back at the ranch

Back at the ranch. No Rufous Hummingbirds around here although there are still some Ruby-throats (locals hanging out or passage birds coming through). A glorious morning that looked promising for migrants but few stopped by. There was a young Eastern Towhee and a young Cedar Waxwing -- similar to one seen at Morton yesterday -- and the now usual numbers of House Finches and Goldfinches. There is also a B-c Chickadee flock (not the Morton kind that will feed from your hand) and they have in tow an Eastern Phoebe, a couple of Am Redstarts and a plain jane Pine Warbler (an immature female with just a bare trace of wing bars and almost no other markings).

In the non-migratory world of flowers we have Sea Lavender in full bloom, Saltmarsh Aster emerging and starting to bloom amidst the Spartina patens, and that most beautiful of yellow flowers, the Evening Primrose which blooms at night and lasts only into the following morning.   

Eric Salzman

a stray hummingbird

Ever see a hummingbird like the one pictured here around these parts? It's a Rufous Hummingbird and, in theory, it belongs in the Pacific Northwest (where it breeds), the Rocky Mountains (through which it migrates) and/or Mexico (where it is supposed to winter). Technically I should say it's either a Rufous or an Allen's Hummingbird, two closely related western hummers which are often difficult -- not to say impossible -- to tell apart especially in their various immature plumages. However, Allen's is a truly great rarity in the northeast (I don't think that there's a confirmed record for New York State but I could be wrong). Rufous, on the other hand, has turned out to be a regular wanderer and there are a whole bunch of records for New York and the Northeast.

The bird pictured above is at a feeder at the Morton Wildlife Refuge (Jessup's Neck) in Noyack. Eileen Schwinn and I drove up this morning to find it and it turned up almost as soon as we arrived! It is a compact bird with shortish wings and, as you can see in the picture, a lot of rufous all around. I would guess that this is a subadult female Rufous (the odds are certainly in favor of Rufous) but someone more experienced than I with western hummingbirds may have another opinion. Either way, this bird is 45 degrees and close to 3000 miles off course!

Or is it? Rufous Hummingbird (if that's what it is) is the most northerly breeding hummingbird of the more than 300 species. It also has one of the longest migrations of any of its kind which may account for its relatively high probability of wandering. Birds with big migrations are the most likely to turn up in unlikely places. It also may be that climate change is having an effect on the migrational and winter habits of this species. If so, these birds may be the harbingers of change!

Yes, the hummingbird picture is by Eileen Schwinn. And so is the inevitable picture of me feeding a Black-capped Chickadee by hand. As is well known, Morton is the place where chickadees (also titmice, nuthatches and even Downy Woodpeckers) will take seed from your hand. Hummingbirds don't eat seeds but you can get almost as close to them as they come in to the feeders. Best to get there early; we found that, after a while, the local (or passing) Ruby-throated Hummingbirds wake up and, being more aggressive (and perhaps slightly bigger), they chase away the unexpected visitor which then becomes more difficult to see.

Eric Salzman

finches

Big flocks of House Finches -- many juveniles as well as adult males and females -- all around the edge and head of the marsh. This is a bird that was severely decimated by an eye disease in recent years so this marks a major return of a once common species. The history of this Haemorhous 'rosefinch' is rather strange as it was once considered a desert (or semi-desert) species of the southwest and Mexico; it appeared in the East only in the 1940s or so with the back story that a pet dealer somewhere on Long Island was illegally selling them as "Hollywood Finches"; staying one step ahead of the Feds (it was and is illegal by Federal law to sell native species), he liberated them to the wild. They were not included in the early editions of the Peterson Field Guide and for many years, people called them Purple Finches, a distinctly different (and much less common) rosefinch on Long Island. The House Finches, well adapted to suburban and even urban habitats, prospered and spread from Long Island to the entire northeast and then westward. Their western cousins were also doing well and expanding eastward. Eventually the two populations met somewhere in the middle and interbred successfully and their range now covers most of temperate North America.

These House Finches are feeding on the seeds of Iva frutscens (Marsh Elder or High Tide Bush) which is common along the edges of the marsh. They mix easily with the American Goldfinches which also like the Iva seeds. The two finches are not much alike. The House Finches are bigger and more sparrowy and the mature males are quite red and have a pleasant finch song (although not at this season). The Goldfinches are small and yellowy with black-and-white wings; the males are bright yellow and have a black cap and a variety of high-pitched songs. What they have in common is their flocking nature and appetite for small seeds.

I spent a lot of time looking for other finches among the House- and Gold- but without any luck. Anyway, it's still early in the fall season.

All three larger flycatchers were around. There were two Eastern Kingbirds on the dead Red Cedar on our pond as well as at least one Phoebe and one Great Crested. Still no smaller flycatchers. On the creek: Forster's and Royal Terns, Great Blue and Green Herons as well as Belted Kingfisher.

