10/30/2022
The big news here in Indiana was that a Fork-tailed Flycatcher showed up here. The bird appeared Thursday morning up in Beverly Shores, at the lakefront. This is a 3 hour drive for me, and I was reluctant to make it. This species rarely stays put for long, here. Sometimes they only stay for a few hours before disappearing. I think one stayed for about 2 days, once.
This bird had staying power, though. A long ways from its normal range in South America, this bird stayed and steadily fed in front of birders all day Thursday. I was surprised when it was still there on Friday morning. Unable to resist the urge any longer, I bailed on work a bit early and headed north. I got there and 3 PM local time and stayed until sunset around 5:40 PM. The bird was in sight most the time, and I enjoyed watching it and catching up with some fellow birders I had not seen for a while. I stayed hoping the bird would come to a low, close perch. I was not so lucky, though. It stayed fairly distant or high the entire time I was there. It was great to see the bird, regardless. This was ABA (US/Canada region; not Hawaii) life bird #662 and Indiana life bird #333. The bird flew off around sunset, and I was sure it would not be back Saturday morning. I was, again, surprised on Saturday morning to see that the bird had shown back up. Those chasing Sunday were not so lucky. The bird had moved on.
Here is my photo. It is not exactly Jason Jablonski quality, but it will have to do. Jason found the bird and quickly got the word out. His photos are superb. Check them out!
There were also a number of Golden-crowned Kinglets in the area. While waiting for the bird to fly to a new perch, I grabbed a few shots.
After the long drive home, I sat down and finished my hours for the week. I was wore out and happily headed to bed afterwards. Saturday was the only day this weekend I had to bird, and I could not afford to go far. I am preparing to head off on vacation and needed this weekend to get things together. That is code for figuring out where they ended up after the move. I plan to take an older lens with me on the trip. I have not shot my 200-400mm since I took it to Yellowstone, and I wanted to try it out with my R5. I grabbed them and headed off to Eagle Creek Park.
I was hoping to find a number of sparrows. The weather was a little cooler. No such luck. I did have a good number of kinglets. I did not find many that wanted their picture taken. I tried. I really had a hard time finding much of anything that would pose for photos. Most things flew before I could even get a decent approach on them. Pishing sent them scurrying across the field. I also struggled with focus issues a bit. It makes me nervous about taking it on my upcoming trip, but I am not sure what other option I have. Anyway, here is what I got at Eagle Creek. I birded the south fields again.
I look forward to sharing photos from my trip! As always...
Thanks for reading,
Mike