Monthly Archives: May 2010

A new MAPS season begins

by Amy Posted on 31 May 2010

Last year I kind of invited myself to observe the MAPS banding team at Rollins Savanna during the last part of their season. I guess I wasn’t too annoying, because when I invited myself to be a volunteer this year, no one stopped me. I attended a training session with other new and returning volunteers last Sunday. Today was our first banding day for the MAPS program this year.

The Monitoring Avian Productivity and Survivorship (MAPS) program calls for 10 mist nets to be set up in an area of about 20 acres. Since this was the first morning of the banding season, we had to locate the old net locations by finding the rebars in the ground from last year. It was warm and humid, and the mosquitoes were out in full force. I have to admit I was pretty miserable during this part of the day. It was hot, we were sweaty and being eaten alive. Once we had all of the nets up it was already time to start checking the first nets for birds. From then on we were all pretty busy processing birds or extracting birds from the nets. It got 1000x more fun, too. There wasn’t much time for photos! Hopefully in a future post I will be able to share with you a bit more about how we examine the birds and collect data.

The nets had birds in them most every time they were checked. We had a net full of about ten American Goldfinches (AMGO) at one point. We also had multiple Common Yellowthroats (COYE), American Robins (AMRO), Red-winged Blackbirds (RWBL), Common Grackles (COGR), Song Sparrows (SOSP) and Field Sparrows (FISP). Others were a Blue Jay (BLJA), a female Orchard Oriole (OROR), a Brown-headed Cowbird (BHCO), a Traill’s Flycatcher (TRFL), and one Brown Thrasher (BRTH). One Northern Flicker (NOFL) got itself out of the net before we could. Some birds were recaptures from last year’s banding season. Here’s me with the BRTH:

Brown Thrasher in my hand

Those four letter abbreviations, by the way, are shorthand alpha codes used by banders for the data collection paperwork. I have been using them lately when we go birding to keep a list of species we observe, but sometimes I use my own kind of shorthand. I need to break that habit and be sure to use the proper codes for the MAPS paperwork. The usual code is the first two letters of each word for a bird with two names (AMerican RObin). There are different conventions for birds with just one word names (easy: KILLdeer) or three or more word names (Red-winged BLackbird). Some names don’t conform though, because the same code would work for multiple birds. So the Tree Swallow is TRES and the Trumpeter Swan is TRUS, for example.

We were lucky with the weather for most of the morning, but at around 9:30 it started to thunder off in the distance. By the time the nets were closed up, it was getting dark and rain was coming. Several of us got completely drenched when it started pouring down as we were taking down the nets. I got full of mud from taking stakes out of the ground. I was filthy and soaked to the bone but I didn’t really mind! That’s how much fun I had on my first full day volunteering with the MAPS banding team. Till next time!

Angry Robin is Angry
Angry Robin is Angry

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Posted in Banding | Leave a comment

Random Ottawa NWR

by Amy Posted on 29 May 2010

Here are some pictures from our time at Ottawa NWR during The Biggest Week in American Birding. Click on any picture to embiggen.

Boardwalk
A boardwalk path close to the visitor center.

Black-crowned Night-Heron
We saw three Black-crowned Night-Herons during a walk at Ottawa.

Bird Walk Sign
Organized walks started at the visitor center each day during the festival.

Goslings
There were goslings all over the place.

Great Egrets
And there were tons of Great Egrets working the water on the way into the reserve.

Path
Some swampy paths were very wet.

Photo Blind
There was a photo blind close to the visitor center.

Trumpeter Swan
The Trumpeter Swans we saw had discolored necks from feeding.

Great Horned Owlet
We were very excited to see a “brancher” Great Horned Owl baby high in a tree.

TRES2
This Tree Swallow and his mate were working on a nest box by the visitor center boardwalk.

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Posted in BWIAB, Ohio | Leave a comment

Unlikely Wood Duck

by Amy Posted on 28 May 2010

The other day Arthur and I were on our way home and we noticed an unlikely bird hanging out in a tiny pond adjacent to a small strip mall. Usually this little pond, dotted with debris, is host to Canada Geese and a small flock of Mallards. Occasionally, Red-winged Blackbirds konk-la-ree from a small patch of reeds. So we were very surprised to see a beautiful male Wood Duck having a preen on a tire in the water.

