Monthly Archives: February 2012

Fall 2010 Class #2 Focus on Molt

Posted on by
Reply

Tonight is all about Molt

Look at the Howell ABA article table of molt.

We will use the Humphrey Parke System.  It’s all about feather growth, i.e. molt.  Not about color.

Other systems are the Calandar Year molt system.  The problem with this is this can be more cumbersome re what year the bird is in, etc.  Pyle uses this.  Another system is the Life Year strategy.  This works good for Northern Hemisphere birds, but is awkward when birds cross the equator.

See article by Howell All You Ever Wanted to Know About Molt but were Afraid to Ask Part II Finding Order Amid the Chaos

Here is a link to the Slater Museum Blog with many posts on birding and other topics to browse

Here is a Dennis Paulson post on Molt.

Humphrey-Parkes:

4 strategies.

Simple Basic Strategy (SBS)

Complex Basic Strategy (CBS)

Simple Alternate Strategy (SAS)

Complex Alternate Strategy (CAS)

Complex means birds shed their juvenile plumage into formative plumage in the first year.

Alternate means the birds have an additional molt each year, almost always a partial molt in each year, usually into breeding plumage.

In HP we talk about cycles, not years.

Here are some terms to learn the definitions of:

Simple Basic: Albatrosses, petrels, barn owls, a few others.  In the fall there is a complete molt in all birds.

Limited: body & head

Partial: this plus some coverts, scapulars

Incomplete: above plus some remiges.

Complete: all feathers.

Complex basic strategy:  In the first cycle only, the bird has a preformative molt into the formative plumage in the first fall.  Then has just one pre-basic molt each year.  This pre-formative molt is usually limited, partial, or incomplete.  Example: towhee.  All black juvenile plumage.  Then they disappear; have a pre-formative partial molt losing all but flight feathers to look like an adult, except for worn primaries.

Simple Alternate Strategy:  In first year birds carry juvenile plumage until the first alternate molt.  This can vary in time from fall to winter. Think large white headed gulls.  Carry juvenile plumage until Sept.  Then have molt of some scapulars, etc. into A1 plumage.  Thereafter each year have one complete basic molt, and one partial alternate molt.

Complex Alternate Strategy:  First year birds have two inserted molts after juvenile.  F1 molt is usually partial, then later in the first year is the A1 molt.  Thereafter each year have a partial PA molt, and a complete PB molt.

Difference between formative molt and basic molt is that the PF molt is usually not complete.  Basic is complete.

Examples:  All passerines have a complex molt strategy.  Look at the table for these by family.

Here is a link to the table Ken used in class.   http://www.prbo.org/cms/docs/terre/Howell%20Birding%20molt%202003%20part%202.pdf

The pre-basic, pre-formative, and pre-alternate terms refer to a molt into the basic, formative and alternate plumages.

How do we recognize molt.  Obviously look for gaps in wings and tails.  If these are present, we say the bird is in active molt. If in active molt the bird is in transition from one plumage to another.

Injury to feathers.  Sometimes if you see a bird with assymetric flight feathers missing, especially not in the fall, it may be damaged feathers.  Birds often replace these damaged feathers.  Some birds suspend molt, and leave gaps for periods of time.

Molt Limits + Molt Contrast is the contrast between the new feathers and the old feathers being replaced. Often in the fall will see bright feathers being replaced by gray or plain feathers.  May see molt limits in the scapulars or coverts.  Sometimes you can age first year birds this way

Feather wear:  new feathers are not frayed, usually rounded and fully formed, don’t droop.  Old feathers often brownish, frayed, and often narrow.  Especially primaries, sometimes can be droopy.  As new feathers grow, they passively push out the old feathers.  Sometimes the old feathers become loose, and can droop.  As a rule of thumb, juvenile feathers are weak, and need to be replaced soon.  Hawks often keep their juvenile feathers a year, because as they grow them more slowly they can attain more keratin, and be more durable in the longer time in the nest.

Molt of remiges usually starts at P1 and when it gets out to about P6 the secondaries start, usually at S1 and inward from there.  Most birds molt sequentially.  Then the tertials start, and the tail is last. Tail starts form the inside out, starting with R1 and working outward.  Woodpeckers are an exception, they molt R2-6 first, then molt R1 later, to facilitate feeding techniques.

