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The flow'rs are
bursting
From ev'ry bough,
And thousand voices
Each bush yields now.
-- Goethe,
"May Song" |
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Tuesday,
May 31, 2005 |
Bird Count -
345 |
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Warblers Of Eastern North America
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Now that the Core Team May warbler census (a colorful
way to say that we went birding a lot this month) has concluded, it's
time to review. Wood-warblers are fantastic little insectivores,
brilliantly diverse in plumage, behavior, and habitat. North America is
home to 54 species of warblers in 17 genera. All but one of these birds
are of the family Parulidae. At least 45 of these species have
been spotted east of the Mississippi River, but only 37 of them can be
expected to appear reliably on the eastern seaboard. These 37 species
are, for a span of several weeks, the most highly sought birds around.
The largest genus of warblers is Dendroica, which holds
all kinds of sexually dimorphic warblers from ground dwellers to tree
toppers. Most of these birds, particularly the black-throated syndicate,
are adorned in some combination of yellow, black, and/or white. Notable
exceptions include the male Black-throated Blue and Cerulean
Warblers, both obviously blue, and the Blackburnian Warbler,
known as the firethroat because of the striking blend of flaming
orange and red feathers from its head to breast.
Vermivora is the second largest genus of wood-warblers. Of this
group, the Blue-winged and Golden-winged Warblers deserve
special note. These species cross-breed so regularly that their hybrids
were originally named as separate species. First generation offspring of
pure parents are known as Brewster's Warbler and one form of
backcross, a hybrid paired with a purebred, is identified as a
Lawrence's Warbler.
The Seiurus warblers are the ground-foraging waterthrushes and
Ovenbird. These birds do not display the dimorphism so common in
parulids. Warblers in the genus Oporornis present variations on a
theme of olive above and yellow below, with facial markings of black or
gray extending down to the neck and breast. These relatively stocky
birds skulk in heavy brush. These are just a few of the many genera of wood-warblers
that offer the avian enthusiast such a profusion of pretty passerines.
This past month, I am pleased to report that we saw 18 different warbler
species, including 11 new ones. This happy turn of events brings our
life list of warblers up to 22. I'm hardly mentioning this to gloat, as
skilled birders can see a wider variety of parulids than this in a
single day. Instead, my enthusiasm is meant as evidence of how utterly
fascinating warbler watching can be.
As far as this novice can tell, each season is dominated by a different
class of birds. Birders generally watch shorebirds in summer, raptors in
autumn, and waterfowl in winter. Thanks to their dazzling diversity of
color, furtive nature, and transient presence, warblers and their fellow
neotropical migrants monopolize spring birding. In the New York area,
migration has already peaked, so it's now safe to try to make plans with
bird watchers.
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Posted by
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Monday,
May 30, 2005 |
Bird Count -
345 |
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Another Weekend, Another Warbler
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 The Core Team May warbler blitz continued unabated this weekend.
We were joined by Seth, who has, at long last, succumbed to the
sweet siren song of birding. He's even started his life list, so
we tried to pad it as thoroughly as we could with the
pulchritudinous passerines of spring migration.
Saturday found us yet again at Inwood Hill Park. Of
course, we spotted
starlings, pigeons, doves, catbirds, grackles, blackbirds, cardinals, robins, blue
jays, and mockingbirds, along with the expected three species of woodpecker.
The usual
Mallard,
Canada Goose,
Double-crested Cormorant,
and
Great Egret
were joined by mature and juvenile
Black-crowned Night-Heron.
Another bird that's flown its way into the "common" category
this month is the
Baltimore Oriole.
We've viewed these astonishing orange avians everywhere lately.
This time we even found one sitting in its pendulous nest.
Inwood Hill still had some warblers to deliver, as we picked up
single sightings of two more lifers. The first was a
Black-throated Green Warbler that hung around long
enough for all of us to get great views. The next was new to all
of us, a brilliant black, white, and gold
Yellow-throated Warbler.
Black-and-white,
Blackpoll,
and
Canada
Warbler rounded out the day's warbler list. Other pleasant
additions were
Eastern Kingbird,
Scarlet Tanager,
Carolina
Wren,
Barn Swallow,
Chimney
Swift, and both
Red-eyed
and
Warbling Vireo. We also saw plenty of flycatchers, but besides
the obvious
Great
Crested Flycatcher, I just didn't feel up to identifying them.
On Sunday, we visited
Sterling Forest State Park, a prominent birding location well north of
NYC. Sterling Forest is known for its breeding populations of
Golden-winged, Blue-winged, and Cerulean Warblers, all
of which we inexplicably failed to find. We experienced a fantastic day
of birding nonetheless. The main revelation of the day was the
incredible
Indigo Bunting. This beautiful bird is as
blue as they come, an intense, unbroken azure that extends from top to
tail. We've heard reports of frequent bunting sightings all month, but
never saw a single one until yesterday. The wait was well worth it,
although a funny thing happened from the first time we saw an indigo
bunting early in the morning to the umpteenth time we spotted it as the
day progressed. We've only experienced this phenomenon a few times
before, where a new bird, through its sheer ubiquity, crosses the line
from amazing to annoying. As much as we loved the indigo bunting, we'd
have enjoyed it more had we enjoyed it less.
Another extremely common bird was the
Yellow Warbler.
With bright plumage the color of sunflowers adorned by rich red streaks
on its breast, the yellow warbler is always pleasant company.
Usually, we only spot one or two during an outing. This time, we were
surrounded by them. A great lesson to take from this is that almost
every species is abundant somewhere.
Along with the yellow warbler, we saw
Black-and-white,
American Redstart,
and, as usual, a couple of new species. The
Prairie Warbler, olive with rust streaks
above, yellow with black streaks below, appeared often to other birders
this weekend, but only popped up once for us. However, a single
excellent sighting of a male in full plumage singing in the sun is
enough for us. That's what we got with the prairie and that's what we
got with the
Chestnut-sided Warbler, a bird we've been
eager to view. This exquisite avian sports an unusual lemon yellow cap
along with the rich brown flanks for which it is named. Brilliant!
