The Baypoll Blog

Juniper Hairstreak

2012-04-16T11:42:00.000-07:00

While out in the yard on Sunday, I noticed a bunch of Clouded Sulphurs and Cabbage Whites visiting the various blooming plants. Seeing these common species, I figured that the air was warm enough for the other, less common species to be flying as well. When I headed into the woods, I found a whole bunch of very fresh-looking azures flying low to the ground occasionally stopping on the ground or on a flower. According to David Wright, who has spent many years studying the Celastrina genus, these individuals are likely a second hatching of the Northern Spring Azure (Celastrina lucia) which emerges a week or two after the primary hatch, but before the emergence of the similar "Southern" Spring Azure (Celastrina ladon).

Northern Spring Azure

Farther up in the woods, Juvenal's, Sleepy, and Wild Indigo Duskywings were chasing each other up and down the clearings, making photography of these individuals extremely difficult. These territorial butterflies seemed to be chasing everything, whether it was another butterfly, a bee, or even nothing at all. In the woods, I found several Mourning Cloaks and my first Spicebush Swallowtails of the year. These dark swallowtails are the earliest individuals of a species that will stick around until the fall! Later, I found my first Black Swallowtail of the year visiting the daffodils along the edge of the house.

While watching the larger butterflies, I almost forgot to look down until I noticed a tiny, dark skipper flying through the dried bluestem grass. This little Common Roadside-Skipper finally landed for a second before continuing to flutter along. Despite the name, this species is quite unusual, especially this early in the year. In fact, this is the earliest date I have ever seen a skipper of any kind here in Monroe County, PA!

Common Roadside-Skipper

Closer to the house, I was walking through the field when I spotted a tiny butterfly flying around the top of an Eastern Redcedar. Knowing that there is a very unique butterfly that often exhibits this behavior, I ran over to the small tree and soon spotted the Juniper Hairstreak perched on one of the top branches. Although it was perched at the very top, I got decent looks at the gorgeous butterfly that was also a species I had never seen in the yard before!

Juniper Hairstreak

The preferred habitat for this species is in brushy areas with the host plant. While there are a few redcedars in the field where I found this butterfly, I did not expect the small number to be sufficient to support this species!

The tall, skinny, dark green trees are the redcedars. The tall one in front is where I spotted the hairstreak.

Last July, I led a butterfly walk at Jacobsburg State Park. With ideal habitat at the park, the group was able to see eight of these gorgeous butterflies. These July-flying individuals were actually part of a second brood that emerges during the summer, whereas the current brood likely emerged within the last week.

A close-up of a Juniper Hairstreak from Jacobsburg State Park (July 2011)

My last butterfly of the day was a Red Admiral that was flying low over the trees, apparently headed north. Interestingly, this migratory species seemed to be following the same path, except backwards, that the Monarchs take in the fall. Although I only saw one, some locations in western Pennsylvania saw hundreds of Red Admirals migrating north!

Some New Avian Arrivals

2012-04-15T18:56:00.000-07:00

After a week of winds from the north, the southern winds that started on Friday led to some decent migration into this past weekend. I was able to do some birding around the yard today, and sure enough, migration has started back up after a short hiatus. The first new bird was a Blue-gray Gnatcatcher that was feeding on insects in the blooming apple trees. Its nasal call was easy to hear even though the bird was hidden amongst large branches, big flowers, and emerging leaves.

Around midday, I was out on the deck when I noticed a raptor overhead. Raptor migration had been slow, so I was excited to see something other than a Turkey Vulture overhead. When I got my binoculars on the bird, I realized it was the first Broad-winged Hawk of the season! Before long another, and then another appeared overhead. These three raptors were the start of a short flurry of raptor migration that included a good variety of migrating raptors. Two Red-tailed Hawks slowly glided down-ridge while the Sharp-shinned and Cooper's Hawks moved quickly flapping the entire way. Scanning the clouds, I spotted a distant raptor. This high-flying bird turned out to be an Osprey. Without flapping, this bird sailed past with incredible speed moving east along the ridge with little effort. Just after the Osprey disappeared, another raptor, this one taking big, bouncy flaps appeared in the sky. When it was over the yard, this male Northern Harrier circled a few times before continuing on its migratory path.

The raptors were not the only birds on the move! Several Great Blue Herons, followed by a flock of Herring Gulls passed right over the house headed directly north. A little while later, I spotted a group of nine large birds flying towards me. When they got closer, I saw that they had long necks, long beaks, and their feet were extended past the tail. Loons! The group of Common Loons passed low overhead moving on a straight path north.

I ended the day having seen 54 species, which is an excellent total for this early in April. However, in a few weeks, the trees will be filled with singing warblers, orioles, and tanagers as spring migration reaches its peak! Good birding!

Nature Quiz

2012-04-09T07:03:00.004-07:00

It is easy to find bird quizzes on the internet, so instead of a bird quiz this time, I have expanded it to other things in nature! For this quiz, all photos were taken in Pennsylvania. Feel free to leave a comment with your IDs!

A Pond Draws in the Birds

2012-04-09T06:42:00.000-07:00

We have a pond at the edge of our yard that is quite small and filled with various pond and wetland vegetation. A pond so small may seem like it would not attract many birds, but in fact, this pond has attracted numerous species that may not otherwise spend time on the property. The most common species to visit is the Mallard. During the spring, it is very common to find a pair or two swimming around. There has been a pair of Mallard in the pond every evening and morning for the past few weeks. For some reason, they disappear during the middle of the day!

Recently, Wood Ducks have been spending more and more time in the pond. Just last night, a pair spent a good portion of the evening swimming around and feeding in the pond. The brilliantly-colored male is a wonderful bird to watch, and the female, with her teardrop-shaped eye patch is equally intriguing.

Even herons have stopped by at the pond! I see Great Blue Herons at the water's edge a few times every year and once a Green Heron even stopped by for a little while. While the pond is too deep and not muddy enough for many shorebirds, Solitary Sandpipers don't mind ponds like this one. Occasionally one will spend the day at the pond before continuing on it's migration. I have only ever seen them at the pond during spring migration.

On rare occasions, even kingfishers will land in the trees over and near the pond. However, I've never seen one catch anything from the pond. There are no fish, but there are certainly plenty of Green Frog tadpoles.

This pond goes to show that even a small bit of water can really help birds as a stop over site when they are migrating! For some of these birds, a small, but beneficial habitat is far better than being without food or a habitat that they are used to.

More Butterflies and a Pair of Racers

2012-04-07T17:23:00.001-07:00

It was very windy here today, so most of the butterflies were perched in order to being blown away by the strong gusts. I couldn't find any more elfins today, but some of the other species were very cooperative!

Northern Spring Azures were out in force today, even more so than yesterday! This species is usually very skittish, but this male was clinging to its perch so that it didn't get blown away!

While the azures were numerous, the duskywings were not. I did manage to find this mating pair of Juvenal's Duskywings at the edge of the meadow not far from a single Sleepy Duskywing. When it comes time to lay her eggs, the female will oviposit (lay eggs) on an oak tree. Oaks are the preferred caterpillar host plant for several duskywing species. The Dreamy Duskywing, however, uses a variety of tree and shrub species and the Wild Indigo Duskywing uses wild indigo and crown-vetch.

While I was coming down the path headed back the the house, I spotted two snakes just off the trail. One of these black snakes was curled up and the other was completely stretched out to a length of four feet or more. When I got closer, I noticed that these were two Black Racers enjoying the afternoon sun. When I got too close, the curled-up racer shook its tail against the dry leaves making a sound similar to that of a rattlesnake. This species is similar in appearance to the Black Rat Snake, but the head shape and eye are different. A rat snake has a longer head and the eyes pop out a little giving a "bug-eyed" look compared to the racers.

Just a few weeks ago, I had seen another racer on the property. Unlike the ones from today, this guy was 15 feet up in a tree! This shows another characteristic to separate racers from rat snakes: the mostly black belly; rat snakes have white or speckled undersides.

