Birding Is Fun!

Willets Nesting

2013-05-24T04:30:00.000-06:00

Last spring I was very fortunate to find a Willet's Nest. As a new spring emerges and a holiday weekend approaches, I plan on returning to the same nesting area. Last year, as I arrived at the location I would be scouting, it seemed that there were signs all around me (I know, bad pun! ;-))

I approached a location where I had seen Willets for several years. The location in my opinion was perfect. Salt flats, sea grass and rocks along the road to shelter the nests. The only skepticism I had was the knowledge that this location floods a lot and the chances of chicks surviving here are slim given the recent flooding. But I have seen Willets here for several years now during June and July so as I said at the start, I had a hunch.

As I approached the area I planned to observe, I found several Willets calling. I parked the car across the road, rolled down the window and waited with my camera on a bean bag pointing out the window. After about an hour, I saw my first chick. Just as quickly as it had jumped up on the rocks, it jumped back down before I could make a click. Unfortunately I didn't see another one! But I was thrilled to see my first Willet chick even though I didn't get to photograph it.

Images captured with Nikon D3x w/600mm f/4 and TC14-EIII on Lexar digital film.

More recent images from my patch

2013-05-23T17:00:00.000-06:00

Gotta love them Bullock's Orioles!

Virginia Rails aren't regulars at my patch, though I have seen them a couple times previously. Always a shock to hear them. This little guy ended up being a life bird for a couple of my Idaho birding friends. Gotta love that!

Yellow-breasted Chats are abundant at my patch.

Providing constant Spring, Summer, and Fall background music in the foothills, we have loads of Western Meadowlarks!

Sweet looking Spotted Sandpiper on the edge of Avimor Town Lake.

We also have an abundance of Black-headed Grosbeaks frolicing in the riparian areas.

One of several Great Horned Owlets growing in flight feathers and losing the downy white fluff.

Several House Wrens inhabit the area and make themselves conspicuous with their wren rattling.

First of Year Western Tanager! Yeah baby!!!

Though not as stunning as the male, this female Lazuli Bunting is still beautiful!

Cedar Waxwings adorning a stick.

Western Kingbirds are also known to nest in this area. Such awesome birds!

The People of the Biggest Week

2013-05-23T04:00:00.000-06:00

It's all about the people!

I spent the first 12 days of May in northwest Ohio at the Biggest Week in American Birding. While many of you have probably seen tons of posts on many blogs about all of the birds that can be seen during the festival, I wanted to use my post on Birding is Fun this month to talk about the people that are involved with the Biggest Week.

One of the most striking aspects of the Biggest Week to me is the incredibly diverse backgrounds that the participants and leaders come from. At the festival, diversity comes in many forms. It always amazes me when I find out how different birder's backgrounds can be. The festival attracts people of all experience levels - from brand new birders all the way up to the most experienced listers and everyone in between. People from all over the world travel to northwest Ohio to watch one of the most amazing migration events in North America. I met birders from around the United States and from many countries in Europe and South America. No matter where you live, what your ethnicity is, how experienced you are, or what your socioeconomic status is, you can be a birder and you will be welcomed by everyone at the Biggest Week!

The diverse backgrounds of the Biggest Week participants has led to some pretty awesome events during the festival. Have you ever heard of a birding festival that has a bird tattoo contest?!? The festival also offers really nice evening socials that are fun not just birders but also their non-birding friends and family members. They offer a chance for everyone to come together and talk about more than just the birds that were seen that day.

This is a little sample of how diverse birders that come to the festival can be. Between the four of us, we represent Indiana, South Carolina, and Pennsylvania. One is a professor, one is an engineer, and two of us work at Wild Birds Unlimited. (Drew Lanham, me, Doug Gray, and Katie Anderson)

Another awesome aspect of the festival is the camaraderie that is built during the week among the participants. On one of the field trips that my wife and I led, we had two very new birders, Katie and Marie. When the rest of the bus found out how new they were and realized that Marie might be able to see her 150th lifer during our trip, everyone rallied around her and helped her see through binoculars every bird that would be a lifer! Katie had a spectacular day too and doubled her life list! It was amazing to see how a group of people that have almost nothing in common other than their interest in birding came together so quickly. My wife and I ran into many of the people from our trip again later in the week. Hugs were exchanged, we caught up on life lists, and we shared experiences from the festival.

The Biggest Week really shows what is good about birding. We all enjoy the birds, but it would not be nearly as much fun to go out birding without the amazing people that we meet and the relationships that we build.

Birding Pedagogy

2013-05-22T16:59:00.001-06:00

The Pledge 2 Fledge movement has had me pondering the question about how to invite more people into the wonderful world of birding, specifically kids and ethnic minorities. I count a half a dozen friends that I have fledged into birders and dozens more friends, co-workers, neighbors and family members that now pay attention to birds because of my influence. I hope that sharing my enthusiasm for birding online has also impacted for good thousands of others. Passion is contagious.

I recently listened to NPR's TED Radio Hour podcast recently featuring Sugata Mitra and his fantastic "hole in the wall" computer kiosk experiment with kids. His discussion about the obsoleteness of the educational methods of the last three centuries was thought provoking. What I enjoyed most, was the "Granny principle" - the concept of providing kids a safe environment in which they can teach themselves while getting love and encouragement from "teachers". I've been wondering how this might apply to birding.

What would happen if we went into a remote Central American village and set out a few pairs of decent quality optics and some regionally specific field guides. Would birding spontaneously develop as computer learning did for Sugata Mitra's kids in India? Would kids soon become adept at bird identification? Would birding competitions naturally occur? Fascinating to ponder, is it not?

I think the "Granny principle" applies equally to inviting others to participate in birding on a large scale as well as on a one-on-one basis.

Provide the opportunity and invite.

John C. Robinson's book Birding for Everyone discusses how an inner city youth may feel the need to "get permission" to venture outside of cultural norms - or in my words, people need to see that birding is "okay" maybe even "fun" or "cool". Then they need to be invited to experience nature through birding.

Nurture with encouragement.

Don't give all the answers, rather teach resourcefulness - how to find the answers. Give lots of smiles and high fives. Rejoice with the learner at each step of progress. Abandon your expert birder ego.

Engage in the birding community.

A sense of responsibility to a group does wonders. Sharing experiences with people who reciprocate endears. For a birder, this could be involvement in a local bird club with field trips and conservation/service projects, participation in birder social networks where individuals know that their contribution is welcomed and important, or joining the eBird community and recognizing the impact of citizen science.

