Chirps and Cheeps

As I was finishing up a walk at my favorite patch, Woodlawn Beach, I was surprised to see a flycatcher pop up in front of me.  Actually, I think we were both surprised!  We both looked eachother over for a few seconds as I mechanically reached for my camera and got a few photos of it.  Either this bird was running unusually late in its migration journey or it was a vagrant from another part of the country.  He was oddly colored - more like straw instead of olive - and the eyering was more elongated at the back, giving more cause for pause.

After the photos were scrutinized by some of the more experienced birders in the area, the bird was determined to be a Yellow-bellied Flycatcher, a normal migrant in Western New York. I was somewhat surprised, given the bird's odd appearance and the late date - but I'm rather glad because any other scenario would not have been favorable for a lost vagrant.

I'll post a couple of photos of the flycatcher as well as some other birds that continue to pass through the region...