RBA – Pacific-slope Flycatcher – Cumberland County, PA

This bird was originally found on Sunday, November 18th by Ramsay Koury but it was not able to be positively ID’ed at that time. On November 23rd, Tom Johnson and Ramsay Koury re-visited the site and found the bird again, this time confirming that it is indeed a Pacific-slope Flycatcher based on its distinct slurred, two-parted “pseeee-wee” call (recorded in the field by Tom Johnson, can be heard at this link).

Below are photos by Alex Lamoreaux and maps Tom Johnson created and sent out that may help you relocate the bird.

Pacific-slope Flycatcher – 2nd PA state record (Photo by Alex Lamoreaux)

View Pacific-slope Flycatcher – SGL 230, Cumberland Co., PA in a larger map

Now a little more details of how to find the bird, written by Jeff Hopkins:  Coming west on 944, you’ll cross the township line (from Middlesex to N. Middleton).  Park in the first lot on the left (south) after that.  Then walk back east along the road to a gated dirt road on the north side of Rte. 944.  Follow that road downhill until you get to the stream crossing marked by three small white posts that was mentioned in other posts, but don’t cross the stream (“crossing the stream is bad”).  Turn right and head uphill on a grass trail which has a small orange triangle on a post at its start.  When you get to the top of the hill, there will be a stand of pines on the left and the trail will take a 90 degree turn to the left.  Don’t take the turn – look for a another grass path about the width of a car on the right opposite the pines.  Go down that path and it opens up into a larger field which bends around to the left until it comes to a corn stubble field that crosses the grass.  At that point turn left into the cornfield.  I saw the bird in the brush line on the left (west) side of the corn field about 20-30 feet from where you turned off the grass field. While I was there, the bird stayed close to the ground and when it disappeared, it went deeper into the brush.  The others said that it had perched up on one of the spruces along that side of the corn field before I got there.  Ramsay also mentioned that it has been seen on the opposite side of the field.

Pacific-slope Flycatcher – 2nd PA state record. This photo shows the newly-emerging feathers on the top center of the bird’s head. (Photo by Alex Lamoreaux)