The day's list included all of the commons from the previous day, along
with more
Baltimore Oriole,
Eastern Kingbird,
Red-eyed
Vireo, and
Scarlet Tanager.
Abundant
Red-tailed Hawk
and
Turkey Vulture
circled overhead.
American Goldfinch,
Tree Swallow,
Eastern Towhee,
Great Blue Heron,
and also
Cedar
Waxwing
made the scene. We spotted a couple of
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
buzzing about amidst the trees, always a welcome change from seeing them
at feeders. Last but certainly not least was a group of
Black-billed Cuckoo. Though we've spotted
one Squirrel Cuckoo high in the canopy of the Belizean rain
forest, we despaired of ever spotting any of the two, ostensibly common
northeastern U.S. species. Now that one of these sleek beauties has
gorged itself on a fat green caterpillar from a branch no more than ten
feet away from us, we need despair no longer!
So, our magical May migration has come to an end. We've had the pleasure
of watching a plentitude of birds this month, including 18 new species.
Our focus on colorful songbirds paid off handsomely, as 11 of these
lifers were the warblers we so ardently sought. Who knows what
excitement June holds?
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Posted by
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Friday,
May 27, 2005 |
Bird Count -
339 |
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Reflections Of Ardea Alba
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The
sinuous, elegant image of this
Great Egret
echoed on the placid surface of the Spuyten Duyvil calls to mind
the following quote by the irrepressible wag, Oscar Wilde:
Beauty is a form of genius -- is higher, indeed, than genius,
as it needs no explanation. It is of the great facts in the
world like sunlight, or springtime, or the reflection in dark
water of that silver shell we call the moon.
Everyone loves an egret. Known also as the White Egret,
Great White Egret, American Egret, Common Egret, Large Egret,
Great White Heron, and angel bird, Ardea alba is a
familiar sight just about anywhere shallow water touches land.
Although fairly common now, the great egret came perilously
close to extinction at the hands of the hat trade at the
beginning of the twentieth century; egret plumes were deemed a
fashion accessory. Today, the primary threat to egret
productivity is destruction of its wetland and coastal habitat.
Thankfully, there are those places, like Chincoteague NWR in
Virginia, where the great egrets stretch as far as the eye can
see. Pure genius! |
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Posted by
Mike
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Wednesday,
May 25, 2005 |
Bird Count -
339 |
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Poll Position
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The
Black-and-white Warbler and
Blackpoll Warbler are very similar in that they are both black
and white warblers. The blackpoll, however, has a black poll. The
poll, our birding word of the day, is the top of the head or the
part of the head between the ears. The blackpoll warbler is all black on
top, whereas the black-and-white warbler is, as you might expect,
striped black and white.
A bird's pate is more often referenced in avian nomenclature as a crown.
Countless species have common names referencing their crowns, crests,
and heads but only
four in the entire world are known for their polls. The blackpoll is
obviously one of them. The
Common
Redpoll and its pale
relation, the
Hoary
Redpoll are also noted for
the shade of their scalps, red naturally. The last on the list is the
Black-polled Yellowthroat. Pictures of this neotropical warbler are
regrettably scarce, as it is an endangered species. One can only presume
that its head is of a darker hue than that of its
common
cousin.
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Posted by
Mike
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Tuesday,
May 24, 2005 |
Bird Count -
339 |
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Don't Jump In The Lake!
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Sara and I visited Prospect Park for the birdlife. Mason was more
interested in looking for fish...
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Posted by
Mike
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Monday,
May 23, 2005 |
Bird Count -
339 |
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More Weekend Warbling
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 Spring migration may already be winding down here in the New
York Metro area, but there are still plenty of warblers we
haven't seen yet. In order to capitalize on the current bounty
of birds, the Core Team doubled up this weekend. Saturday saw us
back at Inwood Hill Park while Sunday brought us to Prospect
Park in Brooklyn.
Inwood Hill Park was hardly the cornucopia of warblers we
experienced last weekend. This was
in part a function of timing; instead of arriving early in the
morning, we got there midday. Our attention was also split.
Throughout the weekend, I endeavored to time our trips so that
Mason would nap in his stroller as we ogled avifauna. On that
score, our little prince was less than cooperative. So, though
we didn't spy too many of what I deem "interesting" birds on our
outings, we made the ones we did see count. Considering how
distractingly adorable Mason is, we're lucky we spotted any
birds at all!
All of the usual suspects—the
starlings, pigeons, doves, grackles, cardinals, robins, blue
jays, and waterfowl—could be found at Inwood Hill. The
traditional woodpeckers were there too. Blisteringly beautiful
Baltimore Oriole
flew everywhere, their intense orange color setting off a gray day.
Warblers weren't exactly dripping from the trees this time
around, but we were fortunate enough to view
American Redstart,
Black-and-white Warbler,
Common Yellowthroat,
and
Canada
Warbler. I also spied a
Black-throated Green Warbler, a new bird for us, but I
wasn't able to get Sara on it quick enough.
Though we didn't spot many different
species at Inwood
Hill Park, we did find a new one. First, a
Veery,
our first new thrush of the season, popped into view. Right behind it
came another thrush, very rusty in color with thick black spots coursing
down its chest and sides. This was a
Wood Thrush,
a life bird a long time coming. Lovely!
We visited Inwood Hill Park because a local birder,
Ken Allaire
made it sound so appealing. We made the trip to Prospect Park for the
same reason. Due to my borough prejudice, I had never visited this
spectacular public space. However, Rob Jett, also known as
The City Birder,
has birded this park so thoroughly and documented such a dazzling array
of spring avians that we just couldn't keep away. Thanks to his
painstaking commitment to detailed trip reports, we were able to
maximize our regrettably limited birding time.
We went straight to the Peninsula, noting an initial paucity of
passerines. However, quality trumps quantity in my book. Of course, the
same common birds we saw in Inwood Hill were present. Along with the
typical
House
Sparrow, irritatingly exuberant during
breeding season, the park offered
Song,
Chipping,
and
Swamp Sparrow, the last one a lifer for us.
