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May-Hem
2009 Revisited with . . .
Sam Woods & Josh Engel
BSBO Volunteer Bird Guides in Residence
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Date: Fri,
8 May 2009 18:49:39 -0400
Subject: Re: Magee Marsh Bird News May 8,
2009
May 8, 2009
The day dawned with a light smattering of
rain, which then quickly cleared to a bright
clear morning with blue skies overhead. Not
long after dawn birders were out in force on
the Magee Marsh boardwalk, many armed with
the knowledge these would be great
conditions for birding at the perfect time
of year for hitting Magee. Warbler fiends
were to leave very happy indeed today as at
least 29 species were reported as the trees
were literally loaded with “Erien” migrants.
Rapid fire binocular action along with a
good dose of “warbler neck” was the order of
the day. The free guided morning walks out
of Black Swamp Bird Observatory had people
craning their necks up to the large leafing
cottonwoods, where some of the top end
celebrity warblers hung out.
Early on a spanking hot male Golden-winged
Warbler tried to slip past a
diligent group on the boardwalk and chaos
ensued in our attempts to glass him. Others
from the warbler crowd gracing Magee today
were far more obliging, hanging out in the
woods all day long. Birds like fiery-faced
male Blackburnian Warblers,
“blood-splattered” male Bay-breasted
Warblers, and nifty navy male Black-throated
Blue Warblers were regular “list fodder”
today (the latter was surely in double
figures along the
boardwalk). Few birders left without them.
Several citrine-flushed male
Wilson’s warblers also appeared but were
fleeting and tantalizing. Other
headliners at Magee today included a
seductive male Hooded Warbler that flitted
around in the underbrush, and dazzled
patient observers off and on well into the
afternoon. Unlike this flashy little number
the Worm-eater found in the area avoided
most birders gazes. While birders scoured
the edges of the woods beside the parking
lot at Magee thin notes in the
treetops drew us to a brilliant Blackpoll
male, one of several of these
charming visitors today. As one crowd was
checking this out a
Yellow-throated Warbler appeared suddenly in
a treetop, and the Blackpoll was quickly
dropped like a hot rock. Ovenbirds were seen
regularly throughout the day, often
strutting around fully in the open within
spartan vegetation, allowing everyone an
eyeful in the process. One highlight was an
impressive stand-off between a pair of these
ground-dwelling warblers that aggressively
flared up their burnt-orange crown feathers
to each other. As all of this was going on
the word went up that a Mourning Warbler had
popped up at the back end of the parking
lot, and soon enough birders were diverting
to this special spot. Known for their shy
and skulking behavior this choice male threw
out the rulebook and gave everyone sweet
looks out in the open. Other highlights
included a princely Prothonotary Warbler by
the photographers gathered on the tower by
the boardwalk, and Blue-winged hiding out at
the eastern end of the boardwalk. An
earlyish Canada Warbler also
popped up in the afternoon for the birders
watching the nesting Soras at the eastern
end of the Magee boardwalk.
The warblers kept us more than a little
busy, some people checking their
watches and realizing belatedly lunchtime
had passed them by in a wave of warblers.
However, there were other goodies in the
woods at Magee Marsh, with Philadelphia
Vireo hiding out among the legions of
Warbling Vireos. On the vireo front there
were also Yellow-throated, a few Red-eyed
and Blue-headed also out there today.
Cuckoos were slippery but about all the same
with early Yellow-billeds and Black-billeds
soon after going to ground. The Eastern
Screech-Owl that had been around yesterday
decided to let itself be admired for another
day on the boardwalk, rooted to the very
same spot as it was on Thursday. A Least
Bittern was heard regularly from the
boardwalk too, reminding those of us who
spent the day staring at the treetops that
there is a still a decent marsh out the back
of the boardwalk too, and one or two birders
even sneaked at it too. Other migrants
floating around the Magee lakeshore woods
included a number of shocking Scarlet
Tanagers,
“blue bullets” (Indigo Buntings),
Rose-breasted Grosbeaks, while
flycatchers as yet are only being
represented by the odd Great-crested and
Least. The bulk of the tricky empid crowd is
not due in just yet. Thrushes were
well-represented with many hopping around in
the open within feet of birders checking
them out on the boardwalk, one area just off
the parking lot holding Veery, as well as
Gray-cheeked, Swainson’s, and Wood Thrushes
all in the one thrush hot spot.
All-in-all a great day for the trailblazers
on the Magee Marsh boardwalk,
with a veritable feast of warblers available
to all, along with the odd
other “Erien” migrant too, for those who
could be dragged away from the
wood-warblers massing in the treetops.
Sam Woods
Tropical Birding (www.tropicalbirding.com)
Black Swamp Bird Observatory Bird Guide in
Residence (www.bsbobird.org)
Lost in Birding Blog (www.samwoodsbirding.blogspot.com)
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Date: Tue, 12 May 2009 07:38:10 -0400
Subject: Re: Magee Marsh Bird News May 11,
2009
May 11, 2009
Warblers, warblers, warblers. Try telling
anyone at the Magee Marsh
boardwalk today that there is life beyond
warblers and they would simply not believe
you. More than a few birders skipped work
today to hang out on the boardwalk and
surround themselves with the object of their
affections: wood-warblers. The boardwalk
proved once again that it is indeed the
hottest venues in the northern US for
warbler watching, and today they even
performed with generous consideration,
preferring to give us convenient eye level
views, and save us the trouble of warbler
neck. Warbler diversity was good, really
good, although some would argue that a
“mere” 25 species just does not cut it.
