Steamy July birding

The alarm clock struck 6am and it was still 69 degrees out. The 3 “H’s” were going to make a third appearance this week.

Pouring myself into my kayak I took great joy in knowing that I would be birding atop a glistening river where tall trees along the shoreline, create a temperature-dropping shade to hide myself and rejuvenate.

With beaver dam obstacles, low-growing alder shrubs, and the occasional deer fly all behind me I can now focus on my task of surveying another boreal forest habitat for resident birds. I’m on “part two” of my Chubb River survey. Part one was from the DEC Canoe Access Site (along Averyville Rd in Lake Placid) to the 1/4 mile “carry” skirting some rapids and waterfalls. Part two is from the end of the carry to about a mile further up stream.

As I plop back into my kayak at the end of the carry, I hear the sounds of warblers and flycatchers nearby. I conduct this survey by listening to all bird vocalizations and recording them during a 10-minute point count. I have 5 points on this section of the River.

Suddenly I find myself writing down bird names furiously as they blend their songs and call notes into a chaotic melody. After 3 minutes I tick off Northern Parula Warbler, Alder Flycatcher,  Purple Finch, Magnolia Warbler, and Swainson’s Thrush.

Well,  I have to say, I’m surprised at the liveliness of the birds this hot, early morning. I was expecting a quiter survey. But once again the birds prove me wrong and belt out song after song in the steamy, jungle-like humidity of an Adirondack(?) summer.

My next three point counts continued along with the same unexpected results. Birdsong seems to filter down from the tall conifers and out onto the flat layer of sedges that line the river’s edge. Singing White-throated Sparrows sit among the conifer branches, and Yellow-bellied Flycatchers, and Nashville Warblers top-off this Adirondack symphony from their hidden perches in the alder shrubs.

I finally make my way to the 5th and final point count of the morning. I’m still in a marshy habitat along the river with sedges, alders, and grasses towering over me and my kayak. Then, just beyond my line of sight, falling somewhere outside of my imaginary 50 meter circle that I sit in, I hear the emphatic request…”Quick-Three-Beers” of the Olive-sided Flycatcher

To me, no other bird carries the boreal region in it’s song more so than this bird. I long to hear those notes off in the distance on some far-off peatland or conifer swamp, telling me that it has safely arrived on the breeding grounds.

To our dismay the Olive-sided population, across the country, has dropped precipitously and ornithologist are scrambling to figure out the cause. Loss of habitat on breeding grounds?  Loss of habitat on wintering grounds? Answers elude us.

All the other birds I hear on this steamy morning share their notes with the landscape, and to one another. And they all go on with their lives having dodged disaster after disaster on yearly flights North and South. As they sing along this river they speak volumes to those who will listen.

Photo Credit: Royal Fern along River-Brian McAllister

What’s in the woods, stream, soil,….?

On Friday, 19 June, over 50 science-loving-mud-seeking-water-diving-naturalist-types found themselves giddy w/pleasure at being the first public group to investigate the natural world of a 14,600 acre Adirondack Nature Conservancy property near Tupper Lake.

Taking about one year to plan and coordinate, the gates to Follensby Pond were finally opened to this select group of Naturalists, Researchers and Educators as they begin to inventory as a much as they can of the living world around them-in 24 hours….aka…a “Bioblitz”!

Yours truly was handed the task of coordinating the survey of all birdlife on the property during the 24 hours.  After choosing a great crew of birders we all set out on our given paths and started listing birds that we see and hear.

After all the data sheets were handed back in, and then tallied, and re-tallied just to make sure!, we ended up with a species count of 75-not bad for 24 hours.

Some highlights include a boreal chickadee, rusty blackbird, Lincoln’s sparrow, and a possible nesting merlin. All of these species are exciting finds for the property, and were not expected.

All the credit goes to the brave (for there were lots of blackflies and mosquitoes!) lads and lasses that endured the beating sun, the fresh summer breezes, the refreshing waters, and the startlingly beautiful scenery around us….OK, it was pretty darn nice out there but we did fight some bugs to count all our species.

