Rise of the Spadefoot Toads!

On Friday April 12 I had a really uncommon and fascinating experience: the emergence of Eastern Spadefoot Toads!

Eastern spadefoot toad (Image by Michelle Horowitz)

A few months ago we moved back to New Jersey (more on that in a future post) and I resumed working at my old nature center as a naturalist. I was preparing for an amphibian presentation and a coworker was telling me about her experience with Eastern spadefoot toads, an elusive and rare frog in the northeastern United States. She said that in 2018 she witnessed a spadefoot eruption – where a large group of toads emerged in the center’s vernal pool to breed.

So you can imagine my excitement when she texted me Friday to say that the spadefoots were erupting at that moment. I rushed over to the center and was not disappointed.

Eastern spadefoot toads can be found throughout the eastern United States from Massachusetts to the Florida Keys and in parts of the interior southeast. They are rare and considered endangered in some states. 78% of frogs and toads have horizontal pupils, but spadefoot toads have distinctive bright yellow eyes with vertical pupils. Many species with vertical pupils, like the spadefoots, are active at night.

Spadefoot toad eyes floating in the vernal pool (Image by Michelle Horowitz)

Why was I in such a rush to observe the toads at the nature center? Spadefoot toads spend a majority of their lives in underground burrows, which they use their spade-like projections on their feet to excavate. They can stay in torpor (a state of decreased metabolic rate, low body temperature, and motor inactivity) for months at a time. They wait to emerge until warm, heavy rains of typically 2 or more inches in the spring and summer. Spadefoots feed at night, making them harder to observe. Although they can breed up to 3 times a year, if conditions are not right they can skip breeding completely for the year.

A view of the “spade” on a spadefoot toad (Image by Michelle Horowitz)

Spadefoot toads are considered explosive breeders. Explosive breeders use temporary bodies of water such as vernal pools. As a result they need to reproduce and develop quickly. Explosive breeder males will call females to the breeding site. The spadefoot male’s call is a low pitched ‘waaaah, waaaah’ that sounds similar to a crow’s ‘caw’. Once the females arrive and breeding commences they can lay between 800 to 4,500 eggs per event. Many times eggs can hatch within 24 hours and within 14 days juveniles will metamorphize and leave the area.

The experience of seeing the spadefoots at the nature center’s vernal pool was amazing. I’d estimate that there were at least 50-70 toads in the vernal pool. They were calling when I quietly approached the pool then stopped. Once they adjusted to my presence they started to call again. I could see little pairs of eyes emerge and float around the pool, with small groups rippling around together. I did get to see some mating using the amplexus position, where the male wraps his arms around the female’s torso. I could also clearly see the vocal sacs of many males expand and contract while calling and swimming.

The next day I was presenting a program at the center and went to check the vernal pool. There was no indication that less than 24 hours earlier there was a large number of mating toads loudly calling and swimming throughout the vernal pool. They disappeared as quickly as they emerged. I feel so lucky (and thankful to my coworker for informing me!) to be able to witness such an amazing and rare event.

Spadefoot toad (Image by Michelle Horowitz)

The male’s vocal sac (Image by Michelle Horowitz)

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References

• Connecticut Department of Energy & Environmental Protection. (n.d.). Eastern Spadefoot. CT.gov. https://portal.ct.gov/-/media/deep/wildlife/pdf_files/outreach/fact_sheets/spadefootpdf.pdf
• Norman, C. (2020, November 16). Eastern Spadefoot Toad. PennState Extension. https://extension.psu.edu/eastern-spadefoot-toad
• Overduijn, K. (n.d.). Eastern Spadefoot Toad (Scaphiopus holbrookii). Savannah River Ecology Lab University of Georgia. https://srelherp.uga.edu/anurans/scahol.htm
• Wilke, C. (2021, August 24). Frog and toad pupils mainly come in seven different shapes. ScienceNews. https://www.sciencenews.org/article/frog-toad-pupil-eye-seven-different-shapes

Return to the Shore

We visited family in New Jersey for Memorial Day weekend. On May 28 Dave, BB (Baby Birder), and I spent the morning at Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge. It was a lovely morning with loads of shorebirds and seabirds. We observed 48 species and added 2 new birds to our life life: a Marbled Godwit and Bank Swallows. Here are some of the highlights:

Seabirds: Common Terns, Forster Terns, Least Terns, Gull-billed Terns, Black Skimmers, Great Black-backed Gulls, Herring Gulls, Ring-billed Gulls, Laughing Gulls, Double-crested Cormorants

