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08/27/12
An Un-Sandpiperly Piper
Filed under: General, Birding & Outdoors, Florida & SE US, Illinois, Birding "Patches", Alaska, Wild Bird Wednesday
Posted by: Ken @ 3:51 pm

Having been born in the depths of the Great Depression, I acquired some habits of speech that are difficult to shed. I call the refrigerator an “ice box,” and the basement is the “cellar.”  Our grandchildren enjoy correcting (ridiculing?) my speech. In my childhood, we made family excursions to visit the summer homes of friends and relatives on the New Jersey shore. Back then, I fed bread scraps to generic “seagulls” and chased generic “sandpipers” along the surf line.

When she was only three years old, our granddaughter spotted a bird flying over just as we were posing for a family photo at Disney World in Orlando. “Seagull,” I casually stated. “No, Grandpa, it’s a gull. there is no such thing as a seagull.” Proud to say, I taught her well, but still fail to practice what I teach. (Can you spot the two birdwatchers in the photo?)

Bird Flyover at Disney World- can you spot the real bird watchers?
 
Granted, she had been pointing out and identifying birds from a very early age, and like a sponge, soaked up the birds’ proper names. Here she is, not quite two years old, correctly pointing out a House Sparrow.

Graciela Pointing at Bird

Although I started keeping track of the birds quite early, my skills were initially limited to 20 or 30 of the common land birds in Chester A. Reed’s little pocket Bird Guide: Land Birds East of the Rockies (Doubleday, Page & Company, 1923).

EnglishSparrow

The Guide did not include gulls and sandpipers. To me, it was as if they did not exist. When I graduated to a first edition Peterson Field Guide to the Birds, the small gray-scale illustrations of sandpipers and my inland residence contributed to my lifelong weakness in identifying these species.

“Sandpiper” meant those little robotic things that chased the foam from the breakers up onto the dry sand, and quickly reversed course to follow the foam back into the sea. At first I thought that sandpipers had eternally wet feet. Eventually I learned that this does not hold true all the time, and that some species are quite comfortable away from water for much of their lives.

Least Sandpipers, with their warm brown plumage and yellow feet,  tend to favor the muddy edges of ponds.

Calidris sandpipers 20110426

The similar Semipalmated Sandpiper (with a much larger Yellowlegs in the background) has black legs and a gray back, and spends more time in deeper water.

Yellowlegs and Semipalmated 20091014

The elongated shape of the Yellowlegs in the above photo suggests it is a Greater rather than the Lesser species, but the length and shape of its bill is a factor in identification. Here is a Greater Yellowlegs.

Greater Yellowlegs 2-20110426

This is most likely an immature Lesser Yellowlegs, a bit smaller with a short, straight bill.

Lesser Yellowlegs 2-20091227

During a spring visit to Denali National Park I saw Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs, as well as Solitary, Spotted and Least Sandpipers on their breeding grounds on the tundra, quite removed from large bodies of water. Some perched in bushes, calling and singing like robins and sparrows. (Unfortunately, I had not yet taken up photography).

Around our condo in NE Illinois, temporary pools created by rainwater have attracted Solitary Sandpipers. This one appeared the morning after a heavy downpour.

Solitary Sandpiper 20110821

Spotted Sandpipers stay to breed on the condo property long after the “fluddles” dry up. I photographed this one near our driveway, along the road, from inside our auto.

Spotted Sandpiper 3-20120515

This past week, following up on reports posted to the Kane County Audubon Society website, Mary Lou and I made visits to a sod farm in Kaneville, Illinois and viewed from a gravel road that runs alongside its eastern border.  Along the bare earth where sod had most recently been removed, we saw scores of Killdeer and Horned Larks and up to six Buff-breasted Sandpipers. They are quite handsome birds. This one approached quite closely.

Buff-breasted Sandpiper - Tryngites subruficollis 2-20120822

We also saw four American Golden-Plovers, which like the Buff-Breasted Sandpipers*, breed in the Arctic tundra and migrate to southern South America. In fall, the plover must fly to its wintering grounds in Patagonia, a round trip of about 25,000 miles, including 2,400 miles non-stop over open ocean, one of the longest known  migratory routes. Both species must build large stores of fat at stopover areas during migration, and their body weight may increase by 30-50% in preparation for the long flights.

American Golden-Plovers are uncommon but regular visitors to NE Illinois. (Click on this link for a video and more views)

American Golden-Plover Pluvialis dominica 5-20120822

I captured a Killdeer, a Buff-breasted Sandpiper and a golden-plover all in the same frame.

Killdeer-Buffie-Golden trio 20120822
 

*
More about the Buff-breasted Sandpiper from Wikipedia:

T. subruficollis breeds in the open arctic tundra of North America and is a very long-distance migrant, spending the non-breeding season mainly in South America, especially Argentina.

