Keeping Busy
This year I am starting a second MAPS banding station and of course I waited till the last second to set both of the stations. I have had to pull multi flora rose thorns out of my leg, been bitten by bugs, scratched my eye with a stick, blisters are on my hands and I am just tired for working till 9pm each night. This evening I finally have gotten everything ready for one of the stations to be open and hope to finish setting up the second station tomorrow evening sometime (before the weather gets iffy again).
Black-throated Blue Warbler Nest Building
While out on our big 110 bird day we came across this female Black-throated Blue Warbler doing some nest building. I knew we would be coming back to this same location; so I set up my digital camera. I took the video in lower quality so that I could get about 22 minutes of the female doing continuous nest building. I edited the clip down to the best minute with her completely focused on making the nest perfect.
Photos from my Big Day Last Thursday!
I finally had the opportunity to edit a few of my birding photos from my 110 species bird-a-thon that I participated in last Thursday. I located 19 first for 2007’s (CHECK) and many of which I thought might have been too late in the spring to find. My total count for 2007 is up to 179 species for the year and it is still possible to get many more species throughout the summer. Mike, you will have a hard time trying to catch up with me!! Although this is the point where I really need to start working hard for any specific species that I need to find. So finding these 19 first for the year had really made me happy! They include the: (more…)
Team T-BIRD has the best day ever!!
Temperature ranged from 45.0 – 61.5 degree’s F and the weather would quickly change from cloudy, to sunny, and rain would go from drizzle to downpour. This was one of the worse days for take pictures and I was only able captured a few decent photos. You might ask “so, why was this the best day ever??”
Team T-BIRD (Tim Baird and myself) helped celebrate Jamestown Audubon Society’s 50th anniversary by participating in their Bird-A-Thon. This is our teams first year in chasing the birdies and we decided to visit the Allegany State Park/Allegheny River area. We located 26 species of warblers (not including the Brewster’s Warbler we located), 5 species of vireos and 6 species of thrush. Ok, I will stop teasing you . . . . (more…)
Presque Isle State Park Fieldtrip
Last Saturday (12 May 2007) on International Migratory Bird Day the Cattaraugus County Bird Club attended our annual trip to Presque Isle State Park in Erie Pennsylvania. Although the temperatures were very chilly, we had a wonderful day with 72 species of birds!! We found 13 species of warblers and I was able to add 11 species as first for 2007’s!! (more…)
BBRR
This is the second part to our last Monday (May 6th, 2007) trip to Braddock Bay in Rochester, New York. After visiting the passerine banding station over at the Braddock Bay Bird Observatory (BBBO), we decided to make a detour over to the hawk blind run by the Braddock Bay Raptor Research (BBRR) organization. We always laugh because the walk down the trail to the blind is sooo much longer than our walk back!!
Once we arrived we were greeted by the wonderful volunteers running the blind. (more…)
BBBO
Indigo Bunting
Last Monday (May 6 th 2007) my field assistant and myself visited Braddock Bay Bird Observatory (BBBO) for a spontaneous fieldtrip. We always try to “guess” when the best day is going to be and we are always a day early or a day late of BBBO’s “BIG DAY”!! This year we were a day early but still had a wonderful trip and saw many great birds!
Robin Chicks Hatched!!
The American Robin (Turdus migratorius) builds their nest in shrubs, trees forks or any sufficient ledge that they find. The nest is built with grasses, string and then stuck together by mud. They will line the nest with very fine grasses. Adults will not start incubating the nest until all the eggs have been laid (normally 3 or 4 eggs). They will sit on the eggs for about 12-14 days and nestlings will leave the nest in about 14-16 days. Weather pending the American Robin have anywhere from 2 to 3 broods throughout the year. This video clips below is very long (look out dial-up people) but shows the numerous efforts by both the male and females Robins while raising their young. (more…)
Orioles and Ice-cream in that order!
