Three Rare South Carolina Migrants, September 2020

I had a most successful start to September in SC with 5 relatively common statebirds, or “low hanging fruit”, as summarized in my previous blog post.  But as the month progressed my luck shifted to some of the rarer species.

The first came late in the day during the Greenville County Fall Migration Count on September 19.  I had already started the day with 2 new SC statebirds by sunrise - several Gray-cheeked Thrushes (my target for the day) and a cooperative Canada Warbler.  My last stop of the day was at Hayes Farm mostly along Sally Gilreath Rd. in Travelers Rest.  This area has some great field habitat, interspersed with a few isolated areas of woodlands and lone oak trees.  I’ve birded there a few times and really enjoy birding the diverse habitats.  And when birding this spot during the Spring Migration Count I was surprised to see several passerine migrants in the woods, even in the isolated oak trees.  So I was hopeful that I might find some migrants during this count as well, though I wasn’t terribly optimistic I would once again find migrants in this limited habitat.

Birding started quite well with a most cooperative late Grasshopper Sparrow – likely a holdover from the breeding season.  And the first area of woodlands included some good numbers of Indigo Buntings and Blue Grosbeaks, but they too were likely local breeders.  I then turned onto Hayes Road, and soon found a flock of birds on the ground along the road – mostly Chipping Sparrows and a Palm Warbler.  They often perched up on the fence along the road, joined by a small group of Bluebirds.  As I scanned through the perched birds I spotted a small flycatcher mixed in.  I first expected it would be a Phoebe, but quickly realized it was way too small.  And with a closer look I could see it was an Empidonax.  Luckily it stayed on the wires, making short forays for insects and returning.  That allowed me to check off all the necessary fieldmarks to ID a silent fall Empid – grayish green back, creamy white below, short primary projection, buffy wing bars, small but distinct eye-ring.  And the kicker - a slumped posture that gave it a short-necked appearance, a field mark that I find diagnostic for fall Leasts.  I indeed had a Least Flycatcher, rare for SC.  Not bad for one of the few true migrants at this spot.

I’ve seen Least Flycatcher in most of the states in its regular range (the blue-shaded states in my statebird map below).  I still need it in four southeast states and 2 in the northwest portion of its regular range (cross-hatched states).  I’ve also seen this species as a rarity in AZ and AK (tan states).

But what’s with the gap in the southeast states?  Even though the Sibley range maps indicate that Least is a regular migrant in SC and elsewhere in the southeast, it is decidedly more common as a migrant through the central flyway than in the southeast.  This is shown quite well in the eBird map below for the August-October fall migration period for Least Flycatcher. 

My next trip to the SC Upstate was on September 26 with a trip to the Cottonwood Trail in Spartanburg.  This site is an oasis of woodlands, brush, and marshlands in a relatively urban setting.  This mix of habitats had attracted a good number and diversity of migrants so far this fall.  A couple days before my trip two Philadelphia Vireos had been seen near the area of the footbridge over the stream that runs through the site.  Though surely they wouldn’t still be around.  I planned to bird there with my SC birding friend Gary Harbour, and another birding friend Michael Robertson was part of another group at the park.  Lots of eyes to look for those migrants, though to ensure social distancing our two groups went off in separate directions - my group to the wetlands and the other group to the bridge. 

We had only been birding a short time when we got a text that the other group had a Philadelphia Vireo at the bridge.  Wow – did one of the birds from earlier in the week stick around?  But by the time we got over there the bird was gone.  There were a few migrant warblers in the trees above the bridge so we decided to stay there in hopes that the Vireo might return.  No more than a couple minutes later we spotted some movement in a brushy edge nearby.  And with a quick view we had the Philadelphia Vireo.  It stayed in the area for the next couple minutes giving good views for most of the birders there.  Regardless of whether this was a bird lingering from days early, it certainly turned out to be preferred habitat for this species. 

The range map for Philadelphia Vireo is similar to that for the Least Flycatcher.  Though it’s even less likely in the southeast, and not expected in the northwest.  And generally less common than the Least Fly throughout its range.  As a result, I still need it in quite a number of states.  On a more positive note, finding one in NM as a rarity during a spring migration fallout was pretty special.

Gary and I stayed in the general area slowly checking off a number of migrants, mostly warblers with a few others mixed in.  We birded the woodlands for a while, then switched our attention to the adjacent brushy area at a power line cut.  It was here that I spotted an Empid perched in a 10-foot tall shrub.  Oh no, not another silent Fall Empid to deal with.  But this one turned out to be relatively easy – this one was quite yellow below from the throat to the vent.  And with a yellow eye-ring, prominent wing bars, moderate primary projection, and greenish mantle we had a Yellow-bellied Flycatcher.  As yellow as it was below it was likely a bird of the year which had just molted before leaving the breeding grounds (unlike adults that don’t molt until after migration resulting in worn or faded yellow below when seen in migration).  Gary got on the bird as well, but before the other group was able to study it the Flycatcher flew into the woodland understory (its preferred habitat in migration) and was not seen again.  Two SC statebirds in the same day, and both rarities per eBird!

The range maps for all 3 of my new SC species are quite similar – migrants primarily through the central flyway, less often seen as a migrant in the southeast, and breeding along the northern tier of US states and southeastern and south-central Canada.  My statebird map for Yellow-bellied Flycatcher is a bit better than the one for the Vireo, but not much. 

With a total of 8 new SC statebirds in September that gives me 276 in SC.  Although it was nice ot finally check off those low hanging fruit, it’s always more fun to find those rarities.