The Brownstone Birding Blog: Keys To Proper Misidentification Of Birds

The Brownstone Birding Blog: Keys To Proper Misidentification Of Birds

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Bird Banding by North Branch Nature Center

This morning, I saw birds being banded for the first time.  My friends Chip and Larry from the North Branch Nature Center along with volunteers gather data for the MAPS (The Monitoring Avian Productivity and Survivorship Program).  They also use the banding activities to educate both youngsters and oldsters (like this one) to the techniques of bird monitoring.

Miles finds a Veery in the mist net.

Larry and Chip unfurled the mist nets about 5:20 A.M. this morning just as the sun was getting ready to rise and soon began catching some of the small birds that hang out along the woods beside the North Branch of the Winooski River.  Veerys, Yellow-throated warblers, Ovenbirds, a Song Sparrow, and several Gray Catbirds were among the birds caught while I was there.  They checked the nets every half hour and carefully extracted the caught birds from the netting, then placing them in cloth bags for safekeeping.

Larry puts a band on a young Common Yellowthroat

At the banding table, they gently removed a bird from the bag, using banders grip techniques to look over and document the sex, weight, age of the bird.  This was all new to me - to see them blow on the feathers, spread the wings, expose the scalp, and of course, band the bird.

A young Ovenbird with "bad hair" due to a scalp check by Larry

The birds were calm in the banders’ hands.  The data collected was carefully recorded and then, after a last minute check, the bird was released and flew off a little fluffed up but uninjured.

Checking for feather wear

I knew a little about catching birds in nets.  I learned a great deal about how you measure and evaluate them and watch with awe the patience and calmness of Chip and Larry as they went through the morning.  They both are excellent educators and all along, were explaining and answering questions.  The kids were very interested -- as were all of us. 

Chip and a Catbird pose before release

I plan to look for more birding bandings that I can observe.  It’s fascinating and can’t help but make you a better birder.

A set of photos are here on Flickr.

Birding Groton State Park

Veery -  Life Bird #297

Early this week, we took the Airstream on a little jaunt over to Stillwater State Park on Lake Groton.  It was a chance to not only test out the trailer after months of inactivity and also a chance to bird a new area.

This time of year, we are used to waking up to bird song -- even this late in the season.  Red-eyed Vireos, Song Sparrows, and Common Yellowthroats are part of our early morning routine.  However, just while setting up the trailer in the wooded site, I was amazed at the birds singing: White-throated Sparrows, Ovenbirds, Winter Wrens, Veerys, along with Vireos and Song Sparrows.

Veery’s have been elusive for me -- I’ve heard them in our woods but never really got a good look to be about to add it to my life list.  That was one of my objectives while camping and sure enough, the first morning revealed on singing on a naked branch right over our site.  Then, as often happens, once I saw one, it seemed like every other bird I saw was a Veery.

On the water in the kayak, I saw two pairs of loons and many mallards including at least three families.  Given the “friendliness” of the ducks, I have the feeling they have been fed by local campers.

Momma Mallard and five ducklings - taken from the kayak

Blackburnian Warblers were everywhere but with the heavy foliage, hard to track with the camera.  Their bright orange and steady singing made them easy to find, but they do tend to bounce around a lot.  I also got a good look at a Blackpoll Warbler and several Black-throated Green Warblers.  All in all, several nice days of camping and birding.

Birding With the Joppa Flats Birders

The Wednesday morning birders are savvy and very welcoming

The Joppa Flats Nature Center in Newburyport, MA is a wonderful MA Audubon facility located on the Merrimac River.  One of its popular birding programs is the Wednesday morning outings.  An accomplished group of regulars goes on these walks and for some time, I’ve wanted to attend one.  Today, I got the opportunity and it was a blast.

About 20-25 folks showed up and we took the two Center vans and several other vehicles and launched for some inland birding.  The objective was to visit a heron rookery -- the largest in Eastern Massachusetts, and stop at a swamp/wetlands along the way.

We got to the Crane Natural Area which features hundreds of dead trees and a variety of birds.  We just got out of the vehicles when we heard a Great Crested Flycatcher call from and area of dense foliage.  Bill, our leader, got out his recording, played it, and out popped the flycatcher, flying down to a dead tree, giving us all a wonderful look.  It hung around, calling and letting us know whose territory it was.

