Music, Poetry, and Birds

The 5th annual Ohio Ornithological Society meeting is taking place this weekend, up in the Oak Openings/Magee Marsh region of northwestern Ohio. Today was GREAT for birds: migrants swarmed in last night and there was excellent numbers and diversity. In just little more than a half-day of birding, our crew assembled a list of about 120 species, including 24 species of warblers. Everyone is venturing back out tomorrow, and a number of new species will be added.

But, a brief report on Friday night's festivities. Our conference hub is the interesting Holiday Inn-Franch Quarter in Perrysburg, and we had an informal Shadegrown Coffee Conservation Fest for those who arrived early. It was an open mike gig, with impromptu bird-related poetry readings interspersed with live jams by the one and only Bill Thompson III, doing business as BT3.

Sounds kind of hokey, and maybe it was, but we had a blast. Here, OOS treasurer Peter King reads A Feather from the Whip-poor-will, by Emily Dickinson. BT3 laughs and taunts Peter for compromising his manhood. No, not really - we were just amused by his smooth delivery. I, myself, read several poems, too, I am happy to report, as did many others.

Kathi Hutton, aka "Katdoc", was the prime instigator and arranger of the festivities, along with Cheryl Harner, who was chief organizer of the conference and did a bang-up job. Katdoc, above, recites a poem of some sort - it may be the one in which she pokes more than a bit of fun at BT3 and myself. Thanks, thanks a lot Katdoc for making us go red with embarassment :-)

A snippet of Bill cranking out The Talking Head's Take me to the River, which became a sing-along. Great stuff, and he had lots more up his sleeve. We had a blast, and tonight was equally fun. I am beat - it's 1 am and the bus leaves early tomorrow, but I'll put up some more stuff from the weekend later.

We try to have a lot of fun at these conferences, and if you've not been to one, we'd love to have you join us sometime. Great birds and birding, good people, and lots of fun are pretty much assured. Try and make the next big blowout - the Godzilla of birding events: the Midwest Birding Symposium. You won't want to miss that!

Osprey entourage

Ospreys abound in South Texas, where I recently spent some quality birding time. It's no great shakes to glance over and see one sitting on a snag or a bouy, doing what Osprey do - catch fish, or think about catching fish. They are quite adept at angling, much better than many humanoid fisher-people.

While at Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge, I noticed the bird above winging by closely, bullhead firmly snared in its talons. As an aside, note how the fish is held head into the wind. Osprey always hold their prey that way when airborn; better aerodynamics, you know.

Anyway, my camera was handy, so I grabbed a shot of the fish hawk with its piscine prey.

The Osprey didn''t go far before alighting on a box, like a king with its scaly subject. And lo and behold, it was attended by some subjects. These feathered serfs were undoubtedly unwelcome, but the beggars made for an entertaining show.

To the left we have two Laughing Gulls in summer finery, heads blackened as if dunked in paint. This is the abundant gull of the area, and they are consumate omnivores, eating whatever comes their way and can't eat them first.

Skulking around the Osprey's feet are two Ruddy Turnstones, invading his space in a big way. These odd sandpipers are also amazingly catholic in their dietary preferences for a shorebird, and opportunistically grab nearly any edible bit. There is a gruesome photo that I have heard about, featuring a mob of turnstones busily clambering over a body that washed ashore somewhere, pecking away like little parti-colored ghouls.

I watched this crew for a while, and wherever the Osprey went, so followed his entourage.



Poor Osprey. He does all the work, and the avian scrounges try to steal his hard-won bounty.

Shifting Sands

Last Saturday was International Migratory Bird Day, and it was great. I spent the day at Magee Marsh Wildlife Area, along with ten or fifteen thousand other people. A good time by all, and oodles of birds, but I needed some serious solo time after that. So, on Sunday, I went over to the Oak Openings, just west of Toledo to botanize and otherwise explore. The Oak Openings is about 130 square miles of old dunes and beach ridges from a time long ago, when Lake Erie far exceeded its present boundaries. In general, there are more rare plants and animals here than anywhere else in Ohio.

