This August, in Luria Park flies the Eastern Wood-Pewee. This small insect eater lives in our park in the warm weather months when insects are abundant. The Pewee perches on a branch, seen high on dead branches on the willow oak near the basketball courts, and flies out to catch his buggy dinner. Often he will fly back to the same branch and await the passing of another insect.
Nearly six inches long, this wee bird has olive brown feathers and a slight thick crest. Note the shallow fork in his tail.
The Pewee's song is quite distinctive. His sings his name: "Pee-a-wee!"
When the weather cools and fall migration is underway, the Pewee will head south to the northern countries of South America to spend the winter there. But we will see him return in spring to eat our insects and make more Pewees.