August 2018https://www.birdobserver.org/Issues/2018/August-2018A Guide to Birding the Manchester-Essex Woods, Massachusettshttps://www.birdobserver.org/Issues/2018/August-2018/a-guide-to-birding-the-manchester-essex-woods-massachusettsWhere to Go BirdingWed, 01 Aug 2018 00:00:00 GMTA Guide to Birding the Manchester-Essex Woods, Massachusetts<h3>The Birds</h3> <p>But first, here is a summary of the birdlife of the Manchester-Essex Woods, with a concentration almost solely on the breeding season. The habitat here is deep forest with a lot of ledge. Much of it is swampy, so of course the mosquitoes are welcoming. The spring and summer climate here, like that of Cape Ann in general, is moister and cooler than it is in the interior parts of Essex County, due primarily to the cooling influence of the easterly winds off the ocean. This means that the plants tend to be more northern, including eastern hemlock, yellow birch, striped maple, hobblebush, and other species more commonly found in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. The climate and vegetation are reflected in the mix of birds, with somewhat greater proportions of the more boreal species than elsewhere in the county, and correspondingly fewer of the more southern species. But there are exceptions, as noted below.</p> <p class="caption"><img alt="" src="/Portals/0/Assets/bo46-4/MEW-heron_pond_mdyer.png" title="" /><br /> Heron Pond, mid-year. All photographs by Mike Dyer.</p> <p>I reviewed all the birds I have entered in eBird for this property over the years from 1994 to the present, with possibly a few trips before that year that I have yet to enter. During this 24-year period, I have made 66 trips into the Woods and provided 56% of the complete checklists so far entered in eBird, all but three in the months of April through August. Since the Woods are essentially devoid of birds in the cold-weather months, the 63 lists from spring and summer form the basis of my remarks.</p> <p>The vast majority of the water birds that I have seen were in the Cedar Swamp—also known as Heron Pond, though the pond is only one part of the Cedar Swamp—at the southeast corner of the property. This area, off School Street in Manchester, is the most well-known and heavily birded part of the Manchester-Essex Woods. The water birds I have found with any degree of regularity are Canada Goose, Wood Duck, Mallard, Double-crested Cormorant, Great Egret, Little Blue Heron, Green Heron, Black-crowned Night Heron, Glossy Ibis, Virginia Rail, and Herring Gull. I have seen about the same number of additional water bird species once or twice each. But the overall attraction of the site is the variety of breeding land birds, of which I will discuss the most interesting in taxonomic order.</p> <p>The Woods used to be good for Ruffed Grouse, which I have recorded here three times. The last was a bird I flushed on the Bishop's Grave Cartway in April 2005. That decade was the last for this species in Essex County, though I suspect a few have been heard here and there since 2010. But on the whole, the Ruffed Grouse is essentially a bird of the past in much of eastern Massachusetts.</p> <p>Among the raptors, Turkey Vultures are regular, and with so much ledge are no doubt regular breeders, as they favor rocky crevices and small caves for nesting sites. Jim MacDougall and I came close to finding a nest in spring 2002 when a pair hung around a small wooded cliff along a steep section of the Ancient Line Trail, but the birds refused to go to any putative nest site while we were present. It takes diligence to find their nests, but I still hope to find one in the Woods someday.</p> <p>Northern Goshawks nested near the Bear's Den on the Homestead Trail in 1999. A botanist named Betty Wright found the nest and told me about it, but when I went to see it, the hawks came out to meet me and asked me to leave the area in no uncertain terms. I returned that fall and located the nest easily enough, but it went unused for several years before falling apart. I have not seen a goshawk in the Manchester-Essex Woods since 2001, though I heard a recent report of one elsewhere on the property. This forest is definitely suitable for nesting goshawks.</p> <p>Both cuckoo species are regular in the Woods, but more so when there is an outbreak of gypsy moth caterpillars. One such year was 2000, when I saw three Yellow-billed Cuckoos on June 23. In my subsequent eBird entry I wrote: "Cuckoos were common this year due to a gypsy moth outbreak. The trees were raining frass." (Imagine—a special word just for a type of insect excrement!) Cuckoos have many habitats, and this deep forest is one of them. I have found black-bills more often than yellow-bills, seven times to four.</p> <p>Of the woodpeckers, all five of the species that regularly breed in Essex County also nest in the Woods. (There are no records of Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers nesting anywhere in the county.) But one species is not as common here as it is in the rest of the county: the Red-bellied Woodpecker. I was amazed to discover that I have found them on only six of my 66 visits, versus 37–40 times for Downies, Hairys, and Northern Flickers. Elsewhere in the county, I am convinced that Red-bellies are the second-commonest woodpecker after the Downy. This relative scarcity of Red-bellies is the most notable thing about woodpeckers in the Manchester-Essex Woods. Pileateds are uncommon also, but they have large territories and are uncommon everywhere.</p> <p>In the flycatcher department, Eastern Wood Pewees, Eastern Phoebes, Eastern Kingbirds, and Great Crested Flycatchers are all regular nesters, with the latter being the most numerous in my counts. One species that does not nest here—or anywhere else in Essex County—is the Olive-sided Flycatcher. (There is an old nest record from 1858 in Lynn, and the species may have nested into the early 20th century, per Townsend in his <em>Supplement to the Birds of Essex County</em>, 1920). They are rare in this forest, where I have encountered them only twice, both times in the Cedar Swamp. One of these birds sang for three solid hours from some of the many snags in that swamp on the incredibly late date of June 23, 2000. I was excited to think that he may have been a breeder. But he was probably doing all that singing because he had not been able to secure a mate. Sure enough, the next day he was gone.</p> <p>Of the vireos, I have seen four species here: Red-eyed (30 visits), Warbling (14 visits), Blue-headed (7 visits), and Yellow-throated (1 visit). The Warbling Vireos are the easiest to watch and to see at nests, as they build along the dirt road—Old School Street—that leads into the property at the Cedar Swamp and also along the boardwalk that crosses the swamp from that road. The other species are scattered throughout the Woods, most of which is good habitat for Blue-headed Vireos.</p> <p class="caption"><img alt="" src="/Portals/0/Assets/bo46-4/MEW-BGGN_at_nest_md.jpg" title="" /><br /> Blue-gray Gnatcatcher</p> <p>The Common Raven is a boreal species that was first found nesting in Essex County in 2004 by Rick Heil, across School Street from the Cedar Swamp in a quarry near the Manchester Athletic Club. Ravens are often seen and heard flying over the Cedar Swamp area, though no one to my knowledge has discovered any more nests in the vicinity.</p> <p>Among the parids and sittids, Black-capped Chickadees, Tufted Titmice, and White-breasted Nuthatches are all common—seen on 57, 55, and 40 of my visits, respectively, with maximum numbers of 51, 30, and 15, respectively. But on only four occasions have I seen Red-breasted Nuthatches, which I should think would thrive in such boreal-flavored habitat. This low number of observations challenges my theory that the habitat favors the more northerly species. Maybe 66 visits are not enough to get a proper sense of these irruptive birds! At any rate, I have no evidence that Red-breasted Nuthatches nest here.</p> <p>Blue-gray Gnatcatchers nest annually along Old School Street and the boardwalk at the Cedar Swamp, along with the Warbling Vireos. Their nests are, if anything, easier to see than those of the vireos, as they nest a bit lower in bare crotches of saplings or saddle their nests along angled branches, building one side higher to compensate for the angle. They are not that shy of humans and are a treat to watch—most of the time. Several of us monitored one nest in 2004 until fledging on or about June 9, but a day or two later Phil Brown saw one fledgling floating dead in the water and another get caught and eaten by a frog! Life is tough for baby gnatcatchers.</p> <p>Of the spotted thrushes, Veeries (seen on 39 visits), Hermit Thrushes (35 visits), and Wood Thrushes (33 visits) are all regular breeders. Veeries are the most numerous, judging by my many counts in double digits, with a high of 26 on June 25, 2009. Hermit Thrushes are the least common, but they are the least common breeders of the three in Essex County generally. The Manchester-Essex Woods, however, is where I had one of my largest breeding-season counts of Hermit Thrushes, nine birds on June 27, 2003. Most of the Hermits I have found here have been clustered along the Ancient Line and Spruce Swamp trails in the southwestern section off Pine Street, and I remember confirming them breeding on the Millstone Hill Trail farther east.</p> <p class="caption"><img alt="" src="/Portals/0/Assets/bo46-4/MEW-YEWA_md.png" title="" /><br /> Yellow Warbler.</p> <p>Breeding warblers include Ovenbird (seen on 42 visits with a high count of 48 birds), Northern Waterthrush (19 visits, high of 6), Black-and-white Warbler (39 visits, high of 10), Common Yellowthroat (34 visits, high of 17), Yellow Warbler (19 visits, high of 8, all in the Cedar Swamp), Pine Warbler (43 visits, high of 8), and Black-throated Green Warbler (35 visits, high of 13). The most memorable nesting event I have had here was finding a Black-and-white Warbler nest on June 28, 2005. I found it by sitting patiently for an hour and watching both adults carrying food to determine exactly where they went. This nest was off the Ancient Line Trail near the Cheever Commons Loop. The nest, containing three young warblers with their eyes open, was tucked into dead leaves on a steep hillside so that the entrance was on the side. The young faced the opening, looking downhill. I did not return to disturb these birds any more. This nest is one of my most cherished birding memories.</p> <p>Possibly breeding warblers include Louisiana Waterthrush, Nashville Warbler, and Canada Warbler. On May 6, 2002, I heard two singing Louisiana Waterthrushes in the southwest corner of the property off Pine Street, one of them from the swamp along the road and the other across the swamp from the Dug Hill Trail. I have not heard them in the Woods since. I have encountered Nashville Warblers four times in June here and another time on May 29. Nashvilles are rare breeders in Essex County, and these breeding-season birds were found on scrub-oak hilltops where breeding conditions seemed right for them. The hilltops were, as I recall, on the Prospect Ledge and Baby Rock trails, but I never found any direct nesting evidence. Similarly, I found Canada Warblers along the Spruce Swamp Trail—off the Ancient Line Trail—five times in June and July. The closest I came to confirming breeding was on June 27, 2003, when I heard two singing males and saw one of them plus a female. But I didn't see either bird carry anything. Canadas are another rare breeder in the county, or possibly an ex-breeder.</p> <p>Of the remaining species, Eastern Towhees (seen on 37 visits), Scarlet Tanagers (35 visits), Northern Cardinals (37 visits), Baltimore Orioles (40 visits), and American Goldfinches (52 visits) are more common here than Rose-breasted Grosbeaks (11 visits), Indigo Buntings (8 visits), and Purple Finches (9 visits, of which 5 were in June and July). Indigo Buntings are concentrated around a large, mixed grass and shrubby clearing along Rocky Hill Road in the north end of the Woods, where I have found two nests.</p> <h3>The Trails</h3> <p>By now the reader will have become familiar with many of the trails I have named above. To access the Manchester-Essex Woods and its extensive trail network, I recommend any of the following trailheads.</p> <p class="caption"><img alt="" src="/Portals/0/Assets/bo46-4/MEW-along_the_boardwalk_md.jpg" title="" /><br /> Author on boardwalk.</p> <p>The most frequently accessed trailhead is at the main parking area for the Woods at its southeast corner on School Street in Manchester. This lot is just beyond the Essex town line (unmarked) as one drives south on Southern Avenue from Essex. (This renaming of the road follows the quaint Massachusetts tradition that every road must change names at every town line.) Most field trips meet at this parking area. It is the "P" across the road from the adjacent 101-acre Agassiz Rock Reservation, a Trustees of Reservations holding that is also worth exploring. The lot is obvious and is only a quarter-mile north of exit 15 for School Street off Route 128, making easy access for readers arriving from the south and west of Essex and Manchester.