Ash-throated Flycatcher
A visitor from the south in Southern California in spring. This species is fairly abundant and nests yearly in the Cuyamaca Mountains, California. The images below are from that locality.
Specifically, the first ten images here are of the 2024 nesting event on our property, and birds seen on our property soon afterwards. The parents brought many small (presumably) Platypedia sp. cicadas, as well as many other prey items, to the young. The first image shows a parent vocalizing through a mouthful of cicada! The young birds fledged on June 18, 2024.
Most of the remaining images, excluding the last two, are of birds associated with the 2023 nesting event on our property. The female in 2023 readily used cat hair placed outside in a suet cage for her nest. The female that year also was missing a toe, which made her easy to identify in photos. The young flycatchers fledged on June 29, 2023.
The last images are of birds on my property at other times.
Western Kingbird
A common bird in the western U.S. in the warm months. This image is from a grassland environment at Cuyamaca Rancho State Park, San Diego County, California.
Great Kiskadee
A large, noisy and beautiful flycatcher, these two images were taken at Estero Lllano Grande State Park, and Salineño Wildlife Preserve in south Texas, respectively.
Say's Phoebe
Image 1 is a bird with an odd-shaped bill from the Anza Borrego Desert, California, and Image 2 is from the Salton Sea vicinity, California..
Black Phoebe
The phoebe that loves to perch in human-dominated places and sally out for insects, vocalizing frequently! Images 1 and 2 were taken in Lakeside, California, and Image 3 is of a vocalizing individual near La Jolla Cove, California. The remaining images were taken in the Cuyamaca Mountains, California.
