[nysbirds-l] Hamilton & Essex Co. birds in the past week
9/2/13 Long Lake (Hamilton Co.) At dawn this morning, I ventured outside and heard several migrant Swainson's Thrushes descending into the forest near our home. A Hermit Thrush was calling, Common Loon voices echoed up from the lake, several Winter Wrens were calling and one was singing, a Pileated Woodpecker called and later an Ovenbird was observing walking in the forest at the edge of our lawn. I got a cup of coffee and sat on our porch steps when a Winter Wren began to sing in the lilac bush a few feet from me! It continued to sing for a half-hour! I couldn't see a tail on the bird, so I went inside to get binoculars. The bird did not leave when I got up and continued to stay in the lilac bush for another half-an-hour even as I walked around the bush with binoculars. It was indeed a juvenile bird, and the entire time it was in the bush, two different Winter Wrens called from the forest on either side of the house. Throughout August, there has been evidence of late nesting in both ground nesters and non-ground nesters (given the record wet late spring - early summer, I expected failed nests for ground nesting species). A tail-less Blackburnian Warbler fledgling was fed by an adult outside our home a couple weeks ago, Black-capped Chickadees are still feeding young, I observed a Black-backed Woodpecker juvenile being fed this past week, Wild Turkey poults are along all the roads I drive, a spotted Hermit Thrush juvenile was eating cherries outside our window this past Wednesday, and I've been observing Winter Wren fledglings throughout August and today. Just a couple follow-ups to earlier posts: Winter Wren (a short distance migrant) was the only species that showed an increase in number during this year's Mountain Birdwatch survey on Whiteface Mountain. That was the case not just at high elevation, but at low elevations too - they were everywhere this year! The other bird that showed a record increase was Ruby-throated Hummingbird. I found them everywhere I went (including perching on the snow & ice on Whiteface Mountain), and we estimate that there were between 15 and 20 outside our house throughout the summer. I've had good numbers during migration, but never throughout the breeding season (plus I went down from 4 feeders to 3 this summer due to one breaking). I wondered if our feeder situation was an anomaly, but two other people in Long Lake said they too, were overrun with hummingbirds this year. Following up on the discussion of missing birds started by Chris Tessaglia-Hymes, the Mt. Birdwatch survey tally for Blackpoll Warbler on Whiteface fell 50% from last year. Chris Rimmer, Director of the Vermont Center for Ecostudies, documented the decline in Blackpoll Warbler females on Mount Mansfield in historic context in his blog: http://vtecostudies.blogspot.com/2013/08/mansfield-wrap-where-are-female.htm l . I hope we will one day know what happened to Blackpoll Warblers, and many other neotropical migrant species, this year. On a positive note, I did observed Blackpoll Warblers feeding young on Whiteface Mountain in July (& Chris observed juveniles on Mt. Mansfield), so the birds that did return had some nesting success. Given that Chris R. found many male Blackpoll Warblers but a steep decline in the number of female Blackpoll Warblers, it would support the theory that severe weather events over the Gulf and in the southern US may have played a role in neotropical migrant species population declines (since male and female Blackpoll Warblers migrate on different dates). Following up on the abundance of cones in the Adirondacks this summer, there is also an abundance of nuts and berries. Charlotte Demers, biologist at SUNY ESF's Huntington facility, said it is time to stock up on mouse traps! After no cones and no mice last winter (with many starved Barred Owls), things will be completely different this fall/winter - just this past week the mice began to come in our house, and we are trapping one a day (very early for them to be coming in). Some of the species found during the past week ( including 7 different Black-backed Woodpeckers and even more Boreal Chickadees!) are listed below: 9/1/13 Sabattis Circle Road (Whitney Wilderness Area in the Town of Long Lake in Hamilton Co.); some of the 27 species found: Broad-winged Hawk Black-backed Woodpecker - a male and female a few trees apart in boreal habitat along the road (photos on my Facebook page listed below) Brown Creeper - lots of singing from this species lately! 7 warbler species with many Nashville (Black-throated Blue and Black-and-white were singing) Song Sparrow - fledgling with no tail 8/30/13 Roosevelt Truck Trail (Minerva in Essex Co.) afternoon walk ~2 miles round trip: Broad-winged Hawk Black-backed Woodpecker - 2; I spent my time photographing and observing a male Boreal Chickadee - 7 (flocks of 3, 3, and at least one) Several warbler species including a singing