</p> <p>From this trailhead you must cross the Cedar Swamp on the boardwalk to reach other trails, meaning you will see all the water birds, Warbling Vireos, gnatcatchers, and orioles during your first half-hour. After you cross the swamp you have your choice of the Cedar Swamp Trail, the Prospect Ledge Trail, or the Millstone Hill Trail. If you bear left after leaving the boardwalk and take the first right up the hill and then the first left to continue up the steep hill, you will soon reach the summit of Millstone Hill, offering good views and shrubby hilltop habitat to listen for Nashville Warblers.</p> <p>You can enter the southwest corner of the Woods from Pine Street in Manchester, just off Route 128 at exit 16. When coming from the west, turn right at the exit to go north on Pine Street, drive under the highway, and park immediately in one of two dirt pulloffs on your left. The trail, on the swamp (right) side, is marked and follows the inside of a barrier fence before turning left into the Woods. From this trail you can choose any of the Dug Hill, Ancient Line, Spruce Swamp, or Pulpit Rock trails, or the Cheever Commons Loop.</p> <p>The northeast section is accessible from Andrews Street, which starts at the intersection of Southern Avenue and Apple Street in Essex. Drive south on Andrews and park at any of the three "Ps" along Andrews Street or the east end of Rocky Hill Road, which is gated at the westernmost parking spot. From here you can walk the Prospect Ledge Trail from its north end, the Old Manchester-Essex Road—the main trail through the entire Woods—or the Homestead Trail, plus any of the side trails off these, such as the Bear's Den and Baby Rock trails. If you need an Indigo Bunting fix, walk past the gate up Rocky Hill Road until you come to the large complex of clearings on your right. It isn't far.</p> <p>The north-central entrance to the Woods is on Apple Street, roughly a half-mile west of its intersection with Southern Avenue. From here you enter the Warren-Weld Woodland, which is in essence part of the Manchester-Essex Woods. The trail is called Caesar's Lane. Bear left at the split if you want to get to the aforesaid clearings, or right if you want to continue to the Bishop's Grave Cartway. This trail is the longest in the Woods; it eventually links up to the trails farther south.</p> <p>Needless to say, carry the map with you, for it will help you keep track of where you are going in this Mirkwood-like forest.</p> <p>A final word: eBird really helped me write this site guide. Being able to look at my life list of species for the hotspot—mercifully, it is all one hotspot—and seeing how often I had seen or heard each species, with dates and numbers, helped me organize the writing and connect birds with specific trails. It saved me a lot of time, and I recommend it to others writing site guides for their local patches.</p> <hr /> <p><em><strong>Jim Berry</strong> is finally putting the finishing touches to his book on the birds of Essex County. He assures readers that it will be published in this lifetime (with luck, in the next couple years). He would also like to thank Mike Dyer and Frances Caudill for helpful comments on the draft, and Mike for the photos used in the article.</em></p> An Overview to Birding New England Islandshttps://www.birdobserver.org/Issues/2018/August-2018/an-overview-to-birding-new-england-islandsFeature ArticlesWed, 01 Aug 2018 00:00:00 GMTAn Overview to Birding New England Islands<h3>Southern New England Islands</h3> <h4>Sherwood Island State Park, Connecticut</h4> <p style="margin-left: 40px; text-align: center;"><strong><img alt="" src="/Portals/0/Assets/bo46-4/Sherwood_Island.png" title="" /></strong></p> <p style="margin-left: 40px;"><strong>Best time to visit:</strong> Best in fall but good year-round.</p> <p style="margin-left: 40px;">Sherwood Island State Park is the top eBird hotspot in Connecticut with over 300 recorded species! Lots of rarities have been found on the island including Sprague's Pipit, Western Meadowlark, Ash-throated Flycatcher, Sabine's Gull, Boreal Chickadee, Ruff, Eared Grebe, Smith's Longspur, Golden Eagle, and Painted Bunting; many of these have been found in the fall. It's also a good place to check for Boat-tailed Grackle. If you are unsuccessful here, you can also take a quick drive up to Stratford Point.</p> <p style="margin-left: 40px;">Birders visiting the park should walk the beach and scope Long Island Sound. Also walk the model aircraft field and along the edge of the marsh. Check out the Sherwood Millpond from the west-end viewing platform at any time of year. The spruce grove area can be excellent during spring and fall migration and is certainly worth some time exploring.</p> <p style="margin-left: 40px;"><strong>Directions:</strong> take Exit 18 from Interstate 95 (I-95) North or South to access the Sherwood Island Connector. Follow the connector directly into the park.</p> <p style="margin-left: 40px;"><strong>Links:</strong> <a href="http://www.ct.gov/deep/cwp/view.asp?a=2716&q=325260&deepNav_GID=1650">Sherwood Island State Park</a>; <a href="https://ebird.org/hotspot/L280564?yr=all&m=&rank=mrec">eBird Hotspot</a></p> <h4>Block Island, Rhode Island</h4> <p style="margin-left: 40px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" src="/Portals/0/Assets/bo46-4/Block_Island_fix.png" title="" /></p> <p style="margin-left: 40px;"><strong>Best time to visit:</strong> spring and especially fall migration.</p> <p style="margin-left: 40px;">Block Island is a great spot to enjoy falcon migration in the fall and search for migrating songbirds. Keep your eye out for vagrants as a long list of rarities have been found here including Northern Lapwing, Bewick's Wren, Brown Noddy, Phainopepla, Eurasian Jackdaw, Northern Wheatear, Fork-tailed Flycatcher, Say's Phoebe, American White and Brown pelicans, and Mississippi Kite.</p> <p style="margin-left: 40px;">Start your birding route at North Light and the thickets around Sachem Pond. Working south, check the Great Salt Pond area for shorebirds, then check roadside thickets and trails for migrants as you work your way back toward the town site. Eventually travel south toward Southeast Light along the roadways above the Mohegan Cliffs, and if time allows explore Lewis-Dickens Farm on the southwest corner of the island. This route affords good coverage and offers plenty of time for lingering at especially birdy spots.</p> <p style="margin-left: 40px;">Access Block Island via the ferry from Point Judith or a flight from Westerly, Rhode Island:</p> <p style="margin-left: 40px;"><a href="https://www.blockislandferry.com/">Ferry Service</a> / <a href="http://blockislandsairline.com/">Flight Service</a></p> <p style="margin-left: 40px;"><strong>Links:</strong> <a href="http://www.blockislandchamber.com/visitor-info/accommodations/">accommodations</a>; <a href="https://ebird.org/hotspot/L248058?yr=all&m=&rank=mrec">eBird Hotspot</a></p> <p style="margin-left: 40px;"><strong>Also see:</strong> <a href="https://www.birdobserver.org/Portals/0/PDF_open/bo28-1-web.pdf?ver=2017-02-10-105719-573#view=Fit">Bird Observer's Block Island</a> (Fox 2000)</p> <h4>Cuttyhunk Island, Massachusetts</h4> <p style="margin-left: 40px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" src="/Portals/0/Assets/bo46-4/Cuttyhunk_Island.png" title="" /></p> <p style="margin-left: 40px;"><strong>Best time to visit:</strong> spring and especially fall migration.</p> <p style="margin-left: 40px;">Highlights include Purple Gallinule, Varied Thrush, Yellow-rumped Warbler (Audubon's), and Cave Swallow. According to Ian Davies, "Cuttyhunk is one of those places on the edge of things, where it feels like every step could turn up something incredible."</p> <p style="margin-left: 40px;">After disembarking the ferry, you are already close to some of the island's best birding, which is along the streets that cross through town. Walk up and down all of the streets a few times, and it is worthwhile to spend a bit of time around the small pond, too. From there, go to the top of Tower Road and check the thickets along the raised road, which can be quite productive. A visit to Cuttyhunk would not be complete without visiting the larger marshy ponds at the western end of the island. Take West End Road, which goes through groves of poplars that also can be quite birdy.</p> <p style="margin-left: 40px;">Access the island via the <a href="https://www.cuttyhunkferryco.com/attractions.html">ferry from New Bedford</a></p> <p style="margin-left: 40px;"><strong>Link:</strong> <a href="https://ebird.org/hotspot/L663765?yr=all&m=&rank=mrec">eBird Hotspot</a></p> <h4>Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts</h4> <p style="margin-left: 40px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" src="/Portals/0/Assets/bo46-4/Martha_s_Vineyard.jpg" title="" /></p> <p style="margin-left: 40px;"><strong>Best time to visit:</strong> fall migration.</p> <p style="margin-left: 40px;">Martha's Vineyard boasts a long list of rarities including Red-footed Falcon, Common Cuckoo, Gray Kingbird, Zone-tailed Hawk, Magnificent Frigatebird, Northern Lapwing, Long-billed Curlew, Eurasian Curlew, Black-tailed Godwit, Curlew Sandpiper, Sulfur-bellied/Streaked Flycatcher, and Bridled Tern.</p> <p style="margin-left: 40px;">The suggested birding route starts at the Gay Head cliffs in Aquinnah. This location offers excellent morning flights of songbirds in September and October and is also a good spot to watch falcon migration. Bird the thickets here and spend time scanning the ocean for seaducks. After spending the morning at Gay Head, head east and consider stopping at any good-looking thickets along the way. A nice route to take is through Squibnocket.</p> <p class="caption" style="margin-left: 40px;"><img alt="" src="/Portals/0/Assets/bo46-4/Hudsonian_Godwit.png" title="" /><br /> Hudsonian Godwit.</p> <p style="margin-left: 40px;">Eventually you will want to get to the Katama Bay area. Lots of good places to visit here including the farm institute fields and the airfield (where the Red-footed Falcon was seen in 2004). From Katama Point you can scan the flats of the bay for shorebirds. If you have time, take a walk around Norton Point. Finish the day at Mass Audubon's Felix Neck Wildlife Sanctuary where you may get a chance to see Barn Owls exiting their nest box on the property.</p> <p style="margin-left: 40px;">There are several options for getting to Martha's Vineyard but I suggest taking the <a href="https://www.steamshipauthority.com/">ferry from Woods Hole</a>. The ferry ride is relatively short and good birding can be enjoyed from the boat itself.</p> <p style="margin-left: 40px;"><strong>Links:</strong> <a href="https://www.massaudubon.org/get-outdoors/wildlife-sanctuaries/felix-neck">Felix Neck Wildlife Sanctuary</a></p> <ul> <li style="margin-left: 40px;">There are many eBird hotspots on Martha's Vineyard. Here is the link to <a href="https://ebird.org/subnational2/US-MA-007/hotspots">Duke's County</a> so you can access the ones you want.</li> <li style="margin-left: 40px;">Check out <em>Vineyard Birds II</em> (Whiting and Pesch 2007) for more information.</li> <li style="margin-left: 40px;">Check out <em>Bird Observer's</em> <a href="https://www.birdobserver.org/Portals/0/PDF_open/bo07-2-web.pdf?ver=2017-02-10-105546-870#view=Fit">A Guide to Birding on Martha's Vineyard (Sargent 1979)</a>.</li> </ul> <h4>Nantucket, Massachusetts</h4> <p style="margin-left: 40px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" src="/Portals/0/Assets/bo46-4/Nantucket.png" title="" /></p> <p style="margin-left: 40px;"><strong>Best time to visit:</strong> fall migration and early winter.</p> <p style="margin-left: 40px;">The extensive list of rarities is highlighted by Western Reef Heron, Grey-tailed Tattler, Northern Lapwing, Magnificent Frigatebird, Black-backed Woodpecker, Black-chinned and Calliope hummingbirds, California Gull, and Northern Wheatear.</p> <p style="margin-left: 40px;">A great place to start the day is at either Smith or Eel point on the west end of the island. It is best to be here early in the morning to observe large migrant flights in the fall (weather dependent) and Long-tailed Duck flights in the winter. Traveling eastward, stop at the Horse Farm lookout at Hummock Pond. American Avocet, Scissor-tailed Flycatcher, Northern Lapwing, and Cattle Egret have been observed here. Just around the corner, take the road through the Bartlett's Farm fields. <strong>Do not trespass, and observe only from the road.</strong> This is a good location for geese in the winter and for shorebirds in the fall. Ross's Goose, Baird's and Pectoral sandpipers, and Black-necked Stilts have been seen here.