Tweeters readers,

I know that flycatchers and kingbirds sometimes eat small fruits, especially in migration and at winter sites in the tropics. I have many times seen Eastern Kingbirds loading up on mulberries near the Texas coast in April as they come in off the Gulf. Still, I was impressed to see for the first time a Willow Flycatcher in my front yard, hovering and plucking blue elderberries from a fruiting shrub. This was the first time I had seen this, even though Willow Flycatchers are in the yard much of the time in July and August, when serviceberries, black hawthorn berries, and then elderberries are ripe.

The numbers of songbird migrants have been conspicuous the last few days near upper Scatter Creek.

Good birding, Bob


Bob Sundstrom
ixoreus at scattercreek.com
Tenino, Washington