Great Crested Flycatcher at Cameron

Yesterday (9/21/10) I went up to the Cameron Trading Post (~45 min. north of Flagstaff on Hwy. 89) where a Great Crested Flycatcher had been reported for a couple of days. I don't usually chase after rarities because of my low success rate, but since the bird didn't seem to be a one-day-wonder, I figured I'd make a go at it. When I first arrived the vegetated courtyard was mainly quiet except for a out of place Marsh Wren, a Yellow Warbler, and a Western Wood-Pewee. Then around 9am after meeting up with another birder, Chuck LaRue, we checked the courtyard and the Great Crested Flycatcher magically flew in. We had excellent views of the bird as it perched fairly low showing off all of its field marks. The bright yellow wash from abdomen to breast, dark gray head and throat, white lining on the tertials, and heavy/long bill were diagnostic for this species (it would be hard to confuse it with the more common Myiarchus species like Ash-throated Flycatcher). The bird was not very skittish and provided photo ops for about 25 minutes.

This species has only been documented 3-4 previous times in Arizona, so a very cool (and beautiful) bird to see. I thought I might have seen one in east Texas once when I was younger, but was never sure. So this was effectively a "confirmation lifer". Other cool birds were seen traveling the tamarisks along the Little Colorado River below the trading post, including several Lazuli Buntings and one Indigo Bunting, a Yellow-breasted Chat, and several bright Warbling Vireos (one looked so brightly-plumaged I thought it might have been a Red-eyed; not positive though). Here are some photos of the Great Crested Flycatcher: