Birds on the Brain

Siskin Irruption

2009-02-10T17:02:00.004-05:00

So, is this a Pine Siskin or an American Goldfinch? (Clicking either picture takes you to a much larger version.)

If you've seen the 2nd picture by now, you probably have your answer. The siskins that have been falling from the skies like gumdrops finally landed in my yard and are keeping the more common Goldfinches company.

Rail Country

2009-01-25T12:52:00.011-05:00

For an ornithology class field trip, I traveled to Phinizy Swamp in Augusta, GA. Among the ducks milling around the marshy area surrounding one of the boardwalks, someone spotted an American Bittern.

Can you find it in the reeds? (click photo for a larger version- that will make it much easier!)

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wait for it....

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Ta da!! (click on image for a larger version)

Here's a closeup:

The bittern crouched in the reeds while we watched for 10 minutes or so. Only once, it snaked its head back and forth while keeping its body completely still, but whatever it was must have been too far from the reach of its daggerlike beak, because it didn't move again after that brief moment.

As if that weren't enough, as we got into the swamp area where duckweed grew everywhere, we spied 2 Soras foraging among the coots and moorhens! They must have been a pair because they were only about 20 feet apart and called to each other as they scuttled back and forth along the edge of the reeds.

We also saw Anhingas, American Pipit, Northern Harrier, Palm Warbler, Swamp Sparrow, and more... but when I see a swamp, I'm always hoping for a rail, so for me, the day was a success from the moment the bittern materialized from the reeds.

Nesting on a Wing and a Prayer

2008-11-22T13:32:00.013-05:00

This is an article I wrote about my experiences monitoring shorebirds in Massachusetts for the Georgia Ornithological Society (http://gos.org/). This is EXCLUSIVE (haha) in that I'm putting more photos in to illustrate my points, so to speak. I apologize for the wierd formatting, I couldn't figure out how to fix it.

Nesting on a Wing and a Prayer: Monitoring Shorebirds for Massachusetts Audubon

I remember the moment I saw my first Piping
Plover. I was standing on South Beach in
Chatham, Massachusetts, buffeted by icy
winds and decked out in gloves, three jackets,
pants, and socks under my Tevas, to
boot, broadcasting my southern roots loud
and clear. In other words, I was anxious to
see the bird I had left the warmth of the
South for. My supervisor, who was actually
able to use her limbs due to her much lighter
attire, pointed suddenly to a nearby stretch of
gravelly beach. “That’s a Piping Plover,” she
announced. I squinted expectantly, but all I
could see was gray rocks scattered over the
sand. Then suddenly, one of the rocks
moved, and so began my acquaintance with
the Piping Plover.

A sneaky-looking plover.

Even sneakier... can you believe the mastery of disguise!?

My usual attire

After that sighting, I greatly improved at finding plovers, and learned to appreciate the details that set them
apart from rocks: their pert orange bills tipped with ebony, dapper black neckbands, comical “eyebrows,”
and spindly orange legs. Equally enchanting were their personalities. I was smitten with the way they ran
pigeon-toed over the sand and then suddenly stopped short, like confused wind-up toys. Their daring pursuits
of Herring and even Greater Black-backed Gulls that entered their territory were very impressive
(and surprisingly effective). Some of them wanted to get to know me, as well. Sitting against a dune having
lunch one day, watching a pair of plovers that had led me on an epic but fruitless nest search, I froze
as one of them sauntered over to me, stopping five feet away and turning his head sideways to inspect
me. I looked back at him, wondering how strange I must appear to him. He must not have been as impressed
with me as I was with him, because he soon decided he’d seen enough and went back to eating
his own lunch.
My admiration for the plovers grew throughout the summer. They were fastidious nestmakers, the males
making multiple scrapes so that the female could choose the perfect one in which to lay her clutch of one
to four greenish-gray eggs. It took me a month to find my first nest -- the plovers chose sites where their
small, speckled eggs would best be concealed, like open beach scattered with shell fragments, or tucked
away in grassy dunes. “Plover highways,” or a congregation of tracks leading to the nest, loud peeping,
the impressive broken-wing display, and false-brooding (a plover pretending to incubate in order to lead
me away from the real nest) were all clues that I was near a nest. They were fierce defenders, and I was
amazed at the risks the plovers would take to protect a nest. When it rained or the wind was blowing especially
hard, I thought of all the plovers sitting steadfastly on their nests, determined to protect their eggs
when even the elements were against them. They kept trying, despite the predators always watching for
an easy meal, the changing tides that threatened to wash away eggs, the people constantly walking by,
the abundance of “Piping Plover Tastes Like Chicken” bumper stickers. Their determination, whether it
was due solely to Darwinian programming or not, made me deeply committed to helping them in every
way I could [this is true, however cheesy it sounds].

