[obol] Cascara tree - Empid

[Romain Cooper]

A bushy cascara tree (Rhamnus purshiana) near our yard is full of 
berries and birds.  Earlier, when in flower, lots of honeybees and 
native pollinators were swarming over this particular tree.  Now 
mostly Spotted Towhee, Black-Headed Grosbeak, Western Tanager, Am. 
Robin and Purple Finch are feeding on the berries.  Today a 
hatch-year Townsend's Solitaire was perched near the tree and a 
Band-Tailed Pigeon flew over (didn't see either of them eating berries).

An Empid flycatcher (probably Pacific Slope?  They are common in the 
area. The bird had a distinct eye-ring.) was perched in the 
cascara.  When I checked out the object in its beak, I was surprised 
to see that it was a cascara berry (and not an insect).  It was 
moving its head vigorously with berry in beak (perhaps trying to 
dislodge the pit?).  I never saw the bird ingest the berry.  Shortly 
thereafter, it assumed a fly-catcher pose and pumped its tail a few times.

I never thought of any flycatcher (Tyrannidae) as eating 
berries?  This one appeared to be in the process.

Siskiyou Biological Services LLC
Romain Cooper
10398 Takilma Road
Cave Junction, OR 97523
home office 541-592-2311
cell 541-415-1490