The Ohio Ornithological Society will be holding its 5th annual meeting here on Saturday, and all the details ARE HERE. If you would like to attend, please e-mail me at: ambrosia@columbus.rr.com

The Girdham Road Sand Dunes, part of Oak Openings Metro Park, and one of the coolest slices of classic Oak Openings habitat. This is one of my favorite locales in the state, and it is loaded with interesting flora and fauna. I'll be hanging out here on Sunday, and if you are up for the OOS conference I'll be glad to show you some of the highlights. Among others, Red-headed Woodpecker, Summer Tanager, and Lark Sparrow were singing away as I took this shot.

The Oak Openings is a giant sand box, and nowhere is this more visible than at Girdham Road. These open sands have been shifting about for the last 12,000 years, and most blowouts like this have long been colonized by plants in a process known as vegetative succession.

Here's how the transformation from open sand to oak woods begins. This is the start of a tough plant called Low Sand Sedge, Carex rugosperma. It is one of few species able to get a foothold in hot shifting sands. Note how it grows in the pattern of a concentric ring, growing outward. This growth habitat is essential to the process of ecological succession.

Here we have a somewhat older sedge, and note how it has formed a tussock as sand builds up around the plant. As the core center area of the sedge tussock becomes more stable and protected from the elements, other plants begin to colonize the middle of the sedge plant. In effect, Low Sand Sedge is a vegetable moat staving off the attacking sands, and allowing stability and other growth to occur within the center.

A mature sedge. Doesn't look like much, even though this specimen is in full flower, and fruits have even formed. So obscure is Carex rugosperma that it was completely missed when the first book that attempted to thoroughly cover this segment of Ohio's plants was produced in 1967. Many a botanist had walked right over top of it, probably just thinking the plant was an immature tuft of grass. Rather ironic, given that this species is one of the most important plants in the process of Oak Openings ecological succession, and the Oak Openings are one of Ohio's most significant habitats.

We dive down into the depths of the tussock, and the flowers and fruits of the Low Sand Sedge are revealed. These reproductive parts cannot be seen standing upright; one must get down on hands and knees and part the blades to see what is going on. The purplish column-like structure is the staminate, or male, flowers; the plump greenish scaled part to its right is the perigynia, or fruit. Ants and other ground-crawlers are undoubtedly the vectors for dispersal.

As the Low Sand Sedge ages and expands, various herbs begin to take advantage of the relative stability formed within the concentric ring of sedge. This is one of those herbaceous pioneers, the Dwarf Dandelion, Krigia virginica. A dandelion in name only, it is vastly different than the lawn weed and is listed as threatened in Ohio. Dwarf Dandelion is one of many sand specialists adapted for the Gobi-like conditions of Oak Openings sand barrens.

Eventually, woody plants begin to invade the areas where our sedge began the process of stabilization. The one above is a great rarity in Ohio: Sand Cherry, Prunus pumila var. cuneata, which is state-endangered. There are some nice colonies at Girdham Road, and they are now in fine bloom. These shrubs will eventually succeed to larger woody plants, such as oaks, and then the climax stage of the Oak Openings will have been reached, and interesting sand pioneers such as the sedge will be long gone.

But while the short-lived shrub communities persist, interesting birds abound. The above may be the most coveted of Oak Openings specialty birds, the Lark Sparrow. This male is on territory at Girdham Road, and was flying all about giving his curious whistly buzzy song. Last year, a Clay-colored Sparrow was on territory here.

Once again, if you are interested in our OOS conference, or even wish to take advantage of the room rates that we've secured at the beautiful Holiday Inn-French Quarter, please feel free to contact me.

Midwest Native Plant Conference

Logo by Ann Geise

There is unquestionably a growing movement to retore native plants to the landscape. And there are few simpler and more satisfying things that a homeowner can do to beautiful a property and help native wildlife at the same time.

With that in mind, mark your calendars for the first Midwest Native Plant Conference, to be held at the Hope Hotel and Conference Center in Dayton, July 24 - 26, 2009. Registration is open and everything you need to know is RIGHT HERE.

The theme is prairies, and what better way to combat mid-summer's doldrums than come hear bunch of talented and knowledgeable speakers, browse numerous offerings from vendors of native plants, and fraternize with like-minded people.

The Hope Hotel is conveniently situated, not only for travel purposes, but also to scads of prairies and fens. And we'll be having field trips on Sunday to the most interesting of these habitats, all within a short drive of the conference center.

