Tag Archives: Mass Audubon Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary

Rarely Seen in the Northeast: The Wonderfully Acrobatic Scissor-tailed Flycatcher

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The very special Scissor-tailed Flycatcher was at Mass Audubon’s Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary for several weeks before departing. For we in the northeast it was a rare beauty treat to see this exquisite little bird as she twisted and turned on a dime, snatching up insects before returning to her perch to devour. I filmed her late one afternoon eating loads of bittersweet twining through tree branches but couldn’t find much information about Scissor-tail berry eating. They mostly feed on insects, including beetles, grasshoppers, wasps, bees, flies, caterpillars, spiders, and Lepidoptera. Berries are typically only eaten in winter. The Ipswich S-tF appeared to be dining  very well, fattening up before (hopefully) resuming migration.

A collective sigh of relief was felt by all when she departed as she was so very far, far away from her breeding and wintering grounds. She needs to be in warmer climes.

The photos in the gallery above are not mine but were gathered from wikicommons media. They are included to show the beautiful salmon pink underwing patches and how long is the bifurcated tail of the Flycatcher. An adult’s tail may reach 9 inches!

The closely related Eastern Kingbird feeding its young a damselfly

Scissor-tailed Flycatchers are closely related to the Eastern Kingbird and Eastern Phoebe, which are much more common in our region. According to several websites, Scissor-tailed Flycatchers are reportedly tolerant of people, which appeared to be the case at the Audbon sanctuary.

As we can see on the range map from Cornell, the Scissor-tailed Flycatcher breeds mostly in in the southern Great Plains and south Texas, wintering over in southern Mexico and Central America. The Scissor-tailed is the Oklahoma state bird and are not rare in their usual territory. There was one in Truro a few years back (2017) and they are known to occasionally wander far afield. S-tF reportedly make spectacular flocks of 100 or more birds as they gather for their southward migration.

 

Keeping Your Youngster Engaged During the Strike

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Although Charlotte deeply misses her classmates and wonderful teachers, we’re all juggling our schedules like crazy to keep it positive and enjoying the extra family time. We’re so grateful for swimming at the Cape Ann Y and Heidi Dallin’s Holiday Delights rehearsals. Two of the local and very affordable activities we have loved doing this past week are a trip to the Peabody Essex Museum and Mass Audubon’s Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary.

The Narwal Exhibit, often described as ‘Unicorns of the Sea,’ was Charlotte’s favorite at the PEM, along with the The Dotty Brown Art and Nature Center. The cost of admission at the Peabody Essex Museum is $25 for adults, while kids through age 16 are free! Parking at the garage adjacent to the Museum was only $3. and there are no crowds in Salem at this time of year.

The Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary is free if an Audubon member, if not, the fees are $7 for adults, and $4 for kids and seniors. We loved the walk through the north field, where we met a Red-tailed Hawk perched on a branch overhanging the trail. He/she appeared tame and was oblivious to humans, even a very large group of noisy kids. So fun for Charlotte to get a super up-close look. Walking around the pond, we were greeted by Chickadees, Nuthatches, and Tufted Titmice that eat directly from an outstretched hand. Be sure to bring your own supply of bird food and warn your youngster of the songbird’s sharp little clawed toes that can be very prickly to a child. We were astonished to see a Beaver lodge built right up and over the boards of the wooden walkway. You have to tip toe around the edge so as not to fall into the pond or damage the lodge. Truly amazing to see!