Our first
Eastern Kingbird
of the season, with its unmistakable white-tipped tail, was most
welcome. So was a stealthy
Warbling Vireo, remarkable mainly for its
utter lack of distinctive marks, which we finally added to our list. The
usual ducks, geese, and swans plied the lake as a
Black-crowned Night-Heron
and
Great Blue Heron
shared a perch.
Red-winged Blackbird
and
Gray
Catbird called from the shore while
Barn Swallow
and
Chimney
Swift spiraled above. But the lake held
little interest; there will be time enough for shorebirds come summer.
Though they were few and far between, warblers did manifest in
gratifying diversity. Along with more redstarts and yellowthroats, we
spotted a waterthrush, presumably
Northern.
There were
Ovenbird,
Yellow-rumped
Warbler,
and, best of all, some brand new birds. What can I say, I love spotting
a bird for the first time. The first of these was a
Wilson's Warbler, a lemon yellow songbird
with a snazzy black cap. The second, also sporting a black cap but
attired in a more subdued black and white motif, was a
Blackpoll Warbler. Add a
House
Wren and you've got a pleasant hour of
birding.
We barely scratched the surface of the Prospect Park. If you'd like to
find out just how productive this park, along with the rest of the area,
can be, check out
The City Birder.
While you're doing that, we'll bask in the glory of our warbler-rich
month, 14 species and counting. Even better, May still has one more
weekend.
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Posted by
Mike
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Friday,
May 20, 2005 |
Bird Count -
334 |
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Grack-Attack!
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 Grackles are intimidating birds, there's no denying it. With
their dagger beaks, sinister strut, and evil yellow glare, they
often seem as if they'd as soon kill a body as look at him. The
grackles in Texas seem especially threatening. At the risk of
anthropomorphizing avifauna, I'd say that the Lone Star birds bear
malice in their hearts. This sometimes leads to tense standoffs
in public parks, but open violence hasn't broken out a large
scale...until now.
The Associated Press
reports
that grackles are openly attacking people in Houston. Presumably
these are
Great-tailed Grackle,
close relatives of the
Boat-tailed Grackle pictured to the right. Though the avian
aggression seems to be associated with protection of offspring,
I wonder if it isn't at least partially motivated by politics.
After so many assaults on the environment by a Texan, the
environment was bound to respond in kind.
HOUSTON - Like a scene from the horror movie "The Birds," large black
grackles are swooping down on downtown Houston and attacking people's
heads, hair and backs. Authorities closed off a sidewalk after the
aggressive birds, which can have 2-foot wingspans, flew out of magnolia
trees Monday in front of the County Administration Building.
"They were just
going crazy," said constable Wilbert Jue, who works at the building.
"They were attacking everybody that walked by."
The grackles zeroed
in on a lawyer who shooed a bird away before he tripped and injured his
face, Jue said. The lawyer was treated for several cuts. It appears that
the birds are protecting their offspring. On Monday a young grackle had
fallen out of its nest and adult birds attacked people who got too
close, Jue said. Another bird attacked a deputy county clerk.
"I hit him with a
bottle," said Sylvia Velasquez. "The other birds came, and one attacked
my blouse and on my back."
Two women came to
help her after she fell to the ground, and the birds attacked them as
well. The group escaped by running into the building.
"This is a very
Hitchcock kind of story. Very Tippi Hedren," said downtown worker Laura
Aranda Smith, referring to one of the stars of Alfred Hitchcock's move
"The Birds."
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Posted by
Mike
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Thursday,
May 19, 2005 |
Bird Count -
334 |
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American Apprentice Idol
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Although it is widely accepted that reality
programming has changed network television on a fundamental level, few
seem willing to admit that the transformation has been, at least in some ways, a
beneficial one. Certain reality shows just rock. Now, Sara and I hardly
qualify as informed critics of modern television. Hell, we only have
basic cable. We're also way too busy to get involved in too many shows.
Surprisingly though, two of our favorites are reality shows. Yes, I'll
admit it: we love American Idol
and The Apprentice.
Our interest in these programs seems inexplicable. The Core Team can
best be described as pop-averse, and Sara is as far from a corporate
type as you'll ever meet. Yet we enjoy stories of real people struggling
and mostly failing to realize outlandish dreams. The contestants on
American Idol and The Apprentice beat out thousands and thousands of
applicants for an opportunity to participate in a seemingly endless
audition or job interview, respectively. Each participant comes to the
table with his or her own portfolio of talent and experience, usually
enough to guarantee fame or fortune in a different arena. Yet most of
them, in their courageous but clueless pursuit of a fantasy, will stumble in a very public and
embarrassing fashion. How is this not amazing television?
So, now that our dirty secret is out, I'd like to make some predictions.
We've been big fans of Bo Bice since the season began and became
comfortable with the idea of him becoming our American Idol long ago. Bo
will win next week in a walk. The Apprentice is a little tougher to
call. Tana has been the frontrunner for most of the season, thanks to
her great attitude and cheerful competence. However, Kendra quietly
established a reputation for artful leadership and attention to detail.
Kendra absolutely creamed Tana in the final task. In Tana's defense, she
got saddled with a blithering band of incompetents, but she also showed
an ugly side of herself in response while Kendra managed to succeed with
her own team of misfit toys. Either one would be an asset to any
business, but we anticipate that Kendra will be hired
tonight as the newest Apprentice.
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Posted by
Mike
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Wednesday,
May 18, 2005 |
Bird Count -
329 |
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Tangled Bank #28 |
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If television has taught us
anything (and hasn't it taught us so much?) it's that medical
professionals lead tragic, tortured lives. Misanthropic Becker,
bitter House, and the agonized souls in the E.R. all
explore the depths of human misery, their only crime presumably being
that they care too much. Bearing the weight of the world on your
shoulders and a stethoscope around your neck clearly takes its toll.
Bones McCoy was gripped by a Messiah complex, Dr. Bombay of Bewitched
obviously suffered from syphilis-induced dementia and Quincy was
ostracized by the medical examiner community because of his closeted
relationship with his finicky roommate. Further examples of doctors,
nurses, and dental hygienists ruined by their profession are legion, at
least on TV.
