February 2009 Archives

Here it is, Friday again and another chance to test your identification skills. Last week's bird gets its name not from any aspect of its appearance, but rather from the dome shaped nest it builds on the ground: Ovenbird. A warbler, Ovenbirds are most closely related to the two waterthrushes (Louisiana and Northern) and distinguishable by their white eye-ring, lack of eyebrow stripes, and by the orangish stripe (just beginning to show in the photo) on the top of their head.

This week I'm going to get a little tricky with you, but, if you were to go down to the shore and see this bird today, it would almost certainly look more like this - just beginning to molt to breeding plumage - than what your field guide will show. Good luck, post a comment if you would like a hint (I'll email the hint), and have a great week birding! 

Considering how pleasant the weather was yesterday, I had to work really hard to find many birds. Ended up with 19 species spread out over the entire day, both inside and outside of the park. Highlights were my first of the year Horned Larks (odd because, as I think I mentioned somewhere before, last Winter I saw them a lot north of Bryce) and the pictured (and not exactly in a great location for a photo) Ferruginous Hawk. Don't know what happened to the ducks and geese, but the total for the day would have been a little better if they'd been on one of the ice-free ponds.

I also saw a Utah Prairie Dog up and about following its long winter nap over near the stables. This is several days earlier than last year, though they'll scurry back underground if (more like when) the weather turns wintry again. There were also very clear signs that one of the local Badgers has been digging around in the colony looking for food. Something of a concern, but then those in the know feel that particular colony could use some thinning (if it gets too big there can be health and/or other consequences that can lead to a more serious population crash within that colony).  

Here's my attempt at a pic of Comet Lulin. Not very impressive, but the best I could do without equipment better suited for astrophotography. There's some trailing (something to do with the ol' Earth doing that 825 mph rotation thing at this latitude) caused by the 25 second long exposure. The brightest object in the scene is Saturn and the little green smudge with the yellow arrow pointing to it is the comet. You can find better photos with a Google image search. Still pretty cool to see it - and hey, I got to listen to the hoots of a Great-horned Owl in the process . . . 

There were some speeches on TV tonight.

I watched the first and really tried to be open minded and watch the other.

Who was that guy from Louisiana?*

Besides the fact that, apparently, he hadn't listed to the President's speech before opening his pie hole and had absolutely nothing relevant to say - maybe someone from Louisiana can help me out here - but does this guy's speeches always sound like he's channeling Mister Rogers????????

(*Actually I am quite familiar with him, this was just the first time I've seen/heard him speak.)

Last was the closest approach of the comet that has been making the news over the past several days and I didn't think I'd get to see it. However the clouds parted and the amazing Bryce night sky lived up to its reputation. Truth be told, in binoculars it was just a fuzzy green spot, but still cool considering this will be the only time Comet Lulin will be passing us by before leaving the inner solar system for good. It will still visible for the next several nights, so if you can find some dark skies take your binoculars and have a look. Sky and Telescope magazine has a chart showing where to look over the next several nights. I might try to get a photo tonight if it is clear.

I received a note from a good friend from Halifax River Audubon about the shooting of 21 birds in Florida a few days ago. Very, very disappointing news.

It turns out that 4 of the 7 individuals arrested for this crime are graduates of the U.S. Naval Academy, assigned to the Naval Air Station at Pensacola (FL) for flight training. I come from a Navy Air family (my father having retired after 20+ years as an Air Crewman - for the first 13 years of my life I was surrounded by the U.S. Navy) and have nothing but the greatest respect for Navy pilots but, if convicted, they should be stripped of their commissions and sent packing. As a nation, our military can must do better than this.

As David noted in his email, "It's mind boggling to think that someone capable of this kind of barbaric, adolescent behavior could possibly pass the psychological tests for entry into the highest ranks of our military." I wholeheartedly concur. 

