Pike's Beach

The horseshoe crabs have been coming in to mate and lay their eggs at Pike's Beach in Westhampton Dunes and the shore birds are not far behind. There were thousands of shore birds -- make that tens of thousands -- on the shore line and peninsula on the Moriches Bay rising tide this morning. The dominant species was Semipalmated Sandpiper which, arriving in an almost constant stream, literally covered whole stretches of shore and, when disturbed, rose up in clouds of twittering birds. Very occasionally, in the cloud of sound that accompanied these flocks, one could hear the scratchy calls of a White-rumped Sandpiper and/or Western Sandpiper and one or two of each of these birds was actually seen. White-rumped Sandpiper and a Western Sandpiper were originally found by Pat Lindsay; a little later, a beautifully plumaged Western Sandpiper was observed at length in the middle of a roosting flock of Semipalmated Sandpipers on sand flat on the eastern side of the peninsula. The Western, which loomed every so slightly above its  Calidris compatriots, was in full sunlight as it showed off the rufous on its cap and scapulars and its arrow-shaped side markings.

I am happy to report that Red Knots, a species of some considerable concern, were also present in some numbers -- dozens of birds at least. More common species were Sanderlings (in various plumage stages) and Ruddy Turnstones. No dowitchers, Dunlin or phalaropes were noted. There was one Semipalmated Plover seen and a single Piping Plover, something of a disappointment in an area that only a few years ago was the Piping Plover capital of the world. Other birds in the area were local breeders: Willets and Oystercatchers. Least and Common Terns, various gulls including Laughing Gull. According to Shai Mitra, there were two Black Terns at Cupsogue (but no Arctic Terns) and a Royal Tern was seen by Pat. A single Horned Lark was heard singing at the base of the peninsula. 

It is a relief to know that horseshoe crabs are still coming in here but it is also the case that crabbers are still taking hundreds of these ancient creatures for bait. Neighboring states have banned the taking of horseshoe crabs; New York State should follow suit immediately! Pike's Beach is still our best shore and waterbird beach on the East End but its future is inextricably tied up with the conservation of the horseshoe crab. 

Eric Salzman

nesting woodpeckers

The Downy Woodpeckers turned out to be way ahead of me.

Not long ago, I mentioned that a pair of these birds were excavating a nest hole in a dead limb of a tree right off the trail through the woods on the other side of the property. But this was a mistake; these birds must have excavated their nest hole some time earlier. What I thought was nest excavation must have been an even more demanding exercise: feeding newly hatched chicks.

This retrospective insight comes about because I was strolling near the nest site this morning when I heard some lisping sounds that I attributed to titmice or chickadees. Eventually however I was able to pinpoint the source of these ventriloqual sounds. They were coming from the nest hole and, furthermore, the female Downy was hovering in the neighborhood, apparently hesitating to come in. Finally, she came to the stub, poked her head inside the hole and performed what was obviously a feeding operation. After she left, all was quiet for a little while but eventually the jingling noise resumed and two of the young birds stuck their heads out the nest hole demanding some further action. These were no little bitty chicklets but almost full-grown birds with recognizable woodpecker beaks and face markings. I would guess that these nestling are only a couple of days away from leaving the nest. 

Downy Woodpeckers are year-rounders (our migrant woodpeckers are the N Flicker and the Yellow-bellied Sapsucker which nests further north). That means, the Downies can get a head start on courting and nesting with young ready to fly by the end of May or beginning of June.

Speaking of woodpeckers and migration, it is very noticeable that the Flickers are starting to get active just now, well after their presumed rivals, the Red-bellied Woodpeckers. Again, I would guess that, since the Red-bellied are year-rounders, they  get a long head start on nesting while the Flickers are highly migratory and begin their nesting cycle some time later.

Eric Salzman

flycatchers & a turtle

There are definitely two Great Crested Flycatchers in the northeast woods -- the woodland patch that runs from outside the kitchen and porch to the creek and the moss-covered path that marks the property boundary. The birds duet with each other -- or perhaps I should say dialogue with each other (Great Crested vocalizations are not exactly melodious but consist of colorful wheeps and chuckles). I trust that this is a romance; we can certainly use more flycatchers -- Great Crested in the woods around the house and E. Kingbirds down by the creek. and pond.

It was low tide early this morning and I was hoping to find a heron or a shorebird this morning. Instead, there was a very different kind of wader in the pool: a Box Turtle standing in the water with feet planted firmly in the mud. The Box Turtle is such a typical animal of dry, sandy habitats that we forget that it comes from a long line of aquatic creatures. In fact, our Box Turtles like the muddy paths around the edge of the marsh and the best time of day to see them is after rain or early in the morning when there is often a lot of moisture on the vegetation in the form of dew. Still, finding one in the pond was a surprise. Which brings up a question: can Box Turtles swim? I suspect that they can!

Eric Salzman

morning, evening & morning

Yesterday was a morning and evening affair. In the morning, I kicked up a Black-crowned Night Heron from the edge of the open water in the middle of the marsh. It flew  up to the head of the marsh and perched on some seaside wrack accumulated there. It was obviously watching me because as soon as I left the marsh, it flew back up and dropped in to the very same spot from which I had so rudely evicted it. Must be some night-heron goodies in that spot. There are two Eastern Kingbirds hanging around at the edge of the marsh and they are definitely interested in one another. They were both calling and making those slow, heads-up, breast-up, fluttering flights that surely mean courtship. 

Last night, I visited the East Quogue Chuck-will's-widow spot just north of Old Country Road and west of Lewis Road. This has been the local place to find these birds for a number of years now and, in past years, I have even been able to watch them doing courtship and display; there can be little doubt that they have bred here regularly over the years. Last night I was there at about 8:15. The male began singing some time between 8:15 and 8:30 -- there was still plenty of light -- just beside one of the dirt roads in the area. He kept it up -- with just brief pauses and an occasional movement from one singing post to another. He was still at it at 9 pm when I gave up. In spite of his closeness and some tendency to move around, I was able to get just a brief glimpse. He flies low in the denser, darker part of the forest and his flight is, like that of an owl, quite soundless.

