Flycatchers Are Back!!

I've been fortunate in recent weeks to be able to wait for and then watch the arrival of our Summer Flycatchers. The Pied is always the first to arrive. Not a particularly big bird, it is easy to overlook it as it flashes up to the canopy of the tree. The call is the main give away, if you're lucky to hear it. It's not very loud, or as loud as I'd like it. 

So a small black and white bird in woodland that is difficult to hear. It's always a challenge, but one which I relish each year. It's a great moment when you hear your first, and even better when you catch a glimpse. This is usually followed by very long stints of standing and waiting for it to come closer, or close enough to get some pictures of. These images are the best I could get over numerous visits, and I don't know how many hours. I think they were worth it though.

Male Pied Flycatcher

The wait for arrival into the country is even longer for the Spotted Flycatcher. I don't know if it's because of the extra wait, but this is the one I'm always desperate to set on eyes on. Each year they seem to arrive later and later, but then I check my records and it's exactly the same time as the years before, within just a day or two. For some reason I always look for them a week or two early, in hope more than anticipation. This just means I head home disappointed each time, having not found one 😩.

The build up increases the excitement though, and then you one day there they are. The satisfaction is immense. 

Spotted Flycatcher