Horse of the Woods - The Capercaillie

2013-05-22T04:00:00.000-06:00

The Capercaillie is the world's largest species of grouse and its name means 'Horse of the Woods'. The bird became extinct in Scotland in 1785 and was subsequently reintroduced in the 19th century. The population flourished to a peak of around 10000 pairs in the 1960's but has since gone into precipitous decline to around 500 birds. It has been depressingly named as the bird most likely to go extinct in the UK by 2015. The cause of the decline has been attributed to a range of factors including habitat fragmentation, predation and the widespread use of deer fencing which the birds unwittingly fly in to. A great deal of effort is currently being expended on trying to prevent the loss of this magnificent bird.

Back in February I was told about a location of a rogue male, fortunately outside of the breeding season. The bird is rightly afforded a great deal of legal protection around breeding time which requires all kinds of licences to go anywhere near them. The males go 'rogue' when they have not found a mate and the overdose of hormone coursing through their blood causes them to fearlessly attack anything moving nearby. My friend knows this well as he had a finger broken by one and they frequently draw blood from the unwary. To give you an idea of how aggressive the bird is I found this video on the web - Caper Video

So I booked two days off work the following week to go and try and find this bird that I have always wanted to photograph. I will admit if you said to someone I am going on a 700 mile road trip in the hope of finding a single bird in forest they would probably think it was time you booked yourself i to a padded cell. However, that is what trying to get some photos of this bird required. I arrived up in the Highlands the night before with usual questions of whether the bird would still be around but hoped given that rogue males are so territorial that it would still be present.

Dawn the next day saw we walking through a Scottish forest dripping with lichens and mosses. I think it was a case of the bird finding me on this occasion as it appeared, puffed up and magnificent, out into a small forest clearing. They are a large bird about the size of a small turkey and when stood next to you with its neck extended is at an alarmingly dangerous height if you thinking of having any children in the future. The bird would frequently throwing its head up with its strange clicking call a lot of which is apparently subsonic and outside human hearing range.

The bird was very aggressive initially but by staying quiet and calm it soon settled down with only the occasional mad outburst which became easy to predict as you could almost see the 'red mist' descending in the eyes. I stayed with the bird for the morning until it decided to fly up to the top of a pine tree to roost. A bird of that size taking off vertically is an impressive sight.

The whole performance was repeated the next morning and then it was time to leave to make the long drive south. An amazing encounter with such a beautiful bird will stay with me for ever and I would always look back on the many photographs from that trip with great fondness. I really hope the measures to try and conserve this bird are successful as it would be such a great loss to lose the 'Horse of the Woods' from those atmospheric Scottish forests.

Warblers do exist away from Magee Marsh!

2013-05-21T01:55:00.000-06:00

I know, it's hard to believe isn't it? As much as I would have loved to be up on the south shore of Lake Erie this past couple of weeks, I just couldn't fit it into my budget or schedule. Love seeing the pictures of birds coming from up there.

I haven't been out as much I have wanted to, but have managed to see some warblers. Unlike up on the lake, I can be out for a long period of time and not come up with the numbers or diversity that I could up on the lake. It is a lot harder to get pics!

Here are a few of my favorites:

Prairie Warbler

Northern Parula

Yellow Warbler

Blue-winged

Louisiana Waterthrush

Hooded Warbler

Since I wasn't able to attend any of the events up on the lake this spring, I decided to participate in the Oxbow Inc. Birdathon. It is a 24 hour birding competition to try to see as many bird species in a 50 mile radius of the Oxbow in Lawrenceburg, Indiana. Any county that touches that circle is also fair game. It is designed to raise money for conservation of land.

My teammate and I saw many good birds, however there was little time for taking any pics, so there aren't any except for this one that pretty much sums up what kind of weather we were dealing with a good part of the time.

Taken out the car window pre-start time while it was pouring down rain. We were trying to confirm that the White-faced Ibises pictured below weren't still there.

(These are said to be hybrids, but they were a lifer for me. This pic was taken prior to the birdathon)

I did have a good time despite the weather. Got to finally get good looks at a Henslow's Sparrow for the first time. Got to see a Barn Owl as well as several Whip-poor-wills. One of our target birds was Lark Sparrow. I have only seen one, and it was on a birdathon. It was a very fast, fleeting glimpse. We checked many known locations for it and still came up without one for the tally. I will see this bird! It is on my target list.

Another bird that we missed was Black Tern. I haven't been able to get out to my local reservoir recently due to rowing regattas, but I was able to find one after birdathon at East Fork State Park.

No matter when, no matter where, just get out and bird. Bring someone new to birding. And always HAVE FUN!

What's in a Name?

2013-05-20T07:54:00.000-06:00

Consider the yellow warbler, Dendroica petechia (oh…I’m sorry—the fickle fingered gene jockeys have decided that they are now Setophaga petechia—my bad--geesh!). “Sweet -sweet –sweet- sweeter than sweet!” They were everywhere at the Biggest Week in American Birding singing that familiar song, flashing like little feathered flakes of sunshine in and out of the willows and low shrubs . They were in fact the first bird I saw through my binoculars at the Black Swamp Bird Observatory Headquarters; kind of like a warbler welcoming committee!

The little birds hold the distinction of being the most widespread warbler species in North America, ranging from the Alaskan outback south to breed across most of the lower 48. No one will deny the attraction of a yellow warbler. A lemon-yellow living being splashed with streaks of chestnut catches the eye. Combine that with a distinctive “don’t ignore me” song and a cute face and you have a bird that begs to be appreciated. But do we really appreciate it—or any of the birds we see? I mean, they were EVERYWHERE! I noticed people largely ignoring them. After all there were rarer and sexier things to be had—ticked off the list to build the numbers.

When an unusually cooperative mourning warbler made its way onto a vine-strewn and limb-fallen stage, hundreds were astounded that the desirable little grey-hooded skulker seemed intent on actually being seen. Many of us waited for the show hoping for a glimpse. I was among the awestruck and may have even drooled a bit as the bird wandered about, finally giving me the soak-em-up -brain-saturating looks I’d been wanting for years.

As throngs of us strolled along the boardwalk at Magee Marsh, thousands of high-powered (and very costly) magnifiers were aimed at the astounding assortment of warblers, vireos, thrushes , tanagers and others that somehow made their way across the Gulf of Mexico to the shores of Lake Erie. The legions we watched had amazingly made it to be there through gauntlets of predators, bad weather and in spite of the challenge of all the changes that humans put before them –cell towers, skyscrapers and such. I wondered how many folks were identifying WITH the birds they were seeing and not just simply identifying them.