All our local birds were singing this morning -- including Yellow Warbler, Common Yellowthroat, Pine Warbler, Great Crested Flycatcher, Eastern Kingbird, Black-capped Chickadee, Tufted Titmouse and Carolina Wren. But there was another, less familiar sound: a kind of soft, throaty song that was not very melodious but somehow kept its formal status as a real song. It was coming from the low trees and bushes at the edge of the marsh but I could not get a glimpse of the bird even as I followed it up to the head of the marsh and then across to the other side. A little later, I heard a clearer version of the same song coming from high trees at the bend of the old right of way. It was, without much doubt, a Warbling Vireo, a once common village bird on Eastern Long Island that disappeared and is now making a comeback. 

Eric Salzman

Sebonac

Sebonac is one of the most attractive and birdy spots in our area. There is a lot of fresh water at or near the surface and, as a result, there is great variety in the vegetation which includes sycamores, red maples, tupelos and a thick shrub understory. This is an area to find breeding birds that are hard-to-find elsewhere (or else occur only a migrants) and this morning's visit produced a nice handful of those: White-eyed Vireo, American Redstart, White-breasted Nuthatch and Wood Thrush (alas, becoming rarer and rarer). Also, Red-eyed Vireo, House Wren, Prairie, Yellow and Blue-wing Warblers and Scarlet Tanager (plus the more common Baltimore Orioles, B-c Chickadees, etc.) A long, repeated series of deep cuckoo calls was of the type that I always used to call Black-billed Cuckoo but I now believe that this call is actually made by the Yellow-billed. Either way, it represents the first cuckoo of the year for me.

Eric Salzman

Southwest wind

A nice southwest wind and the distant roar of surf offered the possibility of a late migration push this morning but nothing of the sort was in evidence. There were Common Terns on the creek and martins and swallows over the marsh, a Yellow Warbler singing somewhere at the edge of the marsh and the three ensconced Common Yellowthroats loudly proclaiming their respective territories. There are Eastern Kingbirds in the neighborhood and a Great Crested Flycatcher that comes by with his harlequin laugh. There was a raccoon call as well (it stumped for a moment; we don't usually heard raccoons in the daytime) and there he (or she?) was, not in his usual sleepytime pine tree perch but literally out on a limb; something was stirring in the raccoon world but I'm unlikely ever to know what it is (a short time later, he/she/it was gone). Our local swans have five cygnets and spend their time hanging around the pond and the creek edge; if I listen hard I can hear the little swanlet murmurings which probably help to keep the family together.

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Just when I thought the morning's birding was over, Eileen showed up and proposed a visit to the so-called bicycle path, part of the publicly owned pine barrens preserve just off Route 51 (near the junction of Rt.111 and Rt. 51).  This is what is technically known as old field, land that was formerly farmed but is now reverting to pasture and brush. This trail, next to a pine-and-oak wood, is a veritable fairyland garden filled with birds including (to name a few of the more unusual sightings) Willow Flycatcher, Blue-winged Warbler, Blue Grosbeak, Indigo Bunting, House Wren and Field Sparrow not to mention more Yellow Warblers than you have ever seen in your life. And, sad to say, ticks. Even in paradise there are ticks.

Eric Salzman

Willets on display

Willets have been very noisy in recent days and one bird -- presumably a male -- was on display this morning over the marsh. It was a fullout intense flight: a noisy fast fluttering display flight in which the bird seemed to slow up almost to the point of a stall. But he (I'm assuming it was a 'he') just kept on going following a circular path over the marsh and around again. On the third or fourth pass, another Willet joined him and the two continued the flight -- roughly in formation -- circling higher and eventually disappearing over the head of the marsh only to reappear all the way on the other side, coming over the town dock and the creek and then back up the marsh again. This went on for a while until one of the birds (or perhaps still another Willet) ended up perched on the half-dead Red Cedar that sits on the far side of the pond, eyeball to eyeball with a Red-winged Blackbird who seemed to think that the cedar was his designated perch. In the end, both left only to be replaced by a Song Sparrow who proceeded to announce his claim on the spot with a ringing Song Sparrow song.

But those Willets don't give up that easily. Even as I write this in the early afternoon, I can hear the ringing Willet cries. However their courtship and mating system actually works, it certainly does not take place under cover!

It was a morning of strenuous activity on the creek and over the marsh on the part of a number of species. A pair of Osprey circled high, calling loudly to each other and calling attention to themselves to the point that they were chased by Red-wings. Shouldn't Osprey already have eggs or young by now? This seems like a late nesting (or re-nesting?) attempt. 

The Purple Martins arrived much later than the Osprey and are only now getting into gear. They were noisy and active over the marsh this morning and, at one point, a female martin landed on an open area, poked a bit in the mud, appeared to walk (more walk than hop) forward to pick up a bit of reed which it then flew off with, presumably for her nest. Green Herons were calling from somewhere inside the woods; perhaps they will try to nest there again. Today's warblers were few: Magnolia, Blackpoll as well as the local Pine and Common Yellowthroats.

Eric Salzman

Son of Rocky

Rocky Raccoon is back! The old bull Raccoon was back in his favored sleeping post high in the crotch of an old bull Pitch Pine this morning. Or it is our old friend? The present incumbent (or should I say 'recumbent'?) actually looks somewhat smaller and more reddish than Rocky who was big and fat and gray. Let's call his successor Son of Rocky.

It was a beautiful warm morning with the leafing-out process reaching its peak. But this was not a day for migrants. There was a Traill's Flycatcher -- that's the catchall name for two similar empidonax flycatchers (Willow and Alder) that used to be lumped together -- hunting in the foliage for the second time in the past few days. If this was a Willow, it might be considered a local bird (Willows nest in the shrubs on the barrier beach) but if it was an Alder, then it was a true migrant (Alders mostly nest to the north). I'm calling it a Traill's because it was medium size with a narrow eye ring, medium long wing extension and quite olive on the back. Least is small and grayish; Acadian is big and very greenish. Willow and Alder probably can't be told apart with certainly unless they call (and this one didn't). 

