Ash-throated Flycatcher

This afternoon, I was driving around to test out a new camera.  Basically, I'd park next to treelines, play a screech owl tape, and photograph the birds that came in to the tape.  One of the birds that responded near beautiful Leroy, Louisiana was an Ash-throated Flycatcher.   

 

Ash-throated Flycatchers are interesting birds.  Their breeding range is out west, from about the Texas Hill Country west to the Pacific Coast, north to Washington state, and south through much of Mexico.  In fall, most migrate south into Mexico and Central America, but a few--for whatever reason--wander in different directions.  There are fall and winter records of this species all along the Gulf Coast and the East Coast, and from scattered points throughout the interior of the eastern half of the continent.

It's important to be careful identifying this species, as a number of other flycatcher look very similar to Ash-throateds.  The Great-crested Flycatcher nests throughout the east in summer  (http://www.manybirds.com/atlas/pages/55.htm) but is unknown in winter in Louisiana, while the western Brown-crested Flycatcher is found in very small numbers in Louisiana in winter.  One good clue for identifying Ash-throateds is the overall paleness of the browns, grays, and yellows of their plumage; many birds of the arid areas of the west have pale, dusty coloration.  However, color can sometimes be hard to judge.  The best proof of the identity of this species is its tail.  The outer tail feathers of this and closely related species are reddish brown with darker brown outer webs.  On Ash-throateds, the dark brown makes a dark hook shape on the tip of the tail.  This is obvious on the picture above, taken today.  Click on the picture for a closer look.        

Luck

Louisiana's a pretty big chunk of land and sea. Even if you confine yourself to a corner of it, as I do, you're still looking at an endless grid of roads, woodlands, and open land.  On one hand, that's great: Interesting birds might be anywhere out there.  On the other hand, that's a problem: Interesting birds might be anywhere out there. 

Some birders feel that their skills are so sharp that they can detect any birds they come near.  I'm not sure where those birders stand on UFOs and the Great Pumpkin.  I have a more logical outlook; I feel that birds have managed to survive because they can stay undetected when they want to.  Finding something rare among the swarms of birds that fill every available patch of habitat must boil down to something else.  I think it's mostly luck.

Luck isn't all of it, of course.  A birder can study trends, target habitats, and play the odds by searching out areas where rare birds have been found with higher frequency.  However, all the foresight in the world can't help if a great bird happens to fly behind a building when the wise birder is driving by. 

There's a famous expression, "Luck is where preparation meets opportunity."  I'd say the majority of great bird sightings can be filed under that piece of wisdom.