It migrates mainly through central North America, and is uncommon on the coasts. It occurs as a regular wanderer to western Europe, and is not classed as rare in Great Britain or Ireland, where small flocks have occurred. Only the Pectoral Sandpiper is a more common American shorebird visitor to Europe.

This species nests on the ground, laying four eggs. The male has a display which includes raising the wings to display the white undersides, which is also given on migration, sometimes when no other Buff-breasted Sandpipers are present. Outside the breeding season, this bird is normally found on short-grass habitats such as airfields or golf-courses, rather than near water.

14 comments
08/26/12
American Golden-Plover
Filed under: General, Birding & Outdoors, Illinois, Birding "Patches"
Posted by: Ken @ 11:09 am

American Golden-Plovers breed in the Arctic tundra and migrate to southern South America.

In fall, they must fly to wintering grounds in Patagonia, a round trip of about 25,000 miles, including 2,400 miles non-stop over open ocean, one of the longest known  migratory routes. They cannot rest on the ocean, as they do not swim.

They must build large stores of fat at stopover areas during migration. Their body weight may increase by 30-50% in preparation for the long flight

They are uncommon but regular visitors to NE Illinois

American Golden-Plover Pluvialis dominica 5-20120822

Photographed at a sod farm in Kaneville, Kane County, Illinois. (Click on image for video and more views). 

Photo submission to the  BIRD D’pot

6 comments
08/21/12
Berries, birds and butterflies
Filed under: General, Birding & Outdoors, Florida & SE US, Birding "Patches", Wild Bird Wednesday
Posted by: Ken @ 3:37 pm

The heart of our “Fake Hammock” has been torn out. Note that the cluster of small trees in the background no longer is shaped into a gentle mound. Instead, there is a deep gash in its very center.

Fake Hammock Pano 20120808

Only a year ago, I could sit in this spot in deep shade, an open area under the dense canopy. Then, kids and even their fathers ravaged this quiet spot, pulling down mature trees with chains and driving their four-wheelers into its center.   Now all five of the largest trees in the center of the “hammock” have been destroyed by the partying off-road vehicle drivers. The felled trees were all native Tremas, an important winter food source for wildlife in south Florida.

Formerly a sparsely vegetated open area underneath the canopy, my secluded sitting spot is now in full sunlight and invaded by grasses and vines.  They hide the fire pit that was fed by the trunks of the felled trees.

Destruction in Fake Hammock 20120808

Florida Trema fruit is ripening on another tree along the path about a hundred yards away. Note that the berries are in various stages of ripening. This goes on all winter, and a birds are attracted whichever of the trees has the richest bounty.

Trema Berries ripening 20120808

Several bird species, including this Northern Mockingbird feast on the Trema berries.

Northern Mockingbird in Trema 20120808

A young Northern Cardinal swallows one of the fruits. Its dark bill is turning red and it is molting into adult male plumage.

Northern Cardinal 3-20120808

Common Ground-Doves forage along the unpaved roadway. They often visit the Tremas.

Common Ground-Doves 20120808

A Common Ground-Dove in flight shows off its bright reddish flight feathers.

Common Ground-Dove in flight 20120731

Loggerhead Shrikes have not been as numerous this summer.

Loggerhead Shrike 20120731

This gathering of five immature Green Herons is unusual. I have never seen that many together in one tree, in this case an exotic Australian Pine.

Green Herons five 20120731

The first Belted Kingfisher of the season.

Belted Kingfisher first of season 20120731

The highlight of our few excursions was our first migrating fall warbler, a Northern Parula male in beautiful condition.

Northern Parula 20120808

Not to be overlooked on a slow birding day is this female Julia Heliconian butterfly, its camouflaged underwings closed to cover the bright upper sides.

Julia Heliconian female 20120808

Here is a top view of a Julia female.

Julia female 20110104

The male Julia is much brighter.

Male Julia Heliconian 20090321

Another colorful butterfly is this Gulf Fritillary, on a Morning Glory flower.

Gulf Fritillary on Morning Glory 20120731

Halloween Pennants are very common all summer. The grackles catch and eat them by the thousands.

Halloween Pennant Celithemis eponina 20120731
 

An Orchard Spider exhibits an interesting color pattern.

Orchard Spider probable 20120731

Shared on Wild Bird Wednesday

8 comments
08/19/12
Evening Grosbeak
Filed under: General, Birding & Outdoors, Rutherford & NJ, NM & SW US, Bird D'pot
Posted by: Ken @ 10:46 am

This Evening Grosbeak at my front yard feeder in New Mexico (February 2003) was one of my first digiscoped photos. It was taken from inside our living room window through a Kowa spotting scope with a little Canon PowerShot A40– only 2 megapixels! Today I’d be pleased to get such a shot with my ginormous DSLR, but am not expecting to see one in Florida!.

