Tanager ?

Found this guy sitting in a tree, just not sure what it is.

Id found: vermillion flycatcher.

Very pretty bird! Good shot and id.

Oh he's gorgeous!

Isn't he..just sticks out like a sore thumb. I just got back from getting some thistle seed since the finches are coming in. Maybe I can get some pics of them.

Wow I just noticed that you are from Blythe, didn't know that you got tanangers there! Live and learn. What else besides the finches are your expecting?

Actually the bird turned out to be a vermillion flycatcher, so I think. We do have tanagers here also but they are the western tanager (red,yellow& black). Blythe is in a migratory path and I was told we get over 90 species of birds at different times during the year. My favs are the orioles and the yellow headed blackbirds but they won't be here till around February. We have several kinds of hummers, owls, and tons of doves. I just got a digital camera not to long ago and working on a birdfeeder right outside my window so I can get some good pics. We also get the yellow butterflies (don't know the name) that migrate thru hear once a year. I'll send pics when I get some.

Wow! That's amazing- I grew up in LA and should have figured that you guys would be in the migratory path- just not thinking.

Vermillion Flycathcer sounds way more exotic - it is VERY beautiful.

I hope that you do post pictures, I love to see all the birds and butterflies that don't live in my area.

We have gotten some of your birds, but it is rare. A couple of months ago we had a scissortail here and I had a rose breasted grosbeck in my yard about a year ago..my bird watching friend couldn't believe it until I showed him the picture. We also get the black headed grosbeak once in awhile. Hopefully the great horned owl will come back this year to nest, it has been for the past 3 years but the tree had to be cut back so will have to wait and see.

Oh my gosh you are seeing birds that I have only read about! The most exotic thing I have seen in this area was about 10 years ago when I saw a cedar wax wing. Having only seen them in photos, the real thing was so much more beautiful!

The most exotic thing I ever saw in my yard was an Indigo Bunting and I haven't seen it since.

Your bird is beautiful. Lucky you to have a Great Horned Owl visiting.

I'd rather we didn't have the owls but I can't tell them where to live. After they chased my cats twice I had to make my cats stay inside. The cats now have a large caged in area so they can still go in & out when they please, but are protected from the owls and everything else around here.

My mom lives in Sun City, CA and my aunt & uncle live in nearby Hemet. They have same issues w/ their cats and small dogs- owls & coyotes.

I hear coyotes sometimes in the distance here- betting it becomes more and more distant as this area continues to eat up all their habitat- but have not heard that they are getting small pets. In my last house there was a large owl that came to visit- I could hear him and see his outline, but he was way up on a telephone pole and no light hit him. I enjoyed hearing him but my cat was an inside cat.

I've seen Red-Shouldered Hawks attain lift with squirrels and they didn't seem to struggle at all. I know they can do it with small cats and I've no doubt a Yorkie, tea cup poodle, or chihuahua would be fair game if left unattended.

We are inundated with coyote here and they most certainly are getting stray and feral cats. We found the whole head of a calico cat that belonged to the neighbor on the side of our driveway either last year or the year before and it is not uncommon to find areas where one can clearly see coyotes have eaten a cat. Cat hair is unmistakably cat hair particularly when a portion of an extremity is left behind in my side yard. The coyotes get their fair share of rabbits too and then there was the beagle they ate that was left out on a chain for the day when the owner went to work. Turkey Vultures and Opossums come in to pick at what's left and then the rodents in the area have at the bones to keep their teeth in check.

The owls around here, even the large ones, seem content to eat mice, shrew, and moles. We've gathered their pellets and tried to reconstruct what they've eaten before and that's pretty much it other than a frog tossed in here and there for good measure. Raptors will eat other birds but I've never found bird bones in an owl pellet. Certainly doesn't mean it doesn't happen but it's not as common around me.

Wow I can't think of anything more tragic than some poor animal being chained while coyotes get him. The thought of it is really disoncerting for me.

I lived in a very rural area of Ontario and don't recall these things happening. My dog and a bunch of other bad dogs that must have lead her astray, did chase sheep into fences. Not very nice, but then sheep are pretty stupid.

betterbloom ..
An absolutely wonderful capture of the migrating Vermilion Flycatcher!

aprilwillis ..
According to the range map posted for the Vermilion Fycatcher - they winter over, in your general area. Maybe you'll get lucky.

