We heard about a Fork-tailed Flycatcher in the area. That’s a South American bird that sometimes wanders way far north. This time he wandered so far north he crossed the Rio Grande. That doesn’t happen very often; and not so often that we’ve ever seen him before.
A 70 mile drive to get east of Brownsville, an hour of scouring, and we found him. He had been reported in the same area for several days in a row. Lucky for us there were other people looking and we ultimately found him by spotting a gathering of the other bird hunters. By the time we got there, they already had him in the scope.
Here he is in a field of prickly pear on the mudflats near the mouth of the Rio Grande. (In the center of the photo.) He was hanging out with Scissor-tailed Flycatchers. There is one in the background to the left.
He doesn’t really show up very well, but we got a good enough look to identify him for sure. Black cap. Forked tail. (His wings are extended.)
These photos are compliments of John, a nice guy from the U.K. who was kind enough to share his photos with me when I discovered that I had left the battery for my camera in the charger at home. Thank you John.
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