bird DC

2006-12-25T17:52:00.000-05:00

Aspen Update

Well what can I say, I've been neglectful. I've been in Aspen for almost a month, and I haven't updated the ol' bDC since I've arrived. The big problem is that it seems a little weird to continue with a Washington DC blog while I'm in Colorado, so to remedy that I've established a new blog:

(drumroll please)

The Birdist

Now, the Birdist is still in its EARLY stages, but be patient. Until it's ready, let me give you a little update on what's been goin' on.

-The trip across America wasn't as birdy as I hoped it would be. It was dark when I drove by Montezuma. Niagara Falls was freezing cold and I didn't see anything special. I got food-poisoning in Jackson, Michigan. I saw some snow buntings and gulls on Lake Michigan...

-Things got a lot cooler when I got into South Dakota. The Badlands National Park was one of the weirdest and most interesting places I've ever been. It's basically a bunch of eroded cliffs along a transition from high prairie to low prairie. It's very wild and remote and a great place to drive around in alone. I saw mule deer, bighorn, pronghorn (they're awesome), wild buffalo (they're scary) and my life Townsend's Solitaire and (the huge and lovely) golden eagle. I also saw 2 (!) northern shrikes just outside the park.

-Thanks to a tip from the CO-Birders list on birdingonthe.net, I found a yellow-billed loon outside of Denver. It was an amazing bird, and one very rarely seen in Colorado, but the whole incident was a little sad. The bird was in a small suburban reservoir and had confined itself to a small pool of open water only a few feet in diameter. Several of the CO posters assumed that the bird was sick or injured. Indeed, a few days after I saw the loon in its pool it was found dead.

-I've seen 5 new birds since I've been to Aspen. The first two are boreal birds that have escaped me many times: pine siskin and my former arch-nemesis, the red crossbill. On my first day working as a mountain photographer at the top of the Gondola in Aspen I found both these birds (100+ siskens and 30+ crossbills) feeding on the rock wall just below the famous SunDeck. Since then I've seen crossbills, the bird that eluded me so many times at the New Michigan State Forest in NY, almost every day. Also on top of Aspen (and Buttermilk, where I work more frequently) are small gangs of gray jays so tame that I've fed them pieces of cookie that I held between my teeth.

-I've gained some respect for two birds that are common here, the Common Raven and the Black-Billed Magpie. I've only had glimpses at Ravens in Maine, and to see them cruise on thermals and dive like bullets in strong winds is truely impressive. Magpies, on the other hand, are simply on of the most beautiful birds I've ever seen.

-I participated in the Aspen Christmas Bird Count on Dec. 17th. Aspen has only a small community of birders, and only 6 could make the count. One of these birders, to my complete surprise, was Al Levantin, one of the subjects of a novel that I credit with introducing me to the world of listing: Mark Obmascik's The Big Year. Mr. Levantin lives near Snowmass and his house is said to be the best place in the world to see the Brown-Capped Rosy-Finch...here's hoping I'll get invited in!
Anyway, I was paired up with a local birder named Ken Toy, and our search area was the town of Aspen down to Woody Creek. Along the way I found I saw three lifers: Western Scrub-Jay, Stellar's Jay and the American Dipper (and 3 Red-Shafted Flickers). Dippers are really impressive birds. Ken and I watched for about 10 minutes as the little bird literally jumped into a stream and struggled back upstream to it's rock perch.
All in all, we tallied 22 species...the most of the three Aspen CBC groups and a pretty durn good tally for Aspen in the winter. We even beat Al Levantin (no Rosy-Finches showed up at his feeders)!

-OK that's it for now. I'll keep my eyes peeled for other Aspen-area species (rosy-finches, white-tailed ptarmagin, prairie falcon). See you at the Birdist.

2006-11-21T18:22:00.000-05:00

Last Maine Search

I'm leaving for Aspen on Saturday, and, with so much family whatnots between now and then, today was pretty much the last time I would get to scour the Maine coast for some birds I 'aint never seen yet. My targets were winter oceanic species: great cormorant, king eider, black-legged kittiwake and another winter species, the lapland longspur. I would have also been delighted to see any number of even less common pelagic or passerines.

I started by driving down to a new favorite spot: Dyer Point in Cape Elizabeth. This little spit of land in the middle of Two Lights State Park (literally, Dyer Point is between two lighthouses) is further out to sea than anything else in the Portland area, and is, apparently, the best place around to see the pelagic species I was looking for. I had visited a couple times earlier and seen lots of cormorants (all double-crested) and close-to-shore gannets. Reports of kittiwake were common...but I was disappointed in the lack of birds today.

I did have a great sighting of harlequin ducks, however. I had never seen males before, but I recognized them instantly when a small group of 7 (5 males, 2 females) drifted by close to shore. The males really were beautiful, unfortunately I had my camera on the wrong setting and the pictures didn't come out.

Then off to Biddeford Pool, a legendary Maine birding spot. Outside of Biddeford the land sticks way way out into the ocean and ends with a small piece of land surrounding a tidal pool. Biddeford Pool attracts all kinds of birds in all seasons...but, again, not the onces I was looking for. The best sighting of the day was, by far, the immature black guillemot I found on the calm waters of the pool (not, as one would expect, on the open ocean). The bird was just a few feet away from me at the side of a dock, and I was able to get good pictures:

And of a horned grebe:

So no luck. There's a chance, albiet much smaller, that I'll see some of these birds on the Great Lakes. If not, I'll just have to come back to Maine, which is fine with me.

So, I'm off on Saturday and I'll try to find the scissor-tailed flycatcher in NH and the green-tailed tohee in Mass. on my way out. I'll keep you posted.

2006-11-20T21:11:00.000-05:00

Quotent Quoteables

Kate enlightened me to an interesting quote from legendary birder David Sibley. The quote was included in the book Blink by Malcom Gladwell, which focuses on the importance and efficiency of split-second decision making.

Check it:
"The ornithologist David Sibley says that in Cape May, New Jersey, he once spotted a bird in flight from two hundred yards away and knew, instantly, that it was a ruff, a rare sandpiper. He had never seen a ruff in flight before; nor was the moment long enough for him to make a careful identification. But he was able to capture what bird watchers call the bird's 'giss' -its essence- and that was enough.

