops-dysfunction-all-started-with-sarah-palin/2015/10/25/bdd34892-7442-11e5-8248-98e0f5a2e830_story.html