Today was the Yellow Warbler's day off. Both Yellowthroats were on territory and singing but there was no sign of the Yellow. The Yellow Warbler pattern of one or two days on followed by a day off has been regular throughout the month. Does the bird go somewhere else on alernate days? Maybe it's not the same bird but new candidates that keep arriving. Maybe these are just migrants passing through; this just happens to be the kind of territory that attracts Yellow Warblers. Or maybe some mornings, the male is active and singing very early in the morning and knocks off by the time I arrive (usually 7 or 7:30 am).
I notice that the Purple Martins tend to feed over the marsh and very often land right on the marsh itself -- usually on the patches of rubble from last year's vegetation (the new growth is just beginning to come in). This might be just a resting point but I think they might be finding things to eat inside the rubble at a time when there are few flying insects (or when strong winds keep the insects down). The Barn Swallows also fly low in cool, windy weather but they tend to hunt later in the day, most often working over the pond and surrounding marsh.
New flowers are coming in, mostly native, mostly white: Blackberry, Black Cherry and Big-leaf Magnolia. This last-named is native, not to LI, but to the south and probably should be counted as a garden escape; it is growing here in a patch of woods and there are at least half a dozen plants. This is a spectacular plant with what it reputed to be the biggest leaves of any North American tree. It also has giant floppy white blossoms which must be among the biggest flowers as well.
Eric Salzman
Saturday, May 31, 2014
Friday, May 30, 2014
what's new on Weesuck Creek
A Great Blue Heron flushed from one of the dead trees back of the pond this morning. It's unusual to see this species at this time of the year when most of our wintering Great Blues leave us and go north to breed. This bird, which I think is the same one that I've seen a few times recently, might be a first year bird that is not yet in breeding condition and decided to hang with us for now. Great Blue Herons have been absent from Long Island as nesters for a long time -- perhaps more than a century -- but I have heard rumors that they may be returning as breeders.
If you'll pardon the pun, Forster's Tern continues to turn up on the creek along with Common and Least Terns. These last two are local breeders but Forster's is a southern tern, usually considered to be a marsh tern, which is only gradually making its way up the coast to New Jersey and Western LI. It has been appearing in mid summer with the Royal Terns that come at that time. Now, however, it seems to more and more common in the springtime and it may indeed turn out to be a breeder in some of the island tern colonies at Moriches and Shinnecock Bays; it should be looked for.
A pair of Willets are regular visitors on our pond at low tide when they dig out delicious-looking worms from of the pond-bottom muck. Mmmmmm. Sometimes these birds fly at me when I wander into the marsh as if they were defending territory. I can also hear them (or another pair) yelping away on the opposite side of the creek. Pine Neck has a lot of marsh territory for these big, noisy sandpipers. They must be breeding somewhere around here.
Eric Salzman
If you'll pardon the pun, Forster's Tern continues to turn up on the creek along with Common and Least Terns. These last two are local breeders but Forster's is a southern tern, usually considered to be a marsh tern, which is only gradually making its way up the coast to New Jersey and Western LI. It has been appearing in mid summer with the Royal Terns that come at that time. Now, however, it seems to more and more common in the springtime and it may indeed turn out to be a breeder in some of the island tern colonies at Moriches and Shinnecock Bays; it should be looked for.
A pair of Willets are regular visitors on our pond at low tide when they dig out delicious-looking worms from of the pond-bottom muck. Mmmmmm. Sometimes these birds fly at me when I wander into the marsh as if they were defending territory. I can also hear them (or another pair) yelping away on the opposite side of the creek. Pine Neck has a lot of marsh territory for these big, noisy sandpipers. They must be breeding somewhere around here.
Eric Salzman
Thursday, May 29, 2014
Gray Seals
I mentioned that Gray Seal was a new species for the Faunathon (presumably seen at Montauk). Mike Bottini writes to tell me that the source for the Gray Seals being seen increasingly at Montauk (I've also seen them from Plum Island just off the North Fork) is Muskeget Island near Nantucket where they have been breeding at least since 1988. This is now the largest Gray Seal site in the U.S. with something like 2000 pups born every year in December and January. They are weaned by mid-March when they begin arriving off Long Island. Nice to hear about a creature that is increasing instead of vanishing!
The common seal that we see here in the winter is the Harbor Seal which hauls out on South Shore islands and beaches but goes north to breed.
Yellow Warbler seems to alternate visiting days. Not noticed yesterday but actively singing on its usual head-of-marsh site this morning. The two Common Yellowthroats are holding on to their respective territories and the Pine Warbler is heard every day making its rounds.
The Purple Martins seem to move out from their nesting area in groups, hunting over the marsh and often accompanied by several Barn Swallows and an occasional something else (I saw a single Bank Swallow with them the other day).
Eric Salzman
The common seal that we see here in the winter is the Harbor Seal which hauls out on South Shore islands and beaches but goes north to breed.
Yellow Warbler seems to alternate visiting days. Not noticed yesterday but actively singing on its usual head-of-marsh site this morning. The two Common Yellowthroats are holding on to their respective territories and the Pine Warbler is heard every day making its rounds.
The Purple Martins seem to move out from their nesting area in groups, hunting over the marsh and often accompanied by several Barn Swallows and an occasional something else (I saw a single Bank Swallow with them the other day).
Eric Salzman
Wednesday, May 28, 2014
East End Faunathon 2014
The 2014 East End Faunathon results are in. There were 43 participants in 17 teams on Faunathon day, May 18th, and they found over 200 species of butterflies, dragonflies, reptiles and amphibians, mammals and birds in the 5 East End towns. More than 3/4 of the species observed were birds -- 157 different kinds to be exact and the list included Bald Eagle, Broad-winged Hawk, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Cliff Swallow, Common Raven, Summer Tanager and a bunch of others almost as good. A new reptile was an Italian Wall Lizard, an introduced species that has been spreading eastward on LI. Gray Seal was also new in the mammal department; these are wintering seals hanging around into spring and perhaps beginning to breed off the coast. The butterfly list included Eastern Pine Elfin and Red-spotted Purple (my personal best contribution to the day) while the dragonfly list had, among others, Springtime Darner and Painted Skimmer. As usual, the organizing genius behind the Faunathon was Steve Biasetti of the Group for the East End and if you write him at you can get a detailed account of the results.
Eric Salzman
Eric Salzman
Tuesday, May 27, 2014
out the window and out the front door
Does the Great Crested Flycatcher have a 'morning song'. I know that the Eastern Wood-pewee has such a song -- much more elaborate than its familiar 'pee-a-wee' call -- but one is rarely in the woods at the right hour to hear it! But if the Wood-pewee, why not the Great Crested? I heard a very elaborate and longish song right out my window this morning and it took me a while to figure out that it was a Great Crested singing. The cadence was more musical and quite a bit sweeter than the familiar calls of this bird which are short, weepy, sometimes scratchy and comic-sounding.
Mockingbirds are more likely to sing in the middle of the day as, for example, the N Mockingbird ensconced in the Pitch Pine overlooking the pond later this morning. As usual, it was an index of all the local singing and calling birds, each phrase repeated several times (thus giving away the mockingbird origins). Around here, mockingbird territories are (or have been) on Bay and Weesuck Avenues but we rarely see them on the property (occasionally they appear at the head of the marsh in the fall). So, while this is hardly a rara avis, it was unusual to have it singing away a relatively few steps from the front door.
Even closer to the front door was the hummingbird which appeared out of nowhere, landed on the branch of an oak right over our front deck and then took off again for parts unknown. It was fast action -- much too fast for me to get my binoculars up but I think it was a female -- a late migrant or a local wanderer, I cannot say which.
Eric Salzman
Mockingbirds are more likely to sing in the middle of the day as, for example, the N Mockingbird ensconced in the Pitch Pine overlooking the pond later this morning. As usual, it was an index of all the local singing and calling birds, each phrase repeated several times (thus giving away the mockingbird origins). Around here, mockingbird territories are (or have been) on Bay and Weesuck Avenues but we rarely see them on the property (occasionally they appear at the head of the marsh in the fall). So, while this is hardly a rara avis, it was unusual to have it singing away a relatively few steps from the front door.
Even closer to the front door was the hummingbird which appeared out of nowhere, landed on the branch of an oak right over our front deck and then took off again for parts unknown. It was fast action -- much too fast for me to get my binoculars up but I think it was a female -- a late migrant or a local wanderer, I cannot say which.
Eric Salzman
Monday, May 26, 2014
reappearances
First really warm day that we've had.
Hairy Woodpecker finally turned up. They were active here last year and I was expecting to see/hear it sooner this year what with all the dead standing wood around the place. Enough dead wood for all the woodpeckers. We'll see if he/she hangs around.