This weekend Young Naturalist J and myself had a spontaneous trip to Braddock Bay Bird Observatory to practice taking birds out of mist-nets. It is always great way to see how other bird-banders run their banding station and to make some new contacts. Sunday evening I headed over to their house to get ready for our adventure and within a very short period of time (in their bird feeders) we located three first for 2007’s for me. The first was a Ruby-throated Hummingbird (CHECK) at their hummingbird feeder, then the Orchard Oriole (CHECK) showed up at the grape jelly (I was very excited with this bird) and then just before dusk we had an Indigo Bunting (CHECK) show up at the platform feeder! It was so much fun watching these amazing little birds and all while eating ice-cream at their kitchen table. Monday, I tried getting a video of the Orchard Oriole but was only able capture this clip of the Baltimore Oriole feeding on some Grape Jelly. Isn’t it nice to have these great birds around again?? (more…)
Allenburg Bog
Dragonfly Eye gave me a call yesterday and asked if I wanted to join him in search of the Boghaunter. If you are not familiar of the Boghaunter (I wasn’t), it is a rare Dragonfly that is frequently found in areas associated with bogs. Jeremy informed me that none of the Boghaunter species have ever been found at Allenburg Bog (Cattaraugus County, NY) area. He wanted to visit the bog to see if we could find any of them flying yet. Of course I am always up for an adventure and couldn’t resist in also taking the time to look for newly arrived warblers! (more…)
Sometimes you are better off birding at home
As anticipated, today was a wonderful “new” species day with 5 first for 2007s and a Cabbage White (CHECK) butterfly. The second that I walked outside (to head to work) I heard two Red-eyed Vireos signing (CHECK) in the trees across the street. I didn’t want to go to work but knew in 8 more hours that I would be enjoying the birdies again.
Northern Parula way up in the pines. (more…)
Tonight’s Radar Ornithology Forecast
click on the maps to see them enlarge or see the animation.
I was reviewing the Weather Underground website to see what this weekend’s weather was looking like. I then noticed that the NEXRAD images for Western New York showed a large movement of birds moving through the area. Watch the font map (below-right) at the point at 9:30 when bazillion of birds suddenly appear on the map (green)! Now that you know Tom’s Forcast, wake up early (before going to work) and spend some time Birding! If you are not sure how to read these maps, please visit my post “how to observe migration at night” and I hope that this post will answer any question you might have regarding Radar Ornithology.
Nestbox Project
This evening I talked Grace in joining me as I visited all of the Bluebird Nest Boxes here in Allegany State Park. I am proud to announce that we located two Eastern Bluebird with 5 eggs in their box. The first nest had the female incubating her eggs . . . . . (more…)
Wordless Wednesday
Northern Rough-winged Swallow
Butter Butt
Rose-breasted Grosbeak *
Red Squirrel and Painted Turtle*
* First for 2007 (CHECK)
Spring Butterfly Day
I had a late start in getting outside this morning, which resulted in seeing a few birds. I worked hard to come across the Cedar Waxwing (CHECK) and Baltimore Oriole (CHECK) which were both first for 2007’s. I took advantage of the late day to search for some spring butterflies. I started my search in an area where the Toothwart (Dentaria diphylla) grows. I had hoped to find Allegany State Park’s only butterfly species of concern called the West Virginia White. What is interesting is that the NY State Natural Heritage Program (NYNHP) list Allegany State Park as the best place to see the West Virginia White here in New York State. If you head over to the West Virginia White cover page, you will see that someone (hint) has a photo credit! (more…)
Bluebird Soaps
I ate my breakfast outside this morning and watched some of the Eastern Bluebird soaps!! That poor female continued to put up with this males bluebirds crap! How does she ever get anything done!! This continued to happen all day long!! To understand what I am talking about; click the video below! (more…)
Rainy Saturday
This rainy weather is for the ducks or should I say Common Mergansers! They are predicting sun for tomorrow, so expect me to get out and do some catch up on my birding. (more…)
the ultimate birdQUIZ
Being a licensed bird bander requires you to not only know your birds but ultimately collected the data in the most scientific way possible. That includes being 100% sure about the species that you are banding or you are required to release the bird without a band on it. This is something as a bander that you would rarely want happening!! A fellow Bird Bander (and Western New Yorker) David Junkin captured this very unique bird that he couldn’t identify. He was stumped after reviewing the many field guides and other resources available to him. He took many measurements, photographs (every angle) and then released the unbanded bird without knowing if he would capture it again.