A typical nest

The famous Broken-Wing Display

Clever... did you think of that yourself?

Even if a pair’s first nest failed, they would most often simply try again. One pair lost two
nests, but on the third try, all three eggs survived to hatch into downy, impossibly tiny chicks, proving that sometimes the third time really is the charm. The chicks,
too, were much more intrepid than their fuzziness belied.
On the first day, they could walk, and had to feed themselves
from the moment they broke free of the egg. They
quickly became experts at using their absurdly long legs —
we would find them half a mile from the nest site in a matter
of days!

Major fuzz factor.

Piping Plovers may be masters of camouflage and charisma,
but they are powerless to stop coastal development,
oust introduced predators from their nesting habitat, keep
off-road vehicles at bay, or slow the over-harvesting of
horseshoe crabs, whose eggs make up an important part of
the plovers’ diet. That’s why, in 1987, Massachusetts Audubon
created the Coastal Waterbird Program (http://
www.massaudubon.org/cwp/) to give the plovers, and other
shorebirds, such as Least Terns and American Oystercatchers,
a hand. The CWP was originally created to protect nesting areas of Piping Plovers and terns,
but ultimately aims to extend this protection to the whole coastal ecosystem. The success of the program
is indisputable: in 1986, before CWP’s inception, only 135 plover pairs were observed in Massachusetts;
preliminary data for 2008 indicates the presence of around 600 pairs [hooray!!].

In contrast to the plovers, the American Oystercatchers stuck out like sore thumbs no matter where they
were. I had seen these clowns of the shorebird world before on Jekyll Island, but had never gotten to
hear their wheedling shrieks or see their fuzzy black chicks stumbling behind their parents on disproportionately
long legs. Massachusetts is the northernmost part of the oystercatchers’ breeding range, and
though there were only a few pairs on South Beach, many of then produced fledglings, which were almost carbon copies of the adults except for their darker bills.

Is it just me, or does something stick out in this picture?

An AMOY nest

A large, fuzzy rock. Just hangin' with all the other rocks.

Least Terns made it a point to be conspicuous — either by raucous screaming, dive-bombing, well-aimed
projectile poop, or a combination of all three. There were two major Least Tern colonies on the beach,
and both required mental stamina and an acclimation to walking through bird poop. It was quite a sight to
watch a hundred or so terns converge on a trespassing gull, and a beachgoer who tried to take a shortcut
through the Least Tern fencing was apt to regret it immediately!

[Unfortunately, I don't have many pictures of the terns! They were hard to photograph because they were so small and, unlike the plovers, they were flying almost all the time.]

Today, the Coastal Waterbird Program protects Piping Plovers,
Least Terns, Common Terns, Roseate Terns, and
American Oystercatchers. Conservation efforts include identifying
and fencing off areas where plovers, oystercatchers,
and Least Terns are nesting to prevent disturbance from
beachgoers, ensuring that off-road vehicles aren’t being
driven in nesting habitat, public education, and much, much
more. This summer, I was inspired by the tireless efforts of
both the birds and the people working to protect them. I’d
like to think that if I see a Piping Plover on the Georgia coast
this year, then maybe, just maybe, it’s a bird that made the
miraculous journey from egg to chick, from chick to fledgling,
and finally, from Massachusetts to Georgia.

2008-08-23T14:21:00.005-05:00

So yes, it's been a long time (over a year) since I've posted anything at all, artistic, natural, or otherwise, to this blog. I just didn't have a whole lot to write about and honestly felt that the things I wrote about were a little too close to mundane. But the mighty Julie Zickefoose (http://www.juliezickefoose.com/blog/index.php) has shown me that the extraordinary can be found in the everyday. Plus I might go insane taking 16 hours this semester so I need as many distractions as possible. I'll start with a picture- after all, isn't it worth a thousand words?

