ML617530204

Age

Not specified

Sex

Not specified

Observation details

Continuing bird. Thanks again to Greg Baker for getting us to the right tree and birding with us. We would have been severely challenged to find it otherwise. Mescal Rd eventually turns into Happy Valley Rd past the Miller Creek Trailhead and eventually comes to Turkey Creek where you will see the green gate. There isn't really a "parking area" as such but there are places to pull off here and park. If you are facing the green gate from the direction you drove in, follow the barbed wire fence that leads off from it to the right. Keep the gate and fence on your left, cross the wash and creek and up a small embankment. You should see a large Sycamore tree on your left at the top of the embankment as you top the bank and walk into what is a decent sized round clearing. On the opposite side of the clearing is another small embankment and a nice shade tree. The barbed wire fence still runs along the left side of the clearing. Go over to the bank under the tree, turn around and face the Sycamore. This is a good place to sit in the shade and wait. At the top, left hand side of the Sycamore at the end of a main branch you will see an area that was broken off and forms a nest hole. I have included pictures of it with the bird. The Flycatcher comes and goes periodically from here. While we waited it flew in, preened, entered the nest, was inside about 15 minutes. It then came out, flew down to a slightly lower branch and preened again for a long while before flying off to our left down the wash. It is a small Myiarchus flycatcher similar to the Ash-throated - of which we saw plenty. Throat is pale gray and belly is yellow with the yellow extending to under the wings. Tail is brown with rust down the middle underneath. Head overall is brown, as is the bill which has the upper mandible tip missing. Brown back and wings with rusty colored primaries and faint wing bars. Bird was vocalizing but not loudly.

Technical information

Model

Canon EOS 7D Mark II

Lens

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

ISO

200

Focal length

400 mm

Flash

Flash did not fire

f-stop

f/8.0

Shutter speed

1/500 sec

Dimensions

2094 pixels x 2019 pixels

Original file size

2.36 MB