American Redstart

The action never ceases outside the office window at the Audubon Center at the Francis Beidler Forest. However, today was a first for the year. An American Redstart (Setophaga ruticilla) with yellow feathers was spotted foraging quickly for insects in the nearby trees. They fan their tail to flush the insects and often catch the prey in flight. It could have been a female or a first-year male, but it departed before a positive identification could be made.

This is the second earliest first-sighting of a fall migrating American Redstart here at Beidler Forest. This bird is on its way to Central American, the Caribbean, or northern South America. It will need plenty of food for the trip. We hope it likes its food hot, because it is pushing 100F today!