But the mourning warbler, the yellow warbler—any of the neotropical migrants that we were all there to see should strike us all with awe beyond just the name. After all, each and every one of them that graced our collective magnified fields of view had somehow survived all that nature and humanity had thrown at them over the course of a year and thousands of miles of migration. Amazing!

Do you ever take the time to really watch a warbler, yellow or otherwise, throw back its little beaked head and belt out the story of its life? Have you ever spied a scarlet tanager setting a tree aflame and warbling the lore of its wanderings? Sure, the songs sound like clear-whistled phrases or “a robin with a sore throat” or however we want to describe them, but really the birds are telling stories.

Each note is a declaration of that bird’s being. Yes, there is territorial imperative and the advertisement for mates but I like to think that somewhere in that avian brain is some memory of the migration it has enduring. Perhaps there’s some pronouncement of all the hazards dodged along the way—a particularly persistent sharp-shinned hawk in the coastal scrub of some barrier Island; a cold rainy headwind; the wetland that used to be; the mountain of windows that reflected the night sky perfectly but repelled some flock mates to fly no longer. Maybe all of that is somewhere, somehow wrapped up in that bird’s song we watch.

And so as I watch now, whether yellow’s at the Biggest Week with thousands of my fellow birders, or by my lonesome with Prothonotaries in a blackwater swamp at Beidler Forest, I cannot simply and care-less-ly just “identify” a bird anymore—by whatever name some taxonomist gives it. I owe it to the birds I watch to connect the story of its life to the privilege it gives me of seeing it. The stories of survival are worth considering and should move us to do more than just watch. They should connect us. Each one should push is to admire and actively conserve with gratitude in the heart for each and every feathered thing.

So the next time you're out don't just I.D. the birds. Identify WITH the birds.

Have Fun Birdin' Y'all!

Drew

Books for Birders

2013-05-19T17:00:00.000-06:00

The Warbler Bible has come forth! This is easily the most comprehensive and fantastic warbler specific guide covering North American Warblers. I am amazed and impressed with each of its features.

The first few pages teach you how to use the book followed by another 100 pages of darn useful stuff you need to become a warbler i.d. expert. I really enjoyed the sectioned called "What to Notice on a Warbler". The "Visual Finder Guides" are perfect for showing warblers from a variety of angles, especially those you are most likely to come across in the field.

Sonograms feature prominently in comparisons and in species profiles. Seeing those sonograms really helps me internalize the sounds.

Each species profile has icons the quickly communicate great information like behavior, color, undertail view, range, and where on the tree you're most like to see the species. Tons of photos of each species from all angles including age, sex and molt. A helpful selection of comparison images for similar looking species is included too.

I could say more about this must-have book, but the authors made videos so you can see for yourself by clicking here.

The Warble Guide by Tom Stephenson and Scott Whittle is published by Princeton University Press as is list priced at $29.95, but is available for only $18.99 at Amazon.

Jamie Bastedo has been an enthusiastic supporter of the American Birding Association's Bird of the Year and we've just rolled with the celebration embracing his new book "Nighthawk!"

This is fun little story about a Nighthawk born in Canada that likes to break with the norm and do his own thing. It follows his journey south and back north again and all of the challenges and peril he faces. While a work a fiction, it does bring to the forefront the grueling nature of migration and proposes scenarios that delight, charm, scare, and inspire.

I thought this book may have been written for children, but there is some foul language and even a couple adult innuendos such that if I were reading it to my kids, I'd probably edit out on the fly.

I had fun reading this book which is available for $11 on Amazon.

I'm usually sycophantically positive in my reviews, but I had a hard time with this one. I only made it three quarters of the way through and put it down out of frustration, so my opinions are not benefited by a complete reading. I found this fake bird in conservation peril by evil greedy natural resource harvesters to be extremely cliche. The author chose to use real places, including my own state of Idaho and my beloved Argentina, but then references some birds in Idaho as if they were common and regularly occurring. Frankly, I just couldn't overcome all this mingling of pseudonyms and real names in addition to the overdone story line. If you want to give this book a shot, you can get the Kindle version on Amazon for as little as $5.49.

I like this little pocket guide with its key facts, a fun photo and an illustration from the big NatGeo field guide. I learned that Goldfinch may in fact migrate as one was found 1000 miles from where it was banded. Interesting! When a book is limited to 160 species, it must be tough making decisions about what to include and what to leave out and we could all debate this for years, but I think they did a decent job. There are some mistakes. For example, the claim that the House Sparrow is decreasing in North America while increasing in Europe is certainly a simple reversal.

This is a great book for beginning birders as it will help them get pointed in the right direction and they will sense from its pages the wonder and excitement of birds. You can get it for under $10 on Amazon.

The World's Rarest Birds is a beautiful coffee table book featuring the most threatened birds around the globe. Gorgeous photography, cool maps, graphs and tables, all will entice you to learn more about these birds and to care. The book divides the birds into regions for the convenience of reference. This hardbound large and stunning book is available for $30.34 on Amazon.

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

2013-05-19T08:02:00.000-06:00

It's the most wonderful time of the year!
With the bird numbers swelling,
They seem to be telling you "Be of good cheer!"
It's the most wonderful time of the year!

It's the hap-happiest season of all!
With those warblers arriving and empids contriving,
Oh birds come to call
It's the hap- happiest season of all.

There'll be orioles for hosting
And grosbeaks for toasting
And tanagers all in a row
There'll be awesome bird stories
And tales of the glories of
Great birders long, long ago!

It's the most wonderful time of the year!
There'll be much mate displaying
But no tapes a'playing
When migrants are near.
It's the most wonderful time of the year!
It's the most wonderful time
It's the most wonderful time
It's the most wonderful time
It's the most wonderful time of the year!

Every May morning is like Christmas morning to me and thousands of birders in the northern hemisphere! Something new and surprising around every corner.

Here's a sampler of what I've been seeing in my patch:

All of these were digiscoped with a Swarovski ATX 85mm and handheld iPhone 4s.

Spotted Sandpiper Stand-off

2013-05-18T16:00:00.000-06:00

So a couple of Spotted Sandpipers meet up at a local pond with a lovely waterfall nearby. From the picture, it looks like they might be about to have a friendly chat about how migration went, but oh no. Had you been there, as I was, you would have heard them screaming and yelling at each other. Stretching out their necks and bodies to posture and try to dominate one another. Fanning out their tail feathers in anger.

Flaring out the wing and tail feathers in an attempt to intimidate.

The one on the right is underwhelmed by the visual display and seems to have gained the high ground and to yell the loudest. The one on the left steps back a pace.