'Most of bird identification is based on a sort of subjective impression- the way a bird moves and little instantaneous appearances at different angles and sequences of different appearances, and as it turns its head and as it flies and as it turns around, you see sequences of different shapes and angles,' Sibley says. 'all that combines to create a unique impression of a bird that can't really be taken apart and described in words. When it comes down to being in the field and looking at a bird, you don't take the time to analyze it and say it shows this, this, and this; therefore it must be this species. It's more natural and instinctive. After a lot of practice, you look at the bird, and it triggers little switches in your brain. It looks right. You know what it is in a glance.'"

This is spot on. Good birding!

2006-11-10T23:10:00.000-05:00

YB Chat and Other Updates

The Maine birding bonanza had slowed down a little since last week's trip to Biddeford Pool. I had gone out several times without much luck...the sea ducks had disappeared and lingering passerines weren't showing themselves.

But today I awoke with a spring in my step and felt like I was gonna see something good. There were reports of a Yellow-Bellied Chat on Munjoy Hill in Portland (not a place I would consider a great birding location...) and so I thought I'd give it a try.

Now, I usually bird alone. And I'm fine with that. But there are definite benefits to birding with other people. Today I showed at the spot where the bird was reported. I walked around aimlessly, didn't hear or see anything, and was getting ready to leave when a man with Maine Audubon stickers pulled up. Excellent.

The man's name was Turk and he told me that not only had he seen the Chat in this area, but he had just seen ANOTHER Chat down the road (there have been about 6 YB Chats reported in Maine recently...). Turk was a good birder, and didn't get nearly as discouraged as I did. Turk and I birded around the overgrown, abandoned lot and turned up quite a few good species. Lots of cardinals, hermit thrush, white-throated sparrows, house finches and, believe it or not, my first ever Fox Sparrow. Two of them.

After about 20 unsuccessful minutes of chat-searching I could tell that even Turk was ready to throw in the towel. Just then our bird dropped into view. Lovely. I've seen so many chats in field guides that I recognized it immediately, although I was pleasantly surprised at how bright its namesake breast was. After a few quick glimpses of the birds chest and one good look at its head, it dropped out of sight and was unable to be relocated. Satisfied, Turk and I parted ways, both happy.

IN other news, this blog is still called birdDC...even though I'm in Maine and going to Colorado in a week. I haven't figured out a new blog yet, but, I will. I'll keep you posted.

2006-11-03T14:48:00.000-05:00

Bird #250!

I have been having some incredible birding luck since I've been back in Maine. I arrived with 242 ABA species and hoped to get around 245 before heading out west. The birding, though, has been better than I imagined, and today I saw my first Harlequin Duck at Biddeford Pool. Here's the list since coming home:

243. Red-Necked Grebe Falmouth Foreside, ME
244. Blue-Headed Vireo Falmouth Foreside, ME
245. Spruce Grouse Shirley, ME
246. Gray Jay Shirley, ME
247. Northern Shrike Shirley, ME
248. Snow Bunting Shirley, ME
249. Iceland Gull Pine Point, Scarborough, ME
250. Harlequin Duck Biddeford Pool, ME

Huzzah!

It really was a lovely day at Biddeford Pool's East Point Sanctuary. Low Spring tides meant I could walk out along the jagged rocks and get great views of seabirds fishing in the shallows. The Harlequin (which I think is a nonbreeding male...but it's about time to switch plumages) was basking on some seaweed, and let me get quite close. Pretty bird, though I still want to see one in full winter plumage.

Other birds were my first of the year long-tailed ducks, lots of offshore gannets, some bufflehead and grebes and even a few yellow-rumped warblers. Great day. Here are some pictures.

The Harlequin:

Long-Tailed Ducks:

Female Red-Breasted Merganser:

Red-Necked Grebe:

Ah, Maine. Wood Island Lighthouse with a flock of Double-Crested Cormorants:

2006-11-02T22:58:00.000-05:00

Boreal Birding

Last weekend I went with my Grandfather and my Dad up to our family's hunting camp in Shirley, Maine. The camp sits on the edge of Shirley Bog, a very quiet and pristine lake that eventually turns into the Piscatiquas River. Now, I'm not much of a hunter (the last thing I shot at Shirley was a red squirrel, and I cried my eyes out afterwards), but I knew that the boreal forests of central Maine would be a great opportunity to see some birds...and I was not disappointed.

My target species were: Crossbills (my arch enemies...they've eluded me several times), Spruce grouse and Gray Jay. With luck, a couple days spent trouping through the high Maine forest would bring me across these birds.

After arriving on Sunday night and getting camp ready (which included severing the head of a coyote we found shot by the side of the road near the camp. Yes, that's right. My Grandpa [who is a Maine outdoors legend, by the way. Former State Attorney General and the guy who, among other things, helped pass the first law requiring hunters to wear bright orange] wanted to preserve the skull...) we set out bright and early Monday morning.

I had barely wiped the crap out of my eyes when, on the short drive to the hunting spot, I saw a large brown bird on the side of the road. Spruce Grouse! Are you kidding me? It was a female bird, and, true to her nature, she let me get quite close and take some great pictures before scooting into the trees (Grandpa said 'they're called Foolhens because, when you're hungry, you can whack 'em with a stick'). It was an excellent way to start the morning, and little did I know that things were going to get even better.

About .5 miles after the Spruce Grouse we stopped at the grassy path we were going to start to hunt down. As soon as I shut the door I looked into the trees and saw three large-ish gray birds coasting in. Well whaddya know, Gray Jays! Beautiful birds. I would see a bunch more over the next day-and-a-half, and I liked the way they would coast around, pausing on a perch for a few seconds before leisurely moving on.

OK so at this point I'm feeling pretty excited about seeing two of my target birds in the first, like, 4 minutes of the day. But, there's more! The first batch of Gray Jays had just cruised off when I saw another bird, with a long black tail and black wings, land on the top of a nearby pine tree. Tanager? I thought to myself. Wait, hooked bill! Face mask! A Northern Shrike! I've wanted to see a shrike forever and never even thought about it for this trip, but there it was, moving from high perch to high perch in the forest. Unreal.