Huffman Prairie, which is almost in sight of the Hope Hotel, as it will look at the time of the conference. The prairie abounds with native flora, and many of these species will be available at the conference. We'll also have several programs on prairies and their restoration. Some of the species evident in the above photo are: Purple Coneflower, Royal Catchfly, Wild Bergamot, and Gray-headed Coneflower. All of these gorgeous plants are easy to grow.

Field trip participants will also be in butterfly-filled habitats at a time when they are teeming with insects. Butterflies and native plants are intimately linked, and there is nothing easier one can do to help declining butterfly populations than plant natives.

GO HERE for the complete scoop, and registration information. Please pass the word about the conference, and I'll hope to see you there.

IMBD

Today is International Migratory Bird Day, and as I do almost every year, I spent it at Magee Marsh Wildlife Area. This 2,000-acre site is owned and managed by the Ohio Division of Wildlife, and the Division goes to great lengths to make birders welcome at this legendary birding locale.

The centerpiece for songbird enthusiasts is the 1.5 mile long elevated boardwalk, known as the Bird Trail, which bisects a seven-acre patch of woods. Hit it on the right day, and the trees are dripping with northbound migrants.

The hospitality works - extraordinary numbers of bird watchers descend on Magee, and never in greater numbers than on IMBD, which is always the second Saturday in May.

All of these cars - and this is but a snippet of the vehicles that were present - belong to birders. Staggering numbers of birders. It's hard to estimate how many people visited Magee today, but there were several thousand, at least. While crowds like this may not appeal to all, it is amazing to see so many people coming together at one locale to go birding.

I like to try and take some time to troll the lots for bird-related license plates to add to my always growing collection. I'll share a few from today, and I think you'll see a theme...

Yes, warblers. These colorful sprites are without doubt the most sought after group of birds, and they didn't disappoint today. At least 27 species were seen, and many in good numbers.

Conditions can approach near gridlock on the trail, but the beauty of this is that few birds go undetected. And you'll quickly hear about anything interesting.

The bird paparazzi come out in droves. There is tens of thousands of dollars of camera hardware in this photo, and the total value of optics and camera equipment on the trail would be utterly staggering if it could be tallied.

A huge number of these visitors stay for more than a day in the area, and nearly all of them drop some dimes locally. Birding has become an ecotourism tour de force in this area, and many of the local establishments give discounts to birders.

Those people with the $12,000 camera rigs are generally NOT after species like this beautiful male American Robin. However, me, not being much of a bird photographer, can do OK with a subject like this.

This is what the pros are after - species like this Tennessee Warbler. And now you can see why I am not a professional bird photographer. This particular Tennessee was probably the most photographed individual of its species anywhere in the world on this day. And I guarantee you that many far more stunning photos were snapped than the one above. Photographing warblers well requires specialized gear and lots of patience and skill.

It's not hard to figure out where something interesting has popped up. Just look for a throng of people. Today, a Kentucky Warbler, a Prothonotary Warbler, and roosting Common Nighthawk and Eastern Screech-Owls attracted lots of attention.

Birders of all stripes congregate, and people are in general very friendly and helpful. I really enjoy spending the day strolling around, and helping new birders find interesting birds. IMBD at Magee makes an enormous impression on those who come to visit and bird, and if you've never made this scene, please try and put it on your itinerary for 2010.

South Texas Specialty Birds

In three days of birding, botanizing, dragonflying, butterflying and otherwise exploring the southernmost reaches of Texas, I happened along many of the specialty birds that get birders’ blood boiling. I already blogged a few of them here, here, here, and here.

Below are a handful of images of some of the rest, with the photos falling variously into the categories of the good, the bad, and the ugly.

Brown-crested Flycatcher, Myiarchus tyrannulus. This big relative of the Great Crested Flycatcher is common in South Texas, as well as southern Arizona. They frequently give a soft whistled whit note, reminiscent of a Swainson’s Thrush call note. Brown-cresteds can capture large prey items, such as lizards, and are alleged to occasionally take hummingbirds.

Fulvous Whistling-Ducks, Dendrocygna bicolor. These goose-like duck allies are quite showy, bedecked in soft fawn-colored tones highlighted by intricate white and gray markings. They dive well, too. They are limited to areas of the southernmost U.S. but also occur in Asia and Africa as well as elsewhere in the Americas.

