Warbler season chugging along; lots of warbler photos

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Photo by Chris Bosak A Black-throated Green Warbler perches in a tree at Selleck's/Dunlap Woods on Sunday, May 4, 2014.

Photo by Chris Bosak
A Black-throated Green Warbler perches in a tree at Selleck’s/Dunlap Woods on Sunday, May 4, 2014.

The New England spring warbler season is upon us in a big way and my favorite hang out, Selleck’s Dunlap Woods in Darien, Conn., is no exception. On Sunday, I counted 11 warbler species — with huge numbers of Black-and-white Warlbers and Black-throated Green Warblers — in addition to plenty of Baltimore Orioles, Gray Catbirds, and two vireo species.

Warblers are small, often colorful songbirds that winter in Central or South America and return to New England and points north each spring to breed. The spring warbler season is the highlight of the year for many birdwatchers.

It was a good day photographically, too, as I was able to get some decent shots for the first time of several species. So here, in no particular order, are a slew of spring migrant songbird photos — all taken either Sunday, May 4, or Monday, May 5.

I will be leading a walk from 7:30 to 9 a.m. on Saturday, May 10, at Selleck’s/Dunlap Woods. It is presented by the Darien Land Trust and open to all. Hope to see you there.

Lots more photos below. Click “continue reading.”

Photo by Chris Bosak A Black-throated Blue Warbler perches in a tree at Selleck's/Dunlap Woods on Sunday, May 4, 2014.

Photo by Chris Bosak
A Black-throated Blue Warbler perches in a tree at Selleck’s/Dunlap Woods on Sunday, May 4, 2014.

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The brighter side of starlings

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Photo by Chris Bosak European Starling visits feeding station in May, 2014.

Photo by Chris Bosak
European Starling visits feeding station in May, 2014.

Yes, European Starlings are overpopulated, outcompete native species for nesting sites, take over birdfeeding stations, destroy crops and really don’t belong in the United States in the first place, but … they sure can be a handsome bird in the breeding season, especially if the light hits them just right.

Starlings look markedly different from one season to the next. Their breeding plumage, seen above, features an array of dots, lines and colors, such as green, purple, blue and, of course, black.

I don’t often have good things to say about European Starlings, but this visitor to my feeder this morning at least temporarily softened my stance.

The story about how starlings ended up in the United States in the first place is very interesting. Here it is, from Wild Birds Unlimited:

“The European Starling was introduced into North America when the “American Acclimatization Society” for European settlers released some 80-100 birds in Central Park (New York City) in 1890-91. The head of this particular organization, Eugene Scheiffelin, desired to introduce all birds ever mentioned in the works of William Shakespeare.”

Read more by clicking here.

 

 

Shorebird quiz time: Find the Piping Plover

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Photo by Chris Bosak Piping Plover at Coastal Center at Milford Point, Conn., April 2014.

Photo by Chris Bosak
Piping Plover at Coastal Center at Milford Point, Conn., April 2014.

My latest For the Birds Column focuses on the Audubon Alliance for Coastal Waterbirds, or in other words, volunteering to monitor Piping Plovers, Least Terns, American Oystercatchers and other shorebirds. The program is important in order to help protect these threatened birds. (See the column here.)

To give you an idea of the challenges faced by volunteers in finding Piping Plovers, here’s a fun little quiz for everybody. When on the beach you really have to look for motion in order to find the birds most of the time as they blend in so terrifically with their beach surroundings. With that in mind … the task of the quiz is simple: find the Piping Plover in the above photo.

Let me know how you did. I’ll post the answer later this week for those who can’t find it.

Yellow-headed Blackbird in Stamford, CT

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Photo by Chris Bosak A Yellow-headed Blackbird perches in a tree at Cove Island Wildlife Sanctuary in April 2014.

Photo by Chris Bosak
A Yellow-headed Blackbird perches in a tree at Cove Island Wildlife Sanctuary in April 2014.

By now you may have heard about a Yellow-headed Blackbird that has been hanging around Cove Island Wildlife Sanctuary in Stamford, Conn. If not, don’t worry. I was a little late to the game, too.

