that flycatcher

Here's my post from July 25th:

"There's a somewhat mysterious flycatcher hanging around at the edge of the woods facing the pond and marsh, generally remaining quite high in dead branches. This bird should be an Eastern Phoebe but its head is not particularly dark and it doesn't seem to wag its tail very much -- if at all. There's no particular breast markings that I can see nor is the breast at all yellowish or cream colored as one often sees on juvenile Eastern Phoebes. Size and the lack of wing bars seem to preclude pewees or empids. So, going on the general structure -- big head, bull neck, long dark tail -- and adding in the likely odds, it would have to be an Eastern Phoebe."

What I am describing here is, of course, the Olive-sided Flycatcher which had already appeared here in the last week of July (or even a bit earlier) and has remained here ever since! Lorna also saw what was clearly the same bird and was equally puzzled over it.

How did I misname it so badly? The bird (I'm assuming there was only one but I have no proof of that) was not singing and did not show the white tufts on the sides of its rump. Also, I missed the vest effect which is not always visible at a distance. And I did not expect to see this north woods flycatcher here in mid-July -- which only goes to show that mental categories can overwhelm the evidence of one's eyes.

In fact, Olive-sided Flycatcher is known to migrate as early as July. It is also known to like dead snags, particularly in burned-over areas. This bird (or birds) actually found here a similar area of dead trees created, not by fire, but by hurricanes, and extending all around the wetland edges -- perfect for its habit of perching high on a dead snag from which it performs its characteristic flights and insect captures.

The Olive-sided is not our only midsummer arrival. Most years we get Northern Waterthrushes from the north and Royal Terns from the south, both in July. Also Spotted Sandpipers, American Redstarts and a few other species that nest elsewhere on Long Island but typically turn up here in midsummer.

Eric Salzman