Eric Salzman

birds in bunches

At this time of the year, local birdlife tends to resemble the tropics with the birds bunched up in feeding flocks and lots of quiet in between. Often there are several individuals of the same species, probably forming a family group. Adults travel with their young of the year even after they stop being fed by mommy and daddy; the young are undoubtedly learning what's good to eat and where to find it (and probably other things as well) by observing the adults. This morning I saw a cluster of five Downy Woodpeckers working their way along the dead trees at the edge of the marsh and pond, rapping on wood, flying about, even squabbling a bit; usually I see no more than one or two Downies at a time. Young Common Yellowthroats were also numerous in one particular area with at least one adult female; this bird does not usually show in numbers but there they were. Other birds that appear bunched up were Chickadees, House Finches and American Goldfinches (but these birds are flockers by nature).

And yet, in spite of dry sunny weather, I would not have called this a good morning for birds.

On the creek, Royal Terns staged something of an invasion, also marked by adults flying and diving for fish with their young in tow. Also a few Tree Swallows cavorting overhead and a Great Crested Flycatcher still active at the head of the marsh.

Eric Salzman

another nest discovery

I went Beach Plumming at Peconic Bay with modest success on the plum picking (plums rather dry probably due to a lack of rain and low water table) but a couple of good bird observations. One was the continuing presence of Tree Swallows mainly over a nearby salt marsh; I haven't checked Dune Road but there will be a lot of Tachycineta bicolor moving along the barrier beach now or very soon. Twittering and chittering from a branch of a small Sumac tree prompted me to search the tree where I found a nest with noisy chicks pestering an adult Am Goldfinch. It is well known that this species is our latest nester but this was the first time I have ever found a Goldfinch nest. In spite of the fact that our East Quogue place is literally overrun and overflown by Goldfinches, I have never found their nest here; this one was easy because of the noisy chicks. And, indeed, August 26 with young not yet fledged is indeed a late date for a small songbird.

The other event of the morning (pre-Beach Plum) was a large falcon chasing a Belted Kingfisher. The Kingfisher got away. The falcon -- bold, big pointy wings, powerful looking -- veered off and flew up the marsh. Undoubtedly a Peregrine and the first of the season out here.

Eric Salzman

Buzz-saw Cicada

I actually was able to find a cicada this morning -- a Dog-day Cicada -- and watch it 'sing'. I was sitting in my hummingbird chair following the two hummers (probably the same youngsters who hatched out of the adjacent nest) chase each other around. Suddenly a very loud cicada started to sing (or is it call?) from a pine tree right in back of me. I twisted my head but couldn't see anything; cicadas are notoriously difficult to spot even when they are right next to you. A moment later it sang/called again from another tree, also behind me. This time I was able to twist my head in time to catch the insect in flight It landed on a third perch on the underside of a dead pine branch and I was able to lift up my binoculars and find the insect where it had landed. It looked more dark than green with transparent wings and, amazingly enough, I could actually see the vibrations of its so-called 'tymbal' as it made its characteristic buzz-saw song -- opening crescendo, sustained buzz for c. 10-12" and then fade-out. It called twice from this perch and then took off again. Wow! So much life around us and so much that we usually don't get to see!

Fairly quiet morning otherwise. There was a bedraggled sparrow at the edge of the marsh trying to dry off in the sun; it was clearly not a Song Sparrow (and not a Grasshopper or other Ammodramus sparrow either). I think it was an early Swamp Sparrow, a bird that arrives in numbers later in the fall but is usually not seen here so early (however it does breed on Eastern LI in a few fresh or brackish marshes so this could have been a local bird).

Also a couple of hummingbirds at the head of the marsh (far from the nest tree) and, as I trudged back to the house, the passing Wild Turkey parade in all its glory.

Eric Salzman

Night to Day

There's a whole natural sequence that starts in the evening and goes through the next morning and, at this time of the year at least, it's pretty dependable. The Katydids start in at dusk making a fearful racket but this fades in the early morning hours, leaving only the steady buzz of the night cicadas (species?). Screech Owl has been calling the past few nights; it's very dependable at this time of year but I'm not sure if these are wandering birds or if they begin their amours this early (Great Horned Owls definitely do their courting and mating in the fall and early winter). Pre-dawn is the best time to see and hear rails in the marsh; didn't see one this morning but there was a chicken-like call from the dense Spartina alterniflora that might have come from the Sora seen yesterday. The young Ospreys are off and flying in the pre-dawn light, calling loudly and circling over the marsh, creek and out into the bay. Crows are up early too and making noise as they congregate. As the sun comes up, the herons and egrets start moving around and a few song birds -- Common Yellowthroat, Carolina Wren, Song Sparrow -- provide us with a little morning music (most of the other birds have quit). Now the Black-capped Chickadees start moving on their rounds and the American Goldfinches are all over the place (also still singing a little). Early morning is also when the Royal Terns first appear on the creek usually followed by other terns. There are a few raptors around; yesterday morning a big Coopers Hawk came sailing across the marsh and pond -- scattering or shutting up all the other birds -- and there have also been individual Red-tailed Hawks and Turkey Vultures looking around. Other birds seen this morning: Ruby-throated Hummingbird and Blue-gray Gnatcatcher as well as many Tree Swallows, the last-named a harbinger or an offshoot of their spectacular barrier beach migration.

