The Rosy-finches were still hitting the two feeders at Sandia Crest on Wed (26 March), perhaps 70 or so although I didn’t try to get a count. The flock seemed to cycle through about once every couple of hours. The restaurant manager kindly put a line of seed out on the deck which brought in a variety of birds plus an Abert’s squirrel for good viewing. The deck feeder tray is in a strangely awkward position for seeing anything.
  
All species including Hepburn’s form present. I managed to get some photos as they dashed around (see my Flickr.com link) although it was like photographing a swarm of mice. The Cox banding team seems to have gotten about every finch! If any of my ID’s on the photos are incorrect please let me know. Thanks.

Jim kindly permitted me to display several of his photos here. His birds are lined up almost as in a field guide, to permit ready comparison of plumage features. They all appear to be adult males, which makes identification easier. Early in the winter, some hatch-year birds and females can be more difficult to separate, as the gray crowns may not be as distinct and the black may not be as deep as now. Note, that as breeding season approaches, the bills of most turn from bright yellow and become darker, almost black. He certainly is right about all the bands (See: Saturation Banding)

Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch (Interior race):



Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch (Gray-cheeked Coastal or Hepburn’s race):

Black Rosy-Finch:

Brown-capped Rosy-Finch:

Florida Migration Radar

Badbirdz2 is Back!

Sharing the Table: Commensalism

On March 25, I described how herons on our lake followed mergansers along the shore as they fished, and appeared to benefit from their proximity as fish were driven nearer the shoreline to escape the swimming predators. I have seen herons engage in similar behavior when cormorants were diving near shore. Others have related seeing herons actually attempt to grasp fish from the beaks of cormorants as they surfaced before trying to swallow them. One Florida birder saw a cormorant turn the tables and attack a Great Blue Heron that had just caught a fish.

It was almost like clockwork. As happened the first day, just as we were getting ready to eat supper, there was a commotion at the edge of the lake that caught my attention. This time there was only one merganser, with two herons, the Tricolored and the Little Blue, following along the shoreline.  Again, I grabbed my camera and captured a few more images as they moved from right to left, clockwise around the lake.

The leading bird ducked its head underwater as it paddled rapidly

Actually, (presumably the same) five Red-breasted Mergansers, a species that I had never seen before on our little lake over four years of watching, had been out there earlier that day. Whereas on the previous day they were accompanied by a Tricolored Heron and a Snowy Egret, this time their shoreline companions were a Tricolored and a Little Blue Heron. Just as before, they were cruising along the shore with the herons following closely along.

This merganser is almost submerged in water only about 4 inches deep

I had been hoping for a photo opportunity, but had to wait until the evening encounter, because when they were about 5 doors down from our home, the mergansers decided to move across the lake. They changed direction in unison, and the heron promptly flew across the lake as if to greet them upon arrival on the other side. Instead of immediately resuming their fishing activity, the mergansers first engaged in about 20 minutes of vigorous bathing and preening. They flapped their wings so hard that I could hear them slapping on the surface like little outboard motors, and spray flew all about (I speculated that they may have been molting and were trying to shed old feathers).

They appeared to drive a school of fish towards the shore, where three mergansers and the heron fed together

In the meantime, both herons, who only moments previously had been feverishly  running along the bank and catching fish stirred up by the fish ducks, seemed content to just sit and watch the show. They also preened and even looked as if they were falling asleep, as did the the mergansers, after they hauled up on the neighbor’s lawn to bask in the early morning rays of the sun.

Why were the herons wasting their time in such a manner? It was early in the morning and the lake’s surface was quite still. It seemed to be the ideal time for them to be out catching fish on their own and not just sitting there, waiting for the mergansers to stir.

Generally, the actions of wild creatures are purposeful. What they do has meaning. They do not waste energy. To do so is not in the interest of their survival, as individuals and as a species. Humans and pet dogs commonly engage in behavior that is not purposeful. We and they can afford to do so. Critters in the wild pay dearly if they do not put every hard-earned calorie into good use.

