English and Scientific names:	Willow Flycatcher (Empidonax traillii)
Number of individuals:	1 to 5, possibly 6 on different dates/locations 1. Canes' Landing on Red river/Bossier City/par.- 06-25-09= 1-2 adm, 06-27-09= 5 to 6= 2 adm, 2 prob adf, 1-2 possible hy, 07-12-09=2= 1 ad./hym briefly seen, 1 prob. adf-h.o., 07-12-09=2, 07-26-09=4 (possibly 5) 2adm, 2adf,1 possible hy by call., 08-01 =2= 1 by call, 1 almost definite hy. (see notes in behavior for interesting sighting description). 2. Elm Grove/Bossier- 07-17-09=1 adm. 08-16-09= 1adm, 1 by call-migrants. 3. Marie Hamel-Shreveport/Caddo- 07-12-09= 1 adm by song along flooded W edge of thicket.
Locality: LOUISIANA:	Bossier and Caddo
Specific Locality:	1. Canes' Landing on Red River- Bossier Par.  Bossier City- immediately adjacent downtown Shreveport but across Red River on E side of river. 2. Elm Grove, La.- Bossier par.- Elm Grove/Whitehouse plantation- sem-mature to mature riparian stringer adjacent large/long but somewhat narrow pond wooded on N side- at extreme N end of property. Also narrow stringer between largest pond and oxbow near S end of surveyed portion 3. Marie Hamel memorial park on Red River in Shreveport.- Exact area to NE of park near N end of large sandbar.
Date(s) when observed:	1. Cane's Landing/Bossier 06-25-09, 06-27-09, 07-12-09, 07-26-09, 08-01-09 2. Elm Grove/Bossier- 07-17-09, 08-16-09 3. Marie Hamel-Shreveport/Caddo-07-12-091. Cane's/Bossier-
Time(s) of day when observed:	1. 06-25-09= very short duration. brief walk by predawn of usual breeding area to survey portions farther N at approx 0530 a.m., 06-27-09= between 0534-0920 am (latter half of survey), 07-12-09= short duration at immed. area, approx between 0700-0715 am (full survey 0645-0815), 07-26-09= 0555-0912 am (latter portion, approx 1.5 hrs of survey) 08-01- No full survey or time listed but was later in morning. 2. Elm Grove/Bossier-07-17-09-survey 0730-0945 am. Was probably between 0745-0815 am when hearing song. 08-16-09 -survey 0625-0905am, was over half through, prob around 0815 am. 3. Marie Hamel- Shreveport/Caddo- Survey from 3:55 to 5:50 pm- approx around 4:30 pm
Reporting observer and address:	Terry Davis Bossier City, La.
Other observers accompanying reporter who also identified the bird(s):	Devin Bosler on 07-12-09
Other observers who independently identified the bird(s)
Light conditions (position of bird in relation to shade and to direction and amount of light):	No data as sun or clouds only noted at arrival times for surveyed areas. WIFL sub-areas of surveyed portions- with exception of very few occasions- were mostly always done at least 30 mins or more after arriving to the surveyed areas.
Optical equipment:	brunton eterna 11x45 in good optical condition
Distance to bird(s):	variable--from 8 feet to no more than 40-50 yards for some singers
Duration of observation:	variable, from 2-3 minutes on 06-25-09 on early walk-through at Cane's to 1.5 hours-latter longer durations also at Cane's- described above in times.
