Fork-tailed Flycatcher report from Jim Stasz while driving on Rt. 32!

[Matt Hafner]

Jim just called and said he just had an adult Fork-tailed Flycatcher fly in front of him on Rt. 32.  He is heading westbound and was about 1/2 mile east of Rt. 198 when the bird flew across the road to the north.  From looking at the map, it was headed directly to Ft. Meade.  Maybe some of the people working know of some places that might be attractive to flycatchers?

 

Good luck!

 

Matt Hafner

Forest Hill, MD

[Frank Marenghi]

FWIW, a Fork-tailed Fly was also reported on Long Island, NY this morning.

Hope this thing can be relocated!

Frank Marenghi
Annapolis, MD

[James Tyler Bell]

Keep in mind that these are wrong way migrants/vagrants so it's probably headed NORTH. Ed, if you're working the tower at BWI today, keep your eyes open! If it heads NE, Swan Creek or Fort Smallwood might be in its path.

 

Tyler Bell
jtyle...@yahoo.com
California, Maryland

---

From: Frank Marenghi <frank_m...@hotmail.com>
To: mdbi...@googlegroups.com
Sent: Wednesday, September 19, 2012 1:27 PM
Subject: [MDBirding] Re: Fork-tailed Flycatcher report from Jim Stasz while driving on Rt. 32!

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[Dan Haas]

Race Road wetlands seem like a good spot too!

Sent from my iPhone

[Jim Stasz]

These flycatchers like fields. Best with taller perches like Mullein. The Saint Mary's bird liked the telephone wire over a large field of goldenrods.

Dan Haas <nervou...@gmail.com> wrote:

>Race Road wetlands seem like a good spot too!
>
>Sent from my iPhone
>
>On Sep 19, 2012, at 1:40 PM, James Tyler Bell <jtyle...@yahoo.com> wrote:
>
>> Keep in mind that these are wrong way migrants/vagrants so it's probably headed NORTH. Ed, if you're working the tower at BWI today, keep your eyes open! If it heads NE, Swan Creek or Fort Smallwood might be in its path.
>>
>> Tyler Bell
>> jtyle...@yahoo.com
>> California, Maryland
>>

[Dan Haas]

The habitat where the FTFL in Connecticut was observed a few years ago (Nov 2010) is described here:

http://www.lisrc.uconn.edu/coastalaccess/site.asp?siteid=571

Cove Island Park has it all including developed recreation facilities such as a 1-mile loop walking/running trail, children’s play area, a roller blade/cycling path and expansive lawn areas for kite-flying. There are two sandy beaches, a small salt marsh, intertidal mudflats and the estuarine embayments of Holly Pond and the Cove River that provide opportunities for birders to observe water birds. Rocky shoreline areas offer a place for anglers to hook that " big one" and a small bluff offers an excellent viewpoint for those looking for a place view the Sound while strolling along this first-rate shoreline park.

A short video of the bird is here:
http://ctaudubon.blogspot.com/2010/11/fork-tailed-flycatcher.html?m=1

Awesome find Jim!!!

Good Birding,

Dan Haas

Sent from my iPhone

[Jim Moore]

A FT Fly in Massachusetts a few years ago appeared in trees bordering
a small, suburban, residential pond/wetland with no fields nearby. It
hawked insects over the pond. I'd expect vagrant birds to show up in a
variety of habitats.

Jim Moore
Rockville, MD

[Frank Marenghi]

The FTFL that is in New York right now is in a 52-acre tidal salt marsh with a trail through it. It is flanked by ball fields on one side and a golf course on the other. It was photographed perched on a barbed-wire fence.

I agree that a variety of open habitats should be checked; places one would normally find Kingbirds, etc. That narrows it down, doesn;t it! :)

Good luck everyone,

Frank Marenghi
Annapolis, MD

[jcdlm...@aol.com]

Someone should check Southwest Area Park in Baltimore County. I'd be
there myself but I'm out of the state right now. Jon, are you out there?

Joel Martin
Catonsville, MD

-----Original Message-----
From: James Tyler Bell <jtyle...@yahoo.com>
To: mdbirding <mdbi...@googlegroups.com>
Sent: Wed, Sep 19, 2012 1:40 pm
Subject: Re: [MDBirding] Re: Fork-tailed Flycatcher report from Jim
Stasz while driving on Rt. 32!

Keep in mind that these are wrong way migrants/vagrants so it's
probably headed NORTH. Ed, if you're working the tower at BWI today,
keep your eyes open! If it heads NE, Swan Creek or Fort Smallwood might
be in its path.

 
Tyler Bell
jtyle...@yahoo.com
California, Maryland

[David Gersten]

The one in Florida earlier this year spent a lot of time on a low fence that bordered an active orchard and a pond. The day I spent trying to see it was particularly frustrating because there were a dozen or so shrikes in the facinity that, at a great distance were easy to mistake for the Fork-tailed.

[Birdy26MD]

Jay Sheppard and I checked out the North Track areas that border Tipton Field, we also checked out the habitat along the road at Tipton Field, and then we headed to Annapolis Junction Business Park which has excellent habitat, too. We had no luck finding the flycather.

For anyone interested in seeing or photograhing an American Kestral, there are at least 25 of them at the Annapolis Junction Business Park. Just drive to the end of the street and scan the power lines directly in front of you that stretch northwest-to-southeast. The fields are hopping with one of their favorite food (grasshoppers) and there is plenty for everyone. Be sure to check the street lamps as they could be sitting on top of them, too.

Marcy Stutzman

[Jon Corcoran]

Great idea Joel, I'm going to try to check Southwest Area tomorrow if I can get out of the office.

 

Jon Corcoran

Catonsville, MD