Willow Flycatcher

Having a couple of other things on the go I had not planned on heading out today. But when the weather cleared later in the afternoon I could not help myself. Arriving at the North 40 I could hear one of the Lazuli Bunting singing near the entrance again. Unfortunately it is usually roosting in an area that is not easily accessible without flushing the bird. But for anyone wanting to see one, they are still around. One bird that was accessible,

… was this Willow Flycatcher.

It was more than willing to cooperate,

… and strike the odd pose as it moved between the tree and bush tops. There is usually two in this particular area, perhaps a nesting pair.

Willow Flycatcher

Having managed seeing and photographing a Western Wood-Pewee, another flycatcher I have been watching out for at the North 40 is the Willow Flycatcher. Late this afternoon while out for a stroll something caught my eye low in the trees. With the binoculars I could see it tucked away amongst the branches and that it was my first of year Willow Flycatcher. After a little waiting it came out and alighted in the bramble beside me.

What made it even better was when it started singing. Can’t ask for much more than that.

Kingbirds, Cooper’s & Willow

This afternoon I headed out to the Boundary Bay area to try for some better shots of the Willow Flycatcher. I had no sooner started on my walk when I noticed a large flycatcher in a tree at the beginning of the trail.

On getting a closer look it was a Western Kingbird.

What a great way to start this outing,

… these are my first shots of a Western Kingbird and a new addition to my photo list.

When checking one of the spots for the Willow Flycatcher,

This Cedar Waxwing showed up for a brief visit on some dead fall.

Then I noticed one of the nesting Cooper’s Hawk in a Willow Tree.

It was preening and stretching while roosting in the tree.

Then a familiar call took me back to where I had seen the Waxwing.

The Willow Flycatcher was located down low in the bramble and allowed me to get fairly close. A little better than the distant shot of the other day.

So far, so good. I headed back to where I had seen the Western Kingbird. On approaching I saw something fly from the same tree into an adjacent field.

Perched on a small tree I found not the Western Kingbird, but an Eastern Kingbird.

It was flycatching from this low perch and I managed a shot of it with its catch. Two different Kingbirds in one day, cannot ask for much more than that.

Prior to leaving a couple of Savannah Sparrows caught my eye.

Unsure if they had a nest with young nearby, but they were busy gathering grubs and frequenting the tree from the first shot.

It was a lovely afternoon for the first day of summer. A productive one as well on the birding and photography front.