The Mad House Madman of
Chronicles of a
Medical Madhouse is obviously another casualty. At this stage in
his career, this second year resident seems to have already cracked
under the strain of medical practice and has been reduced to peddling
dubious wares via the
twenty-eighth installment
of the
Tangled Bank.
By all means, you should examine this fascinating case study.
Is the strain of your consuming interest in science, nature, or medicine
taking its toll on your physical and mental health? My prescription is
to blog liberally at least once daily and drink plenty of fluids. Submit
your best post to the next edition
of The Tangled Bank, which will be hosted by
Organic Matter on June 1, so we can monitor your progress.
Please send your submissions to
host@tangledbank.net with
the words "Tangled Bank" in the subject line.
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Posted by
Mike
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Tuesday,
May 17, 2005 |
Bird Count -
334 |
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Sizzling Sage-Grouse
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Back in January, the U. S. Fish and
Wildlife Service denied Endangered
Species Act protection to the
Greater Sage-Grouse.
At the time, I expressed my misgivings about the controversial decision,
confident that if the fate of any animal was left to the good graces of
the energy, agriculture, ranching, and recreation interests, we'd be
writing its eulogy before long. It didn't take much time for the other
shoe to drop right on top of this poor bird. However, the first attack
on the sage-grouse comes not from big business, but unsurprisingly from our own
government.
The U.S. Forest Service, the agency that manages public lands in
national forests and grasslands, recently announced a plan to set fire
to a 2,000-acre area of sagebrush this spring. Now, this decision in
itself is hardly newsworthy. Controlled burns are commonly used to
deplete fuels that might feed a more destructive uncontrolled blaze, as
well as protect trees from disease and insects or trigger the natural
renewal cycles of overgrown habitat. The timing of this activity, on the
other hand, seems a bit suspicious. The sage-grouse, like just about
every other bird species, breeds in the spring. A sage-grouse's clutch
of eggs takes incubates in 25-27 days during a period from mid-March to
mid-June. Even after hatching, chicks don't leave the nest until they
are dry. One needn't be a scientist to realize that spring is probably
not the best time to set fire to critical nesting habitat. The
Sierra Club
expertly explores this suspicious development in its RAW
newsletter:
What's the
problem with burning the habitat of an increasing rare species during
its prime nesting season?
According to the Forest Service, there is none. They insist that they
will take care not to burn the birds or their nests and that the fires
will improve grouse habitat over time.
Is that possible?
Absolutely not. It is impossible for the Forest Service to "take care
not to burn the birds" because they don't even know how many birds are
in the proposed area. Bob Vaught, Supervisor of the Humbolt-Toiyabe
National Forest proves this uncertainty in his own words: "I cannot say
absolutely there are no sage grouse nesting in the area, but it wouldn't
be very many and it wouldn't be very significant population-wise."
Why doesn't Mr.
Vaught know how many sage grouse are nesting in the prescribe burn area?
Because there has been no formal environmental assessment on the
prescribed burn and its impact on the sage grouse population.
No environmental
assessment?
Yep that's right. The Bush administration's falsely named "Healthy
Forests Initiative" allows the Forest Service to forgo any environmental
analysis if officials think that the fire will help restore ecosystems
and covers less that 4,500 acres. This escape clause from a cautionary
environmental review could also be used for logging projects or anything
else the Forest Service defines as "fire prevention treatment."
Conducting activities - even if they are important prescribed burns -
without adequate environmental review can only create more problems. It
just makes sense to look before you burn.
So what you're
telling us is that the Bush administration is going to burn the habitat
of an endangered bird species, but doesn't know if any of the birds are
nesting there and is not going to do an environmental assessment to find
out?
Correct, you hit the nail right on the head. The thing is, local experts
are not totally against prescribed burns - but they shouldn't be done
while the birds are nesting. Nevada Wildlife spokesman Chris Heady said
it best: "We're not opposed to prescribed burns, but they should be done
in the late winter or early spring, not when birds are on their nests."
Wow. So what's
going to happen to the sage grouse now?
Due to criticism of environmentalists and state wildlife biologists, the
Forest Service is going to "scale back" the burn from 2,000 acres to 300
acres. Still, there is no planned environmental assessment of the
proposed burn area, and the endangered sage grouse is still at risk.
Why would the
Bush administration risk the survival of a unique endangered species
without taking every possible action to protect them?
We would like that question answered also.
If you think I'm making too much of
a possibly innocuous error, ask yourself if a systematic disregard for
the survival of noncommercial flora and fauna is consistent with or
contrary to the modus operandi of this administration. While
you're at it, you should probably
subscribe to the RAW newsletter.
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Posted by
Mike
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Monday,
May 16, 2005 |
Bird Count -
334 |
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Weekend Warbling
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 New
York City presents an absolute bonanza for birdwatchers,
especially during spring migration. However, the city's
preposterous productivity has more to do with its birders than
its birds. Every stand of trees or patch of open water is
monitored virtually around the clock by a diligent volunteer
army; no bird bends a twig in this town without being noticed.
One such city sentinel is
Ken Allaire, a
prominent NYC birder. Ken has been monitoring the avifauna of
Inwood Hill Park, a primordial little plot of wilderness on the
northernmost tip of Manhattan, with enormous enthusiasm as well
as
accuracy. He is, with good reason, quite proud of his "home
field," as he calls it. Though it holds the last natural forest and salt marsh
in the borough, Inwood Hill still cannot match the diversity of
habitat, and consequently wildlife, that Central Park boasts.
However, Inwood Hill is less sprawling and considerably more
vertical, which makes spotting songbirds a snap. Right now,
we're all about the warblers. After reading day after day of
Ken's detailed warbler reports, watching the daily species count
rise from the single digits to 17+, I couldn't take it any
longer. Ken graciously shared his special strategic spot for
avian observation and, armed with the confidence that comes of
following in an experienced birder's footsteps, the Core Team
hit the trail.
Inwood Hill
Park is situated at the confluence of the Hudson and Harlem Rivers. This
area, named the Spuyten Duyvil by the early Dutch colonists, is
currently home to an array of prosaic species like
Mallard,
Canada Goose,
Double-crested Cormorant,
and
Great Egret.
