On March 2, Lauren Harter and I searched the Mesquito Flats at Bill Williams NWR for the continuing Nutting’s Flycatcher, Myiarchus nuttingi. After an hour of searching with no luck, we walked up to a group of other birders who were standing in a close group with spotting scopes, binoculars, and cameras pointed at the trees who had heard the bird calling for some time.
After a few minutes of standing with the other birders, we heard the “wheep” call of the Nutting’s Flycatcher. At that point, we just heard the Nutting’s, but did not see the bird so I suggested that Lauren and I head into the vegetation to try and get a look at the rarity. Fortunately, there were trails leading right to the spot the Nutting’s was calling from. We tracked down the bird and watched it for several minutes. Then, the Nutting’s Flycatcher interacted with an Ash-throated Flycatcher, Myiarchus cinerascens. Weird? Lauren and I watched the interaction between the two Myiarchus species for an hour.
The Nutting’s Flycatcher was first found on December 18, 2011 by Lauren and David Vander Pluym. Previously, there were only four records of Nutting’s Flycatcher in North America, three in Arizona and one in California.
We spent almost three hours birding the Mesquito Flats and tallied 25 species.
Nutting's Flycatcher at Bill Williams NWR on 3/2/2012
Nutting's Flycatcher at Bill Williams NWR on 3/2/2012
Photos and sound recordings of the Nutting’s Flycatcher can be seen here.