An early count of around 280 species of various organisms were tallied by the end of the 24 hours but many organisms still have yet to be identified due to similarities w/other species or details that can only be seen under lab conditions. For example, many dragonflies and damselflies can only be identified under microscopes and the same goes for many species of mushroom and some sedges that were found. Also many aquatic and terrestrial insects needed to be taken to a lab for further investigation.

The deep interest levels that all 50 of us shared that day was very evident. As we slowly filtered our way back to “base camp” to break for lunch, or tally up species, many colleagues were asking, “What’d you find? Anything unexpected?”. Or if a crew spotted something out of their own specialty area they would tell others all about it.

A wonderful sense of camaraderie filled the 24 hours as each taxonomic group performed their work.  Many would gather at the tote board to see what new species were collected or identified.

A tip of the hat goes to The Adirondack Nature Conservancy who’s tireless work and coordination allowed for all of this data collection to occur. Of historical note, all this data was gathered on a piece of property that was once visited by Ralph Waldo Emerson, James Russel Lowell, Louis Agassiz, William James Stillman, and other great minds of the day. This “gathering” of minds took place on Follensby Pond during the month of August in 1858, and became known as Philosopher’s Camp. They also named the camping area “Camp Maple”.

As we walked the woods or followed the shoreline, we all had, in the back of our minds, a developing picture of what it may have felt like to walk these woods back then and perhaps to discuss nature with them.

Photo Credit: Bioblitz tote board- Brian McAllister

Learn your boreal birds-Blackpoll Warbler

What has bright yellow legs and is black and white all over? And by the way you have to travel up a mountain to see it in our neck of the woods.

The blackpoll warbler leads an interesting life as far as warblers go. During fall migration most species of warbler travel down the eastern US, often following the coast or higher elevations of the Appalachian Mts. But our little blackpoll has a different route.

After nesting just below the treeline on many of our Adirondack High  Peaks in the thick spruce-fir forests, the black poll will often wind its way south and east to the New England coastline or farther south to the Long Island coast.

Here, if the winds are just right-meaning a good tail wind from the north, our tiny two-ounce bird takes flight into the night-time skies. Loaded down with fat layers on its body, the blackpoll starts on an incredible migratory journey that takes it out over the open Atlantic Ocean and it may not land on solid ground until it reaches the Caribbean Islands and northern South America for it’s winter holiday. If it’s tired it may stop off in Bermuda for a brief rest and refuel….whew!…that’s almost 90 hours of non-stop flight.

If your birding pursuits take you on a search for Bicknell’s thrush on, let’s say Whiteface Mt, take a moment to stop along the trail or roadside and listen for the extremely high-pitched song of this bird. A quick repetition of “tsi-tsi-tsi-TSI-TSI-TSI-tsi-tsi-tsi” rising in strength in the middle of song.

Once you pinpoint the song, scan the tops of the stunted trees before you and look for a small black-capped bird, not unlike the black-capped chickadee, but with black stripes on the breast and dark wings. Then look for the definitive ID clincher of yellowish legs.

I often describe the blackpoll song as a fast-moving squeaky wheel going by you as you stand still (soft at first, then growing in volume, then softening) as compared to the flat,  monotone squeaky-wheel of the black and white warbler.

If you look for this bird during fall migration you’ll be fooled by its appearance. Just before summer ends it will molt into light-green-yellowish colored feathers with some white and dark striping.

Hopefully you’re planning a hike up your favorite Adirondack Mt. this early June, maybe in search of a Bicknell’s thrush, and as you do you’ll take the time to look and listen for this little, inconspicuous, black and white bird, with the unpretentious song.

Photo Credit: Blackpoll warbler-Wikipedia

The fox went out one chilly night….

While traveling along the wonderful “wildlife-watching ” roads of St Lawrence County, I stumbled upon this red fox as it trotted through a dandelion-covered field. On my return trip on this road, about a half-hour later, the same fox came up to the roadside, this time it’s long pointed snout held 3-4 “meadow mice” packed in a toothy grip. Putting 2 and 2 together, I figured it was heading to a nearby hedgerow which most likely was a the site of the family den…many young mouths to feed!

