Tag: wildlife

Exploring Maryland’s Western Shore

We just spent a beautiful weekend exploring Maryland’s western shore. This region includes the counties that are on the west side of Chesapeake Bay. This trip our second time staying in Calvert County. The first time was in 2019 when we explored Flag Ponds Nature Park, Calvert Cliffs State Park, and Battle Creek Cypress Swamp. We returned to two of these locations, however this time it was Birder Boy’s (BB) first trip to the area.

Birding wasn’t our only goal on this trip. BB loves vehicles and he’s been into military vehicles recently. If you’re an aviation fan I highly recommend the Patuxent River Naval Air Museum, which was a really cool place to check out. As a birder I like how many of the planes are named after raptors such as the harrier, osprey, and hawkeye. We even saw a Broad-winged Hawk in the flight line area.

After the museum we took a quick hike at Battle Creek Cypress Swamp. Highlights include Yellow-throated Warblers, Blue-gray Gnatcatchers, Northern Parulas, Pine Warblers, and a Louisiana Waterthrush. We also heard many treefrogs and saw Black and Tiger Swallowtails.

Battle Creek Cypress Swamp (Image by Michelle Horowitz)

The next day we spent the morning at Flag Ponds Nature Park searching for fossils. Dave only found one small shark tooth, but BB had a blast digging at the beach. There was a lot of wildlife around: many calling tree frogs, tiger and zebra swallowtails, Ospreys, Yellow-throated Warblers, Yellow-rumped Warblers, a Swamp Sparrow, a male Belted Kingfisher, and more. Two of the most exciting finds of the day were a calling Prairie Warbler and two Killdeer. The Killdeer were calling ‘kill-deee, kill-deee’ and flying around the beach. Many times I see these cute conspicuous plovers in parking lots and other suburban/urban areas, so it’s fun to see them in a more natural habitat. They can be distinguished from other plovers by their double chest bands and red eyes.

Flag Pond Nature Park (Image by Michelle Horowitz)
Killdeer (Image by Michelle Horowitz)

There were also many Atlantic Lion’s Mane Jellyfish floating in the water. The size of this species depends on its geographically location. The lion’s mane jellyfish in the warm waters of the southeastern United States usually only grow up to 5-6 inches. However, individuals in the frigid Antarctic and Arctic waters can be up to 7 feet long which makes them the largest jellyfish species in the genus Scyphozoa. While not poisonous, these jellyfish have a moderately painful sting, so you should exercise caution if you around them.

Atlantic Lion’s Mane Jellyfish (Image by BirdNation)

In the afternoon on the second day we visited the Calvert Marine Museum. While birding was not our primary purpose we did see some species such as Purple Martins, Fish Crows, Common Grackles, and Mallards around Black Creek. We also watched this large Snapping Turtle swim under the dock.

It’s always a pleasure to visit Maryland. If you’re looking for a new location to explore I highly recommend Calvert County.

References

2024 Great Backyard Bird Count Day 4

Today was the last day of the 2024 Great Backyard Bird Count. Day 4 is usually a quieter birding day for me since it’s on a Monday. I ended up going to Long Bridge Park, which is a place that I haven’t gone birding at too much. I did a trip there in December for the Christmas Bird Count and we had a pretty productive morning, but this afternoon was pretty quiet.

Long Bridge Park (10 species, 55 individuals)
  • 5 Canada Geese
  • 15 Mallards
  • 1 Mourning Dove
  • 1 Turkey Vulture
  • 1 Red-bellied Woodpecker
  • 1 Downy Woodpecker
  • 3 Golden-crowned Kinglets
  • 2 Carolina Wrens
  • 6 Dark-eyed Juncos
  • 19 White-throated Sparrows

It was a really great count weekend. Overall, Team BirdNation saw 43 species. I’m looking forward to seeing the finally results from around the world!

