Innholdsfortegnelse for September - October 2015 i BirdWatching

How well do you know the magnificent bird on our cover, Snowy Owl? According to best-selling author and Project SNOWstorm co-founder Scott Weidensaul, assumptions about almost every aspect of the owl’s life — its breeding and wintering ecology, the driving forces behind its dramatic irruptions, how to distinguish birds of different ages and sexes, even how many owls there are — have shifted over the past decade or so. Weidensaul explains how much in his article “Snowy Enigma,” on page 18. It’s an exclusive excerpt from his much-anticipated new book, Peterson Reference Guide to Owls of North America and the Caribbean, due out in October. And just how familiar are you with the familiar Turkey Vulture? For years now, ornithologist and retired radiologist C. Stuart Houston has been applying wing-tags…

GRASS, SKY, SONG By Trevor Herriot Any friend of C. Stuart Houston, author of our article about Turkey Vulture on page 32, is a friend of ours. Herriot is a naturalist, activist, and writer who lives on the Saskatchewan prairie. In this 2009 book, he describes trying to learn why grassland birds are declining. Along the way, he tells the story of how Houston became an ornithologist, and he finds hope in the farmers and ranchers who care for the land — and its birds. THE ROAD IS HOW By Trevor Herriot Herriot’s most recent book (2014) was sparked after he fell off his roof and cracked a few ribs. He soon decided to hike a prairie road near his home for three days, to get to know it better…

Two hours. One backyard in the middle of Mauricetown, in southern New Jersey. Off season. You may be aware of the concept of the Big Day, a 24-hour birding marathon during which practitioners attempt to record as many species as possible in a prescribed area — the state of New Jersey, for example. A Big Sit is a Big Day in an area restricted to where you begin and end your day. Big Days are typically timed to coincide with the period of peak bird diversity, so spring. Having limited time and mobility, and wondering what an off-season Big Sit in my own backyard might produce on June 1, a date that typically signals the end of both peak bird diversity and spring birding in New Jersey, I grabbed a…

YOU CAN GAIN extra satisfaction when you learn about the anatomy and physiology of each species you see. Beginning birders in Saskatchewan are particularly pleased when they learn the many amazing adaptations of vultures. These include the birds’ deeply slotted wingtips, developed for gliding and soaring in migration to Venezuela or Colombia each year; their large olfactory apparatus, which gives them a heightened sense of smell; weak feet, associated with a dietary dependence on carrion; and the diminutive naked red head of adults, which allows them to feed deep inside carcasses without accumulating the gore that would stick to head feathers. The vulture’s stomach carries hydrochloric acid so strong that almost every bacterium is killed quickly. Even the dreaded anthrax spores are neutralized. Seen up close, the vulture truly is…

This hawk watch provides a spectacular panoramic view of the Susquehanna River Valley and the surrounding hills of Otsego and Delaware Counties in central New York State. A project of the Delaware-Otsego Audubon Society, the watch was created more than 25 years ago as a scientific survey of the fall raptor migration. I especially like to visit Franklin Mountain on warm sunny days in late September, when Sharp-shinned Hawks can pop up over the ridge, and kettles of Broad-winged Hawks may be swirling above. Sometimes, the Broad-wings are so high overhead that they’re invisible to the naked eye; only binoculars reveal their presence. sites nearby Tablet readers: Tap the links to read more about each site. Robert V. Riddell State Park About nine miles from hawk watch off Hwy. 28.…

