Alachua Avifauna: FORK IN THE ROAD

This post has everything to do with finding the fork in the road. Well to be correct, it's really about finding about a fork-tailed flycatcher (Tyrannus savana) in the road. Well, alongside the road to be more specific. Actually, to be more accurate, it was found perched on the overhead power lines. Truthfully, the aforementioned fork-tailed flycatcher was really splitting time between the power lines and the adjacent disturbed field full of alive and decaying thistle (Cirsium sp.), dog fennel (Eupatorium capillifolium), and bluestem (Andropogon sp.) at the Lake Apopka North Shore Restoration Area (LANSRA) - Jones Avenue Basin. But whose going to get nit-picky when you're dealing with a fork-tailed flycatcher? Not me.

Fork-tailed flycatcher perched on power line. Note the shorter tail feather length which likely indicates an immature individual.

After I got back to the office late Wednesday night from a long day of field work, I was checking on some email and was waiting for some documents to download. I decided I'd check eBird and BirdBrains to see if anything interesting had been sighted in the state. Lo and behold, a fork-tailed flycatcher had been seen and photographed at LANSRA. Well this stoked my internal fires to say the least.

2013 has been the unofficial Year of the Tyrannidae for me. It started on January 1, observing the ash-throated flycatchers (Myiarchus cinerascens) along the Cones Dike trail at Paynes Prairie. It just continued form there, as I spent nearly the next 4 months down in extreme south Florida and was treated to a panoply of Tyrannidae members, most of which I have mentioned in previous posts this year. So there was no doubt in my mind I was going find this bird. I was even fortunate to be going near the area for work 2 days later, so I thought this was going to be incredibly advantageous schedule-wise. Then came the posts about how the bird had been sighted in a restricted area normally off-limits to the public, and that access had only been granted the first day only. My hopes were dimming. Then finally the posts came on Friday the St. John's River Water Management District (SJRWMD) staff had been incredibly kind enough to let birders into the restricted area just to see the flycatcher. It was all I needed. I knew where I was going to be Saturday morning...LANSRA.

As the weather patterns have been keeping true to the age old rhythms of afternoon/early evening rain showers this summer in Florida, I knew I had to get out somewhat early to catch sight of this bird. So there I was walking down the restricted road when I saw a group of birders concentrated in one location - they must be watching the fork-tailed, I thought to myself. So I ambled down the road and about halfway down I ran into what else, but a couple of Gainesville birders who came to see the flycatcher. We exchanged pleasantries and they told me where it had been seen. I finished moseying to the spot and there it was perched on the power lines stretched out between the old, wooden, creosote soaked utility poles.

Notice the yellow crown patch, a seldom seen feature

Wing displayed as taking off in flight

It appeared to be an immature based on the somewhat duller overall plumage coloration, as well as the black tail feathers were not fully grown out as in an adult. It was incredible to finally see this bird to say the least. I watched it with a couple of other extremely nice birders for a short while. As they left, it flew off into the adjacent disturbed field. I decided I was going to crouch down under some of the thicker roadside vegetation, so as not to disturb the flycatcher when it came back, and possibly just get some great time to observe its habits. No sooner had I stepped towards the vegetation, and a bustle of rapid movement and a low, piercing squeal rang out. I looked by my feet and I saw a red rat (or corn to some) snake (Pantherophis guttatus guttatus) had just caught and was constricting a hispid cotton rat (Sigmodon hispidus). I called the other birders back thinking they may find this scene interesting (you don't get to see this everyday), and we watched the corn snake loosen its jaw hinges and begin to devour its prey. Absolutely fascinating.

Adult red rat (aka corn) snake constricting a hispid cotton rat

With jaws unhinged, it begins to devour its prey

Shortly after this, the birders left and I was on my own with the flycatcher. I probably watched it for 45 minutes. I watched it successfully hawk for insects, get harassed by a mockingbird, and flit to and fro between the thistle-dominated field and the overhead power lines. I truly enjoy getting to observe the habits and behaviors of species. I find it helps me identify them easier in the future and also gain a clearer understanding of what truly drives the species to do what it does and where it does it. It was a truly glorious day. I couldn't believe my good fortune at being able to watch this bird in Orange County, Florida when it should in all rights be in Texas or Mexico chasing after a myriad of different insects. You have to love these immature birds who (for some reason - food sources, weather conditions, etc.) end up in places they don't typically belong. Manna from heaven indeed!

Its not everyday you get to frame an eastern kingbird and a fork-tailed flycatcher in one shot

Besides the fork-tailed, there were multitudes of fascinating birds to behold. An eastern kingbird (Tyrannus tyrannus), yellow-billed cuckoo (Coccyzus americanus), barred owl (Strix varia), a pair of glossy ibis (Plegadis falcinellus), bobwhites (Colinus virginianus) and blue grosbeaks (Passerina caerulea), along with several indigo buntings (Passerina cyanea), ground doves (Columbina passerina), and swallow-tailed kites (Elanoides forficatus) were out and about to be observed. The other highlights of the day were seen and heard by the aforementioned Gainesville birders. They were lucky to add an early fall migrant, a yellow warbler (Dendroica petechia) and what was likely an escaped caged bird, a female pin-tailed whydah (Vidua macroura). I thought it was quite interesting that this wydah also happened to be in the same location as the flycatcher, seeing as the male of the species has tail feathers whose length would give an adult fork-tailed a run for its money. Unfortunately I was unable to relocate the bird, but it appears they were able to take useable photos to accurately ID the individual. What an odd day and location for these two species to be observe. But I guess that's life for you. You can never predict when and where something will occur. It's these surprises which keep life interesting and a great adventure!