Winter still has a few surprises in store if the Snowy Owls have anything to say about it.  The most recent remarkable record comes from the east coast, where southern Snowies have been scarce.  One recently deceased bird collected in Kershaw, South Carolina, however, implores those of us on the right coast to keep our eyes open. 

The other Carolina hosts perhaps the most exciting record of the week, as a pelagic boat out of Hatteras, Dare, North Carolina, turned up a Black-browed Albatross (ABA Code 5), the second record for the state and the first in 40 years.  Remarkably, the bird came to the boat less than 2 miles from shore!  Also in NC, a Common Redpoll is visiting a feeder in Wake.

One first state/provincial record this week, and amazingly it comes from a state that hosted a first last week too.  That lucky state with two first records in six days?  It's Maryland, this week with a Pink-footed Goose (4) in Howard.

Another Bullock's Oriole has been found in Pennsylvania, this one a female bird in Huntington.

Adding to what has been an incrediblly good year for Pink-footed Goose (4) in the northeast US and Atlantic Canada, another has been foudn in Suffolk, New York, the third for the season in the state.

An apparently different Pink-footed Goose (4) was discovered across Long Island Sound in Windsor, Connecticut.

Always notable on the east coast, a Western Grebe is present near Jamestown, Rhode Island.

A female-type Painted Bunting is visiting a feeder in Rockland, Maine.

A couple western vagrants can be found in Quebec this week, a Varied Thrush in Montérégie and a Townsend's Solitaire in Capitale-Nationale. 

Michigan's 7th record of Spotted Towhee turned up in Huron.

Good birds in Florida include a Lark Bunting in Leon, and a Cinnamon Teal at St Mark's NWR, Taylor.

A Lark Bunting was also discovered in Louisiana, in Jefferson Davis.  Also in the same Parish, Ferruginous Hawk has been present for at least two weeks, and a Scott's Oriole is visiting a feeder in Baton Rouge.

An apparent subadult Slaty-backed Gull (3) has been photographed at Port Aransas, Neuces, Texas

The Nutting's Flycatcher (5) in La Paz, Arizona, continues at Bill Williams NWR for a ninth remarkable week. 

And in Alaska, a Brambling (3) is coming to a home in Homer, while a subadult Black-tailed Gull (4) was photographed on Kodiak.  Further details in a prior post to the ABA Blog.

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Readers should note that none of these reports has yet been vetted by a records committee. All birders are urged to submit documentation of rare sightings to the appropriate state or provincial committees. For full analysis of these and other bird observations, subscribe to North American Birds <aba.org/nab>, the richly illustrated journal of ornithological record published by the ABA.

In the hopes of finding redpolls to study and photograph I packed a thistle sock and Niger seed to set up a little feeding station in the back of the hotel parking lot.  In the week I was there the birds didn't seem to find it but fortunately I came across several flocks of redpolls feeding in birch trees around the neighborhood (once in the birch tree over my thistle sock!) Towards the end of the week I hit a feeder jackpot right next to a sidewalk.  I could reach the yard in about a 5-minute dogtrot and so could spend some time with the birds there on lunch break our last three days.  I found the redpolls to be very intent on feeding (gotta make feeding time count on short days, I suppose), giving little mind to me even though I was standing near the feeders or trees.  Loud noises like diesel trucks would scatter the birds but they very quickly came back to resume their feeding, sometimes right next to me which helped since I only had a 100-300mm zoom with me on the trip. 

My main hope prior to the trip was to get at least one identifiable Hoary Redpoll shot as that would be new for my lifer photo list (I saw one in northern Minnesota years ago but only had scope looks and no chance to snap it.)  Fortunately, I got over that hurdle quickly and soon was enjoying prolonged studies of Hoaries, Commons, and puzzling birds that I'd be hesitant to confidently ID to either species. For reference beyond my bevvy of field guides I greatly appreciated the 2011 North American Birds photo essay: Redpolls from Nunavut & Greenland visit Ontario.