Feather wear.  Dark parts wear more slowly.  Look at gulls. Early in the year the white tips are big, later by spring the white tips can become smaller.  Another example is least sandpiper.  Scapulars white and gray tips in the spring, but by fall look almost all dark. Starlings wear off the non-black feather tips to go into breeding plumage.

Early in fall migration, shorebirds, adults in worn plumage, juveniles have very fresh plumage.  Later adults look very fresh, and juveniles look more worn.  Western Sandpipers for example seen on our trip.

Easiest way to study molt is at your feeder, or at the park in ducks.  You can study the progression easily this way.

Molt can be suspended, often larger birds suspend their molt in the winter.

How can this help us in our field identification?  Presence of wing molt can be useful.  Absence is less useful.  Sometimes species can be IDed at some times of year by their molt.  Leaches vs. Band-rumped storm petrels off Carolina in summer.

Golden plovers in California.

Hammond’s flycatcher.  In fall Hammonds molt on breeding grounds or near.  So in fall a molted empid in the west is Hammonds.  All others molt later.

In Texas cliff vs. cave swallow.  Cliff molts in S Am.  Cave molts in N. Am.

In So Cal nighthawks in molt in the fall tells us it’s a lesser nighthawk. Common nighthawks don’t molt until wintering grounds.

Only jaeger that molts off CA is Pomerine.

Western Sandpipers molt off west coast, Least don’t molt until in S America.

Now refer to Ken’s cumulative table of shorebird molting.

Look at the two basic strategies for molt, N. Hemisphere and S. Hemisphere. This is where the birds winter.

Northern  Hemisphere Strategy:  partial to imcomplete preformative molts.  Don’t include remiges.  Rapid & early PB molt.  PA molt is well defined, and is on non-breeding grounds.  Think W. Sandpiper.

Southern Hemisphere Strategy: Incomplete to complete preformative, remiges eccentrically or completely molted.  In PF many shorebirds have eccentric wing molts. Usually involved P9 & P10.   Note more molting in the long distance primaries, those which are more exposed at rest.   Protracted PB molts. May start body, and even wing molt on the nest or in early migration, usually on the wintering grounds Jan – April.   PA molt often overlaps with shedding of remiges.  PA molt can overlap with PB, more often PA molt happens at molt sites on the way to breeding grounds.

Over-summering:  relates to body size, migration distance.  Larger birds and longer distance migrants tend to over-summer in the first year.

Snowy plovers molt in N A.

Articles to check out:

O R V I N B S E G B I R D B E H AV I O R

Migrants,  Mono Lake,  Monsoons, and Molt

http://www.aba.org/birding/v39n3p34.pdf

All You Ever Wanted to Know About Molt But Were Afraid to Ask Part II: Finding Order Amid the Chaos

http://www.prbo.org/cms/docs/terre/Howell%20Birding%20molt%202003%20part%202.pdf

A Tale of Two Strategies: Fall Molt of Adult Dowitchers

http://www.aba.org/birding/v37n4p380.pdf

Active Flight Feather Molt In MIgrating North American Raptors

http://www.aba.org/birding/v41n4p34.pdf

2010 Fall Class #1: Intro to Shorebirds

Posted on by
1

These notes are from the Oct, 5, 2010 Advanced Birding Class by Ken Brown, notes taken by Ed Pullen.

Tonight look at silhouettes.  Next week discuss molt, and start on plumage marks of shorebirds.  We will spend 3-4 weeks on shorebirds.  This class we will concentrate on shorebirds, gulls, and hawks, and briefly cover the rest.  Will look at more details like molt, flight characteristics.

Sibley Page 158-9 shows shorebirds in basic plumage.  Most are to scale.  Looking at scale and silhouettes.  Get the A Guide to Shorebirds book by Crosley et al.  You can ID 80+ % of shorebirds by  GISS.  Learn structure and behavior, it’s more intuitive.

Topography:  There are 5 rows of feathers in the scapulars.  Primaries are usually black, and you can count the tips.  Tertials and scapulars cover the primaries.
Primary projection is very important.

Scapular lines and mantle lines can be important. Look to see if the mantle feathers line up to make a whitish line on the edge of the mantle.