Rock
Pigeon,
European
Starling,
House
Sparrow, and
Red-winged Blackbird
populate its banks as
Barn Swallow
and various gulls fly above. We moved quickly from the flats into the
thick forest, noting
Brown-headed Cowbird
and
Baltimore Oriole
as we sought out the most stroller-friendly route to the top of the
ridge. Of course, plenty of
Blue Jay,
Northern Cardinal,
Common Grackle,
Mourning
Dove,
and
American Robin
filled the trees, as did the usual three woodpeckers. Of more interest
were less familiar flyers like
Scarlet Tanager,
Carolina
Wren,
Song Sparrow,
and
Eastern Towhee.
Even better was the appearance of a splendid
Great
Crested Flycatcher. I couldn't believe that
this was our first view of this distinctive flycatcher since we
identified it immediately. Fortunately, we've seen birds like the
Ash-throated,
Brown-crested,
and
Dusky-capped Flycatcher;
species in Genus Myiarchus are comfortingly similar.
These other birds, especially the great crested, were nice and all, but
we were on the hunt for warblers. These pulchritudinous passerines, so
tiny, colorful, and elusive, make extremely rewarding quarry. While
other birders in the area have been racking up 15 warblers daily for the
last few weeks, we've been hard pressed to muster more than one at a
time. Well, our luck has finally changed. It was our great pleasure to
visually identify 7 different warbler species, including 3 new ones.
The Parulidae parade began with a tasty, rufous-capped
Ovenbird.
We also encountered
Common Yellowthroat,
Yellow-rumped
Warbler,
and a brilliant
American Redstart,
the first male of this species we've seen in years.
These old friends were welcome, but of course the new ones stole the
show. The first of these was the
Magnolia
Warbler, posing awkwardly in the picture
above. What a warbler! This bird has
phenomenal markings; from its gray cap and white eyebrows to its yellow
belly streaked heavily with black, the magnolia warbler makes a massive
impression. Even better, it arrives with a posse. We saw so many of
these birds that we almost, I repeat almost, grew weary of them.
But how could we, really?
Our next new best friend was the
Bay-breasted
Warbler. This beauty is a welcome break
from the yellow-based plumage paradigm so many warblers seem stuck in.
With a chestnut shroud draping from its face over its chest and sides
slashed by a bandit's mask of black, the bay-breasted cuts quite a
figure. I can assure you, though, that you wouldn't catch me sitting on
a dock of a bay this particular shade of rust. Sounds toxic.
The
Canada
Warbler is another credit to the breed,
both warblers and Canadians. Although its pattern of dark gray above and
canary below sounds plain on paper, a complete white eye-ring and a
necklace, faint gray in females and bold black in males, really set off
the ensemble. The Canada warbler was our final official species of the
day, but probably not the last new bird we saw. Both Sara and I spotted
a few birds, warblers and otherwise, that might have been other
long-awaited lifers, but our rule is that we will not count a sighting
unless both of us get definitive views. Anyway, why force it? With birds
as beautiful as these, we'll take our time.
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Friday,
May 13, 2005 |
Bird Count -
330 |
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International Migratory Bird Day
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This Saturday, May 14, is
International Migratory Bird Day, a celebration of the
incredible journeys of migratory birds between their breeding grounds in
North America and their wintering grounds in Mexico, Central, and South
America. Birds all across the country will observe this special day by
flying to where they were going anyway. You can mark this wonderful
occasion by watching them do it.
The purpose of International Migratory Bird Day, which falls on the
second Saturday in May each year, is to encourage bird conservation and
increase awareness of birds through hikes, bird watching, information
about birds and migration, public events, and a variety of other
education programs. You can find a comprehensive list of registered IMBD
festivals, bird walks, and event locations
here. Or,
you can just get out there and immerse yourself in a spectacular spring
migration.
Though IMBD was created by members of the Smithsonian Migratory Bird
Center and the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology, it is now under the
direction of the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service. It would seem that federal oversight would make this a
national holiday, but I still have to observe alternate side of the
street parking regulations, so go figure.
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Thursday,
May 12, 2005 |
Bird Count -
330 |
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Midweek Birding
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 Mason
and I were lucky enough to indulge in a bit of midweek
father-son birding yesterday. Actually, he slept in his stroller
while I did the birding, but he's not much help in identifying birds anyway.
We returned to Lenoir and saw many of the same birds from the
weekend's Mother's Day Warbler Walk.
The preserve, wild with birdsong, was thick with robins,
flickers, grackles, blackbirds, catbirds, and doves. I saw
more cowbirds, blue jays, and cardinals, along with a greater
quantity of
House
Wren than I've ever encountered in my life. It seemed as if
every available perch was claimed by a little brown tyrant like
the wren on the right, loudly proclaiming its self-imagined magnificence. Speaking of loud, one voluble
Northern
Mockingbird thought it would be a good idea to continuously run through his entire repertoire
from a strategic promontory.
Impressive, but perhaps a bit annoying.
I saw a bunch of feeder finches of the
House
and
American
Gold- varieties. The
memorable sparrows were
Song,
American
Tree, and my first
White-crowned Sparrow of the
year. Of the spotted thrush species, I viewed
Hermit Thrush,
Veery,
and perhaps a
Swainson's Thrush. A Swainson's would be a life bird,
but I cannot make this ID with confidence, and couldn't add it
to the life list anyway since Sara wasn't there!
We saw other
birds as well, turkeys, crows, hawks, and the like, but the one that
really stood out was the
Tree Swallow.
This bird, oh so sleek in its aerodynamic coat of black, white, and
iridescent lapis lazuli, is one of the most beautiful species anywhere.
It may be overlooked due to its ubiquity, but this swallow is sublime.
It's cheerful too; the liquid sound of the tree swallow's ebullient
trills is enough to improve anyone's mood. I found myself in need of
this encouragement as I failed to spot a single warbler. What is wrong
with me?
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Mike
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Wednesday,
May 11, 2005 |
Bird Count -
330 |
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Dimorphic Displays
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Why is it that male warblers appear in such
vivid and exquisite candy colors while the females of the species are so
drab, at least in comparison to their flashy mates? For this woeful
inequity in plumage pulchritude, we have sexual dimorphism to thank.