An Elfin in the Woods

2012-04-06T17:35:00.000-07:00

With the fairly warm temperature and plentiful sunshine today, butterflies were active despite the wind. This time of year, I find that woodland clearings are the most productive places to find butterflies, as these areas are often the sunniest spots around. However, some species, like Mourning Cloaks and Eastern Commas do not mind being in the middle of the woods. Other species like the duksywings often "patrol" clearings and paths by flying up and down the length of the opening chasing anything that enters the territory. To an overly sensitive Juvenal's Duskywing, these "threats" may include others of the same species, a larger Mourning Cloak, a leaf blowing in the wind, or even a person walking by! This behavior made this species especially difficult to photograph today. Whenever I went to take a photo, a Spring Azure would fly overhead and the duskywing would fly up and chase off the intruder.

Juvenal's Duskywing

Another species of duskywing that is flying right now is the Sleepy Duskywing. This species is a bit smaller than the Juvenal's, and is less aggressive. These two species (and all duskywings for that matter) use similar habitats and can often be found together. Today, I watched several Sleepy Duskywings chased down the trail by Juvenal's. In a few weeks, Dreamy and Wild Indigo Duskywings will become more common and the species flying now will disappear until next spring.

I also came across one of my favorite butterflies while I was out in the woods today. As I was watching a Spring Azure (the species flying now is likely Celastrina lucia), a small, brown butterfly darted past. At first I thought it was another duskywing, but I realized that it was flapping differently. When I got a better look, I saw orange markings on the top of the wings. When the butterfly finally stopped, I saw the intricate patterning of an Eastern Pine Elfin. This species only occurs in this area in April and early May, and can be hard to find due to its small size and somewhat picky habitat preference.

The Eastern Pine Elfin that I found today

Eastern Pine Elfins use a variety of host plants as caterpillars, all of which are in the genus Pinus, the pines. The individuals that I have seen in the past few years are likely using pitch pine, as this is the most common pine in the woods at this location. Last year, I even saw an elfin sitting on a very small pitch pine tree.

Eastern Pine Elfin on host plant, Pitch Pine (from 2011)

Answers to Identification Quiz

2012-03-30T17:42:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago I posted an identification quiz with some bad bird shots. If you did not already check out the quiz, you can see it here before reading the answers.

Here are the answers:

Pennsylvania - February

Upon looking at this photo, it is clear that there are several species present. Let's start with the grayish bird in the center-right, the only bird with a face visible in the shot. The fact that the bird is flying over water, has pointed wings, and a bill with that shape means that this is a gull. Small gulls, like Bonaparte's can be ruled out by the fact that the bird looks rather large and has a thick beak. Another possibility would be Ring-billed Gull. This bird appears to have a "thick build" a characteristic not usually associated with Ring-billed Gulls. The dark color and bill with a dark tip identify this bird as a young Herring Gull. Looking around the photo, we see other birds that are similar in size and structure to this Herring Gull. These too are Herring Gulls.

Next are the birds in the foreground that are flying low over the water. On the left there are two birds with a lot of white and on the left, two gray birds. All appear to have noticeable short tails and pointed wings. These characteristics nicely fit those of ducks. The birds on the left have white and black bodies and wings and orange/red feet. If you look on the lowest bird in the photograph, you can see the bird has dark coloration near the head. If you compare these field marks to ducks in a field guide, you will see that Common Merganser fits perfectly. The ducks over on the left are much darker and grayer than the male Common Mergansers. The wings are dark, with darker tips, and there appears to be a white patch on each wing. Considering these field marks and the association with the male Common Mergansers, these are female Common Mergansers.

What about the blurry birds floating in the water in the back? The shape and coloration of these birds match those of Common Mergansers, and that is exactly what they all are.

Pennsylvania - August

Here we have a small bird facing away from the camera. A few field marks are visible including dark wings with two strong wingbars and some yellow or orange near the face. Off all of the songbirds, strong double wing bars and yellow/orange head coloration are really only found on warblers. So now we've narrowed it down to one of about thirty species that regularly occurs in Pennsylvania. On top of that, the photo was taken in August, which suggests that this may be one of the dreaded "confusing fall warblers". Actually, this is NOT one of those tough IDs. The combination of dark wings with two very distinct white wing bars and yellow on the face narrows this bird down to Blackburnian Warbler with little trouble at all!

Pennsylvania - August

This bird may be the toughest one in the quiz. We can see a plain-looking bird, with dark brown or olive upperparts and yellowish underneath. We have no distinctive markings, and we can't see the face, a place where many birds have distinguishing markings. The lack of noticeable field marks (stripes, spots, patterns) brings several groups of birds to mind--kinglets, fall warblers, flycatchers, and vireos. We can also see the underside of the beak, which appears too wide for a warbler, too flat for a sparrow, and too long for a kinglet. This beak shape fits flycatchers and vireos. Of the small, yellow-green flycatchers that occur in this area, there are none with such yellow coloration and no wingbars or other markings on the wings. This leaves vireos. A few species can be quickly ruled out: White-eyed, Blue-headed, and Yellow-throated would show wing-bars and Red-eyed should have some distinct head markings that would be visible even though the branch is somewhat covering the face. This leaves two species, Warbling and Philadelphia.

These two dull vireos are well-known for being tricky to identify, especially in migration when both can occur together. Most Warbling Vireos start migrating and the beginning of August (they also breed in Pennsylvania), whereas Philadelphia Vireos start showing up around the end of the month. Since this photo was taken in August, and we don't know a specific date, migration timing is not a helpful identification tool. We also cannot see the facial markings which are often useful for separating these two. Warbling Vireos are generally whitish underneath and Philadelphia Vireos have more yellow. Since this bird is mostly yellow underneath, this must be a Philadelphia, right? Well, let's take another look. Notice how the yellow coloration on the chest appears the same as that on the throat. A Philadelphia Vireo usually shows a brighter yellow throat. Also take note of the white that is visible on the middle part of the underside--something that is uncommon on Philadelphia Vireos which would be solid yellow on a bright individual. From these distinctions, we can come to the conclusion that this is a Warbling Vireo. In the field, a view of the head and posture of this individual would aid the identification. As a final note, the coloration in this photo is very deceiving. Although the bird had more yellow that the "average" Warbling Vireo, the photo taken with sunlight shining through green leaves accentuated this characteristic. Always be careful when using colors to identify birds!

Quiz Responses:

Photo 1: Common Merganser and Herring Gull (100%)

Photo 2: Blackburnian Warbler (50%), Pine Warbler (16.7%), American Goldfinch (16.7%), Rusty Blackbird (16.7%)

Photo 3: Philadelphia Vireo (50%), Warbling Vireo (16.7%), Red-eyed Vireo (16.7%), Least Flycatcher (16.7%)

Congratulations to Ethan Kistler, who got them all correct.

An Early Spring

2012-03-24T10:31:00.000-07:00

The past two weeks have been glorious, with sunshine and unseasonably warm temperatures every day. This extended period of warmth seems to have moved spring a little earlier. Even before spring officially started on March 20, birds were singing in the morning, short-distance migrant birds began showing up in the region, flowers of all sorts began blossoming, and even the earliest insects are out and about enjoying the early nectar sources.

Even a month ago, a small avian dawn chorus was present before the sun peaked over the horizon. Consisting of the cheery song of the Northern Cardinal and the repeated whistled notes of a Tufted Titmouse, the morning song was present, but hardly exciting. However, when I woke up this morning, I was treated to a wonderful selection of birds. The cardinals and titmice are still voicing their notes, but Field and Song Sparrows, an Eastern Towhee, and a small gathering of American Robins have joined in.

The Red Maples (Acer rubrum) are in full bloom in the woods, the flowers, either red, orange, or yellowish, fill the once gray, wintry woods. Although it is still March, and we are just entering in to spring, the butterflies are already taking advantage of this abundant nectar source. The classic early-spring butterfly, the Mourning Cloak gathers on the sunlit trees with the most flowers. These abundant harbingers of spring are often accompanied by other species. Over the past week, I have seen brightly colored Eastern Commas and even a brilliant blue Lucia Azure (Celastrina lucia, see here for more information on this genus) joining their somber-colored cousins.