Habitat:	1. Cane's/Bossier -open tall grassed/weedy expanse with  1' to 8' deep seasonal pools bordered by profuse 5-20' black and sandbar willow (mostly sandbar)-lower branches of willows bushy, often in water in shallower portions of pool- many trees entirely in water during times of much rain. Immediate area is fairly devoid of vinaceous growth. Area is bordered to E by higher ground interspersed with much metal/wood refuse and open bare-dirt bladed !  areas, farther E a dense, mature riparian stringer. Bordered to NE also by higher ground, much open, bare-dirt and broken concrete/bladed areas. Farther to N and NE across open expanse is earlier 3-4 y.o. grassy/weeded, successional spoil piles with scattered small trees and a small grassy willow-lined canal that held one bird singing earlier in spring for a time. Area bordered to S by open mowed field, to SE by dense fairly mature riparian stringer. 2. Elm Grove/Bossier. Breeding season Singer on N side of N-most pond which is densely-lined with 10-40 willows and much grassy and herbaceous growth and vines. Prob. migrants found later in Aug. were along very narrow willow, r-leafed dogwod, box elder maple-lined, viny, tall-weeded and grassy riparian stringer between large (S) pond and large oxbow adjacent river near southernmost portion of surveyed portion of property- approx 2/3 of mile S of summer area. 3. Marie Hamel park-Shreveport/Caddo. Large sandbar between park and Red River- to E of NE portion of park formed after rock revetments placed during/after lock/dam 5 construction- Sandbar interspersed with weeds, grass, and profuse with variably 2-20+ foot black and sandbar willows, long semi-continuous oxbow/seasonal pool sandwiched between sanbar and higher hill which was Civil War fort. Indiv. found in N-most portion of area, as in previous season.Willow Flycatchers were notably more secretive overall this summer season than in previous years. Males were often singing at higher levels within thickets as opposed to being on outer edges and fairly well-exposed as in at least 2 previous seasons. They were somewhat more visible earlier on during the few visits in late spring but were nearly always hard to see in summer. This makes me wonder if one male in 2007 ever paired with fem. He was often exposed (still advertising for mate?) while singing later into the season, while !  the other male was mostly hidden except on a few occasions or when infrequently elicited by playback. Almost no playback was used during spring/summer 2009
Behavior of bird:
Description:	1. Canes'/Bossier= 06-25-2009- 1 to 2 adm by song on brief predawn walk through of area to survey areas farther N for atlas.  06-27-09=5-6 individuals during fairly long survey. There were two adm giving song and 2 females giving very liquid "preet" wit-calls in vicinity of each singing male, 1 female briefly seen, there were 1-2 birds giving less liquid "whip" or "whiyp" wit-calls, also heard at close range was a variable somewhat less liquid "wreep"-call and "wheelp". One indiv. was giving short snappy, quickly-repeated sibilant "pew" calls each time male or f called near that area. Birds only observed briefly. One bird that was probable adm that had been previously heard singing then dropped low level into willows and did lift,drop,lift traill's-type tail action. Chasing, buzzy bickering noted on at least one occasion.  07-12-09 Brief survey of area with Devin Bosler. No song upon arrival. One bird came in briefly to very brief elicitation and gave drier "whip"-call. It had also possibly given a buzzy bickering upon arrival but I was not certain of the origin at the time. One bird in isolated clump of willows to SE gave liquid "preet"-call-prob f. Later, after other surveys I thought it possible after hearing adm give whip call that the first bird might have also been adm- listed at time as possible hy.  07-26-09=4-5 indivs. There were 2 adm singing and 2 females giving liquid "preet"calls. One of the singing males gave a few "whip"-calls. There was possibly also another bird giving a "whip"-call more distantly (the other male?) and a bird giving "wheelp"= only briefly, seen relocating, etc. From memory, this is very late song/ detection of breeders in comparison to other years.  08-01-09=2= 1 h.o. giving "preet" and One seen well giving a "whip" call. I studied this bird closely for 20-30 seconds or more at least 2-3 separate times as it moved back and forth from thicker area to small isolated willow clump. I was initially struck by how brownish-suffused the plumage looked above on mantle, even wings. The bird was notably yellowish-tinged below and in flanks. After first observing the strangeness and almost "western Flycatcher"-like characters of this indivs. plumage, I immediately began making sure that the bird was certainly WIFL and it indeed was- was largish and broad-tailed, had sloping forehead w/ peaked rear crown, moderately short primaries and lacking eyering. In my haste to make sure of the above, and although I did I note that the bird had crisp wingbars, I did not note whether they were buff-suffused. I did see crisp white in wingbars during observations. possible fresh fall hy?- prior to moult? 2. Marie Hamel pk- Shreveport/Caddo 07-12-2009- around 4:30 pm, brief song bout of male on N end of sandbar. Surveyed W border of area only briefly earlier in season when entire area under water and impassable. Did not go back after water fell until late in season. 3. Elm Grove- 07-17-2009= 1 adm. incessantly giving song 50 yds or so away across narrow pond. heard on 2-3 occasions when most calm and quiet while counting shorebirds + commuting and present heronoids from at least 2 points on S side of pond. 08-16-09= 2, migrants. I heard a thick lengthy "whip" while surveying for migrants along a very narrow riparian strip near SW edge of surveyed portion of property- sandwiched between large open pond and large lotus-filled oxbow. I played WIFL song once and shortly after was rewarded with 2 distinctive "fitzbew" calls at close range. I observed the singing bird perched low at outer edge of r-l dogwood and noted the lack of eyering but most of bird wings and below was obscured by leaves. Another indiv. flew in and chased the bird to the S immediately after and the 2 went back and forth momentarily higher in willows with thin buzzy bickering calls. One bird noted perched higher briefly and giving traill's mechanical but comparatively slowish tail-action of lift,stop, drop stop. One song afterward, also a calling bird nearby almost simultaneously. There were also 6 ALFL tallied in surveyed area for the morning- 1 was fairly near the WIFL giving tonal "pip" calls Willow Flycatchers were listed on basis of being small flycatchers, but largish Empids. Distinct calls were mostly used to verify their identity during summer surveys as birds were notably less visible than in 2007, at which time when breeding males possibly stayed unpaired for longer periods of time and were more often seen perched openly, more advertisingly during song bouts- one indiv. especially. Those that were seen well in 2009 were seen to lack eyering, have notably sloping forehead with peaked rear crown, broad tails with slowish, but somewhat jerky/mechanical lift, drop, lift tail action. Interestingly, not a single male was seen well enough out in open and good enough light to see the browner-appearing edges of mantle, lack of tail action during song, etc. On one occasion, from memory was 07-26, a female was seen giving "preet" wit-call, more notable tail action but I ever noted or saw in good enough light for certain any unkempt-looking splotch of olivish on upper!  tail coverts. I had noted this on females and brownish edges to mantles of males in 2007.
