Roger Windemuth got a fantastic shot of an American Robin with a tree frog in it's beak at the Ridgefield NWR, and I have seen Robins doing the same at the Steigerwald Lake WR. Wilson Cady
Columbia River Gorge, WA

---------- Original Message ----------
From: Blair Bernson <blair at washingtonadvisorygroup.com>
To: tweeters at u.washington.edu
Cc: Sam Iam <samiam018 at gmail.com>, "masterbirder2013 at seattleaudubon.org" <masterbirder2013 at seattleaudubon.org>
Subject: [Tweeters] Eastern Kingbird with Pacific Tree Frog at Wylie Slough
Date: Wed, 23 Jul 2014 12:44:17 -0700

Steve Pink and I braved the weather this morning
and birded Eide Road and Wylie Slough among some
other spots. We actually were quite lucky and
remained mostly dry for almost an hour at Eide
Road and similarly at Wylie. Shorebirds were good
at the former - 2 Pectoral Sandpipers, 40+ LBDO
and a similar number of Western Sandpipers, a
scattering of Leasts, 2 Greater Yellowlegs and a
Wilson's Phalarope. No luck with Semipalmated
Sandpiper or Baird's.

Wylie Slough was another story altogether - not a
single shorebird - not even a Killdeer. BUT it
produced both the bird and highlight of the day.
We had an Eastern Kingbird fly in and perch on a
snag very closed by - agreed as the bird of the
day. THEN - maybe 20 minutes later we had the
same/another Eastern Kingbird fly into a tree
nearby in the open. At first we thought it had
nesting material in its bill. A closer look
however disclosed that it was carrying a fairly
large Pacific Tree Frog - wriggling in its grasp.
I was not able to get the camera on it quickly
enough for what would have been a really cool shot
- as it flew off with the frog still in its
mouth. As a "fly" catcher I guess the EAKI is a
"meateater" but this seemed pretty extreme. We
wondered if it was going to take it back to a nest
and have food for a week.

Neither of us had ever seen anything like this.
Anyone else?

--
Blair Bernson
Edmonds

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