On another note, this weekend appears to have all the makings for great migrant bird movements. So far I’ve tallied up some great sightings of warblers, vireos, and other migratory birds. Two highlights so far are a Scarlet tanager, and a Philadelphia vireo

Along Lakeshore Road, just north of Westport, some friends and I found a Golden-winged warbler, and a blue-winged warbler, both singing their hearts out in a second-growth field on the west side of road. A description of this area can be found in Adirondack Birding by John MC Peterson and Gary Lee. Chances are these birds are on territory and so they’ll be singing for a while longer. Hope you get to see them!

Photo Credit: Red Fox-Brian McAllister

Weather and birds

Birds returning north each spring are anxious to get on breeding territories so they spend every clear night, with south winds, migrating north.

If you look here you will see a US radar map from Friday night showing bird movements (the big blue blobs again!) all over the eastern US…those are migrating birds passing over a Doppler radar site But as the map progresses check out what happens as that big yellow-green blob moves in from the west and “eats up” all the little blue blobs in New York.

-just kidding, no birds were harmed in the making of this blog.

So, what we’re seeing is a storm move into the Adirondacks and totally cut off northward migration.

What happens to the birds? Well they stop flying and find a protected spot in the nearest woods or wetlands to wait out the bad weather.

As a result the birds congregate into feeding groups that can contain many species. When this happens it’s often called a “fallout”, and it’s a birders dream come true.

On a bird walk this morning,  along the trails of the Paul Smiths Visitor Center, we encountered a “mini-fallout”-not so big-but fun to see the different warbler species in the trees.  9 species in fact.

Our best-bird-of-the-day was, without a doubt, a warbler species called a bay-breasted warbler and what a beauty it was!

The Adirondack’s weather for the next couple of days shows rain and north winds, which most birds don’t want because it’s hard for an object that weighs about .5 to 1 ounce (2 or 3 pennies)  to fly against strong headwinds.

But the flipside is this becomes a birders delight. So get up early Sunday or Monday and go birding-the birds will wait for you!

Photo credit: Bay-breasted warbler-Wikipedia photo

Birds and butterflies in this “early” spring

We have come to expect the normal Adirondack spring consisting of cold spells with snow, followed by some melting, followed again by a cold spell with sleet or something miserable like that.

However, Spring 2010 is fast becoming the  most enjoyable to many “spring-seeking” outdoor enthusiasts. The record high for Saranac Lake on this date is 74 degreesF set in 1989…we were just 4 degrees shy of that today.

Seems this warm spell has set into motion many winged migrants taking to the airways. I saw my first mourning cloak butterfly today. Fascinating to think that this butterfly(in adult stage) can hibernate through a wicked Adirondack winter! What a pleasure to see it floating through the air.

Looking at all the internet reports of bird sightings these past few days reveal that bird migration has gotten a bit of a jump with this warm air from the SW.

I saw my first great blue heron, eastern meadowlark, eastern phoebe, eastern bluebird(do you sense a direction pattern here?), and my first merlin(small falcon) all today.

While working in St Lawrence County recently, I’ve spotted many daffodils just beginning to poke out of the warming soil in many front yards. Also noted today….very small, dark brown spiders that were floating in the air on the ends of silken threads that they released into the wind. They will float on the wind until the threads catch on to some object…usually my head!

Keeping track of spring sightings(a.k.a.: Phenology), or any season for that matter, has become a favorite activity for many naturalists, and birdwatcher alike. Get a few field guides for your library and hit the trails.

Here’s to “earrach”…. “spring” in the Irish language.

Photo credit: Eastern Meadowlark-Brian McAllister

Learn your boreal birds – boreal chickadee

Now I’m sure many readers are familiar with our year-round Adirondack resident black-capped chickadee. They’re the clever acrobats of the woods who seem to eat birdfeeders clean all winter long. But if you venture off the beaten pathways a bit and find a remote red spruce, tamarack, and balsam fir forest you might come upon black-caps’ close cousin the boreal chickadee.