There was no sign of the singing Yellow Warbler yesterday so I assumed that last week's bird was just passing through -- a late migrant or a local bird that had moved on. But there he was again this morning, as gorgeous as ever, bright yellow with reddish streaks on his breast and singing away at full force and full speed. Was this the same bird or a new arrival? Impossible to tell but he was in the exact same area near the head of the marsh and often perched right above my head (it almost seemed as though he was following me around!). His performance was in concert with the two male Common Yellowthroats that have divided up the edge territory between the head of the marsh and the shrub/woodland edge facing east. There may be a third Yellowthroat as one was singing on the other side of the pond -- a possible new territory.
Another bird that reappeared after a couple of days absence: the Red-eyed Vireo (i.e. the Q&A Bird). Should I say re-appeared or re-sounded? I never actually saw it but its professorial question-and-answer routine is unmistakeable.
Eric Salzman
Hairy Woodpecker finally turned up. They were active here last year and I was expecting to see/hear it sooner this year what with all the dead standing wood around the place. Enough dead wood for all the woodpeckers. We'll see if he/she hangs around.
There was no sign of the singing Yellow Warbler yesterday so I assumed that last week's bird was just passing through -- a late migrant or a local bird that had moved on. But there he was again this morning, as gorgeous as ever, bright yellow with reddish streaks on his breast and singing away at full force and full speed. Was this the same bird or a new arrival? Impossible to tell but he was in the exact same area near the head of the marsh and often perched right above my head (it almost seemed as though he was following me around!). His performance was in concert with the two male Common Yellowthroats that have divided up the edge territory between the head of the marsh and the shrub/woodland edge facing east. There may be a third Yellowthroat as one was singing on the other side of the pond -- a possible new territory.
Another bird that reappeared after a couple of days absence: the Red-eyed Vireo (i.e. the Q&A Bird). Should I say re-appeared or re-sounded? I never actually saw it but its professorial question-and-answer routine is unmistakeable.
Eric Salzman
Sunday, May 25, 2014
flycatcher time?
This should be flycatcher time -- i.e. time for empids and Olive-sided to be migrating through. But, unlike past years, I haven't seen any at all. I wonder if the hurricane damage has, by opening up many areas, cut down the insect populations on which these birds depend.
There are Eastern Wood-pewees back in the woods, Eastern Kingbirds by certain bodies of water and Eastern Phoebes here and there but the only flycatcher that seems to be consistent at our place is the Great Crested. This is the biggest of our flycatchers and the most striking with a gray breast, yellow belly, reddish primaries and tail and a whole series of laughing, scratchy calls that I hear all day long as it circumnavigates our woods. Myiarchus crinitus (its formal name) is one of a series of almost two dozen very similar tropical birds that extend from South America to, well, Long Island and points north. The Great Crested is a hole nester and it has the extraordinary habit of lining its nest hole with a shed snake skin. If it can't find a shed snake skin (they can't be all that easy to find around here), it will resort to a scrap of plastic wrap or even an old condom! Nobody really knows why it does this; the going theory is that the presence of a snake skin deters predators from investigating the nest hole. Well, maybe. In any case, Great Crested Flycatcher is a woodland species that has spread into inhabited areas where it will even use nest boxes. The easiest way to note the presence of these birds is to recognize its calls. As with other flycatchers, these calls are inherited not learned, are quite stereotyped and are species-specific. Although the Great Crested call is usually described as a rising 'weep', it actually has a little repertoire of scratchy, almost comic laughing calls that make me think of this bird as a stand-up, the court jester of the woods. It hunts inside the trees, usually at mid-canopy levels (sometimes quite high), darting out from a perch to capture its prey.
I think I have found the nest of the local pair of Fish Crows. It's located near the top of an ornamental evergreen in a neighbor's yard and, since calling and courting behavior is now at a minimum, I suspect the birds should be sitting on eggs.
Eric Salzman
There are Eastern Wood-pewees back in the woods, Eastern Kingbirds by certain bodies of water and Eastern Phoebes here and there but the only flycatcher that seems to be consistent at our place is the Great Crested. This is the biggest of our flycatchers and the most striking with a gray breast, yellow belly, reddish primaries and tail and a whole series of laughing, scratchy calls that I hear all day long as it circumnavigates our woods. Myiarchus crinitus (its formal name) is one of a series of almost two dozen very similar tropical birds that extend from South America to, well, Long Island and points north. The Great Crested is a hole nester and it has the extraordinary habit of lining its nest hole with a shed snake skin. If it can't find a shed snake skin (they can't be all that easy to find around here), it will resort to a scrap of plastic wrap or even an old condom! Nobody really knows why it does this; the going theory is that the presence of a snake skin deters predators from investigating the nest hole. Well, maybe. In any case, Great Crested Flycatcher is a woodland species that has spread into inhabited areas where it will even use nest boxes. The easiest way to note the presence of these birds is to recognize its calls. As with other flycatchers, these calls are inherited not learned, are quite stereotyped and are species-specific. Although the Great Crested call is usually described as a rising 'weep', it actually has a little repertoire of scratchy, almost comic laughing calls that make me think of this bird as a stand-up, the court jester of the woods. It hunts inside the trees, usually at mid-canopy levels (sometimes quite high), darting out from a perch to capture its prey.
I think I have found the nest of the local pair of Fish Crows. It's located near the top of an ornamental evergreen in a neighbor's yard and, since calling and courting behavior is now at a minimum, I suspect the birds should be sitting on eggs.
Eric Salzman
Saturday, May 24, 2014
the Q&A bird
Red-eyed Vireo paid us a visit this morning. This is not an exotic but a common woodland bird; Roger Tory Peterson once claimed that it was the most numerous bird in North America (although that was in the days when N. America was probably more forested than it is now). But it is a common breeding bird in the back woods and we usually see some of them in migration. This could have been a late migrant or, more likely, a local wandering male, singing his little syrinxes out as he wandered through the oaks just now coming into full leaf. Red-eyed Vireo is not an easy bird to ID by looks but once you recognize his song, you can't miss. It consists of short monotonous phrases in succession, usually alternating rising and falling as if the bird were in a Q&A dialogue with itself.
A lone Least Sandpiper shooting across the marsh (an easy sandpiper to identify in flight because of its hunch-backed, stiff-winged flight style). Around the edges of the marsh, Yellow Warbler and at least two Common Yellowthroats continue to steal the show. A Blue-winged Warbler singing somewhere 'off' and our regular Pine Warbler making his rounds complete the warbler picture.
The most common woodpecker around the place is now the Flicker. The Downy and Red-bellied Woodpeckers are probably sitting on eggs so there is only one quiet bird out at a time. Are these Flickers late migrants coming through or local birds that have not yet gotten around to nesting. The other woodpeckers are here all winter and get an early start on nesting while the Flickers are migratory and move south in the winter so it is logical that they would nest later than the other 'peckers.
First Box Turtle of the year! There was one seen on the Faunathon in the Manorville area but this was the first East Quoguer I've seen -- a good-sized handsome yellow-and-black specimen. Deer are all around the place in the daytime and Raccoons at night; both drive my dog Rimsky crazy.
Eric Salzman
A lone Least Sandpiper shooting across the marsh (an easy sandpiper to identify in flight because of its hunch-backed, stiff-winged flight style). Around the edges of the marsh, Yellow Warbler and at least two Common Yellowthroats continue to steal the show. A Blue-winged Warbler singing somewhere 'off' and our regular Pine Warbler making his rounds complete the warbler picture.
The most common woodpecker around the place is now the Flicker. The Downy and Red-bellied Woodpeckers are probably sitting on eggs so there is only one quiet bird out at a time. Are these Flickers late migrants coming through or local birds that have not yet gotten around to nesting. The other woodpeckers are here all winter and get an early start on nesting while the Flickers are migratory and move south in the winter so it is logical that they would nest later than the other 'peckers.
First Box Turtle of the year! There was one seen on the Faunathon in the Manorville area but this was the first East Quoguer I've seen -- a good-sized handsome yellow-and-black specimen. Deer are all around the place in the daytime and Raccoons at night; both drive my dog Rimsky crazy.
Eric Salzman
Friday, May 23, 2014
toodle-oo bird
Today's 'new' bird was a White-breasted Nuthatch toodling away -- as is its wont -- and investigating all the dead and semi-dead wood that we have courtesy of Irene and Sandy. In the meanwhile, the messy areas at the edge and up to the head of the marsh have attracted a vigorously singing Yellow Warbler and two Common Yellowthroats who seem to be in the process of sorting out their adjacent territories. All the fallen wood and other debris has also attracted House Wrens which also sing furiously and seem to compete for territory. There are fewer Carolina Wrens then in the past and no Carolina territories at all directly around the house; I suspect that the cold winter may have done some of them in (this is, after all, a southern, non-migratory species). One bird that appears to have survived the winter quite well is the Northern Cardinal; there are singing males and pairs of these birds everywhere.