Wood Duck on a tire

Wood Duck on a tire

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Posted in Funny, Illinois | 1 Comment

BirdLife Int’l goes social

by Amy Posted on 28 May 2010

BirdLife International recently launched a new area on their website called BirdLife Community. The site, currently formatted as a blog, encourages discussion on “the latest news from the frontline in biodiversity protection.” In a recent post, readers are asked Alaotra Grebe extinction – Do you care? BirdLife International does a great job of reporting bird conservation news and I think sharing the latest developments in a blog format is a great idea. The Alaotra Grebe post has garnered 90+ comments already. BirdLife International further embraces social media with their newly created Flickr group.

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Posted in Extinct, Websites & Blogs | Leave a comment

Migration Awareness 7

by Amy Posted on 27 May 2010

This morning Arthur and I are walking our Rescue & Recovery route to look for fallen injured or dead birds that have struck buildings in Chicago during the night and early morning. This is our tenth week volunteering for R&R this spring. During these weeks, I’d like to highlight some of the perils birds face on their migration by sharing a website or information about migratory birds.

As the height of migration through the Chicago area winds down, this week I’m sharing an article on bird-strike progress being made in Toronto: In birds vs. buildings, feathered friends gain ground. The article appears in the real estate column of the online paper, so there is a lot of focus on construction issues and how they pertain to bird strikes on buildings.

In a novel move this spring, environmental groups Ontario Nature and Ecojustice initiated a private legal action under the Ontario Environmental Protection Act and the Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act against Menkes Developments Ltd., a Toronto-based commercial building and management firm. The legal tactic has not been used before in Ontario, Ecojustice lawyer Albert Koehl says.

At issue is bird strikes at Consilium Place, a Scarborough office complex that is clad completely in mirrored glass. FLAP estimates more than 7,000 dead birds have been recovered there since 2000.

Read the entire article here.

Speaking of migration, and on less grim note, it was a true pleasure to bird in northwest Ohio earlier this month, where we spent a lot of time at the Magee Marsh boardwalk. A sign at the start of the trail tantalizes with images of warblers. While some species stay and breed at the marsh, many use the area as a stopover on their continuing migration northward.

Warbler Sign @ Magee Marsh

Warbler Sign @ Magee Marsh

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These birds have flown

by Amy Posted on 26 May 2010

Late last month we first noticed an American Robin nest-building in our front shrubs. I had my first peek inside the nest on May 3rd. Two chicks hatched on May 11th. I took a final look inside on May 17th to find two six-day-old chicks.

Even though I didn’t look inside the nest again, the site was visible from inside our house, so I still kept an eye on the babies.

On May 21st the babies were getting too big for the nest, and at times it was hard to see the second baby behind the one closest to our window, especially if they weren’t moving.

Baby American Robin

On May 24th the babies started stretching their wings a lot and standing up on the side of the nest. Based on the lifecycle of the American Robin, I expected the baby robins to fledge on May 25th – and that’s exactly when they did!

Early in the morning one of the babies ventured onto a branch about a two feet from the nest, higher up in the tree. There it sat for several hours, eventually dozing on its perch.

Baby American Robin sleeping in tree

The other baby sat up in the nest.

Baby American Robin hours from fledging

Meanwhile, Pa Robin rested on a utility box in our front yard, facing the nest tree.

Pa Robin watches the nest

In the afternoon I saw the baby was not on its branch any more. There appeared to be one baby in the nest, but I wasn’t sure.

At about 7:30pm I noticed Pa Robin looking for worms in our back yard, and then I spied a baby robin sitting close to some evergreen trees in our neighbor’s back yard. Pa Robin brought the baby a worm and then then both hopped together in the neighbor’s back yard. I looked at the nest tree again and now found the second fledgling on a branch about two feet from the nest. Then I closed the curtain for the night.

This morning there was no sign of any baby in the nest tree. But I saw Ma Robin hanging around the front yard, so I guessed one of the babies might still be nearby. Then I noticed Ma Robin pull a worm from our front lawn and hop into a nearby, heavily leafed tree. She emerged a moment later, without worm.