There was also a flock of a half dozen Cedar Waxwings heading over the head of the marsh. Waxwings have been very scarce this year. Like the Am Goldfinches which have also been present, they are late nesters.

Otherwise, most of the activity belonged to breeding birds: a song competition between some highly vocal Baltimore Orioles; at least two new Common Yellowthroats trying to set up territories along the edge of the marsh (making three singing males in all). A pair of Downy Woodpeckers has been excavating a nest hole next to the trail at the far end of the property. The two birds were coming and going like clockwork for several days but this morning all was quiet. Have they abandoned the project? Or are they sitting on eggs in the completed nest hole?

Eric Salzman

Hairy Woodpeckers and a guidedog

A noisy non-stop series of calls at the Maple Swamp Pond this morning proved to be coming from a woodpecker hole high on a dead stump a short distance from the water. Its source was shortly revealed when a large black-and-white woodpecker with a reddish crown stuck his head out the hole. It was a juvenile Hairy Woodpecker only days away from fledging. The adults eventually turned up with food and, although I could not see more than one youngster pushing his way out of the nest, there may have been others back in the nest hole. Apparently, these birds are well enough protected from predators by the security of the nest hole and also by their strong beaks, that they can afford to call attention to themselves in this way (something smaller and weaker birds would not dare try). The third week in May seems early but, as they are probably year-round residents and have nested in the area before, they are obviously able to get off to an early start.

There were a few warblers in the forest including singing Canada, Parula, Blackpoll, Pine, Black-throated Green and Black-throated Blue. If you add the breeding birds -- Blue-winged Warbler, Ovenbird, Black-and-white Warbler, Common Yellowthroat and Yellow Warbler (all of these except the Black-throat Blue were on the property as well), you get a total of 11 warblers. Wilson's and Blackburnian were -- by song -- probably also present. Red-eyed Vireo, Eastern Wood-pewee, Great Crested Flycatcher, Eastern Kingbird and Scarlet Tanager were in full throttle. No glimpse or peep from a thrush. This is really worrisome as both Wood Thrush, Veery and (occasionally) Hermit Thrush should be active.

A local dog -- he had a collar so he wasn't a stray -- accompanied me the whole way round. He obviously knew the territory and even tried to lead the way down various side paths and deer trails which he thought might be of interest (and, in some cases, they were). He went splashing in all the puddles and kettlehole ponds and constantly ran ahead, circling back every once in a while to see if 'ol slowpoke was still stumbling along. On several occasions, he went ahead on the wrong path and when he came back, I was gone -- turned down another trail.  But he was always able to track me and catch up, probably by using his nose. Only near the end of the trail did he depart, without so much as a goodby, presumably to find his way back home. 

Eric Salzman

Attack Warbler2

Yesterday's account of an Attack Warbler -- a Yellow Warbler at the LIPA Peconic River crossing just west of Riverhead -- provoked a surprising number of responses from readers who had similar experiences. Melvyn Cowgill reports that his car was attacked by an immature Song Sparrow on Dune Road (he thinks might have been a migrant, an explanation that conflicts with my theories about such events). Several of the responses came from readers whose cars were attacked in that same spot. Steve Biasetti reports that he (or rather his vehicle) was attacked there last year at this very same spot and presumably by the very same bird! Gigi Spates reports a similar story that took place almost two weeks ago and worries about how this bird can have enough energy to waste on these futile attacks. 

Stories about birds attacking their own image in a window or car mirror are not all that unusual but usually these concern an Am Robin or N Cardinal in the driveway of someone's landscaped property. The issue always seems to be the same. The reflected image stirs up the hormones of a territorial male and triggers his attack reflexes. In short, he 'thinks' that another male is challenging his territory and is trying to steal his mate. Our Yellow Warbler fits that scenario. He is a fully mature bird in glowing plumage and there was a female Yellow Warbler lurking in the area. But his story differs in several ways from the standard driveway or feeder-outside-the-kitchen-window story. It involves a warbler in a genuinely wild situation and not a backyard bird (has anyone heard of another warbler acting in this way?). And this bird has to deal with a whole series of vehicles pulling in daily into the little DEC parking area and, as it seems, over a period of weeks for at least two successive springs! And, finally, the bird seems to have concluded that visiting vehicles are actually warbler attack tanks that bring with them a horde of rival warblers. It flies up, ready for action, to meet the arriving car even before it can even have seen its reflection. It would interesting to black out the windows and mirrors of a vehicle, drive into the parking area and see whether the bird would react! Certainly Gigi is right to worry about this bird's energy reserves. If this bird spends all his time fighting off imaginary rivals, what will he have left for more important things?

This morning's weather report: cloudy skies, little or no rain, cool temperatures with most of the warblers in a single flock led by B-c Chickadees and an R-e Vireo: Magnolia Warbler, a couple of Black-throated Greens, several Blackpolls and a N. Parula. Also around: Ovenbird, possibly Canada Warbler (by sound), Pine Warbler and several singing Common Yellowthroats.

For some reason, the last sentence or two from yesterday's report -- including Eileen Schwinn's credit -- was cut off on some of the outgoing posts. Here's how those ending lines should have read: "This bird actually learned that the appearance of a vehicle into the parking lot signaled the arrival of a whole flock of competitors! He was so cued up that he attacked even before the vehicle turned down into the parking lot! What a show! Here's a couple of Eileen Schwinn's pictures of Attack Warbler in action:"

Eric Salzman

Attack Warbler

The local view of spring migration continued to improve this morning with Canada, Wilson's and Magnolia warblers all appearing in East Quogue to join the Blackpolls, Yellow Warblers, Yellowthroats, Ovenbird and Pine Warbler already here. After early morning fun with migrants right in our own backyard, we hit the trail for the Peconic River area (the LIPA crossing near Riverhead), the Peconic Herb Farm in Calverton, the VOR field near ex-Grumman and a new location, a nearby 'oldfield' off Fresh Pond Road in the same area. All in all we were able to add three more warblers: Blue-winged, Prairie and the heretofore missing Am Redstart (at least two different birds singing and feeding at the edge of the Peconic River and probably breeding birds not through migrants). 11 warblers is a good count for these parts these days even at the height of spring migrant.

