Olive-sided Flycatcher repeat

Today was an incredible day for migration in much of Connecticut. Birds were finally able to navigate into the state after two difficult and spotty weeks. I could go on and on about a bunch of nice sightings, but after a long and rewarding day in the field, I wanted to share a specific and awesome story. I found an Olive-sided Flycatcher on the railroad trail in the McKinney Refuge in Stratford late this morning. This is a tough species to find in migration, so records are scarce in most parts of the state. This was the second bird ever in Stratford and of course the Great Meadows Important Bird Area. It was cloudy at the time, but here are a couple of dark photos.





The cooler part? We found the first Stratford Olive-sided Flycatcher mere feet from that spot one year ago to the day. This is absolutely astounding to me. You can be sure I will be watching for one there next May 20th. I wonder if this was the same exact bird...


Photos © Scott Kruitbosch