Scissor-tailed Flycatcher - Texas Birds

Male Scissor-tailed Flycatcher, Texas; 6/22/2011.

My dream came true! Whoo Hoo! While we were driving across North Texas on the way to my Sister's house in Northeast Texas, I saw several Scissor-tailed Flycatchers flying along the side of the highway. There is no mistaking this bird for any other, as it has an extremely long tail (Above) and can be found in a small area of the U.S. - Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, and the western edges of Missourri, Arkansas, and Louisiana. So as we were travelling through Texas, I thought this is my chance to spot one. But just seeing them out the window in fleeting moments as our car drove past, wasn't good enough. I was hoping that I'd get a chance to see one in close range when we get to our destination.

Female  Scissor-tailed Flycatcher, Texas; 6/22/2011.

When we arrived at my sister's house late in the day on 6/21, it was already too late to do any serious birding, but to be sure, I was up early the next mourning to do some birding on their beautiful 30+ acres. Sure enough within the hour, I found a pair of Scissor-tails flitting about between a large tree and the telephone wires in the front yard. Needless to say I was happy to get several photo oppurtunities.

Female BIF of a Scissor-tailed Flycatcher, Texas; 6/22/2011.

Scissor-tails have a whitish / pale gray body, a bit darker on its back and lores. Their wings and long tails are black and have some orangish coloring on its flanks and undertail area. After getting a few good shots while they were perching, my next goal was to try to get a BIF ("Bird in Flight") to show off their long tail in the 'scissors' position. I did get a pretty decent photo of the female (Above) but never did get a good shot of the male's much longer tail in flight.

Male Scissor-tailed Flycatcher, Texas; 6/22/2011.

The Scissor-tailed Flycatcher became #316 on my Life List - and perhaps my favorite, because for so long as I looked at photos of these beautiful birds, I never thought I'd get a chance to see one. A big "Thank you" to my Sister and Brother-in-Law for moving to Texas and inviting us to their property!

Sunset of the Day

Sunrise on a Texas ranch; 6/22/2011.