…though I was looking for an Eastern Kingbird.
On a recent visit to Antonelli Pond, I had a conversation with a fellow birder who had a tripod-mounted camera pointed at bushes. For me, most of the action is near the water at Antonelli. This friendly birder told me that he was looking for an Eastern Kingbird.
“An Eastern Kingbird? Are they around here?” I’d just returned from Provincetown where I’d seen some. I did not think their range extended to the West Coast.
“I last saw one here in 2009,” he said. He showed me and Katherine the photo he’d taken on the screen of his camera.
Yup. That looked like the bird I’d just seen in Provincetown.
Since I spoke to that birder, every time I find myself at Antonelli Pond, I look for an Eastern Kingbird. Yesterday was no exception.
I was looking in the general direction where the birder had his camera pointed. I saw a Black Phoebe land on a branch of a Coffeeberry where another bird was already perched. After a brief exchange of “words,” the Phoebe flew away.
My attention was now drawn to the yellow and gray bird. What was it? It looked vaguely familiar though it clearly wasn’t an Eastern Kingbird.
I watched the bird for sixteen minutes while it ate berries, spit out the seeds, preened and did not fly away as I crept slowly closer.
I would probably still be taking pictures of this bird if not for…the fearsome Wrentit!
When the Wrentit landed near, the Kingbird flew away. Wikipedia says that “the name ‘kingbird’ is derived from their take-charge behavior.” That behavior was not in evidence when the Wrentit arrived. Which was just as well since it was time to head home.