Chances are you will hear a boreal chickadee before you see it. The songs are similar to black-caps but more nasal and scratchy in quality. I hear “sicka-day-day” instead of the lighter chicka-dee-dee of black caps.

So once you’ve honed in on the call notes you now have to find the bird. …and the trick to finding boreal chickadees is to look deep into the conifer trees, specifically near the trunk of the tree. For some reason boreals spend a lot of their foraging time near the trunk. Are there more insects found there? Are they better protected from predators deeper in the boughs of the trees? Heck if I know! But about 8 times out of ten you’ll find them there.

So this one tip should help you focus your search when you come upon an active group of chickadees in a conifer forest. Certainly look at all the chickadees but then go further and look at those birds found on the inner branches of trees.

Where the black-capped shows black color on its head and throat, you will find that’s been replaced with a chestnut-brown color for the boreal cap, and a softer gray nape, or back of the head.

Most striking to me are the soft, brown or peach-colored flanks on the sides of boreals. To me that stands out as a field mark that is very different from black caps.

As its name tells us, this year-round resident bird is a true boreal species seeking the dense confier forests throughout the Adirondacks. Likewise, this is a bird high on the lists of many birdwatchers seeking a view of it through their binoculars or camera!

One of my favorite spots to look for boreal chickadees is along the snowmobile and mountain bike trails at Bloomingdale Bog where I access the trails from County Rt 55 near the hamlet of Bloomingdale, NY.

Good birding!

Photo credit: Boreal Chickadee – Wikipedia

This just in…

Dotting most of the eastern states including Canada and Mexico are gatherings of birdwatchers that sit (or stand, or lean) for hours a day looking up towards the deep blue skies overhead. They’ll carefully scan the horizon in search of tiny, flying black dots that move across the sky in a northerly direction…hawks are in migration.

The excitement builds just about this time every year as we all wait in anticipation for the coming of the hawks to our Adirondack woods, and fields. We birders are getting goosebumps from the latest reports of hawkwatchers in Texas and Mexico. They have just reported their first sighting of a migrating broad-winged hawk…break out the champagne!

What’s the big deal?? Well first we need to look at the travels of hawks to see just how remarkable the journey of the broad-winged hawk really is.

Most hawks we encounter during the summer months in the Adirondacks are not that remarkable in their migration length. Most red-tailed hawks go to the southeast US and some wintering hawks come down from southern Ontario or Quebec.

The broad-wings start their immense northward  journey down in the tropical regions of Central America and northern South America where they spent the winter… OK, maybe the peregrine falcon has the longest flight at 7,000 miles from S. America to the Canadian Tundra, but falcons don’t migrate in the awe-inspiring numbers like the broad wings are often seen doing.

So as our colleagues count the hawks coming up into Mexico they like to send out word that the “broadies” are en route. And as we North Country birders get wind of this we rejoice in knowing that spring is not too far away!

There are several hawk watching sites in NY but the one that gets the most attention for having big numbers of broadies fly by is Derby Hill Hawk Watch site…located in, of all places, Mexico, NY! Here you can find “counters” carefully counting each hawk as it flies by.  These hawk counts can give scientists a better idea of hawk populations, and migratory movements, as well as providing valuable education to the public.

Broad-winged hawks are fairly prolific nesters in the Adirondacks. Sometime in mid to late May keep an eye out for nests being built in sugar maples, black cherry, yellow birch or sometimes white pines. Then from a distance, admire their daily workings and life history.

You’ll soon hear the corks popping as we get word of the first spring arrival broad-winged hawk in New York!

Illustration: Broad-winged hawk-wikipedia

The word of the day is…..

Zugenruhe-German (pronounced…tsooken-ruha).

