[All photographs copyright, Gary Nunn 2014] – This yellow-bellied kingbird alerted my attention at Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery early this morning as it flew silently overhead. The kingbird exited a pine tree top and headed over me towards the east perimeter fence in the southeast corner of the cemetery. I hustled after it and soon found myself looking at a nice Tropical Kingbird Tyrannus melancholicus perched on overhead wires. I patiently waited around and sure enough it started up the familiar accelerating trill of this species confirming its identity. It did not allow too close an approach for photography so these images are quite distant and cropped. The occurrence of Tropical Kingbird in San Diego County in the spring is rather unusual since most records occur here from the fall and occasionally into the winter months. The San Diego County Bird Atlas (Unitt 2004) lists only one April record and none from the month of May. Hopefully the Memorial Day events at the cemetery today will not scare it off and other observers get a chance to see this colorful kingbird.
Tropical Kingbird – Fort Roscrans National Cemetery, Point Loma, San Diego County, Califiornia 26 May 2014
Tropical Kingbird – Fort Roscrans National Cemetery, Point Loma, San Diego County, Califiornia 26 May 2014
Tropical Kingbird – Fort Roscrans National Cemetery, Point Loma, San Diego County, Califiornia 26 May 2014
Tropical Kingbird – Fort Roscrans National Cemetery, Point Loma, San Diego County, Califiornia 26 May 2014
Your the best.Thanks,Jim Sams
I was totally thrilled to make a new visual acquaintance with the tropical kingbird. (a curious name)
The photo’s were wonderful, with sensitivity to the coloring of the birds and relating background.