</p> <p style="margin-left: 40px;">It is always worth stopping along Low Beach Road south of Siasconset. This can be a big hotspot for gulls especially from fall to early spring. Lesser Black-backed Gull can be a relatively common sight among the regulars. Little, Blacked-tailed, and Mew gulls also have been recorded at this location. Finally, if you have some extra time, try to stop by the UMass Boston Nantucket Field Station and check out the small marsh there. This is where the Grey-tailed Tattler and Western Reef Heron were seen.</p> <p style="margin-left: 40px;">If you take the <a href="https://www.steamshipauthority.com/visitors/nantucket">slow ferry from Hyannis</a>, you can bird while crossing Nantucket Sound, but the trip takes around 2.5 hours. It's difficult to bird from the <a href="https://www.steamshipauthority.com/visitors/nantucket">fast ferry</a>, but you'll arrive in Nantucket in an hour.</p> <p style="margin-left: 40px;"><strong>Links:</strong></p> <ul> <li style="margin-left: 40px;">Like Martha's Vineyard, Nantucket has many eBird hotspots, so here is the link to <a href="https://ebird.org/region/US-MA-019?yr=all">Nantucket County</a>.</li> <li style="margin-left: 40px;">Check out <em>Birding Nantucket</em> (Andrews and Blackshaw 2014) for more information.</li> <li style="margin-left: 40px;">Check out <em>Bird Observer's</em> <a href="https://www.birdobserver.org/Portals/0/PDF_open/bo04-5-web.pdf?ver=2017-02-10-105534-777#view=Fit">Where to Go on Nantucket</a> (Veit 1976).</li> </ul> <h4>Tern Island, Massachusetts</h4> <p style="margin-left: 40px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" src="/Portals/0/Assets/bo46-4/Tern_Island.png" title="" /></p> <p style="margin-left: 40px;"><strong>Best time to visit:</strong> mid-July through October.</p> <p style="margin-left: 40px;">A visit here is highlighted by excellent views of shorebirds of all kinds. Rarities including Curlew Sandpiper, Bar-tailed Godwit, Little Gull, and Black-headed Gull have been recorded at this location. You'll want to be at Tern Island about 1.5–2 hours before or after high tide in Chatham Harbor for the best birding (The mud flats which harbor shorebirds are covered by water during high tide). The goal is to watch the flats just as they are opening or as they close up as this is when the highest concentration of shorebirds gather on the island. I suggest that you arrive just after low tide and enjoy the shorebirds as the flats close up.</p> <p style="margin-left: 40px;">The flats on Tern Island will cover up before areas that are farther up in Pleasant Bay. If you can find a good spot (where you are not disturbing any nesting species) look east toward North Beach Island and you can watch shorebirds departing Pleasant Bay and flying south to roost during the high tide. Sometimes these flocks can be quite large and can contain high numbers of Red Knots, Black-bellied Plovers, and Sanderling with many other species mixed in.</p> <p style="margin-left: 40px;">While out on Tern Island or anywhere in Chatham it's a good idea to keep your eye out for banded shorebirds, especially Red Knots, which commonly feed on mussel spat. In addition, please respect all symbolic fencing to protect nesting shorebirds, and sensitive habitat. The island is owned and maintained by Mass Audubon.</p> <p style="margin-left: 40px;">You can view Tern Island from Cow Yard Lane in Chatham. Or you can park for free at Cow Yard Lane and kayak out to the island, a trip that will take only a few minutes. Occasionally, Mass Audubon's Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary will run planned trips during July and August.</p> <p style="margin-left: 40px;"><strong>Links:</strong> <a href="https://www.massaudubon.org/get-outdoors/wildlife-sanctuaries/wellfleet-bay">Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary</a>; <a href="https://ebird.org/hotspot/L1280841?yr=all&m=&rank=mrec">Tern Island</a>; <a href="https://ebird.org/hotspot/L731098?yr=all&m=&rank=mrec">Cow Yard Lane</a></p> <h4>Pochet Island, Massachusetts</h4> <p style="margin-left: 40px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" src="/Portals/0/Assets/bo46-4/Pochet_Island.png" title="" /></p> <p style="margin-left: 40px;"><strong>Best time to visit:</strong> spring or fall migration.</p> <p style="margin-left: 40px;">Highlights include; Cave Swallow, American White Pelican, Yellow-throated Vireo (can be a tricky bird on Cape Cod), Summer Tanager, Yellow-rumped Warbler (Audubon's), and marsh birds such as rails and sparrows when you cross the bridge through the marsh.</p> <p style="margin-left: 40px;">Start your birding route at the Nauset Beach parking lot in Orleans, Massachusetts, the earlier the better. Walk south on either the ORV trail or the beach. Keep a close eye on the marshes to west. They often are a good place to see falcons, harriers and occasionally Short-eared Owls. Lots of trails maintained by the Pochet Island Association cover the island and any of the field edges could produce migrant songbirds. Scan the marshes and water west and south of the island for ducks. Additionally, check the small freshwater pond on the island. Skulking migrants such as Yellow-breasted Chat like to haunt the edges of the pond in the fall.</p> <p style="margin-left: 40px;">It's a bit of a hike to access the island. Unless you have an off-road vehicle permit for Nauset Beach, you will need to walk from the main parking lot in Orleans, which is about a 45-minute to one-hour long hike in the sand along the vehicle trail or beach. Before you get to the first off-road vehicle cut (the ORV track that provides access to the ocean) walk west at the fork along the right-hand road leading to a small bridge that usually is chained. You should also see a welcome sign for visitors from the Pochet Island Association. Cross the bridge to access the many trails on the island.</p> <p style="margin-left: 40px;"><strong>Link:</strong> <a href="https://ebird.org/hotspot/L467708?yr=all&m=&rank=mrec">eBird Hotspot</a>.</p> <h3>Maine Islands</h3> <p class="caption"><img alt="" src="/Portals/0/Assets/bo46-4/Atlantic_Puffin3.jpg" title="" /><br /> Atlantic Puffin.</p> <p>You will find excellent information and further details about birding selected Maine Islands in <em>Birdwatching in Maine: A Site Guide</em> (Lovitch 2017).</p> <h4>Stratton Island, Maine</h4> <p style="margin-left: 40px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" src="/Portals/0/Assets/bo46-4/Stratton_Island.png" title="" /></p> <p style="margin-left: 40px;"><strong>Best time to visit:</strong> June and July.</p> <p style="margin-left: 40px;">Stratton Island is home to a diverse array of nesting waterfowl, herons, and seabirds. In addition it is a magnet for rarities such as Yellow-nosed Albatross, Magnificent Frigatebird, Fork-tailed Flycatcher, Sandwich Tern, Little Gull, Franklin's Gull, Eurasian Wigeon, White-faced Ibis, Brown Pelican, and Little Egret. Breeding species include Common, Arctic, Roseate, and Least terns, Glossy Ibis, Little Blue Heron, Great Egret, Snowy Egret, Black-crowned Night-Heron, Common Eider, Gadwall, Green-winged Teal, Blue-winged Teal, American Black Duck, Mallard, Northern Shoveler, and Sora.</p> <p style="margin-left: 40px;">Landing on the island is semi-restricted. Visitors are allowed if you arrive by private boat or kayak. A biologist working for Project Puffin will meet you on the beach, discuss the nesting species and escort you to a bird blind to observe the nesting tern species. However, a better option may be to sign up for trips to the island with Maine Audubon. You can also see many of the breeding species from nearby locations such as Prout's Neck and Pine Point Beach. Many of the wading species forage at nearby hotspot Scarborough Marsh.</p> <p style="margin-left: 40px;"><strong>Links:</strong> <a href="http://projectpuffin.audubon.org/conservation/stratton-island">Stratton Island Project Puffin</a>; <a href="https://ebird.org/hotspot/L594639?yr=all&m=&rank=mrec">Pine Point Beach</a>; <a href="https://ebird.org/me/hotspot/L192298">Scarborough Marsh</a></p> <h4>Bailey Island, Maine</h4> <p style="margin-left: 40px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" src="/Portals/0/Assets/bo46-4/Bailey_Island_edit.png" title="" /></p> <p style="margin-left: 40px;"><strong>Best time to visit:</strong> spring or fall migration.</p> <p style="margin-left: 40px;">Rarities here include Willow Ptarmigan, Fork-tailed Flycatcher, Cattle Egret, Prothonotary Warbler, Blue Grosbeak, Clay-colored Sparrow, Bell's Vireo, and Red-headed Woodpecker.</p> <p style="margin-left: 40px;">There are three suggested birding locations, all of which have public parking and are excellent spots to look for migrants. First, drive to the end of the peninsula to Lands End. Here you can explore the Bailey Island Beach, and check the surrounding thickets. If you arrive early in the morning in the fall, you may have the chance to observe migrants coming in off the water and reorienting themselves with the mainland if they had been blown over the ocean overnight. Next, drive back to the McIntosh Lot Preserve and walk the trail to the Giant's Stairs, a geological structure formed of granite on the edge of the beach. The top of the Giant's Stairs is a great location to scope for sea ducks and alcids in the fall and winter. Driving back north back toward Route 24 and Brunswick, you can stop and bird at Johnson Field Preserve.</p> <p style="margin-left: 40px;">You can reach Bailey Island from Route 24 south of Brunswick.</p> <p style="margin-left: 40px;"><strong>Links:</strong> <a href="https://hhltmaine.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/2015-McIntosh-Lot-and-Giants-Stairs-Brochure-web.pdf">Brochure</a>; <a href="https://ebird.org/hotspot/L267994">Bailey Island</a></p> <h4>Monhegan Island, Maine</h4> <p style="margin-left: 40px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" src="/Portals/0/Assets/bo46-4/Monhegan_Island.png" title="" /></p> <p style="margin-left: 40px;"><strong>Best time to visit:</strong> spring or fall migration.</p> <p style="margin-left: 40px;">Monhegan's long list of rarities includes Magnificent Frigatebird, Corn Crake, Bridled Tern, Ivory Gull, Band-tailed Pigeon, Calliope Hummingbird, Swallow-tailed Kite, Say's Phoebe, Bell's Vireo, Virginia's, Townsend's and Hermit warblers, Lazuli Bunting, Shiny Cowbird, Black-throated Sparrow, Brewer's Sparrow, and Lark Bunting.</p> <p style="margin-left: 40px;">Most people stick to birding the southwestern half of the island, where the town is. It is suggested to start your birding route by checking the Ice Pond on the north side of town because it offers the best place to see birds looking for freshwater. When walking through town, go past the large "meadow" where the town water is pumped; it's a great spot for blackbirds, flycatchers and other insectivores. Then you can loop back through town and explore side paths. The Underhill Trail is always a favorite; it includes a slightly wooded area and is dominated by mountain ash. Some places, like the cemetery off Tribler Road, are the best for uncommon birds such as Yellow-billed Cuckoos. If time allows, walk across the island—the quickest route is to go past the lighthouse—to see the spectacular Whitehead Cliffs. They are an excellent vista for sea watching.</p> <p style="margin-left: 40px;">You can reach Monhegan Island year-round on the Monhegan Boat Line that departs from Port Clyde. By mid-May, there are also ferries departing from New Harbor and Boothbay Harbor.</p> <p style="margin-left: 40px;"><strong>Links:</strong> <a href="https://monheganboat.com/">Monhegan Boat Line</a>; <a href="https://hardyboat.com/monhegan-island-ferry/">Hardy Boat Cruises from New Harbor</a>; <a href="http://monheganassociates.org/the-trail-map/">Monhegan Island map</a></p> <p style="margin-left: 40px;">Check out <em>Bird Observer's</em> <a href="https://www.birdobserver.org/Portals/0/PDF_open/bo20-4-web.pdf?ver=2017-02-10-105645-620#view=Fit">Monhegan: Island of Possibilities</a> (Surner 1992)</p> <p style="margin-left: 40px;"><a href="https://ebird.org/hotspot/L251836">Monhegan Island eBird Hotspot</a></p> <h4>Matinicus Island, Maine</h4> <p style="margin-left: 40px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" src="/Portals/0/Assets/bo46-4/Matinicus_Island.png" title="" /></p> <p style="margin-left: 40px;"><strong>Best time to visit:</strong> spring or fall migration.</p> <p style="margin-left: 40px;">Rarities include Blue Grosbeak, White-eyed Vireo, Lark Sparrow, Dickcissel and "under-birded" so who knows what else you might find.</p> <p style="margin-left: 40px;">Catch the earliest mail flight out of Owls Head. First bird the edge of the airstrip field and then head down the main road to the fields at the southern end of the island. The main road through the center of the island offers a wide range of habitats including mature stands of trees, and open small field, and some brushy habitat. A couple of bird feeders close to the road may occasionally turn up some interesting birds as well. It is best to stick to the road as much as possible because much of the island is private property.