Good luck, robin fledglings!

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Posted in Citizen Science, Yard Birds | 2 Comments

Video preview of Crossley ID Guide

by Amy Posted on 24 May 2010

Richard Crossley, one of the authors of The Shorebird Guide, has put together a new bird guide for the eastern United States. The Crossley ID Guide: Eastern Birds is slated to be available in early 2011. The guide takes a different approach to bird identification, using photos rather than illustrations and placing them with lifelike backgrounds, showing many different photographs of each bird. Context is key. Recently the author spoke about his ideas for this new kind of bird guide:

Early versions of pages from this book were shared almost a year ago at 10000Birds.com, and that post garnered 32 comments. To say this book is highly anticipated would be an understatement! The book is now available for pre-order. Meanwhile you can view more sample or working pages here.

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More magic at Magee

by Amy Posted on 22 May 2010

Friday morning found us back on the boardwalk at Magee Marsh. The Biggest Week in American Birding was starting to wind down, but the birds were still spectacular. Late Thursday afternoon we noticed a sudden temperature increase, and the murmurs among festival participants was that Friday would be the day. Indeed, warm southerly winds overnight brought in tons of warblers and other migrants to the preserve, and birders were loving every minute. We were about halfway through the boardwalk path when a Chicago birding acquaintance of ours, Eric Gyllenhaal, quickly passed us. He was talking on the phone, and it was obvious he had some news. He was kind enough to interrupt his call momentarily to tell us: “Check your tweets!” Good advice. [Thank you, Eric!!]

At this time we were completely unaware of Magee Marsh outside of the boardwalk, but we followed Eric’s direction and headed east off the boardwalk. Another tweet came in.

By the time we crossed the road towards the beach, we were among several dozen birders heading towards a thicket of trees separating the eastern parking lot from the beach.

Magee Marsh Wildlife Beach Trail

Emerging onto the beach, we found ourselves among hoards of people heading towards a growing group of birders. Since this was our fourth try to see this bird (in Ohio, even!), I tried to keep my expectations low. I asked a birder heading back to the parking lot if she had seen it. With her enthusiastic “YES!” I allowed my hopes to rise.

When we approached the birders staking out the rarity, a very kind woman beckoned us over and told us where to look. We could see the Kirtland’s Warbler with our naked eyes. In our binoculars he was larger than life.

What a gorgeous bird – such a great thrill to see. He was singing, and foraging out in the open.

The crowd of spectators grew and grew, and we in turn helped new arrivals get their binoculars on what was surely a life bird for most visitors.

Kirtland's Warbler crowd

It was really uplifting to be among so many happy birders. People were laughing, doing the lifer dance, high-fiving, and most of all thanking Kenn Kaufman for the amazing sighting.

The bird stayed on the beach nearly all day, and wasn’t refound the next day. Friday was definitely the day!

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Posted in BWIAB, Endangered, Festivals & Events, Life List, Ohio | 2 Comments

Seven acres of magical birding

by Amy Posted on 21 May 2010

Last week, during the Biggest Week in American Birding, we spent a great deal of time on the boardwalk at Magee Marsh. We missed birding here during last fall’s Midwest Birding Symposium, so it was our first visit.

Magee Marsh East End Sign
East entrance to the boardwalk.

The boardwalk is the stuff of birding legend, and the stories are all true. Birds perched in front of your nose, great looks at 20+ species of warblers in under an hour, and hundreds and hundreds of birders.

Boardwalk @ Magee Marsh
Crowds of birders everywhere!

We arrived at the Marsh late Wednesday afternoon, after a long day of driving. The first thing we saw on the boardwalk was a small group of birders staring into the foliage. One of them said matter-of-factly, “There’s a Black-throated Blue right there.” Expecting to peer deep into the vegetation, it took me a moment to find the bird. I didn’t expect it to be within 7 feet of my nose.

Black-throated Blue Warbler
Black-throated Blue Warbler on the boardwalk.

Later, we entered the boardwalk on the west end, where the railing marker numbers start.

Numbers are provided for bird location purposes only
What do the numbers mean?

There must have been millions of dollars worth of binoculars and camera equipment on the boardwalk during any daylight hour. One morning, we saw the previous day’s losses waiting to be reclaimed.