Eric Salzman
Eric Salzman
Thursday, May 22, 2014
dodging the raindrops
A Yellow Warbler was singing away this morning -- a late arrival on the scene -- along with the Common Yellowthroat and Pine Warbler. Did not hear the Warbling Vireo again but this was an abbreviated dodge-the-raindrops sort of morning.
Some new plants in flower: Wild Lily-of-the-Valley and Chokeberry, both local natives and Vine Honeysuckle, an introduced plant.
Chokeberry, which deserves a better name, has pretty little cluster of white and pink flowers and black berries that are quite astringent (hence the common name). This plant, now usually put into the genus Aronia, used to be called Pyrus which would make it a relative of the pear! Although the berries are not the slightest bit pear-like, this plant is in the big rose/apple family and the berries are definitely edible -- if you don't mind the astringency.
Eric Salzman
Some new plants in flower: Wild Lily-of-the-Valley and Chokeberry, both local natives and Vine Honeysuckle, an introduced plant.
Chokeberry, which deserves a better name, has pretty little cluster of white and pink flowers and black berries that are quite astringent (hence the common name). This plant, now usually put into the genus Aronia, used to be called Pyrus which would make it a relative of the pear! Although the berries are not the slightest bit pear-like, this plant is in the big rose/apple family and the berries are definitely edible -- if you don't mind the astringency.
Eric Salzman
Wednesday, May 21, 2014
a warbler that is not a Warbler
Two 'new' birds for the year this morning.
Cedar Waxwings, have been common enough in recent years and have even nested. This is a songbird without a song, the quietest of all our birds but also one of the most elegantly beautiful. Nice to see even a single bird but where did the others all go?
The other, also a singleton, is a warber that is not a Warbler. This would be the Warbling Vireo, not common on our place and one with a checkered history on Long Island. Once upon a time, Warbling Vireo was considered a common LI bird, even nesting in gardens and in street trees in the villages. Then it disappeared for unknown reasons. One theory was that it needed Elm trees for nesting and it was the decimation of the local Elms due to Dutch Elm Disease that did them in (I must say I don't find this very convincing). Whatever the explanation, Warbling Vireos became a rarity out here until a few years ago when the bird began to nest again and now it is definitely on the increase. Except for its warbling, the Warbling Vireo is notable for its extreme lack of field marks. Our local birds are small, a uniform light grayish color with just a trace of a white eye stripe -- not that different from a Philadelphia or even Red-eyed Vireo except even less well marked. The warbling song is however easy to recognize once you get to know it; it has a slightly hoarse or buzzy quality that, oddly enough, many books and web sites forget to mention. This bird is so well camouflaged that it even sings on its nest, a statement that I might not believe if I hadn't actually witnessed it myself!
A cohort of Crows harassing a Red-tailed Hawk over the creek was the major event of the afternoon. Crows don't sing either but they sure can make a lot of racket when they go after an enemy. Another feature of the afternoon was the extremely high tide virtually inundating the marsh. These high tides may account for the fact that our swans and ducks have had little nesting success in the past couple of years as normally dry areas (where they might nest) are flooded. I'm not sure that this is altogether a bad thing as Mute Swans and Mallards are introduced birds in these parts, popular with the general public but bringing their own set of ecological problems with them.
Eric Salzman
Cedar Waxwings, have been common enough in recent years and have even nested. This is a songbird without a song, the quietest of all our birds but also one of the most elegantly beautiful. Nice to see even a single bird but where did the others all go?
The other, also a singleton, is a warber that is not a Warbler. This would be the Warbling Vireo, not common on our place and one with a checkered history on Long Island. Once upon a time, Warbling Vireo was considered a common LI bird, even nesting in gardens and in street trees in the villages. Then it disappeared for unknown reasons. One theory was that it needed Elm trees for nesting and it was the decimation of the local Elms due to Dutch Elm Disease that did them in (I must say I don't find this very convincing). Whatever the explanation, Warbling Vireos became a rarity out here until a few years ago when the bird began to nest again and now it is definitely on the increase. Except for its warbling, the Warbling Vireo is notable for its extreme lack of field marks. Our local birds are small, a uniform light grayish color with just a trace of a white eye stripe -- not that different from a Philadelphia or even Red-eyed Vireo except even less well marked. The warbling song is however easy to recognize once you get to know it; it has a slightly hoarse or buzzy quality that, oddly enough, many books and web sites forget to mention. This bird is so well camouflaged that it even sings on its nest, a statement that I might not believe if I hadn't actually witnessed it myself!
A cohort of Crows harassing a Red-tailed Hawk over the creek was the major event of the afternoon. Crows don't sing either but they sure can make a lot of racket when they go after an enemy. Another feature of the afternoon was the extremely high tide virtually inundating the marsh. These high tides may account for the fact that our swans and ducks have had little nesting success in the past couple of years as normally dry areas (where they might nest) are flooded. I'm not sure that this is altogether a bad thing as Mute Swans and Mallards are introduced birds in these parts, popular with the general public but bringing their own set of ecological problems with them.
Eric Salzman
Tuesday, May 20, 2014
pine lovers
For various reasons, I didn't get to do a walk this morning but the persistent afternoon belching (okay, gulping) of the Green Heron got me out of my seat, out of the house and into the field where I actually located the bird in a pine tree at the edge of the marsh. None of this was surprising except that this was a dead pine (one of the casualties of Sandy) and, in spite of the lack of green needles, it took me a while to find the bird. But it was there all right, sitting on the edge of one of the branches extending out toward the marsh and surrounded by a thicket of cones. In fact, the entire tree was covered with cones (as are many of the dead pines killed by Sandy). Perhaps these cones contain viable pine nuts which may reseed the neighborhood in Pitch Pines when the time comes.We'll see. Green Herons like live Pitch Pines for nesting trees but I have also seen them breed in oaks and perhaps a dead Pitch Pine might even host an artfully constructed nest. As I said, we'll see.
Oddly enough, another pine dweller also seems to have survived the destruction wrought by Sandy and continues to frequent both live and dead pines as well as the various oaks just now coming into leaf. This is, of course, the inimitable Pine Warbler which announces its presence with its characteristic one-note trill. Some people find it difficult to separate this song from the similar call of the Chipping Sparrow (there are, in fact, other birds that announce themselves with one-note trills) but there is something melodious -- a kind of rise and fall -- in the Pine Warbler warble which I find quite distinct. I have never found the nest (it nests high in Pitch Pines) but I am sure that it is nesting, if not on the property, somewhere close by.
Eric Salzman
Oddly enough, another pine dweller also seems to have survived the destruction wrought by Sandy and continues to frequent both live and dead pines as well as the various oaks just now coming into leaf. This is, of course, the inimitable Pine Warbler which announces its presence with its characteristic one-note trill. Some people find it difficult to separate this song from the similar call of the Chipping Sparrow (there are, in fact, other birds that announce themselves with one-note trills) but there is something melodious -- a kind of rise and fall -- in the Pine Warbler warble which I find quite distinct. I have never found the nest (it nests high in Pitch Pines) but I am sure that it is nesting, if not on the property, somewhere close by.
Eric Salzman
Monday, May 19, 2014
84 species
Lorna has been talking about the bird activity outside the upstairs bathroom window so this morning I decided to check it out. Sure enough, there was some frantic activity involving small birds which, on a closer look, turned out to be two Black-capped Chickadees. Eventually I realized they were going in and out of a tree hole and my first thought was that they were feeding young. On closer examination, however, I decided that what they were doing was excavating an old knothole to make a suitable nest cavity. They were not carrying out fecal sacs from the nest hole (as I first thought) but beakfuls of sawdust!
Our bird species count for yesterday's Faunathon was an astonishing 84. Eileen listed 83 but I saw a Ring-billed Gull on the creek after we came back so that should make a total of 84. This is a very decent number considering that yesterday was not a particularly good migration day and that, with the exception of the shorebirds and a few warblers most of the species were fairly common local breeders (and we even missed a few of those). I'll be interested to hear what the overall day's total was -- both in the bird count and with regard to other species.
Eric Salzman
Our bird species count for yesterday's Faunathon was an astonishing 84. Eileen listed 83 but I saw a Ring-billed Gull on the creek after we came back so that should make a total of 84. This is a very decent number considering that yesterday was not a particularly good migration day and that, with the exception of the shorebirds and a few warblers most of the species were fairly common local breeders (and we even missed a few of those). I'll be interested to hear what the overall day's total was -- both in the bird count and with regard to other species.
Eric Salzman
Sunday, May 18, 2014
Faunathon 2014
Today was a Faunathon Day, an excuse for birders to do what they do anyway (i.e. look for birds) but non-stop along with butterflies, reptiles and mammals. Although May 18th should still be well within the window of spring bird migration, some rather strong north winds and slightly cool temperatures kept things down. As it turned out, there just three of us on the East Quogue team (Lorna, Eileen and myself) although we did run into other faunathoners in a few other places.