- Magpye


This message was edited Nov 10, 2006 9:24 AM

I live in an RV park along the Colorado River so we get alot of birds. I have a friend who travels the US just to see birds. He came over one day and showed me some tricks on attaching birds to your yard, but by nature they are all over here. The one thing I have noticed is that they like hanging out in mesquite trees. It is a messy tree but for those that can grow this tree and want to attact the birds it might be a help. Here's a pic I got yesterday, I think it's a junco but not sure.
April: I'll let the flycatcher know you expecting a visit from them!

Oh that's nice too! I am guessing that being near the river is quite a draw for the birds.

I'd probably see more birds if I went looking for them but in my particular area there aren't enough trees to really draw them. Now at the nearby state park we see lots of neet stuff, one year the trees were full of pink birds! It was amazing, as if every body had thrown those plastic flamingos up into the trees!

In walking through the park have seen all the mundane; deer, skunks, raccoons, opposums, etc and of course gators- they are everywhere here. One day we were walking through and a cougar/bob cat crossed our path. I didn't even know they were in this area! Of course he may have just been visiting from the University of Houston (that's their mascot, ok very small joke.)

betterbloom- Oh that does look like a Junco you've got there. The slate colored form of Junco maybe?

aprilwillis- great that you got to see a Bob Cat or a Cougar. Nice sighting which ever one you saw. We supposedly have a few Bob Cats around here.

Oh Lauren I have crossed paths w/ their kind before- in California (where I grew up- well I was supposed to grow up anyway) we have lots of bob cats and fewer (and unfortunately fewer) cougars- one day when I was w/ my 2 oldest kids (@ the time 8 & maybe the other was a couple of months old) we were hiking along the coast and in front of us, just slowly walking across the trail was a cougar!

For a few minutes I actually didn't know what to do- it stopped and stared at us, no move toward us and we were maybe 15 or so feet apart. In that few seconds my mind became a blurr of really stupid thoughts, like, "Gee wonder if I could pet that cat...hmmm do you think that cat is wild...etc." Anyway thankfully the cat was smarter than I was because it went back to whatever/where ever it was headed w/o any interaction w/ me or my kids. Afterwards when I thought about it I could have smacked myself for being so dumb- I should have been a little frightened.

When I looked at the photos of the 2 (bob cats & cougars) and think back on what we saw at the local state park I am certain that what I saw was a bob cat because I recall both of us ( "D"H & I considering whether or not it was a Lynx.).

Magpye Texas is a very large state so my "general area" encompases a significant area- Texas is the largest of the contiguous states w/ aprox 268,581 sq mi of land.

april. you have gators in texas ?

Do we have gators in TX? Well let me ask you, is the Pope Catholic? LOL.

Yes we do, lots of them here in east TX and they are protected by the state so don't get caught poaching them. Also some cities and towns have huge gator festivals. Don't know if they do it here anymore, but they use to have big gator round-ups. Also you can eat gators- however, some of us decline that "delicacy"- LOL. I live in a subdivision that is bordered by a naturally occurring swamp (of course most of this area is one big swamp) and in the center of the subdivision they created a man made lake- noticed that about a month ago there is a new sign at the enterance to the dock; "DANGER! Beware of Alligator."

I have seen a fair amount, one big old gator was on our neighbor's lawn one morning. They can be quite aggressive. People like to say they are only aggressive when protecting their young, but don't believe it!

When it gets cold enough they semi-hybernate and then in the spring they "wake" up. Our Houston Zoo has a large, large pond full of gators and when they wake up it's a big deal to go down and watch them throw whole (dead, frozen, no feathers and thawed before they are tossed) chickens into the enclosure. Personally I am not that interested in watching gators eat chickens, now if they were going to throw in a small annoying child, that would grab my attention- LOL just kidding.

You want me to send you one?

aprilwillis ..
That 'little', 'ey!?! .. (heehee)

(On that note) Some brass 'tax' TX stats: The area consists of 261,797 square miles of land and 6,784 square miles of water.

I was sincerely attempting to share some info, accompanied with a bit of excitement 'for you' .. in that, the opportunity of your possibly seeing the Vermillion Flycatcher .. is somewhat increased, during the Winter. It would seem that it may would;ve been obvious that my referring to 'your general area' - is the area of which 'you' reside, april. {As is stated under [author] in the left-hand margin of the thread}. Ref: Missouri City, Tx/the southwest 'burbs of Houston. My apologies .. for perhaps, being insufficiently clear.

