Red-Footed Falcon, Mass., USA. 2004

By Julian Hough (all photos by author unless otherwise noted)

"Semi-p., Semi-p., Least,...Semi-p,..", I was scanning through the high tide shorebird roost at my local patch when my cell phone rang.
"Julian, Hi, it's Frank, there's a Red-footed Falcon on Martha's Vineyard. It was found yesterday and is still there today. I'm on Nantucket and can't go but wanted to let you know".
Wow! As far as I was aware, vagrant Red-footed Boobies only occurred in southern Florida. It would not only be a great record for the Atlantic seaboard but a lifer!
"Frank, you did say Booby, right??"
"No, falcon, Red-footed FALCON..first for North America!" "Holy !!**!" You’re joking? What a mega!"
Red-footed Falcons breed no closer than Hungary, and although long distant migrants (wintering in Tropical Africa), not a species a betting man would put money on to cross the Atlantic. After making a few phone calls to alert others, I traveled back to the house to finish making dinner. I put some stuffed salmon in the oven, poured myself a glass of Merlot and contemplated the trip. Obviously it would start a stampede of admirers if it should stick around, but being Tuesday, and restrained by work commitments, I wouldn't be able to go until Saturday at the earliest.
Red-footed Falcon was not a lifer for me. Having grown up in the UK, I had seen a few in late Spring, when an annual westward dispersal into Northwest Europe often brought small numbers of these vagrants to Britain. That is a journey in itself, let alone making it across the Atlantic to Massachusetts, USA. Four records from Iceland hinted at the potential, but still...
I was more looking forward to experiencing a 'big' twitch, North American style. I had only been present at a couple of big twitches, both while I was working and birding in Cape May, NJ. North America's first Whiskered Tern in 1993 and North America's second (but first 'live') Brown-chested Martin in 1997. Both had attracted large numbers of birders, but nothing like the hordes I had seen in my youth in Britain!

The following days saw the bird remain faithful to its chosen location at Katama Airport. However, Tropical Storm Bonnie and Hurricane Charley, wreaking havoc in the southern states looked as though they would track north, bringing heavy downpours and inclement weather to New England, potentially scuppering our plans. The remnants of Bonnie looked as though they would pass on Friday night, then Sunday would see the incursion of Charley, hot on the heels of Bonnie, bringing more strong winds and rain. Keeping a close eye on the weather, it looked as if Saturday would offer the best window of opportunity. We sat and we waited.

14th August 2004
I met up with ex-pat and fellow birder Simon Harvey and his son Sean we left CT at 4:45am and took the 'traditional' (aka slow) ferry from New Bedford, Mass. to Oak Bluffs, Martha's Vineyard.
The weather was beautifully calm and cool, much better than we could have hoped. As the ferry left the dock, I got a call from Dori Sosensky, a fellow CT birder, who had taken the earlier ferry and was already on site. The bird was "on show".

from left to right: Simon Harvey, the author and Sean Harvey enjoying the ride

The 2-hour ride was bird free. Together with three other birders we took a short 1/2 hour taxi ride to Katama Airport, on Martha's Vineyard's southern shore. Birders were bustling around the airport perimeter, with the majority lined up across the back edge of a nearby field. Aside from excited birder proclaiming a fly-by Barn Swallow as "the bird", it was evident from a lack of optics focused in one spot the bird was not around.

Part of the assembled throng viewing the falcon

However, within a few minutes the Red-foot appeared high above us, hawking and eating dragonflies on the wing. A second cal-yr. bird, it's plumage was essentially dark grayish, with contrasting, retained juvenile primaries and outertail feathers which glistened pale against the azure sky.
After a brief show, the bird disappeared for over an hour. It had become quite hot, and as we waited more and more people came and went. However, for newcomers it was rather tense as the bird remained 'lost' for over an hour, and return ferry times were looming. My friends from NJ, Paul and Anita Guris had arrived in the bird's intermission and Anita was looking rather frazzled until the falcon briefly appeared over a distant house, only to vanish behind the treeline as quickly as it had appeared. At least it had given them a look, but not an entirely satisfying view of a bird they had traveled eight hours to see.
More tense moments passed, when suddenly the bird flew in low over the heads of the crowd and alighted on it's favored perch - a yellow runway sign "35-17".
In the heat haze we got to appreciate the bird more than in the initial flight views. The most noticeable features were the orange-red cere, eyering and feet.

Although the identification seemed set and certain, the underwing coverts appeared unusually pale when seen overhead, prompting the necessary elimination of Amur Falcon from Asia. Previously known as Eastern, or Manchurian Red-footed Falcon, they are essentially identical in female and sub-adult plumages, with adult male Amur Falcons showing bright white (not grayish) underwing linings. The Katama bird's rust- red patches on the breast, warm brown barring on the underwing coverts and central tail feathers appearing darker than the mantle were all pro Red-footed Falcon and eliminated Amur Falcon.
However, seen as a migrant fly-by this bird's specific identity, may have been difficult to prove.

A montage of several record flight shots

Satisfied, and baking in the hot sun, we retired to the nearby cafe and toasted our good fortune in the only way possible, with a couple of Pale Ales, accompanied by Verne Laux, the initial finder and now local celebrity. Verne kindly drove us back in time to catch the 2pm ferry back to New Bedford.
On the journey, we reflected on how a Red-footed Falcon got to Massachusetts. Any theory is total conjecture, but possibly the bird had been here for some time and had arrived in late spring, coinciding with the annual incursion into northern Europe. It possibly made some of the crossing aboard a transatlantic ship before finally arriving in Massachusetts. The real story...who knows? If only bird's could talk?
It's likely the bird will hang around until it has completed its molt and then continue its migration south. I’ll certainly be keeping my eye out at my local hawk watch site at Lighthouse Pt, CT…
As for me… I am still waiting for my Red-footed Booby!