In the flying bird primary feathers numbered from the inside out, most have 9-10 primaries, i.e outermost is #`10.  Secondaries numbered from outside in, i.e. #1 is outermost.  Variable numbers, most have about 16.   Tertials lie just inside the secondaries,   Look at Big Sibley page 18 to see how the wings close under the tertials.  In the tail the two R1’s are together in the middle of the tail.  The primary coverts cover the primaries, and like the primaries the feather tracts originate from the wrist and form the hand,  the greater coverts cover the secondaries, if the greater covert tips are white it gives a wing stripe.  The Alula is the tip of the “bastard wing” at the very tip of the front of the wrist.

GISS:  General Impression Structure and Shape.  Relative size is very important, and often see mixed flocks, so you can often get several species in a group.  One shorebird by itself can be difficult.  If there are no other birds around relate size to a bird you know.  Look at structure, i.e. bill length to the length of the head.  If the bill is the length of the head it is average bill length.  Leg length, bill length, bill thickness, pointy or blunt bill, thick or thin at the base?, chunky or slim bird, attenuated or stocky, short neck like semipalmated SP or longer like western SP?

After these, go to the fine points, leg color, wing projection, bill color, i.e field marks.

Behavior:  how does it feed, visually or tactile feeder; deep prober or shallow probing, pick or probe, aggressive or methodical feeder (YLs)  Large tightly packed, or loose scattered flock.  Least SPs scatter, Western and dunlin tightly packed.  Voice can be diagnostic.

Probability is very important.  Know what to expect.  In July a large flock of dowichers is likely SB,  Long-billed often smaller flocks, later in the year.  Large flock of small shorebirds in the winter is always made up of primarily dunlin in WA.  Now (Oct.) if we see a dowicher at the coast, 90% LB.  Too late to likey be SB.

To get used to the intuitive approach, watch your  feeder.  Look at behaviors, eg. if you see a “Song Sparrow” like bird scratching on the ground it is a Fox Sparrow.  Song sparrows don’t scratch.

Silhouettes.  Look at the pictures in the shorebird book. 

Snowy Plover rounded belly, flat on the back, short legs.  Very short tail and bill.

Semipalmated plover more attenuated, though still stocky.

Killdeer nice rounded head, bill almost as long as the head, long tail.

Mountain Plover:  Killdeer size, long legs, upright, rounded head, medium sized bill,

Golden plovers:  Pacific smaller head and longer legs, Pacific bigger in the chest, American longer primary and wing projection,

Black Belied Plover:  Big headed, heavy looking, Big round head, short if any wing projection.

Upland Sandpiper:  very unique, medium to long bill on tiny head, long neck, very short wings, tail longer.

Pectoral sandpiper:  fairly long bill, blockish head, attenuated. Slightly larger than a dunlin.

Buff Breasted:  rounded head, habitat is key.

Oystercatcher:  big, stocky bill.

Whimbrel:  shorter more acutely curved bill.  Striped head.

LB Curlew:  attenuated, very long bill, overall rosy brown.

American Avocet:  note the Adam’s apple

Sometimes in non-breeding territory birds segregate by sex, females farther south.

Greater Yellowlegs: more aggressive, fast feeder,

Lesser Yellowlegs:  smaller, ½ the wt of greater. More attenuated, slimmer, straight bill, medium length, all black bill.

Solitary sandpiper:  Long bill, slightly decurved. Compact, smaller than lesser YL and dowichers.  Almost always alone. Early fall migrants.

Eastern and Western Willet:  long bill thick at the base, Western is larger and darker than the Eastern.

Hudsonian Godwit:  slightly smaller than Marbled, smaller bill, can show up in a flock godwits.  Wing stripe and banded tail.

Bar Tailed:  slightly smaller, two tone bill also.  Tends to be two toned earlier in the year.  In molt can be more uniform.  Use the eye stripe on Bar tailed.  Flares behind the eye, vs. marbled ends by the eye.

Peeps:

Bairds Sandpiper & White-rumped are bigger that the other three.

Bills:  Bairds needle like, thin throughout, white rumped bigger and two toned, western droopy, semipalmated thick at the base, short and blunt, least shallow at the base, to a point, and slightly decurved.

Baird’s and White-rumped have longer primary projection, in Baird’s so long the wings are sometimes crossed. In WA only fairly common long winged peep is Baird’s.

