Empids

I'd mostly made the transition in my mind from birds to dragonflies (and had just texted that I'd pretty much given up on Yellow-bellied Flycatcher) when this bird appeared in front of me in the little park beside Hickory Creek by Ace Hardware.

I had my camera set for fast exposure in bright sun of (potentially flying) dragonflies so I wasn't prepared for a passerine in the shade.  It was a scramble to get anything workable of the surprise Yellow-bellied.  Given that they're pretty much the passerine migrant with the latest peak this isn't that late for one (I know Tim's had them into June), but with the bulk of the migrants north of us it was still a surprise.  Ace park is the best place I know of in the county for Wild Lupines.

Willow and Alder Flycatcher were calling there as well and while I was close to a Willow I couldn't get a pic of one.  This Willow teed up by the golf course though.

There were a few calling there.  I was mostly trying to catch dragonflies (probably a future post) when I heard this next one calling.  It seemed closer to Willow but the tone was much thinner, it honestly seemed somewhat intermediate between Willow and Alder to me. 

Finally a dunlin from the beach that would have fit a lot better in the last post.  There was a willet too at the base of the pier but pierwalkers flushed both birds with me 200 yards away.  The willet headed south, the dunlin landed close and worked its way even closer to me.