Here are some redpoll images I like from the trip- feedback on ID (agreement, disagreement, or other points to consider) most welcomed in the comments.  Enjoy!  -Bill

Male Hoary Redpoll: Very restricted pink on breast, tiny bill (David Sibley says part of this appearance is due to fluffy nasal feathering around base of bill), minimal flank streaking, white undertail coverts, etc.

Male Hoary Redpoll feeding on birch cone.  The snow beneath favorite trees had a tan duff of birch cone bits littering the surface.

Hoary Redpoll (female/imm male type?).  Note the single dark streak on the undertail coverts- still OK I think (Sibley shows undertail examples from lightly streaked to no streaking.)  Richard Crossly aptly describes this bill appearance as "nipped in."

Male Hoary Redpoll.  Here the bill looks a bit more stout than the "nipped-in" example above but I found that bill aspect could vary on a single bird depending on the angle and degree of activity, perhaps as bill-base feathers were fluffed out or not?

Female (immature?) or immature male Hoary Redpoll.  Younger birds may show more buffy coloration around the face and heavier streaking (per the NAB article mentioned above.)

Male Common Redpoll:  Much more extensive pink breast & red on crown, larger looking bill, heavy flank streaking.  Common Redpolls were overall in the minority of birds I observed in Fairbanks, perhaps 30-35% (assuming I somewhat ID'd them correctly.)  Perahps half of the birds I saw seemed like "good" Hoaries, the rest I was unsure of.  Field guide maps seem to show Common Redpolls at nearly their winter northern limit around Fairbanks.

Female / immature male Common Redpoll(?)  Bill looks big, heavy flank streaking, really black face, some undertail covert streaking.  

Male Common Redpoll:  Lots of pink on the breast, bill looks big & siskin-like, back brownish.  Undertail coverts look really white from this angle, though!!  Intergrade??

Birds to consider...  feedback in the comments appreciated!

Bird 1:  I saved this as a female or immature male Common Redpoll- has a fair amount of streaking in the undertail coverts and pretty heavy flank streaking but the bill doesn't look that big- maybe just the angle?  Is this actually a streaky young Hoary??

Bird 2: Pretty clean-looking undertail coverts, modest flank streaking but brownish-looking back, quite a bit of brown on the breast and face, kind of heavy-looking bill, and pretty black face.  What is it?  Clean-undertail variant Common??

Bird 3:  Hoary-looking bill but pretty dark streaking on the flanks and some undertail streaking, too.  Slightly brownish back.  OK for 1st-winter Hoary?  Or intergrade??

The ABC claims the solution is in tape, specifically strips or squares of tape affixed to windows in residential homes so that flying birds are able to avoid them.  More about this initiative can be found here, and a video illustrating how the tape should be arranged for the best results.

Whether or not this initiative gains any traction remains to be seen, but clearly, by making these windows more visible flying birds are apt to avoid them.  Walking that fine line between what's obviously best for the birds and the aesthetic of the homeowners seems, as ever, to be the biggest issue. 

Has anyone out there found a solution for bird strikes that works? Adhesives? Highlighters?  Boarded up windows?  Let us know in the comments.

The goose was seen again throughout the day on Feb 21, and MDOsprey, the state listserv, was continually updated with sightings and directions throughout the day. For those with mobile internet access, check the listserv if you’re having trouble locating it, and if you do find it, share the news. Access may be an issue as there is private property in the area (a homeowner has asked that people not park on the grass), and parking is limited. As always, be on your best behavior and considerate of others when looking for this bird.

The goose was first seen at a pond near the intersection of Jones Rd and Hipsley Mill Rd. On Feb 21, it was seen north of this pond from Jennings Chapel Rd, often behind a cemetery that’s near the intersection of Jennings Chapel and Old Sawmill roads, north of Jones Rd. Check MDOsprey for updates.

Maryland recently had another first state record (pending acceptance, of course): Virginia’s Warbler. This bird was found at the Pickering Creek Audubon Center near Easton, on the east side of Chesapeake Bay, on Jan 26 but the finder was unsure of the identification and it wasn’t confirmed until Feb 15. It is still being seen as of Feb 21.