While on a walk through the woods with my dog yesterday afternoon, I spotted a small patch of green that was away from any early-leafing non-native shrubs. The soft green color was the freshly emerged leaves on a Black-haw (Viburnum prunifolium), a native shrub that will be blooming and attracting butterflies in only a few months. Further down the trail, I spotted the yellow flowers of Spicebush (Lindera benzoin), an common early-blooming shrub of wet wood habitats. Spring has officially started, even though it maybe be a few weeks earlier than usual!

As a final note, if you are out enjoying the beautiful weather after dark, don't forget to look up and enjoy the two most visible planets in the nighttime sky, Venus and Jupiter:

Venus (top) and Jupiter (bottom) in the sky not long after sunset.

Flowers in February

2012-02-26T15:53:00.001-08:00

--Also posted on the Watching the Seasons blog for the Eastern Pennsylvania Phenology Project--

In eastern Pennsylvania, February is not usually considered a month when many flowers begin to bloom. However, the unseasonably warm temperatures over the last week and a half have caused many early-blooming species to emerge. Many of these species are flowers that will begin to flower as soon as there is an extended period of warm weather, so the bloom time varies greatly from year to year.

Snowdrops (Galanthus nivalis) - this species was blooming around this time last year as well. Warm weather usually causes the flowers to develop, although it takes several warm days for the flowers to actually open. Although the flowers are not yet open in the photograph, these flowers began to open on February 26.

Winter Aconite (Eranthis sp.) - With several days of sunlight, this flower is now in full bloom. This species began blooming last year around February 18, which is about the same time I first saw these flowers emerge in 2012.

Bird's-eye Speedwell (Veronica sp.) - This flower has actually been blooming through the entire winter. The flowers open in the sun, but close during nights and during colder days. This species grows very low to the ground and is easy to miss.

Primrose (Primula vulgaris) - This species is not quite ready to bloom, but a closed flower is visible amongst the basal leaves.

Bittercress (Cardamine sp.) - This flower could easy go unnoticed, as the small flowers grow very close to the ground in weedy areas. I found several hundred of these tiny plants blooming in my yard this week.

Crocus (Crocus sp.) - This is a very common early-blooming flower that can be found in a variety of colors, including yellow, orange, purple, pink, and white. Last year, crocuses did not start blooming in Kunkletown, PA until March 3. This year, the first flowers were seen on February 19.


Purple Dead-Nettle (Lamium purpureum) - This species is a common weed of gardens and lawns. This is the earliest I can remember seeing this species blooming. The flowers can sometimes be similar in color to the leaves, so if you find this plant, look carefully for flowers, as they may be hidden.

Skunk Cabbage (Symplocarpus foetidus) - Today (February 26) I found the first open flowers of this wetland plant in Kunkletown, Monroe County. The combination of red, yellow, and green on these unusual flowers make Skunk Cabbage and easy species to spot. (Photo from 2011)

Identification Quiz!

2012-02-04T12:31:00.000-08:00

I put together some "less than ideal" bird shots that make the identifications a bit tricky! If you think you know what the birds are, leave a comment and in a few days I will post the answers!

Pennsylvania - February

Pennsylvania - August

Snowy Owl in New Jersey

2012-01-14T16:21:00.000-08:00

Earlier today, my mom and I decided to head over to Merrill Creek Reservoir in New Jersey to see the Snowy Owl that has been there for the past few weeks. We weren't exactly sure how to get to the owl location, but we ran into a few other birders who had just gotten directions at the visitor center. Near the owl spot, we hiked up a trail along the side of the dam. About halfway to the top of the hill, one of the other birders spotted the owl across the rock pile on the "downstream" side of the dam. We had great views of this white owl as it sat still on a rock, moving only to preen itself or turn its head when it heard a noise.

This is only the second Snowy Owl I have ever seen. The first was near Route 209 in Brodheadsville, PA back in January 2003. This winter has been outstanding for Snowy Owls in the United States. Many birds have been reported across the country, including birds as far south as Oklahoma. It is thought that this sudden southward movement of this species is due to the population boom that occurred during the last breeding season. Young, inexperienced birds are often the individuals that wander out of the species's usual range, so with an increase of young birds, many more owls have moved south.

Using eBird, it is easy to see the southern invasion of this species compared to other years:

Winter 2011-2012 versus Winter 2010-2011

This is an incredible and beautiful northern bird that rarely shows up in this region. If you can, get out to see a Snowy Owl, as it may be a long time before another one shows up in your area!

Commentary on Winter Birding

2011-12-30T17:50:00.000-08:00

If you asked birders when their favorite time of the year to go birding is, they will likely say spring or fall migration, or perhaps the summer season when most birds are in their finest form and singing beautiful warbling songs. Very few birders will answer with "winter." Nevertheless, winter is the time when one of the largest organized bird counts takes place--the Audubon Christmas Bird Count. Every year thousands of birders head to their local birding spots to scour the bushes and roadsides for winter birds. What draws all of these birders (especially those in the northern regions) out into the frigid temperatures? Perhaps it is the chance to meet up with other birders, an excuse to go birding in a normally "slow" season, or is it something else entirely?

Over the past several years, I have helped out with two Christmas counts in the area. For me, they each have a unique social aspect. The Lehigh Valley Christmas Bird County is a gathering of birder friends that I have known for many years. My mom has always helped with that count as well, so it is an opportunity to bird with her. At the end of that count, the Lehigh Valley Audubon Society hosts a count-off dinner where teams meet to share their checklists and experiences from the day while socializing and enjoying warm food in a heated building (all of which feel extremely nice after a day of winter birding). The second count I do is the Wild Creek-Little Gap count, which I have done with my dad for the past few years. Although it is only the two of us and not a big group, we always have fun searching for those elusive Horned Larks out in the frozen corn fields (we finally got one this year, but in a wheat field... guess we were looking in the wrong places) or counting ducks and geese gathered at a nearby lake.

In Pennsylvania, winter is a slow time for birding. After being outside several times today, I managed to find 23 species in the yard, but back in May I was able to find 77 species in a few hours in the same area! The scarcity of birds and unpleasant weather during the winter often keep birders indoors; they would rather watch the birds that come to the feeders than go out and search for birds like they would in the warmer months. The Christmas count manages to drag these birders outside; it gives them an reason for enduring the cold, wind, birdlessness, and frozen precipitation. Perhaps the knowledge that other people are out of their minds and are doing the same thing encourages the otherwise lazy birders to step out the door.

Birding may be slow, but maybe this is the factor that draws the birders to a Christmas Bird Count. Instead of finding warblers dripping off the trees, winter birding often requires a bit more searching through brush and walking through fields to get a reasonable percentage of the present bird species checked off the list. Personally, this added challenge is extremely exciting and helps me reassure myself that winter birding is a fun activity as I am putting on my wool socks at some horrid hour of the morning before an owling trek. Most normal people will probably never understand, but there is nothing like the rush that I feel when that emberizid finally responds to my distressed pishing or when I manage to discern the distant white speck as a raptor and not one of the local plastic bags.

Because birds can be so hard to find during the winter, when a rarity does show up on the Christmas Bird Count it is cause for celebration. Every year a few rarities show up for the count. A few years ago, during a major winter finch irruption winter, I found a big flock of Common Redpolls. Mixed in with the Commons, an uncommon species in its own right, was a single Hoary Redpoll, a rare visitor from the north that only shows up in the occasional winter season. Sometimes birds that are not even true rarities, but rather simply uncommonly encountered species, are exciting as well.

So why do birders go out and look for birds in the freezing weather? Maybe it's because of the social aspect. Birds of a feather do indeed flock together. Possibly it is a reason to go birding when birders would normally be enjoying the warmth of a heated building but are beginning to feel guilty about those few birds missing from their county year lists. Perhaps we go birding in the winter for that added excitement of finding an unusual species in a time when birds are generally scarce. Maybe it is a combination of all of the above.

Or maybe birders are just crazy.