2024 Great Backyard Bird Count Day 3

A view of Rancocas Creek (Image by Michelle Horowitz)

Today was a chilly but lovely day, so we ended up birding at two parks for day 3. First my in-laws joined me for a hike at Boundary Creek Natural Resource Area. We saw 10 species, with highlights including Eastern Bluebirds and a pair of Northern Mockingbirds. There also was a beautiful male Northern Cardinal who posed for a picture.

A beautiful male Northern Cardinal (Image by Michelle Horowitz)
Boundary Creek Natural Resource Area (10 species, 66 individuals)
  • 3 Canada Geese
  • 24 Mallards
  • 14 Ring-billed Gulls
  • 12 Turkey Vultures
  • 1 Red-bellied Woodpecker
  • 1 Tufted Titmouse
  • 2 Northern Mockingbirds
  • 4 Eastern Bluebirds
  • 4 Dark-eyed Juncos
  • 1 Northern Cardinal

After Boundary Creek I ended up going to Strawbridge Lake. There have been some Common Mergansers in the area, so I wanted to see if they were around today. I started noticing Common Mergansers at Strawbridge within in the past 5 years, which was a pleasant surprise. Unfortunately they weren’t at the lake today but I did see some other species.

Strawbridge Lake (12 species, 38 individuals)
  • 13 Canada Geese
  • 4 Mallards
  • 3 Mourning Doves
  • 2 Ring-billed Gulls
  • 2 Turkey Vulture
  • 1 Downy Woodpecker
  • 3 American Robins
  • 4 House Sparrows
  • 1 House Finch
  • 2 Dark-eyed Juncos
  • 2 White-throated Sparrows
  • 1 Northern Cardinal

The Cornell Lab of Ornithology released their “halftime report” today. At the time of writing this post, 7,373 species have been seen and over 191,000 checklists have been submitted from 192 countries. Last year’s species total was 7,538, so it would be amazing to see if that total could be beat this year.

2024 Great Backyard Bird Count Day 2

You can find Day 1’s post here.

Today we explored Palmyra Cove Nature Park for a little snow birding. Last night we ended up getting a few inches of snow and by mid-morning it already started melting! It seems like Palmyra got a little less snow than where I live, but it was nice to be out in the quiet of winter.

We were greeted by a number of songbirds right in the parking lot: a first-of-year Brown Creeper, White-throated Sparrows, a Northern Cardinal pair, a Tufted Titmouse, Dark-eyed Juncos, and a Downy Woodpecker. A female Bufflehead at the beaver pond was a pleasant surprise as hundreds of gulls flew overhead. We even saw a mink! We ended our walk with 4 Cedar Waxwings near the visitor center. Overall we observed 17 species.

Palmyra Cove Nature Park (17 species, 314 individuals)
  • 9 Canada Geese
  • 2 Mallards
  • 1 Bufflehead
  • 1 Mourning Dove
  • 60 Ring-billed Gulls
  • 150 Herring Gulls
  • 1 Turkey Vulture
  • 3 Downy Woodpeckers
  • 1 Hairy Woodpecker
  • 5 Tufted Titmice
  • 2 White-breasted Nuthatches
  • 1 Brown Creeper
  • 3 Carolina Wrens
  • 4 Cedar Waxwings
  • 16 Dark-eyed Juncos
  • 50 White-throated Sparrows
  • 5 Northern Cardinals
Bufflehead female (Image by Michelle Horowitz)
Angry Canada Geese (Image by Michelle Horowitz)

We are halfway through the count weekend and Team BirdNation has observed 36 different bird species and 2,412 individuals. Other fun finds the last two days were a mink, deer, and a backhoe. Let’s see what the second half of the weekend will bring.

Have you participated in the first two days of the bird count? Share some species you saw in the comments below.

2024 Great Backyard Bird Count Day 1

Hi everyone! It’s time for the Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC)! This annual event takes place this weekend from February 16-19. It’s easy to participate, so check out https://www.birdcount.org/ to join the fun!