Eric Salzman

some nice birds on a cool northerly wind

The tide was low this morning and the air fresh with northerly winds. The sun was a bit tardy in coming up over Pine Neck (and gets tardier and tardier every day). So it was a perfect morning to make my way across the marsh to the best vantage point for overlooking the open area -- more mud than water at this stage -- just before sunrise. And, sure enough there was a rail moving along the muddy edge at the opposite side of the opening. A Clapper Rail? No, it was a SORA in juvenal plumage: conical bill, light colored breast, long yellowish legs, no face mask (and too big and too early to be a Yellow Rail). I have seen Soras in flight over the marsh a couple of times in the past but only once before did I see a bird on the ground (or, more accurately, on the mud) for an extended period. Also my previous sightings of this species were later in the fall so this August date is certainly early. However I found Soras breeding in one of the sewage ponds at a duck farm in Riverhead a number of years ago and, while I don't know if they still breed there, it is likely that they are breeding somewhere on Eastern LI!

An Ammodramus sparrow again popped up from the marsh and perched nicely on a stick of wood right in front of where I was standing. It had a a flat head, a dark cap with a thin streak running down the middle, a faint but definite eye-ring, a rather heavy beak, a buffy chin and slightly orangey cheeks; also the short tail typical of Ammodramus sparrows. In fact I think it might well have been the same juvenal Grasshpper Sparrow I saw -- in this exact spot -- two days ago.

At the head of the marsh there were a few warblers including, notably, a yellowish confusing fall warbler with a distinct eye stripe and lighter yellowish undertail coverts. I have seen this warbler quite regularly in the last half of August and, many years ago, I mistakenly called it an Orange-crowned Warbler (another yellowish eye-striper). Bad call. It was pointed out to me that there are no substantiated records for Orange-crowned any earlier than September (and even that is early for this bird). I'm happy to report that this was undoubtedly a fall Tennessee Warbler with the lemony undertail coverts as the giveaway.

Oh yes, there was also a plain Yellow Warbler and an American Redstart fanning its tail. Also in the area were two or three hummingbirds; I even saw one of them feeding on a Pokeweed flower. Don't know if this was the family that bred on the other side of the property; hummers are definitely on the move so these could have been migrants. Migration is definitely well underway and we finally have the weather to match.

Eric Salzman

some visitors

I thought there would be some migration last night with the change in weather but it appears to have been shortstopped by the rain. At any rate, the only visible evidence of migration this morning was the presence of a Great Crested Flycatcher working the edge of the woods facing the marsh -- and thereby contradicting what I said recently (that the Great Cresteds had all headed south and were no longer around). Well perhaps not quite. Unlike the resident birds, which work the woodlands, this one was probably a migrant headed on through.

The creek is now dominated (if that's the right word) by Forster's Terns and Laughing Gulls, adult and sub-adult. The latter is a recent arrival and, until recently, was actually quite rare around  here. Like the Forster's Tern, it is a southern Larid (the catch-all term for gulls and terns) and was not traditionally much of a player in our birdlife. Even now, it is more of an off-season visitor.

Eric Salzman

another southern bird moving north

Forster's Terns outnumbered Common Terns on the creek this morning by something like 3:1. The Forster's, which are all in their whitish fall plumage (with the the black cheek patch on a white face) are easy to recognize. They were noticeably common in the spring and now again as fall approaches (yes, mid-August is the beginning of fall in the bird world). I have the sense that the Common Terns are already getting ready to migrate south (gathering somewhere like Montauk, Plum Island, Orient or Great Gull Island) while the more southerly Forster's are spreading out in all directions and may linger here much later (along with the Royals). I think that there are already breeding recordings for Western Long Island; how long before they start breeding here? In fact, they may already be breeding near Moriches Inlet.

Eric Salzman

reflections on a Grasshopper Sparrow

On reflecting on the Grasshoppeer Sparrow's appearance in our marsh, I decided it wasn't quite as surprising as I first thought. Like most of the Ammodramus spsrrows, A.  savannarum is a grassland species and what is a Spartina marsh but a particular kind of grassland. Most of the sparrows that inhabit wetlands are particularly adapted to that habitat (Seaside, Nelson's, LeConte's, even Henslow's) and prefer wetlands for breeding. Grasshopper likes dry grassland for breeding -- there is a major colony of these birds at EPCAL (ex-Grumman) where they breed in the grassy edges of the old runways. But, of course, in migration they use a greater variety of habitats while still preferring the closest thing to their favored field habitat. When they are not singing, they can be difficult to find; as I mentioned in yesterday's post, this was only the second time I have ID'd the bird around here. Fortunately, this particular specimen was kind enough to perch out in the open on a grass stem!

