tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-74438825720478894852024-03-08T03:40:51.310-08:00Field NotesMartinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11749502295282071926noreply@blogger.comBlogger22125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7443882572047889485.post-62202507193001422442015-08-18T13:35:00.001-07:002015-08-18T13:35:40.039-07:00A Break In The Hiatus...Whew! I haven't posted here since May. My summer has been a busy one- this post is just the tip of the iceberg! For now, just know that Italy and Florida are amazing! Many posts to come!Martinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11749502295282071926noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7443882572047889485.post-42453184345195321602015-05-28T15:54:00.000-07:002015-05-28T15:54:38.094-07:00The Song Sparrow<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The <b>Song Sparrow</b> <i>(Melospiza melodia)</i> is a common, streaky sparrow. Like its larger cousin the <b>Fox Sparrow</b>, it has a wide range, from seaside scrub to your backyard.<br />
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Let's be honest- Song Sparrows aren't up there on the "pretty" chart. They're brown and gray, streaky, and skulky. When you're out in the middle of a NWR and you see a little brownish thing flying low and landing in some scrub and you pish desperately, hoping for something good (like a Lincoln's or a Vesper or a Le Conte's or a Henslow's) and up pops the familiar spot-breasted, mustached bird letting out a curious <i>seet?</i> in response. They're downright annoying, like butterbutts in the spring, and most birders pass over them without a second glance.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It's okay, Song Sparrow, you're not hated by everyone!</td></tr>
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Despite all this, you have to give the little guys some credit. Here in NC they're permanent residents, sticking around in the cold to overwinter with us. Their song isn't a let down- they're much more musical than, say, a Grasshopper Sparrow or Seaside Sparrow. I think they would be appreciated a lot more if they were skulkier, found only in certain habitats, or just rarer.<br />
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One thing I enjoy about Song Sparrows is variation in both song and color. I have noticed differences in songs from spots only 30 minutes from my home. The ones in Florida and South Carolina sound different than the ones in my yard. I have read that most sparrows sing the same song in a location; males with different songs stand out and are more harshly attacked by resident males. The song is a mix of clear and buzzy notes, and are pretty loud when you realize how small these little brown jobs are!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://images.nationalgeographic.com/wpf/media-live/photos/000/171/overrides/song-sparrow_17181_600x450.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://images.nationalgeographic.com/wpf/media-live/photos/000/171/overrides/song-sparrow_17181_600x450.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From the<a href="http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/birding/song-sparrow/"> Nat Geo guide</a> and site.</td></tr>
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Like many widespread species, they also exhibit geographical variation as well. The eastern form (<i>M. melodia melodia</i>) is widespread in the East, a brown-and-white blend. Out West you get more variation, due to the different mix of habitat. Out in the desert they get palers and sandier; like their relatives the Fox Sparrows, they get darker and grayer in the Pacific Northwest.<br />
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Song Sparrows come readily to feeders, preferring to feed on the ground with towhees and thrashers but willing to perch on feeders if they're hungry enough. Their favorite seed, like other ground dwellers, is white millet, but they aren't too picky and will settle for sunflower seeds or suet. It's because of this dietary freedom that they can survive the chilly winters while others, like warblers, have to migrate elsewhere to get their insects.<br />
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With all of this in mind, next time you see this successful, hardy sparrow, take a moment to appreciate it!<br />
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Happy birding!Martinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11749502295282071926noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7443882572047889485.post-68578249822512763532015-05-25T08:41:00.000-07:002015-05-25T08:41:25.956-07:00The SandhillsAh, the Sandhills! Once a lot more common than it is today, this unique habitat used to stretch from southern Virginia all the way to east Texas! Dominated by Longleaf Pines, it depends on fires to keep the undergrowth low. Many birders know it as the place of Red-cockaded Woodpeckers, Bachman's Sparrows, Pine Warblers, Brown-headed Nuthatches, and Prairie Warblers. Besides a lot of bird life, other non-avians flourish here, including insects and carnivorous plants!<br />
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Carolina Sandhills NWR is a great spot for both birds and other fauna. The burned prairies, like the one above, make amazing habitat for chats, Orchard Orioles, yellowthroats, bobwhite, kingbirds, deer, rabbits, and countless numbers of plants! It's definitely a landscape you wouldn't expect to see in South Carolina.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yellow Pitcher Plant</td></tr>
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Due to the poor, sandy soil, pitcher plants thrive here, gaining their nutrients from flies and other insects that fall into their pitchers. They also have interesting flowers.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yellow Pitcher Plant Flower</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Purple Pitcher Plant</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Purple Pitcher Plant Flower</td></tr>
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Thanks to Will Stuart, our local plant expert (who happened to be at the refuge the same time as us), he found us those carnivorous plants plus a few extra goodies!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Orange Milkwort with Purple Love Grass</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Snakemouth Orchid w/ Purple Love Grass</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hairy Beardtongue</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Palamedes Swallowtail nectaring on Clasping Milkeweed</td></tr>
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Alright, this is a bird blog, not a plant blog, so let's get to the birds.<br />
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It was super full of flycatchers!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eastern Kingbird</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Great Crested Flycatcher</td></tr>
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LOTS of pewees!<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Of course we saw Red-cockaded Woodpeckers! Bad quality, but I got pictures of a cockade!<br />
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We also saw a lot of Summer Tanagers, including a male and his mate...<br />
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...and an unusual male, probably in his second year. He had olive/yellow primaries and retrices.<br />
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All of these birds are good, but the crown jewel was...<br />
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BACHMAN'S SPARROW!<br />
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This bird gave us very good views, despite the quality of the pictures. It was a lifer bird for both Matt and I and now currently one of my favorite birds! You can listen to a recording here: http://www.xeno-canto.org/243607<br />
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It was a great experience and increased my love for the Sandhills- there's nothing else quite like it!Martinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11749502295282071926noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7443882572047889485.post-30740461206344175822015-05-08T11:22:00.003-07:002015-05-08T16:56:30.920-07:00The Ballad of the Catbird<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>I am in a Creative Writing class in which we have to write poetry... including ballads. A ballad is a poem in quatrain format, with an alternating rhyme scheme, that is supposed to tell a story. Here is the story of the catbird.</i></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">There once was a bird, dapper and gray</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">With a rump of russet, a cap of coal</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And he meow’d constantly, every single day</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Then one day the sun rose, he thought of a goal</span></div>
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<b id="docs-internal-guid-10f5e8f1-34b0-1572-ab45-c5a85bac683f" style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">His life was too boring, too lame, too bland</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">He became restless and soft</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">He decided to set off and find a new land</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">So with a flick of his wings he took off!</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It was blistering and dry</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The canyon echoed his </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">meow!</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The sun was so hot he could hardly fly.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">He found a curious creature, and said </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">ciao</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It was named a quetzal</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A brilliant green,</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">He insisted his name was Paul</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And long did he preen.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/3d/Eared_Quetzal_(Euptilotis_neoxenus).jpg/1024px-Eared_Quetzal_(Euptilotis_neoxenus).jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/3d/Eared_Quetzal_(Euptilotis_neoxenus).jpg/1024px-Eared_Quetzal_(Euptilotis_neoxenus).jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The catbird thought how pretty Paul was</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">How could he hope to contend?</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">But he didn’t care, ‘cause</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Paul was his new best friend!</span></div>
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<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The catbird left the canyons in search of some food</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">He left the desert sands for some berries</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">He met some waxwings who lightened the mood</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And soon the catbird was merry</span></div>
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<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7597/16136863703_90f4e88b8c_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7597/16136863703_90f4e88b8c_b.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">See also <a href="http://www.birdchick.com/blog/2013/06/drunk-birds">here</a>.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">After his night of drunken fruit</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">He left for the west</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Where he found a bird who was off route</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The bird said, in an accent, “I wish I had never left my nest!”</span></div>
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<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b></div>
