April Showers bring May Migrants

Today's featured bird was one that got lost a few miles from Atlanta's Airport.  A Black-Necked Stilt showed up in a swallow pond at the Huie Ponds.  I'd seen them before in Texas and Delaware, but Black Neck Stilts are awesome birds so I didn't want to miss the chance to see one.  This one was gorgeous and hung out with some meadow flowers.  Not typically a breeding area for them, this one probably overshot his flight or managed to find a new stopover somewhere.  Its hard to say what brought him here, but as with most migrants, the important thing is to enjoy it before returns home!

What's your favorite migrant of the year?

Black-Necked Silt @ All About Birds - Link here

Wild Bird Wednesday - Link here

Duck Duck Goose

Moving to the south, I thought that I would be missing out on a lot of the goose that usually occur up North.  I am to report that Georgia has had all but one of the geese I got last year, the Barnacle Goose.  For many years, the barnie was my nemesis and evaded me and every corner.  But this year, I evaded it.  I also traded Barnie for a Ross's Goose.  Ross's was new for me last year and is definitely a welcome addition to my goose repertoire.  Barnie and the elusive Pink-footed goose might be long shots down here in the South, but you never know.

Canada Geese and some Cackling Geese

A Canada Goose and a Snow Goose

A Canada Goose and a Greater White Fronted Goose

Wild Bird Wednesday - Link here

Wetlands, Good Lands

Wetlands are important habitats for birds and many other animals.  Well cared for wetlands can be particularly valuable for animals especially in the winter months.  I toured some well maintained wetlands recently and it was a real joy.  The wetlands play host to a wide variety of animals and some gorgeous birds.  The Rails and waterfowl were particularly plentiful.  We got some great looks at Common Gallinules, a life bird for me, Sora, and others!  We heard a Virginia Waterfowl but we did not see it.

Taking care of wetlands is important and very hard to do.  From our earliest agricultural experiences, people are used to seeing wetlands as potential farms or other developments and that continues today.  There is also some controversy as to what constitutes and what doesn't a wetland.  These are important places and spaces for all animals and protecting them needs to be important.  I can't wait to get out and see some more birds and rails at the Wetlands across the southeast!  Until the next time!

What are your favorite wetlands to visit?

Common Gallinule

Pied-Billed Grebe

Sora

Wild Bird Wednesday - Link here

Info on Wetlands on the EPA - Link here

Merlin Magic

Merlins are tiny falcons that prey on all sorts of mammals and birds.  As I was birding some turf farms and as I was counting starlings, cowbirds and other blackbirds, I realized I was going to have to subtract my count by one.  A Raptor had come and grabbed one of the birds.  At first, I had assumed that the culprit was a Coopers or a Sharpie, but then as I got closer, I saw that I was eyeing a Merlin.

Merlins are vicious little falcons and this that can eat a variety of prey.  This one took me a while to ID because the chest was so much lighter, but as you can see from these pics, the light mustache eliminates non-falcon raptors.  The lack of barring and size confirm that this bird is a Merlin and my first Georgia Merlin at that.  I've seen a few in New England, but getting one in my new home was very exciting.

Along with explore new places, seeing new state birds helps a place feel more like home.  Seeing this Merlin, who by now has reached his wintering spot, added a great falcon to my state list.  Hopefully, there will be more birds to add to my state list

All About Birds - Merlin - Link here

Wild Bird Wednesday - Link here

Quiz Bird:  What Birds do you see here?

Also Blog Post #200 is coming up, how should I commemorate this occasion?

Bittern Not Bitter

Sorry that the Posts have been so infrequent.  I will explain more in the next few post.

I recently had a close-ish encounter with an American Bittern.  Bitterns are usually heard and not seen.  Sometimes I feel that there are too many birds that we get to hear and not seen frequently.  I love seeing Robins, Towhees, Titmice, and Cardinals, but would it hurt to see a Nightjar or Owl or something.  Well, I guess to those birds it might.  Plus it just adds to their mystique.

In any case, I left my home at 5:30 in the morning to get to the marsh where the American Bittern was being seen.  As I got to the marsh, there was still fog over the whole site.  I could barely see a thing.  Since the Sun had just risen, I decided to wait for the rays to burn off the moisture and that might lead to a success spotting of the Bittern.  I still surveyed and monitored the marsh.  I noticed there as a brown thing sitting amongst the grasses...