When you have five or ten good birders, it makes you a little better - or at least it does me.  We were all seeing a Baltimore Oriole with an active nest, an Eastern Bluebird, and a very cooperative Willow Flycatcher that popped up to a call and posed nicely.  We watched a Belted Kingfisher for some time as it dove and returned to perches.  It was a great stop with about 20 species seen.

About 70 heron nests were at the rookery.

After a winding drive through some fairly rural parts of the county, we arrived at the Carter Fields and walked down to the observation platform at the heron rookery.  About 70 heron nests were there in the dead trees with fifty of them occupied.  Given the size of the youngsters, we guessed that some had already fledged and many more were about ready to go. 

Mama (or Dad) bring home chow to the growing youngsters.

We watched their parents bring back food and noted that some of the kids sort of stretched out to look bigger (and get fed first.)  A couple of green herons and a massive snapping turtle added to the mix.  It was a very impressive site and fun to take some time and watch.

On the way back to the vans, we heard a Pileated Woodpecker which teased us for about 20 minutes as we moved and played a recording, and listened.  We finally gave up and were leaving as a caravan, when in a flurry of brake lights told us that Bill, in the first car, had seen the bird.  We all piled out but it had flown off -- but it gave me an insight of the tenacity of some birders. 

Going home, the guy driving our van told me , “Nearly everything I know about birding I learned at these Wednesday sessions.”  After today, I can see why.  Clear teaching from the leaders, mentoring from other experienced birders, and a wonderful array of birds, make for great outings.  I liked how they welcomed a newcomer -- I’ll be back again.  Give it a try if you are in eastern Massachusetts on a Wednesday.

Maryland Birds

I had forgotten what a wonderful vocalist Catbirds can be

Visiting Maryland in summer is like visiting a tropical island -- heat, humidity, dense lush foliage, and bird calls everywhere each morning.  I had forgotten what songsters Grey Catbirds and Mockingbirds are and of course, the ubiquitous Northern Cardinals sometimes just take over the whole concert.

I birded with my grandson several mornings (prior post) but later in the week, the weather was just too hot for birders or birds.  However, on Saturday, I went out quite early and ended up with a nice mix of species and two new life birds.

Greenbury Point, a 231 acre penisula at the mouth of the Severn River, is part of the U.S. Naval Academy land. Much of it is managed as a wildlife habitat but as you walk the paths and trails, abandoned buildings and the two 600 foot towers remind you that it once was on of the most far reaching radio transmitter complexes in the world. First built in 1918 the station was used to communicate with U.S. forces fighting in WW I. The station was used for all communications with the Atlantic Fleet in WW II, including the submarine fleet. 

I was greeted by several Eastern Bluebirds and a House Finch as I parked the car.  It was already hot at 6:30 A.M. as I started out and immediately, I heard several bird calls I couldn't identify.  The mix of wild grasses and trees was being crisscrossed by birds and within a few minutes, I saw a flash of yellow and was able to find the bird with my glasses in the heavy foliage.  A Yellow-breasted Chat -- a bird I've been looking for -- gave me a couple of decent looks and then vanished.  (Later, I saw two more flirting or fighting.)

I was also noticing butterflies as I walked, since it was T-shirt weather and they were flying early.  A Viceroy and a beautiful Spicebush Swallowtail distracted me.

This Blue Grosbeak is my 291st Life Bird

As I finished my loop, I decided, even though it was uncomfortably humid by now, to take one more short trail I had missed.  A bird, which I thought was a robin, flew in front of me and perched, very unrobin-like, on a stalk in the field.  I got my binoculars on it and voila, a Blue Bunting posed for me.  What a pretty bird -- I was too far away for a good photo but I shot this one.  It was a great finish to my birding during this Maryland trip.

Now, off to Massachusetts for a few days where I hope to bird the Parker River refuge again. 

Birding with Grandchildren

Looking for birds - sort of

One of the advantages of growing older is that you have more time to bird -- none of the grab a quick session before work or wait until the weekend.  For me, another perk is the chance to introduce grandchildren to an activity I waited nearly seventy years to start. 

Our Maryland grandson Dane has taken a real interest in nature and is fast becoming a birder.  Last fall, when we visited I brought my scope and we went out to the Severn River and looked a ducks and gulls.  He seemed interested but I didn’t push it at all -- so it was a pleasant surprise this trip when his folks told me that he wanted to go birding. 