Not much activity this morning. Northern Waterthrush, Eastern Phoebe, Eastern Kingbird and White-breasted Nuthatch are still with us and a few Royal Terns were flying up the creek where there are runs of bait fish and splashes from Blue Snappers (baby Blues).

Eric Salzman

an Ammodramus drama

A mysterious Ammodramus sparrow popped up from the Spartina alterniflora this morning and presented a neat puzzle. What is an Ammodramus sparrow? Well it's a group of large-headed, flat-headed, short-tailed secretive grass sparrows that present some nice challenges to the keen birder. They're difficult enough when in their adult or breeding plumage. But this bird was possibly a juvenile thus upping the ID ante. Logically, it should have been a Saltmarsh (formerly Sharptail) Sparrow but it didn't really fit the bill. Saltmarsh Sparrows -- even juveniles -- are heavily streaked on the breast which this bird was not. It was, however, quite buffy on the face and even on the chin with a rather heavy bill, a noticeable eye-ring and a white median crown stripe. It was, somewhat surprisingly, a Grasshopper Sparrow and probably not a juvenile at all but an adult in moderately good plumage (unmarked breast, non-contrasting chin, reddish pattern of spots on the back). Only the second time I have ID'd this bird on the place.

Eric Salzman

king of the birds?

I was able to catch glimpses of a rail in the marsh in the dim early morning light (it was overcast and drizzling) but it appeared to be a single bird -- presumably a Clapper Rail. It disappeared before the light improved and I never saw it again.

The Kingbird is still around but I didn't see any hummers. If Tyrannus tyrannus -- which gave its name to the whole family of New World flycatchers -- is the king of the birds, how come it was chased by a tiny hummer? In European folklore, the king of the birds was supposed to be the bird that could fly the highest but when the eagle flew into the heavens to show his dominance, the tiny Wren, riding on his back, flew up still higher to win the title. So I hereby nominate the Ruby-throated Hummingbird as having dethroned the King of the Birds and taken its place!

John Heidecker suggests that Black Swallowtails are probably not migrants so the butterflies that I'm seeing are probably local.

A creature that is certainly local is the Box Turtle and I've been seeing a lot of them recently -- several (perhaps many) different individuals judging by their markings which are various combinations of yellow, orange and black on both the carapace (shell), legs and head. One encouraging sign: a small young female -- hopefully an investment in the future of local turtlery!
   
Eric Salzman

all sorts of flutterbys

The Eastern Kingbird, a regular visitor in the past week or two, was on site this morning at the top of the dead Red Cedar on the far side of our pond buzzing away like an electric charge. When I showed up on the opposite bank, he/she/it took off and did a loop-di-loop high over the creek where the Purple Martins sometimes find insect prey. What the Kingbird found instead was a Ruby-throated Hummingbird which immediately went after the bigger bird with all the vim and vigor that the mighty mite possesses. Usually it's the cantankerous Kingbird that chases other birds; this time, he/she/it was the chased!

In the flycatcher category, Eastern Phoebe is still around but the Great Crested Flycatcher is nowhere to be found. On its way to Latin America I suppose. The end of August is a good time for migrating flycatchers; I've already seen one Wood-pewee and hope to find some of the challenging Empids soon.

The Mallard with her late brood of ten is still frequenting our pond, the Wild Turkey raft, perhaps slightly diminished in numbers, is still wandering about and the Goldfinches, several at a time, are still stalking up on the thistle seeds making a colorful display of black-and-yellow birds, green plants, purple flowers and feathery thistle seeds.

Black Swallowtail butterflies have suddenly appeared in just the past couple of days. A migration or a local hatch?

Eric Salzman

hummers & flowers

Mother Hummingbird was vigorously feeding one of her young near the nest tree this morning, more than two weeks after fledging. Not much bird activity otherwise but herons and egrets are still poking around the marsh and creek. Also, a single Chimney Swift continues to fly in the early morning above the head of the marsh and near several chimney bedecked houses on Bay Avenue. However I have never seen a Swift enter or exit a chimney where they might be feeding young so I don't know if this late singleton might be a stray, a migrant not yet hooked up with other migrating swifts (they usually migrate in big flocks), a wood-be migrant that missed the bus or perhaps just a really late nester. Swifts, like their relatives the hummingbirds, should be migrating to tropical climates very soon. Maybe it's tropical enough around here these days!