Trail Camera

2011-12-27T08:56:00.000-08:00

Trail cameras are small, motion-activated cameras that are primarily used for hunters looking for the best place to find a good deer population. These cameras are also useful for naturalists who are interested in learning about the wildlife that would normally be scared away by a human presence. Over the past year, I have set up a trail camera on my property in hopes of spotting wildlife that I don't often see. Here are a few of the animals I've captured on the camera:

Wild Turkey

White-tailed Deer at Jacobsburg State Park (for the 2011 BioBlitz)

White-tailed Deer

Red Fox

Young and Future Generations Day

2011-12-01T09:43:00.001-08:00

Today, December 1, was Young and Future Generations Day (YoFuGe Day) at COP17, which is a day to create awareness for the youth involvement in the fight against climate change. Throughout the day, youth were involved in several side events, high-level briefings, and actions that focused on the importance of youth constituencies at UNFCCC as well as youth participation in climate action around the globe. Below are a few examples of youth activities at the conference today.

As with every day at COP, the Youth Non-Governmental Organizations (YOUNGO) started off with a meeting to discuss the upcoming events, make decisions, and work on other youth-related activities.

Some of the youth at the morning YOUNGO meeting

The meeting consisted of a lot of discussions and decisions including the addition of three new working groups to the constituency: adaptation, biodiversity, and Rio+20. Adaptation refers to changes people will have to make if climate change does occur and causes alterations in the environment. In terms of climate change and related issues, biodiversity refers to how organisms and ecosystems will respond to ecological changes that occur as a result of climate change. Rio+20 is a meeting that will occur in June 2012 to mark the twenty year anniversary of the Earth Summit in Brazil. This summit developed three conventions, one of which is the UNFCCC. As a result of the major climate change aspect, YOUNGO will be working towards attending and becoming involved with the Rio+20 convention.

Biodiversity is important to solving climate change

Soon after the morning meeting, several young people "actions" took place. At a COP meeting, observer organizations can organize actions that often are designed to highlight a specific topic or idea. Often times, if an important decision is being made in the plenary sessions of the COP, concerned organizations will perform actions to show which side they are on and which decision they support. Other times, actions can simply be intended to reinforce an idea that is important for the organization or the conference as a whole. Many youth organizations (and YOUNGO as a whole) had actions today for YoFuGe Day. The World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts performed the "cha-cha slide" to express support for taking "one step at a time" towards a maximum temperature increase of 1.5 degrees Celsius. YOUNGO also supported an action involving 1.5 degrees, where youth handed free neck ties to negotiators in an attempt to bring awareness to the 1.5 degree campaign. The ties, which state "I <3 1,5" (for you Americans, the comma is commonly used for the decimal separator in other countries), were a big success. Many negotiators were interested, including the delegates from small-island states that will be the nations most heavily affected by a temperature rise of over 1.5 degrees.


"I <3 1.5" Ties

YOUNGO member with a tie

Later in the day, the chairs of the Subsidiary Body for Implementation and the Subsidiary Body for Science and Technological Advice held a briefing specifically for youth. Each chair gave an overview of key issues being discussed and then opened the floor to questions about the current negotiations.

Right afterwards, the executive secretary of the UNFCCC held an "Intergenerational Inquiry," where youth and negotiators discussed the role of the youth constituency at the COP. Christiana Figueres, the UNFCCC Executive Secretary, spoke about the importance of youth becoming involved now, so that in the future, when the "hot potato," as she put it, is entirely in the hands of today's youth, it will not come as an unexpected and unfamiliar burden.

Christiana Figueres, Executive Secretary UNFCCC

The next speaker was a teenage girl from South Africa. She shared a story of how she traveled to the city with her father when she was younger, and loved to see the farm animals along the way. It became her dream to one day show her own kids these animals and see the expressions on their faces when the witnessed the beauty of these creatures. Unfortunately, the stream that provided drinking water to these animals dried up as a result of anthropogenic environmental changes. Her dream was destroyed. She then turned to the negotiators and begged that they develop steps forward that do not crush the dreams and hopes of today's younger generation. This inspiring message finished the day of youth celebration with a feeling of hope for the youth, who are not only the leaders of tomorrow, but the leaders of today.

Reading a poem to start the Intergenerational Inquiry

The girl on the left gave a tremendous speech that moved everyone in the room

The use of social media to spread messages from the youth became extremely important at this year's COP. Within minutes, the video of the side event was online and shared with the world.

UNFCCC Day 1

2011-11-28T10:20:00.000-08:00

Today marked the beginning of the UNFCCC COP17/CMP7, which stands for the 17th Conference of the Parties (COP17) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the 7th Session of the Conference of the Parties serving as the Meeting of the Parties (CMP7) to the Kyoto Protocol. The convention is being held in a convention center and exhibition hall in downtown Durban, South Africa.

Bikes available free-of-charge for delegates

After riding the conference shuttle to downtown Durban this morning, I headed to the meeting of the Youth Non-Governmental Organizations (YOUNGO). YOUNGO's governing body is a "spokescouncil" that meets at these morning meetings. A spokescouncil meeting consists of the attending youth organizations each of which is represented by a single spokesperson or "spoke." The spokes sit in a circle and the rest of the organization sits directly behind this front person. The spokes are the representatives of each group or organization who suggest ideas, ask questions, and vote throughout the meeting. During the meeting, the various youth groups discussed briefings to the negotiators as well as various actions and programs throughout the day. At this particular meeting, about 15 organizations with a total of close to 100 youth were present.


YOUNGO Spokescouncil meeting

"Spokes" discussing a vote with their groups

After the meeting, the youth involvement continued. At a side event discussing the politics of the parties negotiating at Durban was well attended by the youth constituency. Later on, the Canadian youth climate delegation held a press conference to present their new jackets (in the style of NASCAR) sporting the logos of oil and gas companies to the Canadian negotiators. None of the invited negotiators were in attendance. Although this press conference was mostly a joke, the youth highlighted an important issue slowing the climate negotiations: nations like Canada are working to do what is best for the oil industry and other powerful and rich corporations rather than working to protect the people and environment.

The press conference held by the Canadian youth delegation was poking fun at the Canadian negotiators, but was treated as a legitimate press conference at the UNFCCC

The "big oil" jackets

As a result of Canada's work against the climate negotiations, this country was awarded both first and second place in the Fossil of the Day award, a prize given to the countries that have had the greatest negative impact on the progress of the climate talks. Although Canada received the award, other countries such as the United States and Japan also made statements that they will not agree to a second commitment period for the Kyoto Protocol (which expires in 2012). Unless these countries can realize that they should be focusing on what is best for the people they represent rather than the large, profitable industries, the climate negotiations in Durban will not develop agreements necessary to effectively continue international discussions on climate change.

First Days in South Africa

2011-11-27T09:57:00.001-08:00

I am currently in Durban, South Africa for the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. My mother and I are attending with the Moravian College delegation, but I am also representing the Inconvenient Youth. The conference begins tomorrow (November 28) in downtown Durban. For the past few days, I was in the Cape Town area, where my mom and I were hosted by the former president of the Moravian Church of South Africa and her husband, both of whom showed us around the city and local attractions within the Western Cape region.

We arrived in South Africa at the Johannesburg International Airport. As the plane landed, my mom and I spotted our first bird of the trip, the unmistakable Long-tailed Widowbird. As we sat in the airport waiting for our flight to Cape Town, we watched through the windows for any new birds. Despite the fact that we were overlooking a sea of concrete, we saw a tremendous number of "life birds." Flocks of twenty or more African Sacred Ibises and several Hadeda Ibises flew overhead. Little Swifts and Rock Martins flew around, while Cape Sparrows and Common Mynas hopped on the ground.

