Vermillion Flycatcher captured by Z 6III / Z600f4TC @840mm
The Vermillion Flycatcher is a small flycatcher of our desert riparian zones. You can find them as far north as Phoenix (and a couple near Palm Springs) but otherwise, they are found mostly south of the border. Their name fits them to a Tee! This male has its full vermillion plumage that just glows. And they fly catch for their meals. They launch from a perch heading towards their prey, snatch it in mid-air, and then land on their perch looking for their next meal which might be just seconds away. They are most active early morning, and late evening when their prey is active. This basic biology helps you find them but photographing them, you just need a little more trivia.
As the series of photographs below depicts, they can be predictable. As in, I photographed this same individual five days in a row at the same time of day working the same series of perches. The top photo is one perch and the bottom series is another. If you look closely at the bottom photos, you can see the tiny gnats it’s feeding on. So once you find the flycatcher, you just need to watch its pattern and you’ll know what perch to set up on. They are so cute, so much fun to watch, and enjoyable to photograph. You’ll quickly get hooked on our fierce little fireball flycatcher.