These's more. At the Fresh Pond oldfield -- a former farm field now coming back to grassland with emergent shrubs and trees -- we saw and heard the season's first (for us) Grasshapper Sparrow and also had a Savannah Sparrow bathing in a mud puddle. This field is going to be worth further investigation.

But the best moment of the morning was our arrival at the LIPA crossing (we call it Snowflake because of the nearby ice cream shop on Rt 25). There is a parking area for a fish launching site that has been installed by the DEC and which we use (even if it's bird launching not fish launching that is our objective). Almost as soon as we pulled off Rt. 25 to turn into the parking site, we were attacked by a large yellow creature. A vicious giant butterfly! No, a Yellow Warbler. This warbler follows us down to the parking site and then starts to attack the front windows and rear-view mirrors of the car. After sitting in the car for a few minutes, watching this spectacle, we got out of the car, thinking this would chase him away but it didn't faze him in the slightest. Continuing to attack with only an occasional pause to sing, he would dart from one side of the vehicle to the other. There must be something about this spot because this is exactly where we found (and Eileen photographed) a Warbling Vireo singing on its nest. The vireo was there, singing away, but this time it had to play second fiddle to the attack warbler. Finally we got out of the car and crossed the river, finding a singing Canada Warbler and hearing at least two other Warbling Vireos in the vicinity. Eventually we wandered back to the car and, sure enough, Mr. Dendroica Petechia was still at it having now also fouled up the top of the mirrors and the rim of both doors with his angry poop. Mrs. Petechia was even in the neighborhood but she was definitely leaving the territorial defense to him. As we drove away, he literally followed us up the road, singing away and making sure that we were gone for good. 

The only explanation for all this behavior is as follows: this Yellow Warbler -- who had established a mate and a territory on the river -- was seeing his reflection in the rear-view mirrors and car windows, reflections that triggered his territorial defense behavior in extremis. This was not just a single rival but a whole flock of rival Yellow Warblers come to torment him and take away his hard-won assets -- land, a good place to nest and a pretty wife! But even more this bird had learned that the arrival of a vehicle into the parking lot meant the arrival of a whole flock 

Eric Salzman

Here are two of Eileen Schwinn's photos of the Attack Warbler: 

at the peak

May 16 should be close to the peak of spring migration and this morning's birding pretty well lived up to the expectation. The day was scheduled to begin with a visit to Cupsogue where Steve Biasetti -- we ran into him at Hunters Gardens yesterday -- reported an early-morning fallout of warblers in the beach pines yesterday morning. However we were sidetracked by a call from Mike Higgiston to Eileen Schwinn reporting on action in the Quogue Wildlife Refuge. And indeed there were at least three Canada Warblers and at least two Wilson's Warblers as well as a Magnolia Warbler at that venerable spot. Add these three warblers to the six on the East Quogue property early this morning (Yellow, Yellowthroat, Pine, Parula, Blackpoll, Ovenbird) and you get a total of nine -- about the best we have had this season. Additionally, that honorary warbler, Red-eyed Vireo was present and singing in both locations.

Afterwards, we headed out to Cupsogue but if there was a fallout there it had already dispersed by the time of our arrival. As a consolation prize, we worked our way back east along Dune Road where some numbers of horseshoe crab matings were in progress attended by fair numbers of Black-bellied Plovers, Ruddy Turnstones, Sanderlings, Dunlin, Short-billed Dowitchers and Least Sandpipers. Also seen: Piping Plover, Semipalmated Plover and the first Least Terns observed this year (apparently these birds have just arrived). A big surprise was the presence of a dozen or more Common Eiders in the bay back of the inlet along with a single Red-breasted Merganser and several dozen Brant opposite the inlet and also scattered in other places in the bay. There were also Common Loon flyovers including a calling bird, always a thrill.

Eric Salzman

birding by ear

As many of the readers of this blog undoubtedly already know, I do a lot of my birding by ear and, over the years, I've learned most of the songs of Eastern birds and many of the calls. When I stepped out of the house early this morning, I was greeted by all three of our local warblers -- Pine and Yellow Warblers and Common Yellowthroat -- not because I saw them (or they saw me) but because they were all singing away on a fine sunny morning. As on Friday, there was some movement last night but the rapid increase in wind gusts throughout the morning made visual birding sometimes quite difficult. In East Quogue, at Hunters Garden and on the Bald Hill Trail, a fair number of warblers and other birds were identified but, with a few exceptions, mostly by sound: Blackburnian Warbler, Black-throated Green Warbler, Black-throated Blue Warbler, Blackpoll, Parula, Am Redstart, Black-and-White, Ovenbird, Baltimore Oriole, Scarlet Tanager (plus Pine, Yellow and Yellowthroat, already mentioned) as well as Red-eyed Vireo, Indigo Bunting, Cedar Waxwing, Eastern Towhee, Chipping Sparrow & Brown Cowbird (these last all heard and seen). 

One "song" (really a call) really puzzles me. The yellowlegs that appear regularly on our pond and/or marsh open water almost always have a medium and rather straight bill and they always flush with a loud series of tchu-tchu-tchus -- a dozen of them or more. Since the bill is not upturned and since it almost never calls in threes, I am always tempted to call Lesser Yellowlegs. But the sharp tone and the medium length of the bill, as well as the frequent appearances of this bird (and the salt water habitat) tell me that it 'must' be a Greater Yellowlegs. I should add that the few times I have seen Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs together and when I have seen obvious Lesser Yellowlegs on fresh water edges, the bill of the Lesser seems almost as short as a Knot bill and the sound is usually a mellow two-note call. After all these years, I should be able to tell these birds apart more easily. Anyone have any comments or suggestions?