I was curious but I wasn't going to get too excited.  They say the early bird gets the worm.  But at this marsh, I got the American Bittern, Virginia Rails, Wood Ducks, Green Herons, Mallards, Willow Flycatchers, Eastern Phoebes, and Common Yellowthroats were all out and about.  It was a true pleasure to sit and share a moment with an oft hidden bird as it stalked, feed, and even called a few times.  

Any good sightings or thoughts out there recently?  Share in the comments below and until the next time, get out and go birding!

American Bittern at All About Birds - Link here

2014 Year List: 262
Life List: 351

Linking to Wild Bird Wednesday - Link here

Summer Birding Had Me a Blast

I am writing this during a busy summer.  Summer is a great time to bird and be in nature.  The better challenge might be funding a time that isn't so great to be outside and exploring.  But it's summer and I find myself focusing on the  birds that are around now.  Namely breeding birds.   There are a few vagrants around but most time is supreme finding critters that are sticking around with their nests.  . 

A nasty of barn swallows at a local park.   These barn swallows were ready to pop out of their nest.  Literally. Mom and dad asking with the other parents and adults keep close eyes I  these youngsters.  They are ready to buzz and defend against any and all who approach.  Birds will protect their nest and it is important to recognize this behavior to protect the bird.

Can you find the American Avocet in the Picture? (C) Not my Photo!

A Double Crested Coromorant in Central Park

What's your favorite part about summer birding?  Post it below!  Until the next time, get out and go birding!

Linking to Wild Bird Wednesday - Link here

Ruby Throated Entry

Put 2 paper clips in your hand.  This is the weight of your average Ruby-Throated Hummingbird.  Hummingbirds are pretty incredible birds.  But I don't have to tell you that.  You know how amazing they are.  The Hummers that zip around our gardens and parks spend their winter in Mexico and Central America.  How they make back and forth between their breeding grounds and their wintering grounds is a true feat of nature.  I was lucky enough to hear a UConn Grad Student in the Ornithology Department present on his findings regarding Hummes and their evolution.  There's a link below to his findings and they are extraordinary!

The talk focused on their tongues and beaks as tools to maximize their consumption of nectar.  In fact, most of the hummingbird seems to be geared towards getting the maximum amount of nectar.  Their flying agility is unparalleled but they are themselves very rigid.  Males leave females to care for the brood all on their own.  Females will build their nests near raptor nests to maximize protection.  Its worth nothing here that only 1 raptor is known to enjoy hunting and eating hummers, the Bat Falcon of South America.  Hummers are truly amazing animals!

What's your favorite Hummer experience?  Share in the comments below.  Until the next time, get outside and go birding!

Nature's Magic In The Air Documentary - Link here

UConn's Work on Hummingbirds- Link here

Ruby-Throated Hummingbird at All About Birds - Link here

A Thrush for the Ages

Sometimes you encounter a bird you never expect to.  A couple of weeks ago, I was lucky to see a Grey-Cheeked Thrush here in Connecticut.  The bird was in a local park and had popped up in front of me and a friend.  I had never seen one before and my mind went racing when I first saw it.

Swainson's Thrush? No, couldn't be.  Doesn't have enough color in the throat to be a Swainson's.  Does it have an eye ring? No... Ok, so it probably is not...

Veery?  Not brown enough.  Also, these trees don't seem right.  A Veery passing through possibly.  But the Brown isn't right and the throat is too plain...

Hermit Thrush? The Color is all off...Maybe this is a Grey-Cheeked Thrush

Bicknell's Thrush?  Can't tell until it vocalizes... Oh there it goes!  Perfect

I've got myself a Grey-Cheeked Thrush!  A new Life Bird.  Enjoy a photo of the bird.  Until the next time, get outside and Go Birding!

Grey-Cheeked Thrush at AllAboutBirds - Link Here

On Winged Flight

Swallows and swifts are two birds that enjoy most of their lives on the wing.  Meaning that their capacities for flight are impeccable.  Some of these birds can only eat on the wing and some can even sleep on the wing (so the rumor goes...).  These birds are simply put awesome visitors to our environments.  I've been lucky enough to be a Tree Swallow Nest Monitor for a local Park Group and Audubon Connecticut IBA.  Being a Nest Monitor means that you get a real close up view of a birds nest.  It also means that you get buzzed a lot by Tree Swallows.  I am hoping that consistently doing this over the next few weeks will mean that the tree swallows will eventually recognize me and will buzz me less.