An artistic diversion

2007-06-06T19:10:00.001-05:00

I've been painting lately in my spare time, which I have a lot of here in South Florida- all of the work is done before normal people are awake. Here are some fruits of my labor.

I found a photo of Harlequin Ducks in the May/June issue of Birding; the position of the ducks in the photo with the water surrounding them looked so artistic already, and of course the form and colors of the ducks themselves, that I just had to paint it.

This Northern Wheatear was irresistibly plump-looking.

These birds don't count as wild, but it's the only bird photography I've done lately. These lorikeets (Rainbow Lorikeets?) at Parrot Jungle Park had quite the appetite for nectar, and they tried to transcend the laws of physics by simultaneously shoving their faces into the tiny cup I was holding. One perched on my head to wait his turn, but he had an ulterior motive- trying to steal my earring.

This Lubber has been hanging around on the porch screen for a couple of days now. I must say, it's a little creepy looking out the window and seeing an insect as big as my hand lurking nearby...

Big Cypress and Florida Panther NWR

2007-05-24T14:16:00.000-05:00

Common Yellowthroats were everywhere, true to their name, and always up for pishing. I love the posture of the one above.

Check out the puffy throat on this guy as he sings his mighty song to drive me away.

Finally, a decent photo of a Brown-headed Nuthatch! He's characteristically upside down. Don't they get dizzy that way?

The cuteness factor on this fuzzy nuthatch fledgling is unbelievable.

They're like little gophers, always popping their heads out from behind pine branches, except they can do it right side up or upside down.

A Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, looking like a mini Great-crested Flycatcher.

I saw this Barred Owl at Big Cypress National Preserve shortly after dawn, sitting silently in a pine. The reason for his departure was the harassment of a Red-bellied Woodpecker.

Most of the flowers around here are pink or purple.

This tree frog was hopping around on a saw palmetto.

White-eyed Vireos could be heard anywhere you listened.

Big Cypress National Preserve

2007-05-19T20:14:00.001-05:00

We went to camp out at Big Cypress National Preserve, one of the other study areas, for a few days. Many of the same birds are there, but unlike the Everglades, BCNP has Red-cockaded Woodpeckers, Tufted Titmice, and a lot more Blue-gray Gnatcatchers and Swallow-tailed Kites.

There are many Brown-headed Nuthatch families around at this time of year.

Hanging upside down- circus people ain't got nothing on him.

This Swallow-tailed Kite was circling overhead for quite a while, calling and looking down at me. I even saw one in a parking lot today!

Common Yellowthroats were very pishable.

Pine Warblers were also fiesty.

YES! I did get pictures of Red-cockaded Woodpeckers. There were three of them flying around squeaking at each other constantly. I even caught a glimpse of the grand 'cockade' on one of them.

Squirrel tree frogs are everywhere at night.

Titmice are actually rare in South Florida, which is very unusual to me.

Juvenile titmouse, hungry as usual.

I love White-eyed Vireos because they get really pissed off at the drop of a hat. Anytime I pished, one would instantly pop up, scolding his brains out. This one is hiding coyly behind a branch.

This one was cursing at me for a really long time. Even when I turned and had walked away, he followed me and scolded again so he could have the last word!

Backyard birds

2007-05-16T10:31:00.000-05:00

Well, I thought I was done posting for today, but a loggerhead shrike just HAD to come along and sit right in the backyard, among the starlings and grackles. First, he sat on the fence, waiting for fate to bring him his next hapless victim.

Then, he flew to a bush in the yard, trying to catch a butterfly that was visiting the flowers.

After failing to catch the butterfly, he perched on the fence again. His beak is slightly open in this picture as he curses at the butterfly under his breath.

Finally, he flew up to the powerline before going to try his luck somewhere else.

A Blue Jay also found the fence a good vantage point.

More migrants

2007-05-16T09:14:00.000-05:00

Here we have a distant Flicker, who wouldn't let me approach close enough to get a good shot. The flickers here have a higher-pitched, and therefore decidedly more wimpy-sounding, call. The Georgia flickers could kick their butts.

This male Downy was down for some pishing- he flew in very close and did some macho hammering.

