Photo Quiz 4/25/12 Solution

Well, to start I have to say I am extremely sorry for taking so long to get this up.  To be completely honest, I started to doubt that I knew what this bird was, and I can honestly say, I'm still not 100%.  However, I'll go through the field marks and discuss what the options are, and hopefully come up with an answer.  Shall we take a closer look?

Okay, the photo I gave you is horrible, bad lighting and angle.  But it's pretty clear that it's a tern, which one is far more unclear.  The first thing that I notice in this photo is the primaries.  They appear to have narrow black tips causing a thin black edge to the underwing.  This feature alone would suggest Arctic Tern.  But there's a lot more to think about here.  The bird appears to have a large bill, relatively uniform upperwing, white secondaries, and the from underneath, white primaries and secondaries.  The leading edge of the upperwing appears somewhat darker than the rest of the wing but not black or showing any extreme contrast.

I received a fair number of responses for this, considering how difficult it was, and the most frequent answer I got was Common Tern.  Despite the long bill, I would argue this is not a Common Tern but an Arctic Tern.  Common Tern should show dark secondaries and a dark contrasting (almost black if not black) ulnar bar.  This bird has a fairly uniform upperwing with white secondaries.

Although the lighting is crap and there is a dark shadow over the underwing, I think the important underwing field marks can be made out.  First is, as I pointed out, the narrow black tips to the primaries.  I would expect much broader tips to Common Tern, giving a wedge shaped black band on the primaries.  Though this is not always the case, it is true of most.  The other important character is that all secondaries and primaries are translucent from underneath as opposed to the grayish and contrastingly dark secondaries of Common.  The head also appears small and rounded, but because of the angle I am hesitant to use these characters.

Here is a slightly better photo of a more typical non-breeding Arctic Tern from a better angle.  Note short bill, thin black primary tips, translucent remiges, rounded head, short neck...

And here is another photo of the quiz individual from above.  The better look at the upperwing strongly supports Arctic Tern in my opinion - note overall uniform coloration and white secondaries.  Bill also feels within the norm of a typical Arctic as well.

This is my argument for Arctic Tern.  However, I feel I could benefit from a good discussion on this since my Arctic Tern experience is limited, so if anyone still stands by Common Tern, has anything to add, or just thinks I'm stupid and completely wrong, comment on this post or email me at boomchachalaca@gmail.com.

¡Winners! - 
Markothy Markus Aurelius "Mark" Dettling
Ryan Ford

Thanks for playing -

~Luke Musher

White-faced Ibis and Stilt Sandpiper at Heislerville

By Luke Musher

At the end of the day today I went over to Heislerville with my co-workers/roommates, Steph and Nick.  Lots of new shorebirds out and about including Black-bellied and Semipalmated Plovers, Dunlin, Short-billed Dowitcher, Semipalmated and Least Sandpipers, a single Stilt Sandpiper (pretty rare in spring), Willet, Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs, and Ruddy Turnstone.  Someone else had White-rumped Sandpipers (making a total of 12 species).  I'll definitely be back in the morning to check it out again.

A White-faced Ibis was present with the Glossy Ibis on the south impoundment.  I digiscoped some photos with my iPhone.

I'm adding this photo a little late, but it's just to show that I've had all three North American Ibises in two days!  This White Ibis was present all day yesterday, 4/30/2012, at the Wetlands Institute near Stone Harbor, NJ.  

On a separate note, the solution to the tern photo quiz will be up tonight or tomorrow.  I sincerely apologize about the delay but I've been pretty busy with my new job.

Before the Levee Breaks...

By Luke Musher

As the weather continues to be poor for migration, birding continues to be relatively slow around Cape May county.  The wise bird-master and much revered veterinarian-in-training, Ryan Ford, came into town today to bird with me.  We started the morning off at Higbees Beach, expecting it to be slow, and had an okay morning anyway.  2 Ruby-throated Hummingbird, an American Redstart and an Indigo Bunting were first of years for us.  We also had a few Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Black-and-white Warbler, Great-crested Flycatcher and the ubiquitous Prairie Warblers were other good spring birds.  There were a number of White-throated Sparrows around as well, which, for whatever reason, was fairly surprising to me.