In the biological world this word is defined as the “restlessness” that animals feel prior to, or during migratory times. Many scientists have explored this biological phenomenon in birds specifically. By experimentally altering(increasing) the length of daylight upon a bird, scientist see a noticeable change in behavior. Birds begin eating much more, fattening up, and exhibit more movement(or restlessness) than normal.

I bring this word to our attention because bird activity is on the rise now in the Adirondacks and will be over the next 3 months.

Migrating birds are arriving as we speak! On a recent drive through St Lawrence County farm country I saw thousands of Canada Geese in flight, Red-winged Blackbirds & Common Grackles cavorting in the treetops , Killdeer calling from fields, and general merriment in the avian world.

Our first arrivals are usually those birds that don’t travel all that far, on a continent-wide scale that is. Many of the birds we see arriving now have traveled from the Mid-Atlantic region of the US. But soon enough others will join in. It should also be noted that many birds are just “passing through” our area while on their longer flights into Canada. Bon Voyage!

There is a feeling of zugunruhe currently being felt in the humid, tropical regions of Central and South America…by the birds of course! Once a good stiff south breeze picks up in the jungles, the birds destined for the Adirondacks take advantage of it and take to the airways, thus beginning their northward journey’s. Stay tuned for more migratory updates as the season progresses.

On another front…we hear that the latestNY winter Bald Eagle count has revealed some pretty cool numbers. And to think that not too long ago this bird was once facing near extinction in the east. Hurray for all the biologists who care!

In the very near future I’ll be posting a wonderful weather map that will show you big-blobsof-migrating-birds flying over the US under star-filled skies.

What birds are YOU seeing? What signs of animal “zugunruhe” are you seeing? As a birdwatcher I think I’m getting that zugunruhe feeling….

Photo credit: Canada Goose-Wikipedia

Learn Your Boreal Birds-Gray Jay

I’d like to start a new feature here on Notes from the field which I’ll call “Learn your boreal birds“. This title refers to the many species of birds that spend a majority of their time in the Boreal Forest region of North America.

What is boreal again? Boreal forests make up a fair percentage of our forested land in the Adirondacks. It’s made up of mostly coniferous trees or cone-bearing species (pine, spruce, fir, tamarack,cedar).

If you were to map out the boreal region on a globe, it would be shown as a continuous ring of green encompassing northern Canada, Alaska, Scandinavia, and Siberia.

But as luck would have it, the Adirondacks, due to several factors including; soil, bedrock, local microclimates, and vegetation, has a version of boreal that we can see/access from many back roads throughout the region.

As we’ll see in future postings, some of our boreal birds are year-round residents and some are summer residents only. These summer only birds will spend the winter months down in the tropical regions of South and Central America and then migrate to the Adirondacks in the spring.

I’ll start this series with the year-round resident Gray Jay. Clicking this link will take you directly to the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology’s(CLO) “All About Birds” website. If you look at the Jay’s home range map you’ll see a tiny dot where the Adirondacks are. We’re lucky because this is the only area in New York State where this jay can be found. Gray jays are related to all the family(Corvidae) members of the jays, crows, and ravens of North America.

You can read all about the life history of gray jay on CLO site but I’d like to focus on our Adirondack population. I’ll often find gray jays squealing and screeching along the Bloomingdale Bog trail(snowmobile trail in winter). I find the best part of the trail to see the jays is to drive to the northern access point (along County Rt 55) between Gabriels and Bloomingdale. Here you can walk south along the trail, and listen carefully as you do, for the high-pitched squawking the jays make as they approach the trial.

Over the past two summers, I’ve come across several pairs of gray jay with their very dark gray young(photo above right). This leads us to believe that gray jays have had several successful breeding seasons in a row. At one site I counted 4 young!

Gray jays have the wonderul ability to “stash” food in various places in the forest. They will often put food in the crotch of tree limbs, or bury it, or place it in an abandoned nest hole in a tree. All this so it has food(if it remembers where) to tide it over during the winter months.

Gray jays are rather tame and will often approach humans and feed out of hands…if there’s some good food in that hand. Keep some granola in your coat pocket if you’re heading into a bog.