A couple of flower notes. Along with the Early Goldenrod, now in full splendor, Evening Primrose is starting to flower. This delicate native species doesn't like full sunlight and, although it keeps its blossoms through the morning, it tends to crumple by noon. A rather strange member of the Daisy or Composite Family is coming into 'bloom' right now but it won't win any awards for floral beauty. This plant, which was first noticed by me after Sandy, is often called Fireweed or Burnweed but its presence here is due, not to fire but to salt water storm intrusion which wiped out much of the understory near the marsh. The plant, also called Pilewort or Erechtites hieraciifolius (how's that for a mouthful?), has a yellow flower that never actually opens but somehow gets pollinated anyway, the flowers turning into feathery, seed-bearing achenes. After Sandy this plant was everywhere but, while it is still common, much of it has been replaced by other 'pioneer' plants (Pokeweed, thistle, Marsh Elder or Iva frutescens}. Except for Pokeweed, all these plants have feathery wings attached to seeds which enables them to repopulate suitable areas very quickly; they are windblown but also popular with certain seed-eating birds like Goldfinches which continue to do well in our area, nesting late when these food sources become available

Eric Salzman

a nice boat ride on a hot day

The best bird of the day was a Monarch Butterfly!

Most bird and nature posts (mine included) are about successful discoveries. Alas, once in a while, one has to report the opposite. Sunday's Whale Watch, sponsored by SOFO through CRESLI (Costal Research and Education Center of Long Island) on a Viking Starship off Montauk was virtually a complete bust. No whales, no cetaceans of any sort and very few birds (a couple of glancing views of Cory's Shearwaters, a distant dark shearwater (possibly a Sooty) and three or four Wilson's Storm Petrels (barely glimpsed).
Plus a few Tree and Barn Swallows (what are they doing out here on the ocean?). And that Monarch Butterfly, something of a rarity these days.

Lots of Sargasso Seaweed -- presumably drifting in from the far-off Sargasso Sea. A couple of sharks were called but I didn't see any of them.

Oh well, CRESLI did their best and it was a nice boat ride on a hot day.

Eric Salzman

P.S.: The same Viking Starship went on a three-day, two night off-shore trip after our return on Sunday so maybe we'll hear some better reports from that expedition!

a feisty mite

A very hot humid morning did not deter Mme. Colubris (a.k.a. Mrs. Ruby-throat) from returning to her nest tree, presumably to look for her offspring (two weeks now after they fledged). I didn't see any junior hummers in the vicinity but mama was on high alert and managed to chase away a giant flycatcher (probably just a Phoebe but it looked huge and was certainly intimidated by the feisty hummer). She then took on a whole troupe of giant chickadees -- okay, just Black-capped Chickadees but again they looked very big compared to her diminutive dimensions -- by darting at one bird after another and threatening to poke their eyes out with her needle-like beak and far superior flying technique. The Chickadees got the message and moved out in a hurry!

The only other observation of note was a juvenile Yellow-crowned Night Heron that flew up from the pond edge and landed on a dead branch right over my head before realizing that this was a far-too-close encounter and taking off. This was likely one of the three birds -- one adult and two young ones -- that I saw yesterday.

One more note. The stand of goldenrod that is now in full bloom -- mentioned in a recent post -- is not Solidago rugosa (Rough-stemmed Goldenrod) for the simple reason that it doesn't have a rough stem. It has a smooth stem that is ridged (like certain mints), small leaflets at the joints of the larger leaves which are ovate and slightly serrated; it also has a elm-like inflorescence that flares outward rather dramatically.. This is undoubtedly Solidago juncea or Early Goldenrod, a name that fits as it is certainly the earliest goldenrod to flower around here. As I've mentioned before, the goldenrods are among are most striking wildflowers but there is a prejudice against them due to the mistaken idea that they cause hay-fever. Hay-fever at this time of year is caused by wind-blown pollen from the almost invisible flowers of Ragweed which blooms at the same time; Goldenrod is insect pollinated which is why it is so colorful. So  let's celebrate one of our most beautiful wild flowers without worrying about sneezing!

Eric Salzman

where were the meteors

Went out on the deck to view the Perseid meteor showers but, although the moon was battling bravely to shine on through the thick, humid atmosphere, not a star, fixed or shooting, could be seen -- only airplanes and helicopters, sheet (or heat) lightning (from some storms passing to the north) and lightning bugs (a.k.a. fireflies). And all amid the deafening roar of the Katydids.

We're in the dog days of summer right now where the most prominent natural phenomena are the Dog-Day Cicadas. A different kind of spectacular insect turned up this morning; the Common Buckeye is not common around here but one was displaying its astounding eye-spots in the morning sunlight. Other butterflies enjoying the warm weather included two swallowtails (Tiger & Spicebush), American Copper and Pearl Crescent.