</p> <p style="margin-left: 40px;">Getting to Matinicus Island by air is your best option, but there is a seasonal ferry that departs from Rockland. There is currently no lodging on the island unless you book a house rental online before arriving on the island.</p> <p style="margin-left: 40px;"><strong>Links:</strong> <a href="http://www.penobscotislandair.net/regularflights.php">Penobscot Air</a>; <a href="https://ebird.org/hotspot/L429258?yr=all&m=&rank=mrec">eBird Hotspot</a></p> <h4>Seal Island National Wildlife Refuge, Maine</h4> <p style="margin-left: 40px;"><strong>Best time to visit:</strong> June and July.</p> <p style="margin-left: 40px;">This island is closed to any and all public landings. However, multiple boat tour companies will circumnavigate the island in search of breeding bird species: Atlantic Puffin, Razorbill, Black Guillemot, Common and Arctic terns, Great and Double Crested cormorants, Common Eider, as well as Herring and Great Black-Backed gulls. Many birders come hoping to see the single Red-billed Tropicbird that regularly frequents the island during the summer months. Other spectacular rarities include Great Knot and Ancient Murrelet both of which were first state records! Most boats trips to the island typically spend one to two hours at the island and take one and a half to two hours to travel via boat. Productive birding during the boat trip includes observation of multiple shearwaters, Wilson's Storm Petrels and sometimes jaegers.</p> <p style="margin-left: 40px;"><strong>Links:</strong> <a href="https://www.maineseabirdtours.com/">Boat Tours from Vinalhaven</a> (John Drury); <a href="http://www.oldquarry.com/charterboat-tours-trips/#puffin">Old Quarry Ocean Adventures</a>; <a href="https://ebird.org/hotspot/L840315?yr=all&m=&rank=mrec">Seal Island NWR eBird Hotspot</a></p> <h4>Sears Island, Maine</h4> <p style="margin-left: 40px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" src="/Portals/0/Assets/bo46-4/Sear_s_Island.png" title="" /></p> <p style="margin-left: 40px;"><strong>Best time to visit:</strong> spring or fall migration.</p> <p style="margin-left: 40px;">Migrant songbirds, shorebirds, and wintering ducks are the highlights of Sears Island. In the spring and fall, the thickets just before and after the causeway can be productive, so stop and bird these first. The causeway is also a great location to check for waterfowl and gulls on the water. Shortly after crossing the causeway, you will need to park your car before the barricade. You can explore many of the island's walking trails, which are maintained by the Friends of Sears Island.</p> <p style="margin-left: 40px;">Sears Island is connected to the mainland via a paved causeway that is just off Route 1 before Stockton Springs.</p> <p style="margin-left: 40px;"><strong>Links:</strong> <a href="http://friendsofsearsisland.org/wpnew/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/Sears-Island-map-DOT.pdf">Friends of Sears Island Trail Map</a>; <a href="https://ebird.org/hotspot/L602509?yr=all&m=&rank=mrec">Sears Island eBird Hotspot</a></p> <h4>Machias Seal Island, Canada</h4> <p style="margin-left: 40px;"><strong>Best time to visit:</strong> June and July. (Plan far ahead as trips fill up quickly.)</p> <p style="margin-left: 40px;">Machias Seal Island is home to the largest seabird colony in the Gulf of Maine. Breeding Species are Atlantic Puffin, Razorbill, Common Murre, Common and Arctic terns, and most recently Northern Gannet. You can land on the island only with tour groups out of Cutler and Grand Manan Island. You will get to go into a bird blind and observe seabirds at close range. Rarities include Tufted Puffin, Ancient Murrelet, Red-billed Tropicbird, and Bridled Tern. In addition, this island occasionally receives a "fallout" of migrant songbirds during the spring and fall. Photographs by Ralph Eldridge, one of the island's lighthouse keepers, are certainly worth a look.</p> <p style="margin-left: 40px;"><a href="https://www.boldcoast.com/">Bold Coast Tours from Cutler</a>.</p> <p style="margin-left: 40px;"><a href="http://www.seawatchtours.com/puffins-and-machias-seal-island.html">Sea Watch Tours from Grand Manan</a></p> <p style="margin-left: 40px;"><a href="http://www.pbase.com/lightrae/fallout">Ralph Eldridge's Warbler Fallout Pictures</a></p> <p style="margin-left: 40px;">Check out Bird Observer's <a href="https://www.birdobserver.org/Portals/0/PDF_open/bo05-3-web.pdf?ver=2017-02-10-105540-730#view=Fit">Machias Seal Island</a> (Butler 1977)</p> <h3>References</h3> <ul> <li>Andrews, G. and K. T. Blackshaw. 2018. Birding Nantucket, Eighth Edition. Nantucket: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform.</li> <li>Butler, P. 1977. Machias Seal Island. Bird Observer 5 (3): 72-75. <span class="Hyperlink">https://www.birdobserver.org/Portals/0/PDF_open/bo05-3-web.pdf?ver=2017-02-10-105540-730#view=Fit</span></li> <li>Fox, R. 2000. Block Island. Bird Observer 28 (1): 22–27. <a href="https://www.birdobserver.org/Portals/0/PDF_open/bo28-1-web.pdf?ver=2017-02-10-105719-573#view=Fit"><span class="Hyperlink">https://www.birdobserver.org/Portals/0/PDF_open/bo28-1-web.pdf?ver=2017-02-10-105719-573#view=Fit</span></a></li> <li>Lovitch, D. J. 2017. Birdwatching in Maine: a Site Guide. Lebanon, New Hampshire: University Press of New England.</li> <li>Nove, J. 2001. Birding the Boston Harbor Islands. Bird Observer 29 (3): 173–186. <span class="Hyperlink">https://www.birdobserver.org/Portals/0/PDF_open/bo29-3-web.pdf?ver=2017-02-10-105724-620#view=Fit</span></li> <li>Sargent, R. M. 1979. A Guide to Birding on Martha's Vineyard. Bird Observer 7 (2): 52–60. <span class="Hyperlink">https://www.birdobserver.org/Portals/0/PDF_open/bo07-2-web.pdf?ver=2017-02-10-105546-870#view=Fit</span></li> <li>Surner, S. 1992. Monhegan: Island of Possibilities. Bird Observer 20 (4): 180–185.<span class="Hyperlink">https://www.birdobserver.org/Portals/0/PDF_open/bo20-4-web.pdf?ver=2017-02-10-105645-620#view=Fit</span></li> <li>Veit, R. R. 1976. Where to Go on Nantucket. Bird Observer 4 (5): 131–133. <span class="Hyperlink">https://www.birdobserver.org/Portals/0/PDF_open/bo04-5-web.pdf?ver=2017-02-10-105534-777#view=Fit</span></li> <li>Whiting, S. B. and B. B. Pesch. 2007. Vineyard Birds II. Martha's Vineyard: Where and What to See on Martha's Vineyard. Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts: Vineyard Stories.</li> </ul> <p><em>This article could not have been completed without the help of all the contributors who provided information and some text for this "quick" guide: Ginger Andrews, Seth Benz, Ken Blackshaw, Ian Davies, Ralph Eldridge, Tina Green, Doug Hitchcox, Marshall Iliff, Lanny McDowell, Wayne R. Petersen, Jeremiah Trimble, and Peter Trimble. Special thanks to Isabel Brofsky, who helped create many of the maps.</em></p> <hr /> <p><em><strong>Keenan Yakola</strong> is a fellow with the Northeast Climate Science Center, a master's candidate in the Department of Environmental Conservation at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, and during the summer months, the Supervisor of Seal Island National Wildlife Refuge with Project Puffin. Keenan is also a native of Cape Cod, Massachusetts; some of his first experiences with birds included working with Mass Audubon's Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary, the Cape Cod National Seashore, and local bird bander Susan Finnegan. He has also spent time working with birds in the Peruvian Amazon and Andes, Kenya and Tanzania, as well as several other locations across the United States.</em></p> Soaring with Eastern Massachusetts Hawk Watchhttps://www.birdobserver.org/Issues/2018/August-2018/soaring-with-eastern-massachusetts-hawk-watchFeature ArticlesWed, 01 Aug 2018 00:00:00 GMTSoaring with Eastern Massachusetts Hawk Watch<p>In a word, EMHW is a club. No, not the sort found slung over the shoulder of Alley Oop or cradled in the skilled hands of Tiger Woods. We&#39;re the other type of club: an organization such as a book club or a gardening club, or any other group that has at its core a mutual passion and purpose. Comprising an eclectic and diverse&mdash;though certainly not exclusive&mdash;cast of characters, we are brought and bound together by the powerful draw of our common interest in birds of prey. Said interest level can range in intensity and temperature from tepid to nearly thermonuclear, no exaggeration. Some of our number may reach feverish fanaticism in their pursuit of a rare sighting or the elusive &quot;big flight.&quot;</p> <p>The primary mission of our members is the protection and preservation of all avian apex predators, from the diminutive American Kestrel to the colossal California Condor. Efforts to that end take many forms and are manifest in myriad ways. We steer clear of preaching, but we&#39;re never too shy or proud to proselytize on the birds&#39; behalf. Their cause is our calling, their destiny our duty, and their future our firm commitment. More than any other single thing, our task is to spread the word&mdash;wherever, whenever, and however we can. Much of this aim is accomplished at our formal fall meeting, typically convened on the Friday following Labor Day. That&#39;s the high profile event, of course, but we strive to stay productively engaged year-round.</p> <p>We offer an occasional winter workshop on raptor identification and regularly send a small delegation to participate in the Mass Audubon Birders Meeting and the Eagle Festival at the Joppa Flats Education Center. We also organize and orchestrate outings to various hawk watch sites during the spring and fall migration periods. In addition EMHW gives moral and monetary support to a number of deserving individuals and groups. Recipients have included Tom Sayers and Joey Mason for their tireless work with breeding Kestrels, Hawk Migration Association of North America (HMANA), NorthEast Hawk Watch, Friends of Parker River National Wildlife Refuge, and HawkCount, to name only a few. In short, we share our love of raptors and our message of concern for their continued wellbeing with anyone who cares to listen.</p> <p>Who started Eastern Massachusetts Hawk Watch? The credit goes not to a single person, but to a couple who are widely known and highly esteemed in the circle of birding and birders. Many, if not most of you may have already met these fine folks. Perhaps you&#39;ve stood side by side scanning the skies over Wachusett Mountain or trudged through the dunes of Plum Island in their company, all the while trading tales and swapping stories. If that has been your good fortune, no further introduction is needed. If not, take advantage of any opportunity to make their acquaintance. They may have slowed down a step or two, but they&#39;re still going strong.</p> <p>In case you have yet to figure it out and choose not to venture a guess, their names are Paul and Julie Roberts. He gets the majority of the attention and accolades, but her dedicated work behind the scenes has been of no less value or significance. Together they built the nest, incubated and hatched the egg, fed and reared the chick, and nurtured the fledgling until it flew off on its own. More than four decades later, the bird that was their idea soars on. It thrives and will flourish as long as people like you and me have the courage and conviction to care for this good earth and every creature that inhabits it. Thanks, you guys. Let&#39;s do it!</p> <p class="caption"><img alt="" src="/Portals/0/Assets/bo46-4/Wachusett_Mountain_.jpg" title="" /><br /> Wachusett Mountain Hawk Watch.</p> <p>It&#39;s my pleasure to offer several sincere invitations. First, join us for our annual meeting (the official indoor gathering). It will be held at the Woburn Elks Club on Friday September 7, 2018. Fine complimentary refreshments will be provided during the social hour, which begins at 6:00 pm. After we briefly tend to club business matters, we will cheerfully and expectantly surrender the podium, microphone, laser pointer, and remote to the evening&#39;s keynote speaker. The roster of presenters over the years reads like a Who&#39;s Who in Hawkwatching. Their programs never fail to entertain and educate, captivate, stimulate, and motivate our ranks. We wrap things up with the always-popular raffle.</p> <p>Next become a member. We&#39;re an all inclusive, equal opportunity outfit. If you have an affinity for hawks and are willing to part with the modest $10 cost of yearly dues, you&#39;re in! Welcome. For a membership application or renewal form, go to <a href="https://massbird.org/emhw/membership.htm">https://massbird.org/emhw/membership.htm</a>.</p> <p>Finally, roust up a couple of friends and get yourselves out to a watch site, where the real action awaits. If the birds are few and far between, you can surely count on the camaraderie. But when the weather, wind, and time of year combine to trigger raptors&#39; irresistible urge to migrate, you may well witness an extraordinary spectacle&mdash;thousands of hawks traveling <em>en masse</em>. Here&#39;s hoping&hellip;.