Western and Semi-palmated have short primary projection,

Least very small, small bill, short primary projection.

Western vs. Semi-palmated:  Bill is helpful, but juvenile westerns can have shorter bill too, but is droopy and not thick at the base.  Western more bull necked and front heavy.  Feeding is different.  Western probe and pick, Semi-palmated runs and picks.

Least tends to feed near its feet.

Spotted Sandpiper:  Southern Hemisphere in winter, most gone by now. Medium to long, attenuated.  Bobbing their tail.  (vs whole body bobbing in Solitary SP)

Baird’s tend to shuffle their feet and tend to bob their head with every step.

Dunlin: ( you have to know this, and the really common ones.) black legs and black droopy bill, much bigger than Western.  Longer than the head bill. Wing stripe.

Sanderling:  size of dunlin, on the beach, chase the waves, short to medium bill.  Black bill and legs.

Red Knot:  more in the spring.  Bigger than dowichers, more upright, chunky.  Medium length pointed bill,

Rock sandpiper:  Turnstone sized, small, pointed droopy bill.  Solid gray above in winter.

Surfbird:  large stocky

Wandering Tattler:  long attenuated, uniformly colored.

Stilt Sandpiper:  smaller than dowicher, upright, rounded head, walk and pick with their bill down,

Dowichers:  Key is the voice.

Phalaropes:  Habitat/ probability.  Red necked smallest, just bigger than western.  Red is biggest.  Bill shape key.  Red Phalarope has plover-like and two-toned bill.

Some Articles to Look at:

O R V I N B S E G B I R D B E H AV I O R

Migrants,  Mono Lake,  Monsoons, and Molt

http://www.aba.org/birding/v39n3p34.pdf

Identification of North American Peeps A different Approach to an Old Problem

http://www.aba.org/birding/v40n4p32.pdf

A tale of Two Strategies: New Advances in the Field Identification of Dowitchers

http://www.surfbirds.com/ID%20Articles/dowitchers1005/dowitchers.html

Charlie Wright on eBird.

Posted on by
Reply

Our second ABCBirding club meeting at the University Place Round Table Pizza featured Charlie Wright presenting on eBird, the Cornell University site for birders to post their birding checklists for safekeeping and to contribute to citizen science. I know I learned a lot, especially the changes in recent years that make data entry much faster and easier than it was years ago when I first tried out eBird.

Some cool things I learned was how to use the site finder map to quickly zoom in to locate the area you are birding for data entry by site, how to use the site for information on seasonal patterns down to incredible detail on each species, and how to share checklists with other eBirders. If on our field trips all of us use eBIrd, we can each keep and enter a checklist for each location we bird, and then just share all the checklists. Many hands will make light work of the data entry.

Charlie was also kind enough to share his power point presentation through a file sharing site, so if you want to refer to the presentation you can *click here .*

It would be great to see everyone join eBird and list their eBird user names below as comments so we can generate a cut and paste list of eBird user names to share checklists.

For those of you who learn better via videos, here is a YouTube video put out by Cornell.


 

Gull Trip 2-18-2012

Posted on by
1

Saturday Feb 18, 2012 Ken Brown led a small group of 5 ABC birders, Brian, David, Dianne, and me on a local gull trip, and here is a rundown of the morning part of the trip.  I had to leave at midday unexpectedly so I’ll ask Dianne or Ken to make a comment to outline the afternoon birds  We birded two general areas, the Hylebos waterfront off Marine View Drive, and the Gog-li-hi-te wetlands area in order to study gulls.  It’s a good thing we were looking for gulls, because nearly every other bird in their right mind was taking cover from the high winds and precipitation, both rain and hail.

At the waterway log booms we had good looks at Mew Gulls, a few Glaucous-winged and Olympic Gulls (GW-Western Hybrids), and a couple of Western Gulls.  Saw all three cormorants, two Pacific Loons, Bald Eagles, and a pair of courting Red-tailed Hawks.

Off to the wetlands, and there we found lots of gulls, at least a thousand, maybe more in total. At the mouth of the Puyallup river we had at least one Thayer’s gull along with the GW/Western blends.  Several Mew gulls too.  Back on the rooftops at the Gog-li-hi-tee area on the rooftops and trailers around the rendering plants the flocks were thick. We found both a Herring Gull and several  Thayers gulls there.