Voice:	1. Dry, buzzy, snapped level and very short 1st note running into 2nd longer falling note= "fitzbew" or "pitzpeer" (mnemonic makes call look longer on first note). Birds were less frequently heard to give the short buzzy "sgip" 2 or so seconds afterward as they did in 2007 but it was not infrequently heard.   2. Occasionally, the second "fitzbew" phrase given more quickly following the first at which time it sounds more like "rzeet-beeeyr" (thin, buzzy, not ALFL-like- only given in spring and summer)- with longer, more ascending first note and ascending, then slightly dropping 2nd note- this also was heard on a couple of occasions to be possibly originating from the other male in countersong very shortly after 1st males song.   3. A couple of adm were heard more frequently to give "whip-bew" songs later, on into summer season in 2009. This song lacks buzzy quality in 1st level note. 3. Less frequently song sounded "wreep-bleeyew"- which initial portion of song may throw wrench into my hypothesis of male vs. female calls "sgip" calls- described above, short, level, thin, buzzy- nealy always given after a "fitzbew" song. may be a summer or shortened version of the less buzzy, more rolling burry or gravelly "crete" -call "crete" or "crrete". Was only heard mostly in earlier late spring surveys. Was very infrequently heard in summer. I cannot remember a time. "Wit"-Calls:  1. "preet" or occasionally sounds "wreep". This call dry in a non-sibilant sense but at same time is thick, with notable liquid sound. It is certainly ascending. I believe it is more frequently given by adult females. 2. "whip", or "whiyp" or "wheeyp". This call is harder, dry, more level and lacks liquid quality of "preet" calls. As 2nd and 3rd rendition shows, it can occasionally be slightly ascending, then snappily and briefly descending at end. It is longish and is reminiscent of ACFL "wheesp" call but LACKS ANY SIBILANCE and is somewhat shorter. I believe the "whip" call is given more frequently by males. 3. "wheelp"- This call was given very infrequently, maybe only once from memory by later summer birds. It was heard mostly by late spring migs. From memory, It was heard in 2007 also by earlier spring birds and possibly a fall migrant.  Possible nestling or fledgeling begging call: a short-snapped descending "pew"-only faintly sibilant, more hoarse. This was heard on a few occasions on 06-27-09 and was a 1st. I never saw the bird giving call- was in thicket surrounded by water but close by- indiv giving call more emphaticly when calling f or singing m approached nearby. It sounded somewhat like YBFLs thin snapped "psiw" or like similar call by ACFL but call drier, less thin, notably less sibilant, with strange, thin, hoarse quality.  Bickering calls- Thin "zhi-brzzh..... " Only infrequently heard during brief chases in summer, was heard more frequently in spring. From memory, the bickering call that immediately goes into a long rising, then falling trill was not heard. I heard this on a few occasions in later June in 2007 - seemed at time possibly part of courtship?
Similar species:	Most all were eliminated by call from other empids, EWPE. Those extremely few that were seen only were eliminated by structure, shape, and color from ACFL, EWPE, LEFL, etc.
Photographs or tape recordings obtained?	none
Previous experience with this species:	Fairly extensive since 2006 in spring and breeding season and much less so for certain in fall. Spottily, very infrequently in years prior to that for spring or fall birds- the certains always had song or call heard to accompany visual descriptions
Identification aids:
This description is written from:	Dates and call notes and some behavior noted in field book on day of occurence. Some notes are from memory.
Are you positive of your identification? If not, explain:	yes
Date and time:	09-25-2009