Connecticut Warbler and other fall migrants

If you were not able to get out much during the month of August, some of the early migrants are still hanging on including Baltimore Orioles, Yellow-bellied Flycatchers, Canada Warbler, and Prothonotary Warbler. The Navarre Banding station continues to hold at 20 species of warbler for the fall season, a pretty good tally for this early in the season. We are still awaiting Northern Parula (NOPA), Orange-crowned Warbler (OCWA), Western Palm Warbler (WPWA), Blackburnian Warbler, and Myrtle Warbler (MYWA). 

Here is a quiz bird (profile and front photo) to sharpen your fall warbler ID skills:

An early and a late migrating flycatcher pair graced us with their presence, on September 4th. Actually, there is a dispersal of Eastern Phoebes shortly after fledging to the beach ridges along Lake Erie. Where they originate isn't known but the behavior results in strange migrational timing for the species as it may be seen from August to November.

The Eastern Phoebe (EAPH) and Eastern Wood Pewee (EAWP) are pictured below from left to right. The EAPH has a dark head and a dark bill (both upper and lower mandibles (bill) are black). Whereas the EAWP has a bi-colored beak (top mandible is dark and lower mandible is yellowish or lighter color) in the fall. Neither has an eye ring which separates them from the other Empidonax flycatchers.

EAPH and EAWP

Here we share with you an uncommon warbler for any season, the Connecticut (CONW). This individual is one of two we have caught so far this fall. It is a hatching year bird with a buffy eye ring. An adult male would be just as you would imagine with their slate-colored head and bright white eye ring.



CONW



CONW



Enjoy the early days of September, more birds are to come in the following weeks. Watch for cold fronts from the north and northwest. If you can identify these confusing warblers in the fall season, you are certain to be an expert by spring. Remember Saturday, September 10th at 10 AM is the Free Public banding demonstration at the Black Swamp Bird Observatory. For more information on all the fall happenings at BSBO, visit our website at: http://www.bsbobird.org/   and Kenn Kaufman's Best Bets for Birding at www.bsbobird.org/birding

Answer to the quiz bird: Bay-breasted Warbler.

August tallies 20 species of Warblers!

Eastern Kingbird (EAKI)

With the passing of the month of August, many consider the start of fall passerine migration just around the corner, but in fact it is already here. Prothonotary, Canada, and Yellow Warblers have begun their trek south with flycatchers following their lead. American Goldfinch and Cedar Waxwing are finishing up their nesting duties as well. At Oak Openings, we had an American Goldfinch nest with 3 eggs and two pink nestlings on August 4th. It demonstrates that not all birds are done nesting by the end of July. Some wait until later in the summer to even begin. Something to keep in mind when the urge to manicure and mow fields and hedgerows before the end of August manifest itself.

Here are examples of Hatching Year birds-note the eye color on the Brown Thrasher (BRTH) and the difference in the juvenile plumage of the Cedar Waxwing, left, (CEDW) and the adult CEDW.

The Prothonotary Warbler below (PROW) will not be around these parts for long, so get out and enjoy this bird with fanfair or fantail. We refer to it as  a touch of the sun with its golden body plumage.

This week we have racked up 20 species of warbler, if that is not enough to get you outside we do not know what is. The species captured so far are Tennessee, Cape May, Nashville, Yellow, Chestnut-sided, Magnolia, Black-throated Blue, Black-throated Green, Black-and-white, Bay-breasted, Blackpoll, American Redstart, Pronthonotary, Ovenbird, Northern Waterthrush, Mourning, Connecticut, Common Yellowthroat, Wilson, and Canada Warblers. Not a bad list for August!

Let us throw in a few quizbird photos:

Note the buffy eye ring which helps with aging it as a Hatching Year (HY) bird.

Take a look at this Black and White Warbler and age and sex the bird: (Hint-red arrow helps in pointing out the primary coverts to assist in aging)

(This is a Hatching Year Male BAWW- brownish coverts confirm HY as well as the distinct black streaks on the side tell you it is a male (HY). Females have blurry black streaks on flanks. Adult male BAWW would have the black facial patch.)

To prepare you for fall warblers here are some previews for the birds to come:

Black-throated Blue Warbler (BTBW)

Chestnut-sided Warbler (CSWA)



Black-throated Green Warbler (BTNW)

Why not have another row of Quizbirds? Front and back views to give you a better size comparison.

To help you refresh your fall warbler ID, join us for our public banding demonstrations. The first one is Saturday September 10th at 10 AM -11 AM at the BSBO office. Hope you can join us!

Answer to quizbird #1: Nashville Warbler (NAWA)-eye ring not wing bars or tail or breast spots or streaks.

Answer to the quizbird lineup: from left to right front view-Canada, Mourning, and Magnolia Warblers.

Summer Birds of the Oak Openings 2011

After the tornadoes of June 2010, many changes have been seen at the Oak Openings Ostrich Lane site this summer. Most have been changes in species using the different habitats. The once closed canopied woods is now more open with considerable more light reaching the floor and fewer mature trees. These conditions have resulted in more Eastern Bluebird, Red-headed Woodpecker, Eastern Towhee, Chipping and Field Sparrow usage.

Here is a photo of a Hatching Year Eastern Towhee (EATO). This is a female with its brown wings. Note the eye color is not ruby red as an adult bird would have.

Here are some of the highlights of the Summer for you to enjoy!

A Second Year male Orchard Oriole (OROR) with his
green coat and black mask.

A quiz bird for you to ponder.
This is a Hatching Year bird.

Here is the front view of both the adult and immature quizbird.

We don't often get a nice view of the backs of birds, so here is a dorsal view to help with identification and give you another perspective.

Another great bird was this Hatching Year Hairy Woodpecker (HAWO).

Look how large the beak is compared to its cousin
the Downy Woodpecker (DOWO) below.

A nice catch was this Hatching Year male Rose-breasted Grosbeak (RBGR). HY males looks like females --  until you see the color under its wings.
A female would have yellow-orange axillaries.

And the grand finale for this post is this cool nest
that was found the end of July.

The species that built this lovely nest is one of the last nesters of the season, waiting for the thistle to go to seed to make its nest.

This nest had 5 eggs.

Enjoy the beauty of the season!

---The answer to the Quizbird is Lark Sparrow!