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<a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c9/Fringilla_montifringilla_-Poland_-male-8.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c9/Fringilla_montifringilla_-Poland_-male-8.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The bird, it explained, was a finch</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It had been blown away from its home in a storm</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">He said that his home was over the ocean, a thought that made him flinch</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">He was hoping to get home before it got too warm</span></div>
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<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The catbird was curious of this cold-weather wonder</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And asked if he could fly back home.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The little bird answered “I’m afraid of the thunder,”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“I will end up as part of the loam”</span></div>
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<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The catbird bid the finch farewell</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Since he had places to go.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The catbird couldn’t dwell</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Or else there would be snow.</span></div>
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<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">South the catbird went, to tropical shores</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">He ended up on an isle</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Where the ocean roars</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And the humans smile.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The catbird had seen humans before</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">But never ones like this</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">These humans were watching him, for</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A reason he missed.</span></div>
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<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/9c/Birdwatching.jpg/800px-Birdwatching.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/9c/Birdwatching.jpg/800px-Birdwatching.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">These peculiar people roamed in packs</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And pointed out every bird</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The catbird watched these atypical acts</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And didn’t utter a word.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The catbird heard a familiar </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">mew</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">On this tropical patch</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">He sang his song- “I love you!”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And he found a lady catbird, his match!</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3352/3653176631_16e17407a3_b.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3352/3653176631_16e17407a3_b.jpg" width="255" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The couple of catbirds left their tropical paradise behind</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">To find a place to settle down</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">With a perfect nest in mind</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">They settled near a human town</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The first egg was laid, smooth and blue</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Soon there was two, then three, then four</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">All an azure hue</span></div>
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<a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/df/Dumetella_carolinensis_-three_eggs_in_nest-8.jpg/800px-Dumetella_carolinensis_-three_eggs_in_nest-8.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/df/Dumetella_carolinensis_-three_eggs_in_nest-8.jpg/800px-Dumetella_carolinensis_-three_eggs_in_nest-8.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">He had soon-to-be young</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And a great catbird wife</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Meea!</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> He happily sung!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: xx-small; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Credit for pictures, in order:</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: xx-small; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Tinos; white-space: normal;">"Grey Catbird" by Wolfgang Wander - self-made / http://www.pbase.com/wwcsig/image/44482560. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons - http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Grey_Catbird.jpg#/media/File:Grey_Catbird.jpg</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: xx-small; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Tinos; white-space: normal;">"Eared Quetzal (Euptilotis neoxenus)" by Dominic Sherony - Flickr: Eared Quetzal (Euptilotis neoxenus). Licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons - http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Eared_Quetzal_(Euptilotis_neoxenus).jpg#/media/File:Eared_Quetzal_(Euptilotis_neoxenus).jpg</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: xx-small; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Tinos; white-space: normal;">"Fringilla montifringilla -Poland -male-8" by mmlolek - JerUploaded by Snowmanradio. Licensed under CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons - http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Fringilla_montifringilla_-Poland_-male-8.jpg#/media/File:Fringilla_montifringilla_-Poland_-male-8.jpg</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: xx-small; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Tinos; white-space: normal;">By Daniel Schwen (Own work) [CC BY-SA 4.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)], via Wikimedia Commons</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">"Another catbird" by John Benson. Link to his Flickr page<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/j_benson/"> here.</a> The actual link to the photo <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/j_benson/3653176631/">here</a>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">By Dennis Murphy from USA (DSCN4834 Uploaded by Snowmanradio) [CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons</span></div>
Martinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11749502295282071926noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7443882572047889485.post-6721136793205154182015-04-20T13:16:00.000-07:002015-04-20T13:16:01.371-07:00Migration!Okay, so the photos in this post aren't the best, but I'm still really excited about the migrants!<br />
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Watching <a href="http://tempest.aos.wisc.edu/radar/se3comphtml5.html">these weather maps</a>, it really gets me excited to see the masses of little blue blips flare along the Gulf Coast and the southern tip of Florida. Thousands of tiny birds are racing their way north, trying to reach their breeding grounds before their rivals. These feathered jewels brighten the forests with their color and song, and as I've ranted, us the winter-weary birders are eager to greet them.<br />
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Except, I need to go greet them.<br />
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I started Driver's Ed for a few weeks, which means basically I'm stuck at school for another two and a half hours. Which means no more after-school walks. Ugh.<br />
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But here are a few migrants I've been seeing, despite the fact I haven't been able to bird as much as I want.<br />
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First, let's start things off from the beach. If you remember the Painted Bunting, while I was in Myrtle Beach I saw a few migrants, including Eastern Kingbird and Chimney Swifts.<br />
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I also saw a cooperative female Prairie Warbler and quite a few Ruby-throated Hummingbird males.<br />
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I also saw a few Yellow-throated Warblers as well.<br />
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Back at the patch, I found a few boisterous White-eyed Vireos, who basically yelled their explosive song from the cover of privet.<br />
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A few Common Yellowthroats returned, but they were skulkier than usual.<br />
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And last but not least, a new bird for me- my lifer Northern Waterthrush! I always love getting lifers at my patch!<br />
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I've also been hearing Hooded Warblers and Northern Parulas at the patch too!<br />
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And most recently, yesterday was another trip to Pee Dee, this time with a few other members of the CYBC. We heard a TON of migrants, but only saw a scant few-like these Prothonotary Warblers and American Redstart.<br />
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Next Saturday I'm going to be helping out with the Spring Count, which is basically the Christmas Bird Count, but in spring! Hopefully we'll see more than hear!</div>
Martinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11749502295282071926noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7443882572047889485.post-56035160133019180442015-04-09T06:29:00.000-07:002015-04-21T05:56:41.297-07:00Conquering a Nemesis<b>Nemesis Bird:</b> a bird you have tried to see/observe multiple times without success. This bird may be common locally, or a recurring rarity, but every time you try for it, you fail to see it.<br />
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<i>Note: I'm currently in Myrtle Beach, SC, and this all happened at Huntington Beach SP's feeders.</i><br />
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"HE'S HERE!"<br />
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The older couple paused, binoculars in hand, eagerly scanning the scrub. I strained to spot any motion, any indication that he hadn't flown off.<br />
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Conditioned by the cardinals at the feeder, I figured that this splash of red was nothing more. But wait- was that <i>blue?</i> An azure head contrasted the red, and my heart skipped a beat.<br />
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"I JUST SAW HIM, HE WAS BEHIND THAT OAK!" I sputtered, hoping they would believe me. Of course, he did not show himself. It wasn't enough. Some birders might count it, I guess. But this bird was special. I couldn't count it and leave it at that. I also eagerly wanted to show it to these people. But alas, it seemed to have flushed.<br />
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People came and went, and I asked almost every single one if they were looking for him too. Most stayed for a minute or two; a few hung around longer. But I waited. And waited. I watched the Red-winged Blackbirds attack the feeders in small gangs. I watched the bossy female cardinals squabble. I watched the egrets fly past in the distant marsh. I waited for the bird to come.<br />
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There.<br />
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In the tree sat a red bird. A glance- just another cardinal. Hold on, it was too small. There isn't enough red. Wait, is it <i>him</i>?<br />
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He perched somewhat conspicuously- to the casual observer, he was just another redbird. But I wasn't a casual observer, and I knew what I was looking at.<br />
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He made the handsome Chipping Sparrows, crisp with their neat little rusty caps and sharp eyeliner, suddenly turn into little LBJs. He dulled the scarlet of the many Northern Cardinals that surrounded him. With a flick of his verdant wings, he landed on the caged feeder, in full view.<br />