But on Sunday morning I took a trip over there to see if the bird was still around. A birder from Rowayton was already there looking at the bird, which was at the main feeding station within the sanctuary. It remained only a few seconds before taking off to the top of a nearby tree. It returned after a few minutes and fed on the ground under the feeders for several minutes.

Yellow-headed Blackbirds are rare sightings in New England. They are western and Midwestern birds. I love my New England Red-winged Blackbirds, but Yellow-headed Blackbirds are even more colorful and much larger. Having never seen on in New England before, I was very impressed with the bird’s color, size, yellow rump patch and white wing patches.

David Winston arrived and said the bird had been there for several days and it frequented the feeding station. Suddenly the birds all darted off into the woods and other safe areas. While the bird was elsewhere temporarily, David Winston took the opportunity to make sure the feeders were filled and the ground underneath had plenty to offer. David is tireless in his efforts to promote and maintain the sanctuary.

Photo by Chris Bosak David Winston fills the feeders at Cove Island Wildlife Sanctuary this weekend, hoping to keep a rare Yellow-headed Blackbird in the area.

Photo by Chris Bosak
David Winston fills the feeders at Cove Island Wildlife Sanctuary this weekend, hoping to keep a rare Yellow-headed Blackbird in the area.

See more photos of the bird (taken by David Winston) by clicking here.

David spotted a Cooper’s Hawk in a somewhat distant tree, hence the apprehension for the feeder birds to stay at the feeder. Eventually the hawk flew off and the blackbirds came back. By now a few more birders had arrived and the star of the show returned.

In the field guide “Birds of North America” Kenn Kaufman mentions something about the Yellow-headed Blackbird’s “awful attempts to sing.” I can now vouch for that as the Stamford bird vocalized several times while I was there.

I returned very briefly this afternoon (April 28, 2014), but did not see the bird. Truthfully, I didn’t look that hard today. Time was short. Hopefully it’s still around and many other birders will be able to see it.

Another great rarity spotted at Cove Island Wildlife Sanctuary.

Photo by Chris Bosak A Yellow-headed Blackbird eats seeds under a feeder station at Cove Island Wildlife Sanctuary in April 2014.

Photo by Chris Bosak
A Yellow-headed Blackbird eats seeds under a feeder station at Cove Island Wildlife Sanctuary in April 2014.

Look who’s back on the bridge (Peregrine Falcon)

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Photo by Chris Bosak Peregrine Falcon on Yankee Doodle Bridge on I-95 in Norwalk, Conn., April 2014.

Photo by Chris Bosak
Peregrine Falcon on Yankee Doodle Bridge on I-95 in Norwalk, Conn., April 2014.

Two years ago a Peregrine Falcon pair nested and fledged two chicks under the bridge right next to where I work in Norwalk, Conn. I was lucky enough to see the birds every day as they flew, hunted and screeched around the Yankee Doodle Bridge (I-95).

The birds do not nest there anymore — which surprises me because they were successful when they tried two years ago — but they do come to the bridge fairly often. It’s a rare week that I don’t see them and typically it’s a few times a week I see them perched on the bridge. I like my work anyway, but seeing the falcons gives me another thing to look forward to as I start my days.

What birds brighten your days? Comment or email me to let me know.

More photos:

Photo by Chris Bosak Peregrine Falcon on Yankee Doodle Bridge on I-95 in Norwalk, Conn., April 2014.

Photo by Chris Bosak
Peregrine Falcon on Yankee Doodle Bridge on I-95 in Norwalk, Conn., April 2014.

Photo by Chris Bosak Peregrine Falcon on Yankee Doodle Bridge on I-95 in Norwalk, Conn., April 2014.

Photo by Chris Bosak
Peregrine Falcon on Yankee Doodle Bridge on I-95 in Norwalk, Conn., April 2014.

First warblers of the season

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Photo by Chris Bosak Yellow-rumped Warbler in Selleck's Woods, Darien, Conn., April 2014.

Photo by Chris Bosak
Yellow-rumped Warbler in Selleck’s Woods, Darien, Conn., April 2014.

