After being out of action for a few days, I spent an abbreviated morning walking around the place. Because of the very high tide, many of the marshside trails were under water but some creek watching paid off when a small flock of Royal Terns was followed by two raptors streaking across the creek: a dark narrow-winged falcon (a Merlin for sure) and a small broadwinged accipiter (Sharp-shinned Hawk). Only a few land birds including Red-eyed Vireo and White-breasted Nuthatch.
Eric Salzman
Thursday, October 17, 2013
Wednesday, October 9, 2013
eagle alert
A call this morning from Eileen Schwinn sent us racing down to the water to find the soaring Bald Eagle that she had spotted from the other side of the creek. It was an immature bird but unmistakably an eagle as it soared over the creek, eventually settling in a dense, leafy tree almost directly opposite. Shortly thereafter, Eileen appeared at our doorstep and we took out the spotting scope to try and find the perched bird -- this time with no luck.
With the weather turned to fall, I searched the place for a sapsucker, also without any luck (Eileen tells me she had one on the other side of the creek). A large flock of Yellow-rumped Warblers was still patrolling the front line between the marsh and the woods and there were a few Swamp Sparrows to be seen. Ospreys are on the move and the occasional accipiter -- mostly Sharp-shinned Hawks. Three or four species of asters -- some blue, some white -- are everywhere.
Eric Salzman
With the weather turned to fall, I searched the place for a sapsucker, also without any luck (Eileen tells me she had one on the other side of the creek). A large flock of Yellow-rumped Warblers was still patrolling the front line between the marsh and the woods and there were a few Swamp Sparrows to be seen. Ospreys are on the move and the occasional accipiter -- mostly Sharp-shinned Hawks. Three or four species of asters -- some blue, some white -- are everywhere.
Eric Salzman
Tuesday, October 8, 2013
a migratory morning and where to find Monarchs
When I got down to the pond shortly after sunrise and two Eastern Phoebes and a small group of Yellow-rumps came zipping by, I knew I was in for a good birding morning. The extension of trees and shrubs that juts out into the marsh and the edge running from the pond all the way back to the head of the marsh catches many migrants when the weather turns -- as it did last night. Unlike the last one, this influx contained few Common Yellowthroats and only a handful of kinglets of both flavors. However there were Swamp and White-throated as well as Song Sparrows, many Downy Woodpeckers (suggesting that they are also on the move), Red-eyed Vireos and one FOS in the form of a Brown Creeper (first seen by Lorna from the 2nd floor bathroom window!). As earlier, there were numbers of American Goldfinch and Black-capped Chickadees (no Titmice though); I'm never sure if these were locals or migrants. A Great Blue Heron flies out from its nightly perch back in the woods and there are still a few American Egrets in view. A loud, spooky, squeeze-doll call alerted me to the possibility of a raptor and, sure enough, a Sharp-shinned Hawk appeared being chased by a couple of American Crows.
John Turner says that he has has heard that the drought of Monarch butterflies in the northeast is due to the drought in the American southwest where the returning Mexican birds normally pause to lay their eggs on local milkweed thus creating another generation which continues the movement north. No milkweed, no Monarchs. An ironic footnote to all this is that on our trip to Ecuador, we saw Monarchs in the Intag highlands of the Andes at El Refugio -- the property owned by our friend Peter Joost. Guess what they were feeding on? Some nice healthy milkweed!
Eric Salzman
John Turner says that he has has heard that the drought of Monarch butterflies in the northeast is due to the drought in the American southwest where the returning Mexican birds normally pause to lay their eggs on local milkweed thus creating another generation which continues the movement north. No milkweed, no Monarchs. An ironic footnote to all this is that on our trip to Ecuador, we saw Monarchs in the Intag highlands of the Andes at El Refugio -- the property owned by our friend Peter Joost. Guess what they were feeding on? Some nice healthy milkweed!
Eric Salzman
Monday, October 7, 2013
a few birds, some Box Turtles and missing Monarchs
A few leftovers from last week's migratory influx are still around including a few Ruby-crowned Kinglets, Yellow-rumped Warblers and White-throated Sparrows. Also small flocks of American Goldfinches, probably feeding on the Iva seeds (no Pine Siskins this year). The woodpecker influx of a few weeks ago also seems to have died down. I saw one Red-bellied Woodpecker with a large nut in his beak apparently looking for a knothole to stash it (something his Western cousin, the Acorn Woodpecker, would do).
Box Turtles have been out in the warm, damp weather feeding on the new crop of mushrooms. At least three different turtles with clearly marked orange-and-black, dusky orange-and-black and yellow-and-black markings.
I received several cries of anguish about the failure of the Monarch migration on Eastern LI this year. I wonder if this paucity of Monarchs is widespread in the northeast and, if so, what its cause might be.
Eric Salzman
Box Turtles have been out in the warm, damp weather feeding on the new crop of mushrooms. At least three different turtles with clearly marked orange-and-black, dusky orange-and-black and yellow-and-black markings.
I received several cries of anguish about the failure of the Monarch migration on Eastern LI this year. I wonder if this paucity of Monarchs is widespread in the northeast and, if so, what its cause might be.
Eric Salzman
Saturday, October 5, 2013
a hummer in Sag Harbor
Thursday morning was full of birds. Friday still active. This morning they were, except for Phoebe or two and a few Yellowthroats, all gone. Guess they were just pass-throughs on their way south.