We started the day at the overlook on Pike's Beach in Westhampton Dunes, did some Dune Road birding between Quogue and Shinnecock Inlet, went inland to Hunter's Garden and the Bicycle Path area, ending up at ex-Grumman, a.k.a. EPCAL. The best birds were undoubtedly the grassland birds seen at EPCAL: Grasshopper Sparrow, Eastern Meadlowlark, Horned Lark and American Kestrel; also a gorgeous male Orchard Oriole at the fence on Grumman Blvd. Our only American Bluebird of the day was on the fence between the Bicycle Path and the neighborhood farm field. Warblers were few and far between: Blackburnian, Blackpoll, Yellow-rumped and N. Parula were the only migrants (the others were Blue-wing, Yellow, Common Yellowthroat, Pine and Ovenbird). As usual, Hunter's Garden was great for Scarlet Tanager, E. Wood-pewee and Red-eyed Vireo and there was a single halting Wood Thrush song. Down at the shore, the main attraction was large numbers of Ruddy Turnstones with a few Red Knots, Short-billed Dowitchers, Semipalmated and Least Sandpipers, Dunlin, Willets, American Oystercatchers and several plovers (Piping, Semi-palmated, Black-bellied and Killdeer). Good look at a Clapper Rail. Osprey everywhere and modest numbers of Common and Least Terns. At Shinnecock Inlet there was a fair-sized flock of Black Scoters on the ocean.
Our reptile and mammal count was not impressive: Box Turtle (first one I've seen this season), Gray Squirrel, Eastern Chipmunk, White-tailed Deer and Eastern Woodchuck. With all the wind, it was not a good day for IDing butterflies but it was possible to pick out Tiger and Spicebush Swallowtails, Red-spotted Purple, and Common Sootywing. When I get a more complete report on the day's activities, I'll pass it on.
Eric Salzman
We started the day at the overlook on Pike's Beach in Westhampton Dunes, did some Dune Road birding between Quogue and Shinnecock Inlet, went inland to Hunter's Garden and the Bicycle Path area, ending up at ex-Grumman, a.k.a. EPCAL. The best birds were undoubtedly the grassland birds seen at EPCAL: Grasshopper Sparrow, Eastern Meadlowlark, Horned Lark and American Kestrel; also a gorgeous male Orchard Oriole at the fence on Grumman Blvd. Our only American Bluebird of the day was on the fence between the Bicycle Path and the neighborhood farm field. Warblers were few and far between: Blackburnian, Blackpoll, Yellow-rumped and N. Parula were the only migrants (the others were Blue-wing, Yellow, Common Yellowthroat, Pine and Ovenbird). As usual, Hunter's Garden was great for Scarlet Tanager, E. Wood-pewee and Red-eyed Vireo and there was a single halting Wood Thrush song. Down at the shore, the main attraction was large numbers of Ruddy Turnstones with a few Red Knots, Short-billed Dowitchers, Semipalmated and Least Sandpipers, Dunlin, Willets, American Oystercatchers and several plovers (Piping, Semi-palmated, Black-bellied and Killdeer). Good look at a Clapper Rail. Osprey everywhere and modest numbers of Common and Least Terns. At Shinnecock Inlet there was a fair-sized flock of Black Scoters on the ocean.
Our reptile and mammal count was not impressive: Box Turtle (first one I've seen this season), Gray Squirrel, Eastern Chipmunk, White-tailed Deer and Eastern Woodchuck. With all the wind, it was not a good day for IDing butterflies but it was possible to pick out Tiger and Spicebush Swallowtails, Red-spotted Purple, and Common Sootywing. When I get a more complete report on the day's activities, I'll pass it on.
Eric Salzman
Saturday, May 17, 2014
rain and sun
Rained hard last night but there was a lot of bright sunshine and blue sky this morning -- April showers and May flowers all in a few hours. There were a few new birds, notably a Spotted Sandpiper on the marsh along with a Lesser Yellowlegs, a Black-crowned Night Heron and, overhead, a few Barn Swallows and a Chimney Swift flying with the local Purple Martins. A large tern flying up the creek might have been a Royal Tern but I was looking into the sun and the bird disappeared before I could get a good fix on it. The Common Tern pair -- feeder and being fed -- were again on a pylon at the boatyard, presumably the same birds that have been there every morning for the past three days.
Male and female Blackpoll Warblers were joined by Yellow Warblers as well as the by-now more familiar Pine Warbler and Common Yellowthroat on territory. There are at least two House Wrens singing away merrily on opposite sides of the property. American Goldfinches may be late nesters and non-territorial but our local birds appear to be paired up as I regularly see a male and female together, usually flying up from the inside edge of the marsh into fringing bushes or trees.
If the weather stays warm, I can keep the windows open and listen for warblers and other migrants; May 15th used to be considered the height of migration but it's difficult to tell of this year's crop is early (because of global warming) or late (because of late winter weather). A bit of both, I suspect.
Eric Salzman
Male and female Blackpoll Warblers were joined by Yellow Warblers as well as the by-now more familiar Pine Warbler and Common Yellowthroat on territory. There are at least two House Wrens singing away merrily on opposite sides of the property. American Goldfinches may be late nesters and non-territorial but our local birds appear to be paired up as I regularly see a male and female together, usually flying up from the inside edge of the marsh into fringing bushes or trees.
If the weather stays warm, I can keep the windows open and listen for warblers and other migrants; May 15th used to be considered the height of migration but it's difficult to tell of this year's crop is early (because of global warming) or late (because of late winter weather). A bit of both, I suspect.
Eric Salzman
Friday, May 16, 2014
flowers and terns
Flower Report: the fragrant little bells of the Lily of the Valley burst out in the last day or so, making a nice mini-bouquet. Other flowers that have appeared include Wistaria, Dogwood and Strawberry (only the last two being native).
The windy, overcast weather was not bird-friendly on the ground but a couple of persistently singing House Wrens did appear; although common on the North Fork, these were the first ones heard down here. Common Loons migrating overhead didn't seem to mind the weather and various water birds were active on the pond and creek.
I've had a couple of correspondents write to me about the status of the Piping Plover on the East End and I am trying to dig out the information on these threatened birds -- as much a symbol of the East End as the Osprey! Irene and Sandy moved a lot of beaches around, making some old plover habitat unusable but creating some new sandy beaches for them; on the whole, this would appear to have been a gain for these birds. On the other hand, 2014 has been a late year for the plovers (and for many other migrants). In the face of late and erratic winter weather, they returned late and some early nests may have been lost. In any case, many pairs are still in the process of nesting. In recent history, some of the plover chicks would have already been out by this time but apparently many are still in the egg stage and there may be some late nesting yet to come. The full accounting for 2014 is yet to come.
Eric Salzman
The windy, overcast weather was not bird-friendly on the ground but a couple of persistently singing House Wrens did appear; although common on the North Fork, these were the first ones heard down here. Common Loons migrating overhead didn't seem to mind the weather and various water birds were active on the pond and creek.
I've had a couple of correspondents write to me about the status of the Piping Plover on the East End and I am trying to dig out the information on these threatened birds -- as much a symbol of the East End as the Osprey! Irene and Sandy moved a lot of beaches around, making some old plover habitat unusable but creating some new sandy beaches for them; on the whole, this would appear to have been a gain for these birds. On the other hand, 2014 has been a late year for the plovers (and for many other migrants). In the face of late and erratic winter weather, they returned late and some early nests may have been lost. In any case, many pairs are still in the process of nesting. In recent history, some of the plover chicks would have already been out by this time but apparently many are still in the egg stage and there may be some late nesting yet to come. The full accounting for 2014 is yet to come.
Eric Salzman
Thursday, May 15, 2014
a quiet morning
Today's big event was on the creek with a Great Black-backed Gull attempting to steal a fish caught by a Double-crested Cormorant. The Cormorant, which had the good sense not to try and fly off with its catch, simply dove out of reach of the gull but, inevitably, it emerged a short distance away still holding the fish in its beak and was once again attacked by the Black-back. I never saw the end of the story; after several of these encounters both gull and cormorant eventually vanished up the creek -- the one still attacking, the other diving to save its dinner from outright piracy.
There was a Common Tern perched again on one of the boat yard pylons and presumably being fed by its companion, a second tern fishing out in the creek. Do these terns form or strengthen their bond away from the nesting area -- perhaps even while still in migration? Still no swans visible anywhere on the creek and only a few Mallards with no sign of nesting or young. The Willets are active along with a Greater Yellowlegs and possibly a Lesser as well. In the heron cohort, Lorna saw a Green Heron carrying a stick into a Pitch Pine and heard a soft call so they may be nesting or preparing to nest. There is also a late Great Blue Heron in the area along with a visiting Black-crowned Night-heron and the usual duo of white egrets. The Great Blue may yet resume nesting in our area but is probably headed upstate; the others nest on islands on the opposite side of the bay.