Eric Salzman

a musical bird wave

My doom and gloom message of this morning was actually written yesterday. This morning's birds had other ideas. There was a nice wave and, to judge by the NYC reports, it was widespread. Widespread enough to reach out here.

Shortly after dawn, there was a male Bobolink singing in our Weesuck Creek marsh and an Indigo Bunting was doing the same from the edge of the marsh. The sharp, metallic chink of a Rose-breasted Grosbeak cascaded down from an oak tree right outside our kitchen. There were wood warblers in the woods too. Blackburnian Warbler was the obvious morning star but Black-throated Green, Blackpoll and Magnolia were also around (plus more than one Yellow Warbler and the local Pine Warbler and Common Yellowthroat). Strange Baltimore Oriole calls suggested that some the orioles in the trees were not our homebodies but migrants on their way up north. Numbers of Northern Flickers zipping around were almost certainly migrants too. The presence of strangers calling and singing seemed to have inspired the locals to new vocal heights so the whole place was ringing with song. Not an earthshaking fallout but a most musical one.

There was a Mourning Warbler at the Quogue Refuge (seen by Eileen Schwinn and Mike Higgiston) and apparently a Yellow-throated Warbler was on the premises not so long ago. I'll bet there will be good reports from elsewhere as well.

Eric Salzman

slow season

In spite of the early breakout of spring vegetation, this has been a slow season bird-wise in East Quogue and environs (perhaps also in a wider area of Eastern LI). We have had visits from a few late arrivals recently. There was a Belted Kingfisher on the creek yesterday morning (about the second or third that I've seen). A pair of seemingly courting Common Terns were also on the creek and we have had visits from singing or calling Great Crested Flycatcher, Eastern Kingbird, Yellow Warbler and Pine Warbler in the past two or three days -- not in the creek but in the woods or woodland edge. But among the flycatchers and warblers only Common Yellowthroat appears to be firmly on territory (there is at least one male singing non-stop in the shrubs at the edge of the marsh). Even in the back woods, Wood Thrush and Veery are scarce and silent and no empidonax flycatcher has crossed my path this season. The sometimes wandering Cedar Waxwing seems to have wandered somewhere else. No Least Terns yet on the creek and, as of a day or two ago, they were not active at their usual sites down on the shore.

These are all birds that breed or have bred (although the empids are rather scarce as breeders). In the category of migrants, there have been only a few sightings, the best of which was a Hooded Warbler in Maple Swamp and a calling Common Loon passing overhead. Is this lack of migrants, a matter of weather patterns or are we talking about a drop in the overall numbers of migrants? In past years, mid-May or the third week of the month would have been the time of peak spring migration. And when will the missing breeders show up and begin to announce themselves? 

Eric Salzman

a new route into Maple Swamp

At Jim Osterlund's suggestion, Eileen Schwinn and I tried a new way into Maple Swamp this morning. This is the 'official' marked trail (part of the larger Paumanok trail system). The trail head is on Pleasure Drive just past the junction with Route 104 (the Quogue-Riverhead Road) and it is clearly blazed. The first part of the trail goes through a series of morainal hills and kettles covered with classic pine barrens vegetation; eventually the rich Maple Swamp vegetation kicks in. This trail joins up with the old sand road running past the open water pond that serves as the main swamp drainage (all Maple Swamp water is spring fed from the aquifer and does not connect with the outside world although there are many outlier kettleholes in the area in addition to the main swamp). 

Bird life in the drier portions is also classic pine barrens: dominated by Ovenbirds and Eastern Towhees with a scattering of flycatchers (Great Crested and Eastern Kingbird), Am Robins, Black-capped Chickadees, Tufted Titmouses, Pine Warblers and, a bit surprisingly, many Baltimore Orioles. Although there is damage throughout to some of the oaks from Geometer loopers, the affected areas already have a dense growth of young Pitch Pines coming up under the dead tree stubs. Big old Pitch Pines are scattered throughout. With all that dead wood, there should be woodpeckers and there they are: mainly N Flickers and Red-bellied. As you approach the wetter, more highly vegetated areas, other species begin to appear including Hairy Woodpecker, Eastern Wood Pewee, the ever spectacular Scarlet Tanager, Common Yellowthroat as well as Black-and-white and Blue-winged Warblers. At the pond itself, there are Red-winged Blackbirds, Common Grackles and Yellow Warbler. Also Tree Swallows flying over the pond (migrants? local nesters in woodpecker holes?). Among the few certain migrants seen or heard were N Waterthrush and Yellow-rumped Warbler. Turkey Vultures soar overhead along with a few Red-tailed Hawks. The TVs are recent arrivals and one can guess that they are likely breeders here. Ovenbirds flushed from and repeatedly returning to a dense bed of pine needles next to the trail were probably in the process of building one of their famous Dutch oven nests on the ground; not willing to spook them any further, we cut short our over-eager inspection of the grounds without finding the nest. 

Somewhere on that sand road (probably at the open water pond), we lost the marked trail and ended up back on our familiar route to the old horse pasture and Pleasure Drive. We had anticipated this, parking one of our cars at the traditional place and, as we walked on Pleasure Drive heading to Car #2, we stopped to admire a big Wild Turkey tom displaying, strutting and gobbling away, apparently for the benefit of two birders, three turkey hens (including one light-colored bird that clearly had domestic turkey genes) and another displaying male. The explanation for this curious situation was presently revealed to us by Chris, the owner of the property, who emerged from his house, pleased to find some bird appreciators in the neighborhood. It turns out that the hens and the second male belong to him while the big gobbler -- the one that attracted our attention in the first place -- wandered in from the woods, challenged and triumphed over the resident male and took over the hen harem. Apparently the battles were savage and furious but once the issue was settled, Male #2 accepted his defeat with whatever passes for turkey gracefulness and was thereafter satisfied with his role as Second Turkey Banana. Such was the story that we were told and I see no reason to doubt it. 

