Rare 'Dinky' Bird Migrates to US for First Time

Steve Matherly, from Houston, showed up in camouflage Thursday night after driving 3 1/2 hours for a glimpse early Friday.

This photo released by Dr. David McDonald of Friendswood, Texas, shows a pine flycatcher bird he photographed on Jan. 4, 2009 in Choke Canyon State Park, Texas. (AP Photo/David McDonald)

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"The dollars (spent to get here) per gram of bird is kind of amazing," he chuckled, as he looked around at dozens of other birders scanning the brush and chatting in hushed tones.

He belongs to a group that puts out e-mail alerts when a rare bird is sighted and came down as soon as he could.

"You never know. I've had my occasions where I've gotten there a day late," said Matherly, who works at a gas pipeline company. "I don't know what I'll see today, but it'll be better than a cubicle."

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Dotty Robbins, from Gainesville, Fla., traveled to South Texas to see the pine flycatcher this week even though she came up empty on two previous trips to the area for rare bird sightings.

"It's a little bit of a treasure hunt," she said.

Robbins concedes the pine flycatcher is "dinky," that its distinguishing features come down to a few feathers combined with a particular call.

"He's not spectacular," she said. But "it's unique."

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On the Net:

Choke Canyon State Park: http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/spdest/findadest/parks/choke—canyon/

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