Sexual dimorphism, our birding word of the day, is a difference in
form between individuals of different sex in the same species. Songbirds
like warblers, orioles, tanagers, grosbeaks, and sparrows are far from
the only birds that display dimorphism. Ducks and hummingbirds are
sexually dimorphic, as of course are galliforms from chickens to peafowl
to grouse. The males are bright and showy while the hens are
conservatively dressed.
Why does dimorphism exist anyway? This phenomenon, like so many other
traits, is both a product of and evidence for evolution by natural
selection. Even in instances where a feature like garish plumage may
seem a disadvantage, in that it would attract predators, it may promote
reproductive success. The innate imperative to pass on genetic material
drives many male and female organisms down different evolutionary paths.
It should also be pointed out that sometimes dimorphism is adaptive for
survival. For example, in some species of woodpecker, the male and
female birds have differently shaped beaks, which allows a pair to more
efficiently mine a tree for food.
Rather than feel disappointment over getting the short end of the
dimorphic stick while birding, spotting, for example, a boring female
Pine
Warbler rather than a brightly colored male one, we should look
on the bright side. After all, when a species is sexually dimorphic, we
get two birds for the price of one. In some cases, the
Northern Cardinal
for instance, the female of the species, with its subtle coloration and
bright orange beak, is as beautiful, if not more so, than the male.
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Tuesday,
May 10, 2005 |
Bird Count -
330 |
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Pecker Patter
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The recent revelation that Ivory-billed
Woodpeckers still walk (or fly as the case may be) among us is easily
the most surprising story to hit the birding world in some time. That
The
Nature Conservancy has been
instrumental in both relocating and trying to protect the ivory-bill
should come as no surprise at all. Now you can learn all about the
rediscovery of this beloved bird in an online audio chat with author
Phillip Hoose. In his book,
The Race to Save the Lord God Bird, Hoose details those who
tried to possess it, paint it, shoot it, sell it, and, in a last-ditch
effort, save the ivory-billed woodpecker. Almost one year after
publishing his multi-award winning book about the ivory-billed
woodpecker, Phillip Hoose will now answer questions about the
ivory-bill's history and rediscovery.
The live audio chat will take place
today (Thursday, May 10) at 4PM Eastern at
http://nature.org/chat.
Before and during the chat, you can
submit questions to Hoose at
chat@tnc.org. As a special incentive, if you submit a question,
you will be automatically entered into a random drawing for one of five
autographed copies of Phillip Hoose's book, The Race to Save the Lord
God Bird. Check here
for details.
The Nature Conservancy works tirelessly
to preserve the plants, animals and natural communities that represent
the diversity of life on Earth by protecting the lands and waters they
need to survive. The Ivory-billed Woodpecker is just one of the myriad
of species that benefit from this organization's advocacy. If you're of
a mind to support a smart, sophisticated conservation group, why not
support the Nature
Conservancy?
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Monday,
May 9, 2005 |
Bird Count -
330 |
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Mother's Day Warbling
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 We
enjoyed a brief visit this weekend from Sara's father,
Will and his partner Sally. It
seems that every time they're here, we drag them out birding.
Why should Mother's Day be any different? Hudson River Audubon of Westchester
hosts a very popular annual Mother's Day Warbler Walk.
Considering the swarms of songbirds that have descended on the
Tri-state area, a warbler walk, hosted by the incredible Michael
Bochnik, seemed like an ideal way to spend the morning.
Too bad spring migration hasn't progressed past the New York
City line. Our Warbler Walk was ironically untroubled by
warblers. The bad news was that a single drab female bird, so
devoid of marks as to be almost unrecognizable, graced our
group. The good news is that this unremarkable bird gathering
nesting material appeared to be a
Pine
Warbler, a species that we were hesitant to pull the trigger on
last weekend but will happily add to our life list now. Still,
when encountering dimorphic birds like warblers, I don't feel
that we've truly seen the bird until we've spotted the more
colorful males. For example, the brightest songbirds we saw
during the walk were
Baltimore Oriole
and
American Goldfinch.
The females of these species are nice, but the males sport
eye-poppingly, almost painfully vivid plumage.
One hardly
needs warblers to enjoy a great day of birding. Hudson River Audubon
maintains a fearsome array of feeders that sustain huge colonies of
birds all year long. That means it was no work at all to spot all of the
usual feeder birds for this area:
Blue Jay,
Northern Cardinal,
White-throated Sparrow,
House
Sparrow,
Common Grackle,
Tufted
Titmouse,
Black-capped Chickadee,
Mourning
Dove,
White-breasted Nuthatch,
and
House Finch.
Of woodpeckers, we saw
Downy,
Hairy,
and the scarlet-crowned
Red-bellied Woodpecker.
There were quite a few interesting species beyond the feeders. We passed
grazing
Wild
Turkey on the way in to the preserve.
Lenoir hosts two different species of crow, the common
American
and the more nasal
Fish Crow.
American Robin
were, of course, everywhere but so were the similarly colored, equally
exuberant
Eastern Towhee.
As we strolled the stately grounds, we spotted
Chipping Sparrow,
Tree Swallow,
Gray
Catbird,
Red-winged Blackbird,
Cedar
Waxwing,
and
House
Wren. We also encountered a pair of
Brown-headed Cowbird, the boldly-colored
male courting the dull hen pictured above.
The star of the show was not our new friend, the pine warbler, but a bird we've spotted
before, albeit two years ago. As we completed our circuit of the
preserve, we flushed a beautiful male
Rose-breasted Grosbeak
from the feeders. For those of you who have never had the pleasure of
meeting this handsome bird, the rose-breasted grosbeak is a study in
contrast, pitch black above and stark white below. On its chest is an
explosion of scarlet, an unforgettable hue deeper than coral but
brighter than ruby. The grosbeak took to the treetops, denying us great
views. So, we all adjourned to the nature center from which we could
observe the feeders through massive picture windows. The large group of
us, enjoying coffee and cookies, waited patiently for the grosbeak to
return, but after 15 minutes, the Core Team had to hit the road. No
sooner has we said our goodbyes and walked out the door than we heard
exultant cries of, "There it is!" We ran back in for perfect looks at
the rose-breasted grosbeak, eye-level and bolder than life. Why is it
that someone has to leave a group before the best birds are willing to show
themselves?