Many of our more migratory birds seemed to have nested, produced young or not, and then moved on. The herons put on the best show: three Yellow-crowned Night-Herons -- one adult and two juveniles -- plus Green Heron, a couple of Great Blues and the Great and Snowy Egrets. A few swallows and martins are still flying and both Common and Royal Terns were again flying up and down the creek.

Eric Salzman

refooted

The foot doc knew just what to do to make it better and I was able to do a full walk early this morning. Not that there was much stirring. I did get a good look into the open area in the middle of the marsh hoping to find some young rails hustling about. No such luck. I did flush a Green Heron, a bird that was missing earlier in the year but has been hanging around recently. I think it might be a young of the year or a subadult not mated. The bird flew over to a mud island in the opening where it sat motionless in the middle of some sprouting vegetation, apparently satisfied that it was now hidden from sight -- which it almost was (if I hadn't seen it fly in, I probably wouldn't have noticed it). A little more mud-watching and a fair-sized Raccoon came slinking by followed shortly thereafter be a smaller version -- perhaps a young 'un -- also padding in the mud at the far side of the mudhole. They walked right by the Green Heron but no one seemed to mind.

Also flushed a protesting Great Blue Heron from its tree perch. They do make the most grotesque sounds when they fly!

And finally I'm happy to report that the hummingbirds, young and old, returned to the natal tree where the female can find and feed her offspring. This was the 11th or 12th day since hatching!

Eric Salzman

bad foot and bad weather

Between rain showers and a bad foot, I only managed to get as far as the pond this morning where I sat down and watched the terns and gulls over the creek (Common and Royal Terns, Herring and Black-backed Gull); a yellowlegs (probably a Greater) that came in at least twice to the pond but didn't like my sitting there and took off again; and -- most dramatic of all -- a big cloud of small birds on the far side of the creek (don't know what they were) being chased by a good-sized Cooper's Hawk (didn't catch anything that I could see; apparently there really is safety in numbers).

Finally I moved over to the hummingbird catseat (so to speak) which faces the other way. There wasn't much activity on this side (the usual Song Sparrow, Flicker and two species of wrens) but eventually the hummers really did show up and I was able to watch yet another feeding session, this one all of ten days out of the nest but in the very same Red Cedar.

Eric Salzman

teen-age hummingbirds still at home

A quiet morning with the hummingbirds still the star attraction. The two youngsters returned to the natal Red Cedar and resumed their squabbling. Eventually mama came by and proceeded to feed one of her offspring vigourously. She then took off with the other youngster close behind, presumably to look for another, less contentious playing field. The offspring fledged on the last day of July or on the morning of August 1 so this is at least nine days that they are still hanging around the nest and being fed.

Eric Salzman

two unfamiliar mushrooms

Brought home a gorgeous Lepiota mushroom but fortunately took the trouble to look it up. Lepiota is the genus of a group of excellent edible mushrooms -- Lepiota procera (Parasol), Lepiota rhacodes and Lepiota americana, all of which have an umbrella-like white cap flecked with brown, white gills and a woody stem with a ring. All delicious,, as I can personally testify. And, as David Aurora says (his "Mushrooms Demystified" is the best American mushroom book although not a field guide for beginners), this new Lepiota practically begs to be picked. Fortunately it just a little different than the others: instead of white gills, it has greenish gills (due to the fallout of its green spores). Uh-oh! This was the dreaded Lepiota morgani, a.k.a. Green-gilled Lepiota and now known as Chlorophyllum molybdites. And it is poisonous! Not deadly perhaps but a serious trouble-maker. David Aurora says it is responsible for more mushroom poisonings in this country than any other. We didn't try it.

Another mushroom, Pluteus cervinus or the Deer Mushroom, turned up the other day. It has pink (not green) spores which eventually color the gills. And it's edible although most writers on mushrooms consider it mediocre. I decided to try it but, after having waited a couple of days (to make sure of my identification), it cooked up in a rather gooey manner. It might be this character that turns off the mushroom gourmets although I think that if I could find a fresh specimen, it might not turn out so badly.

Eileen Schwinn came over to look for the Louisiana Waterthrush but, alas, we couldn't find it. We were able to sit down in front of the hummingbird tree and see -- what else? -- hummingbirds. At least one young hummer was present and his mother turned up to give him dinner. The young hummers are good flyers and look hardly any different from an adult female but they still like mama's home cooking!

Eric Salzman

an unexpected arrival

A distinctive chip alerted me to the presence of a waterthrush. I was nowhere near the water but I was pretty sure it was a waterthrush. There was, it's true, something a little different about the chip -- a sort of wet splat instead of the hard note usually heard from our recent arrivals. And unlike the waterthrushes at the water, this one did not respond to my squeaking and pishing noises. Eventually I got a look. It was a waterthrush all right but a rather good-sized one with a prominent white eye stripe, rather light stripes on a white breast, pink legs, furious bobbing as it walked and that odd call note. Far from the water and extremely shy. It wasn't a Northern Waterthrush but a LOUISIANA WATERTHRUSH!