Some fun Facts about Swallows:

For many years, people and ornithologists believed that swallows would borrow into river banks to hibernate.  Today, we have tracked their migrations as far as south America.  Some appear to have flown through the day and night!  Do these birds possess the capability to sleep in flight?  or can they, like dolphins, shut off part of their brain?

The vast Majority of Purple Martins live in Human made habitats.  Why you ask?  Supposedly Native Americans discovered the fact that Purple Martins like to nest in dying Gourds.  At the same time, they discovered that the Purple Martins ate a lot of the insects that would otherwise threaten the crops.  They also also protected the crops and fields from Crows.  So Wins all around for the Martins and the Native Americans.

These birds are also among the hardest to photograph.  I was going to include a picture of Chimney Swifts, but they all come out blurry or too tiny to really appreciate the bird.  Chimney Swifts are also a struggling species due to habitat loss and the growing unpopularity of Chimneys (no joke).  Many people are opting to cap their Chimneys and this has resulted in a massive decrease in where Chimney Swifts can nest and their successful broods.

Also...

Bank Swallows nest along side the Banks of rivers, not in commercial Banks :) Couldn't resist.  

Here's a tip when it comes to IDing Swallows.  Learn how to do it without your bins.  Take time to appreciate their colors and shape with your naked eye before you start chasing them around with your bins on.  Enjoy their acrobatic antics and make observations and use your bins to verify details and colors.  Until the next time, get out side and go birding!

What do you think about our winged friends who soar instead of dart?

Tree Swallow sitting on a Nest Box

Northern Rough-Winged Swallow flying over water

Purple Martins in and out of Gourds

Bank Swallow over a River

Wild Bird Wednesday - Link Here

Nesting Season

ETHICAL DISCLOSURE: These nests were minimally disrupted.  I did not touch the tree with the nest nor move and nor harass the nest or birds.  If Parent Bird was close, I did not approach.  When Parent approached, I ceased my activities and left the scene.  In short, I aimed to respect the space of the birds and their chances at breeding.

Birds breeding powers their migration, courtship rituals, and plumage.  While we may dream about seeing the amazing breeding grounds of the tundra or the rainforest, our local birds aren't too shabby.  We just need to know where to look and how to look.  Finding nests is kind of like finding a pot of gold.  You can get a real intimate view of the bird.  But here are some thoughts on the ethics and moral dilemmas of looking at and photographing Nests.

#1 - Do Not Anger Mom and Pop - Pissing off parents can be a dangerous proposition.  You don't want to scare them off their nesting duties and you don't want to draw attention to the nest.  If you have to make too much motion or commotion, you might really endanger the nest

#2 - Do Not Disturb the Tree/Shrub/Ground - Different birds have different nesting strategies and its important to know them so you don't disturb them.  Knowing where birds like to build their nests also makes it easier to find them!

#3 - Take only Memories - Don't gather a memento of your encounter with a bird nest.  It is against the Migratory Bird Act to take nests and also detrimental to the birds themselves.  

Enjoy the many activities of our breeding feathered friends!  What are your favorite encounters with a nest and breeding birds?  Share in the comments below and until next time!

Northern Flicker in Nest

American Redstart on the Nest

Yellow Warbler Nest

Eastern Phoebe Nest

Linking to Wild Bird Wednesday - Link here

Accidental Big Day

So this past Weekend, I found myself doing something I had never done before.  After a productive stop at Bent of the River Audubon Center (link here) where I had over 50+ species of birds, I thought to myself after a friend mentioned it, if I could break 100 in a day.  Well, I tried and I did.  It wasn't a really planned big day and in fact, if i could do it all over again, I would structure my day a little differently.  But all that being said, I had a rather good day.  I've included my list and some photos from the day below.

Until the next time, get outside and go birding!