Prairie Warbler, Higbees Beach, Cape May, NJ

Prairie Warbler, Higbees Beach, Cape May, NJ

Indigo Bunting, Higbees Beach, Cape May, NJ

After Higbee we birded around Cape Island, but to be honest not too much of note was around.  We checked everywhere from Sunset Beach to Poverty Beach to Bunker Pond to the Beanery to the Meadows.  The only birds of note were a Prothonotary Warbler at the Beanery, Purple Sandpipers at the Canal jetty at Higbees beach, and the 3 Eurasian Collared-Doves at their usual spot.

Ryan told me that he has had trouble getting photos of Red-winged Blackbirds.  Of course he didn't take his camera out for the meadows so I took this one just to rub it in.

We then drove north through Wildwood, checking the coast guard ponds, Two-mile landing, and back bays, but turning up very little.  We made our way north to Nummy Island where a number of shorebirds were hanging out.  The only highlight here were about ten Whimbrel and a beautiful breeding plumage Red Knot in the few hundred other shorebirds that included Dunlin, Short-billed Dowitchers, and Black-bellied Plovers.  

Red Knot (middle) with other shorebirds, Nummy Island, NJ

Red Knot, Nummy Island, NJ

After that we head to Beaver Swamp to look at ibises - ibi? - with the hopes of pulling out a White-faced.  When we arrived somebody claimed to have seen one, and perhaps he did.  We looked for a LONG time, but most of the birds were far out and the heat distortion made it that much more difficult. Lots of Glossy Ibis, though, so definitely lots of potential.  I'll probably be back.  A Pine Warbler and singing Yellow-rumped Warbler were present in the patch of woods at the end of the trail.

Our last stop of the day was Heislerville.  I was glad to see that the water levels had dropped a little since the last time I was there, though they still seemed high.  Some shorebirds were present, though nothing of note - Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs, Semipalmated and Least Sandpipers, Dunlin, and Short-billed Dowitcher.  26 Black Skimmer were roosting on the middle island with the Herring, Ring-billed, Laughing, and Great Black-backed Gulls, and Forster's Terns.  Heading back out along the dirt road, we saw our FOY Orchard Oriole.


Tonight, as I'm now looking at the radar, I'm thinking tomorrow we should get a number of new birds as the flood gates open tonight.  I'm sure Drew Weber at Nemesis Bird will have a post on the night's migration in the AM.  Until then, happy birding folks and check out the radar right now!

Radar Right Now (~9PM) from NOAA website. 

Cape May to West Cumberland County Birding

By Luke Musher

American Oystercatcher, Cape May Migratory Bird Refuge, Cape May, NJ

I went birding today with Nick Tolopka, whom I work with on the shorebird banding project for Dr. David Mizrahi at NJ Audubon.  We drove down the bay shore looking for shorebirds, but no Red Knots at either Reeds or Kimbles Beach.  At Reed's Beach there were lots of Sanderling and Dunlin, though, along with, oddly enough, two Snow Geese, one adult and one juvenal, on the jetty.

We then drove down to Cape May where we stopped at the point and the Meadows.  Still lot's of swallows around the area, mostly Barns, but all expected species were present.  We couldn't seem to find any Piping Plovers on the beach (but they're certainly there), but had great views of several American Oystercatchers.  Not much of note around Cape Island, and the wind was strong and cold so we decided to head north.

American Oystercatcher, Cape May Migratory Bird Refuge, Cape May, NJ

We drove up to Stone Harbor passing through Wildwood and Nummy Island.  In Wildwood a Yellow-crowned Night-Heron flew over the car, and then we stopped by a spot where they've been nesting for a few years.  Nummy Island was relatively quiet, as was Stone Harbor.  We weren't there long, but the only shorebirds we could find at Stone Harbor were Sanderling, Dunlin, and Semipalmated Sandpipers.

Yellow-crowned Night-Heron, Wildwood Crest, NJ

Mixed Shorebirds, Stone Harbor, NJ

To top the morning off we followed up a KeeKeeKerr alert for an American Golden-Plover (thanks to Brian Johnson for posting) on Shep Davis Road in Cumberland county.  I needed it for the year, and Nick for life, so we head over to try our luck.  We drove down the few miles of road, checking every inch of farmland (at least trying to), but had no luck.  We got literally to the end of the road and noticed a Killdeer flying around and calling above a large grassy field on the edge of a recently harvested asparagus field.  We scanned the grassy area hard and eventually turned up two large plovers very far away.  I got out to scope and walked a little closer.  As I walked out though, I flushed about 5 or so Black-bellied Plovers that we had somehow missed when scanning.  I had at least one American Golden-Plover in the fields, and possibly two.  I have distant, crappy photos of the second bird, that I am fairly sure is another one, but I'm not positive that it is.  If anyone wants to see the photos and give an opinion, email me (boomchachalaca@gmail.com).