So, I got 3 life birds in the first 10 minutes of my time in the boreal. I would also add my first Snow Bunting (just sitting in the gravel road!) and first-of-year Raven, Ruffed Grouse, Horned Lark, Boreal Chickadee and, just as cool, a Moose.

I concluded the trip with a ton of great birds seen, and zero internal moral battles about having to kill a deer...because we didn't hear or see a thing. Even more importantly, I got to spend time with my Dad and Grandfather and walk through some pristine woods. I'm telling you, if you are one of those birders who is caught up in listing and need a reality check, come and take a walk in the woods in Northern Maine. No sounds except the chirping of chickadees and the crunching of leaves...I felt so glad to be in such a remote, unspoiled area. I know this is birdDC, but in those woods I was damn proud to be a Mainer.

2006-11-01T20:20:00.000-05:00

Let's Do A Survey!

There is a little survey going around birding blogs. I love surveys. To the point, informational, no BS. I post birder surveys all the time (check out 'Birder Profiles' along the lefthand column). So, here are my answers:

What state (or country) do you live in? For now, Maine
How long have you been birding? 2 years
Are you a "lister"? Yep
ABA Life List: 249
Overall Life List: 249
3 Favorite Birding Spots: Bombay Hook DE, Montezuma Wetland Complex NY, coastal Maine
Favorite birding spot outside your home country: Not yet.
Farthest you've traveled to chase a rare bird: I'd travel anywhere...probably the pelagic trip because that took all day.
Nemesis bird: Peregrine Falcon...where are you!?
"Best" bird sighting: Dulles Snowy Owl
Most wanted trip: Arctic National Wildlife Refuge
Most wanted bird: Ross' Gull
What model and brand of bins do you use?: Nikon Monarch 10x42
What model and brand of scope do you use?: nada
What was the last lifer you added to your list?: Iceland Gull, today!
Where did you see your last lifer?: Pine Point, Scarborough, Maine
What's the last bird you saw today?: American Robin
Best bird song you've heard ever: Broad-Winged Hawk is my favorite...
Favorite birding moment: So many...seeing the Snow Geese at Bombay Hook.
Least favorite thing about birding: That it isn't more socially acceptable.
Favorite thing about birding: Absolutely everything, but, mostly, going to new places.
Favorite field guide for the US: Sibley
Favorite non-field guide bird book: Books are sooo 20th century. Try the Life of Birds DVDs from the BBC.
Who is your birder icon?: unsure...I'd have to say it was those guys on the Maryland pelagic.
Do you have a bird feeder(s)? Nope.
Favorite feeder bird? n/a

2006-10-26T11:15:00.000-04:00

New IATB and some Maine Birding

The 35th edition of I and the Bird Blogger Carnival is up at Migrations. My recent interview with Brian Walton of the Santa Cruz Predatory Research Group is up there for all to enjoy, as are a ton of other posts from birding blogs around the globe.

No word yet on a new blog...my laptop power cord is shot and I'm waiting for a replacement before I tackle anything else.

I've been birding in Maine for the last couple days, and it's been great. On Monday I got a new pair of binoculars, and it's like a whole new world out there. My previous pair, some Nikon Owl IIs from, like, the 1970s, crapped out during my pelagic trip (how do binoculars stop working?! I dunno they wouldn't focus...). Based partly on a recommendation from Paul Guris and largely on some testing at the Wild Bird Center of Yarmouth (a great store), I am the proud owner of a spanking new pair of Nikon Monarch 10x42 binoculars. Great stuff.

My first stop with the new glasses was Falmouth Town Landing, right near where I grew up. The difference between the new goggles and my old Owls was amazing, and I could pick out detail and color that I never would have been able to before. As sort of a welcoming gift from nature, I saw two lifers right off Town Landing, a red-necked grebe and a blue-headed vireo.

The next day I trekked out to Dragon Fields, a famous local sparrow hangout. I had never been to Dragon Fields before (named after the neighboring Dragon cement plant), and was amazed at the habitat potential. The 'field' is in fact a large capped landfill that is excellent for sparrows, hawk-watching (it appears to be one of the highest points in Falmouth), and other open field birds like longspur. The sparrows weren't cooperating, but I did get a glimpse at what I think was a mourning warbler (brown/gray above, strong yellow below, white eye ring). It didn't stick around long enough for a good ID, though. In any case, I'll be back to Dragon Fields for sure.

Finally I made the trip down to one of my favorite places in the world, Fort Williams State Park in Cape Elizabeth. Just a beautiful spot. I saw two Ipswich Savannah Sparrows, along with about 1500 common eiders, just beginning their molt.

More Maine news as it comes, I'm going with some family members up to our hunting camp at Shirley Bog near Greenville, and there's a possibility of some gray jays, spruce grouse and other crazy species. I'll keep you posted.

2006-10-23T22:23:00.000-04:00

Did I See A Cape Verde Shearwater?

A full report on my pelagic trip off the coast of Maryland and Delaware will come soon, but first there's some controversy. About midday, and close to the farthest offshore we traveled, our boat spotted 3 shearwaters cruising the waves ahead of us. I saw one of the birds clearly but, not having any previous experience identifying shearwaters, was unable to identify it to species. Several other observers stated that the birds looked like greater shearwaters, but Paul Guris, the leader of the trip and a man who's identification skills I would come to respect as the day wore on, immediately called out that the bird did not look to him like a greater but could indeed be the much more uncommon Cape Verde shearwater. There are photos taken (thankfully) by George Jett and posted on the on the See Life Paulagics website. See for yourself.

Here are some other pictures of the Cape Verde Shearwater for comparison:

2006-10-17T16:54:00.000-04:00

Interview with Brian Walton, coordinator of the Santa Cruz Predatory Bird Research Group

The other morning I got off the Metro and watched a large flock of pigeons graze lazily in Farragut Park. They were joined on the ground by bold, well-fed house sparrows and European starlings. As I watched these birds lounge through the grass I thought: where are the predators?