Eric Salzman

a funny noise and a flutterby

A funny noise right outside the kitchen window caught my attention yesterday afternoon. A fat, snow-white Guinea Hen was standing in the open right outside the window and its odd calls shortly attracted a second bird before the two of them scooted off into the woods. Does it count? Can I add it to my bird list?

As we get later into May, more flowers are springing up. The dunes are covered with a blizzard of Beach Plums and the tiny, precious little Starflower is suddenly in bloom both in the back woods (we saw it in Maple Swamp yesterday) and under the pines at our place. But the weather seems to be going in the wrong direction and getting cooler, not warmer (actually daytime temperatures in the 50s and nighttimes falling into the 30s, is probably just traditionally 'normal' for Eastern LI in early May). Nevertheless, in spite of the return of cool, the first local Common Yellowthroat of the season has started calling -- or should I say singing -- at the marsh edge for the past two days along with a jolly Yellow Warbler. And a Great Crested Flycatcher made its first local appearance of the season and has been 'weep-ing' all day. And every evening, between the unlikely hours of 6 and 7 pm, a Red Admiral makes a darting looping flutterby flight, round and round in the semi-enclosed, shaded area between the old barn, the kitchen and the porch. This is undoubtedly a territorial flight and, on occasion, a second butterfly accompanies it -- whether a rival male or an interested female, I cannot say. It does seem odd that a creature we normally associate with warmth and bright sunlight, should fly so vigorously in the cool dusky shade of evening. Perhaps it helps to avoid predation to fly so late in the day and yet, at the same time, it somehow must manage to attract the notice of other butterflies.

Eric Salzman

a windy Maple Swamp

If a tree falls in the forest does it make a noise if no one is there to hear it? Well, of course, someone is there to hear it: a deer, a fox, a squirrel, a forest bird, maybe even a flock of forest birders. 

We were a group of 15 who had signed up for the Maple Swamp walk yesterday. We had just turned down a side trail to look for the Hooded Warbler that was singing at the spot a couple of days ago when a sudden cracking noise behind caused up all to turn around. A major tree branch -- from a living tree -- came crashing down to earth before our very wide eyes. We had walked past the spot just a moment or two before!

A crashing tree branch was the scariest but not the only major obstacle encountered on yesterday's walk. The cool weather and high, gusty winds made birding difficult. Even when birds came out to sing or feed, it was not easy to get a fix on them before they dashed off as if caught by a gust. Or else they wouldn't come out at all. One of the best birds of the trip, a singing White-eyed Vireo, was barely glimpsed by a few of the group. A single Scarlet Tanager perched high on a dead tree trunk for a moment before whirling away. Some expected birds -- including thrushes, vireos and flycatchers -- were missed entirely. Nevertheless, it was a walk with its exciting moments. A pair of Brown Creepers were seen seemingly on a merry chase from tree trunk to dead tree trunk, possibly a courting pair getting ready to nest (Brown Creepers nest behind pieces of semi-detached bark on dead tree trunks of which there are plenty these days in Maple Swamp). Turkey Vultures were soaring on the breezes overhead (a relatively new sight for the area) along with a big buteo, probably a young non-red-tailed Red-tailed Hawk. Other species of interest were Hairy Woodpecker, Great Crested Flycatcher, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher and few warblers. But the best sighting came on the way back and was seen by a single person. Cheryl van Tuyle spotted and flushed a gallinaceous bird off one side of the trail. Her description of the bird on the ground and as it flew away -- gray, smaller than a turkey with a collar marking and obvious banded tail -- was completely convincing as a RUFFED GROUSE! This magnificent bird has long been a resident of Maple Swamp but has been little seen in recent years.

Eric Salzman

A visit to Central Park

The second Saturday in May is International Migratory Bird Day. The American Birding Association (ABA) and New York City Audubon set up a table at the base of The Point in Central Park with literature, information and publications including BIRDING and WINGING IT, both put out by ABA. I have affiliations with ABA through both of these publications and I decided to go into the city this morning to hang out at the table and get in a little birding as well. The table was, by the way, set up yesterday as well as today and it will be there again tomorrow (when, as readers of this blog, will know, I'm leading a walk at Maple Swamp in Flanders). 

In spite of some light morning showers, this was a great day to be in Central Park -- full of both birders and birds. Yes there were birders. A lot of birders. I saw many old friends that I haven't seen in years. And yes, there were warblers. A lot of warblers. Without leaving The Point, I saw 17 species including Bay-breasted, Wilson's, Canada, Chesnut-sided and lots of Blackpolls (usually rare so early in the season). And that was without some of the birds that might have been expected -- no waterthrushes, no Blackburnians, no Nashvilles. Central Park (along with all the other NYC parks) is indeed a great place for migratory birds in mid-May.

Eric Salzman

Orioles Agonistes

I watched oriole agonistes this morning. A real dustup between two rival males. Well almost a dustup; they weren't quite on the ground but they were swooping around and scrapping at eye level. This was serious business as one bird was persistently calling and chasing his rival who apparently was refusing to vacate the premises. At one point, the two birds confronted each other a few feet apart on a tree branch, both stretched out to full length in what I can only assume is extreme oriole threat postures: face-to-face, bills held high, both bobbing and weaving like windup toys. Eventually one of the birds seemed to be hit by the other (those oriole beaks are sharp) and the appeared to take off, seemingly together with a female. If that was really the case, who was the winner of the battle? One bird apparently got the girl while the other got the territory. 

The bird of the day was a HOODED WARBLER singing away at Maple Swamp. Other warblers seen this morning were Black-and-White and Yellow-rumped (both in East Quogue) as well as Blue-winged, Ovenbird, Pine, Yellow and Common Yellowthroat at Maple Swamp. Also at Maple Swamp: Red-eyed Vireos on territory, the year's first E Wood-Pewee, E Phoebe, Hairy Woodpecker and Fish Crows. As a reminder, I'm doing a Maple Swamp walk on Sunday, meeting at 8 am on Pleasure Drive in Flanders just south of Rt. 24. If you need directions, let me know.

