sundtravels: Vermilion Flycatcher Pyrocephalus rubinus This…
Vermilion Flycatcher
Pyrocephalus rubinus
This flycatcher was among the group that took me to 200 birds in my life list of birds in North America. Texas has already provided us with many new birds and we look forward to adding many more.
This image was captured while visiting Brazos Bend State Park near the New Horseshoes Lake.
Jon
#293 (for reals this time)
The fall migration is really getting into gear, and the overcast conditions (aka “thick marine layer”) we’ve been having the last several days are making the birding better and better around Santa Barbara. Southbound migrants don’t like traveling when it’s like this, so they tend to pile up in the riparian habitat along the coast waiting for conditions to improve.
Yesterday I saw both a White-winged Dove and a Northern Waterthrush at Carpinteria Creek; both were legit rarities, though I already had both for the county year list. But then today in the same spot Larry and Joan found an immature Vermilion Flycatcher. I was tied up when the word went out, but as soon as I could I grabbed my binoculars and headed down to see if the bird was still there, and it was!
I’ve wanted to see one of these for a long time. I still need to see the adult male, because omg, but it was very cool to see this one, which I suspect was an immature female. She didn’t look exactly like the photo above; as a first-year bird she had a yellowish wash on her flanks, rather than that gorgeous strawberry color she’ll get later. But it was so much fun to finally see a bird that has been a celebrity to me since I was a kid.
“Gee. You’re smaller than I expected.” 😜
Reposted from http://lies.tumblr.com/post/177846548241.
Tags: birds, carp without cars, santa barbara county year list, vefl.