</p> Musings of the Blind Birder: By Any Other Namehttps://www.birdobserver.org/Issues/2018/August-2018/musings-of-the-blind-birder-by-any-other-nameMusings from the Blind BirderWed, 01 Aug 2018 00:00:00 GMTMusings of the Blind Birder: By Any Other Name<p>The following paragraphs contain some additional colloquial or fun names for specific bird species. To make things more interesting, I wrote the name for the bird along with a brief description for you, the reader, to guess what species the name refers to. The first eleven names below were <a href="http://blog.aba.org/2012/06/the-top-10-best-colloquial-bird-names.html">highlighted in a blog for the American Birding Association by George Armistead</a>, dated June 20, 2012. The identities of the birds corresponding to the names are revealed near the end of this column.</p> <p>1) <strong>Forty Quarts of Soup.</strong> Perhaps the name is related to this wader's voluminous whitewash on boat docks or other man-made structures.</p> <p>2) <strong>The Preacher Bird.</strong> This bird never seems to stop "preaching," regardless of the time of day. Over here, see me? Here I am. Look at me. See me?</p> <p>3) <strong>Thunder Bumper.</strong> Think of the distinctive territorial vocalization of this otherwise secretive bird and you will likely agree with this colloquial name.</p> <p>4) <strong>Fool's Hen.</strong> Although I do not like to think of the spectacular male of this highly desirable species of the boreal forest as a fool, it may deserve this name given how tame and tolerant it is of absurdly close views.</p> <p>5) <strong>Cut-throat.</strong> This name does not make much sense to me, as it normally can be a non-flattering description of someone's behavior. For this bird, however, it appears to have been devised based on the bold black and white pattern of the bird accompanied by a contrasting rose-pink breast.</p> <p>6) <strong>Nine Killer.</strong> Sometimes known as the butcherbird, this name was devised by some observers who noted the bird's habit of impaling many, let's say nine, prey on thorns or barbed wire before they might consume one poor victim.</p> <p>7) <strong>Devil Downhead.</strong> Also known as tree mouse, this bird is often seen head down on tree trunks. But the origin of the word, devil, for this bird's behavior remains elusive to me.</p> <p>8) <strong>Skunkhead Coot.</strong> This name originates from hunters of this duck with its striking head pattern reminiscent of a skunk.</p> <p>9) <strong>Lawyer Bird.</strong> I imagine this name for a rare but nearly annual visitor to the Northeast derives from its crisp, formal look, ready to dazzle observers not with closing arguments but rather with its stately and head-turning appearance.</p> <p>10) <strong>Cut-Water.</strong> Say no more, this simple description should immediately narrow the possibilities.</p> <p>11) <strong>Silk Tail.</strong> This name derives from its Swedish name, "Sidensvans," which refers to the silky look of this nomadic species, which has periodic irruptions into New England.</p> <p>All of us can also have a lot of fun trying to come up with our own names for our favorite birds. Here are a few of my concoctions:</p> <p>12) <strong>Bubbling Cascade.</strong> I can hardly contain myself when I hear this long cascading stream of bubbles and trills coming from such a tiny bird.</p> <p>13) <strong>Nonsense Bird.</strong> How else can you describe the noises coming out of this bird of the bushes? I frequently implore the bird to shut up so that I can hear something else, anything else, please.</p> <p>14) <strong>Deep Woods Spirit.</strong> If you are alone in the woods with this bird when it sings its haunting song, it can be quite a spiritual experience.</p> <p>But I am not the only one who has attempted to come up with my own names. Pete Dunne, in his book Pete Dunne's Essential Field Guide Companion: A Comprehensive Resource for Identifying North American Birds (2006), has descriptive names for many birds. Here are a few examples:</p> <p>15) <strong>Lawn Plover.</strong> This name is tailor made for one of our most recognizable birds on rural or urban lawns.</p> <p>16) <strong>Tiger of the Treetops.</strong> This songbird's yellow chest with thin black streaks lends itself well to this descriptive phrase.</p> <p>17) <strong>Zebra Creeper.</strong> The word zebra should give this guy away. How many birds might remind you of a zebra?</p> <p>18) <strong>Flash Dancer.</strong> This bird is coal black with vivid orange patches on its sides, wings, and tail. It sometimes flashes its wings and tail, showing its striking orange colors.</p> <p><strong>Answers:</strong> (1) Great Blue Heron; (2) Red-eyed Vireo; (3) American Bittern; (4) Spruce Grouse; (5) Rose-breasted Grosbeak; (6) Northern Shrike; (7) White-breasted Nuthatch; (8) Surf Scoter; (9) Black-necked Stilt; (10) Black Skimmer; (11) Bohemian Waxwing; (12) Winter Wren; (13) Gray Catbird; (14) Hermit Thrush; (15) American Robin; (16) Cape May Warbler; (17) Black-and-White Warbler; (18) American Redstart.</p> <p>Undoubtedly, colorful names exist for many other bird species around the world. These descriptive names add an element of whimsy to our observations and experiences with our birds. Perhaps you have your own nickname for "your" birds. It is just another aspect of our obsession with our avian friends, and why not? We spend a lot of time with our familiar birds and it seems entirely appropriate to show our affection by devising names that convey our perspectives on their behaviors and appearances. So, go ahead, come up with your own names. Your imagination has no limits.</p> <p class="caption"><img alt="" src="/Portals/0/Assets/bo46-4/robin.png" title="" /><br /> "Lawn Plover" by William E. Davis</p> <hr /> <p><em><strong>Martha Steele</strong>, a former editor of </em>Bird Observer<em>, has been progressively losing vision due to retinitis pigmentosa and is legally blind. Thanks to a cochlear implant, she is now learning to identify birds from their songs and calls. Martha lives with her husband, Bob Stymeist, in Arlington. Martha can be reached at <a href="mailto:marthajs%40verizon.net?subject=">marthajs@verizon.net</a>.</em></p> Field Notes: Observations at an Unusual Urban Tree Swallow Nest: an Iron Snag in an Asphalt Meadowhttps://www.birdobserver.org/Issues/2018/August-2018/field-notes-observations-at-an-unusual-urban-tree-swallow-nest-an-iron-snag-in-an-asphalt-meadowField NotesWed, 01 Aug 2018 00:00:00 GMTField Notes: Observations at an Unusual Urban Tree Swallow Nest: an Iron Snag in an Asphalt Meadow<p>The lamppost, with an exact location of latitude: 41.67954 and longitude: -71.11356, was around five meters tall and was one of seven lining the parking lot of White&#39;s Regional Hospitality Center along its boundary with Old Bedford Road (Figure 3A). The surroundings were mainly asphalt, concrete, and buildings, with only 10% of the land in a one-hectare (2.5 acre) circle surrounding the nest consisting of vegetation (as measured from aerial photos in Google Earth Pro; Figure 3B). The nearest area of vegetation was a small courtyard at the adjacent Hampton Inn, 35 meters to the east, and the next was the grassy edge of Interstate 195, 46 meters to the north. Watuppa and South Watuppa Pond lie 129 and 113 meters to the north and southwest, respectively.</p> <p class="caption"><img alt="" src="/Portals/0/Assets/bo46-4/Figure_2_-_Tree_Swallow_nest.png" title="" /><br /> <strong>Fig. 2.</strong> A view inside the lamppost cavity nest of a Tree Swallow. The nest was constructed among the wires in the base of an iron lamppost in Westport, Massachusetts. Photograph by the author.</p> <p>I first witnessed a Tree Swallow exit the hole at the base of the lamppost around 12:50 pm on May 16, 2018. It then joined a second individual, apparently its mate, perched on an electrical wire across the street (visible in Figure 1). After a few minutes, the first bird reentered the hole. I later performed two extended observation sessions to better understand the status of the nest given that its contents were not visible. My observations were as follows, with notes on the presumed sex of the individual as inferred from behavior in parentheses:</p> <h5>Observation session 1: May 16, 2018, 4:19 &ndash; 5:07 pm.</h5> <p>4:36. A single Tree Swallow (the male of the pair) arrives nearby, and alternates perching on the wire, preening, and circling around the lamppost while calling. It leaves the area at 4:50.</p> <p>4:38. A second individual (the female) briefly joins the first and then enters the nest cavity where it remains for the duration of the observation.</p> <h5>Observation session 2: May 17, 2018, 8:11 &ndash; 9:55 am (light rain falling).</h5> <p>8:19. One individual (male) circling the parking lot and occasionally very near the lamppost, then leaves the area at 8:32.</p> <p>8:33. Second individual (female) exits nest, forages in the general area, and then presumably the same individual reenters the nest at 8:38.</p> <p>9:30. Tree Swallow arrives (male) circles the post, calling, perches on the wire across the street, circles the post calling again and leaves the area at 9:36.</p> <p>9:40. Tree Swallow (female) exits the nest, forages around the hotel courtyard and then flies out of sight.</p> <p>9:48. Four Tree Swallows (the nesting pair and a rival pair) appear at the nest post, and engage in an aerial confrontation (at least two chases occur). One individual (the incumbent female) lands at the cavity entrance three times, then enters the nest. Two birds (the rival pair) disperse.</p> <p>9:49. A second individual (the incumbent male) enters the nest, and then presumably the same bird leaves the nest and the area at 9:50.</p> <p class="caption"><img alt="" src="/Portals/0/Assets/bo46-4/Figure_3_-_Tree_Swallow_landscape.jpg" title="" /><br /> <strong>Fig. 3.</strong> Aerial views of the surroundings of a Tree Swallow nest discovered in a lamppost in Westport, Massachusetts. The arrows point to the nest. A one-hectare circle is superimposed on the bottom photo for scale. The hotel courtyard (the nearest vegetation) is visible in the right side of the circle, and Interstate 195 is at the top. Watuppa Pond is visible in the top of the oblique (top) photo. Aerial images from Google Earth Pro.</p> <p>The above observations are suggestive of an active nest in the incubation stage. Female Tree Swallows typically do all the incubating, and males frequently perch nearby, occasionally visiting the entrance or briefly entering the cavity (Winkler et al. 2011). The two complete &lsquo;off bouts&#39; I observed were five and eight minutes long, comparable to the published averages of seven to nine minutes (ibid.). The one complete incubation bout I observed was 62 minutes, considerably longer than the published averages of 11 to 15 minutes. This may have been due to the rainy conditions. Nests in the nestling stage are typically visited much more frequently and by both parents (ibid.).</p> <p>Tree Swallows readily use nest-boxes, but documented nesting in other human infrastructure has been infrequent. Examples in the literature are (1) a disused fire hydrant (Nichols 1920; Figure 4); (2) a steel drum (Dring 1981, cited in Winkler et al. 2011); (3) pipes on an active ferry boat (Common 1942); and (4) cracks in the eaves of roofs (Tyler 1942). Many other cavity nesting species readily or even preferentially nest on human structures, and the fact this behavior is relatively rarely documented in Tree Swallows may reflect a general avoidance. The mechanisms of cultural and genetic adaptation in birds to nesting on human structures are worthy of further study, especially in cavity nesting species, which tend to be nest-site limited (Newton 1994). A North American congener, the Violet-green Swallow (Tachycineta thalassina), is not known to nest on human infrastructure, aside from nest boxes attached to houses (Brown et al. 2011). Comparative studies of related groups of species, for example the eight Tachycineta swallows, or the broader group of 30 or so cavity-nesting &quot;core martins&quot; of the Hirundininae subfamily, (Sheldon et al. 2005), would shed light on these behaviors.</p> <p class="caption"><img alt="" src="/Portals/0/Assets/bo46-4/Figure_4_-_Tree_Swallow_in_Fire_Hydrant%2C_Nichols_1920.jpg" title="" /><br /> <strong>Fig. 4.</strong> A Tree Swallow at the entrance to its nest in an abandoned fire hydrant in Long Island, circa 1920. From Nichols (1920).