Vermilion Flycatcher in Cook County
2015-11-02

'Accidental' in Minnesota - Five or fewer records in Cook County for the Fall season

I first spotted this individual (presumably an adult female?) while birding with Barb and Denny Martin at the Lutsen Resort. It was first noticed on the railing of some steps on the lake side of the main building, and it continued to flycatch from various perches near the lake shore for the next few minutes before flying to the inland side of the building and into the wooded area uphill from the Resort. It was then lost from sight, and we were unable to relocate it during an hour-long search. There have been only three previous Minnesota records: 6-7 November 1977 in Otter Tail County (adult male), 13-14 October 1991 in Duluth (juvenile female), and 25-27 November 1994 in Kandiyohi County (juvenile female).

Photo by Dennis Martin (posted, with permission from the photographer, by Kim Eckert)