I have been seeing lots of Pine Warbler families. Check out Junior here, who looks like he's sulking about something. There were two kids and in true siblinig fashion, they were chasing each other and fussing at each other constantly. "You took my bug! I saw it first!" "No I didn't! It was mine!"

Two Redstarts were also flitting around in the pines, a female and an immature male. This is the fourth migrant species I've seen here.

Tonight we're supposed to camp out at Big Cypress National Preserve, where I hope to photograph Red-cockaded Woodpeckers. I'll let you know how it goes.

Get your gator on

2007-05-14T10:55:00.000-05:00

The excitement began today when I was trying to cross a canal in order to get to one of the research sites and I discovered this alligator lurking there. I was considering trying to jump over it, but not after seeing that the gator was waiting for people just like me to fall in while trying to jump across.

This Pine Warbler was ready for action when I started pishing at him.

I watched a few Red-winged Blackbirds mobbing a crow.

I love Eastern Meadowlarks! They are fat and have short tails, which is a guaranteed formula for cuteness. They also sing inexhaustibly.

A group of Black Vultures was perched on the fence along the Anhinga Trail. They would jump down onto the ground and run along the trail, looking like overgrown chickens. You could tell they were a close-knit family by the way one of the parents puked into the kids' mouths.

This gator was either lying in wait or just taking a nap.

This lizard was obviously trying to come on to me.

A gigantic Florida softshell turtle, giving me the evil eye.

Life in the SoFlo

2007-05-12T11:54:00.000-05:00

So my new job is in South Florida doing point counting work. There are three major areas, but we've been working in the pine rockland ecosystem of the Everglades lately.

This is what I have to commute through to get to work.

We have to start the counts right after dawn so we're there to see the sunrise every day...

There are some nasty plants out there, but some of them aren't so bad.

And of course, birds.

Red-bellied Woodpeckers are everywhere!

Loggerhead Shrikes are a lot more abundant here than in Georgia.

You also have to watch out for venomous snakes, like this cottonmouth...

...and ferocious Five-lined Skinks.

Hooray for the coast!

2007-04-24T18:15:00.000-05:00

This weekend I got to go to Brunswick for the Georgia Ornithological Society's spring meeting. I had never been to the coast before so I was pretty excited about it, with visions of terns and sandpipers dancing in my head.

Before we even got to Brunswick, I spied a big bird squatting on a powerline by the side of the road as we were whizzing to our destination. I was expecting it to be a hawk, but instead it was a barred owl, who was shortly joined by a second owl!

It's a long story, but barred owls are the bird that got me into the whole birding thing in the first place, so needless to say I have a soft spot for them and I was thrilled at the unexpected encounter.

The second owl flew back into the woods next to the road, and the first owl stayed on the powerline gazing intently at the grass below. Then he spied something and flew to a tree to get a better look at it, moving his head like a snake.

Voila! Dinner is served.

We checked in at the hotel and after meeting the fellow birders, retired early in anticipation of the morning trip to Jekyll Island.

There was a colony of Wood Storks at the Ampitheatre (I think that was it, I'm not very good with places) and they were nesting! I have a new bird to add to my list of favorites.

Carrying nesting material!

Then we went to the South Beach and got to see lots of terns! My dream come true. There were Royal, Forster's, Gull-billed, Least, and Sandwich Terns.

There were also Brown Pelicans and Black Skimmers- I must say the pelicans looked rather goofy standing amidst the elegant terns.

My camera was acting up that day, but we also went to a birdbath located in one of the campground and got to see warblers splashing around in the bath. Northern Parula, Black-and-white, and Yellow-rumped Warblers all came down to enjoy the facilities. A Worm-eating Warbler was seriously considering it, but decided to just spritz on some perfume instead and hope it covered up the stank.

That night we enjoyed a banquet and a talk on Roger Tory Peterson. Then the next day, it was off to Little St. Simon's Island.

On the way, we stopped at some random place (again, I'm not good with places) where there was marsh habitat and really cool birds.

Unfortunately I didn't get a picture, but one of the best parts of the day was seeing a Clapper Rail taking a bath!

Little Blue Heron

Red-winged Blackbird- they may be common birds but I love their style.

Then we went on to LSSI...

Yellow-crowned Night Heron skulking in the grass with blazing yellow eyes.

Black-necked Stilt!

Solitary Sandpiper being solitary.

