Okanagan Vacation 3 - Elm Tree Farm
June 17th, 2011

One of my first activities at ETF was chasing California Quail around the yard. They often came scratching for food on the lawn. They seemed tame from a distance--downright foolish where cars were concerned--but got skittish when you approached them, especially if you approached them with a purposeful gleam in your eye!

So I stalked 'em. Because quail spend most of their time on the ground, they tend not to notice you if there's an obstruction in the way. I put a woodpile between myself and one quail and slowly crept up on him. When he finally hopped up on the woodpile to take a look around, the startle response was comical.

Alas, I did not manage a shot during that golden moment when he was standing on the woodpile--but I did get a not-bad picture as he ran away.



While I was hunting wabbiquail, I couldn't help but notice a little gray bird with an orangey belly. Unlike my quarry he seemed entirely unafraid of me. He was very bold and visible, apparently at ease around human habitation, because he perched on the house, on posts, even on a volleyball net, using these manmade perches in his own hunt. It was clear at least that he was a flycatcher of some sort. But unlike most of his kin, he preferred to hawk low, often diving all the way into the grass to catch insects.

It took me far longer than it should have to ID him. An interesting study in the danger of preconceived ideas. I had just finished reading Kingbird Highway. I remembered how Kaufman had moved west and fallen in love with Western Kingbirds, and how bold and visible he found them to be. Thought: well, this bird is bold and visible, and I've certainly fallen in love with it. It's a flycatcher with an orangey belly. Western Kingbird is a flycatcher with a yellowish belly. Must be a variation...?

The thing bobbed its tail constantly. "Just like an Eastern Phoebe!" I remember thinking. And why I didn't follow up on that thought, I don't know.

I knew in my heart that I didn't have the right ID. But I was mystified. As soon as I got a chance I described the bird to Tom and asked him about it. "Oh, the Say's Phoebes!" he said. "We've got a pair of them nesting on the house. Drive the cat crazy." I then looked up Say's Phoebe in my field guide and found the clearly visible picture in the flycatcher section that, indeed, looked exactly like my mystery bird. I had flipped past it about ten times on my way to the next page, where I had stared at the picture of Western Kingbird until blood ran from my forehead.

Okanagan Vacation 2 - The Marathon ←

→ Okanagan Vacation 4 - Okanagan River bike path