Evening Grosbeak male FEB03

I still have my handwritten notes on my first sighting of Evening Grosbeaks on October 21, 1951, Life Bird #154, a flock of about a dozen at Garret Mountain, N.J. (reservation). They were gathered in a small leafless tree, a sight burned into my memory.  In a boastful footnote I quoted Alan Cruickshank’s 1942 edition of “Birds Around New York City: Where and when to find them,” under Eastern Evening Grosbeak.

“Seen… as early as November 15, 1915…and as early as October 27, 1927… but such dates are exceptional as the bird seldom arrives before Christmas, and the large majority of records are grouped in January and February…The recording of this species in the New York City region is still a red-letter occasion, and I know many an active observer who is yet to see this species locally.”

Actually there had been a large flight the previous winter, but none showed up near my home in Rutherford, and I was met with skepticism by the veterans when I reported my sighting to the Hackensack Bird Club at their next meeting in Odd Fellows Hall.

William J. Boyle wrote, in “The Birds of New Jersey” (2011) that there had been major flights since that time into the 1980’s. Only 9 individuals had been recorded in four CBCs since 1998.

I prepared this blog for the ABA “Bird of the Year” Evening Grosbeak Blog Carnival but because of other demands on my time I forgot to post it! However, is is up in time for the Bird D’pot
and Wild Bird Wednesday!

9 comments
08/14/12
Backyard birds and fun in Florida
Filed under: General, Birding & Outdoors, Florida & SE US, Grandchildren, Birding "Patches", Alaska, Wild Bird Wednesday
Posted by: Ken @ 6:15 am

We left hot and dry Illinois for hot, humid and rainy Florida a few weeks ago. Most days the weather and other obligations have kept us from getting out into the wetlands.

This sunrise was typical on most days, and the rain was not far behind.

Sunrise HDR 20120810

Happily, there were a few clear days that permitted us to take our visiting granddaughters to our clubhouse pool or to explore the wonders of our lawn and garden.  The girls had fun chasing after anoles and geckos in our back yard pineapple patch.

Nietas catching anoles 20120726

Clutching a poor captive lizard, our older granddaughter does not appreciate the irony of this situation as her eyes communicate her displeasure about the Peacock Bass that our next door neighbor just caught. He quickly obeyed her firm command and immediately returned it to the water.

Nietas with Peacock Bass 20120726

The girls found this odd creature that was carrying what looked like the bodies of a bunch of dead insects on its back. I had no idea of what it was, except that its jaws looked like those of an ant lion. My guess was close. An Internet search revealed that it was the larval form of the related Green Lacewing  http://www.freshfromflorida.com/pi/enpp/ento/entcirc/ent400.pdf  . It collects the debris to hide it from its prey, mostly aphids, as well as from any enemies such as ants.

 Lacewing larva 20120727

With the girls acting as spotters, our back patio has produced a few nice finds. This Tricolored Heron was its usual busy self, dashing here and there in search of prey.

Tricolored Heron 20120808

This plunge into the lake yielded hardly an appetizer.

Tricolored Heron with tiny fish 20120808

An Anhinga dried its wings next to the lake.

Anhinga 2-20120728

A Great Blue Heron did not fit into the viewfinder.

Great Blue Heron 20120728

A neighbor’s rooftop hosted a White Ibis.

White Ibis on rooftop sharpened 20120724

A couple of mornings we got out at sunrise, and were pleased to see a lone White-tailed deer. A bit smaller than those up north, they are not very numerous in the local wetlands. The young eight-point buck posed nicely. My monopod was not ready for this hand-held shot in the morning haze, so I processed it to make up for the blur.

Whitetail buck Indian Summer 20120724

An adult Bald Eagle flew overhead from its nesting territory towards the large lake in our subdivision.

Bald Eagle 20120724

At the heron rookery, this Yellow-crowned Night-Heron chick represented the third breeding cycle of the season. In all, over a dozen broods were successfully raised this year.

Yellow-crowned Night-Heron nestling 2-20120724

An older fledgling stood at an adjacent nest.

Yellow-crowned Night-Heron immature 20120724

A female parent stood watch nearby. Ready for the molt, her feathers show wear and tear at the end of the nesting season.

Yellow-crowned Night-Heron female 20120724 

Green Herons were also quite successful, raising broods in at least four separate nests. This immature bird has a streaked breast and shows a few tufts of natal down.

Green Heron immature 20120724

8 comments