But I got the picture! It's a Vermilion Flycatcher (Pyrocephalus rubinus) and it is indeed the loneliest bird in Stanislaus County.
How lonely is this bird? He's been at this spot on the north shore of Dawson Lake in eastern Stanislaus County each winter season since at least December of 2017 when he was discovered by Ralph Baker and Xavier Sandoval. He patrols the same barbwire fence flying from one fencepost to another, and when he finishes he repeats the operation. No other Vermilion Flycatcher has been seen in the county since 2012.
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| November of 2019 |
I've been lucky enough to see this bird on four previous occasions, and this was of course possible because of the bird's habitual patrols along the same fence line. I have achieved better imaging results, but only marginally (see above). To give you a sense of how challenging photographing the bird can be, know that the picture below is the bird's fence at about a 10X magnification. The bird is actually in the picture...can you see it?
The bird is not totally lonely, if birds feel such emotions. I've seen it twice now only one fence post away from some Black Phoebes, who are also members of the flycatcher family. If the bird lives long enough (the oldest ever recorded was just over four years old), it may finally have company of its own species. It is a tropical bird, adapted to warmer climates. As average temperatures continue to rise from global warming, the edge of their range will continue to creep northward, and more of the birds will find conditions in the region to their liking. There are at least three Vermilion Flycatchers in Merced County just south of us, and at least one of them is a female. Others individuals may remain yet undiscovered.
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