Ash-throated Flycatcher on Thanksgiving

[Becky]

Zeke Cornell and I abandoned Merrimack County to try for the Ash-throated Flycatcher in Dover on Thanksgiving day.

We arrived around 8:00 and had lots if activity right by the parking area, including a Pine Warbler, but no Flycatcher. We walked all along the field edges but had no luck, although we did have good activity including flyover Red Crossbills, Pine Siskin, pipit, 3 Ruby-crowned Kingkets, and a Winter Wren that actually sang a bit!

We left after a couple of hours and were almost at the coast when we heard from Nora Hanke that she had the bird! Back we went and got the bird in the fields below the parking area, thanks to Nora who stayed on it until we arrived. The bird was feeding in the second hedgerow but not out at the edge - it was in the bushes, staying very low and hard to see. It crossed from the east side to the west side and then flew off.

As we walked back to our car, there was the bird on the bank below the cars! Then it flew to the trees by the former SPCA and fed with some bluebirds before flying back down to the second hedgerow.

It was great to watch and easy to see how you could miss the bird.

Happy Birding,

Becky Suomala

Concord, NH