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Friday,
May 6, 2005 |
Bird Count -
329 |
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White Throat, Tan Stripe
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When the
Core Team went birding this past weekend, we weren't just looking for
warblers. Rumor had it that sparrows beyond the typical
House
and
White-throated
varieties could be found lurking about Central Park. Like 99.99% of the
population, we have trouble distinguishing one little brown job from
another, but that doesn't stop us from trying.
Our moment of truth arrived as we rambled through the Ramble. A striking
white-throated sparrow, marked as boldly as the one in my picture above
to the left, trotted out of the underbrush and called for our attention.
No sooner had we looked than another sparrow, much different in
appearance, landed right next to the white-throat. This sparrow, whose
image is recorded for posterity above to the right, shared some marks
with the white-throat, notably yellow
lores.
However, it was far more drab, with brown stripes on its crown in place
of black and a tan, rather than white, eye stripe. At last, a new
sparrow!
Identification was difficult, since this sparrow didn't match up
comfortably with any of the other potential species. That's not to say
that this bird was by any means furtive or flitty. It preened and posed
at our feet for a full five minutes. It basically did everything except
fly into our mouths so we could ID it by taste. Yet, we couldn't close
the deal. It was too much like a white-throat to be anything else, but
too distinct to possibly be the Zonotrichia albicollis that we
see everywhere from December to May. Perhaps, we wondered, it could be a
Savannah Sparrow. It shared the same yellow lores, median crown
stripe, and goatee-like black malar markings. Best of all, we'd never
seen one.
The ID didn't sit right with us, so once we downloaded our pictures for
the day, I deployed the big
Sibley Guide to Birds, a
more extensive volume than the
Sibley Field Guide to Birds of
Eastern North America
we carried around with us. After a little research, the horrible truth
dawned on me. There are two different forms of white-throated sparrows!
Although we are used to seeing the White-striped white-throats, some of
these birds may be Tan-striped white-throats. The tan-striped birds are
considerably more drab than their white-striped, white-throated brothers
and sisters, but still the same species. See why sparrows are so much
trouble?
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Mike
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Thursday,
May 5, 2005 |
Bird Count -
329 |
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Round And Round She Goes...
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One of
the great benefits of having a blog, beyond the obvious fame and
fortune, is the ability, nay the responsibility to expound at will on
matters both profound and inane. Although
10,000 Birds
is mostly a birding and environmental site, I'm frequently led astray by
any number of topics. One discussion I am loathe to take up, though, is
religion. This reticence has nothing whatsoever to do with fear of
controversy. My political stance has never been hard to ascertain from
this blog; for most of 2004, we flaunted Dean, then Kerry graphics. But
politics is a very different concern from religion. One's politics
affects society and the environment as a whole. Opinions on policy
should be discussed in a broad and open forum. The fate of our nation
depends on it.
One's spirituality, on the other hand, is a supremely private matter.
Once the culture component of religion, the font from which so much
prejudice flows, is set aside, adherence to dogma becomes a personal
preference in line with commitment to a diet or a sports team. Put
another way, I care as much about whether someone is believes in an
afterlife as I do whether that person is a baseball fan. It affects me
not at all if you worship Yahweh, Jesus, Allah, or your navel, at least
from a purely spiritual perspective. Thus, I don't see any reason to
talk about my position on the god thing.
That being said, religion as a cultural phenomenon has an enormous
impact on our world. Richard Dawkins, the prominent evolutionary
biologist and public atheist, gave an interview to
Salon.com
last week that addressed religion in that context in a way that I found
wholly original and startlingly brave. Here are a couple of worthwhile
questions and his responses:
How would we
be better off without religion?
We'd all be freed to concentrate on the only life we are ever going to
have. We'd be free to exult in the privilege -- the remarkable good
fortune -- that each one of us enjoys through having been being born. An
astronomically overwhelming majority of the people who could be born
never will be. You are one of the tiny minority whose number came up. Be
thankful that you have a life, and forsake your vain and presumptuous
desire for a second one. The world would be a better place if we all had
this positive attitude to life. It would also be a better place if
morality was all about doing good to others and refraining from hurting
them, rather than religion's morbid obsession with private sin and the
evils of sexual enjoyment.
Are there
environmental costs of a religious worldview?
There are many religious points of view where the conservation of the
world is just as important as it is to scientists. But there are certain
religious points of view where it is not. In those apocalyptic
religions, people actually believe that because they read some dopey
prophesy in the book of Revelation, the world is going to come to an end
some time soon. People who believe that say, "We don't need to bother
about conserving forests or anything else because the end of the world
is coming anyway." A few decades ago one would simply have laughed at
that. Today you can't laugh. These people are in power.
I'd like to see more discussions of the actual, as opposed to the
philosophical, intersection of conservation and various religions. While
we're waiting for that, everyone, regardless of faith, could benefit
from reading this
entire interview. After all, faith has no value of you don't
challenge it every once in a while.
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Posted by
Mike
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Wednesday,
May 4, 2005 |
Bird Count -
329 |
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Tangled Bank #27 |
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The
twenty-seventh installment of
the
Tangled Bank
is being hosted today by
Buridan's Ass.
However, before I give you the link, I feel some explanation is
necessary. The Tangled Bank has not gone blue. We remain completely
work-safe and appropriate for kids of all ages. Furthermore, this new
edition of the web's most heavily promoted science, nature, and medicine
writing is not presented by the ass of some blogger named Buridan. He is
not speaking out of his ass, as it were, and his name isn't even Buridan.
Buridan's Ass is in fact a famous paradox. Jean Buridan, a 14th century
French philosopher and physicist, postulated that a donkey positioned
equidistant from two identical bales of hay would, lacking any reason to
choose one over the other, starve to death. The kernel of the idea
descended from Aristotle but Buridan, lucky fellow that he is, has been
associated with the paradox and the ass.
Now that you can approach this website with maturity and a deeper
understanding of the perils of free will, I invite you enjoy the
newest Tangled Bank.