While Northern Waterthrush is a common summer visitor, Louisiana Waterthrush is a regular but scarce migrant in these parts. I have an old (somewhat suspect) record for upper Weesuck Creek (the part above Montauk Highway) and a number of years ago a few of them spent a couple of weeks in the back part of Trout Pond in Noyack. But this is my first record for lower Weesuck Creek -- and it wasn't even on the creek!

I took my hummingbird seat to see what I could see and, sure enough, all the hummingbirds turned up. The larger of the two young took a solid perch on a branch inside the natal Red Cedar tree and was promptly attacked by its smaller sibling. And I mean furiously attacted. Junior junior really went after its nest mate with what looked like hummingbird fury, trying to knock it off its perch. I can't imagine why unless the perch was a favored spot for mama hummingbird to come in and feed her offspring. Eventually I did see all three flying although I never did see a feeding.

There'll be a story in this weeks Southampton Press about the hummingbirds; it's already posted on their 27east web site

In the meanwhile, my seated perch proved to be the spot for a sort of Mini Big Sit. Most of the birds were familiar (B-c Chickadees, Flickers, Song Sparrows, House Wren, American Goldfinches. Common and Royal Terns on the creek) but a Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher was a new arrival. Not as new as the Louisiana which is the 242nd species seen on and around this place.

Eric Salzman

return of summer

Weather turned summery with winds from the southwest, high humidity, temperature in the 80s and a hot sun whose effect was somewhat mitigated by an increasing cloud cover. No martins or swallows on the marsh; a few Martins overhead but the Bay Avenue colony seems to have been closed up for the winter. I have seen big flocks of Purple Martins in the Pine Barrens at this time of the year which is apparently one of their favorite places to flock up before heading for warmer climes.

Queen Anne's Lace is in full midsummer bloom and one of the goldenrods (probably Solidago rugosa or Rough-stemmed Goldenrod) is coming into bloom in a few spots away from the water.

This has not been a particularly good butterfly year. Besides the common Cabbage Butterfly, the most notable flyer has been the Tiger Swallowtail followed by the Spicebush Swallowtail and American Copper. Not a  particularly good year for Vanessa butterflies which have turned up in recent years in some numbers. (If I'm not mistaken the considerable numbers seen in some years are mostly migrants as these butterflies perform considerable migrations from time to time.). However I have seen a few Red Admirals and, this morning an American Painted Lady landed on the path right in front of me and proceeded to close its wings, showing off the features that distinguish it from the other Painted Lady.

A couple of nighttime audio notes: Katydids are in full voice in the early evening and a Screech Owl has been calling in the middle of the night.

Eric Salzman

fall-like weather

We went from No Wild Turkeys to Wild Turkey Sanctuary thanks to the sudden appearance of a major flock of half-grown turkeylets accompanied be several adult hens, apparently a merger of three or four broods. Yesterday morning I saw what looked like a squabble between two of the teen-aged gobblers, eventually broken up by one of the mother hens. Most of the other birds were feeding under a neighbor's bird feeder, picking up and picking out the considerable amount of bird seed that had fallen from the feeder. They were back today, feeding in our 'meadow' (the open space in front of the house).

Greater Yellowlegs, Spotted Sandpiper and an Eastern Wood Pewee this morning provide some more evidence that birds are starting to move around in this fall-like weather. A Mallard hen with ten half-grown ducklings provides evidence that Mallards are not going extinct on Weesuck Creek. Another sign of fall: the Purple Martin colony is entirely abandoned and the martins dispersed -- getting ready for their migration no doubt.

The young hummingbirds are still hanging around the nest area. I saw the two fledglings in a merry chase -- they certainly fly amazingly well just a few days out of the nest! I also saw mama hummer feeding one of her offspring perched on a bare twig only a few feet off the ground and practically right in front of me. She was obviously wary of coming in so close to me and she hovered in the area for a long time (I always could hear her soft twitters before I saw her). I kept as still as I could and eventually she landed on the twig next to her baby, jabbing her long life-giving bill furiously down the young one's throat. After a certain point, the fledgling would not accept any more food in spite of her continued attempts at tapping on his bill, an obvious signal to open up. She flew to another branch and then back to her baby again; this time he/she took the additional nourishment and she took off, perhaps to search for her other baby.

As the young ones move around more and more, how does she keep track of where they are? I can hear her coming (and so do they, I'm sure). But I never hear anything from the young. Could they be making sounds to guide her in, sounds that I can't hear but that she can? 

Eric Salzman

fall migration already?

Fall migration is underway!

The first sign of it here is the appearance of the Northern Waterthrush, a bird that does not breed on Long Island (it's main nesting habitat is in northern forest bogs and wetlands) but regularly appears here in the latter part of July or early August. And indeed, it arrived here last night, pretty much on schedule.