Forster’s Tern (Image by Michelle Horowitz)

Black Skimmers (Image by David Horowitz)

Shorebirds: Marbled Godwit, Semipalmated Sandpipers, Ruddy Turnstones, Black-bellied Plover, American Oystercatchers, Willets, Dunlin, White-rumped Sandpipers, Short-billed Dowitchers

Ruddy Turnstone breeding adult (Image by Michelle Horowitz)

Other Highlights: A Clapper Rail running across the mudflats, 24 Osprey, Marsh Wrens, lots of Red-winged Blackbirds, a horseshoe crab, and many Diamondback Terrapins

Diamondback Terrapin (Image by David Horowitz)

Diamondback Terrapins basking in the Sun (Image by David Horowitz)

Cackling or Canada?

Happy Waterfowl Wednesday! Last week we talked about the Canada Goose (Branta canadensis) and its 7 subspecies. For awhile it was commonly accepted that there were 11 Canada subspecies, but in 2004 the American Ornithologists Union took the four smallest and declared them a separate species: the Cackling Goose (Branta hutchinsii). Why did this happen? How can you tell if the white-cheeked goose you’re seeing is a Canada or a Cackling?

Cackling Goose (ALAN SCHMIERER, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons)

Cackling vs. Canada Identification

	Cackling	Canada
Height	24-25 inches (63-65 cm)	29-43 inches (76-110 cm)
Weight	3-5 lbs	6-20 lbs
Color Pattern	Brown overall, varying from pale to dark depending on subspecies. White under black tail. Short black neck.	Brown back, black head/neck, tan breast
Facial features	Black head with white/throat patch (“chinstrap”). Some have white ring at base of neck. Rounded crown but steep forehead.	Black head with white/throat patch (“chinstrap”). Rounded head with sloping forehead.
Bill color/shape	Black. Short. Meets forehead at a steep angle.	Black. Wide and flat.
Other features	Small black feet and short black legs. Long wings.	Large black feet and black legs.

Cackling vs. Canada Geese identification features

Size is a good first indicator to identifying a Cackling Goose. They tend to be very small. They are about the same size as a Mallard, Brant, or Barnacle Goose and are smaller than Snow Geese. However, it’s important to be aware that they may be similar in size to smaller Canada Goose subspecies, so it’s important to not rely only on size and use other features for identification too. There is also much variation between the four Cackling subspecies. American ornithologist David Allen Sibley suggests getting to know your local flocks and being aware of geographic differences. They are very often found in mixed flocks with Canada Geese.

Cackling vs. Canada Goose (Caleb Putnam, CC BY 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0, via Wikimedia Commons)

Subspecies and Ranges

• Branta hutchinsii minima (“Ridgeway”): Breeds in western Alaska and winters in California and Oregon. Smallest of the 4 subspecies (2.5-4 lbs) and has the shortest bill.
• Branta hutchinsii leucopareia (“Aleutian”): Breeds in Alaska’s Aleutian Islands. Winters in California. White “collar” where black neck meets brown body.
• Branta hutchinsii taverneri (“Taverner’s” or “Alaska”): Breeds in Alaska and Northwest Canada, rare east of the Rocky Mountains. Winters in Washington, Oregon, and southwestern United States. Closest in size/appearance to Canada Goose parvipes subspecies, so use caution with identification.
• Branta hutchinsii hutchinsii (“Richardson’s” or “Hutchin’s”): Breeds Central and East Arctic Canada. Migrates to Great Plains. Paler in color and lacks white neck ring.

Some subspecies will rarely winter in the northeastern United States down the Atlantic Coast into the Gulf Coast.

Why the split?

There’s a bit of a debate with scientists about whether the split of Cackling Geese from Canada Geese is appropriate. The two species do tend to hybridize in some locations, which complicates the situation. The 2004 split is based on evidence of differences in mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) of the two species. Studies by Shields and Wilson (1987a and 1987b) found a 2% difference in the mtDNA and suggests that the two species diverged about one million years ago. Even within Cackling subspecies there are have been differences in evolutionary selection pressures due to geographical isolation. The breeding habitats are of minima and leucopareia are distinctly different from taverneri and hutchinsii.

So the next time you are looking at a flock of Canada Geese you may not be looking at only Canada Geese. A Cackling Goose may be among the ranks. It’s always worth a closer look. Happy goose watching!