...and defeated scurries away.

I'd never seem that before. It was pretty cool to watch. Birding is fun!

The Biggest Week in American Birding 2013

2013-05-18T04:00:00.000-06:00

I just returned from The Biggest Week in American Birding, 2013 edition. If you haven't been, this is a wonderful festival on the south shore of Lake Erie in northwestern Ohio, held in May of every year.
The birds are fabulous, and the Ohio birders are wonderful and welcoming. You should go!

Everyone goes to see the many warblers that rest and feed at and around Magee Marsh to prepare to fly north over Lake Erie. They decorate the trees like lovely jewels.

Blackburnian Warbler male

Blackburnian Warbler female

Palm Warbler

Chestnut-sided Warbler

Northern Parula

Nashville Warbler

Cape May Warbler

Black-throated Green Warbler

American Redstart

Black-and-white Warbler

Bay-breasted Warbler

Magnolia Warbler

There were, of course, many other lovely warblers. With some I missed the shot entirely; with others my photos turned out badly. I was disappointed that I saw no Prothonotary Warblers, as they were my favorite warblers last year. Perhaps their arrival was delayed by the late spring. I will look forward to hearing their cheery song next year.

Prothonotary Warbler

Warblers weren't the only birds that attracted attention. One of my favorites was this American Woodhen with chicks. Her nest was near the parking lot. Although this image looks close, I used my enhanced point and shoot at the equivalent of 840 mm. The image is heavily cropped.

American Woodhen and chicks

CBS News Sunday Morning was filming at The Biggest Week. I love this photo of Kimberly Kaufman and Serena Altschul, Contributing Correspondent to CBS Sunday Morning. The story is scheduled to air on May 26, 2013.

Kimberly Kaufman and Serena Altschul

This New Mexican took about 40 pounds of New Mexican food to Ohio. I hosted a New Mexican dinner for The Biggest Week blog team one evening. The following morning I took New Mexico breakfast burritos to the boardwalk at Magee Marsh. You may recognize this birder behind the burrito.

Greg Miller y NM breakfast burrito. (Photo credit Donna Madrid-Simonetti)

The Biggest Week is over for another year. I am already looking forward to next year's festival. If you did not attend this year, you should certainly make arrangements to attend next year. Please be sure to visit me at Casa Nuevo Mexico en Ohio!

Lake Erie sunset

Raptors in Vermont

2013-05-17T04:18:00.000-06:00

From 2-13

Due to my more casual nature of birding and not having a lot of time, I tend not to get many big trips or uncommon birds. A common theme for me is to watch the feeder birds and get a good feel for the local birding environment. One interesting thing about my area in Vermont, is the amount of raptors about. On any drive to work or into town, it is typical to see a Red-Tail Hawk or 2 and likely at least one Kestrel sitting on the wires. The Kestrels seem quite shy and don't seem to have trouble seeing inside a car, where-as some birding can be done from a closer vantage point using the car as a blind. Usually once a month I catch a Peregrine swooping in low trying to catch a swallow or earlier this year, flocks of Snow Buntings on the fields. Carrying my camera in the car is a must and how I captured all of these shots, pulling over and quickly shooting.

From 2-13

This Black Morph Rough Legged Hawk, gave some great views as it hovered above a field flying into the wind.

From 2-13

This Osprey flew right over the parking lot where I was watching a Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher from the car, making me jump out and start shooting (and losing the Gnatcatcher).

From 2-13

Although this Red-Tail Hawk is back-lit, the views give a neat look at it's feathers, almost like an x-ray.

From 2-13

Blue Grosbeak: My Favorite Summer Passerine

2013-05-16T04:00:00.000-06:00

I like and love lots of things and really don't have favorites of very many things. However, I do consider the Blue Grosbeak to be my favorite summer passerine. It is a highlight during late spring or early summer when I see my first male of the year. I'm glad to have them back from Central America for the summer. I love the dark blue color and the contrasting rufous wing bars. After seeing my first male Blue Grosbeak a few years ago I decided I would not let another summer go by without locating a few males singing on their territory. The male below had set up its territory and was singing from a Russian Olive tree along a dirt road we call Swede Lane in Utah County, Utah.

Male Blue Grosbeak Singing Along Swede Lane in Utah County, UT (Photo by Jeff Cooper)

Here is a full view of the same male after he flew across the dirt road and perched on a barbed wire fence post.

Male Blue Grosbeak Along Swede Lane in Utah County, UT (Photo by Jeff Cooper)

A good birding friend, who knows my love for the beautiful birds, located the male below near Lindon Beach in Utah County. True to our friendship he sent a text message to me to provide the location. I was able to hear this bird sing and get a few decent images to add to my collection of images. The image below shows a nice profile highlighting its "gross" beak, rufous wing bars, and dark wings and tail feathers.

Male Blue Grosbeak Singing Near Lindon Beach in Utah County, UT (Photo by Jeff Cooper)

First-summer males look a little messy as they sport their "tween" plumage, morphing from the pale rufous/buff color to a dark blue with contrasting rufous wing bars and black lores. The bi-colored beak can also be distinguished in the images below.

First-summer Male Blue Grosbeak Singing Near American Fork Boat Harbor in Utah County, UT (Photo by Jeff Cooper)

Male Blue Grosbeak Lindon Beach in Utah County, UT (Photo by Jeff Cooper)

Once I've located a few males I know I will be able to return in a couple of months to see juveniles. The image below shows at least two siblings down low.

This juvenile was found a couple summers ago in an open field in American Fork, Utah.

Juvenile Blue Grosbeak Near American Fork Boat Harbor in Utah County, UT

I wish I could have gotten closer to the bird below. I loved the dark blue contrast against the green of the grain. This bird sang its way to the perch below as I was trying to photograph a male Bobolink in an adjacent field of tall grass.

Male Blue Grosbeak Near Palmyra, Utah (Photo by Jeff Cooper)

Conservation Incentive for Land Developers and Home Builders

2013-05-15T21:13:00.000-06:00

My entire life has been financed by the creation of places for people to live. As a birder, I am conservation-minded, so imagine the internal conflict I face. I deal with it my using my influence to keep habitat preservation in the forefront of our decision making. I have long believed that a community developed with the preservation of beautiful natural habitat benefits the quality of life and therefore increases property values. Now I have some support for my theory.

A study that shows that homes in neighborhoods with protected open space sell for 20% to 29% more than neighborhoods without open space.

Here's a video from the Wall Street Journal. Unfortunately the news anchor lady didn't get it right and all the images they show weren't what the reporter was really talking about...but the study is very important for conservation-minded people to use when working with land developers.

