Date: 5/10/26 1:16 pm From: Wim van Dam via groups.io <wim.van.dam...> Subject: Re: [sbcobirding] Empidonax sp., Figueroa Mountain, 2026-05-07
Thanks everyone for your feedback regarding the empidonax that I
photographed at Figueroa Mountain Summer last Thursday. All three options
(Hammond's / Dusky / Gray) had their proponents, so I felt good about being
confused myself. After lots of consulting of Lee and Birch's "Field Guide
to North American Flycatchers" and Kaufman's "Field Guide to Advanced
Birding" I landed on Hammond's. My reasoning is that of the three, this is
the most likely one, the bill size is within the range of what Hammond's
can have, and the spacing of the tips of the primaries was too big for
Dusky. Updated checklist with additional photos is here:
https://ebird.org/checklist/S334133614
Altogether, this hike was very pleasant with lots of potential breeders
seen and heard: Mountain Quail, Northern Pygmy-Owl, American Kestrel,
Olive-sided Flycatcher, Western Wood-Pewee, Western Flycatcher, Empidonax
sp., Ash-throated Flycatcher, Cassin's Vireo, Western Warbling Vireo,
Steller's Jay, Common Raven, Mountain Chickadee, White-breasted Nuthatch,
Pygmy Nuthatch, Brown Creeper, Swainson's Thrush, Townsend's Warbler,
Hermit Warbler, Wilson's Warbler, Western Tanager, Black-headed Grosbeak,
and Lazuli Bunting.
The 2024 Lake Fire has clearly improved the habitat for Lazuli Bunting,
which were everywhere along the trails.
Wim
On Thu, May 7, 2026 at 4:42 PM Wim van Dam <wim.van.dam...> wrote:
> I welcome people's thoughts on this empidonax, which I saw this morning at
> Figueroa Mountain. I would expect that this is a Hammond's, but the bill
> strikes me as big. Yes, the bird was quiet.
>
> https://ebird.org/checklist/S334133614 >
> Thanks
>
> Wim
>