Fiesta Poem
Fiesta
by Maxwell Croyden Wheat, Jr.
Comes with warblers,
waves of warblers
moving up the continents:
Yellows, Bay-breasteds
Black-throated Blues, Greens.
Myrtles, Magnolias
flourishing wing-tail skirts of white and yellow, Redstarts flashing flamenco fans of orange and red, Chestnut-sideds displaying headdresses of sun
Then, Blackburnians
flown from flames of Aztec fires,
Prothonotary emblazoned with Inca gold
migrants starting to move!
It is great finding Trilliums again!
Migrants are starting to move through the area! Yesterday evening I heard and saw my first Yellow-rumped Warbler (CHECK) for 2007. When I had first heard the butter butt, I had thought it could have been a Yellow-throated Warbler since they do have a some what similar song!! It appears the YTWA’s have not made it back yet and will be my next quest in locating!! I was happy to have followed many Pine Warblers around yesterday (although they wouldn’t let me photograph them so high up along the tree tops). So many places to go, so many bird sounds around me and yesterday I found myself taking my truck to the shop for some work! Uggg! (more…)
Ecological Niches
Many of our diurnal and nocturnal animals will both have similar ecological niches. Think of a niche as a job someone (human) might have in the grocery store. Many employees that work in this grocery store have a specific duty and specialties in getting their job done. One employee might be the butcher and makes sure the meat isn’t spoiled or is always sliced the same way. Another employee will have the duty of keeping the fruit fresh and knows everything that needs to be known about the fruit they are selling. Some grocery stores have seafood departments, bakeries and even a pharmacy. By everyone working together will provide a location for us making choices in what we eat. Animals also have jobs and their “ecological niche” which keeps them from competing for food but still allows many species to live together in the same habitat. For example, nuthatches walk upside down on the tree to pull out insects that they can see under the bark (which other birds easily overlook). Walking upside down is their ecological niche! (more…)
The Adventure to Ripley
We had a wonder time heading out to the Ripley Hawk Watch. In my previous post I talked about the many hawks we observed while on this trip. Overall we had 46ish species of birds, 5 first for 2007’s and one lifer on this trip! We started off this trip with some Barn Swallows under the highway bridge (CHECK, first for 2007). In this one town heading out to Ripley, the leader (who was in the car ahead of ours) had turned his vehicle around and started heading back the direction we were coming from. Then he pulled right up to someone’s house (it was trash day) and we thought he was interested in a TV that was out in the front lawn!! He was interested in their TV’s but the big feathery kind. He had observed a whole group of Turkey Vultures on top of someone’s house. The people at the Hawk Watch stated that the individual who owns the house is unable to sell it because the vultures are scaring off all potential buyers! I wonder what is so interesting with this one house that the Turkey Vultures?? (more…)
Ripley Hawk Watch
Today I joined the Cattaraugus County Bird Club for our annual hawk field trip to the Ripley Hawk Watch in Ripley New York. We headed to this hawk watch because the birds will migrate north along thermos and then reach Lake Erie. Since the lake water is cold (causing cold airs and no thermos) the hawks will not cross the lake and follow the waters edge until they find a land bridge. These areas are perfect spots in seeing many raptors in one location. Although, it was a clear sky and hard finding these bird specks way up in the sky. It was fun anyways with many great birds. (more…)
Mon@rch's Nature Blog 