The best viewing of the day though was at the back mitigation pond where on the mud and in the shallow water were a few hundred loafing gulls.  In the near ground were Mew gulls in all three Feb. plumages, i.e. Juvenile (B1), B2 and Adult, with varying degrees of early PA molt. Lots of GW gulls and hybrids of all 4 plumages and best of all nice looks at Thayer’s gulls both adult and juvenile, and adult Herring gulls. We also found one gull that we think is either a Glaucous hybrid or Glaucous gull.  We got only suboptimal photos.  We had a few California gulls too. Gulls give a great opportunity to study and understand molt, and we worked that angle with Ken’s help all morning. So for the day we had GW, Western, Mew, California, Thayers and Herring gulls, missed Ringed-bill giving us 6 of the expected 7 for the day, with a possible 7th if we figure out the mystery gull was a Glaucous.

Here is a photo by Diane, and I’ll try to get some of mine in order to put up soon.  See you Thursday.

Herring Gull 2-18-12 by Dianne Y-Q.

 

Gull ? Glaucous from Gog-li-hi-tee 2-18-2012

 

Ed

KENT PONDS

Posted on by
Reply

I participated in Roger Orness’ GNRA Census of Kent ponds today. We saw 2 Tree Sparrow’s that were quite willing to give us very good looks. Best way to access the Kent Ponds is to take 228th East and exit onto Russell Rd which is now one way. There is a loop trail between the two entrances along this road. The Tree Sparrows as well as White Crowned, Golden Crowned, Song Sparrow and Spotted Towhee could be seen along this path. Other birds of note on Publicly accessed interior trails were Sharp- Shinned, Coopers, and Red-Tailed Hawks, a Harrier, Kestrel and a Peregrine Falcon. Wayne Sladek

Washington Shorebird GISS Notes

Posted on by
Reply

Ken’s helpful class handout on the GISS of Washington Shorebirds

GISS  General impression structure shape

Black Bellied Plover:  240gms., about size of G. Yellowlegs, larger than A.Gold.Pl., chunky large headed, thick chest, primaries slightly past tail. run stop feeding.

Am. Gold.Pl.:  145gms., attenuated, slim neck & chest,long legs-toes completely past tail in flight, usually 4 primaries exposed, wings 1/2″ or more past tail tip.  run stop feeding, upland also.

Pac. Gold. Pl.:  130 gms., same size as American, recalls BB Pl. ie front heavy upright, rounded body, heavy chest, ie. dumpy, 3 primaries exposed, 1/2″ or less beyond tail, long tertials, run stop feeding, upland.

Snowy Pl.:  40gms., slightly smaller than semi-palm, rounded front heavy, large headed slim billed, run stop plucking beaches, salt lakes, alkali flats, light backed

Semi-Palm. Pl.:  45 gms, intermediate between peep and sanderling, chunky but attenuated, round head, stubby bill, run-stop feeding beaches, mudflats, scattered flocks.

G. Yellowlegs:  160gms., 2x weight of Lesser, long legs, neck & bill, prominent adams apple, active feeder, walks steadily picks at surface, often runs frantically to chase fish, flooded fields, marshes, tidal creeks. bill upturned.

L. Yellowlegs:  80gms., slightly smaller than dowitchers, delicate, slim chest & smoot body contours, small head, slim straight bill. walks rapidly and methodically, picking, seldom runs, flooded fields, shallow ponds, mudflats.

Solitary Sand.:  50gms., Midway between peep & Lesser Yellowlegs, compact, short wings, legs & neck, slightly larger head, moves slowly and nervously picking at surface, ponds, creeks, marshs, solitary, spotted above.

Willet:  215 gms. near G. Yellowlegs, stocky and more compact than G.Y. larger head, thick neck & bill, walks steadily picking, shallow probes, tidal creeks & flats.

Wandering Tattler:  110gms, close to red knot, slim & attenuated, short legs, medium lengh bill, horizontal stance, walks quickly over rocks, teeters like spotted, picks & probes, usually solitary, loose flocks. largest rock piper.

Spotted Sand:  40gms. slightly larger than peep, short legs & bill, horizontal stance, active walks quickly picking, shallow fluttery flight close to water surface.