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"Whoa, whoa! Hey, come look at this!" I shouted to a random passerby. They probably thought I was crazy, but the girl with a camera, binoculars, and scope was a curious sight to begin with- seeing her get excited over something was special. I pointed it out to them. "That's the most beautiful bird in North America. Look through the scope!" (I had the scope preset on the feeders.)<br />
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You probably have guessed what this bird is. Arguably the most colorful bird on the East Coast, and maybe in all of North America, the Painted Bunting.<br />
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I swear, even these terrible photos bright up a room... how can you pack such a punch of color onto a five-inch bird?<br />
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If you haven't heard my tale of my nemesis, the Painted Bunting, I'll try to keep it short. I visit coastal SC and Florida almost every single year. And I've gone to Arkansas in mid-April, when they should be there. But did I see one? No, of course not. It isn't my nemesis for nothing.<br />
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I'll be honest. I did not feel a rush of adrenaline or excitement when I saw the bird; I felt pretty relaxed and my reaction was more of a mix of "About time" and "Neat. Cool bird." I kind of wished it did leave a good impression on me, like Hooded Warblers do, but it didn't. I hardly ever saw his green back and when he perched to feed, he sat in the shade. (Of course.)<br />
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One thing about him that I liked was that he was banded, and I love banded birds. I went inside the nature center and told them I had seen the bands on his legs. (In the picture above you may be able to see a purplish/pinkish band). They gave me a few sheets of paper with the info of the Painted Buntings banded there at Huntington Beach State Park.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of three pages. From left to right- ID # for the individual; it's on their silver (S) band, Age (SY= Second Year, ASY= After Second Year; aka adult), sex (U means unidentified) and bands (L= left leg, R= right. Too lazy to post all the color codes.)</td></tr>
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I have yet to match this guy to one of these, but I do think he was banded here. According to the <a href="http://www.paintedbuntings.org/">Painted Bunting Observer Team</a>, one of his bands appears to be a blue/pink split band, meaning he was banded in South Carolina.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">http://www.paintedbuntings.org/faq</td></tr>
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Back to the bird. He sat at the millet feeder, perched like a king at the topmost perch. A few other birders and bird watchers came by and photographed him, but he was flighty. He bounded back into the myrtles, patiently waiting for the traffic to die down, but it still made him nervous. Eventually I watched him fly off behind the nature center, and that was the last glimpse I saw of the bird.<br />
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I hope to have more, better encounters with this species. It wasn't really soul-satisfying in the way when I see a Northern Pintail in the scope or hear the hauntingly beautiful song of a Hermit Thrush. This particular individual wasn't as confiding, but I'm hoping in the future he's a bit more cooperative!Martinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11749502295282071926noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7443882572047889485.post-55909100781295335472015-03-29T14:55:00.001-07:002015-03-29T14:55:53.767-07:00Congaree Scouting TripToday's trip was to Congaree National Park, a huge park with excellent boardwalks in a virgin bottomland forest. This park boasts some of the largest trees of some species, including Loblolly Pine and Sweetgum. It's an excellent place for birds and it's always a fun trip.<br />
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First off.<br />
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SO. MANY. PARULAS.<br />
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Last night there was a cold spell that caused some frost to form up here by Charlotte, so that halted all migrants. I guess it was like a mini-fallout because there were at least 50+ parulas swarming and buzzing their heads off throughout the park.<br />
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We found a small flock of them in a scrubby, but leafy (budding) area, which was full of sun. We had many close encounters with this flock of around 10, with quite a few coming within feet of us.<br />
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There were also a few Blue-gray Gnatcatchers, but in much lower numbers. I think they're more spread out, as they're a bit hardier than the parulas.<br />
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We also heard (and I saw only one) Yellow-throated Warblers, which was also a year bird. Their downward song was quickly learned and we heard many.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This was taken last year, however.</td></tr>
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Along with the early migrants were a few very skulky White-eyed Vireos, which sang their chick-brrrrrrr-ow-chick song loudly. It's one of those songs I love to hear, and I'm glad they're back already!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bad picture, I know. Skulkers...</td></tr>
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However, we did miss a few things. We did not see any Pileateds but heard a few, which is a bit odd for the park, and no Barred Owl, which is understandable. We attempted to look for Black-and-Whites, Louisiana Waterthrush, and maybe even Prothonotary Warbler, but we missed them all. I think the frost may have halted any more migration or killed them.<br />
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But worry not, northern birders! Despite your many feet of snow, the migrants are coming, as proven by the woodcocks, phoebes, and other arriving hardy birds!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Coming to a forest near you!</td></tr>
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<br />Martinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11749502295282071926noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7443882572047889485.post-12142450586513714122015-03-09T08:16:00.001-07:002015-03-09T08:16:31.221-07:00Impatiently Waiting for SpringI hate March.<br />
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March is a dead time for me- the ducks start leaving, the early migrants aren't quite here yet, and the days are bipolar. I don't even like winter to begin with, since my part of the world doesn't get any major rarities (the phalarope was nice, but it's mainly things like goldeneye and stuff) and anything good is far, far away. For instance, a White-tailed Kite and a Ruff are three hours away, while the Smith's Longspur in VA is four. The earliest migrants- if you can call them that, they're almost winter residents by now- such as Blue-headed Vireos, Black-and-White Warblers, and Common Yellowthroats haven't moved too much in my area yet, although I wait eagerly for their return.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">How I await the sweet song of a vireo...</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5483/10393352693_b228996452_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5483/10393352693_b228996452_b.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">or the bold black and white stripes of the B&W Warbler...</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2898/13962386425_17ca841889_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2898/13962386425_17ca841889_b.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">...and the bright colors of a Northern Parula.</td></tr>
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I have so much planned for April, including possibly 2 trips to Congaree National Park, lots and lots of trips to the neighborhood patch, and I'm really excited for my spring break trip to Myrtle Beach, SC. My life list is at 286 and I'm really hoping #300 is something special- I want it to be a <b>Painted Bunting, </b>a bird I consider my nemesis. A <b>Peregrine Falcon</b> or a <b>Golden-winged Warbler</b> would be nice too- but I'll admit, I don't want it to be something like a <b>Western Sandpiper</b> or <b>Mottled Duck</b>. If I don't reach 300 during spring break, then hopefully I'll hold out until July when we head to Florida. I would love to get <b>Nanday Parakeet</b> or <b>Short-tailed Hawk</b> or another neat Florida bird as 300. </div>
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Anyway, I digress. It's been rather slow with not many lifers or yearbirds- my latest year bird is <b>Ring-necked Duck </b>and <b>Osprey</b>. I had some <b>Common Ravens</b> in my county, which is uncommon enough to put on the listserv (no way am I adding to the "feeder bird" craze) and yesterday a <b>Hermit Thrush</b> whisper-sang its amazing song. I never get tired of that beautiful sound!</div>
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Love is definitely in the air, with courting <b>Red-shouldered Hawks</b> screaming and soaring around, robins fighting, mockingbirds and thrashers breaking into song, and aforementioned <b>Hermit Thrush</b> singing. It's great to hear the morning chorus, but I long for the voices of warblers to join. </div>
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I had a lot of <b>Cedar Waxwings</b> spreading privet berries in my patch- the ground was littered with their droppings. Privet is a serious problem in my neighborhood, along with Japanese Stilt-grass. But the waxwings love it, and they seem to be stocking up for breeding season.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8634/16549540917_dd6143624f_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8634/16549540917_dd6143624f_b.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Waxwings are sharp looking birds.</td></tr>
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Another masked bird of note is a <b>Loggerhead Shrike</b> that gave Matt and I great views. Shrikes are declining a bit around here, so it's always nice to see one.<div>
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I got to watch this individual barf up a pellet, which I thought was pretty cool. I wanted to find the pellet so I could see what it had eaten, but daylight was limited, so we got out of there.</div>
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Other than all that, it's been rather slow. Birding is happening, but birds are not. Hopefully our beloved spring migrants arrive soon, and safely! Happy birding!</div>
Martinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11749502295282071926noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7443882572047889485.post-53364374970267450992015-02-18T16:23:00.001-08:002015-02-20T09:04:06.156-08:00Finding a RarityChances are, if there's a rare bird, I didn't find it. The only birds that are flagged by eBird as rare are something not quite rare- uncommon, late, or early, really. The only notable thing I've found on my own was a <b>Kentucky Warbler</b> in my neighborhood- not a terribly uncommon bird in North Carolina, and certainly special to me, but otherwise nothing too fancy.<br />
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Well! All that changed today when my friend Matt called me this morning to see if we could go birding. Today we had the day off (why? I don't know. It's hardly iced over anymore) so we drove to Pee Dee NWR, which I had posted about before. It had started off fairly well, with me FINALLY seeing some <b>Fox Sparrows</b>, a bird that I hadn't seen in a couple of years. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I almost forgot how pretty you are!</td></tr>
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We looked for bobwhites, which can be found there, but fell short. We found some <b>Wood Ducks</b> on the main pond, with a nice mix of sparrows and <b>Winter Wren, Hermit Thrush</b>, and a <b>Brown Creeper</b>. The boardwalk through the forest got us most of our winter passerines. I thought I saw a <b>Bufflehead</b> out on the water, but lost it as I set up my scope.</div>