</p> <p>Tree Swallow nesting habitat is typically open wetland or grassland with dead trees, including beaver swamps and the edges of marshes and old fields. However, a great deal of flexibility has been noted in the surroundings of the nest site as long as open water for foraging is available (Winkler et al. 2011). The surroundings of the lamppost were remarkably barren: 90% of the area within a one-hectare circle (2.5-acres) around the nest is paved. However, its broader location between two large ponds likely adds to its attractiveness. There is little information on the foraging range of this species, but most nesting material is gathered within 30 meters of the nest and birds typically defend a radius of approximately 15 meters from other swallows (ibid.).</p> <p>The height of natural nest cavities averaged 3.4 meters in Ontario (n = 48; Rendell and Robertson 1989) and 4.6 meters in Oregon (n = 31; Dobkin et al. 1995). While no studies state the minimum nest height, Dr. Wallace Rendell (personal communication) provided me with that number for his sample of 48 nests in Ontario: 0.75 meters. This is roughly the same height as the fire hydrant nest in Long Island, based on the photograph in Nichols (1920). Therefore, the lamppost nest at only 0.15 meters appears to be the lowest Tree Swallow nest documented. Otherwise, the measurements of the lamppost nest, including &quot;tree&quot; height, &quot;tree&quot; diameter, and cavity entrance dimensions, are within normal bounds (Winkler et al. 2011).</p> <p>I thank Jamie Morgan and Mike Newhouse for inviting me to Westport, Massachusetts, Daisy Morgan Allen for accompanying me in the field, and Wallace Rendell for swiftly replying with his nest height data from the 1980s.</p> <h3>Literature Cited</h3> <ul> <li>Brown, C. R., A. M. Knott, and E. J. Damrose. 2011. Violet-green Swallow (<em>Tachycineta thalassina</em>), version 2.0. in <a href="https://birdsna.org/Species-Account/bna/species/vigswa"><em>The Birds of North America Online</em></a> (A. F. Poole, ed.). Ithaca: Cornell Lab of Ornithology.</li> <li>Common, M. A. 1942. International Swallows. <em>Auk</em> 59: 437.</li> <li>Dobkin, D. S., A. C. Rich, J. A. Pretare, &amp; W. H. Pyle. 1995. Nest-site Relationships Among Cavity-nesting Birds of Riparian and Snowpocket Aspen Woodlands in the Northwestern Great Basin. <em>Condor</em> 97 (3): 694-707.</li> <li>Dring, P. 1981. Some Unusual Tree Swallow, <em>Iridoprocne bicolor</em>, Nest Records. <em>Inland Bird-Banding</em> 53 (2): 25-26.</li> <li>Newton, I. 1994. The Role of Nest Sites in Limiting the Numbers of Hole-nesting Birds: A Review. <em>Biological Conservation</em> 70 (3): 265-276.</li> <li>Nichols, J. T. 1920. The Tree Swallow on Long Island. <em>Bird-Lore</em> 22: 279-281.</li> <li>Rendell, W. B., &amp; R. J. Robertson. 1989. Nest-site Characteristics, Reproductive Success and Cavity Availability for Tree Swallows Breeding in Natural Cavities. <em>Condor</em> 91 (4): 875-885.</li> <li>Sheldon, F. H., L. A. Whittingham, R. G. Moyle, B. Slikas, and D. W. Winkler. 2005. Phylogeny of Swallows (Aves: Hirundinidae) Estimated from Nuclear and Mitochondrial DNA Sequences. <em>Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution</em> 35 (1): 254&ndash;270.</li> <li>Tyler, W. M. 1942. &quot;<em>Iridoprocne bicolor</em> (Vieillet) Tree Swallow&quot; in <em>Life Histories of North American Flycatchers, Larks, Swallows, and Their Allies</em> (A. C. Bent, ed.). Bulletin of the United States National Museum 179, 384-400. Washington : United States Government Printing Office.</li> <li>Winkler, D. W., K. K. Hallinger, D. R. Ardia, R. J. Robertson, B. J. Stutchbury, and R. R. Cohen. 2011. Tree Swallow (<em>Tachycineta bicolor</em>), version 2.0. in <a href="https://birdsna.org/Species-Account/bna/species/treswa"><em>The Birds of North America Online</em></a> (A. F. Poole, ed.). Ithaca: Cornell Lab of Ornithology.</li> </ul> Field Notes: Pileated Woodpecker Surprisehttps://www.birdobserver.org/Issues/2018/August-2018/field-notes-pileated-woodpecker-surpriseField NotesWed, 01 Aug 2018 00:00:00 GMTField Notes: Pileated Woodpecker Surprise<p>Then it happened. My husband Don was sitting on the sofa watching television in our living room on April 12, 2018. He sat right near our sliding doors that look out over our outside deck where my suet and seed feeders hang. He yelled for me to come slowly but quickly toward him because there was a Pileated Woodpecker at our suet feeder! I didn&#39;t have time to run to the basement for my camera bag so I just grabbed my cell phone and looked in awe as a female Pileated clung to the suet feeder. Both Don and I were shocked and delighted to say the least. My hands were shaking but I managed to get a few awful images as proof that it actually happened. Don saw her come again later that day but I missed it. I made sure my good camera was ready if she came the next day but I wasn&#39;t around most of that day. However, two days later on April 14, just as I returned from an exercise class, I came into the living room and saw a flash of black and white. I grabbed my camera. The female Pileated had just been chased away by a squirrel but perched nearby. After I chased the squirrel away, sure enough she returned, stayed more than five minutes, ate lots of suet, and I got lots of good pictures this time through the glass doors. I posted a link to a few pictures on Massbird and got quite a few responses from birders, some of whom I knew, who wanted to know how I attracted her to my suet, what type of suet I used, etc. Well, it was just a regular nutty suet cake from Market Basket and it only took 32 years to get a Pileated to finally appear on one. And I did find out that a few people have had Pileated Woodpeckers come to their suet, but it&#39;s a rare event.</p> <p>Unfortunately, neither she nor her mate (who appeared in my backyard in May) ever came to the suet again. I had to replace the suet with my hummingbird feeder as of May 4 anyway. The squirrel was eating it all up and making quite a mess. Maybe I will luck out again next year.</p> Field Notes: A Strange Eastern Phoebe Talehttps://www.birdobserver.org/Issues/2018/August-2018/field-notes-a-strange-eastern-phoebe-taleField NotesWed, 01 Aug 2018 00:00:00 GMTField Notes: A Strange Eastern Phoebe Tale<p>They began to build a new nest on the ledge of an adjacent column and it seemed to us that they were in a big hurry. There was a flurry of activity and the nest seemed to progress rapidly. When the nest was only partially done, we watched as one bird sat on the nest. We thought that was odd since the nest was incomplete but what was stranger still is that the other bird continued to build the nest around the sitting bird! We really could not believe what we were seeing. The bird continued to build the nest around and over the sitting bird, leaving only its tail sticking out of the nest.</p> <p>Two days later, the nest was complete and the tail of the sitting bird was still sticking out of the side of the nest with the rest of its body was hidden under nesting material. The other bird was perched on top of the nest. We kept waiting for the first bird to make its way out of the middle of the nest, but soon we sadly realized that it was dead.</p> <p class="caption"><img alt="" src="/Portals/0/Assets/bo46-4/fn_set2.jpg" title="" /><br /> Above left: View from side of Eastern Phoebe tail sticking out of left side of nest; Above right: Eastern Phoebe chicks on new nest. All photographs by the author.</p> <p>When I called Marj Rines at Mass Audubon, she suggested that we take the nest down, which we did. I took the nest apart to see if there was a clue to this odd occurrence, but all I found was the poor dead bird with all but its tail buried in the nest.</p> <p>As soon as we took the nest down, the other phoebe began to build another new nest back on the original ledge. Now, more than a month later, we are thrilled to see five tiny fuzzy heads popping up from the nest. I guess the painting will have to wait!</p> About Books: Cities Go Wildhttps://www.birdobserver.org/Issues/2018/August-2018/about-books-cities-go-wildBook and Video ReviewsWed, 01 Aug 2018 00:00:00 GMTAbout Books: Cities Go Wild<p>But cities can be great places for certain plants and animals. Many species of invasive plants, and a few native ones, can find places to grow and propagate in parks and even smaller niche habitats in cities. City parks and graveyards attract numbers of migrant birds, and a smaller number find space to nest there. Some birds like Rock Pigeons and Peregrine Falcons thrive by nesting on city skyscrapers, bridges, and underpasses. Species formerly considered wilderness species have learned to adapt and have become diehard city slickers. In the last few years, Common Ravens have started to nest under railroad overpasses in the city of Worcester.</p> <p>I live in Worcester and have a small backyard. Yet I have recorded 161 species of birds there in the last decade. That list includes such forest-loving species as Barred Owl, Pileated Woodpecker, and several Wild Turkeys. Red fox, skunks, raccoons, and possums are regular visitors. Black bears have appeared at a friend&#39;s house a short distance away, and last year a moose walked down the street a short block away to end up at Salisbury Pond across from Worcester Polytechnic Institute. Whether we realize it or not, that imagined barrier between the natural world and the world of human activity is porous at best.</p> <p>So what are these animals and plants doing in our cities? Are they just outliers, struggling to survive, barely holding on? Are they just passing through? Accidental trespassers? Or are some species actually thriving in cities? Not long ago, if you were a natural historian, a biologist, or botanist, you typically chose a place to study far from throngs of people: a desert, forest, jungle, or deep under the sea. In recent decades though, a growing number of researchers are choosing urban habitats as their study areas. There are many reasons for this, among them that access is much easier. You can live and work in the same area. But a lot is happening in cities too that may offer clues to how plants and animals are adapting to a future on an overcrowded, climate-changed planet. &quot;The notion that our impact on the environment is so great that &lsquo;wild&#39; animals and plants are actually adapting to habitats that were originally created by humans for humans, makes us aware that some of the changes we are enforcing on the earth are irreversible.&quot; (p. 5, <em>Darwin Comes to Town</em>)</p> <p style="margin-left: 40px;">It&#39;s a clear sign that something has changed over recent decades. Rather than using the city as a comfortable base camp from which to explore the wild hinterland beyond the city limits, the city itself has become urbanite naturalists&#39; chief interest. (p. 48, <em>Darwin Comes to Town</em>)</p> <p><em>Darwin Comes to Town</em> by Menno Schilthuizen reviews some of the new findings by these urban naturalists and details the authors&#39; belief that cities can actually promote relatively rapid evolutionary changes. It is a book that is both fascinating and controversial. Menno Schilthuizen is a senior research scientist at Naturalis Biodiversity Center in the Netherlands and professor of evolutionary biology at Leiden University. Some of his ideas have garnered angry criticisms because his writings about some exotics fly in the face of what most of us have been taught. Not all invasives are bad and should be expunged on sight.</p> <p><em>Darwin Comes to Town</em> begins with the author&#39;s observations of &quot;London Underground mosquito,&quot; <em>Culex pipiens molestus</em>. Certain populations of this insect now breed only in the vast caverns that are the London Underground, feeding on the commuting passengers. These mosquitoes may be beginning to separate from the wild-breeding <em>Culex pipiens pipiens</em> to become a new species. This begins Schilthuizen&#39;s roll call of species that are now calling dense cities home. These include some surprising species like the Australian Brush Turkey, which can be found nesting in small parks and gardens in many Australian east coast cities.</p> <p>Why are some animals and plants attracted to cities? Schilthuizen offers a few ideas. Many of the species we find in cities are invasive already, and the city is just another place to colonize. But Schilthuizen also points out that many modern cities have a real diversity of habitats. These include obvious green islands, but also smaller personal gardens, playgrounds, and human-made structures that may approximate a species&#39; preferred habitat like that subway nesting mosquito. Schilthuizen sees cities as new vacant niches, waiting to be exploited by the natural world outside the city.</p> <p style="margin-left: 40px;">By calling <em>Homo sapiens</em> nature&#39;s ultimate ecosystem engineer, I used the word &lsquo;nature&#39; deliberately, because a crowded, noisy, polluted, concrete metropolis is not what we normally think of when we hear the term &lsquo;nature.