 UPDATE: The goose was seen again on the morning of Feb 22 but flew north with one Canada Goose at 7:20 AM and has not been seen since then (as of 11 AM EST).

On MDOsprey, Jim Moore writes the following about finding the cemetery:

"I and others were baffled about where to go when we arrived, so just wanted to emphasize 
that neither the cemetery nor the pond are visible from the road and there is no sign.  
Look for the black iron gates next to the road and walk through the gates towards the wall 
overlooking the pond.  (The gates are near the intersection of Jenn. Chapel Rd. and 
Saw Mill Run (?) Rd. (intersection of JCR and Colton Ct. is also nearby))."

Take, for instance, a recent look at the unusual migration of the Northern Wheatear, one of only two species in the largely Old World family Muscicapidae to breed in North America.  Though this bird can be found in the summer on both ends of the far north of North America, it's not known to winter in the Western Hemisphere, but instead the entire population of North American wheatears repairs to Africa.  Through the use of tiny geo-locaters, the route was finally mapped for the first time.  Birds from western Canada and Alaska birds cross nearly the whole of Asia to get to northern Africa, while the Nunavutian birds cross the Atlantic Ocean to reach Africa by way of the British Isles. And more, those birds end up on opposite sides of the African continent where those populations don't overlaps. 

A remarkable map showing this journey, from a recent published study, is reprinted below.

The work was done by a group of researchers from Canada and Germany, and released this week in the journal Biology Letters.  It offers an example of a migratory songbird linking the New World tundra and the Old World tropics. A route few would have ever expected, and an example of migration turned nearly 90 degrees. 

Dusky Thrush

Starting in Anchorage, we have a Dusky Thrush (Code 4), the longest-staying bird of the bunch. It was first found by Thede Tobish on Dec 10 in a group of American Robins in the Turnagain Heights neighborhood northeast of Ted Stevens International Airport. It’s been seen off and on since then, moving throughout the area. After an absence, Tobish refound the bird on Feb 19. Check out the AK Birding email group for the lastest sightings.

Nearby, it’s been a good year for owls around the airport, particularly for Great Grays. Again, check AK Birding for the latest reports. Anchorage is a large city and has much of what you would expect in similar-sized towns in the Lower 48.

Brambling

Moving southwest to Homer, a female Brambling (Code 3) has been seen at feeders east of town on Feb 15, 18, and 19. It was seen at George Matz’s feeders this past weekend with a flock of Redpolls and Pine Siskins. Sightings have been sporadic, and the Brambling is not always with the Redpoll/Siskin flock. There are a number of feeders in the area, and it may be visiting others throughout the day.

Photo by George Matz

Brambling is a “regular vagrant” to the Bering Sea region but much less common on the mainland, though there was a rash of sightings in the Pacific Northwest region earlier this winter, plus one was seen in Homer last winter, too.

Homer can be reached by road or air from Anchorage, and there are several hotels and restaurants in town. George Matz is Keeper of the Bird and can be emailed at geomatz@alaska.net.

Black-tailed Gull

Continuing on further southwest, we come to the final bird of this report, a first-cycle Black-tailed Gull (Code 4) found at the mouth of the Buskin River, south of the town of Kodiak on Kodiak Island. Rich Macintosh found it on Feb 19 and saw it again at the same location on Feb 20.

Kodiak is accessible by air from Anchorage and by ferry from Homer. There are several hotels and B&Bs to choose from for lodging. Macintosh has volunteered to be Keeper of the Bird. Email him at ipetefink@yahoo.com for updates.

Photo by Rich Macintosh

Photo by Brian Patteson

Other birds seen during the trip included multiple Great Skuas (it’s been one of the best years ever for this species according to Patteson), Manx Shearwaters, and more loggerhead turtles than Patteson has ever seen. Weather conditions this week may not be conducive to holding it close to Hatteras, but if there’s enough interest, Patteson will run a chase trip next weekend. For more information about Seabirding including contact information, click here, and to read a more in-depth description of the Feb 18 trip including a trip list and more photos, visit the Seabirding blog.

