terns, warblers & wrens

There were Royal Terns on the creek this morning along with Common and Forster's Terns. One of the Forster's was in some kind ofjuvenile or non-breeding plumage with a black face patch -- the way we usually see these birds in late summer and fall. It does seem unlikely that this was a bird of the year (already bred and flying out of some southern colony?). But would a yearling bird still retain this plumage? At any rate, it made it easy to distinguish it as a Forster's.

An Osprey returning to the nest with a large fish in its talons and the exertions of the terns prove that there still are finny prey to be found on the creek.

Red-eyed Vireo was back with his incessant question-and-answer song in a big oak tree back of the house. I could see it capture a worm, beat to death and then gulp it down. Red-eyes nest in many woodland areas on LI but they are usually just visitors in migration around here. As with the White-breasted Nuthatch (still around), perhaps he'll find a mate and proceed to breed. Background sound was provided by the 'screep' of the Great Crested Flycatcher who generally hangs out in our north woods and always makes his presence known by his ubiquitous calls. He is also a potential breeder.

Both Yellowthroat and Yellow Warbler were in full song at the upper edge of the marsh giving the lie to my theory that they alternate days. Another bird that's in full song right now is the American Goldfinch. It has two types of songs; short and long. At this point, it seems to favor the long song which is a fascinating medley of twitters and tweets, bells and whistles with an occasional 'potato chip' call like the one it gives in flight. This really seems like a non-stop goldfinch monologue and, unlike many bird songs, rather formless. Nevertheless it seems to be appreciated by lady Goldfinches which is what counts.

The most persistent singer in the past few days has been the House Wren whose bubbly exhortations to his fellow wrens, male and female, start well before dawn and go non-stop through the morning and even early afternoon before he lets up. There might be more than one wren involved. If it's just one bird, he covers a remarkable amount of territory in his quest for real estate and love. In the meanwhile, the Carolina Wrens, loudly vocal this spring, seem to have quieted down just  a bit.

I thought I saw my pet deer this morning but it turned to be a doe with no sign of antlers. Furthermore, she was accompanied by a handsome stag whose rack was perhaps half grown so she had no need to find a substitute mama (or lover). Wonder how many animals constitute our deer population?

Mole diggings are everywhere. Still missing are the Muskrats which seem to have been badly impacted by Sandy.

   
Eric Salzman