Whimbrel: 390gms., larger than willet, smaller than LB curlew, bulky & attenuated, long neck decurved bill, stipes on head, walks steadily, picking & probing, mudflats, marshes.

LBilled Curlew:  590gms, distinctly larger than Godwit or Whimbrel, heavy body, long decurved bill, no stripes on head, walks steadily picking & probing, mudflats, pastures.

Hudsonian Godwit:  300gms, willet size, heavy chest, long pointed wings, upturned bill, white rump & wingstripe, walks steadily, deep prober, mudflats, flooded fields, very rare.  15.5″.

Marbled Godwit:  370 gms, larger than willet, bulky body, long legs, abreviated supercilium, upturned bill, steadily walks, probing deeply, mudflats.

Bar-tailed Godwit:  340gms, between Marbled and Hudsonian in size, shorter neck and legs than Hudsonian but longer bill, walks steadily probes deeply, mudflats, tidal flats, widening supercilium behind eye.

Ruddy Turnstone:  110 gms, slightly larger than sanderling, chunky short legs & neck, short bill, low croucher, flips debris, digs in sand also cobbled habitats.

Black Turnstone:  120gms., chunkier than ruddy, short neck & legs, chisel like short bill, croucher, flips debris, rocky areas.

Surfbird:  190gms., 10″, 2nd largest rock piper, chunky, short stout plover like bill. Active, walks quickly over rocks, tugs or pecks.

Rock Sandpiper:  70 gms., slightly larger than dunlin, chunky and rounded, medium to long droopy bill, croucher, walks steadily, picking, hops & fluttters from rock to rock.

Red Knot: 135 gms., dowitcher size, chunky, short legs, medium bill, horizontal stance, walks slowly picking and probing, sandy beaches, mudflats.

Sanderling:  60gms, size of dunlin, larger than peep. chunky rounded body, large head, thick neck. medium bill, picks at surface, chases waves. whitest shorebird in winter.

Semi-Palm Sand:  25gms, 6.25″, slightly larger than least, plump body, not as front heavy as Western, straight blunt-tipped bill, deeper at base than western. walks steadily, picks nervously, aggressive mudflats.

Western Sand:  26gms, 6.5″, front heavy, larger head, longer droopy finer tipped bill, roosting birds more upright than Semi-palmated sandpiper, picks & probes shallow, large flocks migration, with dunlin winter, mudflats.

Least Sand:  20gms. 6″, medium bill fine tipped, roosts more upright than S-P, crouches when feeding, bill tip close to toes, walks steadily, picking broad mudflats close to shore, often higher on mudflats.

Baird’s Sand:  38gms, 7.5″, slightly larger than peep, steep forehead, straight fine tipped bill, long wings often crossed, walks steadily, picking, dry edges of mudflats, short grass.

Pectoral Sand:  73gms., 8.75″, Larger than dunlin, Males largest, bulky broad chested, but attenuated. small head, longer neck and legs than Baird’s. Primaries to tail tip. picks at surface, mudflats, pastures, ponds.

Sharp-Tailed Sand:  68gms, 8.5″, similar to Pectoral, more rounded body, longer legs, shorter slimmer bill, not 2 toned, red cap, buffy chest, with Pectorals usually.

Dunlin:  60 gms, 8.5″, Sanderling size, chunky, short thick neck, long droopy bill, dun colored, rapidly picks & probes, winters here in good numbers, large flocks by default.

Stilt Sand:  58gms, 8.5″, dunlin sized, smaller than dowitchers, long legs, fine tipped droopy long bill. walks steadily with bill down, probes deeply or picks at surface, often belly deep in ponds, shallow water, submerges head.

Buff-breated Sand:  63gms, 8.25″, size of Pectoral, sleek, attenuated, squarish head, short straight bill, upright stance, walks quickly with pigeon-like gait, (head bobbing), short grass, plowed fields, dry sandflats.

Ruff:  150gms, 11″, female close to Lesser Yellowlegs, male close to Greater.  chunky, round body, long legs & neck, short droopy bill, hunches when feeding, upright when alert. active, wanders continuouly, picking & probing,  ponds, marshes, flooded fields often with yellowlegs.

Short-Billed Dow:  110gms, 11″,  size of Lesser Yellowlegs, chunky but attenuated, short legs, long bill, horizontal stance, usually slimmer and flatter backed than LB in relaxed feeding pose, bill shorter, thicker at base, with longer curve at base, probes deeply, sewing machine in shallow water. mostly coastal, salt water.

