SCISSOR-TAILED FLYCATCHER
(Tyrannus forficatus)
Brooks Co., GA
text and photos by Jerry Amerson
| Click on any
image to zoom in. 
|
On Sunday, May 25, 2003, Marie Amerson and I were headed South on GA 133 in Brooks County. About 2:30 p.m. we stopped a few miles south of Morven to watch 3-4 Mississippi Kites feeding over a field. After continuing another mile or so, Marie called my attention to a bird perched on a power line on the north side of the highway. In spite of the fact that we had seen hundreds of Northern Mockingbirds that day, we turned around because of the bird's light color and posture. We discovered the bird to be a Scissor-tailed Flycatcher. From the shoulder of the road, we noted a light face and head with dark wings, absence of wingbars and a long slender tail. As we watched, the flycatcher flew out from the wire in a manner characteristic of flycatchers and we could see the forked tail with white outer feathers. Some faint pink color was visible under the wings in flight. I parked the car a little ways away and approached the bird with a camera, hoping to document this sighting. The Scissor-tailed Flycatcher was perched and actively feeding from a power line that runs through the pasture on the north side of the highway. As I was photographing the bird, the residents across the highway became curious as to what we were doing. We set up the Leica spotting scope for them and viewed the bird for another 15-20 minutes. We also showed them the differences between a Northern Mockingbird and the Scissor-tailed Flycatcher using the Sibley guide as a reference. We returned to the area about an hour later and the bird was still present, but keeping his distance from a nearby Loggerhead Shrike. Directions: From I-75 in Valdosta, take exit 18 north on Ga HWY 133. After crossing the Little River (Lowndes /Brooks County line), go 4.6 miles to a pasture on the North side of the highway. DeLorme 67 grid B7. |
Created 19 July 2003