Back on land, I was surprised by a female Scarlet Tanager. This has been the best year ever for Scarlet Tanagers and there have been males or females here almost every day for well over a week. An unidentified warbler call from low bushes may have been a Common Yellowthroat variant; I never did get a look at the bird. On the other side of the property, there is a Common Yellowthroat singing its more common song on territory near the head of the marsh. The only other warblers noted were a Northern Parula and a pair of Pine Warblers.
Eric Salzman
There was a Common Tern perched again on one of the boat yard pylons and presumably being fed by its companion, a second tern fishing out in the creek. Do these terns form or strengthen their bond away from the nesting area -- perhaps even while still in migration? Still no swans visible anywhere on the creek and only a few Mallards with no sign of nesting or young. The Willets are active along with a Greater Yellowlegs and possibly a Lesser as well. In the heron cohort, Lorna saw a Green Heron carrying a stick into a Pitch Pine and heard a soft call so they may be nesting or preparing to nest. There is also a late Great Blue Heron in the area along with a visiting Black-crowned Night-heron and the usual duo of white egrets. The Great Blue may yet resume nesting in our area but is probably headed upstate; the others nest on islands on the opposite side of the bay.
Back on land, I was surprised by a female Scarlet Tanager. This has been the best year ever for Scarlet Tanagers and there have been males or females here almost every day for well over a week. An unidentified warbler call from low bushes may have been a Common Yellowthroat variant; I never did get a look at the bird. On the other side of the property, there is a Common Yellowthroat singing its more common song on territory near the head of the marsh. The only other warblers noted were a Northern Parula and a pair of Pine Warblers.
Eric Salzman
Wednesday, May 14, 2014
Orange is the new black
Cool and overcast but with a few wood warblers around -- mostly surprisingly a bright and handsome orange male Blackburnian's aided if not abetted by a singing Blue-wing, a Northern Parula, a Pine and a vigorously singing Common Yellowthroat on territory. Scarlet Tanagers are gone after hanging out here a full week but there is at least one vigorously singing Baltimore Oriole in the neighborhood, a handsome bird with a glowing orange breast. Out on the creek, there was a surprising bit of courtship feeding with one tern perched on a piling at Aldrich's Boatyard and making begging, peeping sounds while the other bird was bringing in a succession of small fishes. Too distant to tell what the fish were but the terns were Commons and not members of the Forster's clan which have been dominant in recent days.
Some new flowering plants include Shadbush and High-bush Blueberry, both natives. Among the introduced species in full bloom right now are the spring classics: Lilac, Apple, Dame's Rocket and a couple of smaller guys I'll have to look up.
Eric Salzman
Some new flowering plants include Shadbush and High-bush Blueberry, both natives. Among the introduced species in full bloom right now are the spring classics: Lilac, Apple, Dame's Rocket and a couple of smaller guys I'll have to look up.
Eric Salzman
Tuesday, May 13, 2014
North Fork
I rarely bird the North Fork so this morning's visit to Laurel Lake (where I have never been) and the North Fork Preserve (where I have been once or twice before) was a nice break from routine. The day was cool and north-windy and the bird activity was far less than what we have been seeing at Hunter's Garden and Maple Swamp but with a few special birds. The first of these, sitting on a bare tree branch as we stepped out of the car in the parking lot at Laurel Lake, was a Yellow-billed Cuckoo -- not only the first of the year but the first of either species of cuckoo that I have seen in a while. And the last birds that we saw on our way out -- literally at eye level through the open car window -- were a pair of Warbling Vireos, well seen visually (I could actually see the hooked vireo bill) but also easily identified by the male's husky, repeated song.
North Fork Preserve had a number of warblers, resident and migrant, including Blue-winged, Black-and-white, Common Yellowthroat, American Redstart, Northern Parula, Magnolia, Yellow, and Blackpoll -- eight species in all. Good looks at Rose-breasted Grosbeak and Red-eyed Vireo which were also singing and which both undoubtedly breed here. Ditto the White-eyed Vireo which I heard twice but did not see. Many Baltimore Orioles and at least one first-year male Orchard Oriole. Several Turkey Vultures and a Red-tailed Hawk were overhead and another highlight of the day was the huge Great Horned Owl chick sitting on the nest (apparently an old Red-tailed Hawk nest). Eileen Schwinn's photos of some of these birds, all taken today at the North Fork Preserve (and including a Green Heron in a tree) are attached.
Eric Salzman
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North Fork Preserve had a number of warblers, resident and migrant, including Blue-winged, Black-and-white, Common Yellowthroat, American Redstart, Northern Parula, Magnolia, Yellow, and Blackpoll -- eight species in all. Good looks at Rose-breasted Grosbeak and Red-eyed Vireo which were also singing and which both undoubtedly breed here. Ditto the White-eyed Vireo which I heard twice but did not see. Many Baltimore Orioles and at least one first-year male Orchard Oriole. Several Turkey Vultures and a Red-tailed Hawk were overhead and another highlight of the day was the huge Great Horned Owl chick sitting on the nest (apparently an old Red-tailed Hawk nest). Eileen Schwinn's photos of some of these birds, all taken today at the North Fork Preserve (and including a Green Heron in a tree) are attached.
Eric Salzman
Monday, May 12, 2014
Hunter's Garden again
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Nothing really unusual but sixteen warbler species in all.
Also on the day list: Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher, White-breasted Nuthatch, House Wren and Tree Swallow (the last two in the nest boxes at Bicycle Path). Red-eyed Vireos showed up in numbers; also Eastern Wood-pewee and Hairy Woodpecker (all First of Year birds and local woodland nesters). Chipping Sparrows were everywhere on the dirt road by the Bicycle Path along with a few Savannah Sparrows and a Field Sparrow on territory. A flock of Cedar Waxwings was also a first of the year for me. At the far end of the dirt road, there were two handsome male Indigo Buntings bursting with color as they fed on the ground (see Eileen's photo of one of them).
There were Cooper's Hawks overhead in two different places and at least one of them appeared to have white on the rump. Although this might appear to be unusual, Cooper's show a lot of white on their undertail coverts and can give the impression of having a white rump especially when seen overhead in flight. A bit of a mystery was provided by a dark sparrowy bird with a heavily streaked upper breast and a white eye stripe on a rather largish head; it flew up from the ground a perched at the top of a small cedar. Although it was consorting with sparrows, my opinion is that it was a female Purple Finch.
Eric Salzman
Sunday, May 11, 2014
calls
Spent Saturday in the city (a new album containing my work was just released). After the thunderstorms up island I was hoping for a warbler fallout here but no such luck
One warbler though. The Common Yellowthroat was in full song in his traditional location near the head of the marsh. A call that is somewhere between 'weechy-weechy-wheech' and 'whichity-whichity-which'.
There were noisy terns on the creek and I was about to designate them as the first Common Terns of the year but when I got a closer look, all the ones that I could see well were Forster's Terns. Actually there were one or two Least Terns but I didn't pick out a single Common! I should add that the Common and Forster's calls are quite similar although Forster's is a bit higher in pitch. Is this another bit of evidence for climate change, the more southerly Forster's replacing the formerly common Common?
Another notable sound of the morning was the Green Heron's 'gunk' sound, a kind of mysterious belching low-boom call coming from high in a Pitch Pine and repeated every minute or so. When I first became aware of it -- just a few years ago -- I was truly puzzled. This is, it turns out, the Green Heron's love song, vastly different from the usual familiar call of this species. Well, at least I think it's a love call coming, as it does, in the springtime right after the bird's return from the south.
Scarlet Tanagers were still around this morning; they have been here since Thursday. Hard to tell if these are 'local' birds or migrants passing through to the north.
Eric Salzman
One warbler though. The Common Yellowthroat was in full song in his traditional location near the head of the marsh. A call that is somewhere between 'weechy-weechy-wheech' and 'whichity-whichity-which'.
There were noisy terns on the creek and I was about to designate them as the first Common Terns of the year but when I got a closer look, all the ones that I could see well were Forster's Terns. Actually there were one or two Least Terns but I didn't pick out a single Common! I should add that the Common and Forster's calls are quite similar although Forster's is a bit higher in pitch. Is this another bit of evidence for climate change, the more southerly Forster's replacing the formerly common Common?
Another notable sound of the morning was the Green Heron's 'gunk' sound, a kind of mysterious belching low-boom call coming from high in a Pitch Pine and repeated every minute or so. When I first became aware of it -- just a few years ago -- I was truly puzzled. This is, it turns out, the Green Heron's love song, vastly different from the usual familiar call of this species. Well, at least I think it's a love call coming, as it does, in the springtime right after the bird's return from the south.
Scarlet Tanagers were still around this morning; they have been here since Thursday. Hard to tell if these are 'local' birds or migrants passing through to the north.