Miller Canyon: The High Life

2013-05-15T04:00:00.001-06:00

Miller Canyon...with its perfect location, beautiful habitats, and relative accessibility, it is so often the object of birders' hopes and dreams, and so often the subject of many heartbreaks. The attractive qualities of Miller Canyon are superlative. The Beatty Guest Ranch in Miller Canyon is world-renowned for its variation in hummingbirds, with a North American record 14 species seen there in a single day. Additionally, it hosts an annual pair of breeding Spotted Owls, a majestic and endangered species that is not reliably found anywhere else in the state.

Despite the Owls being largely sedentary, I've made the drive down south and missed the Owls on three separate occasions, and once while joining forces with an outstanding birder ally.

There enters the heartbreak, the spiraling depressions and benders, the broken commitments, the total total nadir of an Arizona birder's soul...a binge in Miller Canyon and leave one reeling for days.

Heading into the belly of the beast. So young...so naive

After the most recent miss on the Owls, I was back in the Canyon within a month. I knew that this time I would find the Owls, in addition to a great many great birds, and I knew that because this time they were not the main reason for the trip back to Miller Canyon. I returned with my birding buddy Tommy, at the expense even of doing a Maricopa County east side Big Day, because there was an almighty concatenation of birds in that Huachuca Mountain pass the weekend of April 27th.

When Western Tanagers are some of the less remarkable bids seen on your trip, you know it's a good birding day.

Not only was Miller Canyon still hosting the Spotted Owls, and not only was it now receiving its normal influx of Blue-throated and Magnificent Hummingbirds, along with Dusky-capped and Buff-breasted Flycatchers, but the Canyon also had two reported Crescent-chested Warblers, a Flame-colored Tanager, Pygmy Owls, Goshawks...add in a Lucifer Hummingbird next door at Ash Canyon, and it was a feathered paradise.
A young Scott's Oriole perched on ocotillo? Not even a big deal...

Just to avoid any later disappointment, the Crescent-chested Warblers did not show that day, though we did hear some suspicious, Parula-like trilling on the trail. Thundering up and down Miller Canyon, even with dozens of other eager birders from around the southwest, including California, New Mexico, and Nevada, the odds were always heavily against finding those little birds, and we will likely hav eto wait a few more years to try again.

But searching for Crescent-chested Warblers in Miller Canyon is like trying to find the perfect diamond in a jewelry store: there are plenty of other gems around. Also, you shouldn't eat the merchandise, nor put it in your pocket and try to leave.

The stationary Hummingbird feeders are great attractions at the Beatty Ranch in Miller Canyon, but finding and photographing some of the Hummers away from the feeders, like this female Blue-throated below, presents an enjoyable challenge, especially when warblers are being all anti-social.

Like the other southeastern Arizona mountain ranges, Miller Canyon and the Huachucas host the brown-backed Arizona Woodpecker. The Cactus Wren is a mighty mascot for state bird, but this fellow would've done well too, even if it is esoteric in its location. With an ability to climb, eat, and fight crime while upside down, these Woodpeckers, like Nuthatches, make Spiderman seem blasé.

Every birding trip of 3+ hours driving needs to produce a rarity of some sort, and that rarity must have a grainy, backlit portrait taken. Miller Canyon is peculiar in that is hosts so many great birds, and so many birds that are not found much elsewhere in the country, but within the mountain range they're locally common. Luckily, or perhaps unluckily, this Flame-colored x Western Tanager applied for a job in the 'rarity' department. With the yellowish wingbar and weaker orange coloration (seems like a crime to say, doesn't it) disqualifying this bird as being a pure Flame-colored, it is in the odd position of being rarer than either a Western or regular Flame-colored, and yet, as far as the lister is concerned, more or less useless. This is the plight of the hybrid bird, but a plight that does not at all extend into the realm of aesthetic enjoyment.

On the drive down from Phoenix, Tommy and I stopped to do some owling on Mt. Lemmon in Tucson the night before. It cost a good night's sleep, but we heard Flammulated, Western-Screech, Mexican Whip-poor-will, Great-horned, and N. Saw-whet Owl (nice!) all on the mountain. This fortunate prelude of owling could've been interpreted two ways. Either it was going to be a very owl-y weekend, or we used up our Owl luck in Tucson.
It was the first possibility that proved true, and we made sure right away. Before hours of hiking up and down Miller Canyon, scouring every bush and analyzing every trilll for the CCWA, we spotted the Spotted nemesis sitting in a choke-cherry tree.

Knowing he could thwart us no longer, that we had his number, that his ticket was up, the Owl still did its best to frustrate, ducking away and pretending to scratch an itch on its back. I could just be bitter, since I too get itches on my back and cannot scratch them in this fashion, thus begging the question, what the heck good is our spinal chord anyway?

When the perch has been found, the hard part is done. though the morning light was behind the bird, we eventually had some great, overdue face-time, and I should also stress that the Owl was not stressed or harassed in any way beyond our unavoidable proximity, perched as it was fairly near the trail. For better or worse, we gawking birders were business as usual for this freckled hooter.

In our subsequent Warbler search, which did turn up just about every other possible warbler in the area, including Red-faced and Virginia's, we did a fair amount of exploring around a bend in the wash where another birder reported seeing a Northern Pygmy Owl being mobbed the day before. Exploring the pine trees around the trail, I found whitewash deposits but all the elevated staring in the world couldn't produce that little eight inch poof ball I was looking for.

Later in the afternoon, while quintouple-checking that same area for the elusive Warblers, we met up with fellow Arizonan and fantastic birder Kurt Radamaker, who spotted a small but well-worn hole in a nearby scrub oak. A little patience...and there it was.

"Who dares to disturb my slumber!?"
Our sixth owl species in 12 hours, this was a super find and one of the highlights of the day. On one hand, the bird's limited visibility kept it from being a perfect sighting, but on the other hand, actually getting the Owl-in-a-hole isn't as common a treat as common consensus and Halloween decorations would have us believe.

With Ash Canyon and Sierra Vista grasslands beckoning after Miller Canyon, there was no time nor desire to crack open a few of the High Life when we finally called it quits on the Warbler (nor time and desire for smokes after Ash Canyon, nor Sierra Nevadas after Sierra Vista, etc). No no, there were birds to see. We saved all the prodigious drinking for the drive home.

Water that is! Ha ha..ha...

Miller: it's the Champagne of Canyons.

Posted by Laurence Butler

Butler's Birds

The Day Spring Came

2013-05-14T05:45:00.000-06:00

At my home in South Newfane, Spring came on April 8.

