Though I'm recording this week's bird report from my temporary headquarters on the big island of Hawaii, I know through the magic of the internet that the Cape is currently hosting a very rare visitor. For the first time ever, a Gray Kingbird has made its way to the archipelago, and is now holding court with throngs of local birders.
For many this will be their life, or at least first state, sighting of this sub-tropical flycatcher.
While certainly a hotline bird around here, Gray Kingbirds are common in parts of the Caribbean, where they have made their peace with deforestation and nest happily around humans. Like other kingbirds, they are famously pugnacious when nesting - they love to harass the family dog and will chase predators for a half a mile or more, sometimes literally riding on the back of a hawk, pecking them the whole way.
A close relative of our local nesting Eastern Kingbirds, which all migrated to South America over a month ago, Gray Kingbirds are a paler gray above, show a bit of a black mask, and sport a giant schnoz of a bill, which this bird is reportedly using to devour grasshoppers. Kingbirds like to perch out in the open, which bodes well for those searching.
And what pristine native Cape Cod habitat is hosting this special bird? Ocean Avenue beach in Hyannis, of course. The de facto urban center of Cape Cod should never be underestimated when it comes to the potential for rare birds, having hosted a flock of pelicans and a super rare Little Egret, a stray from from Europe, just in the last few years.
If you prefer more of a challenge in your rare bird pursuits, then the Bell's Vireo found Monday at Fort Hill in Eastham is probably more your speed. This small gray and yellow songbird of the middle and western US prefers to stay hidden in dense tangles, and with only a few previous records for Cape Cod, is only a little less flashy than that kingbird. As with the kingbird, the best way to find the vireo will be to look for a bunch of binoculared folks standing around together. If you want to mess with them, tell them you just saw a Sharp-shinned Hawk grab a small bird from that thicket they are watching. Just make sure you have a clear path to run back to your vehicle at the time.
Whatever you do, make sure to get out soon to look for these latest fancy birds for the Cape and Islands, since you never know how long they'll stick around. I currently cannot, being as I'm 5000 miles away in the middle of the Pacific Ocean and all. Given that I've been snorkeling tropical reefs for the last six days, I don't expect a lot of sympathy, but I do hope you'll keep that kingbird there until I get back. So I guess I'll just say Aloha until my return next week, when I'll once again be like you guys - cold.