Eric Salzman
Friday, May 9, 2014
migration in full swing
Short walks today -- partly because of the showers and partly because of other obligations. Even so, there were birds around, notably four Scarlet Tanagers (two males and two females), several warblers (Yellowed-rumped, Pine, Black-and-white, N. Parula) as well as Ruby-crowned Kinglet and Eastern Towhee. Somewhat surprisingly, I haven't seen any Rose-breasted Grosbeaks yet this year (it's still early) but Peter Beston had four in his East Quogue yard this morning and sent me these neat photos (the one on the right is a female).
Bob Adamo, who led an ELIAS walk in Hunter's Garden today, was there yesterday afternoon and found a Wood Thrush (as well as the Veery and Hermit Thrush that we saw earlier). Hope he has good luck pursuing the warblers et al amid the raindrops today.
Green Herons appeared here on Wednesday; they regularly nest on or near the property. We've also had Black-crowned Night Herons and there were two Belted Kingfishers by the pond this morning -- whether antagonists or lovebirds I could not tell. Both are local breeders.
Speaking of nesting birds, it is very noticeable how quiet the crows are. In fact, the only crow sounds heard regularly these days are Fish Crows. The reason? I think the American Crows are sitting on eggs or feeding young while the Fish Crows are still in pre-nesting mode. As I watch the American Crows leave and return to their nests, I am aware how they take a circuitous route from and to their nests or nesting area, a sure sign that they are in the breeding process! Another bird that is very quiet at the moment is the Blue Jay, probably for the same reason.
In my recent run-down of early flowers, I missed a few. The Celandine are in full flower (this is the large buttercup-like bloom that I confused with Marsh Marigold). Also the pretty little yellow Cinquefoils. There are violets in bloom but, as usual, I have no idea which species; IDing violets is not easy. A fascinating plant that is in bloom right now is Cypress Spurge. This is a Euphorbia and, if it noticed at all, it is regarded as fast-growing weed. Like other Euphorbias, it has a milky latex and the curious greenish/yellowish 'flowers' are really just bracts. Like most of the other early bloomers (the violet may be an exception), it is an alien introduction but one of our more fascinating weeds.
We have a plant that is common near the house and that is almost certainly an introduction. It blooms profusely at this time of year with small white bunch-like flowers and we always called in Bridal Wreath but I have never been able to figure out what it is.
Eric Salzman
Bob Adamo, who led an ELIAS walk in Hunter's Garden today, was there yesterday afternoon and found a Wood Thrush (as well as the Veery and Hermit Thrush that we saw earlier). Hope he has good luck pursuing the warblers et al amid the raindrops today.
Green Herons appeared here on Wednesday; they regularly nest on or near the property. We've also had Black-crowned Night Herons and there were two Belted Kingfishers by the pond this morning -- whether antagonists or lovebirds I could not tell. Both are local breeders.
Speaking of nesting birds, it is very noticeable how quiet the crows are. In fact, the only crow sounds heard regularly these days are Fish Crows. The reason? I think the American Crows are sitting on eggs or feeding young while the Fish Crows are still in pre-nesting mode. As I watch the American Crows leave and return to their nests, I am aware how they take a circuitous route from and to their nests or nesting area, a sure sign that they are in the breeding process! Another bird that is very quiet at the moment is the Blue Jay, probably for the same reason.
In my recent run-down of early flowers, I missed a few. The Celandine are in full flower (this is the large buttercup-like bloom that I confused with Marsh Marigold). Also the pretty little yellow Cinquefoils. There are violets in bloom but, as usual, I have no idea which species; IDing violets is not easy. A fascinating plant that is in bloom right now is Cypress Spurge. This is a Euphorbia and, if it noticed at all, it is regarded as fast-growing weed. Like other Euphorbias, it has a milky latex and the curious greenish/yellowish 'flowers' are really just bracts. Like most of the other early bloomers (the violet may be an exception), it is an alien introduction but one of our more fascinating weeds.
We have a plant that is common near the house and that is almost certainly an introduction. It blooms profusely at this time of year with small white bunch-like flowers and we always called in Bridal Wreath but I have never been able to figure out what it is.
Eric Salzman
Thursday, May 8, 2014
Hunter's Garden? Yes!
Hunter's Garden is a location inside the Pine Barrens in the Eastport/Manorville area just off the Moriches/Riverhead road. The area was long used and eventually owned by a local hunter's club which has held its semi-annual Eel Chowder events here going back more than a century (look it up on line for more on its history). This area, long known among birders as a prime birding site, was eventually taken over by New York State and incorporated into the central Pine Barrens; it is managed by the state Department of Environmental Resources (DEC) which recently installed locked gates to close off the local dirt roads to casual intruders. Eileen Schwinn, formerly president (and current vice-president) of the Eastern LI Audubon Society, obtained permission for the organization to get access; the key obstacle was a lock code which kept us out on Tuesday (they gave us the wrong code) and almost kept us out this morning (a second code did not, at first, seem to be correct either). Eventually we got in and, in spite of all the delays (and an overcast, drizzly morning), Hunter's Garden once again lived up to its reputation as the best warbler birding on the East End.
Is it part of the East End? It's right on the border between Southampton and Brookhaven so I declare it part of the East End.
What is unusual about Hunter's Garden is that it is a mostly deciduous area in the middle of a pine-dominated forest. Like Maple Swamp, it has a lot of surface water and this produces an open woodland with oaks, red maple, sassafras and many bushes and vines. At this time of year, the birdlife is a mixture of local breeders and migrants including those much sought-after warblers. Our warbler list this morning featured everyone's favorite, the beautiful Blackburnian Warbler. Others included Ovenbird, Black-and-white, Common Yellowthroat, Northern Parula, Magnolia, Chestnut-sided, Black-throated Blue, Black-throated Green, Pine, Yellow-rumped, Prairie, Black-throated Green and, best of all, a singing Tennessee. Fourteen warbler species in all!
There was a lot more. Scarlet Tanagers and Baltimore Orioles were singing and posing all over the place and Eastern Towhees were everywhere. Several Veeries were seen and there was a pair of Hermit Thrushes -- both local breeders and outstanding singers. Alas, no sign of a Wood Thrush, a species which should be here but has declined precipitously. Also missed were Red-eyed Vireos although there may have been one or two singing somewhere in the neighborhood along with a possible Yellow-throated Vireo (by song); also, a Blue-headed Vireo on its way north. White-throated Sparrows were still present (or still coming through) along with the inevitable Chipping Sparrows. Ruby-crowned Kinglet seemed like a leftover from winter amid all this springtime activity.
Most of the flycatchers have not yet appeared; Great Crested was the only one to represent the clan.
Finally there was a real mystery bird: a largish dark bird with white patches somewhere flying up and through the woods; it was spotted by Eileen who thought it was nighthawk-ish. A Nighthawk seems unlikely but my guess is that it was a Whip-poor-will flushed up from the ground; this species shows white tail patches as it flies away (which the Chuck-wills-widow does not). In all my years in Whip-poor-will infested woods I have never flushed one in the daylight but there always has to be a first time!
Eric Salzman
Is it part of the East End? It's right on the border between Southampton and Brookhaven so I declare it part of the East End.
What is unusual about Hunter's Garden is that it is a mostly deciduous area in the middle of a pine-dominated forest. Like Maple Swamp, it has a lot of surface water and this produces an open woodland with oaks, red maple, sassafras and many bushes and vines. At this time of year, the birdlife is a mixture of local breeders and migrants including those much sought-after warblers. Our warbler list this morning featured everyone's favorite, the beautiful Blackburnian Warbler. Others included Ovenbird, Black-and-white, Common Yellowthroat, Northern Parula, Magnolia, Chestnut-sided, Black-throated Blue, Black-throated Green, Pine, Yellow-rumped, Prairie, Black-throated Green and, best of all, a singing Tennessee. Fourteen warbler species in all!
There was a lot more. Scarlet Tanagers and Baltimore Orioles were singing and posing all over the place and Eastern Towhees were everywhere. Several Veeries were seen and there was a pair of Hermit Thrushes -- both local breeders and outstanding singers. Alas, no sign of a Wood Thrush, a species which should be here but has declined precipitously. Also missed were Red-eyed Vireos although there may have been one or two singing somewhere in the neighborhood along with a possible Yellow-throated Vireo (by song); also, a Blue-headed Vireo on its way north. White-throated Sparrows were still present (or still coming through) along with the inevitable Chipping Sparrows. Ruby-crowned Kinglet seemed like a leftover from winter amid all this springtime activity.
Most of the flycatchers have not yet appeared; Great Crested was the only one to represent the clan.
Finally there was a real mystery bird: a largish dark bird with white patches somewhere flying up and through the woods; it was spotted by Eileen who thought it was nighthawk-ish. A Nighthawk seems unlikely but my guess is that it was a Whip-poor-will flushed up from the ground; this species shows white tail patches as it flies away (which the Chuck-wills-widow does not). In all my years in Whip-poor-will infested woods I have never flushed one in the daylight but there always has to be a first time!