Spend much time birding east of the Rockies and you'll know that Cyanocitta cristata, the Blue Jay, is a great mimic that likes to entertain (or confuse) you with good imitations of various raptors. West of the Rockies we have their close cousin, Cyanocitta stelleri or Steller's Jay, and they are entertainers, too. While out this morning so Roxy could do her biz we had one doing a pretty good Red-tailed Hawk. It started with a normal jay call, so I wasn't fooled, and I knew who was there even before I found it in the tree. Can't help but think it's the same bird that tries that stunt over at Visitor Center (which isn't far away) on a regular basis. 

I've read some things over the past few days that have managed to get blood boiling a little. I could engage in some harsh commentary on a few - probably all of them, actually - of these topics, but it'll probably be better if I don't get too carried away.

First, a couple of items from this week's Loose Feathers:

• A couple of weeks ago some of us were trying to get signatures on a petition to stop the shooting of Acorn Woodpeckers at a retirement community in California. Not working. Twenty-two are dead so far.

• They're paddling their little boat out to an island rookery in Florida and shooting birds just for fun. At least twenty-one total - the good news is there were arrests. (I made the mistake of reading some of the comments with that news item - as per usual in an article like this, especially from a Florida news source, there are a few wackaloons participating in the discussion.)

And from Coyote Crossing:

• A group of "off-road enthusiasts" wants to stage a 1,000 mile race through the Nevada desert. "Petro-tainment" at its finest. No comment.

• Meanwhile, up in Idaho, some of the world's finest humans are staging a Coyote killing competition. This wonderful event is taking place today! Here in Utah they don't do it all in one day - the bounty for a set of ears is in place all year.

I have to rush off to work now, though I have a few more I may add later this evening. I do have watch my level of stress, though.

(Apologies to John at A D.C. Birding Blog for sort of co-opting the name of this post from his (great) weekly feature Loose Feathers.)

Wow, woke this morning and realized that it was already Friday, which meant a.) I'm halfway through my work week and, b.) I needed to cook up another bird quiz. Last week's bird was a Gray Catbird; for this week a species I pulled out of the film archives who's maybe even more secretive than the catbird. Good luck and great birding!


The 94th edition of I and the Bird , is being hosted by Larry at The Birder's Report, so be sure to fly on over and check out the entries in this edition.

With all the new snow, it seemed like a good idea to get out the snowshoes and go for a little walk. It's about 1/4 mile or so to the Rim Trail from where I'm living and it was a bit of a chore in spots. Even with the snowshoes, at times I would sink 8-10 inches in the light, fluffy snow. Nobody had been up there since the snow the night before, so I was breaking trail the whole way.

This Bristlecone Pine is growing adjacent to the trail and probably measures around 45-51 cm (18-20 inches) in diameter at the widest point on the trunk. The height is probably around 6 meters (20 feet) and, though there is no way to tell without getting a core sample, a Pinus Longaeva that size is almost certainly well over 1,000 years old. Hard to imagine that this tree was a little sapling back in the Dark Ages (or maybe even before)!

I knew it was coming, but, tied up doing some research last night, about 5 inches of (desperately needed) fresh snow fell when I wasn't looking. By the time I woke up this morning the total had climbed to 10 inches. They were here to clear the road earlier than I expected, so, why not head out for a photograph? I'm sure I've said it before but, while this place is simply amazing, it is even better with a fresh coat of snow on the hoodoos!

You've gotta see the photo PZ posted (via NatGeo) over at Pharyngula - it's of a fight between a Northern Flicker and Red-headed Woodpecker, and the flicker has the upper hand . . . er, tongue.

I was a little concerned about getting knocked out of counting by an approaching storm, but it still isn't here and I got to participate in the Great Backyard Bird Count for the first time. I actually counted in two separate areas, first, here at Bryce Canyon in the morning, then early in the afternoon down in Tropic.