&#39; (p. 24)</p> <p>In order to thrive, urban wildlife can develop unique behaviors. Schilthuizen cites many examples, but my favorites are the massive catfish (<em>Silurus glanis</em>) that live in the French city of Albi. They have learned to throw themselves out of the water to grab the feet of city pigeons that have come to drink from the river. Schilthuizen describes this behavior in detail, and it reminds the reader of the films that have been taken of killer whales in southern Argentina throwing themselves on the beaches in order to grab basking seals. Cities are heat islands, offering wildlife a less hostile environment in winter. Schilthuizen cites recent studies of urban populations of the European Blackbird (<em>Turdus merula</em>), a common thrush. Typically, this species is migratory, but in recent decades certain urban populations have become sedentary, taking advantage of the warmth and the feeders found in cities.</p> <p>Urban gardens have typically been uncounted, but Schilthuizen describes several studies that show that these pocket green areas can be chock full of biodiversity. One such project is called BUGS, Biodiversity in Urban Gardens in Sheffield. Several biodiversity studies of typical small gardens were done in an urban environment. Sixty-one gardens were included with fascinating results. &quot;In these sixty-one garden-size field sites 1,166 different plant species were found. As is to be expected from planted gardens, the majority of those species (70 percent) were exotic. But still, 344 species (a quarter of the entire British flora!) were native species. The 30,000 or so invertebrates they found belonged to roughly 800 species.&quot; (p. 60) &quot;And when the team made an &lsquo;accumulation curve,&#39; which showed how the overall tally increased with every new garden added to the list, the curve showed no signs of leveling off. In other words, every garden has an almost completely different flora and fauna.&quot; (p. 60)</p> <p>But what about vertebrate species? Which animals or birds are most likely to succeed in a city? After citing a number of studies, Schilthuizen concludes that the animals that thrive in cities are creatures with high problem-solving intelligence. This is not surprising when you think about the challenges of finding food and shelter in a human-made environment. These urban species also need to be neophilic, attracted to unknown, unfamiliar objects and situations and willing to explore new spaces. Finally, and perhaps most obviously, urban wildlife need to be fairly tolerant of people.</p> <p>Typical urban breeding animals or birds should be fearless problem-solvers.</p> <p>Where <em>Darwin Comes to Town</em> becomes controversial is when Schilthuizen pushes these ideas to posit that cities are becoming engines of evolution. After a thorough crash course in evolutionary genetics in <em>Darwin Comes to Town</em>, Schilthuizen proposes what he ultimately labels HIREC: &quot;Human-induced Rapid Evolutionary Change.&quot; He calls humans a &quot;hyperkeystone, eco-system-engineering supertramp species&quot; (p. 246). He believes that that the natural chaos of life in urban habitat will actually accelerate small evolutionary changes in certain species. &quot;As we have seen before, cities are like mad scientists, creating their own crazy ecological concoctions by throwing all kinds of native and foreign elements into the urban melting pot.&quot; (p. 158)</p> <p style="margin-left: 40px;">The urban loom weaves food webs from weft and warp that are thrown together by chance, linking species in new and exciting patterns. Since such ecological interactions are marriages of convenience, rather than matches made in heaven, the species thus linked may evolve adaptations to deal with their new ecological counterparts. (p. 158)</p> <p>The reader is left to ponder if what we are witnessing is actual long-term evolution or momentary adaptations by flexible species.</p> <p>Schilthuizen is fond of invasive species, to a limited extent. He is arguing for &quot;a more pragmatic approach to conservation in which there is a place for exotic species, urban nature, and more attention to the smooth running of the ecosystem, rather than to the exact species therein.&quot; (p. 8) He believes that invasive species are some of the most successful urban species and are key players in urban ecosystems. He favors building &quot;green buildings,&quot; for instance, but he insists that we have to let invasives have their place in those spaces. He is adamant that we should do all we can to preserve the few remaining pristine pockets of wild nature that exist outside our cities. But Schilthuizen believes that in urban habitats, so-called invasives are critical to maintaining a rich urban biodiversity. He states, rightly, that the vast majority of people around the world will never get to visit those saved pockets of truly wild nature. What they will know of nature will be what breeds and grows in cities, and that biodiversity will include invasives. He even ponders whether so-called &quot;wildlife corridors,&quot; green areas that connect urban green areas with larger more natural areas, are always a good thing (p. 237). Schilthuizen believes that the &quot;splendid isolation&quot; of urban areas is what fuels the evolution within cities.</p> <p>Later, he admits that certain invasive species, like the House Crow, are showing up in a growing number of cities around the world. The implications for the future seem to indicate that many cities will have the same roster of urban breeders after some decades. &quot;What all this means is that ecosystems of cities around the world are growing more alike; their communities of plants and animals, fungi, single-celled organisms, and viruses are slowly inching toward a single globalized, multi-purpose urban biodiversity.&quot; (p. 224) This will be &quot;a globally homogenized, dispersed ecosystem, inhabited by a dynamic but shared set of organisms that is constantly evolving, exchanging species and genes and innovations to deal with the new technologies with which humans equip their cities.&quot; (p. 226)</p> <p>Because of these controversial sentiments, <em>Darwin Comes to Town</em> is a thought-provoking book. Most of it is an interesting and entertaining survey of what researchers have discovered about species that dwell in urban environments and how that environment can change them. But there are other points in the book in which Schilthuizen seems to relish violating core concepts many of us hold dear about preserving natural spaces. Because of this love of urban ecosystems, he has garnered lots of criticism, but most of it is misplaced.</p> <p>&quot;The growing band of people who try to generate an appreciation for nature in the urban environment are often accused of providing excuses for developers to destroy wild nature&mdash;or even of getting into bed with the enemy, and stabbing nature conservation in the back.&quot; (p. 8) If you carefully read this book, you will discover that this just isn&#39;t so. Still, there is a lot to think about and argue about in <em>Darwin Comes to Town</em>. We don&#39;t often come across books that may change the way we think about nature. This is one of them. It is well worth your time.</p> <p><em>Hear the <a href="https://www.wicn.org/podcasts/audio/menno-schilthuizen-darwin-comes-town">podcast of Mark Lynch&#39;s interview with Menno Schilthuizen about </a></em><a href="https://www.wicn.org/podcasts/audio/menno-schilthuizen-darwin-comes-town">Darwin Comes to Town</a><em>.</em></p> Bird Sightings: March–April 2018https://www.birdobserver.org/Issues/2018/August-2018/bird-sightings-marchapril-2018Bird SightingsWed, 01 Aug 2018 00:00:00 GMTBird Sightings: March–April 2018<p>April weather was a great improvement over that of March with no major storms. The average temperature for the month was 45 degrees in Boston, three degrees cooler than normal. The high was 70 degrees on April 28, and the low was 29 degrees on April 6. Rainfall for the month in Boston was 4.62 inches, nearly an inch above normal, and snowfall totaled 1.3 inches, with most of that falling on April 6. Strong southwest winds aided migration at the end of the month.</p> <p class="author">R. Stymeist</p> Bygone Birds: Historical Highlights for March-Aprilhttps://www.birdobserver.org/Issues/2018/August-2018/bygone-birds-historical-highlights-for-march-aprilBygone BirdsWed, 01 Aug 2018 00:00:00 GMTBygone Birds: Historical Highlights for March-April<h3>20 YEARS AGO</h3> <table class="table"> <tbody> <tr> <td><img alt="" src="/Portals/0/Assets/bo46-4/Cover_1998.png" title="" /></td> <td> <h6>March–April 1998</h6> <p><strong>Gyrfalcons</strong> were reported from Hanscom Field in Concord, Edgartown, and Logan Airport. Two photogenic <strong>American Avocets</strong> spent ten days in Scituate in March. Up to three <strong>Monk Parakeets</strong> were reported in South Dartmouth in April. A <strong>Black-backed Woodpecker</strong> was a one-day wonder in Uxbridge on March 18. A <strong>Golden-crowned Sparrow</strong> spent a week in April in Weston, and the <strong>Bullock's Oriole</strong> that had spent the winter at a feeder in Reading was last seen on April 19.</p> <p>Best sighting: the <strong>Hermit Warbler</strong> that overwintered on Martha's Vineyard was last seen on March 4.</p> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <h3>40 YEARS AGO</h3> <table class="table"> <tbody> <tr> <td><img alt="" src="/Portals/0/Assets/bo46-4/Cover_1978.png" title="" /></td> <td> <h6>March–April 1978</h6> <p>A male <strong>Garganey</strong> was found at Marshfield on April 1 and stayed until April 18. An adult <strong>Golden Eagle</strong> spent April 5–10 in the West Newbury area. An immature gray <strong>Gyrfalcon</strong> devouring a Black Duck was watched for an hour and a half in Newburyport on March 12. A dead <strong>Black Rail</strong> was picked up on Nantucket on March 31. The <strong>Eurasian Curlew</strong> from the previous period lingered on Martha's Vineyard until March 18. Two <strong>Reeves</strong> and up to two male <strong>Ruff</strong> were in Newburyport Harbor at the end of April. A <strong>Scissor-tailed Flycatcher</strong> was spotted in Rochester on May 3. There were reports throughout the state of 17 Northern Shrikes and four <strong>Loggerhead Shrikes</strong>. Three adult male Yellow-headed Blackbirds were found in Newburyport, Melrose, and Medford, all in mid-April.</p> <p>Best sighting: a male <em><strong>Selasphorus</strong></em> hummingbird appeared in a yard in Newton, April 15–17. This was the first record of a hummingbird of this genus in the state. It was thought to be a Rufous Hummingbird, but photographs couldn't rule out Allen's Hummingbird. The first definitive records of Allen's and Rufous appeared in 1988 and 1992, respectively.</p> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <p class="caption"><img alt="" src="/Portals/0/Assets/bo46-4/gannet.jpg" title="" /><br /> Northern Gannet by William E. Davis</p> Hot Birds: August 2018https://www.birdobserver.org/Issues/2018/August-2018/hot-birds-august-2018Hot BirdsWed, 01 Aug 2018 00:00:00 GMTHot Birds: August 2018<p class="caption"><img alt="" src="/Portals/0/Assets/bo46-4/HB_RUFF_Sean_Williams_ML102687181.jpg" title="" /><br /> Sean Williams and Maili Waters spent May 30 surveying shorebirds at Monomoy, using a canoe borrowed from Blair Nikula. They were rewarded with the discovery of a Reeve (female <strong>Ruff</strong>) roosting and feeding with a large flock of Semipalmated Sandpipers. Sean Williams took the photo on the right.</p> <p class="caption"><img alt="" src="/Portals/0/Assets/bo46-4/HB_MIKI_Sean_Williams_ML101973631_crop.jpg" title="" /><br /> A couple of hours of late May hawkwatching from Bearberry Hill near Truro rewarded Sean Williams and Blair Nikula with a <strong>Mississippi Kite</strong> sighting. They saw a second one at almost exactly the same time on the following day. The species was also spotted from Provincetown on the same two days, but although the sighting on May 25 took place later and was presumed to be the same bird, the May 26 sighting happened a few hours *earlier* than the one near Truro, so was likely a different individual. A report came in from the Pilgrim Heights hawkwatch near Truro on May 26 as well. Sean Williams took the photo on the right.</p> Advertisers 46-4https://www.birdobserver.org/Issues/2018/August-2018/advertisers-46-4AdvertisersWed, 01 Aug 2018 00:00:00 GMTAdvertisers 46-4<p>In this issue:</p> At a Glance: June 2018 Revealedhttps://www.birdobserver.org/Issues/2018/August-2018/at-a-glance-june-2018-revealedAt a GlanceWed, 01 Aug 2018 00:00:00 GMTAt a Glance: June 2018 Revealed<p>Though there are different ways to attack a gull identification problem, one way is to assess the age of the gulls. Because the large gull on the far left has a solid light gray mantle, it is fair to assume that this individual is an adult. Immature gulls typically show some degree of two-toning, patterning, or mottling on the back and wings as the result of a contrast between feathers of different ages. This phenomenon is one reason why gulls often exhibit a high degree of variability from one individual to the next. The large gull on the left also has a pure yellow bill with an orange spot near the tip—another indication that it is an adult. In fact, it is an adult Herring Gull (<em>Larus argentatus</em>).