When we arrived in Cape Town, the weather was gorgeous. The sun was shining and there was a nice breeze that cooled that warm air. As soon as we left the airport, we headed to the home of Mr. and Mrs. Swart, but soon headed out for a walk through a canal park in the nearby town of Pinelands. This was my first time to do some birding in a fairly "natural" place on the trip. The park is a small open area with houses on both sides that has a small canal running through the middle. This park gave excellent views of the mountains that lie in the distance. Many of the trees held the tiny Cape White-eyes, while the canal edge was home for small groups of Egyptian Geese and Cape Wagtails. Pied Crows played along the water's edge and flocks of Laughing Doves and Speckled Pigeons wandered through the weeds. Later in the evening, we went to the walkway along the ocean, where we watched the sun set over the water. I managed to find a few new birds here as well, including Cape Cormorant, African Oystercatcher, and Hartlaub's Gull.

Cape Town

The park in Pinelands

Cape Town after sunset

The next morning, we headed to the Cape Town seaboard, where we boarded a ferry to Robben Island. This island was home to a high security prison that is most famous for holding apartheid opposition leaders like Nelson Mandela. For many years, the South African government banished people to this island who hoped to end the strong discrimination against the non-white population of the country. Fortunately, in the 1990s, much of the violence ended and the prisoners were released from the island, ending what was termed the "white regime" of South Africa. Today, the island is a museum that shares the story of the apartheid struggles and the discrimination. The guides, one of whom was a former political prisoner on the island, made a clear message that the museum is not meant to place blame on the white leaders who caused the suffering, but rather to share a message of peace and the importance of treating others with love and respect regardless of skin color and culture.

View of the mainland from Robben Island

The island is also an excellent place for birding, and the ferry ride to the island also produced a good number of exciting bird species. As we pulled out of Cape Town on the boat, Hartlaub's and Kelp Gulls were all over the water's edge and several White-throated Swallows glided low over the water. Soon after pulling into the open water, we began seeing Cape Cormorants flying in long lines low over the water. About 15 minutes into the windy boat ride, I spotted a group of small, white birds flying towards the boat. My first guess with only a quick glimpse without binoculars as that they were terns, but when I finally good a look, I realized that this was a flock of 20 Sabine's Gulls! This is an unusual species near home, so it was treat to see so many of these birds.

Sabine's Gulls

As we approached the jetty near the dock on Robben Island, the overwhelming smell of bird droppings filled the air. Thousands of cormorants (many of which were nesting) lined the jetty. Scanning the flock, I picked out three species. The majority of the birds were Cape Cormorants, with several Bank Cormorants, and a few, scattered Crested Cormorants. As we walked along the dock, I spotted an African Penguin swimming along the beach. Having never seen a wild penguin before, this was pretty exciting! Other birds included Greater Crested Tern, Common Fiscal, and Chukar (there is an established breeding population on the island).

Cape Cormorants and the globally endangered Bank Comorants

African Penguin

After a few hours on the island, we headed back to the mainland for lunch. As with any outdoor restaurant that I have been to, pigeons, starlings, and sparrows wandered around the ground in search of food scraps. However, these were Speckled Pigeons, Red-winged Starlings, and Cape Sparrows, which made the dining experience a bit more exciting.

After the meal, we made our way to Table Mountain, which was recently named one of the "New Seven Wonders of Nature." This beautiful mountain is covered with a habitat known as fynbos, a fire-dependent shrubland unique to southern Africa. This park is an extremely popular destination, so the area was loaded with people in line to take the cable car to the very top of the mountain. When we parked the car, we immediately heard birds around us. We spotted a Karoo Prinia building a nest near where we parked the car. We also saw a beautiful Cape Canary singing in the pine tree over the road.

As we traveled up the cable car, we had incredible views of Cape Town and the surrounding landscape. The view from the top was unbelievable in every direction. We decided to hike out to explore the top of the mountain. As with many parks in the United States, very few people venture outside the sight of the visitor center, so we had the trails more or less to ourselves. The farther we got from the building, the windier it became. Before long, it was impossible to wear a hat without it soon blowing off. The wind brought in the infamous "tablecloth," a thick layer of fog, that often covers the top of Table Mountain. The weather conditions kept many of the birds away, but we spotted several Orange-breasted Sunbirds fluttering in the shrubs, although they stayed sheltered and hidden for most of the time. Before we went back down the mountain, we spotted an African Rock Hyrax (also known as a Cape Dassie) on the cliff edge. We soon found several more of these small mammals lounging on the rock ledges

One of many spectacular views from the top of Table Mountain

African Rock Hyrax

On Saturday morning, we got an early start and headed east to the village of Genadendal, a former Moravian Church mission in the mountains of the Western Cape. The small town holds many old buildings that were built by the Moravians in the 1730s. The site now holds a Moravian museum that holds many pieces of history from the village as well as information about the Moravian Church as a whole. Much of this information was very interesting to learn, as I attend a school that was founded by the Moravian Church. We also had a small amount of time to bird around the Genadendal gardens, where birds seemed to be everywhere. Showy birds like the African Paradise-Flycatchers and Yellow Bishops were common, as were smaller, drabber species like the Spotted Flycatcher. Malachite and Greater Double-collared Sunbirds visited the flowers in the gardens and were constantly flying through the dense rose bushes and other vines.

The church in Genadendal

The drive to and from Genadendal was beautiful. Close to Cape Town, the landscape looks very green, as the natural areas are mostly covered with fynbos. Once we crossed the mountains, the hills were covered with apple orchards and vineyards. A bit farther down the road, the primary crop is wheat, so the landscape was covered with various shades of brown. Southern Red Bishops lined the fence wires and several Steppe Buzzards patrolled from the utility poles along the highway. My favorite sightings along this route were the small groups of Blue Cranes feeding in the wheat fields. This beautiful bird is the national bird of South Africa, so it had particular importance for me as well as the South African residents in the car.

After Genadendal, we headed to the coast along the town of Hermanus, a famous location where whales congregate to breed. Along the windy coast, Kelp Gulls were flying around, while the Hartlaub's Gulls, Greater Crested Terns, and a single Grey-headed Gull were perched on the rocks. While I was taking photos of the landscape, my mom spotted a seabird headed towards the coast. I got on the bird and watched it as it approached the point on which we were standing. As the dark bird came close, I got a good look, then quickly switched lenses and photographed the bird as it turned back around and headed back towards the ocean. Based on the views that I did get, I am pretty sure that this bird was a Northern Giant Petrel.

As we started to leave without having seen a whale, my mom wanted to check the bay on last time. Several Greater Striped Swallows circled over the parking lot while we scanned the water. Within a minute, I spotted the tail of a whale on the other side of the bay! For several minutes, the whale (or whales) were visible above the surface of the water. This area is well-known for the breeding population of Southern Right Whales that breed in the sheltered bay east of Hermanus.

Southern Right Whale at Hermanus

After Hermanus, we headed back to Cape Town along the ocean route, where we were greeted with fantastic views over the ocean. We stopped at a few places along the way to take pictures, and we also managed to see a few birds. The highlight was a small group of Cape Sugarbirds that were perched on the shrubs in a roadside fynbos habitat.

The endemic Cape Sugarbird

Today, we flew from Cape Town to Durban, where we will spend the next week at the UNFCCC COP17. So far, the weather has been hot, humid, and rainy. Hopefully the rest of the week will bring nicer weather!

Raptors and Sparrows

2011-10-31T15:20:00.000-07:00

While birding around the yard this morning, I found a surprising number of species for this late in the season. Around sunrise, the field was filled with a flock of sparrows that consisted mostly of Dark-eyed Juncos, but also held White-throated, Song, Field, Chipping, and Fox Sparrows. The Fox Sparrows are some of the first I have seen this season, as their migration through the region is just beginning.

Fox Sparrow

White-throated Sparrow

Yellow-rumped Warblers were everywhere along the field edge and in the yard itself. Every vine, bush, and tree with berries along the field edge held at least one Yellow-rump this morning. The Poison Ivy vines seem to have a tremendous amount of fruit this year, so several birds including the Yellow-rumped Warblers, sparrows, and Hermit Thrushes have been taking advantage of this excellent food source.