References

• Caldwell, I. (2021). The Cackling Goose. Coastal Interpretive Center. https://interpretivecenter.org/the-cackling-goose/
• Dobak. (2006, February 21). Branta hutchinsii Branta canadensis Dobak [Photograph]. Wikimedia Commons. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Branta_hutchinsii_Branta_canadensis_Dobak.jpg
• Griffiths, D. (2017). Learn to Tell a Cackling Goose From a Canada Goose. Audubon. https://www.audubon.org/news/learn-tell-cackling-goose-canada-goose
• Mlodinow, S., Springer, P., Deuel, P., Semo, L. S., Leukering, T., Schonewald, T.D., Tweit, W., & Barry, J. H. (2008). Distribution and Identification of Cackling Goose (Branta hutchinsii) Subspecies. North American Birds, 62(3), 344-360). http://www.utahbirds.org/RecCom/IDhelp/Cackling_Goose-NAB.pdf
• Sibley, D. (2007). Distinguishing Cackling and Canada Geese. Sibley Guides. https://www.sibleyguides.com/2007/07/identification-of-cackling-and-canada-goose/
• Schmierer, A. (2007, March 16). CACKLING GOOSE(3-16-07)leucopareia, sloco, ca(1) (8708303070) [Photograph]. Wikimedia Commons. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:016_-CACKLING_GOOSE(3-16-07)leucopareia,_sloco,_ca(1)_(8708303070).jpg
• Szantyr, M. (2004). Questions and Ansers: Identifying Cackling Goose, Branta hutchinsii, the Newest Addition to the Connecticut Checklist. The Connecticut Warbler, 24(4), 111-116.
• The Cornell Lab. (2023). Cackling Goose. All About Birds. https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Cackling_Goose/overview
• The Cornell Lab. (2023). Canada Goose. All About Birds. https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Canada_Goose/overview

Book Review: Red-Tails in Love

A person usually becomes well-acquainted with the natural cycles and rhythms of a specific location if they spend many years observing nature there. But one of the great joys of birdwatching is to expect the unexpected. In the mid-1990s, nobody in New York City ever expected to find a pair of Red-tailed Hawks setting up a nest on the façade of an apartment building on Fifth Avenue and 74th Street, but it happened. Marie Winn chronicles the amazing journey of the “Fifth Avenue Hawks” in her delightful book Red-Tails in Love.

Central Park was designed in 1858 by Frederick Law Olmsted, who is widely considered the father of landscape architecture, and his partner Calvert Vaux. Olmsted and Vaux wanted to create a bucolic escape from the hustle and bustle of urban life, but never intended the park to become the wilderness that it is today. Over 280 bird species have been recorded in Central Park since it’s inception. Red-tailed Hawks started breeding near the park in 1994 with the hawks described in Winn’s book and continue to breed there to this day.

Winn discovers The Bird Register, a notebook used by Central Park birdwatchers to share their sightings with one another. She quickly becomes a willing student of many of the park’s most frequent and experienced birders who she dubs “The Regulars”. Winn shares the stories of The Regulars while giving us a glimpse into the park’s annual nature cycles such as spring migration and fall hawk counts.

But one day the smooth flow of normal birding was interrupted when a distinctive male Red-tailed Hawk appeared. Unlike a typical Red-tail, this individual was exceptionally light, missing the trademark brown “belly-band” and having an almost white head. The Regulars dubbed him “Pale Male” and he unknowingly became the star of his own romantic drama. When Pale Male and his new mate, nicknamed “First Love”, attempted nesting on the apartment building hawk watching become an obsession.

Winn briefly takes us through 4 years of breeding attempts. Like any good romantic drama (if Red-tails were the movie stars lol) there’s stunning displays of affection, failed nesting attempts, and of course adorable chicks. There’s even a case of mistaken identity and the rallying of the troops with US Fish & Wildlife to protect the nest. One of my favorite parts was Winn describing the hawk watchers on their bench giving the hawks encouraging remarks like “Great job mom!” to the female feeding her chicks and “Wow, nice catch dad!” when Pale Male arrives to the nest with a rat or pigeon.

