ML380551491

Age

Not specified

Sex

Not specified

Observation details

***Rare, 3rd Piedmont record and westernmost NC record, obviously a county 1st and #225 for me in Union County. First spotted flying directly away from my car. I figured the bird was a female bluebird (based on the silvery-gray) and realized it was a phoebe when it perched on a fencepost. Quickly noticed the salmon-pink belly and promptly freaked out. It flew off for a few nerve-wracking minutes, but returned and gave absolutely incredible views. Medium-sized flycatcher with dark gray head, silvery mantle and wings, salmon belly and undertail, and noticeable solid black tail. More elongated than Eastern Phoebe, and slightly larger (had a few direct comparisons as the two species would sometimes squabble). The bird would perch prominently and sally out after bugs, often flying high into the air to pursuit. It occasionally wagged its tail, but not as frequently as Eastern Phoebe and in a much stiffer, pipit-like way. Sometimes landed in the road after bugs. Bird mostly preferred the hayfield on the right (if facing the dead end) of the road, perching mostly on the fence but sometimes in the pecan trees. Please note that the road is a state road, so public property, but there are houses and farms nearby. This location has been excellent for rarities, so please stick to the road and avoid annoying the locals!

Technical information

Model

Canon EOS REBEL T7i

Lens

EF100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM

ISO

800

Focal length

400 mm

Flash

Flash did not fire

f-stop

f/7.1

Shutter speed

1/640 sec

Dimensions

2922 pixels x 1948 pixels

Original file size

1.35 MB