Please pardon the pictures. This has been a lousy week for me with my hot water heater going and me having to replace it, followed by my home computer crashing which is now being fixed. I lost ALL of my pictures as they have to re-do the entire hard drive so I am so grateful I posted most of my favorites on my blog. I uploaded these current pictures onto another computer which doesn't have good photo editing software so I can't even try and make these lousy pictures look any better than they are. Need a new camera but totally out of my budget now after the expenses this week. Anyhow, enough woe is me and onto the good stuff and the highlight of my week.Alan and I headed out to the Orange Airport after work yesterday to see if we could spot the Scissor-tailed Flycatcher reported by Jeff Johnstone through Dave Small .
There were a few birders present and we all searched an area it was reported at last. A very resourceful birder drove past us in a convenient golf cart and told us where he last spotted the bird so off we went in an attempt to see it before it took off to roost for the night.
It took a strong liking to a fence and there it stayed the majority of the time. The bird flew around -hawking for insects- here and there, but for the most part it really liked perching on this fence which was nice for a change. This is a juvenile Scissor-tailed Flycatcher which you can tell by the shorter tail and the duller sides (particularly the flanks and under the tail) that are more yellow vs. the adult which is more salmon pink
Here is an undigiscoped shot that can give you and idea on the overall size of the bird. The flycatcher stuck around for about 1/2 an hour and was kept company by Blue Jays, Eastern Bluebirds and Northern Mockingbirds.
Soon enough an eruption of flight took place as all of the various birds took off at once to retire for the evening and the Scissor-tailed Flycatcher followed. AWESOME bird and one I never thought I would be lucky enough to get in Massachusetts.Take care all.
8 comments:
Great bird! Congrats on seeing it!
Cool for us, probably not so good for the bird to be in MA. Talked briefly with a reporter this morning, I think from the Worcester paper - be interested to know about the article when it appears. It's fun chasing, but the Brit's term "twitch" is really much more descriptive.
Chris, I have been thinking the same thing. Chasing or twitching for birds like this is bittersweet because it's a bird that is special because it is rare here, but it's fate doesn't look to good right now. I will keep my eyes open for the article. Thanks for telling me about it.
Congratulations! that is one that I would chase but any reports I've seen have been in the middle of my workday at some distant airport.-Some day.
All things considered these are great!
I have never seen one of these before.
Hi Kim. Congrats on twitching this rarity & getting those record shots. After the week you've had this must have been a real treat. FAB.
P.S. I remember seeing one in Texas but I don't think my photo was much better!
Kim, at least you got a good look at it and enjoyed the outing. I was there Thursday morning - warm and sunny, with plenty to eat for the bird, less so today - it's been pouring all day. Hope the bird is on its way south! P.S. Great new profile photo!
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