Book Review: Rare Birds of North America...

"Use Grammarly for proofreading online because without proper grammar, readers might have a hard time telling the difference between a cat and a comma!"

Written by the legendary Steve N.G. Howell and co-authored by Ian Lewington and Will Russell, "Rare Birds of North America" is a gem; not perfect but a gem nonetheless. Let me say right off that this book's introductory chapter alone, is worth the sticker price. Especially, the section that covers "Migration and Vagrancy in Birds." That is how good I thought it was!   While some birders might find it hard to wrap one's head around the information covering vagrancy, others looking for a little more information that will help them prep for or understand vagrancy will love this section. I predict that the pages of this chapter will definitely get some wear for those who are into this sort of information.

The book covers 262 species originating from the Old World, the New World tropics and the world's oceans.  It goes into details, the plumage, habits and more importantly the possible reasons behind avian vagrancy patterns. The authors were very detailed in breaking the processes of vagrancy into 6 categories which they discuss in depth with examples.

The species in the book are broken up into groups such as Waterfowl to Songbirds. In these groups, there are subgroups broken up into species originating in the Old World and the New World. This area can get a little confusing, so it requires careful attention to the text in understanding the distinction and the reasons. The biggest weakness with this book is the little effort given to areas of "similar species." I understand that there is only so much a book could hold before a project gets out of hand, but a little more on similar species with text and comparison plates would have made this book much more useful.

This book is already outdated in terms of a reference for North American Rarities - an example would be the 2012 Gray-tailed Tattler found by Jeremiah Trimble an MA and 1st East Coast record, which is missing from table 3 on page 19. Nevertheless, it is a welcome, overdue work on NA rarities and the reasons behind their vagrancy.  One that deserves a read and who knows may even help you in finding your own North American MEGA rarity!
Tags: Book Review, Rare Birds of North America

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The Conundrum of Identifying Sharp-tailed Sparrows to Subspecies in the Field...

Last weekend after a terrific Pelagic on Saturday (more on that in another post), I was out in the field on Sunday doing my best to act as a field guide to West Coast Pelagic Leader, Todd McGrath, who was visiting our area and co-led on our Saturday NY Pelagic.  Todd and I had gotten off to a great start to the day when we heard first and then saw the Jones Beach LI Northern Shrike.  The way we both keyed in on the mostly elusive Northern Shrike brought a chuckle and a nice complement from Todd.

I decided that we should then head out to Shinnecock Inlet LI, to look for Gulls, which would also give Todd an opportunity to photograph some of our Gull species like Great Black-backed Gull which is not a common bird in Texas.  While Gulls were the target species, it was the discovery of Sparrows along Dune Road that encouraged me to do this post.  On our way to Shinnecock Inlet, we ran into some of my friends, Tom Burke, Gail Benson, Shai Mitra and Patricia Lindsay.  They were Sparrow searching and had a Seaside Sparrow all lined up for us when we arrived.  Full credit goes to Pat who had scouted the bird the day before and probably bribed it to stick around for us the next day.

We then began looking for Saltmarsh Sparrows which were known to be in the area.  Shai and I while searching near the edge of one of the marsh areas, kicked up one Sparrow which when it flew and landed, definitely looked good for a Nelson's and then as I moved to angle for a better look.  Spotted another Nelson's type closer to where I was standing just before it flew, joining the other bird in a low brushy area that was in the marsh itself.  Before I go further with our search in the field.  A bit on the history of Sharp-tailed Sparrow. 

Since the split of the Sharp-tailed Sparrows in 1995, field guides have identified some of the important distinctions between Saltmarsh and Nelson’s Sparrow.  However this has been a top level approach and a more granular level approach digging into the more subtler distinctions is sorely lacking in field guides.  Nevertheless, more research, including studies of skins and digital photography has helped further the understanding of these subtle distinctions within the subspecies.  With this in mind, the 6 of us spent about 2 hours working the area on Dune Road, patiently trying to get sufficient looks at the Saltmarsh Sparrows.  During this time the discussion turned to subspecies identification and as such I attempted to document our findings with some field notes and photographs which I am sharing in this post with some comments on what the subspecies type were deemed to be.

This bird was spotted by Shai Mitra, as it came out on the opposite side of the brushy area where 5 of us were standing. I carefully worked my way over to Shai without disturbing the bird.Then  studied and took a few photos for review. Here, we see that this bird looks nicely marked for a Nelson's Sparrow, possibly Alterus which I am cautiously id'ing to subspecies based on range but keeping in mind that Subvirgatus cannot be ruled out. Do you see what is happening here? This stuff while it can be quite frustrating is exciting and a welcome challenge to try and decipher. At least that is what I think. What do you think?

A side profile of the same bird, shows all the field marks associated with a Nelson's Sparrow. The ochre (orange color)on the face surrounding the gray auricular, the orange on the throat that goes down onto the breast, diffused streaks on the breast and along the sides.

