Stratford Point 5/2-5/8

In last week's entry, I wrote about hoping to be able to include in this entry that Bobolink and Orchard Oriole were seen for the first time this year at Stratford Point. My prediction came true, as both species were part of the 60 that were recorded in the past week. The Bobolink sighting came on May 6, while Orchard Oriole was seen on the 6th and the 8th. The latter sighting was of a first-year male and a female. This pair was probably migrating through the area. I hope that I am wrong and they stick around. Maybe this next week will bring the pair that nested here last year back to us. Bobolink will be here in much greater numbers very soon. They are often very cooperative to viewing and photography. I will be sure to take some pictures of both species and some HD video as well. Other notable returns were Least Tern and Common Tern. You can find both species relatively easily simply by walking the perimeter of the site. Eventually you will hear their calls and see them flying around. You may actually be able to see them resting or preening on exposed rocks, as the two Common Tern in the photo on the right are. Spotting scopes can offer fantastic views when they are relaxing like that. Other new arrivals included Chimney Swift, a species you will be able to find flying about with the various swallow species. We recorded the four expected swallow species this week - Tree, Northern Rough-winged, Barn, and Bank - as well as a Purple Martin. We will be erecting gourds for Purple Martins to nest in very soon, similar to the ones which they have every year at Milford Point. There is always a chance we could get them this year, but if not, we will be all set for next season.

New shorebird species for the year included Spotted Sandpiper and Semipalmated Plover. We also found Black-bellied Plover, Greater Yellowlegs, Killdeer, American Oystercatcher, Ruddy Turnstone, Sanderling, and Dunlin. I am sure we will find some Least Sandpiper soon, and perhaps a Short-billed Dowitcher. Today was a busy day at the Point despite the thick fog over the water and rain that moved in mid-morning. Passerines were hopping and singing by the gate and fence. I found four warbler species, and while this is a small total for a day in May, it is a lot for Stratford Point. The coastal grasslands habitat with very few trees does not lend itself to capturing many of them. We do get decent numbers on good days in the fall. However, we find Common Yellowthroat and Yellow Warbler from time to time in the spring and summer, both of which I recorded today. Additionally, two new species for the Point were singing and foraging in the trees we do have: American Redstart and Black-and-white Warbler. They had not been recorded in the year and a half we have been observing birds at Stratford Point. A Warbling Vireo was also belting out it's song today, a rare bird for the Point. Sometime soon, we will give you the total number we have recorded. It is quite a high number in this diverse and beautiful spot. Can we get 70 species in the next week?


Photos © Scott Kruitbosch

Chestnut-sided Warbler video

Below is a high-definition video that I shot of a Chestnut-sided Warbler. I found this bird on Saturday, May 1, at our Birdcraft Sanctuary in Fairfield. As I have mentioned previously, Birdcraft's small size and attractiveness to migrant birds often lends very close views of species you may not often get good looks at. This cooperative male allowed me to sneak in close and watch as he bathed and preened in the pond and surrounding vegetation. Experiences like this are a common occurrence in the sanctuary.

Chestnut-sided Warbler Bath Time from Connecticut Audubon Society.

Video © Scott Kruitbosch

Woodcock intrigue

My earlier video post of the two American Woodcock at our Croft Preserve in Goshen has spurred quite a few responses and I thought I'd share some of people's insights as well as the results of some additonal research today.
The synchronized "Woodcock Walk" shown in the video is a known behavior in these birds and apparently this is how they wander through the woods. However, WHY they do this is still a mystery.
When observing these kinds of social interactions, several questions arise: why is this behavior taking place & who is involved? In this particular case the interaction could be territorial (two males competing over prime real estate or the most desirable female); it could be a courtship behavior (a male and a female interact and may mate afterwards); or we could be looking at a parent/chick interaction. Due to the pronounced size difference between the two birds, the first option does not seem very likely as two competing adult males would be expected to be of comparable size. As for the other two options, the jury is still out but leaning towards the latter option.
There is a pronounced sexual size dimorphism in American Woodcock and females are considerably larger than males -- in extreme cases the female can be more than twice as heavy as the male -- so a ritualized courtship behavior has not been ruled out entirely. However, the fact that the larger bird vocalized after being separated from the much smaller individual and was visibly agitated because of this separation, hints at the fact that it was a parent trying to re-connect with its offspring. As was mentioned in a previous blog post here American Woodcock along the shoreline are currently still found sitting on eggs or caring for downy young. Apparently, at the same time, older (2-3 weeks judging form the bird's size) young are already moonwalking in the northwestern hills. Woodcocks have a protracted breeding season and the timing certainly works out.
So, even if we are watching a parent bird crossing a road with its single young (note that American Woodcock usually lay 4 eggs) the question of WHY still remains...
Many cryptically colored animals will persist their cryptic behavior even when they are placed in an environment that makes them highly visible (on many occasions I have seen bright green snakes sit really still, pretending to be invisible, in the middle of a tan dirt road, even when you walk right up to them). Perhaps this is happening here also and it is irrelevant to the birds that they are in the middle of a paved road: they simply walk like this regardless of their surroundings...
Another question that was brought up today is whether this behavior is innate (genetically encoded and present when the chick hatches) or learned from the parent(s). I don't think anyone has an answer to these questions -- I certainly have not been able to find any clues in the literature. Regardless, this is certainly a nice reminder of how much we still can learn about creatures that we share our environment with. Even if we never figure this one out we'll at least have a nice excuse to admire birds with some pretty slick moves!