The number of individuals and species tally in the park was pretty weak, with only 5 species and 19 individuals. Don't know if I just started too early, but it was really quiet. Species: Hairy Woodpecker (2), Steller's Jay (1), Common Raven (1), Pygmy Nuthatch (13), Townsend's Solitaire (2). The Hairy Woodpeckers were tough. They were way up in a Ponderosa Pine, I could hear them pecking away, but it took over 10 minutes before they showed themselves and I could say for certain they weren't Downys.

There were a lot more birds to be found in and around Tropic: Canada Goose (2), Redhead (6), Ring-necked Duck (16), Bald Eagle (4), Cooper's Hawk (1), Rough-legged Hawk (2), Golden Eagle (1), American Coot (8), Eurasian Collared-dove (3), Northern Flicker (1), Western Scrub-jay (14), Black-billed Magpie (5), Common Raven (9), Townsend's Solitaire (2), European Starling (43), White-crowned Sparrow (4), Dark-eyed Junco (7), Pine Siskin (2), American Goldfinch (5), House Sparrow (11). The Scrubbies were a surprise - I regularly see them around town, but this was almost triple what I usually find. And one of the Rough-legged Hawks was perched on the same utility pole for over 2 hours.

Way back when I was still in high school, the U.S. Uniform Monday Holiday Act was passed, and I've always thought that the holiday we celebrate on the third Monday in February was to honor the birthdays of Washington and Lincoln and called Presidents Day. Not so. Officially, the federal holiday is Washington's Birthday. About a dozen states have officially renamed the holiday Presidents Day or Washington and Lincoln Day, a few others have a separate state holiday for Lincoln (California will frequently move it to the Friday before the federal holiday so they get a 4-day weekend), and the oddballs in Alabama take the holiday for George Washington and Thomas Jefferson Birthday - even though TJ was actually born on April 13. In New Mexico President's Day (with an apostrophe) is celebrated the Friday after Thanksgiving. It's all too confusing.

Mr. Washington also had a healthy respect for science and knowledge that somebody of late with the same first name who held that office seemed to be lacking:

Nor am I less persuaded that you will agree with me in opinion that there is nothing which can better deserve your patronage than the promotion of science and literature. Knowledge is in every country the surest basis of public happiness. -- 1st Inaugural Address

There's a similar quote in his 2nd Inaugural address, also. On the positive side, we now have someone in the Oval Office who thinks more like Washington (and Jefferson, among a few others) in that regard. Given that U.S. students rank pretty poorly compared to the other "industrialized" countries, maybe we'll start to move up. 

Last week's bird was a tricky one. Truth be told, almost all sparrows are tricky for me and, at least for some, I have a hard time if I don't get a photo that I can analyze. Important field marks here are the white crown stripe, the yellow area above the eye, and the unmarked, buffy breast. Habitat is clearly grassland and our bird is a Grasshopper Sparrow. For this week another bird that is also secretive and, frequently, heard more often than it is seen.

The Great Backyard Bird Count begins today; not sure if I can squeak in some time today but will be able to get some counting in the rest of the weekend (weather permitting the way things have been around here of late). And, as soon as I finish here, I'm going to pop over to A D.C. Birding Blog to see what's is in the latest edition of Loose Feathers. 

So here we are, February 12, 2009, and the bicentennial of the births of two of history's more significant people, Abraham Lincoln and Charles Darwin. When I was growing up, Abe had his own day - we got the day off from school - until they decided to lump all of the president's together in one holiday. Mr. Lincoln would certainly near the top, if not at the top, of virtually any list of "greatest U.S. President's" for his achievements. But to be honest, I would expect that on a trip around the internet, and especially the "blogoshpere", you will probably find more written today about Mr. Darwin.

You could start with today's Google logo.

Charles Darwin is being celebrated around the globe for his contributions to biology, the Darwin Day website lists over 650 events in 44 countries. There have been countless newspaper and magazine articles, several TV specials (3 on Science Channel tonight), some podcasts (here and here, for example), and there will be, I'm sure, thousands of blog posts (not unlike this one).