In this next photo, it gets even more interesting. A second bird that popped into view in the same area and luckily captured in the same frame, appears to be a Saltmarsh Sharp-tailed Sparrow, very possibly caudacutus which I am really calling based on range. Note how with this bird the streaks continue well marked on the breast and the sides. All good for a Saltmarsh Sharp-tailed Sparrow.

The same two birds but not labeled and here the Saltmarsh Sharp-tailed candidate further solidified its ID as such with a better view at the throat area and breast. Note, how the throat is cleaner/clearer without the orange/ochre color that we see in the photo of the Nelson's candidate. A more frontal look at the breast streaking also show no diffusion as with the Nelson's. All solid traits for an ID of Saltmarsh Sharp-tailed Sparrow. Compared to Saltmarsh Sparrows, Nelson’s Sparrows show more continuity between the colors of the face and the breast/sides. Nelson’s also have more pure-toned facial triangles, lacking the dusky tones within this area, especially in the rear of the supercilium, shown by Saltmarsh.

This image shows the back of the candidate for Saltmarsh Sharp-tailed Sparrow.

As luck would have it, we had yet another Nelson's candidate this one was very nicely marked and perhaps makes a case for Nelsoni. But again I say this cautiously since David Sibley and James Rising, both authorities on Sparrow identification caution on attempting to differentiate Alterus from Nelsoni.  During this exercise, I learned that identifying to subspecies these birds in the field is quite a challenge and near to impossible.  Obtaining photographs can be helpful but still makes the job quite tough.  Although, I took a crack at trying to identify the candidates to subspecies, it was done in a cautionary manner acknowledging that I could be wrong on all counts.  However, unless more discussion on difficult topics such as this one is encouraged, we will never learn.
Tags: Saltmarsh Sharp-tailed Sparrow, Nelson's Sparrow, Saltmarsh Sparrow

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Lesser Black-backed Gulls in Brooklyn...

My first Lesser Black-backed Gull in Brooklyn was back in 2010. They are not common in our area and so I was especially pleased to learn of two spotted by Peter Dorosh near the shore along Coney Island Creek near the Six Diamond Ball Fields. Somehow, I have to continue trying to convince Peter and others to not only tweet and or text these sightings but to also post them to the list serve. Lesser Black-backed Gulls are worthy of posting even if it is just posting to eBirdsNYC and not to NY state.  Here are some photos.

This is a nice comparison of a Great Black-backed Gull and Lesser Black-backed Gull in the same frame, which was obtained via phonescope (taking the photo with my iPhone and Scope using a special adapter).

One of the two Lesser Black-backed Gulls.

Lesser Black-backed Gull number two in a standing posture which shows its yellow legs.

Tags: Lesser Black-backed Gull, Great Black-backed Gull, Brooklyn, New York

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When a Gull ain't so "Common" you FREEZE for it...

And that is what I did. For TWO DAYS, starting on Saturday the 25th, I spent several hours in the field looking for the bird.  Starting at Veteran Memorial Pier in Brooklyn NY, where the Common Gull, was initially found by Shane Blodgett. Unfortunately, on Saturday I had to leave due to an emergency and about 15 minutes after I left, I got several phone calls and texts indicating that the bird had shown up.   Many folks who knew that I had frozen my hands and feet off in the field patiently looking all day were bummed that I missed it. But I shrugged it off, I had to leave there was no other way around my departure and left it to faith and luck in hoping I had another crack at it the next day.

So some readers might be wondering. What's that? A Common Gull? Shouldn't there be a lot of them around then with a name like 'Common"? Well, this beauty, may be common elsewhere; however, it is quite a rarity along the Atlantic Coast. Also known as Mew Gull, it is common along Pacific Coast beaches in winter. In Eurasia, where it occurs, it is known as the "Common Gull." Birds showing up on the Atlantic Coast are said to likely be from Europe. So now you understand the fuss.

The next day (Sunday), I decided to start the day by trying for a Barnacle Goose that was found on Saturday by Anya Auerbach at Randall's Island Manhattan NY.  I found it where it was last reported and shared views with a birder named Alexis. I then waited for over an hour for my friends Tom Burke and Gail Benson who came to see it. By then, I had gotten cold again to the point of shivering. The wind that whips through Randall's Island, is no joke. After getting splendid looks at the Barnacle Goose, I decided to make my way back to Brooklyn to try again for the Common Gull. A quick stop at Baisley Pond in Queens to look for Geese and then it was onto Veteran's Memorial Park, to once again brave the wind and cold (crazy stuff birders do).  As luck would have it, I was stunned that in a matter of minutes after arriving I managed to lock onto the prize! Talk about the Gods taking pity on me. I enjoyed excellent views with Jim Merwin who incidentally reminded me that the last time we met was at the East Pond at Jamaica Bay where we had a lengthy discussion on the nuances of identifying Long-billed Dowitchers.  That day we had crippling views of an immature LBDO.