Bird watching is already an amazing pastime, but it’s extra special when you get the rare opportunity to know an individual wild bird. For the Central Park birders Pale Male wasn’t just some Red-tailed Hawk; they knew him personally. He had daily routines, favorite locations, and a family. They worried about the hawks’ well-being, protected them at all costs, and celebrated their accomplishments. The “Fifth Avenue Hawks” not only fostered the Central Park birding community, but became an integral part of it. The hawks helped citizens connect, created friendships, and encouraged people to become stewards of the natural world in their own backyards. Marie Winn reminds us through her wonderful story that we can all be part of that community; all we have to do is enjoy nature with an open heart.

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When living at the Jersey Shore we had our own “Pale Male”, an American Oystercatcher called “T2”. You can read about the Jersey Shore’s most beloved oystercatcher here, here, and my love letter to him here.

References

• Kooper, M. B., Winston, T., & Maas, H. D. (2020). Central Park. NYC Audubon. https://www.nycaudubon.org/events-birding/birding-resources/birding-in-nyc/birding-in-manhattan/central-park
• Winn, M. (1999). Red-Tails in Love. Vintage Books.

Birds and Light Pollution

Happy World Migratory Bird Day! I hope you are able to get out and enjoy watching the birds today. The 2022 theme for World Migratory Bird Day is light pollution.

Many bird species migrate at night, so light pollution from populated areas disorients their navigation, disturbs their internal clocks, and cause numerous collisions every year. In the United States alone, 100 millions birds die annually from collisions with buildings. Building collisions can happen during the day too, but the lights at night add an extra threat by attracting birds to the area, in the same way that your porch light attracts moths.

A study published in the journal Nature in 2020 found that light pollution is starting to impact breeding habits of some birds species as well. The researchers analyzed how noise and light pollution impacted breeding success of 58,506 nests from 142 North American species. They found that light pollution leads species of open habitats such as grasslands to breed up to a month earlier and 18 days earlier in forested environments. In forested habitats noise pollution was more disruptive than for open habitat birds, causing some species to delay breeding. These changes in breeding habits can cause temporal mismatch which could lead to higher mortality rates due to weather events and difficulties finding food sources.

Bird Mortality from Collisions (Bishop, 2018)

According to the World Migratory Bird Day website, artificial light is increasing by 2% each year globally. While that may not seem that much, this increase is having adverse effects not only on birds, but other species including humans. There are 4 components to light pollution: glare (excessive uncomfortable brightness), clutter (bright confusing groupings), skyglow (brightening of the night sky in inhabited areas), and light trespassing (light in unwanted or not intended areas). According to the International Dark-Sky Association, 80% of the global population lives under skyglow and up to 99% of the public in Europe and the United States can’t experience natural night! Industrial civilization is the root cause of light pollution. Light pollution also affects melatonin production, discombobulates circadian rhythms, disrupts ecosystems, and increases energy consumption.

Lights Outs is a program created by the National Audubon Society to combat light pollution. The program encourages building managers and owners to turn off excess lighting during migration season to make it easier for birds to travel. Lights Out has found success in many cities throughout the United States and is becoming more popular over time. Individuals can participate in Lights Out events too.

So what can be done to help birds and reduce light pollution? Here are some simple steps you can take:

• Turn off unnecessary lights. Only use lighting if needed.
• Set lights on a timer or motion detector
• Keep blinds closed to keep light inside.
• Participate in citizen science projects to measure light pollution such as Globe at Night , Cities at Night, or track on your smartphone using apps such as The Dark Sky Meter app. Check out the “Measuring Light Pollution” page at The Dark-Sky Association website for more information to get involved.
• Support programs such as Lights Out
• Spread the word about light pollution to you friends and family. Knowledge is power!

References

• Bishop, M. (2018). Dangerous Skies: Estimated Annual Mortality from Collision Threats to Birds [Online Image]. BirdCast. https://birdcast.info/science-to-action/lights-out/
• International Dark-Sky Association. (n.d.). Light Pollution. International Dark-Sky Association. https://www.darksky.org/light-pollution/
• NSF Public Affairs. (2020). Noise and light pollution affect breeding habits in birds. National Science Foundation. https://www.nsf.gov/discoveries/disc_summ.jsp?cntn_id=301714&org=NSF
• UNEP/CMS Secretariat and UNEP/AEWA Secretariat. (2021). World Migratory Bird Day 2022 Theme to Focus on Light Pollution. World Migratory Bird Day. https://www.worldmigratorybirdday.org/news/2021/world-migratory-bird-day-2022-theme-focus-light-pollution
• World Migratory Bird Day in the Americas. (2022). Dim the lights at night for birds. Migratory Bird Day.org. https://www.migratorybirdday.org/conservation-theme/

Mother’s Day Sparrows

Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms! You are amazing!