Why celebrate Darwin? I think, at least in part, it has to do with the fact that he has become the "whipping boy" of choice for the "creationist" crowd. Why not revile Charles Lyell, the geologist who told the world in the 1830's that our planet was more than 6,000 years old (a folly based on nothing more that the OT "begats" tallied up by a 17th Century bishop). It really is probably because evolutionary theory takes away the conceited view that we humans are special in the universe, something that geology really doesn't do.

Darwin didn't have everything right, but his work inspired thousands of biologists over the past 150 years (this year is also the sesquicentennial of the publication of On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection). Darwin knew nothing of DNA, yet the science of genetics expands and improves upon his original ideas. Paleontologists, despite the rants and raves of creationists, have found numerous transitional fossils (extensive discussion here).

Remember: "Nothing in Biology Makes Sense Except in the Light of Evolution" (Dobzhansky, 1973).

For the rest of the day I am personally going to celebrate the wonder and awe of this world, and, in fact, the entire universe, made all the more amazing to me by the work of people like Charles Darwin. (I'd celebrate by going birding if I could, but work and the heavy snow falling right now are getting in the way.)

Happy Darwin Day!

(My rant is below the fold, if you dare)

The sun came out for most of the day yesterday, but it was cold and the wind was howling. Late in PM we went out for a ride just to shake off being cooped for the better part of my days off for the week. This is Swamp Canyon with the fresh coat of snow, though the wind had stripped it from the trees already. I saw exactly two birds while we were out, both ravens, perched together in a snag and probably looking for handouts. 

I took this photo about 10 minutes ago, from inside my trailer. It has been snowing steadily since early this morning and, while putting the finishing touches to a new evening program in the works, it got really dark. And the wind started blowing. I grabbed my camera and took a shot.

How's that song start? Something like "The weather outside is frightful"? (Wrong season, I know . . .)

While I was out shoveling earlier - trying to stay ahead a little - I did see a Pygmy Nuthatch flitting around. Only bird I'll see today, probably  Nope, just saw a Bald Eagle fly right over my place.

In other stuff, there's a Facebook group working toward getting 200,000 "Happy Birthday" wishes to Charles Darwin. They're up over 135,000 now with three days to go, so if you do the Facebook thing and haven't already, head on over and sign on. (I actually just joined FB last week; don't know why, really, but I'm there - late to the party, as usual.)

We've been threatened for about 3 days now with nothing more than a trace actually hitting the ground, but overnight we've had about an inch and it seems to be coming down with a purpose as I write. It's a good thing because this part of Utah is way behind in winter precipitation this season.(This photo is from my files from last Winter, looking toward Sunrise Point from Sunset Point.)

A couple of other items of note:

Thursday is the 12th and the bicentennial(s) of the births of two of history's more significant individuals: Abraham Lincoln and Charles Darwin. Tomorrow (Monday) PBS's American Experience will premiere a new program on Lincoln, The Assassination of Abraham Lincoln. On Tuesday (2/10) National Geographic has a new program, Darwin's Secret Notebooks and The Science Channel is airing three different programs about Darwin in prime time on Thursday.

Next weekend, Friday Feb. 13 through Monday Feb. 16 is the Great Backyard Bird Count. I am going to personally try and participate, even though there aren't many birds up here on the plateau - and I have to work three of the four days. Back in the old Florida days I was always working at the speedway (don't miss that one iota) and always missed out, but I'm really going to try this time.

Our bird last week, spending a nice sunny winter day in Albuquerque, was a female American Wigeon. This week we are back on dry land for a shy little bird found in about 2/3rd's of the lower 48 and parts of southern Canada (in Spring and Summer, anyway - they're further south these days). Good luck and great birding!

Being Friday, while you are mulling over this week's answer, check out the latest edition of Loose Feathers at A D.C. Birding Blog. And, hot off the "presses", the 93rd edition of I and the Bird is dripping with entries, ably hosted at Vicki Henderson Art. There is a lot of stuff there to read; I'm heading over now 'cuz it's going to take some time to get through.