There are many different ways by which people determine that Spring has arrived. For some it is the first daffodil that blooms. Others hurry Spring’s arrival with the first blooming crocus. Ice-out in the West River might be the arrival of Spring, or ice-out on the Retreat meadows. Fishermen opt for the opening of trout season, skiers the closing of the favorite ski area.

Birders, of course, look for the arrival of certain birds. “The Red-winged Blackbird,” says one birder, “always shows up in my yard on March 8. That is the arrival of Spring.”

Palm Warbler

On April 13, while monitoring the passage of waterfowl, I crossed paths with two other birders. We swapped sightings. We had all seen our first Palm Warbler. A yellow little bird with a rusty cap, it sings a rapid chipping-buzzing from low branches and thickets, while ceaselessly bobbing its tail. Someone said, “When the warblers start coming, you know its Spring.”

That is very true. The arrival and passage of the two dozen plus species of warblers is the anticipated event for eastern bird watchers. They are the beauties, the sought-afters, the wonders of Spring. They are like the dessert menu in a fine restaurant - rich, tempting delicacies that cannot be passed over.

But the first warbler is not the day Spring comes - not even when the Palm Warbler drops to a low branch so that I can see, without the aid of binoculars, his fresh yellow plumage perched on a drab branch against a gray tree trunk. Not even when he wags his long tail in avian greeting.

Eastern Phoebe

For me, the day Spring comes is the day when I am standing in my yard and hear for the first time in many months the simple name-saying of a small, plain, gray and white bird - “fee-bee ... fee-bee ... fee-bee.”

This year, I heard “phoe-be ... phoe-be” as I went out for the mail mid-morning on April 8. Hurrying back inside, I called out, “I just heard the phoebe!!” From somewhere came the answering echo, “Wonderful! It’s Spring!” The exchange rolled through the usually calm rooms of our home, causing one of our cats to raise her head and wonder about all the fuss.

The Eastern Phoebe arrives in my neighborhood some time between the very last days of March and the middle of April. The ground squishes beneath the step. The retreating snow waters the snow drops. The winter rye is greening up and the garlic is emerging. The river behind our home runs high and fast, its sparkling water crystal green with minerals carried along by the snow melt. On a branch above the river, the gray-backed, white-breasted Eastern Phoebe wags his tail with each spoken “phoe-be,” his “song” as unimaginative as his plumage. But maybe that is not fair. He does vary his song. Sometimes he puts a slight emphasis on the first syllable, sometimes on the second: “Phoe-be ... phoe-Be ... Phoe-be ... phoe-Be.”

The phoebe is a flycatcher. It forages from its perch, flying out to catch insects in mid-air, sometimes dropping to the ground to grab a bite, or hovering briefly to grab something out of the foliage. Wintering in southern North America, it may turn to a diet of berries, but in the north during the summer it goes for the protein contained in wasps, bees, beetles, flies, bugs, grasshoppers, spiders, ticks, millipedes and such like.

Eastern Phoebe

It is usually found near streamsides or woodland edges near water. Its native nest sites were probably streambanks or rock outcrops where there was some support below and cover above. Now it often nests under bridges, on a beam in a barn, or under a house eave. Some small support, such as a slightly protruding window lintel or trim provides just enough support for the female to build her mud base. Moss and leaves are mixed into the mud, and then the open cup is lined with fine grass and animal hair.

The phoebe nests early. Forbush reports that the “first brood often requires six or seven weeks, or even more, from the beginning of the nest until the young have flown; but when the same nest is used for the second brood, a month is ample time, as this brood is reared in warm weather, when food is plentiful and storms usually are few. Both parent birds take part in incubation and in feeding the young, and within one or two days after the first brood leaves the nest, the female begins another or starts repairs on the old nest, while the male cares for the first brood.”

Eastern Phoebe

For such a plain, drab bird, our Eastern Phoebe is a much loved bird. It goes about its business in and around our homes, our garages, and our barns, quite unperturbed, perpetually repeating its name and wagging its tail. The simple song is one of the most easily recognizable bird song; its tail bobbing a distinctive field mark among all of its drab flycatcher cousins.

My regard for this small, gentle bird goes back twenty-five years to when I was just beginning to watch birds. I was building a small house in western Pennsylvania. While I was nailing down sub -flooring and nailing up paneling, a pair entered the basement garage and built a mud nest on a beam. As I came and went with tools and materials, they came and went with food for their young. They were such friendly neighbors, busy with raising their family, but always having the time to add a friendly greeting - “phoe-be” - and never too busy that they couldn’t wave tail feathers from a tree branch perch.

Eastern Phoebe

Years later, the first “phoe-be” of the year banishes the last of winter’s bone chill - promises roadside chats with neighbors and woodland walks with friends. The first “phoe-be” intimates the garden’s bountiful produce, and the splashy color of spring and summer blossoms. The first “phoe-be” is Persephone stirring, life returning - the coming of Spring! This year Spring came on April 8.

Good Birding!

Chris Petrak - Tails of Birding

Springtime in Wisconsin!

2013-05-13T04:00:00.000-06:00

Here we are, middle of May, the buds are sprouting, the grass is green, and the migrating birds are heading back to the Midwest. Just this morning I saw the Ruby-Throated Hummingbird drink thirstily at my Hummingbird feeder.

Ruby-Throated Hummingbird

The Ruby-Throated Hummingbird, Wisconsin's smallest bird, migrates from Mexico and Central America, usually showing up in this part of the Midwest about the end of April to the beginning of May. Today, May 12, is the earliest that we have seen it in our backyard.

American Goldfinch

One of my favorite small birds, and a favorite in most Wisconsinites' backyards, the American Gold Finch, is a partial migrator, here in the state. This means you can find some of them in their Winter coats sticking around the feeder all year.

American Goldfinch

The Gold Finch does migrate, but doesn't migrate as far as some of the other migrating birds, spending its Winters in the deep South, Florida and Southwest USA.

Baltimore Oriole

Another favorite backyard bird is the handsome Baltimore Oriole. With its flaming orange color and fantastic songs, the Oriole is one of the last migrators to make its way back to Wisconsin, usually making it to our parts around mid May.

Baltimore Oriole

Traveling from Mexico, Central America, and northern parts of South America, the Baltimore is sometimes mistaken for its close cousin the Bullock Oriole. The Baltimore stays around our parts through the month of September.

Palm Warbler

What is Spring without the horde of Warblers heading back to the Midwest? This Palm Warbler showed up down by the Lake Michigan waterfront looking for bugs.