Other birds we got to see were Mottled Ducks WITH CHICKS, Sora, Common Moorhens, both kinds of Dowitchers, both kinds of Yellowlegs, and Glossy Ibis.

Hermit crab- I saw a Willet trying to eat this guy but his house protected him.

Red-winged Blackbirds completing their toilette.

My favorite of favorite herons, the Green Heron, rocking the mohawk.

After riding the boat back to the mainland, it was time to head back to school and obligations, but with a lot more sanity than I came in with thanks to good birds and good company.

Chipping Sparrows

2007-03-30T14:35:00.000-05:00

I love chipping sparrows because they're so tiny and spunky. When they sing, their whole bodies vibrate with the effort. These two were foraging and occasionally chasing each other.

Spring flowers! Brought by... February showers?

Spring break part 2- Bosque del Apache NWR

2007-03-19T19:04:00.000-05:00

The best thing about going to Albuquerque is going to the Bosque del Apache NWR (even if it is 90 miles away). I had dazzling memories of it from my last visit so I had high hopes for this trip.

It was unusually warm there this time (at least, a LOT warmer than the last time I went) and many of the birds I had seen last time were replaced by ducks (in breeding plumage!)

[Click on any of the pictures to view a larger version.]

This gives you an idea of the sheer volume of ducks on the lakes (the ones in flight were mostly Green-winged Teal). Ducks on the water- “Where’s everyone going?”

Northern Shoveler

Cinnamon Teal

I didn’t get the appeal of ducks before (probably because the one time I went to look specifically for ducks it was freezing and windy) but now I’m a believer. My absolute favorites are Ruddy Ducks. You have to love those stiff little tails (which makes me think of them as ‘rudder ducks’) and big white cheeks.

Aaw!

There were lots of Pied-billed Grebes around but they all pulled the sinking act on me when I tried to photograph them. This one sank just like the rest of them, but when I waited around, he came back up with a fish!

He seemed very proud of the fish and carried it around for a while before eating it.

Edit: this bird is NOT a Wilson's Snipe, but a Long-billed Dowitcher- thanks to the members of the Georgia Orn. Society list-serve for pointing this out.

Lifebird: Greater Yellowlegs! The first thing I thought when I saw him was “You’re not a duck…”

The sandhill cranes may have been gone, but there were still a lot of geese hanging around.

This was a flock of both Ross's and Snow Geese canoodling together- you have to click on the picture to see a larger, more focused version.

My introduction into the world of shorebirds wouldn’t be complete if I didn’t have a Mystery Shorebird. They are the fall warblers of the water. What is this guy!? He wasn’t very big, about the same size as say, a Spotted Sandpiper.

Note the intriguing white eyebrow visible in this shot...

Perhaps a Lesser Yellowlegs?

A flock of Western Meadowlarks flew by and settled into a ditch on the side of the road. It was thrilling seeing that multitude of yellow chests with the dramatic black Vs going by.

After much suspense, I finally got to see a flock, or 'bevy' as they say, of Gambel's Quail! They were rather elusive when it came to photos but I got a shot of this one sneaking coyly into the brush. They scuttled around and clucked indignantly.

As much as I enjoyed this trip, there were some characters that I missed seeing from last time. To honor their memory, I've resurrected some photos from '06.

American Avocets

I did get to see many Harriers, but I didn't get to see one having a roadside meal, like this female was last time. Maybe an immature red-tail?

White-faced Ibis: seen from blind

Virginia Rail: also from blind

And last but not least, 'Miguel,' a Yellow Grosbeak who was visiting a feeder in my aunt's neighborhood.

Until next time!

Spring Break in New Mexico- woot! Part 1: Rio Grande Nature Center

2007-03-18T11:43:00.000-05:00

Spring break finally came, and unfortunately it has gone, but I had a rollicking time in between. My venerable aunt not only tolerates my birding bug, but feeds the flames. First stop: the Rio Grande Nature Center, which I soon found out was filled with ducks!

Ring-necked ducks!

Wood ducks- check out those hot eligible bachelors!

A female Hooded Merganser- she was on the market too!

The ducks looked peaceful enough, gliding serenely on the water, occasionally quacking irritably at most. But I soon saw their true colors when a staff member went in to refill their feeding platform- it was like a scene from The Birds.