Eric Salzman
Wednesday, May 7, 2014
springtime gladness
Warblers arrived at our place in East Quogue this morning along with a singing male Scarlet Tanager. Oh joy! Oh springtime gladness!
The warblers were Pine (several of them singing away), Prairie (in a cedar by the pond), Black-throated Green, Black-and-white, Ovenbird, Yellow-rumped (in another cedar near the house) and a Common Yellowthroat (heard only in a single unmistakeable song). Seven warbler species in all. A nice surprise was a singing White-eyed Vireo, a sort of honorary warbler (although not at all related).
The Scarlet Tanager had positioned himself high in an evergreen where he was facing the rising sun which lit up his incandescent scarlet breast. He sang for a long time from this perch, eventually moving around to different spots in the area, always in full song. This was a FOY male (we saw a female in Maple Swamp on Sunday).
Other arrivals were the two large flycatchers: Great Crested and Eastern Kingbird. Both have bred on the property and might do so again. Swamp Sparrow appeared with a gaggle of White-throated Sparrows making six sparrow species in two days.
Eric Salzman
The warblers were Pine (several of them singing away), Prairie (in a cedar by the pond), Black-throated Green, Black-and-white, Ovenbird, Yellow-rumped (in another cedar near the house) and a Common Yellowthroat (heard only in a single unmistakeable song). Seven warbler species in all. A nice surprise was a singing White-eyed Vireo, a sort of honorary warbler (although not at all related).
The Scarlet Tanager had positioned himself high in an evergreen where he was facing the rising sun which lit up his incandescent scarlet breast. He sang for a long time from this perch, eventually moving around to different spots in the area, always in full song. This was a FOY male (we saw a female in Maple Swamp on Sunday).
Other arrivals were the two large flycatchers: Great Crested and Eastern Kingbird. Both have bred on the property and might do so again. Swamp Sparrow appeared with a gaggle of White-throated Sparrows making six sparrow species in two days.
Eric Salzman
Tuesday, May 6, 2014
on not getting to Hunter's Garden and not finding Wilson's Plover
Eileen Schwinn came over this morning and suggested a visit to Hunter's Garden which I immediately accepted (along with Maple Swamp, this is the best warbler site around here in the month of May). About half way there, we got a call from Byron Young about a Wilson's Plover at Cupsogue which inspired an immediate change of plan. This southern plover is a rarity on these shores; I had seen it out here only once before on Pike's Beach in the late '90s. This time we climbed down the dunes near Moriches Inlet to scan the flats opposite as exposed by the morning's low tide. No plover. We also checked the overlook on the bay at Pike's Beach with an equal lack of plover success. What we did find was a lot of Firsts of the Year: Common, Forster's and a few Least Terns in noisy flocks, many shore birds including a few Short-billed Dowitchers, Ruddy Turnstones, many Sanderling, Dunlin and Black-bellied Plovers, yellowlegs, both loons, Boat-tailed Grackle, etc.
After satisfying ourselves that the missing plover really was missing, we decided to go back to Plan A and head for Hunter's Garden. Eileen had negotiated permission from the DEC to drive into the area -- now a reserve -- and she even had the code for unlocking the gate which now bars the dirt road in from casual traffic. Or thought she did. Alas, try as she might, the code that she was given would not unlock the gate and we finally had to give up. As a consolation prize, we drove up the old farm road that borders the nearby Bicycle Path. The most notable feature of this stretch was the presence of four species of sparrows: Field and Song Sparrows singing somewhere inside the vegetation on the right and Chipping and Savannah Sparrows on the edge of the road by the farmland. The biggest surprise was a Cooper's Hawk (probably a migrant) soaring overhead and being harassed by the locals including, according to Eileen (I didn't see it), a Ruby-throated Hummingbird.
Eric Salzman
After satisfying ourselves that the missing plover really was missing, we decided to go back to Plan A and head for Hunter's Garden. Eileen had negotiated permission from the DEC to drive into the area -- now a reserve -- and she even had the code for unlocking the gate which now bars the dirt road in from casual traffic. Or thought she did. Alas, try as she might, the code that she was given would not unlock the gate and we finally had to give up. As a consolation prize, we drove up the old farm road that borders the nearby Bicycle Path. The most notable feature of this stretch was the presence of four species of sparrows: Field and Song Sparrows singing somewhere inside the vegetation on the right and Chipping and Savannah Sparrows on the edge of the road by the farmland. The biggest surprise was a Cooper's Hawk (probably a migrant) soaring overhead and being harassed by the locals including, according to Eileen (I didn't see it), a Ruby-throated Hummingbird.
Eric Salzman
Monday, May 5, 2014
new sounds
I'm always on the alert for unusual sounds -- songs or calls -- when I'm out strolling and this morning I had two mysteries. The first was a swooping sound, almost a shriek but more mellow. To my surprise, I located the caller: a Blue Jay! I know that jays have a lot of calls (they don't sing but they're the most vocal of song birds) and I thought I knew most of the calls but this one was a new one on me. My thought was that it was warning its fellow jays of a predator in the neighborhood but I couldn't find the object of its warnings (unless it was me!).
The other was a distinctive buzz which I was sure was a unfamiliar warbler song. Both Black-throated Blues and Black-throated Greens have buzzy songs or calls but this was almost toneless compared with those distinctive vocalizations. Later in the morning, as I was walking back from town, I heard it again in the same spot as before. I dashed back to the house, got my binoculars and came back to the spot determined to find the culprit. And I did find it. It was a Song Sparrow. Now I've heard a lot of variation in Song Sparrows songs but this was the dinkiest and least melodious yet from Melospiza melodia!
A few new birds (i.e. FOY -- first of the year). On or over the water: loudly calling Willets, rattling Belted Kingfisher, noisy Canada Goose and less noisy Mute Swan. On land, a singing House Finch. Flocks of Common Grackles still moving around with no sign of pairing off or nesting. A solitary Chimney Swift was early. Otherwise just the usual suspects.
Eric Salzman
The other was a distinctive buzz which I was sure was a unfamiliar warbler song. Both Black-throated Blues and Black-throated Greens have buzzy songs or calls but this was almost toneless compared with those distinctive vocalizations. Later in the morning, as I was walking back from town, I heard it again in the same spot as before. I dashed back to the house, got my binoculars and came back to the spot determined to find the culprit. And I did find it. It was a Song Sparrow. Now I've heard a lot of variation in Song Sparrows songs but this was the dinkiest and least melodious yet from Melospiza melodia!
A few new birds (i.e. FOY -- first of the year). On or over the water: loudly calling Willets, rattling Belted Kingfisher, noisy Canada Goose and less noisy Mute Swan. On land, a singing House Finch. Flocks of Common Grackles still moving around with no sign of pairing off or nesting. A solitary Chimney Swift was early. Otherwise just the usual suspects.
Eric Salzman
Sunday, May 4, 2014
ELIAS walk in Maple Swammp
Bird of the day: HOODED WARBLER!
This morning's Hooded Warbler was the outstanding bird of a morning walk in Maple Swamp sponsored by the Eastern LI Audubon Society. It started out as a warm, sunny morning with a nice turnout of birds and a birders on the way out to Maple Swamp Pond. However as the day wore on, some strong breezes came up and the blue sky retreated behind clouds -- first scattered and then overcast. In these conditions, the birds hunkered down and the return trip was much less birdy. Here's the complete list:
Mallard (spooked up from the pond)
Turkey Vulture (overhead)
Red-tailed Hawk (overhead)
Herring Gull (overhead)
Mourning Dove
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Eastern Phoebe
Great Crested Flycatcher
Eastern Kingbird
Blue Jay
Fish Crow (no American Crow!)
Barn Swallow (maybe a Rough-winged Swallow as well)
Black-capped Chickadee
Tufted Titmouse
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
American Robin
Gray Catbird
Brown Thrasher
Ovenbird
Blue-winged Warbler
Black-and-white Warbler
HOODED WARBLER
American Redstart
Northern Parula
Magnolia Warbler
Yellow Warbler
Pine Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Eastern Towhee
Chipping Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
Scarlet Tanager (female)
Northern Cardinal
Red-winged Blackbird
Common Grackle
Brown-headed Cowbird
Baltimore Oriole
House Sparrow
39 species, 10 warblers, no thrushes (except Robin) and no vireos.
Eric Salzman
This morning's Hooded Warbler was the outstanding bird of a morning walk in Maple Swamp sponsored by the Eastern LI Audubon Society. It started out as a warm, sunny morning with a nice turnout of birds and a birders on the way out to Maple Swamp Pond. However as the day wore on, some strong breezes came up and the blue sky retreated behind clouds -- first scattered and then overcast. In these conditions, the birds hunkered down and the return trip was much less birdy. Here's the complete list:
Mallard (spooked up from the pond)
Turkey Vulture (overhead)
Red-tailed Hawk (overhead)
Herring Gull (overhead)
Mourning Dove
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Eastern Phoebe
Great Crested Flycatcher
Eastern Kingbird
Blue Jay
Fish Crow (no American Crow!)