Common Yellowthroat

We spotted this handsome Common Yellowthroat Warbler at Horicon Marsh in Central Wisconsin. Horicon is a haven for all sorts of amazing species of Warblers including Yellow-Rumped, Black & White, Cape May, and many, many others.

Great Egret

One of the prettiest birds I think in all of Wisconsin is the Great Egret. This tall and elegant bird shows up in Wisconsin just about this time of year, early to mid May. You can usually find them in large pools of water in county parks, state parks, and on river banks, slowly stalking around looking for small crustaceans or small fish.

Great Egret

The Great Egret, named after the word aigrette, which means "ornamental tufts of plumage" was once hunted almost to extinction in the 1800s, but now are protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty of 1918.

Sandhill Crane

Probably my favorite bird, and one of the more exciting to photograph, the Sandhill Crane, starts showing up here in Southeast Wisconsin about the the middle of April. You can often hear them before you even see them with the familiar "kar-r-r-r-r-o-o-o" call.

Sandhill Crane

In the Spring and Summer you can find Sandhills all over, including any small body of water, along the side of a road, like this mother Sandhill, sitting on her nest, only feet from the side of the road.

Family of Sandhill Crane

This family of Sandhills was foraging for food just off the highway, feet from the road. This is a very common sight in the Spring and Summer. They are just a delight to watch, and listen to. I've only touched a few great mitigatory birds that come to Wisconsin in the Spring.

This it for me, if you are interested in seeing any more of my work please checkout my blog at Ricky L Jones Photography, or on Flickr or Twitter, or Facebook or Google Plus. Take care.

It's Spring, so Sing!

2013-05-12T17:00:00.000-06:00

Vermilion Flycatcher - A True Beauty

2013-05-12T04:00:00.000-06:00

Vermilion Flycatchers are one of my favorite birds. They definitely rank in my Top 5, maybe second to the Snowy Owl. Who's to judge though? All birds are awesome! The males are downright beautiful, with their bright red plumage, and their song is music to my ears. The females are equally as easy to look at, but definitely do not give off the same "boom" the male does. In the southwest, Vermilion Flycatcher are rather common in local parks with mesquite and much less common in native mesquite bosques.

Vermilion Flycatcher eBird records for the past 10 years (credit - eBird)

Our backyard in Blythe, CA consists of similar habitat to the local parks and therefore supports three breeding pairs of Vermilion Flycatchers. The Palo Verde Cemetery in town has at least two as well. Over the past few weeks, I've been able to Phone Skope nesting activity and perched birds.

Vermilion Flycatcher at Palo Verde Cemetery, Blythe, CA. iPhone photo by Tim Schreckengost.

Vermilion Flycatcher nest at The River Estates, Blythe, CA. Photo by Tim Schreckengost.

Vermilion Flycatcher nest at The River Estates, Blythe, CA. iPhone photo by Tim Schreckengost.

Vermilion Flycatcher at Martinez Lake Camground, AZ. iPhone photo by Tim Schreckengost.

If you haven't seen a Vermilion Flycatcher, you need to check out the areas from the eBird records pictured above. Go. See. A. Vermilion. Flycatcher. It will change your life. I'm sure everyone that has seen one, will agree with me, right? Who's seen one? Let me know where you have seen Vermilion Flycatchers in the comments!

All images, except for the second Vermilion Flycatcher on nest, were taken with the following setup:

iPhone 4s + Celestron Regal 80 F-ED & iPhone 4s Phone Skope Adapter. I also use an app called StillShot to take HD video grabs.

Cheers,

Tim of thermalbirding.com

Name this preening beauty

2013-05-11T17:00:00.000-06:00

Digiscoped with a Swarovski ATX 85mm spotting scope

Tide pools and birds

2013-05-11T04:00:00.000-06:00

Many visitors to the Oregon coast enjoy tide pools--puddles in rocky substrates left behind at low tide. There they can examine sea life. Tide pools are covered in various sea weeds, barnacles, mussels, sea stars, and anemones. Sea snails, crabs, and small fishes scurry about. You may even find an octopus!

Sea anemones in tide pool near Newport, Oregon, 6 May 2012, by Greg Gillson.

There are several "rockpipers" found on rocky ocean shores. These interesting shorebirds are specialists in this habitat. Thus, even if you are "tide pooling" with non-birding friends, you'll have some birds to watch... along with the intertidal flora and fauna.

Black Oystercatcher grabbing a snail, Seal Rock, Oregon, 31 March 2013 by Greg Gillson.

Chief among the tide pool birds is the crow-sized Black Oystercatcher. They pry shellfish from the rocks and dispatch them quickly with their knife-like bill. Their piercing high calls are easily heard above the roaring surf. Usually seen in pairs or groups of less than 5 individuals, up to 50 may sometimes roost together at favored spots in winter.

Black Oystercatchers, Seal Rock, Oregon, 31 March 2013 by Greg Gillson.

In spring the oystercatchers have quite a unique courtship ritual as they bob an weave in unison. The male has an interesting courtship flight with wings held in a strong 'V' as he flies after the female. This is so much different than the normal flight with direct wing strokes, mostly below the horizontal. Keep an eye out for the chicks--they are truly cute with over-sized bill and legs.

Wandering Tattler, Newport, Oregon, 2 October 2009 by Greg Gillson.

Next up is Wandering Tattler. These are often found on jetties during both spring and fall migration. They are fairly large (between Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs in size). Their plumage is quite plain gray-brown with no pattern in wings or tail in flight. They blend in very well on the rocks.

Wandering Tattler, Yaquina Head, Newport, Oregon, 12 September 2008 by Greg Gillson.

Tattlers are often found singly or in small scattered groups of no more than a dozen.

Black Turnstone, Barview Jetty, Tillamook, Oregon, 17 January 2009 by Greg Gillson.

Black Turnstones flock together on jetties, tide pool areas, and rocky cobblestone beaches. They can be found on wharfs and docks in estuaries.The average count is about 15 birds, but it is not unusual to have several such flocks working in nearby areas totaling up to 200 individuals.

Black Turnstones, Bay City, Oregon, 16 January 2009 by Greg Gillson.

Though camouflaged on the rocks, their unique harlequin flight pattern is very distinctive. When they take flight they call an excited high-pitched rattle.

Surfbird, Yaquina Head, Newport, Oregon, 12 September 2008 by Greg Gillson.

Flocks of Surfbirds often mix together with flocks of Black Turnstones. They are a bit larger than Turnstones with thicker legs and bill.

Surfbird, Barview Jetty, Tillamook, Oregon, 8 January, 2011 by Greg Gillson.