This is my 2nd Mother’s Day as a mom. When Dave asked me what I wanted for the holiday of course my answer was to go birding (and get ice cream lol). Baby Birder was only a few months old at this time last year, so we took a short walk at Mine Falls Park for my first Mother’s Day. Since Baby Birder is a little older this year and travels well, we did 2 birding trips this weekend: one to Maine and the other to a smaller local park. I’m also really excited about my gift from them: a gift certificate to the Bird Watcher’s General Store in Cape Cod. 🙂

Kennebunk Plains Wildlife Management Area, Kennebunk, ME

Yesterday we explored Kennebunk Plains WMA, which consists of over 1,700 acres of grasslands and pine barrens. The National Audubon Society considers Kennebunk Plains an Important Bird Area (IBA). The Plains are significant because they are breeding grounds to many grassland species such as Vesper Sparrows, Upland Sandpipers, Bobolinks, Eastern Meadowlarks, Savannah Sparrows, and Grasshopper Sparrows. Many of these birds are considered threatened throughout their ranges and are vulnerable to climate change, so managing a native grassland like Kennebunk Plains is necessary to their survival. The forest edges support many species of warblers, Black-billed Cuckoos, Whip-poor-wills, Lark Buntings, and others.

Kennebunk Plains (Photo by BirdNation)

Notable Species Observed: American Kestrel, Vesper Sparrow, Prairie Warbler, Field Sparrow, Savannah Sparrow, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Eastern Towhee

We added a new species to our life list: the Vesper Sparrow! There were many of these cute little sparrows flying around the grasslands as well as Field and Savannah Sparrows. We observed a pair of American Kestrels flying around together and preening. They are super fast and we had the opportunity to watch one hovering and diving for prey. Field Sparrows and Prairie Warblers were a special treat because we haven’t seen any since we moved from NH to NJ.

Vesper Sparrow (Photo by BirdNation)

Vesper Sparrows mainly breed in the West/Midwest United States but can be found in smaller populations in the East and winter in the southern part of North America. Interestingly, this species has gone through numerous names over the years: from “the Gray Grass-bird” to “grass finch” to Alexander Wilson’s name of “Bay-winged Bunting”. Naturalist John Burroughs was fond of its pretty musical song and thought it sang most impressively during the evenings, so he named it “Vesper Sparrow” based off the sixth canonical hour of evening prayer worship. Distinctive field marks include its white-edged tail that can be seen in flight, chestnut lesser wing coverts on its shoulder, its stocky bill, and thin white eye-ring.

Field Sparrow (Photo by Dave Horowitz)

Savannah Sparrow (Photo by Dave Horowitz)

References

• Audubon. (n.d.) Kennebunk Plains – The Plains. Audubon. https://www.audubon.org/important-bird-areas/kennebunk-plains-plains
• Kauffman, K. (n.d.). Vesper Sparrow. Audubon. https://www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/vesper-sparrow
• The Cornell Lab. (2019). Vesper Sparrow. All About Birds. https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Vesper_Sparrow/overview
• Wright, R. (2019). Peterson Reference Guide to Sparrows of North America. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

American Goldfinches and Coneflowers

I was looking out the kitchen window the other morning and there was an female American Goldfinch on one of the Purple Coneflowers. American Goldfinches like to eat the seeds of the Coneflower, especially in the fall. However, this female was not looking for seeds. She was pulling the petals off the flowers, but I didn’t see her fly away with them. Later in the afternoon a male was with her pulling petals off as well.

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American Goldfinches pulling petals off Coneflowers (Images by Michelle Horowitz)

I’m not exactly sure why there were doing it. I tried looking up some information about why they were specifically focusing on petals and didn’t find much, but it was interesting to watch. Anyone else see this scenario before?

The Coneflowers also attract a lot of butterflies.

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If anyone has an explanation let me know in the comments!

Gulls Simplified Book Review

Gulls Simplified: A Comparative Approach to Identification by Pete Dunne and Kevin T. Karlson

Gulls can be a tough group of birds to identify. Yes, as a whole gulls are pretty conspicuous, standing around on the beach, flying not far offshore, or harassing you in a parking lot. But what are you looking at really? Is that a second summer gull? Juvenile? Subadult? Gulls go through so many seasonal plumage variations that it can leave the average birder feeling frustrated. However, if you are up for the challenge of setting your gulls straight, look no further than Gulls Simplified: A Comparative Approach to Identification.