It seems to me that cities are the perfect place for birds of prey. There is an abundance of food in pigeons and house sparrows, and there are plenty of concrete ledges for nest-building. Why, then, don't we see more birds of prey in DC?

My working theory was that crowded cities don't meet the territorial needs of raptors. Birds of prey can wage some epic battles over territory (ask Martha), and perhaps cities just don't provide enough room for the birds to...wait for it...spread their wings.

But I needed an expert opinion. I managed to get ahold of Mr. Brian Walton, one of America's foremost experts on birds of prey. Mr. Walton has a long history of protecting birds of prey, and has been the coordinator of the Santa Cruz Predatory Bird Research Group since 1977 and is a lecturer at the University of California - Santa Cruz.

I asked Mr. Walton specifically about Peregrine Falcons, here's what he had to say:

bDC: What are the territorial requirements of Peregrines?

Walton: "No specific requirements, they need a nest ledge, and abundant food which seems to be occurring in virtually all major cities. In places where food is extremely abundant they may nest as close as a hundred yards apart (in Long Beach Harbor there are 6 pairs less than a mile apart), and in some places they now nest on ground (saltmarshes) or even emergent tree snags in re-growing forests to exploit abundant food in those locations. "

bDC: Why more falcons haven't moved into cities like DC, despite the fact that there is an ample food source (pigeons and house sparrows by the thousands) and lots of buildings and ledges for nests?

Walton:"Many places where peregrines nest in cities, the original birds were released there. In other places peregrines have moved in and I do not think anyone knows why they have moved into those cities and not others. It may be a matter of time. I would expect some of the birds that nest on bridges around DC to move into the city soon, however the amount of human activity on some buildings can limit use by falcons. There are definitely many buildings of the type that one would expect peregrines to occupy in DC. There is definitely food and other needs."

"Peregrines are doing a pretty good job of occupying cities, they can because they only eat birds and bats that they catch in the air. Their prey seems to be vulnerable moving through the cities where there is no natural cover. Peregrines catch birds and bats at twilight and even after dark in city lights. Add to normal prey items is the abundant pigeon and other bird populations like sparrows, starlings and parrots. No other predatory bird can manage this lifestyle over the course of a year and most need very specific food items during the breeding season. Occasional red-tail, kestrel and in some areas merlins and coopers hawks can make a living but usually the prey for the types of other raptors is not sufficient or available in cities."

"One other thing to make clear about peregrines. They are not adapting to cities. They live and hunt in the air, they roost where it is safe, the buildings or bridges are just like cliffs, and in fact there are fewer eagles and owls to harass the falcons or eat their young in the city environment. They do the exact same thing in the city as their counterparts do in the wild areas. No other raptor could do the same in the city as they do in wild areas. "

So it sounds like once Peregrines and other raptors can develop appetites for city food, cities could be an ideal place for them to live. I hope that development comes sooner than later...those Farragut Park pigeons have had it too good for too long.

2006-10-16T12:26:00.000-04:00

Book Recommendations

My office has an awesome library full of books on nature, parks, timber management, geography and other environmental stuff. Naturally, I find myself drifting to the Bird field guide and reference section, and I've discovered a few books that I like very much.

Seabirds of the World: The Complete Reference.
Jim Enticott and David Tipling

I've decided that seabirds are my favorite. They don't try to hide or force you to cover yourself in bug spray or get up at ungodly hours...they just sit by the beach and wait.

This book contains beautiful photos of every seabird in the world, with full descriptions. That said, this book is more useful as a 'wish list' than a field guide, as the large size, hardcover and dust jacket make it less than idea for carrying out to sea. The pictures are lovely, though, and looking through the book makes me want to venture to far-flung places to see these birds.

Top 5 seabirds I want to see after reading this book:
5. adult breeding Imperial Shag
4. White Tern
3. Pacific Gull
2. Ross's Gull
1. totally white phase Southern Giant Petrel

Here's a link for Amazon.com ordering information.

Jim Flegg's Field Guide to the Birds of Britain and Europe
Jim Flegg, with photographs by Eric and David Hosking

I usually don't like field guides that use photographs instead of drawings...but I find that a good picture is often more helpful for giving a real sense of the bird. Photos give a better sense of size, color and for the way shadows play off birds in the wild. This guide to Europe has a lot of very clear photos (full photos, not cutouts...). More importantly, the descriptions and range maps are laid out very simply.

British and European birds I most want to see after looking at this book:
5. White-Breasted Kingfisher
4. White-Headed Duck
3. Bullfinch
2. Rock Thrush
1. Lammergeyer

Ordering information from The Birding Shop can be found here.

The Sibley Field Guide to Birds of Western North America
David Sibley

No offense to you, RT Peterson, but the Sibley guides are the best. More plumages, better descriptions, better range maps. I have the larger Birds of North America book, but these pocket editions are the best ones for bringing into the field. Each species is given it's own space with clear drawings of birds in multiple plumages, as well as range maps that include migration and rare sightings. This is the book I'll carry with me in Colorado.

Western birds I most want to see after reading this book:
5. Varied Thrush
4. American Dipper
3. Laysan Albatross
2. Montezuma Quail
1. Ferruginous Hawk

Click here for some Amazon.com ordering information.

2006-10-15T16:56:00.000-04:00

Maryland and DC Records Committee News

The Maryland/District of Columbia Records Committee is a branch of the Maryland Ornithological Society and has the final word on official sightings and birding records in the area.

Phil Davis, Secretary of the MDCRC, sent an email to the MDOsprey listserv with a summary of the Committee's recent activity. Here are some of the highlights.

The Official List of Maryland birds has grown by 5 species, up to 429.
-Neotropic Cormorant. This bird spent some time on the Potomac last October and November.
-Cave Swallow. A couple Cave Swallows were seen as part of last November's huge irruption.
-Calliope Hummingbird.
-Northern Lapwing. March, 05 in Frederick, MD
-Townsend's Solitaire. First Maryland record in the spring of 1996.

The Dusky Flycatcher was the only species added to the Official DC list, bringing it up to 326 (my DC list? 101).

