[texbirds] Fork-tailed Flycatcher at Boca Chica

From: Erik Breden <erik.breden@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: TexBirds <texbirds@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Tue, 05 Nov 2013 17:08:29 -0600
TexBirders,

Disappointed by not seeing the Fork-tailed Flycatcher yesterday 
(Monday November 4th), I rose early today (Tuesday November 5th) and 
headed to Richardson Road off of Route 4 where the bird was seen 
yesterday. When I arrived there was one other car in the area driving 
along the dirt roads, but no one had seen the bird yet this morning.

################
NOTE: Richardson Road is not sign-posted. The best direction I can 
give is that once you are past the "smiley face" painted on the large 
yellow ball on the right (south), watch for the road to come very 
close to the bay on the left (north). As soon as this happens, 
Richardson Road should appear on your right. There is a house set 
back from the road on the right (south), the only one in this area.
################

There was a stiff wind blowing, which might make the birds "hunker 
down". I began to scan for a group of Scissor-tailed Flycatchers, 
since the Fork-tailed had been last reported in the company of these 
birds. There were none to be seen! After about an hour I finally 
found them working the open field just East of Richardson Road. After 
scanning through them for about twenty minutes I suddenly saw a bird 
with a black cap. That was the bird!

I waved my arms to attract the other birders, and we soon had about a 
dozen folks eagerly asking "Where is it?" The only way to find it was 
to keep scanning through the Scissor-tails until you saw the "funny" 
bird with the black cap. Everyone got to see the bird at quite a 
distance. Even with a scope the bird was just a black and white ball 
with wings bouncing over the tops of the prickly pear cactus. Look 
away for a second and you might spend several minutes finding it again.

Several  people left, and the remaiinder set up along one of the dirt 
roads to watch and wait. The birds slowly came closer, and then 
suddenly dispersed in several directions. Eventually the Fork-tailed 
flew directly over us and landed in a mesquite tree about 30-40 yards 
away. It sat there preening and posing. Everyone else left and  I 
worked my way around the back of the tree to within 50 feet. When the 
bird finished preening, it flew off in the direction the 
Scissor-tails had gone.

I would say that the strategy of scanning for the group of 
Scissor-tails is probably the best way too find this bird. They range 
over a large area, however, and patience will be required (but rewarded!).

Photos from yesterday and today are up at:

www.otterside.com/fall2013

Enjoy!

Erik Breden
Harlingen, Texas

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[texbirds] Fork-tailed Flycatcher at Boca Chica

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