Gulls Simplified was written and photographed by two very accomplished New Jersey birders: Pete Dunne and Kevin T. Karlson. They have both authored field guides and birding books so I was not surprised at the high quality and breadth of information and photographs in Gulls Simplified. (Kevin T. Karlson co-authored The Shorebird Guide, a field guide that I highly recommend for all birders).

Dunne points out in his introduction how many field guides are plumage driven. However, since gull plumage varies significantly, approaching gull identification through the lens of body structure, size, geography, and behavior would be more helpful. The book starts with basic gull id strategies, issues, and a small section about gull-like birds.

The species accounts are broken down into 5 main sections: “small to medium-sized gulls and hooded gulls”, “gray-backed white-headed gulls”, “large dark-backed gulls”, “dark horse gulls (rare or unlikely gulls), and “hybrid gulls”. There is also a chapter that features quizzes where the reader can test themselves on challenging ids. Keep in mind that this book features North American Gulls, but could be an interesting read for someone not from that region of the world.

My favorite feature of Gulls Simplified are the beautiful , high quality gull photographs. There are hundreds of exquisite gull photos that captures the fine details of the bird’s plumage and demonstrates the size/structure strategy that Dunne teaches us in the introduction. I especially love when the authors have a block of about 6-8 photos of the same species to compare its plumage changes as the bird grows and molts. The captions are also very helpful and descriptive. I’ve heard discussion from birders in the past about photographic versus hand-drawn/painted field guides. While I think both have their benefits (for example, I believe one of the top field guides is the Sibley’s 2nd edition which is all paintings), I think photographs are the best medium for Gulls Simplified since it reflects what you would really see in the field.

The other feature I enjoy about Gulls Simplified are the photo quizzes. Not only is there a section in the back of the guide with quizzes, but they are also interspersed throughout the chapters. With the quizzes you can not only practice the gull id skills you’ve learned, but identify other bird species you might find mixed in with a gull flock.

Dunne and Karlson bring up an interesting topic in the section called “Traditional Gull ID Problems”. According to the authors, they believe that sometimes people make gull id “complicated” because they are so busy looking for “rare” gulls in their region, making the identifications more about plumage than anything else. By accepting the idea that these “rare” gulls are indeed rare and unlikely to be spotted in certain regions, then we can “simplify” our gull id experience by focusing on our regional gulls that we are likely to spot. Not that those rare gulls can’t happen, but if we learn to appreciate our local gulls then a rarity would be more easily recognizable and special.

I highly recommend Gulls Simplified for all birders who have any sort of interest in gulls. This guide features interesting information, wonderful photographs, and useful strategies to help make your gull identification experiences easier and more rewarding.

What is your favorite gull species? Tell me in the comments! (Mine is the Ring-billed Gull)

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Check out some of my other book reviews:

• Baby Birds by Julie Zickefoose
• The Seabird’s Cry by Adam Nicolson
• The Warbler Guide by Tom Stephenson and Scott Whittle
• The Narrow Edge by Deborah Cramer
• The Most Perfect Thing by Tim Birkhead

Life After 200

Hi friends! Hope you are all doing well.

I haven’t written since my 200th species post…but I have been outside everyday. I’m working at a nature camp this summer, so I’ve been doing plenty of hiking and learning an awful lot about nature that’s not bird-related. I’ve been having a blast (and am also exhausted  but in a good way, which is why I haven’t been writing lol). Shameless self promotion: I’ve also been posting on Instagram everyday @birdnation123, so if you haven’t followed us yet you should check it out! Sometimes I post pics there that are not featured on the blog, so don’t miss out on the fun 😉

Dave and I went birding twice this weekend to 3 different locations. Saturday we spent some time at Maria B. Greenwald Memorial Park for the first time in a few months. It was a fairly quiet evening: lots of cardinals, a Ruby-throated Hummingbird, American Robins, and a family of Canada Geese out on a stroll.

“You looking at me?”…young Canada Goose (Image by BirdNation)

A Family Evening Stroll (Image by BirdNation)

The pace of the evening sped up when we made it back to the parking area. The sun was starting to set and many small birds started zooming through the air. They were flying like swallows but had the wrong shape. They were our first Chimney Swifts! And they don’t call them swifts for nothing! They were so fast as they tried to catch insects that it was hard to get a good look at them. I managed to get a silhouette of a swift’s distinct scimitar-shaped wings.