2006-10-13T10:11:00.000-04:00

Changes

I am leaving DC in a week. I have a job as a mountain photographer in Aspen, Colorado and I'll be driving out there after a couple weeks at home in Maine.

For many reasons, it will be very sad to leave this city.

From a birding perspective, the DC-metro area has provided me with habitats and encounters that I never would have expected. My favorite aspect of birding is that it takes you to some unusual places, and I feel that birding in DC has given me a perspective on the city that tourists simply do not get. It's been fantastic.

This isn't to say that this blog is going to go away. I am still going to be birding wherever I go, and I still want to write about my experiences. Although it's a pain to start from scratch, I think I'm going to get a new URL and design a new site (it'll be nice to make an simpler design...). I'll continue posting here until the new site is ready.

So stay tuned. I have some awesome trips coming up and I am excited to write about them. On Oct 21 I'll be taking my first pelagic off the coast of Delaware...and I'm still feeling like there'll be an albatross sighting.

After that, I'll be up and down the coast of Maine, then taking a monster road trip with planned stops at: Niagara and Montezuma in NY, Point Pelee ON, prairie chickens in the midwest, grasslands in South Dakota, Rocky Mountain NP in CO and I'm sure some interesting spots in between.

Stay tuned, and thanks for reading.

2006-10-08T19:49:00.000-04:00

Birding the Mall

Kate and I and millions of tourists strolled through the monuments on a lovely Sunday afternoon. I wasn't looking especially hard for birds, but I had no trouble seeing them.

One of the best things about birding is how accessible it is. If I want to go fishing, I've gotta get all my stuff together, drive to the lake or ocean, launch the boat, get it all set and finally I'm fishing. With birding, I can stroll along the FDR monument with a can of soda and see a Palm Warbler 5 feet from my face. Maybe that's why I like it so much. Not because birding's easy (it ain't), but because you've always got to be ready. You're not gonna catch a perch from your cubicle, but you might see a hawk or a falcon.

Back to the Mall...I saw my first Golden-Crowned Kinglet, Yellow-Rumped Warbler and Palm Warblers of the fall without much effort. The Kinglets and YR Wablers were near the Jefferson Memorial (my favorite DC monument. The rest of the List is as follows: Jefferson, Lincoln, Vietnam, Washington, WWII, Korea, FDR. Just so you know.) and the Palms were at the FDR.

In fact, there were YR and Palm Warblers everywhere. Good times. Other highlights included a Caspian Tern flyover and about 15 Laughing Gulls at the Tidal Basin.

Another note: Try the National Building Museum. Great exhibits, no crowds.

2006-10-04T13:47:00.000-04:00

Piping Plover Video from StopExtinction.org

2006-10-04T10:34:00.000-04:00

Martha, Beloved DC Eagle, Euthanized

As reported here in The Washington Post, Martha, one-half of a pair of Bald Eagles that nested for years near the Woodrow Wilson Bridge, has been euthanized after suffering a severe wing injury. Sad news.

The story emphasizes George and Martha's importance, both physical and symbolic, to the reintroduction of Bald Eagles to the DC area. George and Martha's longevity and success living in a semi-urban environment were a sign that humans and eagles could accommodate each other in DC. At the same time, George and Martha's 16 eaglets helped bring the DC-area eagle population to levels not seen in decades.

I also liked the bit in the article about how George and Martha turned grizzled construction workers into birders: "'Big tough crane operators, concrete guys, everybody just looked for the eagles,' said Jim Nichols, a tugboat operator for one of the project's contractors." It only takes one encounter for people to understand the value of protecting wildlife, hopefully Martha's offspring will continue to inspire DC citizens the way she did.

2006-10-02T11:25:00.000-04:00

Sad Story from Korea

I'm behind the ball, but just today I stumbled across a tragic story from South Korea, where a gigantic land-reclamation project has killed off one of the world's most important shorebird habitats to make way for...no one knows.

In late April workers plugged the last hole in the Saemangeum Seawall, cutting off a 155 square mile tidal flat from the sea. The Sawmangeum system was the single most important shorebird staging area on the Yellow Sea and lies smack in the middle of the East Asian Australasian Flyway. The flat was the most reliable source of food for several endangered species, including the spoon-billed sandpiper, Nordmann's greenshank and the Great Knot.

A story on the seawall from Birds Korea writes that:

"By 25 April, 2006, only four days after seawall closure, shellfish beds in the enclosed area started to die. By the end of May, most were dead, and water quality was already deteriorating rapidly. 90% of Saemangeum's vast tidal-flats are now expected to be lost by 2007, either dried out or permanently flooded. Water pollution is expected to worsen dramatically. The area had enormous local and national importance for fisheries, supporting the livelihoods of an estimated 25 000 people." (emphasis in the original)

One of the saddest parts of this story is that there isn't a plan or necessity for the reclaimed land. The project was thought up in the 1950s when Korea needed farmland to feed its growing population. Today, though, hunger isn't such an issue in Korea and there are a lot fewer farmers...not even enough to farm the new land. In addition, the soil exposed by creating the seawall is too salty for crops. Now Korea's government is planning on building an amusement park or 'the world's largest golf complex' to lure tourists.

It is assumed that the creation of the Saemangeum seawall will "probably lead to the extinction of some bird species." It will also affect North American shorebirds who summer in Alaska and migrate along the Pacific coast of Asia. This is just a heartbreaking situation.

2006-10-01T20:43:00.000-04:00

Sabine's Gull on the Susquehanna

Anyone who has followed my every word knows that at one point I stated that the bird I would most like to see is the Sabine's Gull. I think it's beautiful. Bold wing markings with contrasting white triangles near the 'elbows'...it just looks exotic and oceanic.

There was a Sabine's reported in the aftermath of Ernesto, but I don't think many people got to see it. For the last day or two, however, a Sabine's has been seen reliably at the Conowingo Dam near the mouth of the Susquehanna River in northeast Maryland. Here are some directions.

