Just as the eastern kingbird tucks his beak to slumber beneath the evening stars, may each of you find a safe perch and peaceful sleep this night.
Doc Ellen’s Evening Note May 8, 2024
flycatcher
TagSwivel and Go!
Jordan Lake. The eastern wood-pewee is a medium sized flycatcher. And as is true of all flycatchers their heads are always in motion – swiveling all about looking for insects to dash after, catch and gobble up. Then repeat the dash and catch!
Wind-blown Kingbirds
Jordan Lake. The eastern kingbird is quite a striking flycatcher. The white striped end of its tail is a great field identification mark. I don’t know which the wind was bouncing harder: the kingbirds or my camera! The soft high-pitched chittering is from the kingbirds.
Flycatcher Competition
Jordan Lake: the lake hosts several species of flycatchers. In these photos you see two of them: a Tree Swallow on the left and a Great Crested Flycatcher on the right. Both of these species are cavity-nest breeders and will compete for the same abandoned woodpecker nest cavities. Both species also compete for the same flying insects. In the first photo the great crested flycatcher has nesting materials in its beak. There was a lot of competition for who got the best cavity for their nest … ultimately they both used the same tree with their nest cavities about 90degrees and 8 feet apart.
Chimney Swifts, Wake County, NC 09-04-2019
Ok, so, during the spring and summer, I see a few chimney swifts up above the Jordan Lake Dam, at sunrise. They would be leaving their night time roost and heading out to hunt high flying insects during the day. This video wasn’t made at Jordan Lake, but at sunset this evening near my home between Fuquay Varina and Holly Springs. The flock is growing in size as more and more migrants join the birds that were here for the summer. In about another 10 days all the chimney swifts will head for South America. Note: I made an error in my first posting of these birds which I have corrrected in this edit. Sorry.
danger
This is the eastern kingbird.
I love his scientific name: Tyrannus tyrannus – yes, like the dinosaur.
This bird rules his territory and will aggressively escort any other bird, up to and including eagles, out of it.
What he cannot rule is the trash that man leaves behind.
Look below his tail and across my copyright notice: fishing line.
Look above his right wing: a fishing line leader.
Follow the leader to the snarl of line above and to the left of the bird.
Thankfully I didn’t see this bird get caught – he is a flycatcher and has quick reflexes and keen eyesight.
I wish I could have removed the line – but the whole mess is 20 feet up the tree and way out on a small limb.
doc ellen's journey 