Mike Bottini writes to ask about Monarch migration in these parts. Of course, I missed a couple of weeks in September but this was, I would say, as poor a Monarch migration as I have ever witnessed. Apparently it was the same elsewhere on the East Coast. Wha' happened?
On a more positive note, Ellen Stahl reports that, for the second year in a row, she is again host to a Rufous (or, at any rate, Selasaphorus) Hummingbird at lest since late August. The odds of another of these Western hummers finding their way to Sag Harbor are small enough but two years in a row cannot be a crap shoot! The likelihood is that this is the same bird who, after last year's excellent reception, simply decided to return. Remarkable as it may seem, such feats of navigation are well within the powers of the hummingbirds tiny brain!
Eric Salzman
Mike Bottini writes to ask about Monarch migration in these parts. Of course, I missed a couple of weeks in September but this was, I would say, as poor a Monarch migration as I have ever witnessed. Apparently it was the same elsewhere on the East Coast. Wha' happened?
On a more positive note, Ellen Stahl reports that, for the second year in a row, she is again host to a Rufous (or, at any rate, Selasaphorus) Hummingbird at lest since late August. The odds of another of these Western hummers finding their way to Sag Harbor are small enough but two years in a row cannot be a crap shoot! The likelihood is that this is the same bird who, after last year's excellent reception, simply decided to return. Remarkable as it may seem, such feats of navigation are well within the powers of the hummingbirds tiny brain!
Eric Salzman
Friday, October 4, 2013
an Indian Summer day
A few birds from yesterday that I forgot to mention in yesterday's post: Eastern Phoebe, Sharp-shinned Hawk, Belted Kingfisher, various woodpeckers. This morning -- a mild Indian summer day -- was far less birdy but featured all of the above (including a singing Phoebe!). Yellow-rumped Warblers which were everywhere yesterday were nowhere to be seen this morning. Ruby-crowned Kinglet, a minor player yesterday, was a major presence today while there were only a few Golden-crowned Kinglets (by sound only). What else? Several House Wrens and White-breasted Nuthatch, White-throated and Swamp Sparrows, Royal Tern (a few), Double-crested Cormorants (a few) but a surprising lack of gulls.
Eric Salzman
Eric Salzman
Thursday, October 3, 2013
back from Ecuador
Got back from Ecuador late Tuesday evening. It was a great trip but exhausting and it literally took me all day Wednesday to recover -- at least enough to do my morning walk, run a bunch of errands and now write this post.
The Ecuador report will be along shortly. In the meanwhile, migration has progressed notably around here in the past two weeks and many of the birds of October have arrived. This morning everything was wet with dew but a surprising number of birds popped out to greet the sun, dry off and begin the endless search for food. I can't say for sure when they arrived but I suspect that most of them came in last night. The dominant birds were Yellow-rumped Warblers and Common Yellowthroats, both literally by the dozen plus almost as many Swamp Sparrows. A handsome winter-plumaged Bobolink came up right in front of my nose, giving excellent looks of this sparrowy but quite distinct yellow winter plumage of this unusual bird. There were also several Golden-crowned Kinglets and at least one Ruby-crowned Kinglet. Other birds included a Palm Warbler, several American Goldfinches, a few White-throated Sparrows (detected by their 'chink' calls), several Brown Thrashers, a Great Blue Heron and the usual locals (Carolina Wren, Mourning Doves, Blue Jays, Crows, etc.). No terns at all although I did hear Royal Terns later in the morning.
On the floral scene, the Seaside Goldenrods are still blooming but are now well advanced. Baccharis is now in its most attractive phase -- not the flowering which is dull and well gone by but the white seed bundles. And various asters are in full bloom.
On the mammal front, there is a Woodchuck (Groundhog or Marmot; seen around here only once before) in the area. And the deer, missing for much of the summer, have come back. Wonder where they were.
Eric Salzman
The Ecuador report will be along shortly. In the meanwhile, migration has progressed notably around here in the past two weeks and many of the birds of October have arrived. This morning everything was wet with dew but a surprising number of birds popped out to greet the sun, dry off and begin the endless search for food. I can't say for sure when they arrived but I suspect that most of them came in last night. The dominant birds were Yellow-rumped Warblers and Common Yellowthroats, both literally by the dozen plus almost as many Swamp Sparrows. A handsome winter-plumaged Bobolink came up right in front of my nose, giving excellent looks of this sparrowy but quite distinct yellow winter plumage of this unusual bird. There were also several Golden-crowned Kinglets and at least one Ruby-crowned Kinglet. Other birds included a Palm Warbler, several American Goldfinches, a few White-throated Sparrows (detected by their 'chink' calls), several Brown Thrashers, a Great Blue Heron and the usual locals (Carolina Wren, Mourning Doves, Blue Jays, Crows, etc.). No terns at all although I did hear Royal Terns later in the morning.
On the floral scene, the Seaside Goldenrods are still blooming but are now well advanced. Baccharis is now in its most attractive phase -- not the flowering which is dull and well gone by but the white seed bundles. And various asters are in full bloom.
On the mammal front, there is a Woodchuck (Groundhog or Marmot; seen around here only once before) in the area. And the deer, missing for much of the summer, have come back. Wonder where they were.
Eric Salzman
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