A CORRECTION: In yesterday's account of a visit to Hunters Gardens, I switched the names of two friends. The Carl that accompanied us was Carl Starace not Carl Safina as I absent-mindedly typed. The slight similarity of the two names is no excuse. I'll blame Old-timer's Disease and offer apologies to both Carls.

Eric Salzman

Spent the morning in Hunters Gardens and Bald Hill Trail with Eileen Schwinn and Carl Safina. Carl, who knows the area well and showed us a couple of hidden kettlehole ponds a little ways back in the woods. It is the presence of all the ponds and wet spots that makes Hunters Gardens and a parallel area along the Bald Hill Trail richer than much of the rest of the pine barrens (and a good spot for migrants as well as local breeders). Red-eyed Vireos were singing loudly at the open area of Hunters Gardens, a bird of the season for me. Parula Warbler was the only migrant noticed; other warblers -- Ovenbird, Common Yellowthroat, Pine -- were local breeders. A furious tangle of Ovenbirds and a similar bouhaha of Eastern Towhees seemed to involve (in both cases) both males and females but the exact cause of the squabbles (fighting over a female? territory? mate-guarding?)  eluded us. Also active, occasionally singing and easy to see: male Scarlet Tanagers. A Rose-breasted Grosbeak chink was heard but the bird was not spotted. Ruby-throated Hummingbird could be a migrant passing through but is likely to be a local breeder. Ominously, a number of Brown Cowbirds were seen and heard. 

I got several responses to yesterday's report of a mystery songster. This was a bird singing from a hiding place in a tangle of vines high in a tree above a dense and impenetrable undergrowth. The song consisted of catbird-like phrases neatly and cleanly separated in short, slightly irregular bundles or bursts of song and separated by bits of chatter.  At least two correspondents suggested Yellow-breasted Chat. I didn't say it but that was my thought exactly. The understory looks like perfect chat habitat and I have seen chats in this general area on a number of occasions. One of my favorite stories concerns a Hav-a-Heart trap that someone left on a nearby trail at the edge of the woods which, when I discovered it, contained nothing less than a lively Yellow-breasted Chat trying to find his way out. Needless to say, I set it loose.

If anyone is interested in the Maple Swamp walk on Sunday and needs more detailed directions, please let me know.

Eric Salzman

I heard a distinctive unfamiliar song early this morning -- something like a catbird but parceled out in distinctive bursts, each with a similar, stereotypical form. The individual songs were also separated or preceded by a bit of chatter. What was it? I am quite familiar with all the local songs and most of the expected migrants so this was, I suspect, something good. Alas, it remained quite hidden in the now-dense foliage until it flew out and away at top speed.

Sometimes familiar birds sing unfamiliar songs. Yesterday at Maple Swamp, there was an Eastern Towhee which alternated a completely unrecognizable song with its signature "Drink, Drink Your Tea". And a high-pitched soft trill -- distinctly different from the Chipping Sparrows and Pine Warblers also trilling in the area -- had me completely stumped until I finally found the bird in the act of singing. It was a Blue-winged Warbler!

But the most thrilling, hair-raising sound of the morning was a ghostly, tremulous yodel that seemed to come reverberating from the skies. It could only have been a Common Loon, a bird that winters here and passes over in migration, occasionally calling as it hurries north. And, sure enough, a very visible (but not calling) Common Loon came overhead only a few minutes later.

In addition to an unsolved song mystery and a calling loon, this morning's walk counted Parula and Yellow-rumped Warblers as well as a probable Blackpoll (by sound) and a Lesser Yellowlegs (by looks and by sound) in the salt pool in the middle of the marsh. 

A trip down to Dune Road a bit later in the morning produced a Common Eider, some distant Gannets and a lot of Common Terns at Shinnecock Inlet (no terns elsewhere on the bay). Many (but not all) of the local nesting birds were in evidence. A lone Glossy Ibis flying overhead reminded me that I forgot to mention the flock of 20 of these birds at the duck farm near Riverhead on Monday.

N.B.: I will lead a walk in Maple Swamp for ELIAS (Eastern Long Island Audubon Society) starting at 8 am on Pleasure Drive. The meeting place is a dirt road (leading to an open pasture visible from the road but now blocked by a gate); this is on the southeast side of Pleasure Drive just a short distance to the northwest of the driveway to the old Graphics of Peconic. The walk will stick to the main dirt roads and tracks in the area to avoid ticks (nevertheless come prepared with long pants and spray). Expected birds include numbers of warblers including Blue-winged, Ovenbird, Yellow, Yellowthroat, Pine and various migrants. Also flycatchers, thrushes, woodpeckers, vireos, etc. 

Eric Salzman

Maple Swamp was once the biggest and most beautiful piece of natural landscape left in Eastern LI. Well, it's still as big as ever but it has lost some of its beauty due to the depredations of a tiny inchworm or looper that decimated whole areas of oaks. Now the long-term effects of ecological change begin to be noticed. Many of the dead trees have dropped their branches or simply toppled over, often obstructing the trails. Since the canopy is now open in many places, dense undergrowth has come up making some of the wilder areas difficult to bushwhack through. Because there is a considerable amount of water in all the ponds and other wet spots (not connected directly to the looper but perhaps also an effect of climate change), there are mosquitos. Ticks are still a problem, particularly if you leave the wide trails or woods roads.

All this said, this is still a great place to bird, particularly in the month of May. As of today (May 4), all the dogwoods are in full bloom and the Mountain Laurel looks to be not far behind. Some of the classic pine barrens species are also in bloom include the two or three species of blueberries and the pretty chokeberry. There were termite hatches on fallen wood everywhere. 

Most of the nesting species were in place including Eastern Kingbird, Great Crested Flycatcher, White-breasted Nuthatch, Wood Thrush, Blue-winged Warbler, Ovenbird, Common Yellowthroat and others. The relatively few migrants included a small group of Bay-breasted Warbler (always a good find) and a surprisingly early Blackpoll. Other migrants included Yellow-rumped Warbler, Yellow Warbler and N. Parula. A nice find was a male and female Wood Duck on a small pond just back of the Graphics of Peconic buildings (now used for art storage I believe) not far from Pleasure Drive.