Long-Billed Dow:  115gms, 11.5″, chunky, round back, indented near tail base, bill longer, thinner based, flatter for longer distance than S-B. ie curves more quickly from head.  Only winter time dowy, fresh water, ponds, sheltered tidal, sewing machine feeding.

Wilson’s Phalarope:  60gms, 9.25″, longest bill, needlelike, small head, long neck, spins in water, picking, usually inland.

Red-Necked Phalarope, 35 gms., 7.75″, smallest, compact with slim neck, small head. medium length bill, spins also, inland, coastal, pelagic.  Striped back.

Red Phalarope:  55gms., 8.5″, similar to sanderling, 40% larger than R-N, bulky, heavy chested, thick neck, large head, heavier plover like bill, 2 toned. plain back, spins, mostly pelagic, coastal after storms.

 

 

 

 

 

 

.

 

 

Washington Wrens and Dipper

Posted on by
Reply

Notes from June 2011 Spring Class

Wrens:  most are CBS, two CAS, most resident.  Some in NA move slightly south.  PF molt tends to be incomplete.  PF molt most extensive in Marsh, Bewick’s and Carolina Wrens.  PA reported in Marsh and Sedge wrens.  These two are more migratory.  Short distance migrants.

Bewick’s wren:  widespread W WA, locally FC E WA.  Riparian areas E WA, near Spokane, Klickitat, SE and S Central Col. Basin, local in Yakima, in W WA up to about 500’  Song more energetic and emphatic than song sparrow.

House Wren:  brushy areas low elevation, local W WA, common E WA, locally common in San Juans,  brambles, downed trees, cavity nesters, 4-15 –> 10-1, complex bubbly call resembles Lincoln Sparrow song.

Pacific Wren:  local lowlands as a breeder, more breed in the Mountains.  Split from E species as Winter wren.  Resident.  More in winter at low elevation.

Marsh Wren:  CAS, no change in appearance.  Local in E WA.  Along Col. River, Yakima area, Grand Cooley area.  Tend to pop up to recorded Virginia Rail call.  Aggressive birds.

Rock wren: migratory, short distance. Mostly absent in winter.  Rare in W WA  Recorded in all months, but most leave.  4-15 –> 11-15,  Broken rock slopes, like chutes, rock slides.  Need less space than Canyon Wrens, so can be found on small rock outcroppings, up to high elevations.

Canyon Wren:  residents, steep cliffs, almost always have water at the base of the cliff, cliffs tend to be large, 10 W WA records.

American Dipper:  CBS, most resident, some may move to slightly lower elevations in winter, first named in Mexico, hence there species name Mexicanus.  PB molt the inner 5-6 primaries synchronously, then the rest sequentially.  Tend to walk, not fly.  Move down in elevation in wintertime.

Washington Chickadees, Nuthatches and Creeper

Posted on by
Reply

Notes from JUne 2011 Spring Class

Chickadees

Black-capped Chickadee:  CBS, PF partial, more extensive in the south, common year round, resident, rare in the San Juans.  Riparian in E WA, low elevations but can be up to medium elevation, local in Col. Basin.  Deciduous to mixed.

Chestnut-backed Chickadee: up to Canadian zone, higher in some areas.  Common resident W WA.  No song, only a call, up to 4000’ E slope cascades, losing habitat and moving higher slightly.    Mostly conifer and mixed.

Mountain Chickadee: To high elevations.  Common in dry conifer forest of E WA, also at higher elevation 3000-timberline on W slope of Cascades, irreg. winter wanderer.  Likely to be split in the future into two species, one Gambel’s chickadee of the Rocky Mountains, and Bailey’s chickadee in our area.

Boreal Chickadee:  high elevation, usually wetter forest, more Douglas Fir with deciduous around lakes.  FR 39, above Salmon Meadows, Togo mountain is good.  Brownish cap, brownish-reddish sides, small white area on the face.

Nuthatches:  CAS.

Red-breasted nuthatch:   Molt their neck, chin and feathers because of the pitch on the conifers, so more extensive PA molt than the other nuthatches.

White-breasted nuthatch:  2 types.  Call is more nasal.  Slower yank-yank-yank.  Some rufus on the vent.

