Today I went to a regular haunt from last year - Avondale Farm. I knew it was sometime in May last year that I found this Adler Flycatcher there, but I did not realize until this moment -- when Facebook reminded me -- that it was today.
I was lucky it was indeed an Alder vs. a Willow Flycatcher because they look almost precisely the same. Experienced birders know that you need to listen for the call. Willow's second sound is longer (Fitz-bew) and the Alder's first sound is longer (Free-beer). Hard to describe and I'm still not 100% confident of it.
But somehow I was when I heard a flycatcher today at Avondale -- I knew it was a Willow Flycatcher -- the find itself not as exciting, but the fact that I knew what I needed to do to confirm the ID is serious growth in a year. I owe a great deal to my fellow Rhode Island birders for the continuing education. It is about growth.
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