The heron had to fly to keep up with the feeding mergansers

When interpreting natural history in New Mexico, I would contrast the tracks left in the sand or snow by domestic dogs with those of wild canids. Fido goes here, then there, sniffs this tree, chases his shadow or his tail, leaps into a snow drift or puddle, almost as if enjoying it. Coyote or Fox walks sedately, or trots in a straight line, directly from one place where prey may be hiding, to another, then leaps, sprints and makes a kill, or at worst, a near miss.

Students asked me how to tell the difference between dog and coyote tracks. They had to learn the “Three P’s.”

First the PRINT itself, robust, crisp  and short-nailed in the coyote, but elongated and usually long-nailed and scuffed in the pet.

Second, PERFECT STEPPING; when walking, the coyote disturbs the surface of the ground, snow or leaf litter as little as possible by placing its hind foot in the same spot as its forepaw. Dogs walk a bit sideways, as if their carriage is out of alignment. Sometimes it seems their back legs want to catch up with and pass their front ones.

Finally, as mentioned, the coyote tracks show PURPOSE. They are directed at performing some survival-related task quickly and efficiently. This is not to say that wild animals do not sometimes engage in what we humans would call “play.” Yet even when coyote pups appear to be having fun, chasing and tumbling with one another, they are cementing bonds and establishing skills, rank and boundaries that will enhance their survival.

The behaviors of the herons and mergansers were related in some meaningful way. They were engaged in commensalism, meaning that the herons were deriving a benefit from the activity of the mergansers, without causing the latter any harm.It made more sense and was more efficient in terms of energy expenditure for the herons to simply wait until the ducks resumed their fishing forays along the edges of the lake.

On the morning of March 27, all five mergansers were still circling the lake, this time counterclockwise. I planned for their next pass and set up the camera. The photos on the page were all taken at that time.

This appears to be a male in non-breeding plumage

This one had a longer crest and white chest, probably another male

 

Arizona Great-Grandchildren

Wearing their Easter finery for an egg hunt out on the farm

A prize for Liam

Liam has made a big egg haul! What a handsome guy!!!

Update on the Rosy-Finches of Sandia Crest, New Mexico.  The flag is waving– flocks of  Rosy-Finches are still visiting the feeders at Sandia Crest House. Feeders to remain up until the end of March if bears don’t start appearing. Banding operations have been discontinued.

Letters from Sandia Crest

Hi Ken,

Just back from the Crest - road is clear but there is still snow on the ground in the forest and up at the Crest.  Birders up there when we arrived said they had seen a flock of about 50.  We urged them to make a log entry before they headed down - I think they will.   There are still sightings of a large flock (~150) so the birds are still around. Weather is warming significantly out here - 70’s in town today and expected throughout the week.  Hope all is well there!
Regards,
Fran & Dave

This report from this past weekend was posted on the Arizona New Mexico bird chat, from Devin Eby-Bosler of LSU-Baton Rouge:

For those interested, all three rosy-finches continue to frequent the feeders at the Crest House on Sandia Crest (Bernalillo Co.).  As of Sunday (23 Mar), a fairly large mixed-species flock of ~120 rosy-finches made a few visits to the feeding station throughout the morning.  The flock was comprised of ~60 Brown-cappeds, ~45 Gray-crowneds (including at least 6 Hepburn’s), and ~15 Blacks.  The adult males are especially striking at this time having acquired their brilliant breeding plumage. The rosy-finch banding crew, headed by Steve and Nancy Cox, was there wrapping up the fifth winter season of banding.  The team was busily trapping, banding, and processing rosy-finches throughout the morning.  It’s fascinating to see these vividly-patterned fringillids up-close in the hand.  Congratulations on yet another successful year of rosy-finch banding at the crest!  Although the rosy-finch numbers are starting to thin out now, it’s not too late to stop by and enjoy the show.  In past years, they have been reported through the first week or so of April.

Long Key Natural Area