Pygmy Nuthatch:  Fairly common in dry open forest of E WA.  Local in Blues.  Series of Peeps as call.

Brown Creeper:  resident E and W WA.  CBS.  Old world species.  PF usually limited,  eccentric wing molt has been noted in PF.  Tail feater in PB is like woodpeckers, outer first and R1 last since like WP they use the tail as a prop.  Forests state wide, usually conifer more mature trees, some mixed forest, medium to high elevation, local nester at low elevation, more in wintertime with flocks of other birds.  Song high pitched, contact call a single noted see like GC kinglet which tends to be 3 or more see noted.

Washington Larks and Swallows

Posted on by
Reply

Notes from June 2011 Spring Class

Larks:  CBS.  Old world birds.  We only have one species.

Horned Lark:  known as a shore lark in Europe.  In NA about 25 subspecies, in WA Merili, Alpina and Streaked.  Northern birds migratory, PF is a complete molt. Live in sunny locals, so would be expected to have a PA molt, but none observed.

Swallows:  CBS.  Tree swallows eat berrys, so can stay further north.  One of the few birds who molt as they migrate.  So molt one feather at a time, and grow it back before it sheds another, so it takes 4-6 months to complete the primary molt.

Tree, VG, and Cave, and Rough-winged molt in the US whereas Cliff swallow does not,  so if you see a “cliff swallow type” molting they are a Cave.

Barn, Bank and and Cliff are long distance migrants, arrive later and molt outside the US.  PF complete.

Purple Martin:  fairly rare to uncommon as migrants, local breeders, most in W WA on salt water, rare in E WA.  4-10 –>  9-20.   Females lighter colored below.

Northern Rough-winged swallow:  FC to locally common E WA, low to moderate elevation,  3-10 –> 9-25.  Discrete, not usually in large flocks, pairs or small groups.  Need a soft substrate to nest in.  In W WA usually over or around water.  Blunt tail, slightly notched at times, evenly colored on the back.  Smudgy on the breast, Chin smudgy.  Young birds rufous wing bars.  Low to mod. Elevation.

Bank Swallow:   White chin and belly with band thickest in the middle, more notched tail, on the back the body is more grayish brown and the wings brownish, look at the back in flight look for the two toned upper body.  Have been seen as migrants and possible breed in Whatcom.  Large colonies in E WA at places.  3-20 –> 10-1,  4-15 –> 9-20 in W WA.  To 2300 feet.

Violet-green Swallow:  2-20 –> 10-15, low to mod. Elevation, local at higher elevations.  Common in towns, cavity nester.  Eye in the white.  Young are brownish and can be mistaken for R. Winged, look for saddle bags, if sitting look at wing length.  Very long past the tail.

Tree swallow:  cavity nester, fresh water ponds, usually low to mid elevation, 2-15 –> 10-25.

Cliff Swallow:  widespread,  3-15 –> 10-15, low to mod elevation,

Barn Swallow:  Last to arrive, 3-10 –>  11-15.   4-1 –>  8-10 in E WA.  Up to high elevation.

Washington Corvids

Posted on by
Reply

Class Notes from June 2011 Class on Jays and Crows

Jays and Crows:  CBS, resident. Pre-basic molt overlaps with breeding. For example in Clark’s Nutcracker starts PB molt in March and April.

American Crow:  Juvenile look fresh all summer, Adults molt in summer until July until fall.  First year birds start molt much earlier and molt in April – summer.

Stellar’s Jay:  Blue Jay:  mainly in winter as a migrant.  Most 8-25 à 4-1

Western Scrub Jay:  Like suburbia, esp. oak. Moving north.

Gray Jay:  In W WA 3000-sub alpine, E WA 3600 – timberline.  Juvenile birds darker.

Clark’s nutcracker:  start PB molt March-April, suspend and resume in the fall.  2 subspecies in WA, one in Ponderosa Pine with cliffs, others at high elevation  i.e. 4000 ft to the timberline assoc. with white bark pine, which grows in subalpine forest.

Black-billed magpie:  low elevation E WA.  A few W side sightings.  Resident.

Am. Crow:  news.  DNA testing shows not much difference between the NW smaller crows and the bigger crows.  Come in many sizes.

Common Raven:  fairly common W WA, common E WA.