Barn Swallow (maybe a Rough-winged Swallow as well)
Black-capped Chickadee
Tufted Titmouse
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
American Robin
Gray Catbird
Brown Thrasher
Ovenbird
Blue-winged Warbler
Black-and-white Warbler
HOODED WARBLER
American Redstart
Northern Parula
Magnolia Warbler
Yellow Warbler
Pine Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Eastern Towhee
Chipping Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
Scarlet Tanager (female)
Northern Cardinal
Red-winged Blackbird
Common Grackle
Brown-headed Cowbird
Baltimore Oriole
House Sparrow
39 species, 10 warblers, no thrushes (except Robin) and no vireos.
Eric Salzman
Saturday, May 3, 2014
the continuing saga of early spring in East Quogue
The first Baltimore Oriole of the year showed up this morning given away by his distinctive ringing tree-top call. Only the Scarlet Tanager outranks the Oriole as a local glamour bird!
Purple Martins are back at their colony at the foot of Bay Avenue (and just off the edge of our marsh). They don't seem to be flying very much but prefer to stake out whose gourd belongs to whom and perhaps other domestic affairs.
A couple of years ago the Nature Conservancy put up a second Osprey nesting platform at the edge of Pine Neck on the opposite side of Weesuck Creek. It has not been occupied but a new nest has now been built on it by what I believe is a pair of young Osprey (an older Osprey pair has possession of the old platform further back in the marsh). The new nest is a welcome sight from this side of the creek as it is much easier for us to observe than the old one.
A surprise this morning was a Red-tailed Hawk sitting in a Pitch Pine between the house and the pond. He (?) was as surprised as I was and took off with a few of his blood-curdling Red-tail shrieks, familiar to everyone from sound tracks because it is invariably used by filmmakers in jungle scenes and often represents the call of the eagle or condor (the real calls of these big birds not being blood-curdling enough).
A pair of Catbirds has been active in the old apple tree right outside our back door with the male singing a soft, sweet love song to his partner. The tree, which is about to burst out in bloom, also has a dense growth of ivy (fortunately not Poison Ivy) which should help make it a perfect catbird seat for a hidden nest.
Later in the day, I spent a considerable time chasing after a warbler-type song which turned out not to be a warbler at all but the short American Goldfinch song. Except for the Osprey and the Martins, very few birds here have established territories as yet and, strangely enough, the late-nesting goldfinches (like their relatives, the House Finch) are not very territorial at all. This one was on the move, swinging round the property from the tree to tree.
In the early May world of butterflies, Spring Azures, Mourning Cloak and the inevitable Cabbage Butterflies are out.
Tomorrow's ELIAS walk starts at 8 am on Pleasure Drive (about two/thirds of the way between Route 104 and Route 24, Flanders Rd). Look for cars, birders, and binoculars on a pullout leading to an old horse meadow on the east or southeast side of the road. We should see some good birds and we'll be looking especially for warblers. But be prepared for ticks!
Eric Salzman
Purple Martins are back at their colony at the foot of Bay Avenue (and just off the edge of our marsh). They don't seem to be flying very much but prefer to stake out whose gourd belongs to whom and perhaps other domestic affairs.
A couple of years ago the Nature Conservancy put up a second Osprey nesting platform at the edge of Pine Neck on the opposite side of Weesuck Creek. It has not been occupied but a new nest has now been built on it by what I believe is a pair of young Osprey (an older Osprey pair has possession of the old platform further back in the marsh). The new nest is a welcome sight from this side of the creek as it is much easier for us to observe than the old one.
A surprise this morning was a Red-tailed Hawk sitting in a Pitch Pine between the house and the pond. He (?) was as surprised as I was and took off with a few of his blood-curdling Red-tail shrieks, familiar to everyone from sound tracks because it is invariably used by filmmakers in jungle scenes and often represents the call of the eagle or condor (the real calls of these big birds not being blood-curdling enough).
A pair of Catbirds has been active in the old apple tree right outside our back door with the male singing a soft, sweet love song to his partner. The tree, which is about to burst out in bloom, also has a dense growth of ivy (fortunately not Poison Ivy) which should help make it a perfect catbird seat for a hidden nest.
Later in the day, I spent a considerable time chasing after a warbler-type song which turned out not to be a warbler at all but the short American Goldfinch song. Except for the Osprey and the Martins, very few birds here have established territories as yet and, strangely enough, the late-nesting goldfinches (like their relatives, the House Finch) are not very territorial at all. This one was on the move, swinging round the property from the tree to tree.
In the early May world of butterflies, Spring Azures, Mourning Cloak and the inevitable Cabbage Butterflies are out.
Tomorrow's ELIAS walk starts at 8 am on Pleasure Drive (about two/thirds of the way between Route 104 and Route 24, Flanders Rd). Look for cars, birders, and binoculars on a pullout leading to an old horse meadow on the east or southeast side of the road. We should see some good birds and we'll be looking especially for warblers. But be prepared for ticks!
Eric Salzman
Friday, May 2, 2014
a Catbird joins the chorus
There was a lot of movement in the city today but much less out here where the weather stayed unsettled -- a lot warmer but partly cloudy and a bit windy with only patches of sunshine. The major new appearance of the day was a singing Gray Catbird but there were other 'new' (seasonally new to this recent arrival. that is) birds as well: a single swallow (not a Tree or Barn but a Bank!), a noisy Greater Yellowlegs, a squeaky male Cowbird, Mourning Doves and a pair of Anas ducks that were not Mallards or Black Duck (they popped up from the pond and into the sun but appeared to be widgeon). With yesterday's fog only a memory, the local Osprey were well in view on Pine Neck. N. Flicker was flicking away along with the Red-bellied Woodpeckers and a pair of Downy Woodpeckers that seemed to be excavating a nest hole. Amidst the myriad American Crows, a single pair of Fish Crows were courting. Fish Crows are a coming bird on Eastern LI!
I got several inquiries about the Wild Onions mentioned in yesterday's post. What did we do with them? The scallion-like shoots were cut off and will be chopped up raw in a salad or two. However, after careful cleaning, the bulbs were lightly sauteed in olive oil and made a delicious first course for dinner.
On Sunday, I'm doing a walk for ELIAS (Eastern Long Island Audubon Society) at Maple Swamp. Meeting place is on Pleasure Drive near the old horse meadow at 8 am (that's Sunday, May 4th). We'll walk all the way in to the Maple Swamp Pond and back so, depending on how good the birding is, it should take us 2-3 hours.
Eric Salzman
I got several inquiries about the Wild Onions mentioned in yesterday's post. What did we do with them? The scallion-like shoots were cut off and will be chopped up raw in a salad or two. However, after careful cleaning, the bulbs were lightly sauteed in olive oil and made a delicious first course for dinner.
On Sunday, I'm doing a walk for ELIAS (Eastern Long Island Audubon Society) at Maple Swamp. Meeting place is on Pleasure Drive near the old horse meadow at 8 am (that's Sunday, May 4th). We'll walk all the way in to the Maple Swamp Pond and back so, depending on how good the birding is, it should take us 2-3 hours.
Eric Salzman
Thursday, May 1, 2014
May Day! May Day!
Greetings and Happy May Day. We came out yesterday in some of he worst weather of the year -- high winds, heavy rain, cool temperatures -- but we are more or less installed and today I was actually able to take my first morning walk of the year. This was just around the East Quogue place which still shows the scars of Sandy; it will be interesting to see signs of recovery and regrowth. The tide was very high and the flooded marsh featured two white egrets -- the big one and the little one -- on the marsh edges. There were also a few gulls and cormorants on the creek but no waterfowl in sight (and it was too misty to spot anything on the opposite side). Otherwise most of the birding was by ear on this damp, foggy May 1st. Most of the usual resident were accounted for by sound including chickadees, titmice, N. Cardinal and American Robin, Carolina Wren, Blue Jay, American and Fish Crows, Song and White-throated Sparrows, Downy and Red-bellied Woodpeckers (and a possible N Flicker), Early spring flowers, almost all of them introduced, are out including daffodils, forsythia, Chinese or Saucer Magnolia, Periwinkle, Dandelions. and the evil and pernicious Garlic Mustard, still spreading like wildfire. The wild onions that are coming up are, however, native and I must say that I love the aroma and taste of these plants. Does anyone know the proper species ID for this delicious common wild plant? Allium canadense? In any case, I managed to get a bunch out of the ground, with both grass-like leaves and most of the little white bulbs, which we will eat for dinner. This is our own version of the ramps which have become so popular in fancy NYC restaurants. A b----h to clean but worth it!
Eric Salzman
es@ericsalzman.com
Eric Salzman
es@ericsalzman.com
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