They had no qualms about stomping on each other's backs to get onto the platform. It was like they hadn't eaten in weeks! This is the definition of the term 'feeding frenzy.'

There was an opening on the end of the platform but not for long- swooping in on the right is a female Mallard.

Other waterfowl I saw but didn't get to photograph were Cinnamon Teal, Pied-billed Grebe, and Bufflehead.

Ducks weren't the only attraction at the Nature Center. Behold the female Red-shafted Flicker. She stayed on the branch preening for a long time before finally flying off.

A female American Kestrel stopped me in my tracks when I saw her in a tree right in front of me. She flew off pretty fast but I managed to get a picture.

A pair of Greater Roadrunners were totally oblivious to people, which enabled me to get great looks at them carrying twigs back and forth, presumably to their nest site. One even dashed right up to me, I thought he was going to ask me for the toll to walk on the path.

Two Wood Ducks acting more like songbirds than ducks.

I also saw a Fox Sparrow in the brush around the feeders, which I later found out was an honor because it was only the second record of a Foxy in the Nature Center.

I spent my last day in New Mexico at the Nature Center helping out with bird banding, to brush up on the mad skillz I got last summer... did I remember any of it? To my relief, I succesfully extracted a Lincoln's Sparrow and a Bewick's Wren (everything except the poor guy's tongue- a toothpick had to be called in for that part). I guess it's like riding a bicycle- once you learn you don't forget. I wish I'd had my camera, because the Bird of the Day was a (previously banded) Swamp Sparrow! What a cutie.

Other birds seen:

male Cooper's Hawk

Spotted Towhee

White-throated Sparrow

White-breasted Nuthatch

Canada Goose (plenty of 'em)

Down by the lake

2007-03-11T19:26:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I went to a lake on the campus of my university- it's one of those places that you don't anticipate finding many birds beyond the local commoners but exceeds your expectations anyway. Kind of like seeing Cher at Pizza Hut (not that I would be too thrilled about Cher). In addition, there are always plenty of people/dogs around, which makes me even more amazed that in the midst of such chaos, I've discovered 5 lifebirds there (Green Heron, Wilson's Snipe, Yellow Warbler, Spotted Sandpiper, and Winter Wren). I can usually count on bluebirds, woodpeckers, phoebes, nuthatches, belted kingfishers, great blue heron, and hawks, too, and lately there's been a Pied-billed Grebe hanging around. Hey, obviously the birds think it's something special, so I'll keep going there too.

Spotted sandpiper going for a stroll along the lake. The way they walk, they look like they're being jerked along by a rather inexperienced puppeteer.

Back to the feeder- a cardinal waits his turn, it's getting competitive I tell you.

Birdfeeder drama continues

2007-03-08T17:13:00.000-05:00

The plumpest patron at my birdfeeder- yes, I'm promoting chickadee obesity. He's getting competition, though- a male and female cardinal and a couple of house finches have forced him to reduce his former 20-minute-long seed sessions to mere seconds.

A historic moment and a chickadee

2007-03-05T11:28:00.000-05:00

This is the historic and momentous moment of my first posting. Maybe I should explain who I am first. I am a college student, a female college student of legal drinking age nonetheless, who both stays up until 4 am doing rebellious college things AND regularly skulks around with binoculars stalking birds, even pishing if appropriate. There seems to be a generalization that birding is not a realm of people of my demographic and I want to prove that it can be, and not only that, but it can be cool. How this blog will help, I am not sure. I just like talking about birds, let's be honest here.

What about the chickadee part? Well, I'm very fond of chickadees, and so I put a birdfeeder up on the porch of my apartment where I can see it from my window. Sure enough, a chickadee has been a regular patron. Yesterday, he was gorging himself for an uninterrupted span of about 20 minutes, and the wind started blowing the feeder around pretty hard (it's just made of plastic), but he dug his heels in and hung on. It was hilarious-looking, like the birdfeeder was one of those whirly things at a fair. So today when I came back from classes and saw him back on the feeder, I decided to sneak up on him. He was so engrossed in picking the best seeds that I was only a few feet away from him before he noticed me and boy, was he mad that I'd tricked him. He was 'chick-a-dee-dee'ing at me from the tree outside the porch and if chickadees have curse words, he was using all of them.

A chickadee from my backyard.