So, the first morning we packed up and took along his younger sister and my spouse, Mary and had a delightful outing back at Greenbury Point, part of the U.S. Naval Academy.  We walked a short trail (Maeve got bored rather quickly) and saw about a dozen birds.  Dane learned how to identify Turkey Vultures and Northern Mockingbirds and was first to see a Great Blue Heron cruising by.

We dropped Maeve and Mary at a nearby playground and went back to the river for a little more birding.  Ospreys were everywhere and we saw about a dozen including some active nests. 

Returning before it got sweltering, we had 18 species.  Dane was psyched, as was I.

That evening, his Dad got him set up with an eBird account and the next day I showed him how to enter the data.  We birded again, picked up another 10 new ones, and he came home and entered them. 

So, I have a nearly 10 year-old grandson who is ranked 87th in his county and seems, at least for now, hooked on birding.  We are already talking about the possibilities when he vacations this summer in New York state and then comes to visit us in Vermont.  Young eyes, enthusiasm, and a nearly blank bird list makes Dane a wonderful birding companion.

Bicknell's Thrush - a well-earned life bird

Some life birds kind of just show up -- they are species you've either just missed seeing (or identifying) or else they're a vagrant that hangs around (like this year's Northern Hawk Owl or the Varied Thrush.)

Last Saturday, I got a life bird that I had to work for -- hiking part of the way up Mt. Ellen with a group organized by the MadBirders.

About a dozen of us met at the parking lot of Sugarbush North ski area and climbed into the back of an old Army surplus truck, settling down for a bumpy ride up the access road.  The truck belched blue smoke and roared as we ascended but the better birders were still calling out birds whose calls they heard over the racket.  "Redstart, vireo, winter wren ...."  

A little over halfway up, we came to the jumpoff point beyond which it was travel and bird by foot.  It was pretty tough climbing up under the ski lift but the pace was reasonable and we paused to listen and look.  One birder noted, "If my heart rate and panting would slow down, perhaps I could hear something."

The Madbirders had done this trek the previous five years and had seen Bicknell's Thrushes each time so they knew when to expect to hear the bird.  And sure enough, almost on cue, we heard the chip note of a Bicknell's.  We played one iPhone call and soon had a bird in sight.  Everybody tried to see it and most did -- and all saw it fly.

We continued up toward the summit and saw another Bicknells' and then another.  It was a life bird for several of us and well worth the trek.  The day was a gorgeous June Vermont day and the view up the spine of the Green Mountains and off into New York and New Hampshire was wonderful.

The Madbirders is a small high-energy club which offers a number of birding opportunities.  If you live in Central Vermont, it's a $5.00 fee well-spent.  If you are visiting, check out their great web site and see if you can hook up with them.  They are knowledgeable and very welcoming.  Good Madbirding.

Same Old Singers

Black-throated Blue Warbler

The birds in our woods seem as happy as we are when the showers stop and the sun tries to peek out.  The singing, even at mid-day, is amazing.  The only birds I that seemed not to vocalize were the song sparrows -- perhaps they’re courtin’ days are over this spring.

We’ve had a noisy Common Yellowthroat in the bushes/trees near the driveway for days now.  I’m always surprised at how tough he can be to see, even though he’s singing his head off, drowning out most others.  Of course, once you get him, he’s pretty easy to follow with the glasses.

I heard a call today that I knew that I should know (lots of those) and sure enough, tracked down a Black-throated Blue Warbler which bounced around in the nearly-leafed-out trees but then posed for some photos. 

Ovenbirds are everywhere -- their singing rings through our wood lot.  Try to find them though -- I usually can only see them briefly when they flit off.  Likewise for Wood Thrushes -- probably a half dozen were singing away during my noon walk.  I did track one down but it saw me and was pretty jumpy, moving from branch to branch.

The star of the walk was a male White-throated Sparrow which I heard, and called in with the iPhone app.  He popped up next to me for a good photo op.

White-throated Sparrow

Add some Black-headed Juncos, a Chestnut-sided Warbler, and the standard Blue Jays, American Crows, Black-capped Chickadees, and an American Robin on a nest, and in spite of the black flies and mosquitoes, you have a nice walk.  Penny, the Vizsla, is giving me the evil eye for leaving her home but birding without a bird dog seems to go a lot better.  She has, and will have, plenty of chances to “help” me bird our property.