As much as I would have liked to gone up and seen this bird...I'm not really in any rush. I've got plenty of birding years ahead of my and I know a Sabine's will cross my path again sometime. So, since I was busy and didn't really feel up to a 1.5 hour drive, I'll let the bird alone. If it wants to come perch in front of my window, though, that'll be a different story.

For those of you demanding photographic proof, here's a link to the photo site of extremely talented Maryland photographer, Mark Hoffman.

2006-10-01T13:33:00.000-04:00

Window Birds

I played touch football with a bunch of friends yesterday and I am almost completely immobilized due to soreness. I didn't stretch enough, and I'm not used to sprinting and stopping and stuff...so my body isn't used to such punishment.

It's ok, though, becuase the birding from my window has been pretty solid of late. All I have to do is lay on my back from my bed and look out into the trees and wait. Yesterday was huge for window birding, with the appearance of a fall-plumage Northern Parula and a Broad-Winged Hawk in the sky. This morning brought my first Blue Jay. That brings my window bird list up to:
Redstart, Parula, BW Hawk, Blue Jay, House Wren, House Sparrow, Starlings, DE Junco, Chipping Sparrow, Least Flycatcher and Chimney Swift.

2006-09-26T10:25:00.000-04:00

Good News Tuesday

The past 6 years haven't had a lot of good news for environmentalists. Global warming, oil drilling, Katrina, urban sprawl blah blah blah it's not been a party that's for sure.

Recently, however, some events have occured that have given enviros something to celebrate. Here ya go:

A year ago everyone as abuzz about the rediscovery of the Ivory-Billed Woodpecker in Arkansas. 6 months ago, those who celebrated the birds re-finding awoke with a bad hangover and the news that, well, that little video clip probably didn't show an IBWO. Things were grim, until recent stories have come our proclaiming that the Ivory-Billed is alive and well in the remote forests of the Florida panhandle. Although no photos or video have been produced, there have been many sightings, several discovered nest cavities and hundreds of recorded kent calls. Bravo.

Second, a federal judge last night blocked an Interior Department plan to lease 389,000 acres around Alaska's Teshekpuk Lake for oil and gas drilling. Teshekpuk Lake provides crucial summer breeding grounds to millions of geese and other shorebirds, as well as habitat for caribou, bears and fish. In his decision, Judge Singleton cited the Interior's failure to assess potential environmental impacts of the plan. Bravo.

Third (but not least), a judge in San Fransisco last week invalidated the Bush administration's plan to overturn the 2001 Roadless Rule. Passed by President Clinton, the Roadless Rule protects 49 million acres of national forestland from logging and mining. Bush repealed the rule and instead left it up to state governors do decide the fate of their roadless areas, knowing full well that most state governors would choose logging dollars over the conservation of resources. The judge, as in the Teshekpuk Lake case, cited improper analysis of that environmental impacts of logging in roadless areas in his decision. Bravo.

I'll be at the 9:30 Club tonight drinking beers and being thankful I live in a country where laws are upheld and good things can happen.

2006-09-23T21:45:00.000-04:00

How Am I Doing?

Pretty good, thanks for asking.

My 2006 birding year totals have already surpassed my 2005 (technically, March 05 to March 06) totals and I've got a lot of birding ahead of me. Let me keep you up to date wth my totals, cool?

Life list: 237. For one and a half years of birding in the East (save for a trip to Tahoe for snowboarding, not birding) I'm happy with this total. I'm hoping to hit at least 250 by the end of the year, a goal that will be helped for sure by a pelagic trip with See Life Paulagics in the middle of October. I'm pretty siked. Never been out to see looking for birds before, and I'm ready to see some Shearwaters, Storm Petrels and, hell, I'm feeling like there'll be an Albatross sighting. Just a hunch.

Year list: 205. Already 6 ahead of my 2005 year list. This is mostly thanks to the excellent shorebirding opportunities I've been able to get to on DelMarVa. Here are some numbers, and some commentary (these numbers thanks to the EXCELLENT Ebird.com site):

The 38 birds I've seen this year that I didn't see last year

200 Laughing Gull - seen from Anacostia Park, I was surprised at how big they were.
201 Caspian Tern
202 Yellow-crowned Night-Heron - I was the first person to see this bird hiding near the beginning of the boardwalk. When I walk past on my way out there were a bunch of other birders proudly pointing their scopes at it. That, for a birder, is a good feeling.
203 Pectoral Sandpiper
204 Northern Rough-winged Swallow
205 Palm Warbler
206 Northern Parula - A bird I had been seeking for a long time. I'm sure I had heard them before, but I wasn't up on my calls...
207 Eastern Screech-Owl - this is the only 'heard-only' bird on my life list.
208 White-faced Ibis - this guy caused quite a stir in DC. I saw it after waiting a long time in the rain, but I saw it just the same.
209 Anhinga
210 White-eyed Vireo
211 Yellow-billed Cuckoo
212 Black-billed Cuckoo - this bird and the following Grosbeak were part of an awesome trip to Kenelworth park. I managed to see both these lifers in one frame
213 Blue Grosbeak
214 Acadian Flycatcher
215 Spotted Sandpiper
216 Gray-cheeked Thrush - May at Rock Creek had LOTS of thrushes, this one took a lot of effort.
217 Swainson's Thrush
218 Black-necked Stilt - not as exciting a bird as I had hoped.
219 Willet
220 Marsh Wren - Great call, got one of my favorite photos
221 White-rumped Sandpiper
222 Grasshopper Sparrow
223 Henslow's Sparrow - Very satisfying conclusion of a trip to Frostburg, MD
224 Eastern Meadowlark
225 Black-bellied Whistling-Duck - countable or uncountable? It was certainly less tame than more starlings, rock pigeons or house sparrows I count...
226 Piping Plover - this and the least tern were pleasant surprises on a day of surfing at my favorite beach in Maine
227 Least Tern Scarborough
228 Clay-colored Sparrow - extralimital bird whose call gave me the most confident ID of any
229 Vesper Sparrow
230 Tricolored Heron
231 Royal Tern
232 Sandwich Tern
233 Long-billed Dowitcher
234 Least Sandpiper
235 Little Blue Heron
236 Cattle Egret
237 Black Skimmer

Birds I saw last year but haven't seen yet this year (off the top of my head):
orchard oriole
American woodcock
Northern gannet
American white pelican
red-breasted merganser
canvasback
redhead
greater scaup
common and Barrow's goldeneye
merlin
ruffed grouse
common moorhen
American golden plover
American avocet
solitary sandpiper
monk parakeet
yellow-throated vireo
orange-crowned warbler
northern waterthrush

That's all I've got for now. I think I'll be showing up at Rock Creek Park tomorrow morning where I can hopefully add to these numbers a bit. See you out there.

