Observer:
Ryan O'Donnell
Date: 23 Jun 2014
For Record #: 2014-018
Species: Least Flycatcher
Comments:
On 19 June 2014, I returned to Newton Reservoir to see if the
Least Flycatcher was still there. (It had been initially found on 5
Jun 2014 by Cullen Clark, and relocated by me on 6 Jun). The bird
was continuing, but while I was listening to it sing, I could hear a
SECOND Least Flycatcher singing about 120 yards away. I was able to
record audio of both birds (separately), and those are available in
this eBird checklist and on Xeno-Canto.org:
http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S18840513
On 20 June, Bob Atwood relocated one of the birds:
http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S18846715
On 21 June, Andrew Durso and Kendal Morris visited the location and
found a total of THREE Least Flycatchers, all singing at the same
time.
http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S18851736
On 22 June, I visited the location with Andrew Durso, Kendal Morris,
and Craig Fosdick. Again, all three birds were singing at the same
time, persistently giving the distinct "che-BEK" song. Although we
couldn't quite hear all three from one location, the four of us
spread out so that we could each stand under one bird and see each
other, with the fourth person serving as a kind of verbal relay.
Collectively, we could hear all three singing at the same time. I
made a video compilation of three clips documenting the three
different Least Flycatchers. The video is too large to attach to
this email, but can be viewed and downloaded here:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/tsirtalis/14464083696/
We saw another bird only briefly, being pursued by one of the
singing male Least Flycatchers, that I believe may have been a
fourth Least Flycatcher (probably a female), but I consider that
identification inconclusive and I'm submitting this as a record of
only three singing adult males. Mike Taylor was able to relocate two
of the males later the same afternoon.
Sincerely,
Ryan O'Donnell
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