Check that crabapple tree

Yesterday, Ron Payne, a birder in Middlebury, made this post on the Vermont birding listserve:

"A Cape May Warbler has been in a apple tree across the street from my house on Weybridge St. since at least 7:00 AM this morning. If you have any blooming apple trees around, it might be worth while to see if there is anything making squeaking noises inside it."

Indigo Bunting (f)

Our old crabapple tree is blossoming and full of honeybees (I have several hives) and a variety of goldfinches and purple finches but I never really check it for new birds -- until I read the post.  So today, between rain showers and work, I kept an eye on it.  Mourning doves, hummers, finches, woodpeckers, chickadees, and nuthatches ... all the usual suspects.

Mid-day, I saw something different working away up in the blossoms -- saw some purple or blue, then it popped out and I got a look, and a photo, of my first Indigo Bunting.

I didn't realize that warblers and other birds like the blossoms but in any case, I'll keep my binoculars and camera handy for the next few days as the apple blossoms continue.  And hope that Mr. Bunting decides to pay a call.

Shorebird Season in Vermont

Vermont is in the midst of the wettest May on record and while it is a problem for farmers and owners of low-lying camps, it is a boon for birders.  It's created a shorebird season.

I got this email last night from one of my friends at North Branch Nature Center: "Spread the word amongst fellow WaCo birders, its shorebird season!  Along a short stretch of River Rd. between Montpelier and Middlesex (near where the Hawk Owl was seen) I had 1 Greater Yellowlegs, 2 Lesser Yellowlegs, and a Solitary Sandpiper in the flooded fields.  It may be worth taking some time to scan some of these fields... when they dry up, so will our county's shorebird habitat! Good birding, Larry"

Solitary Sandpiper (l) and Greater Yellowlegs

This morning, a followup email from the center's director reported five sandpiper species.  I went to check it out.  A large cornfield off River Road in Middlesex has standing water and ducks, geese, and sandpipers. 

 The birds tend to blend into the stubble and I could have used another set of eyes but I managed to see a Spotted Sandpiper, Solitary Sandpiper, several Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs, a Killdeer, and a Common Merganser which came in for a nice landing right in front of me.  Mallards and Canada Geese were there as well.

Common Merganser

I took some digiscoped photos which are not great quality -- still learning to set up the camera and the scope.  It was a great chance to see some birds that don't normally make it into central Vermont.  I did not see the Least Sandpipers reported earlier -- either they left or were too tough to spot, even with a scope.

Rain is forecast for the next few days.  Time to look for other shorebirds.

What's That Warbler?

Black & White Warbler

I went birding yesterday morning at Salisbury Beach State Reservation, a place where I go instead of Parker River WMA when I have the dog with me (which is most of the time.)  Driving slowly along the campground perimeter, I saw a warbler fly in front of the truck and pulled over.  I could see some Black & White warblers through the truck window so I parked and immediately walked into a gaggle of flitting birds. (It was a good day in the area -- at Parker River folks saw 22 species of warblers.)

Northern Parula

Black-throated Blue Warbler

The good news was that the trees are rather low and the birds close by.  The bad news is that for a second-year birder, just getting them in the binoculars is a task, and then getting identifying marks etc is a challenge.  Binoculars or camera, write notes or check Sibley's, -- oh for a knowledgeable birder along.  It's a good problem to have -- too many birds, not enough expertise -- that's how you learn.  I took my time, jotted down notes, shot a lot of photos, and came up with three new life birds.

Ovenbird

Ovenbirds where everywhere -- and unlike at home, easy to spot.  I think that was because there were so many of them.  Black-throated blue warblers likewise were putting on an aerial display going after insects like flycatchers.

I'm sure I missed a number of birds but it was demanding but fun -- even when a couple of kids on their bikes set up a BMX route on the trail I was using. 

Black-crowned Night-heron

Leaving the reservation, I spotted a heron-like bird in the marsh and pulled over, let a runner pass, and backed up to the spot.  I shot a couple of photos and tried to figure out what I was seeing -- it wasn't a Great Blue so I tried to make it into a Least Bittern.  It wasn't until I had a chance to look at the photos closely that I've decided it was a Black-crowned Night-heron.  What it was doing up and about in the morning I have no idea?