Green Jay, Cyanocorax yncas. This tropical jay is a true South Texas specialty, and one of the most coveted birds for the first-time birder visiting this region. As is the case with some other jays, they can become habituated to people and thus quite tame. In such situations they are easy to see; when in thick thorn forest Green Jays are difficult to spot in spite of the outlandish color scheme.

A bit over the top, this one. It’s as if a Picasso gone mad designed the Green Jay.

Long-billed Thrasher, Toxostoma longirostre. Another South Texas exclusive, it resembles the familiar eastern Brown Thrasher, but is darker brown above. They sing a similar song and also frequently deliver a very Brown Thrasher-like harsh CHAK call note.

Olive Sparrow, Arremonops rufivirgatus. I was lucky to get this shot. Olive Sparrows are confined to South Texas north of the border, but are common in the right areas. But, they are MUCH easier to hear than see. The song is suggestive of a Field Sparrow; a series of clear chips that accelerate as the song goes on.

Least Grebes, Tachybaptus dominicus. Quite a flotilla – seven of ‘em! These unusually extroverted individuals were on the pond at the World Birding Center at Edinburg, Texas, one of the best places to see this species. These diminutive grebes are often quite secretive and prone to skulking in densely vegetated wetlands where they are much harder to see.

Parked next to one of our smallest ducks, a Blue-winged Teal, one can get a sense of the dinkiness of our smallest grebe.

Couch’s Kingbird, Tyrannus couchii. This species is virtually inseparable visually from the Tropical Kingbird, but differs markedly in its songs and calls. I digiscoped this one at Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge, where they are common.

White-tipped Dove, Leptotila verreauxi. This tropical dove can be quite the skulker, prone to hiding in dense growth. They are often far more easily detected by their odd calls: an eerie whoo-whoooo.

A White-tipped Dove shares space with another southerner, a Mexican Ground Squirrel, which north of the border is found almost entirely in Texas.

Altamira Oriole, Icterus gularis. A real specialty of South Texas, this stunning oriole wasn’t found north of the border until 1939. Big, beautiful, and electric orange, they can still be surprisingly difficult to spot in the thickets. A few poor whistles by me enticed him to have a peek, and allow the photo.

Clay-colored Thrush, Turdus grayi. Formerly known as the Clay-colored Robin, I caught this one at dusk, singing its beautiful robin-like song. Listen to the video carefully and you'll hear it. This is an abundant and widespread thrush in Central America, and is the national bird of Costa Rica. This one was video'd at Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge, a great place to find them.

Masked Ducks at Alligator Pond

Alligator Pond, Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge in South Texas. This tiny wetland, at perhaps two acres, comprises a minute fraction of the sprawling 45,000 acre refuge. The pond proves the old adage, add water and they will come. It was teeming with birds, including Least Grebe, Fulvous Whistling-Duck, Common Moorhen, Blue-winged Teal, Tricolored Heron, American Coot, and more.

Of course, the pond’s namesake was lurking about. This big ‘gator was peering around, no doubt eyeing all of the potential snacks swimming about. If you are a water bird in such places, it pays to be on your toes at all times. More than one duck or grebe has undoubtedly swum right into the gaping maw of a giant alligator here.

The refuge staff was good enough to install a “gator gate”; a gap in the fence that allows the reptilian beasts to easily pass from the pond to the nearby lake. That beaten down path was created by roaming alligators.

Three clown-like Black-bellied Whistling-Ducks sit atop a nesting box, probably pondering how they might all fit in. This southern species is abundant in South Texas, but doesn’t normally range much further north. Formerly known as the “Black-bellied Tree Duck”, they nest in cavities and are often seen perching in trees.

We spotted our main target almost immediately – Masked Duck! These tropical relatives of the familiar Ruddy Duck are rare visitors to the southernmost U.S., occurring most frequently in South Texas. They have bred rarely, but most records are of non-breeders. I had sought this species in previous trips to this area, with no luck, so needless to say I was delighted to finally encounter this little stifftail.

Better yet, two Masked Ducks are present, and it didn’t take long for the other to show. These are females, with distinctive proportionately massive bills and striped heads. They aren’t much more than a foot in length and weigh less than a pound.

To me, these Lilliputian fowl were the crown jewels on a brief bird-filled two day foray in South Texas. But, I did see most of the other regional specialties, some of which are far gaudier than female Masked Ducks. I’ll share some of those other species soon.