</p> <p>A close look at the smaller gull at the extreme right of the photograph shows a darker gray mantle than any of the others, extensive black on its folded wings, a black bill, dark legs, and a dusky mark behind the eye that runs around the back of the head. With these characteristics, the smaller gull on the extreme right is an adult Laughing Gull (<em>Leucophaeus atricilla</em>) in nonbreeding plumage.</p> <p>Considering the plumage comments above, the two gulls in the center are clearly immatures (subadults). The immature bird on the right is about the same size as the adult Laughing Gull to its right, but is noticeably smaller than the immature bird to its left. Compared to the bird on its left, it also has a smaller and more rounded head, a much shorter, dark-tipped bill, and long and slender folded wings, all of which identify the bird as a young Ring-billed Gull (<em>Larus delawarensis</em>).</p> <p>The final identification mystery is for the immature bird in the left center of the photograph. A close look at this bird shows a solid black bill, a whitish upper breast with light streaks that blend into a darker upper belly, a prominently masked appearance to its face, and noticeable white tips to the dark tertial feathers showing above the folded wing tips. The black bill and whitish chest that gives way to the lightly streaked appearance of the underparts when combined with the bird's long and slender folded wings all point to this gull being a young Lesser Black-backed Gull (<em>Larus fuscus</em>)—a species now regular in Massachusetts but often overlooked because of its close similarity to immature Herring Gulls.</p> <p>Herring and Laughing gulls commonly nest in Massachusetts at various coastal locations, however Laughing Gulls migrate south in the winter. Ring-billed Gulls are common to locally abundant migrants and nonbreeding visitors practically throughout the year and throughout the state. Lesser Black-backed Gulls are scarce to uncommon visitors and migrants throughout Massachusetts but are most numerous on outer Cape Cod and Nantucket from late summer through the winter. The author photographed the mystery gulls in Manomet, Massachusetts, on October 7, 2007.</p> <p class="author">Wayne R. Petersen</p> At a Glance: August 2018https://www.birdobserver.org/Issues/2018/August-2018/at-a-glance-august-2018At a GlanceWed, 01 Aug 2018 00:00:00 GMTAt a Glance: August 2018<p>Can you identify the bird&nbsp;in this photograph?</p> <p>Identification will be discussed in next issue&rsquo;s AT A GLANCE.</p> Front Cover: August 2018https://www.birdobserver.org/Issues/2018/August-2018/front-cover-august-2018Front CoverWed, 01 Aug 2018 00:00:00 GMTFront Cover: August 2018<h3>Tricolored Heron</h3> <p>The Tricolored Heron (<em>Egretta tricolor</em>), a common coastal resident of our southern states but only a casual visitor to New England, is one of the best studied and most interesting of the herons. A medium-sized heron, it has dark blue upperparts tinged with maroon and white underparts in all plumages from juvenile to adult of both sexes. The mostly blue neck and head is offset with white and reddish highlights below. The contrasting color patterns separate the Tricolored Heron from all other heron species. In breeding plumage, both sexes sport white cranial plumes, white throats, and red to violet neck and back feathers with buff-colored scapular plumes. The legs become pink and the base of the bill bright blue&mdash;pretty spectacular. Two subspecies are currently recognized with <em>E. t. ruficollis</em> the resident United States subspecies.</p> <p>Tricolored Herons breed along the East Coast from Long Island south through Florida, along the Gulf Coast to northern Mexico, and in the Caribbean. They also breed along the Pacific Coast from northwestern Mexico south through Central America and in South America along the coast to northeastern Brazil and southern Peru. Tricolored Herons in the Northeast are migratory as, apparently, are the birds of northern Florida, wintering from central Mexico south to Panama. Most populations are year-round residents. In Massachusetts, the Tricolored Heron is considered a rare breeder and an uncommon visitor and migrant. In the mid-1970s, four pairs nested and fledged young in Manchester, but the species has not become a regular breeder. The first reported sighting was in 1940, and since the mid-1950s sightings have been reported nearly annually from April to September, mostly along the coast, but occasionally also from the Connecticut Valley.</p> <p>Tricolored Herons are monogamous and usually produce a single brood per season. Male Tricolored Herons have several courtship displays. In the snap-stretch display, when the female approaches, the male erects all plumes as he holds out his wings, lowers his head, picks up a twig and then points the bill and neck upward while swaying, accenting the cobalt-colored skin around his eyes and his white throat. In the circle flight, he holds his bill upward and with deep wingbeats produces a whomp-whomp sound. Aggressive displays include an upright stance with feathers sleeked back and the bill pointed upward or held horizontal. Another aggressive stance includes extending the neck upwards, with feathers of the neck and head crest erected, and wings drooped. Males aggressively defend the vicinity of their nest and sometimes their feeding sites. They give <em>aaah</em> calls in aggressive situations. At the nest, both sexes greet each other with <em>cuhl-cuhl</em> sounds during nest relief, which may aid in individual recognition.</p> <p>Tricolored Herons prefer coastal habitat such as mangroves, salt marshes, and estuaries, but also occur in freshwater environments such as the Florida Everglades. They prefer to nest on islands where they gain some protection from mammalian predators. They typically nest in mixed-species colonies, but more often within small groups of their own species. The male choses the territory and nest site, usually in tall shrubs or small trees up to about 12 feet above the water. Before pairing, the male builds the nest, a loose platform of sticks and twigs. After pairing, both sexes share in finishing the nest with a lining of fine twigs and grass. The male closely guards the territory, nest, and female through the egg-laying stage. The usual clutch of three or four greenish blue eggs are incubated by both parents for about three weeks until hatching. The chicks are semi-altricial: nearly covered with down, their eyes partly open, and the ability to hold their heads up and <em>peep</em>. By day 11 they can leave the nest, climbing about using their wings, bills, and feet. When they are two weeks old, they can regulate their own body temperature and need no further brooding. They can fly by one month of age. Both parents feed the young, initially by regurgitation of well-digested food, but within a week they bring the chicks small, undigested fish. The young are independent at 7&ndash;8 weeks.</p> <p>Tricolored Herons usually forage alone or at the edge of mixed-species flocks. They forage mostly in wetlands, usually in more open areas. They are versatile foragers and use several techniques: stand-and-wait, walk slowly, walk quickly, and run. They often use foot stirring to chase up prey. In disturb-and-chase manoeuvers, they typically crouch low, neck tucked into the breast feathers, and lunge for any fish they&#39;ve disturbed. Chasing fish in active pursuit, they may flap their wings or pirouette with an open wing. Or they may form a tent over head and body with extended open wings. They may also strike at fish while they hover over the water surface. More than 90% of their diet is composed of fish but they will occasionally exploit other abundant food resources such as grasshoppers, frogs, or lizards. This versatility in foraging behavior and prey allows Tricolored Herons to exploit a wide variety of habitats.</p> <p>Tricolored Herons have many predators. Crows, grackles, blackbirds, and night-herons are egg predators; hawks, eagles, and vultures prey on young. Raccoons are especially keen nest predators. During nesting, rain and wind can also cause mortality. Historically, Tricolored Herons were not heavily affected by plume hunters and for much of the first half of the twentieth century were the most abundant North American heron species. They expanded their range and population numbers during the 1950s&ndash;1980s, possibly due to the construction of man-made dredge spoil islands, which they readily used for breeding. Populations have since declined, due partly to the proliferation of fish farms and resulting permits issued to kill intruding herons, and partly to coastal habitat degradation. However, Tricolored Herons are widespread geographically and are versatile foragers, which with luck will ensure them a stable future.</p> <p class="author">William E. Davis, Jr.</p> The Betty Petersen Conservation Fundhttps://www.birdobserver.org/Issues/2018/August-2018/the-betty-petersen-conservation-fundZapsWed, 01 Aug 2018 00:00:00 GMTThe Betty Petersen Conservation Fund<p><a href="https://www.birdscaribbean.org"><img alt="" src="/Portals/0/Assets/bo46-4/BC-logo-200px.jpg" style="margin: 12px; float: right; width: 301px; height: 117px;" title="" />BirdsCaribbean</a>, the international network committed to conservation of the region&#39;s birds, is thrilled to launch the <a href="https://www.birdscaribbean.org/the-betty-petersen-fund-for-conservation/">Betty Petersen Conservation Fund</a>&nbsp;to advance the conservation status of birds and habitats in the Caribbean region. The Fund provides competitive grants to groups or individuals who will engage and empower communities and stakeholders to both protect and sustainably benefit from their birds. The Fund and its grants will be administered by a designated advisory group within BirdsCaribbean.</p> <p>Betty Petersen (1943-2013), a lifelong resident of Massachusetts, was, in her own way, a wizard. With nothing more than donated birding equipment, books, and a bit of cash, she turned local communities and school kids into committed conservationists, struggling NGOs into recognized players on the inter-American scene, and &quot;paper parks&quot; into real protected areas. And in the process she reminded us how rewarding it is to lend a hand when none is expected.</p> <p><img alt="" src="/Portals/0/Assets/bo46-4/Betty-Petersen_Resized-small-649x900.jpg" style="margin: 12px; float: left; width: 225px; height: 312px;" title="" />In March of 1989, Betty and a few others met with leading bird conservationists and researchers from Latin America. The Latin Americans raised the issue of how challenging it was in their home countries to get adequate optics and field guides needed to advance their work. Soon, Betty and her colleagues had responded by creating Birders&#39; Exchange, first housed at the (then) Manomet Bird Observatory and later at the American Birding Association. Betty led the project for practically its entire history. In the process, despite not being fluent in the local languages, she not only helped with the equipment needs but empowered, and made lasting friendships with, many recipients and in-country partners. Her sincerity and warmth were unmistakable. In 2006 she was honored by an Argentine conservation group for &quot;Ideas that Change the World.&quot;</p> <p>Betty&#39;s connection to the Caribbean was strong. Birders&#39; Exchange provided equipment to people and projects in a number of islands and even had a special Cuba fund initiated by National Book Award-winning author, Phillip Hoose. Nils Navarro&#39;s wonderful book, Endemic Birds of Cuba, was also dedicated to Betty. The condolence notes sent by Caribbean ornithologists upon Betty&#39;s death were simultaneously heart-warming and heart-breaking.</p> <p>Betty&#39;s spirit continues to guide and inspire us in the way she:</p> <ul> <li>embodied the joy of birding and never lost track of the goal to make a difference in the lives of birds and the people who cared for them</li> <li>believed in the power of education, changing hearts and minds, one person at a time</li> <li>advocated for others looking to do great deeds for birds</li> <li>was great at organizing and allocating resources for the greatest impact</li> <li>delivered on the promises she made, both professionally and personally</li> <li>was as comfortable in the office of senior officials as in a poor village</li> <li>taught others to care deeply for birds and the natural world through her own love and actions, and she</li> <li>knew both her birds and her fellow birding communities well.</li> </ul> <h4>For more information go to <a href="http://www.birdscaribbean.org/the-betty-petersen-fund-for-conservation">Birds Caribbean</a>.</h4>