Myiarchus

Surprise!  A bright summer day was made better and brighter when we noticed this Great Crested Flycatcher in the oaks on the edge of our property behaving as flycatchers do.  True to form, it would sit fairly high up, dart out and catch an insect and back to the perch.

This photograph was snapped (with more luck than skill on my part) just as the bird was shifting its perch.  Notice the upright posture characteristic of this group.  Bright yellow belly, gray head, throat and chest, large bill and rustic red tail—identifying marks of this flycatcher.

Summer birding can be fun.

Signs of Migration

It would appear that migration is well underway. Many immature birds as well as warblers and orioles have been visiting. The last, and welcomed, rains brought in the orioles to our feeders. The rains have seemed to chase the hummers away. We had several hummers at the feeders before the rain, but none now. Such is the nature of migration—here today, gone tomorrow.

Photos by Bill Ravenscroft.