This bird takes the prize for the longest tail relative to body size, at least that I’ve ever seen.

Unmistakable for any other bird, scissor-tailed flycatchers (Tyrannus forficatus) live at White Rock Lake during all but the coldest season.  Seeing one yesterday means they are migrating back from their overwintering in more tropical parts of the Americas.

To see these beautifully colored and majestically decorated creatures is to experience an unmitigated awe.  Vibrant colors and subtle hues blend seamlessly to create a work of art.

And seeing them in flight…  Well, one cannot help but be mesmerized because of that long flowing tail, especially when a male uses it as part of his courtship display, one replete with aerial acrobatics and showy demonstrations of his stunning plumage.

I stood on a picnic table watching this one flit from branch to branch, taking refuge in a tree along the lake shore until I finally moved on.  The whole while it watched me as keenly as I watched it.

I wish it had understood me when I thanked it for the experience.