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As we continued up the drive, keeping an eye out for any ducks, grebes, or snipe, we paused to watch the <b>Wood Ducks</b> take flight. I spotted something small and white on the water, and pointed it out. A small white bird was floating on the water, Our minds first jumped to a <b>Forster's Tern</b> or <b>Bonaparte's Gull</b>. But this bird was swimming, and bobbing its head! I had seen Bonaparte's swim in the water, but this was no gull...</div>
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So what was it?</div>
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A phalarope!</div>
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We thought it was a <b>Red-necked</b>, as it seemed small and had a thin bill. I've been told it's a <b>Red</b>. Either way, it would be a lifer, but it would be nice to know exactly what it is. (Edit: It's a <b>Red</b> and do NOT count on your Sibley's for phalarope ID. Terrible, terrible!)</div>
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Phalaropes are pretty uncommon in North Carolina, with the only reliable way to see one being on a pelagic. They are much rarer inland, where they normally pop up after storms. With the cold front and wintry weather, it's plausible that this bird got pushed south and inland. It's an amazing stroke of luck that Matt and I found it; if it wasn't for the weather, school, location, etc. we would've never found it!</div>
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I'll give an update when a verdict is reached, but it's probably Red.<br />
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Edit: And yes, it's a Red. Sibley's was the only reference material we had, as Matt's phone died, taking the digital Peterson's with it. Red-neckeds have a crazy mix of darks and lights on their backs, while Reds are the solid pale gray. In Sibley's, the two nonbreeding birds look almost exactly alike, which caused our confusion.</div>
Martinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11749502295282071926noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7443882572047889485.post-31627658132843556662015-02-04T11:26:00.001-08:002015-04-21T05:57:30.197-07:00Carolina Bird Club Meeting- Nags HeadMost birders can drive. A lot are retired. This is the perfect thing for a lot of birders, since they have a lot of time to go and chase rarities/go to lots of places. Young birders generally do not have the time, money, or ability to drive, so we are stuck begging our (non-birding... if you have birding parents, you have all of the above) parents to get out of the house and drive us somewhere, whether it be a stunning state park, a wheat field, or an Audubon meeting.<br />
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I am lucky enough to know a fellow young birder, Matt, who just got his driver's license and has a super nice mom. I am also lucky I work at a Wild Birds Unlimited, where most of my funding comes from. So I managed, with the help of a few adults, to go to the 2015 Winter Carolina Bird Club meeting.<br />
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The Carolina Bird Club is the biggest bird club in the Carolinas and spans both North and South Carolinas. They have three meetings each year, in Winter, Spring, and Fall. Technically, the Carolina Young Birders Club is the 'youth' version of it. I had never gone to a meeting before and I figured since I had a ride (Matt's awesome mom) and a room (thanks to Ron Clark, the amazing guy who planned the whole thing and got me a room!), I went! Needless to say, it was two days of EXTREME BIRDING!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8668/15801854183_3615045888_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8668/15801854183_3615045888_b.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Look into the eyes of this heartless gull. <a href="https://vimeo.com/112435180">He will eat your Hooded Mergansers without mercy.</a> Deep down, they only want to be appreciated, and appreciate I did. Lifer #275.</td></tr>
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I have birded in cold weather before, plenty of times- in the Piedmont. In coastal South Carolina. Nothing really prepared me for the deep chill I would experience at Nags Head. The first day of birding was cold, wet, and windy, and we started the day with rain. Not the best, but we birded inland first and got me a lifer, <b>Red-breasted Nuthatch</b>. The rain didn't let up, so we stayed at Oregon Inlet Marina for a bit, while Steve Ritt, our trip leader, pointed out gulls and how to ID them. Steve was an extremely knowledgeable guy and he knew a lot more about gulls than I ever cared to learn!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7304/16422013555_24faa2f604_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7304/16422013555_24faa2f604_b.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">For example, this is a juvenile Great Black-backed because of the "salt-and-pepper" markings on the mantle, lack of mirrors on the wingtips, rather pale head, and very heavy, solid black bill.</td></tr>
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As the rain died down, we moved to the other side of the inlet, where the wind was intense. I, being the naive Piedmont birder, was not prepared for the wind and cold that awaited me. The wind lashed my hair (which is decently long) in front of me, obscuring my vision, and tore any heat away. My hands and face became very numb and red- it felt very weird to move the muscles, but I was afraid of getting frostbite. The jetty itself was very rocky, and we hoped for <b>Purple Sandpipers</b> on the rocks or Ammodramus sparrows in the marsh. We found neither, but we did have a <b>Northern Gannet</b> fly right over our heads. Next time I'll remember to bring a hat, scarves, gloves, and a better jacket.<br />
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In the afternoon, I was on Steve's trip again. We first checked out Wanchese Harbor for a reported <b>Iceland Gull</b>, and we found two!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7365/16234590660_e35a40283c_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7365/16234590660_e35a40283c_b.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Icelands are slightly smaller and daintier than Herring Gulls.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7402/16396021276_de9ff032bd_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7402/16396021276_de9ff032bd_b.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">They're very pale gulls.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7357/15799495964_a16b9d8a61_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7357/15799495964_a16b9d8a61_b.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Notice the lack of wingtips on this guy. Aside from being very pale, their lack of wingtips is another good way to find it.</td></tr>
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I am not that good at gulls, and normally avoid them, so seeing this very pale gull was a treat. After these trips, I think I respect gulls a bit more now.<br />
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The other notable bird we found that afternoon was a late <b>Green Heron</b>.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.carolinabirdclub.org/gallery/Nordstrand/images/Green_Heron_IMG_9979.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://www.carolinabirdclub.org/gallery/Nordstrand/images/Green_Heron_IMG_9979.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Definitely going south next winter.</td></tr>
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Day 2 was just as fun and, if not more, exhausting. I was on the 'Young Birder's Rarity Chase' although it was only Matt and I, really. We tried looking for the reported rarities- a <b>Parasitic Jaeger, Little Gull, Razorbill,</b> and <b>Dovekie</b> were reported at one pier, while there was a <b>Harlequin Duck</b> to go chase too, along with the <b>Iceland Gulls</b>. We tried first for the Iceland, dipped, then went to the pier for the alcids. Dipped on those too. We traveled to the Harlequin when we found out it was not seen that morning, so we turned around to try for some uncommon, but not rare birds- <b>American Bittern</b> and <b>Purple Sandpiper</b>. Also dipped.<br />
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We tried for the Iceland again. I'm sure you can guess this one- we dipped.<br />
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So the rarity chase turned out to be the worst chase ever, but I did see from the car my lifer <b>American Avocets</b> and <b>Snow Geese</b>. Last-minute I signed up for the afternoon trip to Pea Island NWR, where the two were reported, to get a better look at them.<br />
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And better looks were had. I estimated from 150 to 200 avocets at the time, but after counting I lowered it to 130.<br />
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I didn't know avocets had blue legs. Did you?<br />
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<b>American White Pelicans</b> are majestic birds. This is the first time I've ever seen the knob on the bill- breeding season is coming soon!<br />
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I forgot to mention that on Friday, we spotted a leucistic/albino<b> Redhead</b>. That was the first odd duck I saw that weekend, with this <b>American Black Duck x Mallard</b> hybrid being the second. This is the first wild hybrid I've ever seen, and the green sheen was very hard to see.<br />
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That evening, after the meeting, the<b> Northern Saw-whet Owls</b> were re-found. They hadn't been reported for a while now, and I heard in the elevator that someone was going out to see them. I ended up hitching a ride with Nate Swick, the eBird reviewer for North Carolina and the ABA Blog editor. I never imagined actually going out to listen to the owl (when I first saw the reports a few months ago, at least) but there I was, standing in the middle of a moonlit road being very quiet. The owl did start tooting for a good five minutes or so, sounding very close. I decided to count it, since they are really hard to see, so that was lifer #282.<br />
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On Sunday, the day of departure, I spent the early morning ocean watching with a few of the other birders there. We spotted some <b>Razorbills, Red-throated Loons, </b>and <b>Black Scoters</b> along with many dolphins. Matt and I tried for a <b>Sora</b> he had seen the day before with great views, but it didn't come out. However, we did see the continuing <b>Yellow-crowned Night-Heron</b> along with its black-crowned cousin, <b>Snowy Egrets</b>, and <b>Tricolored Heron</b>.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yellow-crowned didn't want to be in the picture.</td></tr>
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It was a great weekend and definitely worth the trip/missing of school. I'm looking forward to the one in May, which would be in Clemson, SC. I learned a ton from it and met so many great birders. I highly recommend it to anyone who was thinking of coming!Martinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11749502295282071926noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7443882572047889485.post-46483663995565237262015-01-20T13:59:00.000-08:002015-03-03T05:25:02.987-08:00Huntington Beach State Park<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Birders are some of the few people who get up and appreciate a sunrise. </td></tr>
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I think everyone has their special spots that they love, like your local patch of woods or your favorite migrant trap. I think Huntington Beach State Park, South Carolina, is one of those special spots for me.<br />