Typically a Pine Warbler is my first warbler of the spring, followed closely by a Palm Warbler. This year, with my time in the woods being limited by work and volunteer efforts monitoring shorebirds, I didn’t see my first warblers until April 24 in Selleck’s Woods in Darien, Conn.

Those warblers were Yellow-rumped Warblers, in their nice shiny, spring plumage. I see yellow-rumpeds a lot in the fall in their duller autumn plumage. It was nice to get the warbler season started, especially with a colorful one like the yellow-rumped. Hopefully the first of many.

What are you seeing out there? Comment or email me to let me know.

Photo by Chris Bosak Yellow-rumped Warbler in Selleck's Woods, Darien, Conn., April 2014.

Photo by Chris Bosak
Yellow-rumped Warbler in Selleck’s Woods, Darien, Conn., April 2014.

yellow rumped2

The app so many birders have been waiting for

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BirdGenie logo

BirdGenie logo

The folks at Princeton University Press have done it. I’ve been being asked for years whether an app existed that can identify bird calls and songs. Later this spring, BirdGenie will be launched by Princeton University Press — hopefully in time for the New England warbler season.

I can’t offer a review of the product since it hasn’t been launched yet, but that will come soon enough. For now, see the press release below from Princeton Unive Continue reading →

Piping Plover monitoring update

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Photo by Chris Bosak Piping Plover at Coastal Center at Milford Point, April, 2014.

Photo by Chris Bosak
Piping Plover at Coastal Center at Milford Point, April, 2014.

So I woke up the boys for school, got them breakfast and rushed them to the car for drop off. I turned into the school parking lot: empty. No school. Scheduled “staff development” day. If I had a nickel for every time I’ve done that. Damn.

Oh well. I’ve committed to monitoring Piping Plovers and other shorebirds and, later, Least Terns on a volunteer basis on Monday mornings through the spring and summer. “Boys, we’re going shorebird monitoring.”

They didn’t object and Will was actually excited and wanted to carry the camera with him. I filled them in on what we were looking for and, more importantly, why we were looking for them. Piping Plovers are a threatened species and protecting their nesting areas is critically important.

We saw about 10 Piping Plovers today (Monday, April 21, 2014), including a pair copulating. “That’s how they make babies,” I told Andrew and told him how to spell ‘copulation.’ He was the official note taker for the day.  Wonder if he’ll try to use that word in one of his fifth-grade essays. It’s OK as long as he uses it correctly and age appropriately, I guess.

We also saw eight American Oystercatchers, a pair of Osprey and countless shells, which entertained the boys as much as the birds.

All in all, a good, educational day with the boys. Thank goodness school was out.

Photo by Chris Bosak A Piping Plover preens at Milford Point in spring of 2014.

Photo by Chris Bosak
A Piping Plover preens at Milford Point in spring of 2014.

 

Happy Easter weekend from BirdsofNewEngland.com

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Photo by Chris Bosak A baby mallard stays dry during a rainfall by huddling under its mother's wing.

Photo by Chris Bosak
A baby mallard stays dry during a rainfall by huddling under its mother’s wing.

Here’s one of my favorite Mallard shots. The chick with its head sticking out was one of several tucked under the mother’s wing during a light rain. Even common subjects such as Mallards have their photographic moments. Happy Easter weekend from http://www.birdsofnewengland.com

A few late ducks — and other fowl sightings

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Photo by Chris Bosak Horned Grebe at Cove Island Park in Stamford, CT, April 2014.

Photo by Chris Bosak
Horned Grebe at Cove Island Park in Stamford, CT, April 2014.

While watching a small flock of Ruddy Ducks at Cove Island Park in Stamford, CT, a Horned Grebe made an appearance. The grebe was in a transitional plumage and will look quite different a few weeks from now.

Most of our “winter ducks” have flown north already, but some still linger. The Ruddy Ducks were a good sighting and there are still several Red-breasted Mergansers around. Soon, It will be mallards and black ducks for southern New England.

The Ruddy Duck photos are below:

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