2006-09-20T15:23:00.000-04:00

UPDATE! Manaia, the National Zoo Kiwi

Back in April I interviewed Kathy Brader, the Senior Bird Keeper at the National Zoo here in DC, about the birth of a North Island Brown Kiwi named Manaia. This was the newborn on his first day:

And here he is now:

A little bigger (now up to 882 grams!), and every bit as cute.

Kathy told me that people can now visit Manaia at the Zoo as part of their Meet-A-Kiwi program. Visitors can meet young Manaia on Mondays (soon expanding to Wednesday and Friday as well) at the Bird Resource Center inside the Bird House. Attendance is limited to 20, so get there early for the 11am talk.

2006-09-18T15:39:00.000-04:00

Interview with Peter Lund

Probably the best way to describe my uncle Pete would be to call him a 'character.' Armed with an open mind and a boisterous laugh, Pete has done more in his life than most anyone else I've ever met. Among the hats that Uncle Pete has worn since I've been around include: publisher, singer/songwriter, writer, artist, reggae band keyboardist, mystic, seller of quartz crystal, treasure hunter, cairn-creator and, when I was little, part-time babysitter.

Uncle Pete is also remarkable with animals. Tripper, the dog he had when I was young, was the best-trained dog I've ever met. Pete also took in a standard poodle named Hunter that had proven too wild for my family. When Hunter bit (playfully) one of my brother's friends, Pete volunteered to take in the dog and, in no time at all, had turned the dog into one of the friendliest and most recognizable (thanks in part to the Hunter's new deadlocks) dogs in Portland, Maine.

In addition to dogs, Pete has always been able to interact, mostly through call-and-response, with American Crows. Recently Pete and I exchanged emails about his relationship with crows and his insights into their social behavior.

bDC: Yo, Pete. When did you first begin to understand the social behavior of crows and how did you go about first attempting to participate in their behaviors?

PL: The first real knowledge of the social nature of crows came from two stories that I read when I was quite young. The first was a very touching story about a young boy in a village in Japan who was kind of a social outcast, who, during an opportunity to speak at a village gathering, imitated how the crows' calls sounded depending on what was going on. In particular I remember that he imitated how the crows cawed when a person in the village had died. It changed the villagers ideas about both the boy and the crows.

(This story was reflected in an experience I had when I was 18, when, after leaving a memorial service for a fellow who had passed away, two crows flew down low over us as we left the funeral home, uttering very plaintive, sad-sounding caws.)
I also had, as a young boy, read a short story written by the famous outdoor author, Jack London, where he detailed the social activities of a group of crows. He transcribed different crow calls onto a musical staff. Having been taught to read music, I understood the "danger" call, and I recognized it when I heard crows using it. I tried it out when there were crows around, and they would flee the area while repeating the call when I used it.

The first attempt that the crows made to include me in their interactions that I really noticed was when I was about 35, when two crows flying forty or fifty feet up dive-bombed me (it was a dry run) to about eight feet above my head as I was walking through the middle of the huge empty parking lot near City Hall in downtown Portland. It seemed playful, as they were not harassing me vocally, which they do when they are upset with me.

There are a few events leading up to this, and many thereafter, which serve to document the growing awareness and interactions between me and the crows, which I can expound upon later.

bDC: How did you react to these birds playfully diving you? Did you feel you understood why these birds were acting this way?

PL: When I got over my initial reaction, which was surprise and astonishment, I assumed it was their way of acknowledging me and welcoming me into their extended family, sort of like an fraternity initiation. It made me feel included, and special. It also made me feel happy and lucky. I've never seen or heard of that happening to anybody before.

bDC: After you felt that you were initiated, how did you proceed to interact with crows? Did you continue to see the same pair from the City Hall lot or did you feel a connection with others?

PL: The "initiation" encouraged me to continue to interact with them, of course.
My usual method of communicating with the crows is to call to them when I see them, or use my signature piercing whistle. That's whistling with the lips drawn back and the tongue folded over, which carries for quite a ways.

Honestly, I can't tell one crow from another with the exception of the head of the group, who has a distinctive halting call. He uses the call to identify himself when he wishes. I use it back to acknowledge him, or to let the other crows know that I know their group leader, or to see if he's around.

They have several places they hang out in town, on top of a few different buildings.

I used to be too self-conscious to talk to them in public, but once after I saw an old man calling to them I figured, hey, if he doesn't care, why should I? After that I didn't are who was around, I'd just let loose with a few caws when I saw them. Sometimes the crows would jump up in surprise but they got used to it after a while. After they learned I was being friendly and social, they would occasionally put on a show and all come fly high over me, just higher than the buildings, circling and cawing. Once it happened right in front of the police station downtown. It was a riot! Five or six crow can make quite a racket, I was very pleased.

A little while before that, I had seen a young crow, too exhausted to fly anymore, kind of skid down the side of a building right on to the sidewalk. There were people walking by not seeming to notice, but his parent hid in the nearby tree so as not to draw the attention of any predator. I crossed the street and picked up the young crow, then about the size of a robin, looked him in the eyes, cawed gently to him a few times, and put him safely behind a chain-link fence onto the lawn of a church building that used to be across from the old Levinsky's clothing store on Congress St. Then I left, and cawed to his parents to say hi. This was in the springtime.

Early that fall, I saw a crow sitting on the telephone pole at the same location, and, as I watched, he left his perch and flew, hovered in the air for fifteen seconds or so, right over the place I had picked up the young crow. I suddenly thought, this is the same crow I picked up, showing me proudly how well he could fly now.
That was cool!
It could have been his parents that had dive-bombed me as a way of saying "thanks!".