Actually fall migration begins in late June (!) with the arrival of Long-billed Dowitchers and, somewhat later, the appearance of Spotted Sandpiper on our pond and marsh (but Spotted Sandpiper is a sparse local breeder). But the waterthrush heralds the movement of land birds.

Rough-winged Swallow flying on the marsh. Young Yellowthroats still being fed by their mother. That pesky young Spizella sparrow was perched high on a dead branch this morning -- a beautiful morning but wet with dew; he/she was probably drying himself off before descending to the ground to search for food. It still looks like a Field Sparrow but is still probably a young Chipping, the product of a local nest. Spizella sparrow young tend to all look alike.

A pair of large grayish crinkly mushrooms with white gills that turned pink (pink spores) and with firm woody stems turned out to be Pluteus cervinus or the Fawn Mushroom (usually depicted as more brownish but it can vary in color). This mushroom is edible but it does not get raves for its culinary qualities and we elected not to try it.

On another note, the local nut trees -- Black Walnut and Hickory -- are dropping their tree nuts; I used to try and collect them and extract their meat but I found it very difficult in both cases: the Mockernut Hickory because the meat is so small (there is a reason for the common name) and impossible for the Black Walnut (huge messy effort involved and, inevitably, bits of shell end up mixed in with the edible bits). How does one get the meat out of a Black Walnut nut without the shell?

Eric Salzman

dust baths & a spelling question

There are almost two dozen individuals in the rafter of Wild Turkey that has been making the rounds here: three adult hens and something like 20 half grown teen-agers.
Most of them were happily poking around at the edge of the woods or in the grass, looking for something to eat while the adults stood guard. But one adult and several of the youngsters went to an open spot in the middle of our little meadow and began taking dust baths, wiping out whatever scraps of grass might have been struggling to grow.

Earlier in the day, I got a glimpse of the female Ruby-throated Hummingbird feeding one of her recently fledged chicks but didn't find the other one before the rain came. The two offspring from the nearby lichen-covered nest fledged yesterday morning or late afternoon the day before, the first nesting on our Weesuck Creek property -- at least that I know of. Afterwards, I took a turn in a neighbor's garden where a hummingbird -- possibly our female -- has been visiting (the distance is considerable but probably not insurmountable for a determined hummingbird mother). Among the appropriate hummingbird flowers in her yard are a wild sprouted Jimson Weed with large white flowers and purple lines inside, no doubt to guide any potential pollinators; also Morning Glories (used to be common on our place before Sandy) and an unidentified red flower which is probably the hummer's favorite.

One bird that has been conspicuously absent this year turned up today for only a second or third visit all spring and summer: the Green Heron, formerly a regular breeder on the place or in the immediate area. Other birds seen included Yellow Warbler, Eastern Towhee and a sparrow with a streaky breast, a faintly yellow bill and a faint eye ring, probably a juvenile Chipping (and not a juvenile Field which used to breed around here but no longer).

An East Quogue neighbor who grew up here and sometimes works in real estate sent me a map of the hamlet c, 1900. I notice that our creek is spelled with one 'e' not two, Does anyone know what the correct spelling is? Weesuck or Wesuck? I'll have to research this a bit further!

Eric Salzman

Empty nest!

Empty nest!

I went down early this morning to check out the hummingbird nest and it was empty. But, as Paul Adams had predicted, both of the young hummingbirds were nearby, one perched near the nest and the other in different Red Cedar nearby. Mama reappeared shortly to feed her now separated young. Both of the the fledglings were well feathered and one of them had back feathers that were, in the right light, strongly flecked in gold. Both youngsters spent most of their time preening and both were now flying well. Aside from a bit of wing flapping on the nest, they really had no preparation for this; hummingbird flight apparently comes easily and naturally to fledgling hummers when the time is right. The one that had ventured further away from the nest was definitely the better flyer; she/he kept on fluttering his/her wings as if to make them even stronger and soon started to move from one perch to another -- occasionally at a considerable distance -- in some very striking aerial moves. It was amusing to see mama come back for a feeding and finding that one of her offspring was not where she thought it ought to be. She then seemed to spend a considerable time looking for the wayward child before giving up and giving the more stationary birdlet an extra feeding. I think she eventually found the missing child but I suspect that this prodigal son/daughter was almost capable of self feeding.

Here are three photos taken yesterday by Erin King when the chillun had not yet left home. The first shows them waiting for mom expectantly. Then she arrives and starts feeding with full vigor! For another Paul Adams video -- taken Saturday -- of her coming in and feeding her almost grown-up babies see https://youtu.be/eBZiycQUypI or Adams' Hummingbird Sanctuary blog. You can see the big nestlings anxiously waiting for their mother and a long feeding session from two positions on the nest.

Eric Salzman