Yellow-rumped Warbler on a Poison Ivy vine

The best birds today were the migrating raptors. Although the sight of a kettle of hundreds of Broad-winged Hawks in September and the constant stream of Sharp-shinned Hawks in October are exciting to watch, I particularly enjoy the migrants that move through in late October and November. Species like Golden Eagles and Northern Goshawks are always amazing to watch as they fly over. Even watching a Red-tailed Hawk, another primarily late-season migrant, move down-ridge is an impressive sight. While hawk watching from my deck around noon today, I spotted several Red-tailed Hawks, three Red-shouldered Hawks, and a single, gorgeous Golden Eagle that flew directly over where I was sitting.

Golden Eagle

Red-tailed Hawk

Big Sit report

2011-10-23T14:20:00.000-07:00

On Sunday, October 9, 2011, I conducted my annual "big sit" in my yard. The Big Sit! is a birding event run by Bird Watcher's Digest, where people from around the world each pick a spot, set up a circle, and stay within that circle for 24 hours and count birds. I have participated in this event for a few years now, and set my personal record of 70 species in 2009. Here is my report from this year's big sit:

A little before midnight, Stephen Kloiber arrived at my house and we headed out to the sitting spot. The air was fairly warm, and several katydids called from the trees behind us. As midnight arrived, we stood silently, pointing our ears towards the shining moon and listened. For a while, we heard nothing. Finally, about half-an-hour into the day, we heard a call from the valley below. The call was distant, but it was clear that this was a Barred Owl - our first species of the day. A little while later, a startled mockingbird called from somewhere along the field edge, but soon quieted down once again leaving us in the dark.

As the morning progressed, the air became colder and damper. The hope of a flight call from above kept us outside, and we were rewarded. Between one and two o'clock, we heard a fairly regular, but sparse flight overhead. The first calls were from Swainson's Thrush. Next the short, lisping call of a Savannah Sparrow, then another. More Swainson's, a Chipping Sparrow, an Indigo Bunting. Somewhere between flight calls, Stephen and I heard a distant call from the west. A few seconds later the bird called again, this time the hooting was cleared: Great Horned Owl, check.

Much of the pre-dawn morning was very, very slow. We heard a few more of the previously mentioned species. Around 4 o'clock, I picked out a high, slightly rising call of a Grasshopper Sparrow. By 4:30, we were shivering, so we headed inside for a quick break. We warmed up with warm apple cider, then headed back out for more birding.

As the sky began to brighten, our list stood at 11 species. Soon, however, birds began waking up all around us. White-throated Sparrows chirped and sang from the treeline across the meadow and a couple of towhees called along the forest edge. Stephen ran up to his car to grab his scope and binocular, and as he did, an Eastern Screech-Owl (a species that we had somehow missed earlier in the morning) started calling. The bird was near his car, so I could see him rushing back to try and get the bird from the circle in case I hadn't heard it. Luckily, I was able to hear the tremolo even from across the field.

The sun continued to rise into the sky and birds became more active. Yellow-rumped Warblers, American Robins, and Blue Jays flew overhead, both kinglet species called from the woods behind the sitting spot, a House Wren chattered from a patch of goldenrod, woodpeckers (in the form of Pileated, Hairy, Red-bellied, and Northern Flicker) called from all around. Sparrows gathered in the goldenrod patches in front of us. At one point, a Swamp Sparrow popped up fairly close allowing great looks.

Numerous Yellow-rumped Warblers flew overhead in the morning

While scanning the skies for new birds, I spotted a fast flying bird headed towards the Kittatinny Ridge. I watched the light-colored bird as it turned around - Rock Pigeon! Most birders would probably not find this species particularly exciting or worth an exclamation point, but this is an uncommon species in the yard, so an important species to get on the big sit.

A little before eight o'clock, we had our first Sharp-shined Hawk of the day. This species, the mascot for our big sit team, The Shadow Mountain Sharp-shins, would turn out to be the most abundant raptor of the day with a total of 89 seen over the course of the daylight hours. While I was watching a Sharp-shin overhead, Stephen spotted a Nashville Warbler on the other side of the field. Soon after Stephen got the warbler, I spotted a Lincoln's Sparrow that had popped up in the goldenrod patch near the circle. The sparrow chipped a few times before disappearing into the dense grass and weeds.

One of two Lincoln's Sparrows on The Big Sit! This one never left the cover of this shrub.

Dan Kunkle arrived around 10:30am while were were experiencing somewhat of a late-morning "lull." We had a few raptors on our list at this point, but hoped that Dan could help us pick out a few more from the deep blue sky, and that he did! With his help, we added several new raptors to the list including a fast-flying Peregrine Falcon. Dan also managed to spot a Red-breasted Nuthatch that zipped overhead flying north.

Sharp-shinned Hawks, the bird for which the Shadow Mountain Sharp-shins are named, passed overhead all day long

After Dan left, I spotted a group of about 30 Turkey Vultures to the south. Stephen got on the group and we watched as the birds moved north. These vultures seemed to mark the start of a raptor rush, because soon after we watched an adult male Northern Harrier fly southwest past the circle and after that, two immature Bald Eagles flew directly overhead. Not long after the eagles circled overhead, I heard a Common Raven croaking from somewhere to the west and Stephen and I spotted a Red-shouldered Hawk circling over my house. Just after the "flurry" of activity dissipated, Terry Master and my mom came down to the circle. Although they had just missed an awesome show of birds, we soon found two more Bald Eagles, several Black Vultures, and more Common Ravens than I have ever seen from my yard at once!

One of four Bald Eagles for the day. Two flew directly overhead!

Unfortunately, by 2:30pm, I was the only one left in the circle. For the rest of the afternoon, Sharp-shinned Hawks streamed overhead, but no new birds appeared. Later on, as the sun was setting, I kept an eye out for any new birds in the final burst of avian activity for the day. Groups of robins and crows gathered in the sky and in the trees, and small flocks of Red-winged Blackbirds passed overhead. One of these blackbird flocks held a Rusty Blackbird, the first new species since about one in the afternoon. Unfortunately, it soon became too dark to see anything and the katydid chorus was too loud to hear any owls or flight calls, so I headed inside for some much needed sleep.

Moon rising not long after sunset

Around 10:30pm and after a three hour nap, I headed back out to the circle for the remainder of the day. The cold air had quieted the insects, but the birds were not calling. When my watched beeped at midnight, the day's list stood at 68 species, two less than the record set two years ago, but two more than last year. Even though we didn't break the record for my yard, everyone who came saw some good birds and certainly had fun!

The List:

Canada Goose 34
Black Vulture 24
Turkey Vulture 87
Osprey 1
Bald Eagle 4
Northern Harrier 1
Sharp-shinned Hawk 89
Cooper's Hawk 5
Red-shouldered Hawk 1
Red-tailed Hawk 17
American Kestrel 8
Merlin 2
Peregrine Falcon 1
Rock Pigeon 2
Mourning Dove 3
Eastern Screech-Owl 2
Great Horned Owl 2
Barred Owl 2
Red-bellied Woodpecker 8
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 1
Downy Woodpecker 2
Hairy Woodpecker 1
Northern Flicker 8
Pileated Woodpecker 3
Eastern Phoebe 3
Blue Jay 65
American Crow 207
Common Raven 9
Black-capped Chickadee 6
Tufted Titmouse 4
Red-breasted Nuthatch 1
White-breasted Nuthatch 2
Carolina Wren 2
House Wren 1
Golden-crowned Kinglet 3
Ruby-crowned Kinglet 4
Eastern Bluebird 4
Swainson's Thrush 12
Hermit Thrush 8
Wood Thrush 1
American Robin 222
Gray Catbird 8
Northern Mockingbird 2
European Starling 34
Cedar Waxwing 78
Nashville Warbler 1
Blackpoll Warbler 1
Yellow-rumped Warbler 36
Black-throated Green Warbler 4
Eastern Towhee 3
Chipping Sparrow 9
Field Sparrow 3
Savannah Sparrow 5
Grasshopper Sparrow 1
Song Sparrow 11
Lincoln's Sparrow 2
Swamp Sparrow 2
White-throated Sparrow 10
Dark-eyed Junco 1
Northern Cardinal 2
Indigo Bunting 1
Bobolink 1
Red-winged Blackbird 12
Rusty Blackbird 1
Purple Finch 1
House Finch 8
American Goldfinch 7
House Sparrow 3

The Big Sit! 2011

2011-10-08T10:31:00.000-07:00

Once again, I will be counting birds in my yard for The Big Sit!, an annual birding competition organized by Bird Watcher's Digest. In this event, birders sit in a spot for 24 hours and find as many species of birds as they can. For the past few years, I have birded from the corner of the field on my property. My record, set a few years back, is 70 species. With several observers this year, I hope we can break this record!