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It might sound cliche but it's true. I just really love that park. I would happily pay my $5 entrance fee each day to go. The place is just beautiful, with a large salt marsh and ponds for ducks, waders, and shorebirds, scrubby seaside forest for migrating warblers and passerines, and an untouched beach with a jetty on the northern edge. And like you might've guessed, it's downright <i>birdy</i>. The marshes hide secretive rails, and it's the only place I have seen <b>Clapper Rail</b>.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Clapper from 2013.</td></tr>
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<b>Bald Eagles</b> are a common sight soaring above the marsh, causing the mentioned Clappers to go crazy. <b>Merlin</b> can be seen in fall migration, while most of the year you can find <b>Painted Buntings</b>, one of my nemesis birds. <b>Wood Storks</b>, classified as Endangered by some states, breed here as do a few pairs of <b>Roseate Spoonbills</b>. The birds aren't the only thing I love about the park, it's also the amount of birders there. Every time I have gone I've met birders in the field, which for me is rare. I either bird alone or in a group, and when it's in a group, it's always a pre-made field trip. (Nothing wrong with that, though!) But I hardly ever stumble across birders on my own. At Huntington, I've met a lot of great birders, which just reaffirms my love for birding and the sort of culture surrounding it.<br />
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The reason for this post was because over the long weekend, we went down to Myrtle Beach and I got to bird there. So here is Myrtle Beach Trip, Part I.<br />
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To start things off, just as we drove on the causeway a male <b>Hooded Merganser</b> swam next to the car. The morning was gray and overcast, but despite that I got a decent picture.<br />
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After parking, we checked out the main causeway. One side of the causeway is mud flats/marsh and the other is a freshwater/slightly brackish pond. On the pond, a large raft of <b>Ruddy Ducks</b> was the main highlight, with a smattering of <b>Buffleheads</b>, a covey of coots, a male <b>Belted Kingfisher</b>, and many <b>Pied-billed Grebes</b>. On the marsh side, <b>Forster's Terns</b>, a life bird for me, dipped and dove into puddles, snatching small fish from their watery home. They reminded me closely of another small tern, <b>Black Tern</b>, which I had observed in New York.<br />
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A few birders were also on the causeway, and as I talked, I spied a <b>Tricolored Heron</b> in the reeds. A few yellowlegs, some <b>Lesser</b>, others <b>Greater</b>, flew in on the mudflats, the <b>Greaters</b> whining '<i>dear, dear, dear!'</i><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A yellowlegs of the Lesser persuasion.</td></tr>
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I said goodbye to the fellow birders (one was named Frank... hi Frank! The other said he was going to the Carolina Bird Club meeting in a couple weeks. See you there!) and caught up with my dad (who is a non-birder) who said he had found a duck with a "woodpecker bill". I was confused for a bit until the bird revealed herself... a female <b>Red-breasted Merganser!</b><br />
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This was actually a life bird for me, and nicely wrapped up all three North American mergansers for me. We saw another female later on.<br />
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A male <b>Common Eider</b> had been reported about a week earlier, and was continuing. We walked about a mile to the rock jetty were he had been reported. Along the untouched beach we spotted <b>White-winged Scoters, Double-crested Cormorants, American Oystercatcher, </b>and <b>Brown Pelican</b>. When we reached the jetty, the inlet it had formed was full of <b>Bonaparte's Gulls</b> and <b>Common Loons</b>. I saw a few birders headed our way (easy to see because of their scope tripod) and I hurried to ask them about the eider and they said he was headed out to sea, so I should hurry. And hurry I did! I raced down the jetty to find him.<br />
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Before I got to the end, I was distracted by a beautiful little duck. It was a female <b>Long-tailed Duck</b>, which the birders had mentioned as well. She was super cooperative and give me some stunning looks. Not bad for a lifer!<br />
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Alas, I could not find the eider. A male <b>Black Scoter</b> fly-by was a consolation prize, another lifer. (And now another favorite!) Another birder, Francine, and her daughter joined me and together we tried looking for the eider. We thought we had found it, and maybe it was it, but it was far too distant to check. Before I left, another birder stopped by. Hopefully Francine and that other birder found the eider!<br />
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A <b>Piping Plover</b> had been reported on the other side of the jetty, near some mudflats. I went to go check it out. As we walked to it, a <b>Ruddy Turnstone</b> seemed to follow us among the rocks as it flew next to us. A <b>Sanderling </b>decided to join it just as I took a photo.<br />
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As we reached the end of the jetty, I set up my scope and scanned. And luckily enough, I found the plover! It was lifer number 274! It was much to distant to get a good shot, but hey, I can call it a plover.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">That small white dot in the middle is a bird.</td></tr>
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To wrap things up, on the way back I got good pictures of a <b>Least Sandpiper</b> on the rocks and a <b>Dunlin</b> on the shore. I would say it was a good day of birding, with a lot of lifers and first of years!<br />
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Here is the checklist: http://ebird.org/ebird/ybn/view/checklist?subID=S21401624</div>
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Martinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11749502295282071926noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7443882572047889485.post-11550340840836493422015-01-14T18:23:00.001-08:002015-03-03T05:19:51.197-08:00Calliope Hummingbird!To those Western birders out there, take your hummingbirds for granted. Out East we're stuck with one species, the Ruby-throated, which is an okay bird. It's pretty. But I want variety. Glancing at a feeder and knowing it's a Ruby-throated automatically because it's a hummingbird is boring. However, a birder once told me that while you guys have hummingbirds, orioles, albatrosses, etc. we have better warblers than you. Ha.<br />
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Anyway, North Carolina seems to be a good place for wintering hummingbirds. On the coast we have Ruby-throateds that overwinter, with the occasional <b>Black-chinned </b>or rarely, a <b>Buff-bellied</b>. Here near Charlotte, some of the hummingbird banders think that the city creates a heat island that attracts wintering hummingbirds. Whatever the cause, <b>Rufous Hummingbirds</b> are one of our most common wintering hummers, attracted to feeders.<br />
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But sometimes, we get an even better prize- a <b>Calliope Hummingbird</b>. These tiny little midges are pretty common out West, breeding even up in the Rockies, so like kinglets they're pretty cold hardy. Recently an immature male was discovered when the homeowners realized that the wintering Ruby-throated was growing a pink gorget! They called Dwayne Martin, one of the local hummingbird banders, and banded the little guy and confirmed the ID. I was very lucky to be able to see it! The homeowners are excellent people and they had a great backyard. While we waited for the little bird, we watched the variety of birds arriving at their peanut feeder (including <b>Red-bellied Woodpeckers, White-throated Sparrows, </b>and <b>Eastern Bluebirds</b>. The last two species are very unlikely to eat peanuts, but they did!) and in the back, a herd of white-tailed deer browsed. But when the hummngbird arrived, it was a barrage of camera shutters snapping away. The homeowners said that the bird had became wary of the shutter sound after being banded, but apparently he got over it.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here is the bird himself. A dapper little dude who took his birding paparazzi in stride. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Due to the overcast day it was hard to get a good picture of his half-grown gorget, but I managed.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Notice the silver band and puffy legs. The feeder was made for the larger Ruby-throated Hummingbirds, who are about an inch or so larger. He was so short he had to hover to feed!</td></tr>
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Martinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11749502295282071926noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7443882572047889485.post-51765140376866015032015-01-05T06:18:00.000-08:002015-01-05T06:18:11.986-08:00A New Year<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
As many other blogs are saying, and unless you live in a cave, you know it's a new year for birding! Keeping a year list is a good way to track the birds you've seen and keeps those common birds a bit more special than usual- at least until you see them! It also makes you realize which birds have eluded you and reminds you of the dips (oh, Western Tanager, how I wish you were on my 2014 or Life List) but in the end it's always fun to compare to others! Here are some highlights from my year:</div>
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<b>Total Species seen in 2014: 250 </b>(Counting Italian birds)<br />
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<b>Rarest Bird Seen (Population Wise):</b> Red-cockaded Woodpecker or Florida Scrub-Jay, whichever is considered more rare. Both were lifers.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Florida Scrub-Jay- Merritt Island NWR, Florida.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Red-cockaded Woodpecker- Weymouth Woods Nature Preserve, NC</td></tr>
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<b>Rarest Bird (Locally):</b> I didn't see any ABA rarities or megas, but I did see my fair share of uncommon birds around my part of North Carolina. <b>White-winged Scoter</b>, <b>Red-necked Grebe, Dickcissel,</b> and a late <b>Kentucky Warbler</b> (that I found!) were life birds and pretty uncommon around here. I also got to see a <b>Baird's Sandpiper</b> in South Carolina.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">White-winged Scoters, badly digiscoped. Latta Plantation Nature Preserve, NC.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Red-necked Grebe- Concord Mills Wetland, NC.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dickcissel- Union County, NC.</td></tr>
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<b>Total Life Birds Seen:</b> 110 species were new to me last year. Mainly warblers, terns, shorebirds.<br />
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<b>Best Hard-to-See Bird Seen: </b>I think that would have to go to the <b>Least Bitterns</b> we saw at Montezuma NWR, New York, at the Young Birders Event. We counted 12 (!) flying around. This year my target skulkers will be Swainson's Warbler, Kentucky Warbler, and Bachman's Sparrow. Second place would be <b>Kentucky Warbler.</b><br />
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<b>Worst Rare Bird Not Found:</b> Probably <b>Ross's Goose </b>or <b>Western Tanager</b>. For adult birders it's easy to hop in the car and drive to that easy-to-see rarity. But for a young birder with non-birder parents and sibling, it's HARD to convince them to drive anywhere to see a bird. So my two big misses were pretty disappointing.<br />
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For the goose, it was near the aforementioned <b>Red-necked Grebe</b>, so I was hoping to see both in the same day. I didn't have the exact address for it, so we were checking out ponds. We finally stopped at a large pond that seemed plausible, but I convinced myself it wasn't it. After finding the grebe and heading back home, it turns out it was the spot! But there are so many Ross's in NC right now I might have a second chance.<br />