Black-bellied Plovers, Shep Davis Rd., Cumberland Co., NJ

American Golden-Plover, Shep Davis Rd., Cumberland Co., NJ

 On our way back we stopped briefly at Turkey Point,  but the tide was high so we didn't stay long.

Willet, Turkey Point, Dividing Creek, NJ 

Sure, Herring Gulls are a "Trash Bird," but you have to admit that they can look pretty stunning from time to time.

Gone Fishin'

By Luke Musher

One of many Osprey in Cape May today, and one of at least 6 seen from the platform at Bunker Pond.  Note that this bird is banded.

In my opinion, one of the coolest and most interesting things to watch in nature is predation events.  In birds, flight makes predatory behavior that much more fascinating to experience as they move through the air nimbly and dynamically in pursuit of prey.  While standing at the hawk watch platform in Cape May today, hoping to see a Swallow-tailed Kite (no luck there) I watched no less than 6 Osprey at once around the island, a few of which came very close to the platform to dive for fish.  One bird caught one.  This is the dive:

Photo Quiz

Taken in the Pacific Ocean off of Fort Bragg, CA in August

Identify this bird by Sunday, April 29.  The solution along with the winner's names will be posted thereafter.  Email us at boomchachalaca@gmail.com with your answers.

Love,
Team BoomCha

Arizona in Early March

By Cory Ritter

Although it would possibly seem as though Luke and I went to Madera Canyon together, that is not the case. This is the second part of my trip from California to Michigan in early March. Last I left you, I was on my way to Bill Williams NWR near Lake Havasu, Arizona. I was short on time for my trip to Michigan, and the part that suffered the most was my time in Arizona. I knew there were two main stops I wanted to make. First, to try my luck at the Nutting's Flycatcher that had been seen for quite some time at Bill Williams National Wildlife Refuge, and second, to try to find as many lifers as possible at Madera Canyon--just south of Tuscon. The problem was that I had only budgeted one day for Arizona (far too little, I know). And with these two locations being six hours apart, I didn't have much time to waste.

I arrived at Planet Ranch Road, where the Nutting's Flycatcher had been reported, to find a couple groups of birders already looking for the bird. One group told me that they had been hearing it call from the roadside, so I joined the group in searching. We waited around for a while, often hearing but not seeing our target bird. Meanwhile, there was a busy Canyon Wren tending to its nest across the road. Although I had heard a Canyon Wren in Colorado the previous summer, this was my first visual! Additionally, I was treated to a Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Phainopepla, and my lifer Gila Woodpecker while waiting around! Not a bad consolation prize if I am not to see this Nutting's Flycatcher, I thought to myself. But with a little persistence, the Nutting's Flycatcher finally showed itself. It flew out and perched in a relatively distant tree. I was able to get an adequate view of the bird in my scope before it flew off once again. Although distance wouldn't have allowed for any good photographs of the Nutting's Flycatcher, an untimely lens error kept me from getting any photos at this location. Reluctantly, I moved on to my next destination of Madera Canyon.

I arrived at Madera Canyon without much time to spare. I had some intel on some good spots, but it was a combination of too early in the season and too late in the day to find the birds I was hoping for--most notably, Painted Redstart. However, I was able to get some good looks at lifers Mexican Jay, Bridled Titmouse, Verdin, and Arizona Woodpecker in addition to Acorn Woodpecker, Lesser Goldfinch, Chipping Sparrow, White-breasted Nuthatch, and Northern Cardinal.

Acorn Woodpecker, Madera Canyon, AZ

Bridled Titmouse, Madera Canyon, AZ

Lesser Goldfinch, Madera Canyon, AZ

I was losing daylight quickly, and wanted to make the most of it. So, I birded along the road as I left Madera Canyon. I was hoping for Cactus Wren and/or Greater Roadrunner, but was unable to find either. I was, however, lucky enough to find my year Black-throated Sparrow, and Green-tailed Towhee among the succulents on the roadside.

So, while I was unable to spend as much time in Arizona as I would have liked and I missed out on some target species at Madera Canyon, I did pick up the Nutting's Flycatcher among some other awesome life birds. The way I look at it is that I'm leaving some lifers for my next trip to Arizona.