I will be out at my "sitting spot" at midnight and birding throughout the day on Sunday.

If you are interested in last year's results, check out my report.

Fall Migration

2011-09-10T18:49:00.000-07:00

After a few weeks of slow migration, the past two nights have been excellent for bird movement. Although I have not seen a tremendous number of birds in the mornings, I have certainly heard huge numbers of thrushes migrating overhead and seen masses of birds on the radar map. While out birding this morning, Scarlet Tanagers were the most numerous migrant. Over the course of the morning, I saw more tanagers than warblers, which is unusual for this time of year. Of the warblers I did see, Black-throated Blue Warblers are the only real "migrant" species, for Ovenbirds, Black-and-white Warblers, and American Redstarts frequently breed around my property.

Even the male Scarlet Tanagers are plain this time of year. I managed to photograph this individual as it flew overhead.

While watching tanagers fly from tree to tree, I spotted a bird darting over the yard. As it flew, I recognized the bird as a cuckoo by the long tail and wing shape. The reddish color on the wings and the yellow on the bill identified it as a Yellow-billed Cuckoo. It is unusual to observe this species flying in the open, so I was extremely lucky to have the opportunity to watch and to photograph this bird!

Yellow-billed Cuckoo in flight - note the reddish patches on the wings. This field mark distinguishes this species from the Black-billed Cuckoo.

If the lighting is good, the yellow on the bill can be very obvious in flight.

Tonight is shaping up to be another great night for migration. A quick look at the NEXRAD map shows a lot of birds moving in the eastern United States, so if you can get out to do some birding tomorrow, there is a good chance there will be migrants around.

radar image from http://rap.ucar.edu/weather/radar

Finally, next weekend is Migration Fest at the Lehigh Gap Nature Center. The weekend will be filled with various programs about the annual migrations of our native wildlife, including bird research presentations, Monarch butterfly tagging demonstrations, a hawk identification workshop, and an evening presentation by Pete Dunne. For more information on this event, visit the Lehigh Gap Nature Center website.

Meet Leonard

2011-09-04T14:33:00.000-07:00

On Friday, butterfly enthusiast Billy Weber visited my property in search of a locally uncommon butterfly--the Northern Crescent. There are very few places this far south where this species can be found. However, there is a population in the field across from my house where I find them almost every year. Although the Northern Crescent is currently recognized as a separate species from the very common Pearl Crescent, the two are very similar and extreme caution is necessary when identifying these butterflies in the field.

Northern Crescent

note the large amount of orange on the forewings and hindwings

Pearl Crescent

the pattern is similar to the Northern Crescent, but the orange is more reduced in all four wings

While visiting the property, Billy did not find the crescents for which he came looking, but he did find another cool butterfly, a Leonard's Skipper. This butterfly is a robust, fast-flying skipper of late summer and early fall. This is the only butterfly in this region that has only one brood that comes out late in the season. In eastern Pennsylvania, the first Leonard's Skippers appear in August and continue through September. The phenology of this species is particularly interesting, as it emerges earlier in the northern latitudes to avoid the early frost.

Leonard's Skippers are not particularly rare, but are localized to large fields with their larval host plants. The caterpillars commonly feed on Little Bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium), but will also feed on other grasses. Apparently Leonard's Skippers are especially attracted to pink and purple flowers, including Phlox and joe-pye-weed (Eutrochium). Unfortunately, meadow habitats with these requirements are declining in this region due to development. As with most species, once the habitat is destroyed, the population begins to fall. It is becoming harder and harder to find this species for this reason.

Leonard's Skipper

the pattern on the underside of the wings is unique among skippers in this region

This afternoon, I went searching for a Leonard's Skipper in the field where Billy had one a few days before. After searching through large patches of blooming flowers, I finally found on nectaring on goldenrod (Solidago) flowers. This individual allowed me to take a few photos before it flew off into the center of the field.

Leonard's Skipper

The Leonard's Skipper belongs the to genus Hesperia, a genus of skippers that are usually marked with a distinct chevron-shaped pattern of dots against a brown or orange background color. They all live in grassland habitats, and their caterpillars likely feed on the same or similar grass species. In Pennsylvania, we have three Hesperia species (in order of flight time): Cobweb Skipper (Hesperia metea), Indian Skipper (Hesperia sassacus), and Leonard's Skipper (Hesperia leonardus). Cobweb Skippers appear in early spring as the warm-season grasses are beginning to pop up from the ground. This species is declining rapidly across its range and is a real treat to find.

Cobweb Skipper

Indian Skippers are the next to appear, usually around the end of May. This species will live in the same habitats as the Cobweb Skipper, but is more of a generalist, so it will inhabit a wider variety of habitats. Despite the wider habitat diversity, Indian Skipper populations are also declining. In late May, I have seen Cobweb and Indian Skippers flying together in a relatively undisturbed upland bluestem meadow.

Indian Skipper

Birds in Flight (The Easy Ones)

2011-08-17T10:21:00.000-07:00

As I have posted about before, the identification of birds in flight can be extremely difficult, for the birds are flying by quickly and often in poor light. These factors make this aspect of birding unappealing to many birders who then end up missing a lot of birds that fly over. Although I had been hawk watching before, I truly became interested in the identification of flying birds about a year ago as the fall migration season started. I was mainly interested in the non-raptors, as those had already been well-studied. Although the task seemed daunting at first, the more I looked at the birds, the easier it became to place a name to what I was seeing zip overhead. Take a look at the photos below to learn about some of the "easy" birds that are commonly seen flying overhead.

Any birder, and perhaps some non-birders, should be able to recognize this bird as a Canada Goose. See... you can identify birds in flight!

It may seem like a big transition from the last image, as this is an unclear image of a relatively plain bird. However, this is a common woodland species that can be identified by a number of clearly visible characteristics. First, when this bird was flying, I noted its relative size. It appeared to be larger than a warbler, but smaller than a robin. Second, most of the bird, including the underside and head, is a yellowish color. Finally, the tail and wings are dark, likely black. If you flip through any good field guide, you will see that the only bird that matches this description is the Scarlet Tanager.

Even a really good look at a flying bird can be misleading. This individual may seem unfamiliar at first, but if you look closely, it is one of our most recognizable bird species. The thick beak, pattern on the face, and crest (folded-down) identify this as a Blue Jay. This species also commonly vocalizes while flying.

Here we have a bird that seems to have relatively long wings and tail. The color of the underside looks orange, and the head appears darker. Often times, these characteristics are all that an observer needs to identify the very common American Robin. Robins also frequently vocalize while flying overhead, so it is useful to learn this various calls of this and other species.

Sometimes flying birds have a very distinctive characteristic that is not obvious when that species is seen sitting in a tree. For example, the large, white crescent marks on the wings of Rose-breasted Grosbeaks allow for quick, easy identification of this species in flight; however, this mark is rarely visible on a stationary bird. Grosbeaks are commonly seen flying over on September mornings after a good nocturnal migration, so keep an eye out for this species!

A final thing to look at in flying birds is whether they are in a flock or not. The songbird species mentioned above, like most migratory species, are relatively solitary birds. In this photo, it is clear that this small group of birds is traveling as a flock. This behavior significantly reduces the list of possible candidates. Next, note the fairly pointed wings that can be seen on the birds with wings outstretched. Together, these characteristics leave us with two species, Bobolink or Cedar Waxwing. Fortunately, birds in a flock often vocalize while flying overhead, and this flock was indeed vocalizing. The high-pitched trills identified these as Cedar Waxwings long before the flock was visible.