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For the Western Tanager, it was reported two hours away, at Lake James State Park. I didn't have the exact address either so I didn't see it. Turns out we were on the wrong side of the lake. Oh well. I really wanted to see the WETO because it would be my last common tanager for North America (not counting Hepatic... a Hepatic in NC? Hah!) As of this post it's still continuing so hopefully I can try for a second chance.<br />
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<b>Best Birding Trip/Adventure:</b> Cornell Lab of Ornithology's Young Birders Event, hands down. Meeting other young birders, famed birders, and seeing some incredible birds was extremely fun. I highly recommend any young birders try for it- if I got in, you can too! Give it a shot!<br />
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<b>2015 List as of this Post:</b> 42 species, most recent is Red-winged Blackbird. I still have yet to do a 'real' walk but checking out some spots for ducks is always good. I got a SSV* of a Northern Pintail male in the scope preening in the sunset light. This picture really doesn't do the beauty of these ducks.<br />
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<a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1wDBxllDwByjG1SOfVf1fM4hZzIAPH8sTy_pEe4Qp4S0/edit?usp=sharing">Here</a> you can see my 2014 list. Google Docs is super helpful when you're traveling!<br />
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Happy 2015!Martinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11749502295282071926noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7443882572047889485.post-80422793372552755922014-12-29T16:30:00.000-08:002014-12-29T16:30:07.070-08:00Birthday Trip, County Bird #100!Today is my birthday! I turn the ripe old age of 16, which means a lot of things. I can drive legally, have a job (well, I got a head start), and basically be a teen. I actually can't believe it; time has passed so fast!<br />
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Anyways, today was a gloomy and rainy day, but I decided to make the best of it. I visited <b>Pee Dee National Wildlife Refuge, </b>one of the best birding spots in the Piedmont (or so I'm told). It was a bit chilly but the rain earlier made it very humid. The forest was very flooded down on the boardwalk. Some of the birds I first heard and saw were <b>Pied-billed Grebe, Rusty Blackbird, </b>and <b>Brown-headed Nuthatch</b>. <b>Northern Flickers </b>and a <b>Pileated Woodpecker </b>called out too. I investigated the boardwalk/pond area and found <b>Chipping, Song, </b>and <b>Field</b> <b>Sparrows</b> in the marsh. On the lake were more grebes and many unknown ducks flew very high. In the flooded forest were plenty of <b>Red-headed Woodpeckers</b>, calling out repeatedly. <b>Pine Siskins</b> flocked deeper in the forest, probably eating gum tree seeds. <b>Wood Ducks</b> wailed deeper in the forest, and although they were tough to see I did see some. I heard them throughout the day.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here is some interesting fungi I found growing on a stump.</td></tr>
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It was very fun but honestly I didn't find anything too interesting. I was hoping for <b>Northern Bobwhites, Wilson's Snipe</b>, or more ducks, but I found the usual assortment of resident and winter birds.<br />
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http://ebird.org/ebird/ybn/view/checklist?subID=S21071746<br />
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So I did not see any lifers on my birthday, but I did see something interesting! Near where I live is a movie theater with a man-made pond. It's a quiet pond that is rather large, and every once in a while I ask to go check it out. It paid off today, for I found a lone male <b>Lesser Scaup</b>! It was pretty dusky when I found him, though, so the pictures are bad.<br />
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This makes me at 100 species for Union County! I was very pleased to find him here and hopefully he brings some friends over! I was concerned that I would never find ducks there... but I'm glad I have!</div>
<br />Martinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11749502295282071926noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7443882572047889485.post-6801336842206399202014-12-19T06:17:00.001-08:002014-12-19T06:17:01.684-08:00Yellow-bellied Sapsucker VisitI haven't been able to bird lately, with school and work consuming most of my time. But I was extremely pleased when I noticed something scaling up our pine tree in the backyard. A female <b>Yellow-bellied Sapsucker</b> wad circling the trunk, delicately drilling her sap wells! I actually have never seen a sapsucker... suck sap, so this was a first. After she left I went out and investigated the wells she had drilled. They weren't in neat rows like pictures I had seen, but instead in a row spiraling up the trunk. Many were pretty fresh, with the sap flowing pretty constantly.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This isn't the same exact individual (this is a male), but I never get tired of these winter woodpeckers!</td></tr>
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She makes Woodpecker Species #3 for my backyard- I have a Downy who comes almost daily and once a Red-bellied Woodpecker landed in my neighbor's yard. (I count those too!) I think she showed up once last year, for I did see a pretty ratty sapsucker once, and she's not the prettiest sapsucker I've seen. But she's pretty, I think- her belly is mottled with charcoal-like smudges and a wash of yellow. She has a red cap that reminds me of a <b>Hairy Woodpecker</b><i style="font-weight: bold;"> </i>juvenile and her back is a mosaic of black, white, buff, and some yellow.<br />
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I hope to get some pictures of her soon, and hopefully she comes back next winter! I really enjoy watching her drill wells in the bark. If I'm lucky I'll get a Rufous Hummingbird checking out the wells!<br /><br />In other news, I finally got some pictures of a <b>Pine Siskin</b>! I've seen them before but that was while waiting for the bus at the bus stop. This time is was at Cane Creek Park, where they were foraging in gumball trees with American Goldfinches.<br />
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They remind me of European Goldfinches in that their wings have hidden flashes of yellow. The American Goldfinches also sometimes sound like their European counterparts so sometimes I have to double-check to make sure!</div>
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I also snagged a great picture of a <b>Cooper's Hawk </b>at Santee NWR! It was taken a while ago, and I forgot to make a post about it, but I really like it!</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">He was perched on a Speed Limit sign- we drove right next to him!</td></tr>
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Hopefully you're having better birding trips than I. I'm hoping over Winter Break I can convince my parents to go check out a Western Tanager! That would be a life, state, county (although I have barely birded in McDowell County), year, season... you get the idea. I'm not crazy about listing (I mainly care about Union County, my home county, year list, and life list) and I'm waayyy too lazy to keep up with all that.</div>
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If I don't make a post before Christmas, happy holidays! I know I'll make a post on/after my birthday, though! Here's to hoping to go to Pee Dee NWR!</div>
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<br />Martinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11749502295282071926noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7443882572047889485.post-22596961842817482982014-11-17T06:04:00.001-08:002014-12-19T06:25:05.408-08:00Duck Survey and a Bird ShowSo, this is a very late post for the duck survey, but whatever.<br />
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Two Sundays ago I went on a duck survey around Concord Mills. We started at 7:30 at the well-known 'HHGregg wetland', which is a wetland behind... an HHGregg! I have seen a good variety of ducks there before, getting my lifer <b>Northern Shoveler </b>and <b>American Wigeon</b> there in previous trips, and it turns up some good birds like <b>Wilson's Snipe </b>(haven't seen one), <b>Red-necked Grebe</b> (during last winter's big irruption season- I saw it!), and an <b>American Bittern</b> that had been reported a few days earlier. We couldn't find the bittern but we did see some <b>Pied-billed Grebes, Green-winged Teal, </b>and the best views of male <b>Hooded Mergansers</b> I've seen. There wasn't too much there, though.<br />
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<a href="http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S20495499">http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S20495499</a><br />
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Next we went across the road to the other well-known duck spot, a retention pond in front of the Concord Mills Mall. It's right between the parking lot and the highway, but for some reason the ducks don't mind. We had three <b>Buffleheads</b>, some <b>American Coots</b>, and a well-worn male <b>Northern Shoveler</b>. I'm a big fan of Buffleheads, they're really cute and the males are very handsome.<br />
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<a href="http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S20495506">http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S20495506</a><br />
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Next we went to a few places I haven't gone to. One was behind a Target; the only duck there was a male <b>Hooded Merganser</b>. There were quite a few sparrows, including <b>White-throated, Field, Swamp, </b>and <b>Song</b>, and we listened to the bubbly song of a <b>House Wren</b>- in late fall!<br />
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<a href="http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S20495505">http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S20495505</a><br />
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We checked out Coddle Creek Reservoir, both north and south ends. The south end as usual was more productive, with <b>American Wigeon, Ring-necked Ducks, Ruddy Ducks, Horned Grebes, American Coots, Common Loon, Northern Shoveler, </b>and <b>Bufflehead</b>. The best duck for me was a handsome male <b>Northern Pintail</b>, a life bird for me! The north end and a small pond by the reservoir weren't as productive.<br />
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South End- <a href="http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S20495504">http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S20495504</a><br />
North End- <a href="http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S20495502">http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S20495502</a><br />
Pond- <a href="http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S20495503">http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S20495503</a><br />
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It was a good day of duck-watching and I had a lot of fun!<br />
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Now, onto the bird show.<br />
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I took the day off work Saturday to go to a bird fair, which was in Belmont. This is for pet/domestic birds; if you aren't interested, don't read!<br />