[nysbirds-l] Hamilton Essex Co. birds in the past week
9/2/13 Long Lake (Hamilton Co.) At dawn this morning, I ventured outside and heard several migrant Swainson's Thrushes descending into the forest near our home. A Hermit Thrush was calling, Common Loon voices echoed up from the lake, several Winter Wrens were calling and one was singing, a Pileated Woodpecker called and later an Ovenbird was observing walking in the forest at the edge of our lawn. I got a cup of coffee and sat on our porch steps when a Winter Wren began to sing in the lilac bush a few feet from me! It continued to sing for a half-hour! I couldn't see a tail on the bird, so I went inside to get binoculars. The bird did not leave when I got up and continued to stay in the lilac bush for another half-an-hour even as I walked around the bush with binoculars. It was indeed a juvenile bird, and the entire time it was in the bush, two different Winter Wrens called from the forest on either side of the house. Throughout August, there has been evidence of late nesting in both ground nesters and non-ground nesters (given the record wet late spring - early summer, I expected failed nests for ground nesting species). A tail-less Blackburnian Warbler fledgling was fed by an adult outside our home a couple weeks ago, Black-capped Chickadees are still feeding young, I observed a Black-backed Woodpecker juvenile being fed this past week, Wild Turkey poults are along all the roads I drive, a spotted Hermit Thrush juvenile was eating cherries outside our window this past Wednesday, and I've been observing Winter Wren fledglings throughout August and today. Just a couple follow-ups to earlier posts: Winter Wren (a short distance migrant) was the only species that showed an increase in number during this year's Mountain Birdwatch survey on Whiteface Mountain. That was the case not just at high elevation, but at low elevations too - they were everywhere this year! The other bird that showed a record increase was Ruby-throated Hummingbird. I found them everywhere I went (including perching on the snow ice on Whiteface Mountain), and we estimate that there were between 15 and 20 outside our house throughout the summer. I've had good numbers during migration, but never throughout the breeding season (plus I went down from 4 feeders to 3 this summer due to one breaking). I wondered if our feeder situation was an anomaly, but two other people in Long Lake said they too, were overrun with hummingbirds this year. Following up on the discussion of missing birds started by Chris Tessaglia-Hymes, the Mt. Birdwatch survey tally for Blackpoll Warbler on Whiteface fell 50% from last year. Chris Rimmer, Director of the Vermont Center for Ecostudies, documented the decline in Blackpoll Warbler females on Mount Mansfield in historic context in his blog: http://vtecostudies.blogspot.com/2013/08/mansfield-wrap-where-are-female.htm l . I hope we will one day know what happened to Blackpoll Warblers, and many other neotropical migrant species, this year. On a positive note, I did observed Blackpoll Warblers feeding young on Whiteface Mountain in July ( Chris observed juveniles on Mt. Mansfield), so the birds that did return had some nesting success. Given that Chris R. found many male Blackpoll Warblers but a steep decline in the number of female Blackpoll Warblers, it would support the theory that severe weather events over the Gulf and in the southern US may have played a role in neotropical migrant species population declines (since male and female Blackpoll Warblers migrate on different dates). Following up on the abundance of cones in the Adirondacks this summer, there is also an abundance of nuts and berries. Charlotte Demers, biologist at SUNY ESF's Huntington facility, said it is time to stock up on mouse traps! After no cones and no mice last winter (with many starved Barred Owls), things will be completely different this fall/winter - just this past week the mice began to come in our house, and we are trapping one a day (very early for them to be coming in). Some of the species found during the past week ( including 7 different Black-backed Woodpeckers and even more Boreal Chickadees!) are listed below: 9/1/13 Sabattis Circle Road (Whitney Wilderness Area in the Town of Long Lake in Hamilton Co.); some of the 27 species found: Broad-winged Hawk Black-backed Woodpecker - a male and female a few trees apart in boreal habitat along the road (photos on my Facebook page listed below) Brown Creeper - lots of singing from this species lately! 7 warbler species with many Nashville (Black-throated Blue and Black-and-white were singing) Song Sparrow - fledgling with no tail 8/30/13 Roosevelt Truck Trail (Minerva in Essex Co.) afternoon walk ~2 miles round trip: Broad-winged Hawk Black-backed Woodpecker - 2; I spent my time photographing and observing a male Boreal Chickadee - 7 (flocks of 3, 3, and at least one) Several warbler species including a singing