I will be doing a walk in Maple Swamp on Sunday, May 9th, for ELIAS (Eastern LI Audubon Society) and I promise to keep to the wide roads and trails. 

Eric Salzman

On the Road

Aside from the persistent "drink your tea" of an Eastern Towhee and an occasional Yellow Warbler "me, me, me. look at me", there wasn't much going on in the Samuel & Frances K. Salzman Preserve (that's the official name of the woods and marsh area next to our East Quogue house). So, in spite of the threat of rain, I took off with Eileen Schwinn for a road tour. First stop (after the post office and car repair shop) was ex-Grumman a.k.a. EPCAL. Although there has been some new construction and some road work, the western runway is still unused, accessible and fringed with grasslands. Our aim was to find out what birds were in residence or passing through this extensive habitat. However the weather was not cooperative; the best we could manage was a wet runway ride with few birds -- an occasional E Meadowlark flying or singing, an overflying Osprey attacked by crows and a few zip-by sparrows dropping down into the grass. One bird that paused on dead stem was almost certainly not the expected Grasshopper Sparrow but a probable Vesper -- by silhouette and also by its buzzy zip call. 

As the rain let up, we passed out of Gumman/Epcal on the north side, crossed Route 25 and investigated VOR -- not, as you might think, "Vesper Ornithological Reserve" but "VHF Omnidirectional Radio Range" -- an open field with a navigational radio system signalling the approaches to the Metropolitan New York airports. Of course, no sooner did we enter the paved road that leads to the bowling-pin-like signal tower, than a Riverhead Police car pulled in to question us. "Oh, birdwatchers. Well okay." And he left us alone to discover the delgihts of this area which included both Orchard and Baltimore Orioles (the Baltimore apparently a first-year bird not quite in full plumage and singing a somewhat odd song), Blue-winged, Prairie and Yellow-rumped Warblers, Field Sparrow, Eastern Kingbird, and, best of all, calling N. Bobwhite (not a bird you take for granted anymore on LI).

Our last stop was a duck farm somewhat to the west where we discovered a bank of low clay cliffs with Bank and Rough-winged Swallows apparently getting ready to nest. Other swallows, probably also nesting on the farm, were Barn and Tree; ditto for the Chimney Swifts. There were not many shore birds but two good species were present and accounted for: Wilson's Snipe and Solitary Sandpiper (plus Spotted Sandpiper and Killdeer). Yellow Warblers singing everywhere. We had a nice chat with one of the managers of the farm who confirmed to us that owls -- Barn Owls almost certainly -- nested in some of the structures and, in spite of 'improvements' to some of the buildings, might still nest there -- or maybe not. Since the duck farm is obviously overrun with rodents, we suggested the installation of Barn Owl boxes to encourage larger populations of this relentless and ultra-efficient rodent hunter! The idea comes from an Israeli ornithologist who installs Barn Owl boxes (and Kestrel boxes) to encourage natural bird-operated rodent control, allowing farmers to cut down drastically on pesticide use. Hope our new friend at the duck farm picks up on the idea!

Eric Salzman

I was out early this morning but sunrise was obscured by cloud cover. However temperatures remained warm enough for box turtles to be out and about. And a lot of birds were singing including House Wren, Gray Catbird, Yellow Warbler and Eastern Towhee, all new for the season. Also Fish Crow calling. 

Took a ride to Route 51 and the so-called Bicycle Path which was a veritable garden of bird song. In full voice this morning were Mourning Dove, Downy Woodpecker, N Flicker, Black-capped Chickadee, Tufted Titmouse, House Wren, Am Robin, all 3 mimids (Catbird, Mockingbird, Thrasher), Blue-winged Warbler, Yellow Warbler, Common Yellowthroat, Eastern Towhee, Chipping Sparrow, Field Sparrow, N Cardinal, Red-winged Blackbird, Baltimore Oriole,  Orchard Oriole and Am Goldfinch. The warblers and the orioles were almost certainly very recent returnees from their winter sojourns far to the south. Not every bird seen was singing; a pair of Eastern Bluebirds were acting friendly with the male feeding the female at least twice. There was also a hunting Am Kestrel (not hunting Bluebirds I hope) and a few swallows (looked like Rough-winged Swallows to me but I didn't get very good looks). Missing was the Blue Grosbeak which has bred here in recent years.

Nearby, in Hunter's Gardens, were E Phoebe, Great Crested Flycatcher, Ovenbird, Pine Warbler, Scarlet Tanager, Chipping Sparrow and Rose-breasted Grosbeak, all singing except the Grosbeak. No thrushes seen or heard. Or for that matter other birders.

Eric Salzman

May Day! May Day!

We moved out to East Quogue this afternoon -- a summer day in New York and a mild spring day on Eastern LI. We were greeted by the most advanced foliage that I've ever seen out here at the beginning of May. We were also greeted by calling Willets, two or three Greater Yellowlegs and an Osprey holding a fish and doing its soaring sky cry (to impress a female Osprey no doubt). There were Purple Martins high in the sky. apparently from our local nesting colony at the foot of Bay Avenue. A Green Heron flew up from the marsh and into the woods where it perched warily; it must also be a recent arrival and it will nest somewhere around here. There were two Great Egrets on the pond, possibly from one of our local colonies on the bay or perhaps just passing through. White-throated Sparrows were singing continuously and enthusiastically but they'll shortly be on their way to their northern breeding grounds. Singing Baltimore Oriole -- another recent returnee from the south. Most of the homeys were present and accounted for: all three nesting woodpeckers (Downy, Flicker, Red-bellied), Black-capped Chickadee and Tufted Titmouse, Am Crow, Carolina Wren, Am Robin, N. Mockingbird, N Cardinal, Am Goldfinch, Red-winged Blackbird, Common Grackle. Homeys because these are all birds that hang around through the winter or, at most, move very short distances away. They're back on territory early -- way ahead of us -- and are already well into their spring breeding activities.

Good to be back.

Eric Salzman