Hopefully, the range map/color key I've scanned, and have included [below] .. may aid the conveyance.

Incidentally, I used to live along .. what was (then) called Memorial Parkway .. and commuted to & from Hermann Hospital, until I went to Hendersonville, TN to sit in on a recording session. Still retain some investments in the area, and of which attributed to our being unable to make the summer DG Roundup, like we'd planned. Maybe next year ..

- Magpye

april, I had no idea you had gators there. I freak out if I see a bee so just can't imagine waking up and finding one in my yard. I'd move ! So you have gator festivals and we have dove season. I went to a gator festival once in Laughlin years ago. I know I came home with large glasses with pictures of gators on it, just can't remember seeing any gators.

Well I must admit that if I did see one on MY front lawn I'd freak! This one was a couple of houses down and by the time I was on the scene the wildlife boys had arrived. LOL.

Ha ha ha! Wildlife boys! What a riot but I think I'd call them heroes if I had anything like that in my lawn or in my neighbor's front lawn that they would be willing to remove. Those logs with legs can move fast.

Lauren I just couldn't remember what we call them here- Game and something or other... and oh yeah I was glad they were there because my kids had to walk home in front of that house!



Just for the record local birders do not report seeing any Vermillion Flycatchers.

April-
Annie get your gun! That's about all I can say.

I'd be driving my kids to and from school if those were hanging out anywhere near the bus stop. Sorry, I love wildlife but that would be pushing it for me two or three doors down from my house lounging and soaking up rays in a front lawn. Bambi may gore you around here during rutting season but Allie can eat you.

Hey I bought the little buggers new sneakers, PF Flyers so they could run faster and jump higher!

Were you suggesting I shoot the Verm. Flycatcher? I have to run out to get a pack of cigarettes- will be back in a bit.

This message was edited Nov 11, 2006 7:45 PM

Oh sure, shoot the Vermilion Flycatcher with this-
http://www.mainblogs.com/digitalcameras/images/kodak_p880_camera.jpg
This is more what I had in mind to shoot a front lawn lounging Allie with-
http://static.howstuffworks.com/gif/machine-gun-mil-8.jpg

Why April! Running out to get a pack of cigarettes! By gosh by golly, are you going to attempt to undo some of the damage the Smokie the Bear campaign did? Just teasing with you, go get your cigs and come back real soon now ya hear!

Oh by the way that second link is what we use to take care of the famous Texas Mosquitos. You know they say that everything is bigger in TX!

That is one arena in which I can compete. Our Village hasn't sprayed for skeeters in years because of the adverse effect on the environment. Our skeeters fly in formation around us and we can attain lift without having a pilot's license around here.

hahahaha...........I think you guys up there in the Mid west must be whimpy if you don't spray for skeeters!

Our local authorities spray - though this year not nearly as much- because we have so many cases of West Nile. I try to get it every year but no luck. It's been my observation that the spray is completely ineffective against any noxious pest and has only succeeded in irradicating the firefly.

Haven't you ever heard of DEET ;)

Silly you, we spray for skeeters allright. We use bug sprays with deet. They work, honest.

One last note about the gators -- and YES we have them here -- THEY DO NOT TASTE LIKE CHICKEN. THEY TASTE LIKE ALLIGATOR. I'll try anything once.

I won't try them- sorry I'll stick w/ chicken. LOL.

Alligator is bad enough to make you lose your taste for chicken! Blegh. It's nasty, greasy, gamey, and anyone who says otherwise has some deepseated need to appear tough.

Or was served chicken and told it was alligator.

A bayou near here had 7 gators living in it, not doing anything but being their part of the ecosystem. Some idiot shot them all and just left them there. It really was a shame. They're beautiful animals in that reptilian way. VERY scary -- they can move a lot faster than people give them credit for. But they deserve to be here, for heaven's sake.

Poor gators, I doubt that they will catch who ever did it but I hope they do and put them in jail. We had a nest of owls in the tree last year with 3 babies in it, kids were throwing rocks at them...we caught them in time. Can you imagine what they kids will grow up to be?

Ted Bundy.