[Tweeters] Possible Ash-throated Flycatcher at Olympic Sculpture Park

[Thomas M Leschine via Tweeters]

Hi, Tweets,
Yesterday morning I led a BCS bird outing at the Olympic Sculpture Park in Seattle. Weather was not ideal and turnout low, in fact only one person, Lee Jaszlics.  If you know the place, it is planted with tall conifers below and beside the big Richard Serra sculpture, “Wake”.  Park staff had alerted us that an owl was seen in those conifers the night before, otherwise usually the best spot for overwintering passerines.

I played a series of Northern Pygmy Owl “toots” from my phone and soon a fair number of the usual winter birds were responding with excited flitting about.  High up, a larger bird caught our eye and Lee managed to get an o.k. photo.  This was right at the park’s NW corner where there are now some bare limbed cedars as well as tall Doug Firs.  

I thought at first Western or Tropical Kingbird, the size was certainly about right, but only the faintest of yellow on the lower breast.  We both felt we saw the distinctive russet wing edging of the ATFL and Lee’s eBird photo seems to show a bit on the tail as well.  We also saw it do a foray of about 20 feet that looked like a typical flycatcher insect-catching sortie.  Otherwise it stayed hidden high up in the conifers but came out briefly several times in response to more “toots”.   We didn’t see any owls.  This was at about 9:30 am.

Hoping someone can get down there soon for a little verification. 

Here are links to Lee’s photos:  https://ebird.org/checklist/S202477672 <https://ebird.org/checklist/S202477672>   

https://flickr.com/photos/medusasnail/54140958745 <https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://flickr.com/photos/medusasnail/54140958745__;!!K-Hz7m0Vt54!g4IOV7RlQjMFWmwQpP6DLu6TXnh8HLjkGsHGdXhusAA355a92aWJpGccLl7urXev-GzZiowlYKNwM8NacQ$>

Good birding,

Tom Leschine
Seattle

tee em el at you w dot ee dee you


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