HABITAT Prairie remnants, forest, and bur oak savanna. TERRAIN Trails vary from easy walks to difficult climbs. BIRDS More than 300 species. Fall raptors: Turkey Vulture, Osprey, Bald Eagle, Northern Harrier, Sharp-shinned, Cooper’s, Broad-winged, Swainson’s, and Red-tailed Hawks, Peregrine Falcon, and American Kestrel. American White Pelican, Double-crested Cormorant, Snow Goose, Franklin’s and Ring-billed Gulls, Red-headed Woodpecker, Blue Jay, American Crow, American Robin, Purple Martin, swallows, and blackbirds. Summer: Indigo Bunting, Baltimore Oriole, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Bobolink, and Scarlet Tanager. WHEN TO GO Late September through early November for hawks. Bald Eagle peaks mid-November through early December. Passerine migration best in May and September. AMENITIES Loess Hills Lodge has exhibits and trail maps. Fifty-foot hawk-watch tower adjacent to lodge, wheelchair-accessible observation decks, and boardwalk trail. Raptor- and owl-banding program (in season). ACCESS…

As birds diverged from their early ancestors, many exploited aquatic habitats by wading or swimming. Others took to diving. Diving creates a problem for birds: They need a continuous supply of oxygen and must get rid of carbon dioxide, but diving requires breathing to stop. This would appear to be a paradox — but don’t sell birds short. For starters, divers have greater blood volume and store more oxygen, as oxyhemoglobin in blood and oxymyoglobin in muscle, than non-divers. Tufted Ducks, for example, have 70 percent more oxygen per kilogram of body weight than Mallards. Carbon-dioxide buildup stimulates birds to breathe and can ultimately force breathing — death for a diver. To counter this problem, divers have a better buffering system that allows them to accumulate more carbon dioxide before…

Our ability to describe exactly where a bird spends the winter, the routes it flies while migrating, and the timing of its movements has just taken a quantum leap forward. For the first time, a small migratory bird has been tracked using the super-accurate Global Positioning System. Since satellite-based GPS technology became fully operational in 1995, it has been integrated into almost every facet of the world economy and revolutionized countless aspects of our daily lives, from cell phones to turn-by-turn driving directions. Yet its usefulness to wildlife studies has been limited. The technology can provide locations with an accuracy of about 10 meters (33 ft), but until recently, the smallest model weighed about 12 grams (0.42 oz). Consequently, it could not be used safely on animals that weighed less…

Three top-flight festivals not to miss this fall The fall festival season is upon us. Here are three events we’re looking forward to: Cape Cod Bird Festival, Hyannis, Massachusetts Field trips will visit the barrier islands of North and South Monomoy, Nauset Beach, and many other Cape Cod hotspots, and authors Miyoko Chu and Richard Crossley will speak. This event is coming up quick; sign up soon! September 18-20. Bridger Raptor Festival, Bozeman, Montana This festival celebrates the Bridger Mountains Hawk Watch, Hotspot Near You No. 171. Keynoter Kate Davis, the award-winning author and photographer, will discuss Peregrine Falcons, Golden Eagles, and owls. October 2-4. Cape May Fall Festival, Cape May, New Jersey The Cape May Hawk Watch, Avalon Seawatch, Monarch Monitoring Project, Morning Flight Songbird Count, and other migration-monitoring…

SCOTT WEIDENSAUL is a talented author who writes about subjects we find fascinating — the history of American birding, a trip across the continent in the footsteps of James Fisher and Roger Tory Peterson, a worldwide search for vanishing plant and animal species, the sweeping story of bird migration. He is also a licensed hummingbird bander with a keen interest in western species that stray east each winter and a co-founder of Project SNOWstorm, the ambitious multi-state study of Snowy Owl, another charismatic species with a tendency to wander. The following text blends his considerable storytelling abilities and research interests. It’s an excerpt from his latest work, Peterson Reference Guide to Owls of North America and the Caribbean, to be published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt in October. Perhaps the most recognizable owl…

I’ve been making the trek to Hawk Cliff for almost 30 years. I usually try to arrive early, before the raptors are in the air, to look for migrant songbirds. A wonderful, large mulberry tree near the main observation area is often filled with warblers, Cedar Waxwings, Baltimore Orioles, and other species. As the morning progresses, I’ll first see raptors that tend to move early: Merlins, Sharp-shinned Hawks, American Kestrels, and low-flying Northern Harriers. By mid-morning, the larger buteos catch building thermals, soaring upward before heading off to the west. The place to watch for hawks is a knoll that is just steps from the parking area. On a mid-September day in 2000, I witnessed the passage of more than 131,000 raptors, mostly Broad-winged Hawks. I’ll never forget the sight…