Migration is so fleeting -- a few weeks of birds passing through -- and if you miss them, or can't identify them, it's wait until next year.  But the flurry of frenetic activity, the chirps and calls, and the colors makes it a special time for birders.

Secretary Salazar Releases 2011 State of the Birds Report

The full report is available at www.stateofthebirds.org.
U.S. Department of the Interior
AMERICA’S GREAT OUTDOORS: Secretary Salazar Releases 2011 State of the Birds Report
Report Shows Public Lands and Waters Crucial to Birds; One Out of Four Birds Species on Public Land in Peril
05/03/2011

Contact: Hugh Vickery, DOI (202) 208-6414
Alicia F. King, FWS (571) 214-3117

WASHINGTON -- Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar and Agriculture Under Secretary for Natural Resources and Environment Harris Sherman today released the 2011 State of the Birds Report, the nation’s first assessment of birds on lands and waters owned by the American people. The findings indicate tremendous potential for bird conservation: these publicly owned habitats support at least half of the entire U.S. distributions of more than 300 bird species.
The report concludes that America’s public lands and waters, ranging from national wildlife refuges to national parks to national forests, offer significant opportunities to halt or reverse the decline of many species. More than 1,000 bird species inhabit the U.S., 251 of which are federally threatened, endangered, or of conservation concern. The report provides a scientific tool to help public agencies identify the most significant conservation opportunities in each habitat.
“The State of the Birds report is a measurable indicator of how well we are fulfilling our shared role as stewards of our nation’s public lands and waters,” Salazar said. “Although we have made enormous progress in conserving habitat on public lands, we clearly have much more work to do. The good news is that because birds so extensively use public lands and waters as habitat, effective management and conservation efforts can make a significant difference in whether these species recover or slide towards extinction.”
“The 2011 State of the Birds report reflects significant achievement by public agencies and all of our long-standing partners in improving bird habitats,” said Agriculture Under Secretary for Natural Resources and Environment Harris Sherman. “The USDA programs are innovative and creative. Over the last two years, the Natural Resources Conservation Service has played a critical role in working cooperatively with landowners to conserve migratory birds in the Gulf of Mexico, sage grouse in the great plains, and others. The Forest Service has developed a draft Forest Planning rule that will ensure our National Forests support birds and other wildlife for decades to come.”
The report assessed the distribution of birds on nearly 850 million acres of public land and 3.5 million square miles of ocean. It relied on high-performance computing techniques to generate detailed bird distribution maps based on citizen-science data reported to eBird and information from the U.S. Geological Survey’s Protected Areas Database of the United States.
The report highlighted the wide variety of bird habitats on public lands. These include:
Aridlands: More than half of U.S. aridlands are publicly owned. Thirty-nine percent of aridland bird species are of conservation concern and more than 75 percent of species are declining.
Oceans and Coasts: All U.S. marine waters are publicly owned and are home to 86 ocean bird species and 173 coastal species. At least 39 percent of U.S. bird species restricted to ocean habitats are declining and almost half are of conservation concern, indicating severe stress in these ecosystems.
Forests: Public lands include some of the largest unfragmented blocks of forest, which are crucial for the long-term health of many bird species, including the endangered Kirtland’s warbler, which has 97 percent of its U.S. distribution on public lands.
Arctic and Alpine: Ninety percent of boreal forest, alpine, and arctic breeding bird species in Alaska rely on public lands for habitat, including 34 breeding shorebird species of high conservation concern. There are more public lands in Alaska than in the rest of the U.S. combined, offering huge potential to manage lands for conservation.
Islands: More birds are in danger of extinction in Hawaii than anywhere else in the U.S. Public lands in Hawaii support 73 percent of the distribution of declining forest birds. Among declining Hawaiian forest birds on Kauai, about 78 percent rely on state land. Four endangered species in the Northwest Hawaiian Islands are entirely dependent on federal lands.
Wetlands: Wetlands protection has provided the “gold standard” for bird conservation. On the whole, 39 species of hunted waterfowl have increased by more than 100 percent during the past 40 years as nearly 30 million acres of wetlands have been acquired and management practices have restored bird populations.
Grasslands: Grassland birds are among our nation’s fastest declining species, yet only a small amount – 13 percent -- of grassland is publicly owned and managed primarily for conservation. Forty-eight percent of grassland-breeding bird species are of conservation concern, including four with endangered populations.
The 2011 State of the Birds report is a collaborative effort as part of the U.S. North American Bird Conservation Initiative, involving federal and state wildlife agencies, and scientific and conservation organizations. These include the American Bird Conservancy, the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, the Bureau of Land Management, the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, the Department of Defense, the National Audubon Society, The Nature Conservancy, the National Park Service, the U.S.D.A. Forest Service, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the U.S. Geological Survey.
The full report is available at www.stateofthebirds.org.