Thanks to all who contacted me with information about Woodcock and their behavior!

The Woodcock Walk...

Yesterday right after leaving our Croft Preserve in Goshen I came across these two American Woodcock in the road, completely engrossed in some sort of social interaction. I watched these bird's antics for about 2.5-3 minutes before a passing truck flushed them.
It is not entirely clear if we're looking at courtship, territiorial display or something else, but the size difference between the birds suggests that this is an adult and a juvenile interacting. When the birds flushed they ended up on opposite sides of the road and the larger of the two continued to vocalize with a soft version of their normal "peent" call, seemingly to stay in contact with the smaller bird.
Whatever is going on here, these birds certainly have their choreography down!

Woodcock Walk from Connecticut Audubon Society

Video by Twan Leenders

Migration forecast 5/5-5/9

Here is a quick rundown of what I feel will occur in the next several nights in terms of migration:

• Tonight: Very heavy migration will occur across the state and surrounding region. Birds will be equally dispersed in all areas Thursday morning. Some locations will see 12-18 species of warblers. Any location will yield migrants.
  
• Thursday night: Light migration only, mostly in the southwestern part of Connecticut, in the wake of a cold front. Focus on coastal hot spots.
  
• Friday night: Heavy migration across Connecticut. The chance of showers and thunderstorms during what may be a very strong night of movement leaves us with a moderate chance of fallouts, birds that are stopped in the middle of the night by rain and concentrated in extreme numbers in a small area. Saturday morning may be very interesting. If you hear thunder overnight, you should get out the door in a hurry! Additionally, if you do not immediately find birds, do not be deterred. You never know where a fallout will put down a large group.
  
• Saturday night: Light migration, focused primarily along the coast.

The only problem that may occur on Friday night is that if showers and thunderstorms are spread across the state before the birds can even get to us it will stop them from getting in at all. Ideally, (for bird watchers, not the birds themselves!) the rainfall would move in after newly arriving birds have taken off from areas to our south and made it into the state. I definitely advise anyone looking to head out on Saturday morning to keep a close eye on the Friday night weather forecast.

Severe thunderstorm as seen from Stratford Point last August. See the swallows on the wire?

This is the best time of year to go outside on a clear and pleasant night and listen to the skies. You may be surprised at how many chips and calls you hear from birds flying overhead. Listen very carefully when migration is heavy and keep in mind you will not hear any songs - only a variety of notes and flight calls. Tonight is a very good night to try it, but make sure you still get to bed early for what should be an active and exciting Thursday morning.


Photo © Scott Kruitbosch

Warblers are here

The first day of May brought in the first real wave of warblers to all of Connecticut. I visited our Birdcraft Sanctuary on April 30, May 1, and May 2. It is one of the best locations in Connecticut to find a variety of warblers, as has been mentioned in previous entries. The 6-acre sanctuary has a pond and well-maintained trails. The small size of the sanctuary means most people end up getting exceptionally close and prolonged views of some common, infrequent, and even rare birds. It is situated between residential neighborhoods and Interstate 95, and when viewed coming up the coast or after crossing Long Island Sound, it is obviously a very tempting place for birds to stop after a night of flight.