HABITAT Grassy meadow. Sanctuary also includes wetlands, grasslands, and deciduous forests. TERRAIN A grassy path up a short but steep hill leads to the hawk watch. BIRDS Turkey Vulture, Osprey, Bald and Golden Eagles, Northern Harrier, Sharp-shinned, Cooper’s, Red-shouldered, Broad-winged, Red-tailed, and Rough-legged Hawks, Northern Goshawk, American Kestrel, Merlin, Peregrine Falcon. (Seasonal totals posted on website.) Large flocks of Canada Goose and Snow Goose, plus American Crow, Common Raven. Pileated Woodpecker, Northern Flicker, Eastern Kingbird, Red- and White-breasted Nuthatches, Wood Thrush, Ovenbird, Common Yellowthroat, Yellow, Canada, and other warblers, sparrows, buntings, finches. WHEN TO GO Autumn for raptors. Spring through autumn for migrant and nesting songbirds. AMENITIES Rustic. A few benches and a small hut. Outhouse near barn. Hiking trails. Experienced, friendly volunteer counters present most days, mid-August though January…

Chelan Ridge is one of my favorite places to watch hawks. The mountainous vista combined with close-up views of passing birds makes it a special place. The chance to see northwestern specialties, such as the Black Merlin, dark-morph Broad-winged Hawk, and Harlan’s Red-tailed Hawk, separates the ridge from other hawk-watching sites. During my last visit, I was rewarded with a picture-perfect view of a Black Merlin as it made several passes at a plastic owl decoy. My target bird at the ridge is Harlan’s Red-tail. The Harlan’s race is widespread and easily seen in winter in much of the West, but it’s more difficult to see on migration, so spotting it is an exciting treat. sites nearby Tablet readers: Tap the links to read more about each site. Slate Peak…

Late every summer and into the fall, when I’m ambling down a country road in northern Wisconsin, watching raptors at Duluth’s Hawk Ridge, birding along Lake Superior, or sitting in my backyard, I’m drawn to Cedar Waxwings. Many sit on bare branches rising above leafy trees. Now and then, one flutters out to snatch a flying insect but, even then, takes its time about it. Waxwing flight looks unhurried, and the sibilant calls (“like tiny mice snoring,” explained an ornithology professor) contribute to the Zen-like peacefulness that washes over me whenever they’re near. Even migrating flocks appear not to rush. Birds continually change position, so the flock seems to swirl gently as it moseys along. As you and I start the school year, Cedar Waxwings remain in the lazy, hazy…

Q Last fall, the nectar in my hummingbird feeders would disappear overnight. Do hummingbirds feed at night? — Sarah Muller, Sierra Vista, Arizona A Hummingbirds would not come to your feeders at night. Other nectar-loving, flying animals are likely making nocturnal visits to your feeders: bats. Two species in your area, endangered lesser long-nosed bat and Mexican long-tongued bat, are known to use hummingbird feeders. Both are important pollinators of cacti and agaves. Q Do any birds drink blood? — Lorrie Gregory, Minneapolis, Minnesota A Probably the most blood-dependent bird is a subspecies of Sharp-beaked Ground-Finch, which is found on two of the Galápagos Islands. Known as the Vampire Finch, it feeds on the blood of seabirds by pecking at the base of their feathers, creating a bleeding wound. Vampire Finches do…

THE ART OF JOHN JAMES AUDUBON is so well known that he may be called the most familiar wildlife painter of all time. Yet our appreciation stems almost exclusively from the works of the mature naturalist — that is, from the dramatic, hand-colored masterpieces he published in his book Birds of America. Its first installment didn’t appear until 1827, when he was already 42 years old. Audubon began drawing birds as a boy in France, where he lived for most of his childhood. Yet throughout his career, he destroyed his drafts and kept only his best drawings. As a result, only two collections of his youthful work survive. One, housed at Harvard’s Houghton Library, preserves some of his earliest originals: 114 drawings dated between 1805, when he was only 20,…