Great Adirondack Birding Celebration, 3-5 June

Mark your calendars and click on the following for all the latest info and registration for the 9th Annual Great Adirondack Birding Celebration:

We are thrilled to have Scott Weidensaul as our Sat evening keynote speaker in the Paul Smith's College VIC Theater. Sat & Sun field trips are loaded with boreal hotspots and something new this year is a Beginner Birder Workshop lead by Joan Collins of Long Lake. Also new this year is our Friday Boreal Ecology Workshop at Massawepie Mire & The Wild Center lead by top-notch naturalists/birders Kendra Omerod and Alan Belford.

Friday will feature an afternoon wetlands walk, evening dessert reception, birds of prey show, & Owl Walk all at the Paul Smith's College VIC. Sat will focus on field trips(lead by many members of Northern New York Audubon Society-a major sponsor of GABC) and afternoon bird-related workshops. Sunday allows you a second day of field trips giving another full morning to bird in the Adirondacks.

Hope you can make it!

Brian McAllister
Saranac Lake

Visit to Moose Bog

Ever since returning from Texas, I've been hoping to get up to the Northeast Kingdom and look for a few birds up there that I've never seen.  Weather and commitments have held me back but I know that black fly season is coming on, so I took the long drive up to Island Pond today to do a little wet weather birding.  Penny, the Vizsla, came along for the ride but waited in the truck.

It wasn't a Vermont Life day: soggy with low clouds and still early spring.  We stopped north of Lyndonville for some exercise and departing the turnoff area, nearly hit a dark, wet moose.  From Island Pond, it's about ten miles, down past the grass airport at which I've landed many times, to the Moose Bog trail in the Town of Ferdinand.

My target bird was the Spruce Grouse although I was hoping for a Grey Jay or Boreal Chickadee as well.  I heard a number of winter wrens (saw one) and many yellow-rumps but after an hour or so, thought I'd be skunked.  I was walking the quiet trail in a light mist when up ahead, right on the path, I saw movement in a little spruce tree.  A big Spruce Grouse was standing there, eating away.  I had time to wipe off my camera lens, and get pretty close for shots.  I watched for some time and then turned around and left the bird to its meal.  I was surprised at how accomodating it was -- much different from a Ruffed Grouse.

It made the long drive worthwhile and gave me an incentive to get back up there later this year and look for the other birds.

Hoodies Are Here

Each spring, dozens of Hooded Mergansers drop in at Berlin Pond, the water supply for Montpelier.  Usually paired off, they grace the early days of icy open water.  Some stick around all season on local water -- nesting in trees like wood ducks.  The males are hard to miss with their big white patch on the crest.

The last few days, I’ve been watching them come and go at the pond.  I digiscoped a pair this afternoon as they paddled away between ice floes.  They’re my favorite duck.

Beginning Digiscoping

I took my scope up to Berlin Pond today - a local hot spot for waterfowl as the ice melts and later, for migratory warblers and a host of other birds.  I've been fiddling with using my old SLR with a DCA adapter but am trying a new Canon SD4000IS point and shoot to see how that works.  Right now, I'm pretty low on the learning curve.

Lots of stuff is starting to show up:  Canada Geese, Ring-necked Ducks, and lots of Hooded Mergansers.  I spent a lot of time trying to identify two ducks, which turned out to be Green-winged Teal, but who persisted in sitting on the ice all tucked in, probably resting for the next flight further north.  Several pairs of Mallards showed up and I got a decent shot of them, plus one of a goose parading on the ice.

It's nice to work without freezing fingers so I think, as I practice, things will improve.  Stay tuned.