Brant

Canada Goose

Mallard

Green-winged Teal

Common Merganser

Wild Turkey

Common Loon

Double-crested Cormorant

Great Blue Heron

Great Egret

Osprey

Bald Eagle

American Oystercatcher

Black-bellied Plover

Semipalmated Plover

Piping Plover

Killdeer

Spotted Sandpiper

Solitary Sandpiper

Willet

Upland Sandpiper  FOY

Ruddy Turnstone

Dunlin

Least Sandpiper

Semipalmated Sandpiper

Short-billed Dowitcher

Ring-billed Gull

Herring Gull

Great Black-backed Gull

Least Tern

Common Tern

Rock Pigeon

Mourning Dove

Barred Owl

Chimney Swift

Ruby-throated Hummingbird

Belted Kingfisher

Red-bellied Woodpecker

Downy Woodpecker

Hairy Woodpecker

Northern Flicker

Willow Flycatcher  FOY

Eastern Phoebe

Great Crested Flycatcher  FOY

Eastern Kingbird

Blue-headed Vireo  FOY

Warbling Vireo

Red-eyed Vireo

Blue Jay

American Crow

Northern Rough-winged Swallow

Tree Swallow

Bank Swallow FOY

Barn Swallow

Cliff Swallow FOY

Black-capped Chickadee

Tufted Titmouse

White-breasted Nuthatch

House Wren

Carolina Wren

Eastern Bluebird

Wood Thrush

American Robin

Gray Catbird

Northern Mockingbird

European Starling

Ovenbird FOY

Worm-eating Warbler

Louisiana Waterthrush

Blue-winged Warbler

Black-and-white Warbler

Common Yellowthroat

Hooded Warbler FOY

American Redstart

Northern Parula

Magnolia Warbler FOY

Blackburnian Warbler FOY

Yellow Warbler

Black-throated Blue Warbler FOY

Yellow-rumped Warbler

Prairie Warbler FOY

Black-throated Green Warbler FOY

Canada Warbler FOY

Wilson's Warbler FOY

Chipping Sparrow

Field Sparrow

Savannah Sparrow

Grasshopper Sparrow FOY

Song Sparrow

Lincoln's Sparrow FOT

White-throated Sparrow

Northern Cardinal

Rose-breasted Grosbeak

Indigo Bunting FOY

Bobolink FOY

Red-winged Blackbird

Brown-headed Cowbird

Baltimore Oriole

American Goldfinch

House Sparrow

Canada Warbler, a first for CT for me

Short-Billed Dowitcher

Lincoln's Sparrow

Ovenbird

Bobolink, another CT first for me

Linking to Wild Bird Wednesday

The Non-Warbler Special: Shorebirds

While warbler neck begins to strike the Birders of North America, other poor birds are ignored.  This tragedy can be reserved though.  Don't just look up, take some time and look down.  While walking a trail in a Connecticut Warbler Hotspot, I found a Solitary Sandpiper strutting around.  It was a great find for me in a park most noted for its warblers.

Its worth checking out a beach or two over the next few weeks.  Lots of birds will be using beaches to prepare for nesting and as staging grounds for migration.  They are important habitats for any number of species.  They are also hotly contested areas too.  Developers also see them as key habitats.  But that is a bit off topic.  Enjoy the Warblers and enjoy all the birds!

Happy Mothers Day and Go Birding!

Snowy Egret and a Yellowlegs!

Solitary Sandpiper

Silhouette of a Solitary Sandpiper

Say Hello to My Little Gull Friend

This weekend, Connecticut was gifted with the arrival of a Little Gull.  Well, arrival implies that there was only one Little Gull around, turns out that the CT Shoreline is playing host to as many as 3 Little Gulls.  Little Gulls are one of the few times where the name is 100% appropriate for the bird.  The Little Gull is indeed the world's smallest gull.  While the vast bulk of the Little Gulls breed in Eastern Europe and Central Asia, they do have a few small and scattered colonies in Ontario.  The Little Gull prefers to eat insects and anything it can find on the surface of the water. This makes it similar to the Ross's Gull and the Bonaparte's Gull.

But that has little bearing on how the LIGU got to CT's coastline and how it was found.  Earlier in the week, one had been spotted in Stratford by a local birder.  So the probability was high that another would be close.  So when one was spotted Saturday Afternoon, I had to rush over to see it.  Unfortunately I was in the middle of a food shopping trip so the poor cashier had to work through my twitching and looking at my phone.  By the time I got over to Stratford, The bird had of course flown away.  Also by the time I got there, a small cadre of birders had joined up to find the gull.  It was great to see several birders at the lookout but it was also fun to see lots of people interested in what we were doing.  While most were confused by the notion of a "Little Gull" Aren't they all little?  Most seem excited to hear about this wayward Eurasian Gull and hoped that we find it

People came, people left, and a few relocations later, we found the bird flying about with a group of about 800 Bonaparte's Gulls.  How do you find a Little Gull amongst 800 Bonnies?  First thing to look for are the dark underwings.  That is the distinguishing mark of a Little Gull.  Which means that most time Gulling is spent minor details and poring over leg and eye colors and hoping that the birds stay still, in the search for a Little Gull, you can do those things, but you are also excited when they take off because then you can see the wings!