Once as I walked by a group of high-school students, one of the students cawed. I think I was being teased because I had been noticed talking to the crows in public.
I thought it was funny!

The main times I would interact with the crows was when I was walking my dog(s) in the areas away from the inner city where there were a lot more trees and open spaces.

bDC: How did the crows react to Tripper and Hunter?

PL: I don't know exactly how the crows reacted to the dogs. I think it was more a way that the crows identified me, because I usually had one dog or the other, or for a while, both of them, with me. But also they could see that I had dominion over the dogs, that they obeyed me, so the crows had some idea of our relationship.

Tripper (my first dog, a mid-sized terrier mix) loved to speak with a loud "ROOOOOoooo!" anytime I asked him to. He was full of enthusiasm that way. And any time I noticed crows around when I was out walking, I would have him speak. I think the crows took it as a greeting. I hadn't yet started talking to them directly yet.

I think the crows liked Crow-dog ( a standard poodle) because he was black, like the crows. His name was "Hunter" when I got him, when he was three-and-a-half years old.
But he was so independent and headstrong that I couldn't scream "Hunter" fast enough before he got into mischief..

One day I had brought a crow skull and some bones down from up the hill under an apple tree where I had placed a dead crow I'd found on the road, a couple of years before. I had the skull and bones by the front door with intentions of making some kind of artistic arrangement of them on a board to hang on the wall or something. The next morning, after I had let Hunter out, I noticed the bones were gone. He'd eaten them. Just then a crow flew very low over my backyard, cawing. That's when I named him "Crow". It seemed as if the crow knew what had happened. So Crow was actually part crow, seeing as the bones he ate went into his bones, most likely.

bDC: What are your interactions with crows like now? Do you hope to
communicate more closely with them as time goes on?

PL: My interactions with the crows are generally less intense than they were in the past. It has settled into a fairly predictable routine. For example, as I crossed the big parking lot close to City Hall yesterday, I gave a loud whistle, and a couple of crows who had been in Lincoln Park flew out and lit on the top of Franklin Towers, which is the tallest building in the area, overlooking that section of the city. From there one of them started calling down to me, and I responded in kind. I stopped walking for a few minutes to watch them and "hang out", then continued my trip to the post office. It's the same way I interact with my neighbors or acquaintances.

I don't really know how I could communicate with them more closely, but if I could, I would. For now it seems enough for both of us to enjoy mutual recognition and appreciation of each other's presence in the world.

Sometimes I wonder about re-incarnation, thinking that it might be cool to come back as a crow. But I don't know about having to sit in a tree by the side of the highway waiting for a car to run over a squirrel.

2006-09-17T13:25:00.000-04:00

DC Weekend Birds

Took a couple of quick trips this weekend to look for migrants: yesterday at the National Arboretum and today at Rock Creek Park.

I wasn't expecting much at the Arboretum; it was cold and grey drizzly and it had been that way for a couple days. Most listserv posts had indicated that the migration had stalled, and so I went hoping to find a bit of fallout, or just get lucky. My first stop was the azalea gardens which, to my surprise, we full of birds. Only problem was they were all robins. And I say that only in the most snobby birder way...there's no problem with robins, I was just hoping for something less common. OK well there was also a veery and a pair of rt hummingbirds, but other than that all way quiet.

I moved over to the Capitol Columns parking lot and looked in vain for the red headed woodpecker that frequents that area. The small field behind the lot, though, which was overgrown with giant sunflowers, appeared to be another fallout point. A huge flock of goldfinches, in all sorts of plumages, were zipping and yelping in the field and in a large bush. Goldfinches are usually kind of a hassle - they're the right size and color to be a whole lot of less common birds - but it was nice to see a huge flock of them. Also, as is common in large flocks, there were a couple other birds joining the group. Most notable of these by far was a worm-eating warbler that I got good looks at as it hopped around in the middle of the bush. Another, larger, bird popped out of the grass and perched in plain view. I was dumbfounded...too big to be a sparrow or goldfinch, yellow with a striped crown and eyeline...? It took me about 10 minutes to ID the bird as a fall-plumage bobolink. First of the year bird for me.

Kate and I didn't show up to Rock Creek Park as early as I'd like, but, hey, sleep is important. On the way into the maintenance yard we saw, without much trouble, a beautiful Canada warbler flitting in a bush. Good start. Some other birders we passed on the way said that things had calmed down quite a bit, but we managed (with the help of a large group of birders working over the maintenance yard) to see a magnolia warbler, a couple common yellowthroats, a great-crested flycatcher, a pileated woodpecker (always a crowd favorite) and my first of the year (believe it or not) broad-winged hawk. The paths back to the parking lot continued to provide good birds, and I had good looks at a black-and-white warbler and a black-throated green. All in all, good couple days.

2006-09-14T10:04:00.000-04:00

Birder Profile: John from A DC Birding Blog

As the author of A DC Birding Blog, I assume that John B. lives a pretty similar life as mine. We both live in East DC, we both frequent the Arboretum and Kenilworth, and we both write about our experiences for a blog. Why, then, you might ask, is his life list so much longer than mine? Well, probably because he's a darn good birder. Here's his birder profile:

Name: John

DC Location: East End

Years Birding: 3

Organizations: DC Audubon Society, Maryland Ornithological Society, American Birding Association

Lists: ABA: 283, DC: 195, ABA 2006: 247, DC 2006: 167

Field Guide: Sibley Guide, supplemented by others when necessary

Optics: Swift Audubon 8.5 x 44 (porro version)

Favorite Bird: Winter Wren

Least Favorite Bird (C’mon we’ve all got one): Corvids - they're just too loud.

Bird You’d Most Like to See but Haven’t: Any alcid (besides Razorbill)

Wish You Were Better at Identifying: Shorebirds and birds in flight

Favorite DC-area birding location: National Arboretum, Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens

Favorite non-DC location: Bombay Hook NWR (Delaware)

Best DC area Sighting: Rufous Hummingbird (Dec. 2003)

Missed Opportunity: Scissor-tailed Flycatcher in Smyrna