Do you publish a science, nature, or medicine blog with a clever,
perhaps inscrutable name. Share it with the class already. When you
contribute to the Tangled Bank, a wider audience gets the chance to
marvel at your wry insights into your particular idiom. The next edition
of The Tangled Bank will appear at Medical Mad House on May 18.
Please send your submissions to
host@tangledbank.net or
MadhouseMadman@gmail.com.
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Posted by
Mike
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Tuesday,
May 3, 2005 |
Bird Count -
329 |
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Exploding Liverpecked Toads
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The world is surely an odd place. Every day is thick with tales of woe
and madness, a glut of spin and sin that ultimately jades even the most
inquisitive soul. How else can one explain how the mystery of the
exploding toads failed to make the front page of every newspaper. I
mean, toads in Germany have been hopping around and literally exploding
in a shower of amphibian entrails. Even better, the origin of this gory
series of spontaneous toad detonations has gone, until recently,
undetected. But now a culprit, a feathered one, has been fingered. The
Associated Press reports:
BERLIN Apr 28, 2005 — Why are toads puffing up and spontaneously
exploding in northern Europe? It began in a posh German neighborhood and
has spread across the border into Denmark. It's left onlookers baffled,
but one German scientist studying the splattered amphibian remains now
has a theory: Hungry crows may be pecking out their livers.
To reiterate, toads are exploding because crows are pecking out their
livers. WTF?
Based on
the wounds, (Berlin veterinarian Frank) Mutschmann said,
it appears that a bird pecks into the toad with its beak between the
amphibian's chest and abdominal cavity, and the toad puffs itself up as
a natural defense mechanism. But, because the liver is missing and
there's a hole in the toad's body, the blood vessels and lungs burst and
the other organs ooze out, he said.
As gruesome as it
sounds, it isn't actually that unusual, he said. "It's not unique it's
in a city area, and that makes it spectacular," Mutschmann said. "Of
course, it's something very dramatic."
That the sight of bloated frogs agonizing and twitching for several
minutes, inflating like a balloon before suddenly bursting could be
considered "very dramatic" is something of an understatement. The
complete
AP
article is good for an objective take on the toads, but for a
more visceral rendition of the facts at hand, one should turn to an
artist, not a reporter. Fortunately, Socar Myles is sufficiently
horrified by the predations of packbawkies (her term for what I surmise
are all gulls, starlings, grackles, and corvids) that she's painted a
graphic verbal picture of the horrors of this slime-splattered scenario.
Visit her
post, if only to marvel at the breathtaking creativity that
conjures a verb like "liverpeck!"
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Mike
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Monday,
May 2, 2005 |
Bird Count -
329 |
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Spring Migration Central
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 Spring migration has hit NYC hard, like a horde of bloodthirsty
barbarians rampaging across the boroughs, except that the barbarians are
actually exquisite songbirds that are thirsty for insects and seeds
rather than blood. Yes, that metaphor is extremely awkward but my
original one, a bird bomb exploding in Manhattan, seemed in poor taste.
Suffice to say, warblers have arrived at last.
Of course, Central Park is spring migration central. The local birding
boards have been buzzing with reports of phenomenal passerines, each one
more exciting than the last. Once the New York warbler count passed 15
different species, we knew that the moment was upon us. The Core Team
was ready to bird Central Park.
Despite the rain and gloom yesterday morning, we were committed to
picking up at least one new warbler, a type of bird that we are woefully
inexperienced with. We plotted a course based on data from the
NYC Bird Report
that took us around Turtle Pond to Belvedere Castle, through the Ramble,
to the Lake and then back again. This, we hoped, would give us a shot at
many of the current rarities. As Mason slumbered, we birded.
All of the usuals were in attendance, the
Rock
Pigeon
and
Mourning
Dove,
the
European
Starling
and
American Robin,
the
House
Sparrow
and the
Northern Cardinal,
the
American Crow
and
Red-tailed Hawk,
the
Common Grackle,
Mallard,
Mute Swan,
Canada Goose,
and
Double-crested Cormorant.
But we were there for warblers, and warblers we saw. The most common
warbler of the day was the
Yellow-rumped
Warbler.
When yellow-rumps make the scene, they make it in a big way; we saw tons
of these sharp songbirds. We also spotted a number of
Black-and-white Warbler
and
Yellow Warbler,
two very different looking birds, as well as a single
Northern
Waterthrush.
Our only other warbler was, fortunately, the one we came for: the
Palm
Warbler.
The palm warbler is a beautiful little bird, yellow in the way that most
wood-warblers are, with a saucy rufous cap and streaks on its breast.
These warblers have been living it up in midtown for the last couple of weeks but
are near the end of their visit, so we're very pleased to have had the
chance to meet Dendroica palmarum and add it to our list.
Plenty of tiny drab songbirds eluded identification, but the day's
festivities hardly ended at warblers. We spotted familiar friends like
the
Red-winged Blackbird,
White-throated Sparrow,
House Finch,
and our first
Gray
Catbird
of the year. The budding trees also offered
Tufted
Titmouse,
Ruby-crowned Kinglet,
Eastern Phoebe,
and
Downy
Woodpecker.
In the reeds grazed
Green Heron
and
Great Egret,
while a variety of swallows—Tree,
Barn,
and
Northern
Rough-winged—worked
the surface of the water.
Chimney
Swift
also made an appearance.
Though our eyes were raised most of the time to the canopy, we did
search the underbrush every so often for ground birds. The rewards for
our efforts were a
House
Wren
and a pair of thrushes. The picture above actually captures a special
moment, two different types of thrushes side by side. The handsome
fellow on the left is a
Hermit Thrush,
easily identified by his olive-brown back, rusty tail, and dark-spotted
breast. Central Park is home to many a hermit. The thrush on the right
is roughly the same size as Catharus guttatus, but has cinnamon
upperparts and a creamy breast with faint spotting. This splendid bird
is our very first
Veery.
Catharus fuscescens is an evasive bird, one that I had actually
stopped looking for. Thankfully, Sara spotted it for both of us, solid
evidence that birding is better when you're part of a team.
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