Does Vesper Sparrow sing more fervently in the evening than most birds? A few 19th-century naturalists thought so, and that explains its current English name. Publications from the early 1800s call the bird Bay-winged Bunting or Grass Finch. But in an 1858 essay in The Atlantic Monthly, a naturalist named Wilson Flagg wrote that the sparrows sang in the evening “with still greater zeal than they chanted in the morning.” Flagg had met people who called the sparrow “the Vesper-bird... from its evening hymn, or vespers.” He liked the name so much that he thought it should apply everywhere. The novel name might have been forgotten except that it caught the attention of John Burroughs, who was just beginning a career that would make him America’s most famous nature writer.…

HABITAT Cliffs overlooking Lake Erie, patches of Carolinian forest, agricultural fields, tree lines. TERRAIN Mostly flat. Wheelchair-accessible, depending on condition of ground. BIRDS More than 200 species. Osprey, Bald Eagle, Northern Harrier, Sharp-shinned, Cooper’s, Red-shouldered, Broad-winged, Red-tailed, and Rough-legged Hawks, Northern Goshawk, Golden Eagle, American Kestrel, Merlin, Peregrine Falcon, Gyrfalcon (rare), Mississippi Kite (rare), Swainson’s Hawk (uncommon), Tundra Swan, Pileated Woodpecker, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Yellow- and Black-billed Cuckoos, Townsend’s Solitaire (uncommon), Northern Mockingbird, White-eyed Vireo (uncommon), Cape May, Bay-breasted, and Prairie Warblers, Scarlet Tanager. WHEN TO GO September to December for raptors. September and early October for songbirds. AMENITIES Portable restrooms. Live-raptor talks on two weekends in mid-September. Volunteers usually on site to assist in spotting and identifying birds. ACCESS Operated by non-profit Hawk Cliff Hawk Watch and St. Thomas Field…

Birders in the Great Plains know Hitchcock Nature Center for its excellent fall raptor flights. To the west, Iowa’s Loess Hills tower hundreds of feet above the nearly flat valley floor, reaching a height of 1,400 feet above sea level. A nearly unique land formation in North America, the hills are composed of soils deposited long ago on the eastern side of the Missouri River Valley by prevailing westerly winds. The topography and winds create conditions perfect for migrating raptors. sites nearby Tablet readers: Tap the links to read more about each site. DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge About 20 minutes northwest of Hitchcock. Great spot for migratory waterfowl and shorebirds and grassland birds. Boyer Chute National Wildlife Refuge On Cty. Rd. 34 near Fort Calhoun, Nebraska. Missouri River floodplain forests…

HABITAT Evergreen forest, mountains, and grassy, brushy hillsides. TERRAIN Relatively flat along the ridge. Trail from parking lot to hawk watch is a moderate grade but not wheelchair-accessible. BIRDS 17 raptor species, including Golden Eagle, Prairie Falcon, Osprey, Sharp-shinned, Cooper’s, Red-tailed, Swainson’s, and Broad-winged Hawks, Northern Harrier, and American Kestrel. Pine Siskin, Oregon Dark-eyed Junco, sapsuckers and woodpeckers, Gray and Steller’s Jays, Clark’s Nutcracker, Mountain Chickadee, Mountain and Western Bluebirds, warblers, Western Tanager, Black-headed Grosbeak, Lazuli Bunting. Accidental: Red-shouldered and Ferruginous Hawks, American Pipit, Long-tailed Jaeger, Northern Hawk Owl. WHEN TO GO Autumn. Best from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Accipiters may fly at first light, and falcons, Northern Harrier, and Osprey can be seen near dusk. AMENITIES Chelan Ridge Hawk Migration Festival held in Pateros each year in mid-September;…