Is this dickcissel the loneliest bird in America?

For the past two weeks, a male dickcissel outside his normal range has been visiting the Reed Bryan Farm section of Mercer Meadows park, singing throughout the day to attract a mate.

So far, no females have replied, at least according to the dozens of birders who have come to the site to see this unusual visitor.

Dickcissels migrate from the Northern tier of South America through Central America and breed in the American Midwest, although some pass through sections of the East Coast.

Two years ago, one dickcissel showed up at the Reed Bryan Farm, drawing lots of birders to see what eBird lists as a rare bird for this area. Last year about this time, several dickcissels spent several weeks on the Pole Farm side of Mercer Meadows, and I was pleased to see them.

When the one arrived this year, I quickly went out to spot him, and he did not disappoint. He was easily seen and even more easily heard from the Reed Bryan parking lot, clinging to his favorite perch in the bare branches atop a big tree beside the lot.

I spotted him again this morning but he flew off into the fields before I had a chance to photograph him. The light was poor, and I needed to walk back to my car at the Pole Farm lot, so I didn’t stick around either to wait for him to come back or to seek him out in the fields.

Knowing that the bird has been spotted many times in the afternoon, I kept a wary eye on the weather and headed back to Reed Bryan about 4 p.m. It’s only a 10-minute ride from home, and the moment I opened the car door after parking, I heard the bird’s clear, insistent song. He was atop the tree as expected, and I took several shots, including the one topping this post.

After a few minutes, he stuck to his pattern and flew off into the field on the opposite side of the parking lot. It took me a few minutes to spot him, eventually finding him straddling a branch about 30 yards away.

He flew off again, I believe to the field to the right of the trail that heads downhill from the parking lot. I milled about for a few minutes until a rain storm blew in, and I made a short dash to the shelter of my Subaru.

The dickcissel probably will stick around another week or two. If you’re looking for him, I hope you find him. And I hope he finds a suitable companion, because all of us need love.