Mourning Cloak

Yesterday, while out birding with my Vizsla in Massachusetts, I saw a number of species but the highlight of the morning was an early butterfly, the Mourning Cloak.  We were in some oaks when I saw two butterflies flitting through the woods and climbing higher and out of sight.  Then one returned and cooperatively sat on some leaves not far from me.  I took some photos and then the dog returned from her explorations and spooked the pretty thing.

Not knowing my butterflies, I searched through my book to id what I had seen but it was hard.  Finally I found it and of course, once I read the description, it was clear that I should have been aware that it's always one of the first butterflies to emerge in the Northeast since it overwinters.

My friends tell me that the other overwintering butterfly is the Milbert's Tortoiseshell.  I'll be looking for them in the days ahead.

Hummers Are Coming!

Check the sightings here

Redpolls

For the last month, as I've been birding in the South, day after day I've read posts of Common Redpoll sightings throughout the Northeast.  It's a bird I'm missing from my life list (I just started two years ago and they weren't around last winter) and so I was hoping to see a few before they headed back north.  Today I did.

 I cranked up our feeding program upon our return to Vermont on Thursday although neighbors had kept the Chickadees and Nuthatches fed during our absence.  Still, for three days no Redpolls and I thought perhaps I'd missed the window of their presence.

Today a couple showed up on the tray feeder and later were joined by a couple more.  I wouldn't be surprised to see even more in the coming days now that they have found us.  The Chickadees seem to be a little out of sorts at the arrival of these heavy feeders but their flashes of color against the snow are a delight to see.  Soon they'll be heading back to Canada but it's nice to tank them up before their flight north.

Easy point-and-shoot cameras capture the outdoor experience

Sunday, March 27, 2011

By Shannon M. Nass, Special to the Post-Gazette

Bob Steiner

Red-bellied woodpecker.

No matter the season, nature is a beautifully painted canvas that offers the perfect backdrop for capturing outdoor memories.
As spring wildflowers come into bloom and wildlife activity increases, opportunities abound for taking photographs. A little imagination and some insight into the effective outdoor use of digital point-and-shoot cameras leave no reason not to skillfully preserve these moments in time.
"The final image that you produce is your own creativity ... and the camera is a tool to get there," said Linda Steiner, of Oil City.
Linda and her husband, Bob, have won numerous professional photo awards and were guest speakers at a Penn's Woods West Trout Unlimited meeting held March 14 at the Brentwood Veterans of Foreight Wars. Topics included digital camera use and key elements to consider when taking photos outdoors.

Read the whole article: http://post-gazette.com/pg/11086/1134873-140.stm#ixzz1HnIuEof5

Signs of Spring

In Louisiana last weekend, there are signs of spring everywhere.  The peepers were singing and at daybreak, a chorus of Northern Cardinals, Tufted Titmice, and a host of other early wakers, greeted us on our morning walk.  Even today, in windy but warm Virginia, robins are calling away as we enjoy the last warm afternoon of our trip.

Last week, in our return to Goose Island in Texas, I noted that Laughing Gulls were no longer plain but had their striking dark heads.  Northern Mockingbirds, instead of just “chipping” like they did in January, were trotting out their full repertoire of songs and were acting pretty frisky in the bushes.

At Natchez State Park in Mississippi, spring was a little behind what we just left in Louisiana.  But the sight of several pairs of bluebirds were a wonderful to witness in the early sunlight as were a dozen barn swallows swooping over the lake.



I know that reality will set in as we head north but these signs bode well for our home state.  When we visited Cameron Prairie NWR last week, we saw no Canada Geese and only a half dozen snow geese.  They are all on their way north - I’m reading reports of skeins of geese over Lake Champlain and elsewhere.  We’re following them this week.

Louisiana Birds

We dropped down to Louisiana for a few days before starting northward.  Today we went for a birding outing exploring some national wildlife refuges south of Lake Charles.  Most of the geese and many of the ducks have headed out but there are still a lot of interesting birds.

We saw dozens of hawks perched in trees along the roads on the way down but had trouble identifying them at 70 mph.  Most were likely red-tails although I saw a Northern Harrier who was hard to miss.  We stopped in at the headquarters of the Cameron Prairie NWR and did a quick tour of their wonderful new center -- replaced after one of the recent hurricanes knocked the prior one out.