The "Bird Dog" and I were out and about this afternoon looking to see what birds we could find and, with 22 species, it was a pretty good day for early February. Things are still quiet within the park, but down off the plateau where things are several degrees warmer, with a little work I kept adding more to the tally. Last time I was the pond in the photo was during the Christmas Bird Count, there was less open water, and knee deep snow. Only found four species there today, including the Ring-necked Ducks and Redheads in the photo, plus some Mallards and American Coots. Near the pond I also saw the old reliable Cooper's Hawk perched in its usual tree.

Here's the complete list: Common Raven, Bald Eagle, Western Scrub-Jay, Pinyon Jay, White-breasted Nuthatch, Pygmy Nuthatch, American Coot, Ring-necked Duck, Redhead, Mallard, Cooper's Hawk, Red-tailed Hawk, Red-winged Blackbird, Western Bluebird, Townsend's Solitaire, Eurasian Collard-dove, European Starling, Dark-eyed (Oregon) Junco, Black-billed Magpie, Mountain Chickadee, Northern Flicker, and Wild Turkey.

Also of interest was one of the Bald Eagles I saw, who seemed to be having a nice afternoon soaring around on a thermal in the company of about 12 ravens. 

Not good news for shorebird fans. In an article in the Newark (NJ) Star-Ledger, we learn that The Red Knot is Not Alone in Its Plight. The Red Knot, holder of the record for longest migration by a North American shorebird, has been suffering precipitous declines over the last 14 years due to the over harvesting of Horseshoe Crabs on Delaware Bay. Now it appears that Semipalmated Sandpiper numbers are in serious decline, too.

In the 1980s, about 2 million semipalmated were counted by researchers on the 4,000-mile coastline of Suriname and neighboring French Guiana, where scientists say 85 percent of the world's population of the bird winters annually. Last month, only 400,000 of the birds were found in aerial surveys by the New Jersey Audubon expedition.

"We had already found a 50 percent decline over 15 years by 2006. Now, this is a 70 to 80 percent decline since the survey in the 1980s. I think it's alarming," said David Mizrahi, the team leader.

The problem, he said, appears to be in the Delaware Bay -- also the controversial source of the red knot's troubles.

-- Brian T. Murray, Star-Ledger Staff

The nearly 80% decline compares to the approximately 90% decline in Red Knots. The researchers note that, while no studies have been done on breeding grounds for the semipalms, they have been done in Knot breeding areas and nothing exists there that would explain the decline. And nothing on either species wintering grounds can be pointed to which might explain the declines, either. So that leaves Delaware Bay, the one location shared by both species. It has been reported that crab numbers were up last year, so there may be hope, but for now we have two species to worry about going extinct because of greed (and while I don't have a link, I also heard somewhere that Sanderlings in eastern North America are in decline as well). It will be interesting to see what happens this May when the birds arrive on the bay. 

I first learned about this nonsense being planned at A D.C. Birding Blog in Friday's Loose Feathers. What's happening is a large retirement community in Northern California decided to plop their little village down in the middle of Acorn Woodpecker habitat. Then, in an apparent stroke of brilliance - not - built said homes of some material in which woodpeckers can, well, peck holes. Now, I expect if it was just a matter of pecking out a nest here and there, it probably would be no big deal. But Acorn Woodpeckers peck out lots of little holes in which to cache acorns. Having tried several methods to scare or otherwise deter the woodpeckers from engaging in somewhat normal behavior (if you remove most of the trees, they gotta find somewhere to store food), each deterrent method having failed, now it looks like they are going shoot them to take "care" of the problem.

I guess it goes without saying that "the plan" doesn't exactly meet with my approval.

Late Friday I got an email from faithful reader Mary to an online petition, Stop The Acorn Woodpecker Killing at Rossmoor. If you haven't already done so, please hie thee on over and help the sponsors reach their target of 1,000 signatures - it seems to have stalled a bit and they could use some help. Thanks!