Photo by Kate Sutherland

Photo by Kate Sutherland

Photo by Kate Sutherland

So it is especially surprising that one of Florida's most iconic and threatened bird species seems to be, at least in the short term, benefiting because of an introduced food source.

The bird is the Snail Kite, that bizarre hook-billed raptor with a famous taste, almost exclusively, for Pomacea paludosa, the Florida Apple Snail, a walnut sized semi-aquatic mollusk that is a crucial indicator of marsh health in the Sunshine State. 

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Snail Kite, Osceola Co, Florida. photo by Nate Swick

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Apple Snail or several species are common in the aquarium trade, and those native to South America have long been present in Florida marshes.  Their intolerance to cold compared to the natives has generally kept them in check, but the recent influx of a much larger species, the voracious Pomacea canaliculata, Channeled Apple Snail, has been worrisome both to rice farmers and wildlife biologists. 

The Snail Kites, however, have taken to this new food source with a vengeance.  Despite the drought last year that dried up many of their feeding grounds around Lake Okeechobee, the population increased by over 200 individuals last year.  And the baseball-sized snails, who lay 10 times the eggs of the native species, show no signs of slowing their invasion.

In the Palm Beach Sun-Sentinel this week:

"It’s baffling," said Audubon scientist Paul Gray, who specializes in Lake Okeechobee environmental conditions. "Here’s my endangered species being saved by an exotic species."

Gray estimates there are about 900 Everglades snail kites living in a territory that stretches from the Kissimmee River to Lake Okeechobee and the Everglades.

Heading into last year’s drought, populations of the medium-sized bird of prey plummeted from 3,000 a decade ago to about 700.

More trouble was expected last year when Lake Okeechobee dropped to its lowest level since 2008, drying out the marshes around the lake and killing off much of the native apple snail population.

Amid Lake Okeechobee’s decline last year, snail kites began abandoning their nests, leaving some of their young to die.

While the birds struggled on Lake Okeechobee, they had more success nesting along the Kissimmee River and the Kissimmee chain of lakes to the north.

Now the larger apple snails, originally from Argentina and Brazil, are providing a more steady food source.

Wildlife Biologists are still hesitant to cheer the invasion of the snails, as long-term habitat effects are unclear.  But in the short-term, the Snail Kites rebounding like never before.

Wrens start singing early. They have been doing it occasionally since the first days of January, their powerful quick song cheering up the dark winter days. Today they seem to have gone for it on earnest: I heard four different males singing on my way to work. They have lots to do and there is so little, precious time. They have to start building their nests before females are ready to lay. Yes, I said nests, not just one, but many, lots, as many as he can possible make before the females start visiting. And also, I said females, as wrens are polygynous, with one male mating with between one to nine females per season.

Ever since the three rosy finch species were found to be reliable at Sandia Crest in New Mexico, birders from around the world have made the trip up the mountain.  Here, Chris of Tails of Birding makes his:

I made the pilgrimage on a Sunday when the Rosy-Finch Project was doing banding (more in a future post).

It almost seemed too easy - sipping hot chocolate and sitting inside while the flock made multiple forays through the pines, and visits to the feeder. But guilt over such a situation no longer bother me in the least.

Dave Irons at the Birdfellow blog shares a photo montage of the multiple subspecies of White-crowned Sparrows wintering in Texas:

Shawneen Finnegan and I recently took a trip to south Texas. During our visit we took the opportunity to study and photograph the two subspecies of White-crowned Sparrows that winter in this region. Coming from Oregon, where we see mostly "Puget Sound" White-crowned Sparrows (subspecies pugetensis) and a few migrant "Gambel's" White-crowned Sparrows (subspecies gambelii) in spring and fall, I was anxious to check out the nominate dark-lored "Eastern" birds (subspecies leucophrys) along with getting more exposure to immature Gambel's.

February may be among the slowest birding months across much of the continent, but a 7 gull day and Harlan's Hawks, as reported by Tim at Utah Birds, is nothing to complaining about:

But what about the ides of February?  The middle of the dreariest most boring month of the year in Utah?  What is there to keep us focused till the calendar pages turn to March and we can start dreaming about fallouts and warblers?  Well that is truly up to you!  February has it's highlights just like any other month, but unless you get in the field to look you will miss those things.  This past weekend a group of us had a 7 gull species day and also picked up Wood Ducks, and Greater White-fronted Goose.  It was a dreary and cold day but the birding was amazing.