A Gathering of Swallows

2011-08-13T14:01:00.000-07:00

Each August, a large group of swallows gathers in the yard. This morning, I found one of these large groups flying around the yard. After a little while, the group settled, landing on the barn, power lines, and the house. The majority of the swallows were Barn Swallows, the most common swallow during this summer. About a week ago, the local population stood at about 22 individuals. This morning, I counted 52 individual Barn Swallows! The next common species was the Tree Swallow. This species also breeds on the property, but in much smaller numbers. During the past few weeks, I had seen about four Tree Swallows around the yard, but this morning there were close to 30!

A group of swallows from this morning

Although these two species are the common breeding swallow species, a few others showed up this morning. The first uncommon (for the yard) swallow was a Northern Rough-winged Swallow. This lone bird circled around and called its buzzy notes with some Tree Swallows before heading west along the ridge. Soon after, I heard a similar buzz, but this was from a Bank Swallow, an even rarer species! This small swallow sat alone on the line.

The tiny Bank Swallow preferred to sit away from the other swallows.

The third, and rarest species of the morning was the Cliff Swallow. While scanning through a group of Barn Swallows, I noticed one individual with a brighter forehead patch and a shorter tail. When the group took flight, I could easily see the tan rump, which immediately distinguished the Cliff from all of the other nearby swallows. As I searched the flock more carefully, I found three more Cliff Swallows! This is the highest count for this species in the yard!

Cliff Swallow

In flight, the tan rump patch of the Cliff Swallow is very visible and distinct.

Cliff Swallow (left) with two Barn Swallows

Another Monroe County Butterfly Record

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Red-banded Hairstreak, a photo by Corey Husic on Flickr.

Earlier this summer, I found an Appalachian Azure near my yard in southern Monroe County. This egg-laying individual represented the first record of this species in the county. This past Saturday, while butterflying with Billy Weber near my house, I found another new butterfly for Monroe. As we were walking through the woods, we noticed a small hairstreak in the middle of the shaded path. The little butterfly took off, but eventually landed on a nearby fern. This butterfly turned out to be a Red-banded Hairstreak, which is normally thought of as a southern species. The only other Red-bandeds I have seen were in southern New Jersey. Farther down the path, we saw another one of these gorgeous butterflies. The larvae of this species are unusual because they eat rotting leaves rather than live, green leaves like the caterpillars of most butterflies.

The next two months are usually excellent for butterflying, as there is good diversity among the resident species, and occasional strays will wander in. Common southern wanderers include Little Yellows, Giant Swallowtail, and Fiery Skippers. Occasionally, butterflies such as the Common Ringlet will come down from the north.

Katydids

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Every year, around the last two weeks of July, the Common True Katydids begin singing here around my house in southern Monroe County. This loud, chattering species is quiet up until this point, then incessantly sings throughout the warm nights of late summer and early autumn. Often living in the canopy of deciduous forests, the Common True Katydid is very rarely seen, but is frequently heard singing katy-did, katy-didn't. Both sexes of this species sing, unlike many of the related katydid and cricket species. The Common True Katydid almost always starts singing after sunset, with only an occasional chatter during the daylight hours.

Common True Katydid (Pterophylla camellifolia)

The broad, rounded wings are unique among the local Tettigonids (members of the katydid family). This species is also one of the loudest due to its sound-producing wing mechanism, but this ability renders the Common True Katydid flightless, except for weak gliding abilities. Although this species is primarily found in the upper levels of the forest, it can occasionally be found in shrubs and small trees closer to the ground. The individual photographed above was sitting in a small birch tree about four feet off the ground, but was not singing.

While the Common True Katydid may be the loudest and the most well-known of the katydids, it is not the only species that inhabits our region. The Common True Katydid is our only "true katydid" (subfamily Pseudophyllinae), but there are several species of false katydids, meadow katydids, conehead katydids, and shield-backed katydids. Below are small accounts of a few of the other katydid groups with detailed information about a locally common species or two from each group.

The first major group of these false katydids is the round-headed katydids. This group is similar to the Common True Katydid because they tend to have broad, somewhat rounded wings, but the wings are still more pointed than the true katydids. I often find these species around eye-level at forest edges and hedgerows. Many of the round-headed katydids begin singing around the middle of July, often a week or two before the Common True Katydids begin their full chorus.

One very common round-headed katydid is the Rattler Round-winged Katydid. This species is commonly found sitting in shrubs at or below eye level singing its rattle-like song. This particular species seems to frequently sit in the open, so they are easy to find unlike many other katydids. This species usually sings only at night.

Rattler Round-winged Katydid (Amblycorypha rotundifolia)

The meadow katydids are another group of very common katydids this time of year. A meadow katydid is unusual for a katydid, for it looks more like a grasshopper than closely-related katydid species. Compared to the previously mentioned katydid groups, meadow katydids are small and more brightly-colored. Meadow katydids also tend to have more intricate songs. I usually start hearing the first meadow katydids, usually the Short-winged Meadow Katydids, around the beginning of August. Meadow katydids will sing during the day as well as into the night.

The Short-winged Meadow Katydid is a small, but common meadow katydid species. This species tends to sit right-side-up on grass blades, whereas other katydids tend to either sit upside-down or vertical on the blades of grass. The call of this species is a high-pitched buzz interrupted by small ticks. One song variation of this insect resembles that of the Grasshopper Sparrow

Short-winged Meadow Katydid (Conocephalus brevipennis)

The conehead katydids, which are very closely related to the meadow katydids, are common denizens of grassy and weedy areas. In eastern Pennsylvania, almost every weedy field seems to have a population of these abundant, yet secretive katydids. The coneheads begin singing just as the Common True Katydids start, which is usually around the end of July. Members of this genus can be heard during both the day and night, but they are excellent ventriloquists, making them difficult to find among grass blades and weeds. Coneheads sing most frequently at night, but are also commonly heard during the daylight hours.

One of the most common species in eastern Pennsylvania is the Sword-bearing Conehead. This species is common in weedy fields where it often sits vertically on a blade of grass or the stem of a plant such as goldenrod. This species can be either green or brown.

Sword-bearing Conehead (Neoconocephalus ensiger) - green form

Sword-bearing Conehead (Neoconocephalus ensiger) - brown form

Another group of katydids that resemble grasshoppers are the shield-backed katydids. Shield-backs are named for the large plate that covers the thorax and part of the abdomen and wings. This group contains several native species, most of which are relatively uncommon and challenging to find. However, there is one non-native species that is extremely common and abundant in this area, the Roesel's Katydid (also spelled Rösel's Katydid). The Roesel's begin singing in late June, before many of the other katydid species. This species can be found singing its sustained buzz song in any field with tall grass, wildflowers, or small shrubs.

Roesel's Katydid (Metrioptera roeselii)

Although Common True Katydids are now starting to sing their loud, obvious song, and the Sword-bearing Coneheads can be easily heard in any field, my favorite katydids are the bush katydids in the genus Scudderia. The members of this group are all fairly skinny-winged, and sing weak songs. Members of this genus are difficult to discern from each other by appearance, but the songs are unique, making identification easier at night, when these katydids sing.

The Northern Bush Katydid is the species that is currently dominating the forest and forest edge understory chorus at night. The "song" of this species is a series of clicks followed by a series of tsits. I first heard this species singing during the first week of July. This species is often attracted to lights at night. I often find several sitting on the walls of the porch if the porch light is left on.

Northern Bush Katydid (Scudderia septentrionalis)

Another species of bush katydid that is common right now is the Curve-tailed Bush Katydid. This species prefers open fields over woods. Although extremely similar in appearance to the Northern Bush Katydid, the song of lisping sits rising in volume is distinct. I have seen these in the field near my house since early July, but they did not start singing until the middle of the month.

Curve-tailed Bush Katydid (Scudderia curvicauda)

For more information about these species and other singing wildlife, visit the Lehigh Gap Nature Center's Sound Field Guide.