The evening of April 29 featured primarily northwest winds. Some birds were able to sneak through as southwest winds prevailed all the way to New York City. While the Central Park and points south had 15-20 species of warblers, Connecticut started a bit slower. On the afternoon of the 30th Birdcraft held:

• 1 Blue-winged Warbler
• 1 Northern Parula
• ~25 Yellow-rumped Warbler
• 4 Black-throated Green Warbler
• 2 Palm Warbler
• 5 Black-and-white Warbler
• 1 Ovenbird
• 1 Northern Waterthrush

This 8-warbler start was easily one of the best tallies in the state. Note that Birdcraft ends up landing birds such as the Blue-winged Warbler and Ovenbird, a scrub-shrub denizen and mature forest dweller, respectively, despite the lack of habitat there. You never know what you will find, and nearly any species is possible at our migrant trap.

Black-and-white Warbler

The night of the 30th opened up heavy migration across the region. My stop during the afternoon of May 1 yielded:

• 1 Nashville Warbler
• ~15 Northern Parula
• 2 Chestnut-sided Warbler
• 1 Magnolia Warbler
• 1 Black-throated Blue Warbler
• ~10 Yellow-rumped Warbler
• 4 Black-throated Green Warbler
• 15+ Black-and-white Warbler
• 1 Ovenbird
• 3 Northern Waterthrush
• 1 Common Yellowthroat
• 1 Canada Warbler

12 warbler species in one location, all counted during the less active afternoon hours, meant that once again Birdcraft ended up as one of the best spots in the state. Connecticut's likely best spot, East Rock Park in New Haven, tallied 14 warblers with many groups of people passing through during prime morning hours. I can almost guarantee I had much better views at Birdcraft as well, like with this Chestnut-sided Warbler:

One of the prolonged views of a Chestnut-sided Warbler

Heavy migration continued the night of May 1, but the birds ended up spread across the landscape on May 2. The totals from a quick stop late that morning at Birdcraft were:

• 5 Northern Parula
• 2 Yellow-rumped Warbler
• 3 Black-and-white Warbler
• 1 American Redstart
• 2 Northern Waterthrush
• 1 Common Yellowthroat

Even on a "slow day", you will likely find at least 6 or 8 warblers there. I am sure there were a couple more I did not find in my brief visit. During these slower days, you will still get exceptional views of the birds that are there. I watched Northern Waterthrush foraging along the trails, mere feet in front of me. They would, as their name implies, often stay around the edges of the pond, even hopping on the footbridge that goes over it.

Northern Waterthrush

I would never try to deter anyone from visiting his or her favorite spring hot spot, but I do encourage anyone who has never visited Birdcraft to stop by. My suggestion would be to look carefully in the areas around the pond, and to go towards the back of the sanctuary while looking high in the oak trees. These trees are favored especially by Northern Parula, Black-throated Green, Chestnut-sided, Blackburnian, Blue-winged, Black-and-white, Yellow-rumped, Magnolia, Bay-breasted - nearly any warbler can be found in them at varying times. The areas around the pond frequently yield Nashville, Canada, Black-throated Blue, Common Yellowthroat, Yellow, Northern Waterthrush, Ovenbird, Palm, American Redstart, Wilson's, and more.


Photos © Scott Kruitbosch

Stratford Point 4/25-5/1

The birds are pouring into Connecticut. Stratford Point had nearly 50 species in the past week despite some odd conditions. A couple of days were exceptionally windy, with others cold and wet. Despite these circumstances, we had some nice sightings. Hundreds of Double-crested Cormorant are moving, frequently flying right over the Point. Sometimes they stopped overhead there or at Milford Point, changing direction and formation. The Black-crowned Night-Heron pictured to the left can be a year-round species in Stratford, but right now is a good time to pick them up with ease. If you are looking for a taste of the winter, Stratford Point can provide it. Brant are still here, popping in and out of the waters near the perimeter every day. We had sizable numbers of Red-breasted Merganser, as 21 were spotted on the 27th, and more on other days. We even managed to find another rare Northern Gannet. It should be the last of the season, but please keep your eyes open. It is getting to be shorebird season, and the observations are backing up the calendar. Dunlin and Sanderling are being seen on a daily basis. Black-bellied Plover can be found resting on rocks, foraging on the beach, or flying by at high speeds. Today I found a couple of Ruddy Turnstone flying by with about 100 Dunlin and a few Black-bellied Plover.

The next week should bring many passerine migrants to every corner of the state. If we have a day with fog or rainy conditions - and we may as soon as Sunday night - the Point is a great place to check for birds grounded by the weather. They often are stuck there, especially by the front gate and the trees we have on the property. Regardless, I have a feeling we will see our first Orchard Oriole and Bobolink returning any day now. They are just a couple of the rare birds Stratford Point hosts regularly. Hopefully they will be included as being seen in the last seven days when I am writing this entry next weekend.


Photo © Scott Kruitbosch