Corey at 10,000 Birds shares his experiences with Mottled Ducks.  Truly, a birder's bird:

What the Mottled Duck lacks in color it makes up for in personality…no, honestly, that’s not true at all. I spent probably an hour-and-a-half watching Mottled Ducks during my time in Florida at the Space Coast Birding and Wildlife Festival and I didn’t see a single Mottled Duck do a single interesting thing. In fact, other than swimming around, occasionally quacking, and dabbling here and there I didn’t see Mottled Ducks do much of anything. I have pictures of all three of those activities though!

We have fallen heirs to the most glorious heritage a people ever received, and each one must do his part if we wish to show that the nation is worthy of its good fortune.

~Theodore Roosevelt

Republican Mitt Romney self-proclaims a love of country, a passion he evidences by his fondness for the anthem America the Beautiful. Yet with the same breath Romney questions the value of public land, those places that embody Theodore Roosevelt’s glorious heritage stretching from Katherine Lee Bates’ sea to shining sea.

Romney is toeing the GOP party line. He is not alone. The new surface transportation bill recently proposed by House Republicans would gut the National Scenic Byways program, one of America‘s most lauded initiatives connecting people to the American story and to their public lands. According to the NRDC, the bill would industrialize pristine stretches of America’s natural heritage—including the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge—and open the entire Atlantic and Pacific coasts to offshore drilling. This proposed legislation (a drilling bill masquerading as a transportation bill) would eradicate a public transit fund that has enjoyed bipartisan support for 30 years. Transportation secretary Ray LaHood, himself a Republican, has called this the "worst transportation bill" he has seen in 35 years of public service.

One of Romney's primary opponents, Ron Paul, recently mused “how wonderful it would be if land will be or should be returned to the states and then for the best parts sold off to private owners.” Rick Santorum has called global climate change "just an excuse for more government control of your life, and I’ve never been for any scheme or even accepted the junk science behind the whole narrative."

Pennsylvania Republican Governor Corbett threatens to lift the moratorium on fracking in public lands while the state still struggles to clean up the acid mine drainage from the last energy orgy. Corbett has slashed DCNR's budget, zeroed out the Keystone fund, divested public lands, and is making DCNR reliant on resource extraction for its operating budget.

Representative Rob Bishop (R-UT) has disparaged the value of natural wonders like national monuments and wilderness. He has stated in the face of studies that indicate otherwise:

Contrary to claims by the administration and others, the designation of national monuments and wilderness are not a boon to local economies, but rather a detriment in most scenarios.

~ Rep. Rob Bishop

American has suffered through periods of intense partisanship before. The late 1700s (after Washington’s second term) and the years prior to the Civil War (ever heard of Bleeding Kansas?) both come to mind. Political parties during these conflictive periods often pandered to the emotions of the moment. As President Lincoln said, “he who molds the public sentiment... makes statutes and decisions possible or impossible to make.”

Is America’s heritage, its public lands and sacred places, nothing more than another checker to be scooted around the political board? America is a young country, and this heritage, these places, is what binds our nation together. Spend a day at the Grand Canyon and watch the ethnic parade that streams along the South Rim. Would you sell the Grand Canyon "off to private owners"? What value do you place on purple mountains majesty?

As Theodore Roosevelt said of the Grand Canyon,

Keep this great wonder of nature as it is. Do nothing to mar its grandeur, for the ages have been at work upon it. Keep it for your children, your children's children, and all who come after you.

~Theodore Roosevelt

America’s public lands are among the most perfect expressions of the American democracy. Within a public space every person is an equal. Our public places tell the American story, promising every person, no matter his station in life, a personal stake in our country’s patrimony. The GOP’s reneging on this promise for political expediency and partisan pandering is a betrayal of what the party once believed to be the most glorious heritage a people ever received.