Jim and I were very lucky to pick up this bird in flight and then tracked it once it landed.  Not wanting to take our eyes off or walk away from the bird, we waited until a couple of birders who were at the base of the pier looked our way and then waved them over.  I believe the birders were Sam Stuart and Rhys Marsh. Only one other birder, Karen who had seen the bird the day before made it in time to see the Common Gull with us before it took off heading towards the Verazanno Bridge.  We had tried during the short time we had the bird, to wave off people jogging and or strolling along the pier but we were not successful with all of them and the bird was noticeably nervous after one fellow stopped behind the roosting flock to take photos of who knows what.  Here are some photos, I hope you enjoy them.

This is the view in flight that Jim and I got of the Common Gull flying into the Pier. Note the extended mirror (white) on P10 (primary flight feather counting from the outer feather inward on the wing), quite unlike what one would see in a Ring-billed Gull.

Another nice view of P10 as well as the extended white on the secondaries as the bird got set to land. On this bird P8 is mostly black but in some birds it could show a mirror. Howell and Dunn has a nice example of this in Gulls of the Americas image 22B.8.

Here is a nice tight crop of the bird resting. Note the nice Tertial Crescent, created by the extended white on the inner secondaries. It stands out in comparison to the Ring-billed Gulls. Note also the dark eye in comparison to the eyes of nearby Ring-billed Gulls.

Here is a shot before it settled in to rest. Note the smaller bill and the dusky type subterminal ring on the bill in comparison to the nearby Ring-billed Gulls. The head is also more rounded, giving a gentler look than what one would see in a Ring-billed Gull. I am not sure if readers would notice this and it could be the lighting at the time of observation. I should note that the bird seemed to show a subtly darker shade of gray on the mantle.

Tags: Common Gull, Veteran Memorial Pier, Brooklyn, New York

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Wordless Wednesday...

Missing the female but I figured an adult male and a male that I would say is close to being a 1st winter would make for a nice Wordless Wednesday.  Hint: think sea ducks (Merginae) :)

Tags: seaducks, Wordless Wednesday

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Cackling Geese At Van Cortlandt Park Bronx NY...

My curiosity got the better of me as I wondered about the low numbers of Canada Geese being reported from Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx.  Having birded the Parade Grounds at VCP (Van Cortlandt Park) extensively, I knew from experience that Geese numbers could get as high as in the thousands in the winter. So the reports of 50 Geese on the field had me puzzled and I wondered what was happening on the field.  Was there some change to the field that the birds did not like?  Or were these birds being under reported.  With the pending snow to arrive on Tuesday, I decided to go Geese studying on Monday and I am glad that I did.

There were certainly more than 50 Geese on the Parade Ground Fields and I estimated the number to be about 2300.  Maybe they all just showed up after the reports of paltry numbers?? (I doubt that).  With a sizable flock to study, I was hoping that I would find something odd like perhaps a Cackling Goose.

Cackling Goose Center.  Note the smaller size with small bill.

Some of you may say to yourselves.  What is a Cackling Goose?  Well, Cackling used to be all lumped in with Canada Goose until there was a split in what I believe was the 45th Supplement to the AOU (American Ornithological Union) Checklist.  In other words, the Canada Goose race was divided to differentiate the large bodied interior and southern breeding species (Canada and its subspecies), from the small bodied tundra breeding subspecies (Cackling and its subspecies).

The Cackling Goose is made up of 4 subspecies that mainly breeds in the tundra.  B. h. hutchinsii – Richardson’s (or Hutchins’s), B. h. taverneri – Taverner’s (Alaska) Cackling Goose, B. h. minima – Cackling Cackling Goose and B. h. leucopareia – Aleutian Cackling Goose – includes asiatica which is considered extinct.

Cackling Goose (Right) Cropped to give viewers a closer look at size in structure.

The expected vagrant Cackling here in the NE is the Richardson form of Cackling but I have been looking very carefully to see if any of the other subspecies type might show up.  In this flock, I found 2 definite Richardson form of Cackling Goose and a possible third.  The third bird, I did not get sufficient time to study it well or to get photos as it was flushed with some Canada Geese off the fields by an unleashed dog, which seems to be a regular thing that occurs on the fields despite the posted signs to keep dogs leashed. I have posted some photos for your viewing pleasure, which I hope helps in differentiating Cackling from Canada.

Cackling Goose (left) smaller than the larger Canada Goose.

Tags: Cackling Goose, Van Cortlandt Park, Bronx

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Unique Bird Migration Uncovered...

My regular readers know how much I love shorebirds and so it is with delight that I share with you a recent article that discusses one of the world's greatest migration. And as you guessed by now, it has to do with a shorebird. A Red-necked Phalarope fitted with a tracking device weighing less than a paper clip provided scientists with an astounding discovery about its migration pattern.

Tags: Migration, Red-necked Phalarope

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