Today Dave, Baby Birder, and I made our way out to Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge for the first day of the count. It was a fairly chilly and windy morning. As expected there was waterfowl galore and lots of gulls. We observed 27 species. Highlights included a Northern Harrier, two Bald Eagles, and a large amount of Gadwalls.

Gull Pond
Edwin B. Forsythe NWR (27 species, 2098 individuals)
  • 450 Snow Geese
  • 70 Brant
  • 255 Canada Geese
  • 9 Tundra Swans
  • 200 Northern Shovelers
  • 160 Gadwall
  • 24 Mallards
  • 150 American Black Ducks
  • 60 Northern Pintails
  • 7 Green-winged Teals
  • 35 Bufflehead
  • 14 Hooded Mergansers
  • 55 Ruddy Duck
  • 470 Dunlin
  • 8 Ring-billed Gulls
  • 87 Herring Gulls
  • 2 Double-crested Cormorants
  • 2 Great Egrets
  • 7 Great Blue Herons
  • 9 Turkey Vultures
  • 1 Northern Harrier
  • 2 Bald Eagles
  • 11 American Crows
  • 1 Carolina Wren
  • 3 Dark-eyed Juncos
  • 1 Common Grackle
  • 5 Yellow-rumped Warblers
Dunlin flock (Image by David Horowitz)
Hooded Merganser male (Image by David Horowitz)

We had an unexpected surprise on the wildlife drive today. Baby Birder, being well into toddlerhood now, isn’t super into birding. He likes birds just fine and is fairly familiar with ducks, geese, and eagles (my favorite was when he saw a Wild Turkey and called it a “duck-eagle” 😂). However, his true passion (obsession lol) is vehicles, so while he likes to see the birds his favorite part of visiting Forsythe is the other vehicles on the wildlife drive. And special for bird count weekend we had…a backhoe!

A GBBC first…a backhoe!

He was quite thrilled to see a backhoe laying gravel out on the road today, so we all had a lovely morning for GBBC Day 1. It’s supposed to snow 2-5 inches tonight into tomorrow so we’ll see what happens for Day 2.

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
CacklingCanada
Height24-25 inches (63-65 cm)29-43 inches (76-110 cm)
Weight3-5 lbs6-20 lbs
Color PatternBrown 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/shapeBlack. Short. Meets forehead at a steep angle.Black. Wide and flat.
Other featuresSmall 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

Canada Goose Subspecies

Happy Waterfowl Wednesday friends! It’s been quite awhile since the last one, but this winter I’d like to bring it back. It is waterfowl season after all.

One of our most widespread North American species is the Canada Goose, Branta canadensis. It seems like Canada Geese get mixed reactions from birders, being so common in some suburban areas that many people consider them pests. However, Joe Van Wormer, an Oregonian author and wildlife photographer sings their praises in his 1968 book The World of the Canada Goose. Van Wormer’s enthusiasm for the species is infectious and shows a side of a species that many people don’t seem to understand or appreciate. One of my favorite quotes from Van Wormer’s book: “Once a Canada goose has its complete set of feathers it should be forgiven for seeming to strut a bit, for its plumage is now one of the finest in the bird world. It may not be as flashy as a wood duck’s but it is neat and handsome.”

Canada Goose (Image by Michelle Horowitz)

One of the most interesting things I learned among the plethora of interesting facts is how many subspecies there are. At the time of Van Wormer’s writing there were at least 11 recognized subspecies, but in 2004 the four smallest subspecies were combined into a different species: the Cackling Goose. The plumage of the Canada subspecies tend to get darker as you move westward and their size gets smaller as you move northward. Let’s explore the 7 different Canada Goose subspecies from largest to smallest:

Canada Goose map (Michael O’Keeffe, 2009 via http://www.irbc.ie/announcements/announce68.php)
Branta canadensis maxima: “Giant”
  • 10-18 pounds, some up to 20 pounds
  • elongated neck, almost swanlike compared to other subspecies
  • lighter in color than interior subspecies
  • extensive cheek patches that often forms a small backward-projecting hook
  • some have a white forehead patch, many a white ring at base of neck
  • Thought to be extinct until rediscovered in 1960 by Harold C. Hanson
  • Range: central and northern United States, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and Ontario
Branta canadensis moffitti: “Western”
  • 2nd in size to Giant Canada goose. Average around 8 pounds, but some 12-15 pounds
  • Breast move “silvery” than other subspecies
  • Range: United States western interior around Rocky Mountains, western Canada
Branta canadensis interior: “Todd’s”
  • 6-11 pounds
  • medium in color
  • most numerous of all the subspecies; as many as all the other subspecies combined
  • Range: Central Canada and Central/Southern United States
Branta canadensis canadensis: “Atlantic”
  • 6-11 pounds
  • lighter than Todd’s with more white underparts and whitish area between base of neck and back
  • Introduced in England, Scotland, Iceland, and New Zealand
  • Range: Atlantic seaboard from Nova Scotia to North Carolina
Branta canadensis fulva: “Vancouver
  • 6-13 pounds
  • 1 of 2 “dark” races (including “Dusky”)
  • Range: Glacier Bay Alaska, south coast and islands of British Columbia to north Vancouver Island
  • Possibly the least migratory of all Canada Geese: approximately 90% winter on breeding grounds. Others migrate to Willamette Valley of Oregon or northern California
Branta canadensis occidentalis: “Dusky”
  • slightly smaller than Vancouver
  • chocolate colored
  • Range: southern coast of Alaska, migrates offshore and winters in Willamette Valley
Branta candensis parvipes: “Lesser”
  • about 6 pounds
  • lighter brown plumage
  • Range: Northwest Territories of Canada, southern Victoria Island, central/east Alaska. Winters in Oklahoma, Texas, Mexico, and California.

Next Waterfowl Wednesday we’ll explore the Cackling Goose and its split from the Canada Goose. What do you think about Canada Geese? Tell me about it in the comments.

References

New Year, New Birds!

Happy New Year everyone! I hope you all had a wonderful 2022.

Today Dave, Baby Birder, and I started 2023 with our first birding trip of the year and it’s sure going to be hard to beat in the future! The NH Rare Bird List has been pretty active over the last week and I’ve been keeping my eye on two species in particular. I decided that today would be the day to pursue them since they have been observed reliably in the same locations for over a week.

So we made our way out to the Seacoast this morning with high hopes to spot two western species: the Western Tanager and Mountain Bluebird.

Western Tanager (Photo by David Horowitz)
Western Tanager (Photo by David Horowitz)

Our first rarity of the day was a female Western Tanager. She was busy feeding along the apple trees on the side of the road. As their name suggests, Western Tanagers breed in the western United States and Canada and winter in Central America. Females are yellow with black backs/wings, have two wing bars, and a heavy orange bill. Males are a brighter yellow and have flaming bright orange-red heads during breeding season. Fun fact: tanagers are actually part of the cardinal family. Our beautiful little friend was quite a delight!

Our second rarity was a Mountain Bluebird who has been hanging out with the Eastern Bluebirds at a park not far from the tanager’s location. This gorgeous male was light blue with a pale gray belly and vibrant blue tail feathers. Another western species, Mountain Bluebirds breed in western Canada and northwest United States and winter in the southwest, Mexico, and California coast. Some populations are year-round residents in the interior west. One of the fun things about this find was that I ran into one of my friends there, so we got to find the bluebird together!

Mountain Bluebird (Photo by Michelle Horowitz)
Mountain Bluebird (Photo by Michelle Horowitz)

What an amazing start to 2023! I think this is the first time we observed two rare birds in one day. I can’t wait to see what other birding adventures 2023 brings!

My first bird of 2023 was an American Crow. What was your first bird of the year? Tell me about it in the comments. Also, since it’s winter, be on the lookout for a new Waterfowl Wednesday coming soon! Happy birding!

References

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