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I saw a wide variety of parrots, ranging from your normal Budgerigars and Quakers to Canary-winged Parakeets (now very rare in aviculture), Bourke's Parakeets, and Painted Conures! I got a lot of pictures, which I'll update with soon.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lady Gouldian Finch</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wild-Caught Violaceous Euphonia. :(</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Painted Conure</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7492/15806673986_d18ab513e4_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7492/15806673986_d18ab513e4_b.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">English Budgerigars</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Baby Budgies!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Blue-crowned Conure preening a yellow Quaker.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sleepy Linnies. The turquoise one looks like my own, Steve!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">European Goldfinch</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Young White-capped Pionus</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Happy Umbrella Cockatoo</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Male Paradise Whydah</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Look at that tail!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5612/15828479951_b0eaa325a3_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5612/15828479951_b0eaa325a3_b.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sleepy Scarlet-chested Parakeet (Male)</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Baby lovebirds!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Intense Kakariki eyes!</td></tr>
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As for my doves, the babies hatched 11/14/14.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jUDozexrk2g/VGlSy5bKrlI/AAAAAAAAAqU/GzVhVOQixZM/s512/2014-11-16.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jUDozexrk2g/VGlSy5bKrlI/AAAAAAAAAqU/GzVhVOQixZM/s512/2014-11-16.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Taken on 11/16/14</td></tr>
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Here are the babies; you can still see the eggshell which the mother appears to eat from. The babies are almost always covered by the parents, so this was one of the rare times I could take a picture of them. They make little peeping noises when they're awake and the parents feed them crop milk, which sounds very liquid. I watched the mother feed the babies up close, it was pretty weird! The babies grow fast though; in about a week they'll be out of the nest, trying to fledge with their parents.<br />
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Happy birding and/or bird raising!</div>
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Martinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11749502295282071926noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7443882572047889485.post-878026429003784572014-10-25T19:41:00.002-07:002015-03-03T05:18:35.164-08:00Fun with Scientific NamesLately, I've been looking at the name meanings of birds. Scientific names always interest me, for some reason. Sometimes the names fit perfectly, others, not so much.<br />
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Let's start with some really easy ones.</div>
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<a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3e/Blue-winged_Warbler.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3e/Blue-winged_Warbler.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b>Blue-winged Warbler </b>(<i>Vermivora cyanoptera</i>)</div>
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For starters, <i>Vermivora</i> is easy to guess. When you hear 'vermi', you might thing of vermin (in this case, caterpillars and insects). 'Vora' means eat, as in carnivore, insectivore, and so on. So the Blue-winged and its close relative the handsome <b>Golden-winged</b> are both vermin-eaters. Nice to know!</div>
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The species name is <i>cyanoptera</i>. 'Cyano' is cyan, blue, cerulean, and so one. 'Ptera' means wing (think of pterodactyl, which means 'wing finger'). So it's blue-winged vermin-eater. Not bad! (The Golden-winged's name is similar- <i>chrysoptera</i>. Chryso is gold in Greek.)</div>
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Now, here's the next word: <b>catharsis</b>.</div>
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According to Google, this is the definition: "the process of releasing, and thereby providing relief from, strong or repressed emotions; purgation"</div>
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This word is pretty interesting. I found it in two names!</div>
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If you're familiar with thrushes and eBird checklists, you'll notice 'Catharus'. Catharus is a genus of thrushes, including <b>Swainson's</b>, <b>Hermit</b>, <b>Gray-cheeked</b>, and <b>Veery</b>. All of these have beautifully haunting songs.</div>
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I'd assume they went all poetic and decided that these songs were the birds purging themselves of their strong emotions. It's nice, though. At least they aren't stuck in a genus like <i>Turdus</i>. </div>
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The second catharsis-related one is about a very common bird with a cool story- the <b>Turkey Vulture</b>. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Releasing a soul into the afterlife with a tremendous bellow!</td></tr>
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The turkey vulture's name is <i>Cathartes aura</i>. As Wikipedia states, Cathates means 'purifier'. Aura means 'gold'. I don't have the exact source on this, but I've heard that vultures were considered the passage between the earth and sky in some Indian cultures, and so if the vultures ate your body, they would help your soul into heaven. Thus, 'golden purifier' (the golden comes from 'golden wind', I think that's what they called the vultures. But then again, I can't remember where I picked that one up.)<br />
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Onto some even more familiar birds!</div>
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I'll focus on to wrens- the <b>House</b> and the <b>Winter Wren</b>. Both are in the same genus, <i>Troglodytes</i>. This means 'hermit' or 'cave dweller', which describes the rather skulky , well-camouflaged wrens well. The House Wren's species name is <i>aedon</i>. Looking it up, it seems to refer to some Greek mythology. A lady named Aedon was turned into a nightingale, which I assume the House Wren reminds the Old World scientists of in either looks or song.</div>
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The Winter Wren isn't as interesting. Its species name is <i>hiemalis</i>. It means 'winter'. So we have ourselves a little winter hermit!</div>
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I hope this was interesting to <i>somebody</i> and I didn't spend half an hour typing it all up. I might have a part 2 since there's a lot of scientific names out there, we'll have to see! In the meantime, boast to your friends you just saw your first-of-season Winter Hermit and that you got amazing looks of the Blue-winged Vermin-eater!</div>
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Martinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11749502295282071926noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7443882572047889485.post-13813502758397909072014-10-20T05:26:00.001-07:002014-10-20T05:26:21.826-07:00More Neighborhood BirdingI really must be boring my nonexistent readers with talk of my neighborhood. After all, I'm the only one who really birds the place. But I'm so proud of it, too! I'm also starting to shamelessly copy 10,000 Birds on bolding the species names- every bird is important!<br />
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<b>Wednesday, October 15th, 2014</b><br />
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After school I decided to go for a walk. Little did I know it would pay off with some good birds!<br />
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Normally I start at the soccer fields, which are across the street from the trails. I like to pick up <b>Red-winged Blackbirds</b>, <b>Eastern Bluebirds</b>, and maybe a few sparrows from the adjacent field. The shrieks of a <b>Blue Jay</b> made me look up and gasp! A <b>Merlin</b> flew over! I snapped a lot of pictures (but the SD card will not cooperate, so you'll have to wait) which confirmed that this was not a Cooper's or Sharpie- those wings are pointed alright. Overly pointed. The bird didn't stop and continued flying southward. What luck!<br />
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Next I checked out the field; nothing too special other than a female <b>American Redstart</b>. I walked into the greenway and was greeted by a bright <b>Magnolia Warbler </b>in a privet bush. More redstarts flitted and fanned but apparently this wasn't all. A <b>Red-tailed Hawk </b>zoomed over my head, screaming. Woodpeckers abounded with a <b>Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Northern Flicker, Downy Woodpecker, </b>and <b>Red-bellied Woodpecker</b>. Noisy, too! It had rained earlier so there was many puddles and mud.<br />
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I finally hit something interesting- two handsome male warblers, a <b>Black-throated Blue </b>and a late <b>Hooded Warbler.</b> Both gave me amazing looks, with the Hooded landing within feet of me! Hoodeds are my favorite warblers, hands down. They're stunning and beautiful, with a beautiful song and interesting habits. It's funny, I've never seen a female Hooded before, only males. Maybe this is why?<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Peek-a-boo!</td></tr>
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The Black-throated Blue gave me some of the best pictures I've ever gotten on the species, too.<br />
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Later on I found First-of-Season <b>Palm Warblers </b>and <b>Yellow-rumped Warblers</b>. Near the end I heard some <b>Blue-gray Gnatcatchers </b>and found another lifer- a male <b>Black-throated Green Warbler</b>! He was up in an oak.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Palm Warbler</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Black-throated Green</td></tr>
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I have more too talk about but I'm lazy. Lucky for you guys!<br />
<a href="http://ebird.org/ebird/ybn/view/checklist?subID=S20242512">http://ebird.org/ebird/ybn/view/checklist?subID=S20242512</a>Martinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11749502295282071926noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7443882572047889485.post-76408478350579745712014-10-10T19:38:00.000-07:002014-10-10T19:38:11.662-07:00Kentucky Warbler!<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here's a game of Find the Bird!</td></tr>
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You may or may not be wondering why there's a blurry picture of leaves here. This is a Kentucky Warbler, a life bird for me found in my own neighborhood! If you look close enough you can see the yellow body and black face mask distinctive of a Kentucky. Now, many birders say they love all the warblers, and I do, but Kentuckies are like top five for me (other than Maggies, Hoodies, Swainson's, and Golden-winged). This is an awesome bird. Just had to share it.Martinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11749502295282071926noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7443882572047889485.post-72696547391592541892014-10-09T19:24:00.001-07:002014-10-09T19:24:23.492-07:00Why Common Kestrels are One of the Coolest Birds, EverSo maybe you're curious as to why my little avatar picture is a starting-to-stoop kestrel. Well, for one thing it was a female Common Kestrel dropping in close on her hunt for food. I photographed her and a few others of the beautiful Italian isle Isloa dell'Elba. Don't believe me?<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On top of Elba</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The castle next to the mountain of the kestrels</td></tr>
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Anyways, this was a stunning island. Richer with birds anywhere else I've found in Italy- not that I visited very many. Spotted Flycatchers and mysterious warblers abound.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the many Spotted Flycatchers I saw on Elba, with a little feather out of place</td></tr>
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Anyways, this is about kestrels, not boring flycatchers. So as you may know, Elba is super scenic. Scenic to the power of scenic. We (my uncle, brother, and I- me being the only birder present) pulled over on top of some mountain to get a picture. Anyways, across the road is a hill, with an electric thingy on the top. It's devoid of any trees, just some scrub and grass. But something quickly catches my attention- birds. And they're hovering into the wind!</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here's one, being kestrel-y</td></tr>
