2009 Highlights

I thought before the close of 2009, I would summarize some of the highlights of the year. If this blog has made you a better birdwatcher, or ornithologist, or increased your appreciation of birds, then I have accomplished what I have set out to do. Many thanks to you the readers and commenters, be you anonymous or otherwise.

Here are my highlights and of course there are many but I will keep them brief.

How about this bird?!!!:

You can't deny that seeing a Chuck-will's-widow in the hand
is not a GREAT bird!

How else would you know that it had this cool modified toe
for sleeking its whiskers?!

My best experiences are with sharing the information we learn about these magnificent songbirds with the visitors of all ages. It is a great feeling to see the "light bulb" come on when they realize the amazing things these small creatures must deal with in a year, or to see a big smile from a teenager who has never seen a Blackburnian Warbler!

Many thanks go out to the vast and varied volunteers I have the priviledge to work with. With this great team working together, we can continue to learn more about these birds and hopefully help to improve their habitats.


Another highlight of the year was the half a millionth bird banded under Mark Shieldcastle's banding permit during the fall migration monitoring project for the Observatory. What an accomplishment for Mark. What a year! This Blackpoll Warbler made more than the data records, it marked a milestone.

Let us celebrate the year with a few of my bird friends!

Wishing you all the very best in 2010! Happy Holidays!

Fox Sparrow sings in the marsh on the last day of fall migration

The nets came down today. It is a happy but sad occasion when the migration season has ended. Many things to reflect on such as the slow moving September, the great numbers of chickadees and Downies, the fantastic help of many volunteers, the inquisitive and ornery faces of Winter Wrens and kinglets, and the warm October. All in all another good season! Every year is different and to say one year is like the last is an overstatement. We did not manage to see or catch an American Tree Sparrow before closing down the station this year. There was one at the Observatory office. Not many are here yet from their Alaskan breeding area.

I must say one of the best looking sparrows is the Fox Sparrow with its bi-colored bill, bold brown chest streaks, gray cap, and russet tail. There was one singing at the station which also adds to its beauty! I know there are many other sparrows but this is one of my favorites.
Take a look at this photo and tell me what two birds I have pictured:
With only the heads can you tell they are a Hermit Thrush and a Swainson's Thrush? The Swainson's has the buffy eye ring. The Swainson's Thrush also has more buff color on its throat and chest than the Hermit Thrush.

Here is the whole bird. Can you see the rusty coloration on the wings of the Hermit as well as its rusty tail? The bird did get switched from left to right in these two consecutive photos so do not assume the species locations are the same in both photos.
Enjoy the rest of fall and occsionally I will post some aging and other ID tips throughout the winter. When we do some birdfeeder netting I may post some pictures then as well.

All the best!

Rare Visitor to the Beach Ridge

I suppose I caught everyone's eye by saying rare visitor. This bird is a rare visitor to the beach ridge. This species and the other forest guild of chickadees and titmice rarely make an appearance on the ridge. The winters are too harsh and cold from the lake conditions as well as little food is to be found. As I have said before, we usually have a pair of Black-capped Chickadees nest somewhere near the research site. This year we have had an abundance of chickadees and Downy woodpeckers. I am guessing that the winter was bad last year and mortality was high. Birds counteract a bad year with double-clutching (laying an extra set of eggs). I was initially thinking all the Black-caps we were catching were northern migrants; but since we were capturing just as many new (unbanded) Downy Woodpeckers that it must have been a poor survival winter in 2008 for most cavity nesting birds on the ridge. We have caught nine new chickades and usually we only catch one or two if we are lucky.
This is a female with a "gray" head and the male would have a black thick stripe on its head like the color of the nape on this bird. Note the lower mandible shape is chisel-shaped for probing underneath the bark for food items. (White-breasted Nuthatch)--Beautiful Bird!
This is a quiz bird from behind... My friend Dave Lewis can appreciate this bird since he takes the best bird behind pictures. The tail feathers (retrices) are coming in symmetrically from both sides. Symmetrical molt tells us it is an adult without looking at other feather features. Hatching year birds grow their feathers in all at once. Note the yellow tips on the retrices. Here is the front view! A Cedar Waxwing to brighten the day! A black throat indicates it is a male. Not all waxwings have wax on their wings. Most times it is age related as to how many wax tips they have.
Enjoy the few days of fall. Be on the lookout for the elusive Am. Tree Sparrow. Winter may be around the corner.