Lens caps
Home for wayward lens caps.

Most of these photos were taken with my trusty Canon S2IS, a 5MP “superzoom” point-and-shoot camera.

American Redstart
American Redstarts were everywhere, too.

Scarlet Tanager
Scarlet Tanager.

Black-throated Green Warbler
Black-throated Green Warbler.

The boardwalk passes by swampy water in several places, where waterbirds skulk for prey.

Green Heron
Green Heron seen through thick foliage.

Great Blue Heron
Great Blue Heron out in the open.

While many of the warblers are passing through Magee during their migration north, some birds like Prothonotary Warblers and Yellow Warblers breed at the Marsh. Birders were delighted to watch them bringing material to their growing nests. All at eye level, mind you. No warbler neck required.

No Warbler Neck
Crouching Birder, Hidden Warbler

Magnolia Warbler
Magnolia Warblers were all over the place.

Chestnut-sided Warbler
Chestnut-sided Warblers were abundant as well.

Prothonotary Warbler
Prothonotary Warblers were busy nest-building.


Prothonotary Warbler feeding for the birdarazzi.

At one point we noticed a pair of Yellow Warblers madly chipping. Arthur spotted a snake in the tree between the birds; we guessed the predator was “disrupting” their nesting activity.

Although the birding on the boardwalk was phenomenal, the search for birds usually began in the parking lot. Here’s a typical scene – full parking lot, birder tailgate party, birdwatchers clumped along the entrance of the boardwalk in the background.

Parking Lot @ Magee Marsh
Magee Marsh parking lot.

One morning a roosting Common Nighthawk caused some excitement.

Common Nighthawk
Roosting Common Nighthawk.

Of course, Magee Marsh is not ALL about the boardwalk. Especially on Friday, May 14th, when a very special bird was spotted on the beach. More on that in the next post!

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Posted in BWIAB, Festivals & Events, Ohio | 2 Comments

Migration Awareness 6

by Amy Posted on 20 May 2010

Last week we were out of town on Thursday, so early this morning Arthur and I walked our Rescue & Recovery route for the ninth time this season. For this migration awareness post I would just like to share a bit about what it’s like to check the streets of downtown Chicago for injured birds now that we’ve had some more experience.

Arthur and I drive downtown, usually leaving home some time around 4am. The dark streets are deserted close to home, but by 5am the expressway into downtown is surprisingly busy. During the morning we park the car in several places and then check the surrounding streets. Arthur and I split up, mostly, to cover as much ground as possible. By the time we arrive at our first parking spot, it’s already twilight. We’re trying to beat the gulls and other predators, and pedestrians.

Walking the dark streets, our eyes play tricks on us. But even in daylight, a crumpled napkin is a streaky sparrow laying on its side. A fallen flower bud is a stunned warbler. We approach every object out of place on the street, courtyard, or sidewalk, to check if it is a bird in trouble.

During one of our first weeks, I picked up a dead American Woodcock. It was laying about ten feet out from the building it struck, and as I approached it, it seemed impossibly huge. Then, my eyes told me an old shoe was laying on the ground.

Not all creatures we come across are birds. Rats scurry along alleyways. Bunnies hop in tiny gardens. Earlier this season, we found three bats, all laying around one building. Those we cannot approach. Several times we have found dragonflies laying on curbs or next to buildings. Are they also window-strike victims? We think so.

We find birds huddled close to buildings, or in the middle of the street. This morning I walked by a dark male American Redstart, laying in the middle of an alley, as I checked the sides of the buildings. I noticed the tiny bird as I retraced my steps back to the car. Once we saw a large bird in the middle of the road. A thrush, we first thought. But the large dark bird was a Brown Thrasher, stunned, uncharacteristically quiet and still in the street.

We need to remain quiet around our patients, but when picking up a salvage bird, I can’t help but apologize to it.

When we finish with our route, we check in with the other Thursday volunteers. All of the rescues and salvages are brought to triage in the city. Patients are later transported out of the city, for further care or immediate release. The salvage birds are brought to the Field Museum. On a good day, we have more rescues than salvages. For us, today was not a good day.

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