Chimney Swift silhouette (Image by BirdNation)

Chimney Swifts can be found throughout the eastern half of the United States in cities and towns. They used to nest in trees, but are now found almost always nesting in…well you probably guessed it…chimneys. Here’s what one looks like when they aren’t swiftly flying past your binoculars.

(Image by Jayne Amico/Mount Vernon Songbird Sanctuary)

Sunday we made our way to one of our favorite birding spots, Barnegat Lighthouse SP. Highlights included Brown Pelicans, tons of gulls, Ruddy Turnstones, Osprey, and American Oystercatchers.

Great Black-backed Gull portrait (Image by BirdNation)

American Oystercatcher (Image by BirdNation)

Ruddy Turnstone (Image by BirdNation)

We did observe one Piping Plover. I’m guessing that the Piping Plover may be Pete and Phoebe’s offspring. The plover was not banded and its bill was mainly black. Adult Piping Plovers have orange bills with black tips, and this plover had much more black than orange.

Young Piping Plover (Image by BirdNation)

On our way off Long Beach Island, we stopped at a new birding location. Edwin B. Forsythe NWR has a new unit as of the end of June: Cedar Bonnet Island in Stafford Township. Over 20 acres of salt marsh are under restoration to provide a habitat for birds migrating along the coast. The one-mile trail opened recently, and there’s quite a lovely view of the marsh. We saw 29 species in our short visit, including Snowy Egrets, Great Egrets, a Spotted Sandpiper, a Little Blue Heron, Song Sparrows, Glossy Ibis, and many Ospreys. By this point in our trip it was raining so I didn’t take my good camera out, but did capture this view of the salt marsh on my phone.

Cedar Bonnet Island (Image by BirdNation)

We definitely plan on stopping back to Cedar Bonnet Island on our next LBI trip. I’m happy to know more of New Jersey’s shoreline is being preserved to help our coastal flora and fauna.

 

 

 

 

 

World Oceans Day 2018

June 8th is World Oceans Day.

Logo via worldoceansday.org

Humans and animals depend on the ocean for survival. 75% of the planet is covered by oceans. Not only do oceans generate our climate, but they regulate oxygen and supply us with food and medicine.

The oceans are one of the few places left on Earth where there are still new things being discovered all the time. It’s estimated that there are between 700,000 to a million species living in the ocean, many which have yet to be described or named. A healthy ocean is imperative to survival on Earth.

There’s a major problem though: plastic pollution. Plastic pollution is the theme for 2018’s World Ocean Day.

Plastic has literally changed our world. Yes, there are benefits of plastic, but the negatives are truly detrimental.

It’s estimated that over 8 million metric tons of plastic are thrown into our oceans each year. But it gets worse- 236,000 tons are considered microplastics, which are smaller than 5 mm long. Many seabirds and marine animals can not distinguish these pieces of microplastics from food, so they end up being ingested. According to National Geographic, almost every species of seabirds will be eating plastic by 2050. Production of plastics have increased exponentially, and the more produced, the worse the dilemma gets.

What can be done about this critical problem? Making our oceans healthier is an extremely challenging global issue. If we want our oceans to ever improve, even a little, the problem needs to be tackled worldwide. There are many organizations and scientists working on solutions for removing plastic from the oceans. In the meantime, we can all do something to reduce our impact. Every little bit counts, and even each individual taking small steps to reduce their plastic waste can make a huge difference in the long term.

• Avoid single-use plastics. Examples of single-use plastics include straws, plastic bags, beverage bottles, and coffee stirrers. There are many reusable items that can be used instead of single-use plastics.
• Recycle plastics properly. Educate yourself on the different types of plastic and how to recycle them in your area. Improper recycling can be just as damaging as not recycling.
• Spread the word. Inform your family and friends about plastic pollution and how they can help.

Our oceans are fascinating places that are brimming with life. It’s up to us to take care of them so we can continue to enjoy them. Together we can make a difference.

Image by BirdNation

If you’d like to learn more about  World Oceans Day/oceans in general/plastic pollution check out the following websites.

World Oceans Day website: http://www.worldoceansday.org/

NOAA’s National Ocean Service: https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/

National Geographic Planet or Plastic? (has links to many sources I used for this article): https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/planetorplastic/

To read an article I wrote a few years ago about Plastics and Laysan Albatrosses check out Trouble in Paradise