I could go on and on.  But instead I will say that the best thing to do when looking for wayward gulls and birds is to look in the field, study books at home, and look in the field!  Until the time, Get out and go birding!

The Little Gull flying away with many other gulls RBGU and BOGU

The Little Gull Closer Up, notice the dark underwings

AllAboutBirds Profile on the Little Gull - Link here

RSPB Profile on the Little Gull - Link here

I am Linking this the Wild Bird Wednesday

Look! Many Seagulls!

More gulls you say?  These aren't just any gulls.  They are Bonaparte's gulls.  Bonnie's are one of the smallest gulls around and are often described as the most tern like gull in most guides.  This certainly makes them interesting bird to observe in the wild.  They appear off in Long Island Sound to eat the eggs and larvae of various invertebrates.  Bonnies, as they are lovingly called, come and feed off of these blooms and larvae.  While small, they are durable and can bring with them great European Rarities like Little Gulls and Black-Headed Gulls.  While I got the BHGU (no pictures sadly) I have yet to see a Little Gull.

Gulls are great animals to see and witness in the wild.  Bonnies and other gulls are great reminders that there are endless adaptations to simple forms.  Can't wait to go and see more gulls and other birds as migration comes closer and closer.  Bonnies are great gulls to see and enjoy.  Hopefully you'll find some soon.  Until next time, Go outside and bird!

Couple of Bonnies

Herring Gull with Great Views of the top wings

Yep, More Gulls!

Sorry for the short hiatus.  I was away birding in Texas.  Photos up Later!

Feeding Frenzy of Gulls

During the past couple of outings, I have noticed an odd number of gulls congregating off shore.  As Spring nears, invertebrates are getting ready to release their eggs and with that comes birds and migration.  To migrate, a bird needs flight (duh), a place to go (nesting spot), and food along the way.  The food often presents the most troubling step for birds.  While I can go on and on, I want to talk about the struggle of food.

On a visit to Hammonasset, I witness a real dogfight between some gulls.  They were fighting over food that people had left behind.  This will of course cause problems when the other breeding shore birds start to show up.  But these gulls were really going at it over this food.  There was dynamic flying, calling, and a real sense that this food was absolutely vital to their survival.  As the fight went on, I was impressed with the determination of the gulls and how they had adapted.  All the birds made opportunity cost calculations.  The one with the food was attempting to fly away with as little effort as possible.  As the dog fight continued, fewer and few gulls remained.  They figured that their probability of getting food was low enough that staying wasn't worth their time.  Eventually, the gull who found the food was able to hold off the other gulls...

A Dark Juvenile Herring Gull

The Distant raft of gulls

Herring Gulls fighting, yelling, and flying over food

It was a real dogfight!

Not Quite Migration

Everyday Spring migration draws nearer and nearer.  Or so they tell me.  While the last storm missed Connecticut, we got a good burst of cold wind and weather nonetheless.  Of course, that doesn't keep the New England Birder at bay.  Well, actually, it takes the New England Birder right to the Bay.  I visited several parks that were near open water this past weekend with great success.  I found an Eared Grebe that had been a winter resident near Greenwich Point Park.  While I had seen the EAGB in Texas, it was nice to add this rare bird to my Connecticut List.

The 2 most exciting birds that I got this last outing were the Long Eared Owl and a Glaucous Gull!  Both were great finds in the state of Connecticut.  It was hard to snap photos of the better birds due to distance and folliage, but all 3 were great birds to find for different reasons.  The Owl was just a great find.  Its silence and almost magical flight around me made me truly feel special to share space with that bird.  The Glaucous Gull was a bit more of a workhouse find.  Visiting Southbury where hundreds of Gulls have been visiting and to find the Glaucous, I had to sort through the Gulls.  Sitting out, against the wind, I had to sort through hundreds of Gulls and when I found the Glaucous, I felt like all those hours of reading and work finally paid off!  

I can't wait til the next weekend comes.  Until the next time, get outside and go birding!

A House Finch

Red-Bellied Woodpecker

Juvenile Eastern Bluebird

Downy Woodpecker

Long-Eared Owl

2014 Year Birds: 127
CT Year Birds: 120
Notable Additions:
Long-Eared Owl *Life and Goal Bird*
Eared Grebe
Glaucous Gull *Life Bird*