Walking out the observation platform behind the center, I immediately saw all sorts of birds:  White-faced ibis, Glossy Ibis, two or three types of herons, many ducks, and an assorted sandpiper or two.  Many lifted off as I came nearer but it was an amazing start.

Black-necked Stilt (life bird)

Later, we drove a three mile Pintail loop seeing the previous types along with a few Snow Geese, Black-neck Stilts (which I had been looking for), and hundreds of Northern Shovelers.  There were also hundreds of hungry mosquitos so we stayed in the truck. 

We continued a long driving loop down to the coast and stopped at the jetty at Cameron.  After passing all sorts of oil equipment and ships, we got out to the beach, paid a small fee, and in a stiff breeze, saw hundreds of shore birds.  In the photo below, you can spot Laughing Gulls, Herring Gulls, Black Skimmers, Forster's Terns.  I couldn't see anything else, aside from White Pelicans but there may be another tern or gull in the gang.



We ended the trip with an Alligator sighting up close and personal.  Two new life list birds (Glossy Ibis and Black-necked Stilt) and an interesting look at a vulnerable piece of the U.S.  Seeing houses, a hospital, and emergency generators up on stilts is sobering.  But the birding is awesome and with migration coming, will soon get even better.

Rockport Beach Park

Rockport, Texas has many great birding areas and one always cited is the Beach Park.  It’s  long sandy beach with lots of grassy picnic areas.  It also is the protected nesting site of hundreds of Black Skimmers -- that graceful bird known for flying low over the water, lower mandible skimming for small fish and other goodies. 

Black Skimmers on the go

I’ve not been to the park since dogs are not allowed and every time I’m in Rockport, I have Penny with me.  Today, I brought my bike and left the dog in the truck and pedaled in for a little birding.  Hundreds of Laughing Gulls filled the air with their raucous calls as I passed by and up ahead, I saw a gaggle of Black Skimmers circling and landing.  There’s a nice observation area near the roped-off nesting site and I took a bunch of photos of the birds whirling by.  It was quite a spectacle.

They’ll start nesting next month and I’m sure it is quite a sight to see the chicks and their parents up close.  Perhaps next year we’ll stick around a little later.

Laughing Gulls

I saw a Long-Billed Curlew, a Pied-Bill Grebe, a Willet, a bunch of American Avocets, Herring/Laughing/Ringed-Billed Gulls, and a number of other birds during the short bike ride.  It’s a place I will get back to another time.

The Laughing Gulls, now in their plumage, just are characters.  Here’s a lineup from the walkway to the observation platform.  They laugh -- and tend to make you chuckle as you see and hear them.  

Yellow-faced Grassquit: Yes!

Yellow-faced Grassquit

A rare tropical bird, a Yellow-faced Grassquit, showed up at Goose Island State Park about a week after we left in January. For a month now, I have read posts of sightings of him - hundreds of birders have come to see him and he's been very cooperative.

I thought that it would be a one-time chance to see him so we decided to return to the park for a week. It's also a place we love and a good spot to celebrate my birthday. So we drove the short distance down from Goliad this morning.

While driving in to look at the few vacant sites, we drove by the spot where he's been seen. Probably 25 birders were there, binoculars up and looking - and it was hard not to just stop the truck and trailer and join in.

We signed for a nice spot, got unhitched and set up and it was time to exercise the dog - which I did by bike. We rode past the spot but the few folks there had seen nothing since the morning. So, figuring we had all week, I had lunch and a little rest.

Mary suggested I go back and so I did. There were some women down from Houston and a guy who flew in for the weekend from Oregon. We waited and watched a few sparrows. The women decided to leave and I was about to when the Oregon guy - who is quite skilled as a birder - saw it fly into the brush and yelled "bird." That got the gals hustling back and sure enough, the little rascal was just perched in the shade. You could see him but when the Oregonian got his scope, the bird was spectacular.

The Grassquit breeds from central Mexico to northern Ecuador and northwestern Venezuela, and also on the Greater Antilles and nearby islands (e.g. the Cayman Islands, and Jamaica). It is not a migratory bird but moves about outside the breeding season. It's neat to think how far from home he is - and what an extremely rare sighting for the U.S.  Glad we came back here.

I'm sure I'll get to see the guy a few times more and get some photos. The one above is from the web - but is just like the guy I saw this afternoon.