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The wind was very strong up there, so strong that about eight or nine of these little guys hovered in the wind, perfectly still. The pictures don't do it justice. These birds were perfectly still, only a few feathers twitching. I'll never forget how amazing they were.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Taken a few seconds after the one below; she starts to dive a bit.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My profile pic. Notice the alulas and tail!</td></tr>
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I took a crap ton of pictures but not many turned out good; mainly out-of-focus. It's a bit tricky since you have nothing else to go by; they're just hovering in the air.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Really awesome birds.</td></tr>
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Martinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11749502295282071926noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7443882572047889485.post-25822096555551217402014-10-05T18:35:00.001-07:002014-10-07T08:32:35.388-07:00Weekend BirdingThis weekend I had the pleasure of birding the same spot both Saturday and Sunday morning! The location was Six-mile Creek Greenway, a paved greenway weaving through lowland forest.<br />
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<b>Saturday, October 4th</b></div>
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This trip was a Carolina Young Birder's Walk, so of course I <i>had</i> to go. Matt, Ginger, a beginner birder who I met before at other walks, Michael, a younger birder, and his mother and I started walking around 9, later to be joined by four more birders later on. It was rather quiet in the beginning, with Magnolia Warblers and redstarts in the turning trees. Four Wood Ducks flew over, not an unusual sight there, but for the beginning it was quiet.</div>
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Then we hit a flock.</div>
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It started with me pointing out a small yellow bird. I saw it jumping around in the bare branches of a tree, the first confusing bird of the day. Matt said Philadelphia cautiously, with good reason. I managed to get some shots of the bird, which confirmed its ID. It was a Philadelphia Vireo! It was a bright adult, with a pretty bright yellow throat, heavier bill, and white lores, along with an eye stripe. It was a lifer for both of us.</div>
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A few feet up the trail the rest of the flock revealed themselves. More Magnolias, which we saw many of, along with redstarts, and Black-and-White Warbler, and Matt found a Chestnut-sided I didn't get to see. That was about it in terms of the warbler flock.</div>
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Farther down the trail we pointed out plants such as cucumber tree, jewelweed, smartweed (my guide was wrong, calling it pink knotweed. Matt got it right) cardinal flower, and some invasive species such as the privet that dominated much of the trailside.</div>
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Later we were delighted with views of a beautiful male Scarlet Tanager, Yellow-throated Vireos, and, again, Maggies! </div>
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The day was decent, and the younger kids left, leaving Ginger, Matt, and I. We found a Canada Warbler however, the second highlight of the walk, and another lifer! I only got to see the rump/back and didn't see the face too well, but I heard it call and I'll take that. Overall, a good day!</div>
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<a href="http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S20027720">http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S20027720</a></div>
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<b>Sunday, October 5th</b></div>
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Today I started out on another walk, a Beginner's Bird Walk (I'm not a beginner, but still) at the same Six-mile! A cold front had pushed through, dropping the temps overnight to the low 30's and causing the first frost of the season. I worked today, so we had to leave a bit early, but it was still much better!</div>
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We started out with flickers and Red-bellieds and a handsome Black-throated Blue Warbler, a male. He was still very pretty and blue!</div>
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We saw many more warblers, with my lifer Bay-breasted high in a sycamore. We saw more Bay-breasteds, Cape Mays, Black-and-whites, Maggies, redstarts, Chestnut-sideds, Blackburnians (very pretty!), swifts and empids! I really think the empids were Leasts, but didn't put that on the checklist in fear of 'oh no, those were ___,'. Oh well, eBird will survive.<br />
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<a href="http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S20040202">http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S20040202</a><br />
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I had to leave early for work- I'm sure no one knows where I work at, so here it is! I work at the Wild Birds Unlimited in Charlotte. Anyways, at work, one of my coworkers (and arguably the nicest person there) Ailsa reported a dead bird found in front of the store one morning. She had pictures of it- it was a Swainson's Thrush. I asked if the Walmart across the parking lot kept their lights on at night, and they did. I believe this migrant was stalled by the cold front, and, flying low, got disoriented by the bright glare of the parking lot lights. Tired, it smacked into the glass windows of our store. We don't have problems with window collisions normally- during the day we have decals and such and a feeder less than three feet from the windows. Poor little guy, but I'd assume it was one of thousand of night migrants who are killed by building strikes. Mecklenburg Audubon does Lights Out Charlotte and helps them! I wish I could volunteer for them.<br />
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Well, happy birding and may a rarity blow of course to you!<br />
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Martinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11749502295282071926noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7443882572047889485.post-48481469566144480532014-09-30T16:15:00.001-07:002014-09-30T16:45:52.887-07:00First Post...Here is my second attempt at starting and maintaining a blog. Let's see how it goes. I'm probably going to be really bad with pictures though, since I have no quick access to uploading pictures.
Anyways, I've been itching to write, so let's talk about the last two days.<br />
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<b>Sunday, September 28th. </b><br />
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Sunday was a bright sunny, but decently cool day. I wasn't feeling that great but hopefully, in an attempt to clear my sinuses, I went for a walk to my neighborhood patch.
I went a different way, across the soccer field.<br />
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Before we start there, let's talk about the copperhead.
There was a dead copperhead on the side of the road. Its front half had been smushed but its tail was still plump. It was interesting to see a copperhead around there but not uncommon; a neighbor of mine had seen one in her garden once, and they are apparently in my 'backyard' creek. I have yet to see one, though.<br />
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Across from the fields of soccer was a path following the power lines. This path was mainly field and brush, home to towhees, house finches and sparrows (thanks to someone's feeder), field sparrows, yellowthroats, and apparently indigo buntings in the summer, but I have yet to see one there. Many butterflies were seen dancing among the goldenrods and other yellow flowers.<br />
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The path forks into two; one is the 'greenway', which is basically a path of grass cut through a forest, and the other way continued alongside the power lines. The greenway is where I had seen my lifer Yellow-billed Cuckoos before; on all my other walks to the nature path, I had always neglected the greenway.
Anyways, I decided to follow the path into the field. In the deepest part I found Asiatic Dayflowers, the largest clump I've ever seen. I tried taking one and putting it in my notebook but it didn't turn out well. At least I know where to get more!<br />
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The path was mainly quiet, with a few house finches and crows. As I walked, it forked off again- one leading downhill and one leading towards a road. I took the downhill path, since it seemed like a better idea. By this time I could hear a Red-bellied Woodpecker calling angrily in the small patch of forest down below, and I saw willows, indicating there was swampy land.
I started downhill, stopping in my tracks. I had seen movement up ahead. I saw the tail of a Black Rat Snake. Not wanting to bother it, I hummed and stomped on the ground a few times to warn it I was there. I guess I had caught the attention of a female Common Yellowthroat, who perched in the golden flowers.<br />
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I walked down the red-clay path, picking up titmice, chickadees, and that same Red-bellied. Overhead a Red-headed Woodpecker, molting some of its secondaries, flopped overhead like some weird bat.
The trail (once again) split, one leading to the neighborhood and one overgrown one. I, of course, followed the overgrown one. It led me to a steep creek with small pools of water. Dogwoods were ripe with their red berries. I hadn't known it before, but I found bird paradise.
The first bird I noticed was a female Rose-breasted Grosbeak, a new bird for the 'hood. Next were Gray Catbirds, eating the berries, along with their cousins the Brown Thrashers. A White-eyed Vireo sang weakly nearby. Cardinals ticked and crows cawed. I'm certain a few thrushes were in there too.<br />
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I crossed the deep ditch and continued walking. The same American Crow was perched high on a tree, bobbing his head and calling. I was following another trail again, similar to the greenway trail. I heard Carolina Wrens scolding and catbirds mewling. Another Dogwood was fruiting.
Anyways, this trail led me back to the original Cuckoo-Greenway (maybe that's what I'll call it). There, I picked up two Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers, first of the season, robins, and the first real migrants I've ever seen there! The forest was filled with them, the Halloween Warblers- redstarts, mainly female, (but I did see a male), a very pretty Chestnut-sided Warbler, a Black-and-White Warbler, female, and more grosbeaks, alongside some empids, a Least Flycatcher, and an Eastern Wood-Pewee. All of these except the pewee were new!<br />
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Around 1:45 pm activity died down, so I made my way back home. I saw a very handsome Red-tailed Hawk on the power lines, but nothing new. I checked the soccer fields for bluebirds for my list but I couldn't find the usual family that is there, only some mockingbirds.
It was a very rewarding walk and hopefully next time I can catch more migrants! Onto the next day:<br />
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<b>Saturday, September 29th </b><br />
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Yesterday I stayed home from school, still recovering. I guess I timed it well, for I found a redstart in my yard! A female as usual, she fanned her tail. I didn't have my binocs or camera but I was elated! This was just a small side note.<br />
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Alright, hopefully I didn't bore any of my nonexistent readers to death, but I did really want to write. Anyways, happy birding!Martinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11749502295282071926noreply@blogger.com0