Post by Gord on Aug 31, 2013 21:37:32 GMT -8
Early this evening I was working instream in the spawning channel at Thacker Marsh (Thacker Regional Park in Hope) when I noticed a greyish/greenish bird fly up from the edge of the water and land on a branch a few feet up. At first I assumed it was a flycatcher such as maybe a Willow or Wood-pewee but it quickly flew back down to the water and landed on one of the logs that span the channel about 25 feet away I mused that while for sure had flycatcher characteristics but was markedly chunkier and was a bit 'different'. It was quite active and flew a few feet to logs, rocks and sticks hanging over the water. By now I was very curious about it and waded as quietly as I could to try and get closer. I couldnt get much closer but was able to observe it several more times. The coloring had a bit of a pewee ring to it, there were no wingbars that I was able to see and the belly area was paler. I think it's a juvenile as the white on the chin was not very extensive or not as much as I would expect an adult to have anyway. It did not sit still for long but I think I saw the characteristic tail up and down wagging between flights. The wings and tail did not flick like the 'empidonax' flycathers do frequently (Hammond's, Pacific-slope, Willow etc but not the Wood-Pewee which is not in the empid family and does not do it either). I did not hear any vocalization but between a bit of a breeze and the running water Im not certain I necessarily would have.
I got out and rushed back to my vehicle to get my binos and camera but in the less than 10 minutes I was gone I could not find it when I came back. Perhaps it kept moving upstream and went into the marsh or up the KVR Trail part of the park. I did not have time to do more than a 15 minute or so hunt around for it. I was hoping it was moving briskly like it was only because I was there and that it would settle down when I left. I need waterproof binos and camera.
It would have been nice to have been able to better document our region's first Eastern Phoebe.
The location was the spawning channel which is behind the toilet building that is at the parking lot of the park. I saw it about 1/3 the way up the channel. If you stand behind the toilet building and look straight ahead you'll see the long straight stretch. The trail follows along much of the channel then continues up the KVR Trail which is very good habitat and worth looking for this bird in as well. I hope it sticks if anyone is in the area and takes a look.
The link to the Goggle map of the site:
goo.gl/maps/j8c3A
I got out and rushed back to my vehicle to get my binos and camera but in the less than 10 minutes I was gone I could not find it when I came back. Perhaps it kept moving upstream and went into the marsh or up the KVR Trail part of the park. I did not have time to do more than a 15 minute or so hunt around for it. I was hoping it was moving briskly like it was only because I was there and that it would settle down when I left. I need waterproof binos and camera.
It would have been nice to have been able to better document our region's first Eastern Phoebe. The location was the spawning channel which is behind the toilet building that is at the parking lot of the park. I saw it about 1/3 the way up the channel. If you stand behind the toilet building and look straight ahead you'll see the long straight stretch. The trail follows along much of the channel then continues up the KVR Trail which is very good habitat and worth looking for this bird in as well. I hope it sticks if anyone is in the area and takes a look.
The link to the Goggle map of the site:
goo.gl/maps/j8c3A