In flight these birds sport white rumps and upper tail, as well as bold white wing stripes. On the rocks they are quite plain in their winter plumage. Unlike the noisy turnstones, surfbirds are usually silent.

Rock Sandpiper, Barview Jetty, Tillamook, Oregon, 17 January, 2009 by Greg Gillson.

The most sought after of the rocky shorebirds is the winter-visiting Rock Sandpiper. When the flock of Surfbirds and Black Turnstones fly, look for the plain Dunlin-like bird with only a faint wing stripe for pattern. In Oregon they are often found singly, mixed in with turnstones and surfbirds. Rarely up to 15 birds have been encountered.

Rock Sandpiper, Barview Jetty, Tillamook, Oregon, 17 January, 2009 by Greg Gillson.

Rock Sandpipers on the Pacific coastline are very similar to Purple Sandpipers on the Atlantic coast. One of the best techniques for finding these birds is to look right along the water. They feed as close to the water's edge as possible. When a wave comes they briefly fly up higher on the rocks, then hop back down as the wave passes. Thus, on a jetty, watch the incoming wave for shorebirds flying out of the way.

Ochre sea stars and sea anemones await high tide to be submerged. Newport, Oregon, 6 May 2012 by Greg Gillson.

So the next time you get invited to go tide pooling, be sure to go along!

Black Scoters, Newport, Oregon, 6 May 2012 by Greg Gillson.

While birding the tide pools don't forget to look to sea! Black Scoters dive for shellfish off rocky shores. They are often very close to shore in the wild surf. Who knows what else you may find?

The Birds of Los Islotes (Baja, Mexico)

2013-05-10T04:00:00.000-06:00

During a winter Baja trip in late February and early March, we were able to spend a couple of hours at Los Islotes, a very small, but productive birding area in the Sea of Cortez (Baja, Mexico). Actually, this area is a protected area for the California Sea Lions and our main objective was to snorkel with some of the juveniles, who love to play with snorkelers. Our boat made a stop here so that we could photograph the birds that call this place home, as well as snorkel with the juvenile California Sea Lions. Here are some of the great birds we were able to see.

As we neared the rocks that make up Los Islotes, the first bird we saw was the Brown Pelican. Note the breeding coloration of this colorful bird:

There were lots of Cormorants on the island, too:

... and a Great Blue Heron, stalking fish in the shadows of the island rocks:

... and a gull sitting peacefully on the rocks:

While another one chased a third gull for a fish (sorry, don't know the species ... the gull is not a staple in the Midwest, where I live!):

And a juvenile Heermann's Gull resting on the rocks:

There were also some Magnificent Frigatebirds in the area:

... and plenty of boobies. Brown ones:

... and even some Blue-footed ones:

Being at Los Islotes for only a couple of hours made it difficult to get lots of good bird images, but we did the best we could.

Oh, and remember the California Sea Lions I mentioned? They were there and ready to snorkel with us, but that's a different story!

This post was authored by Jim Braswell of Show-Me Nature Photogaphy.

Spring Comes to the Plateau

2013-05-09T10:49:00.000-06:00

Such a great time of year! A lot friends are enjoying "The Biggest Week", Doppler radar images show birds on the move across the continent, and I move from my winter to spring/summer "quarters" here where I live here at Bryce Canyon.

One of the first things I do at the beginning of April is set up my bird bath. I don't use my dripper right away because those small water lines tend to freeze every night - winter doesn't leave in a real hurry at 8,000 feet. Among the first to find it are the American Robins and I'm not sure if they are the dirtiest birds or the cleanest, but they are always taking baths and I constantly have to refresh the water when they are through.

Right behind the robins come the Townsend's Solitaires, but they're not so much into bathing as just wanting a drink. I see them in pairs most of the time and have often wondered if it is the same pair every year.

Love my Red Crossbills and they usually come in flocks, especially as we get into the summer after the young have fledged. Seeing quite a few of them around, so it should be a good year for them as some years they seem to disappear, probably moving to other areas where the cone production is better.

One of the most skittish visitors are the Northern Flickers. Year-round residents, they always seem to present a challenge to photograph, even when I think I'm safely hidden away in my photo blind.

My first warblers arrived about 10 days ago, though I'm only seeing male Yellow-rumped Warblers at the bath so far. Haven't seen a Grace's Warbler yet, but did hear one singing this morning so it won't be long.

While the bird bath has been attracting more and more birds for a little over month now, I put the hummingbird feeders out April 29. I was actually a little surprised to see them this early, but had a male Black-chinned Hummingbird (top) within 30 minutes of hanging the feeder and about two hours later a male Broad-tailed came for a sip. And, was promptly chased away by the Black-chinned - the feeder wars begin.

This bird, though I wasn't able to get a great photo, is the highlight of my spring so far. Fact is, all I really wanted for this little bird was a photo that just good enough to at least document it and for positive identification. The bird in question is a White-throated Sparrow and I'd actually seen it two days before I got this picture and on that occasion it flew off before I could get to my camera. Why was the photo so important? While they have been seen in Utah from time to time, it's a first record for Bryce Canyon National Park. It's my third "first record" over the last decade or so; the first was White-crowned Pigeon in Volusia County, FL (and was also the northernmost record on the eastern Atlantic seaboard) and the second was first record for Greater White-fronted Goose in Garfield County, UT. They don't come often, but I like getting stuff like that.

Hope some good birds are coming your way and we'll see you next month!

The Wonder of Wings

2013-05-08T03:30:00.000-06:00

Whatever the direction may be,

With wings, birds are free.

Free to fly to where they choose,

Through the skies they roam and cruise.

Some wings must withstand a daily crash,

while others just a little splash.

One way or another, wings must dry.

Some can dry them on the fly.

Others prefer to just sit and wait,

As they have no worry of being late.

Despite their wings, some birds never roam,

From the small square of which they call home.

Even if their habitat is taken away,

It is there the birds will stay.

Hence, the plight of the Florida Scrub-Jay,

In danger of disappearing away.

In contrast to those jays,

Exist birds whose mileage will amaze.

Like the journey of the Red Knot,

20,000 miles, that's a lot .

Wings help important work get done,

They even help birds have some fun!

Tammy Karr
http://www.iheartfloridabirds.blogspot.com/

Troublemakers

2013-05-07T17:35:00.001-06:00

A dialogue between me the birder and the Brown-headed Cowbirds...

"Uh oh. You're not thinking what I think you're thinking are you?"

Don't you dare do it you nest parasites!!!

Doh! You did it. I wonder whose nest you're going to lay those eggs in? Troublemakers!