Although others would say that is a heck of
a total, and can only be criticized by old
stalwarts of Magee, who remember 30-plus
warbler days of the past, that will also
surely come later this spring season.
However, whichever way you spin this, 25
species of warbler is an impressive total,
which many birders from other tip-top
warbler sites would view with more than a
little jealousy. The problem with sites like
Magee is they set such impossibly high
standards for themselves over the years.
The amazing thing about the days warbler
tally was that of these 25 or so species
almost all of them were gettable for
everyone, and most people left with a
20-plus warbler species list for the day
with not too much effort. This should have
been named the “Get Up Close and Personal
with Warblers workshop”, as many, many of
the species today chose to dangle invitingly
in front of the birders gathered on the
boardwalk. In fact there were just so many
warblers trying to out compete each other in
the confiding stakes, that when the shout
went up for a highly-prized early spring
Mourning Warbler it took many of us two
hours just to reach the spot, as we just
could not pass up the many chances that
warblers gave us along the way to ogle them.
Bay-breasteds hung out and gleaned insects
from just above the heads of many people
throughout the day, Black-throated Greens
continued to
hold the title for the biggest show-off on
the boardwalk and soon became a
photographers favorite, while some
Blackburnians abandoned their usual treetop
habits and chose to come and chill out with
the rest of the crowd over the boardwalk.
However, the Mourning Warbler and
Blue-winged Warbler were a little less
helpful, the latter only fleetingly
appearing as a treetop diversion from the
warbler events below.
The Top Trump warbler of the day was
undoubtedly the Mourning Warbler, dressed in
his “funeral attire”, that had the crowd
diverted from their usual haunts to the back
side of the boardwalk by the magic 25 marker
desperate to get a glimpse of him as at this
point in the season many of the birders are
looking for their very first of the year,
just a few having been recorded up until
now. An Orange-crowned in the same area was
of course a little less flashy in
appearance, although was quite the performer
and so drew an admiring crowd anyhow.
Other warbler “totty” in these “Erien” woods
included a number of
“flamefaces” (male Blackburnians), multiple
Cape Mays, and the now usual confiding
Black-throated Blues. Less expected though
were a number of Canada Warblers that bucked
their furtive trend of recent days, and “put
out” regularly throughout the day. A pair of
lemonheads (Prothonotary Warblers) continued
to show considerable interest in a knot hole
near the start of the western end of the
boardwalk and hopefully will become a summer
stayer. Magnolia Warblers did not even raise
an eyebrow today as they were in such good
supply, much to the dismay of many a Maggie
admirer from overseas! Also of note were a
number of Wilson’s Warblers working the
underbrush, one particular well-marked
yarmulke-capped male providing a teasing
distraction for the Mourning crowd, during
the intermissions from that stop-start show.
All of the above was experienced at the
Black Swamp Bird Observatory
free-guided walks along the boardwalks,
although there was also some time for a
little anti-warbler activity too during our
afternoon schedule. A
visit to Veler Road produced more views of
at least three wacky Wilson’s
Phalaropes, including one top-notch female
in full breeding regalia.
However, these continuing birds were
outshone by a statuesque American Woodcock
that froze by the roadside along there, too.
(A footnote should be mentioned that during
last night’s Black Swamp Bird
Observatory-organized “Woodcock
Extravaganza” three or more woodcocks
performed with some style: On several
occasions a male bird was watched calling
from the ground on an open trail, then
shooting up skyward to heady heights above
(the whinnying sound of the wings providing
a good system for tracking it, before he
skydived down suddenly and hit the deck just
a short distance from us and a certain
helpful spotlight. A magic experience on a
magic walk, (more are planned from 8:45pm
May 13 & May 16 this week: MEET AT THE BLACK
SWAMP BIRD OBSERVATORY PARKING LOT). On top
of all of this thrush numbers received a
bounce today, with all the usual suspects
around in good numbers. One of the
highlights was being able to watch the
“ID-pair” of Swainson’s and Gray-cheeked
scuffling around in the leaf litter within
yards of each other, making an ID very
straightforward indeed with this great
direct side-by-side comparison. Not to be
outdone, Veerys also chose to hop around at
close quarters too.
In summary, spring migration at hot spots
like Magee Marsh are honey pots that attract
migrant junkies to make annual pilgrimages
and migrations of their own. While birders
like these come to seek migrants of all
shapes and sizes, the undoubted banner birds
are the warblers, which lead to an addiction
to migration all of their own. Birders after
birding royalty were well pleased, as the
top warblers performed with distinction, and
it is not an exaggeration to say that any
birder who wanted to could have safely left
with all 25 species on offer today under
their belt with just a little dedication and
a little crazy pursuit in this endeavor.
Long may this continue, as we still have a
notable period of migration to come, with
some true warbler legends having not yet put
in an appearance at Magee for the season, so
we eagerly await their arrival in the coming
days…
Sam Woods
Tropical Birding (www.tropicalbirding.com)
Black Swamp Bird Observatory Bird Guide in
Residence (www.bsbobird.org)
Lost in Birding Blog (www.samwoodsbirding.blogspot.com)
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Date: Wed, 13 May 2009 07:51:55 -0400
Subject: Re: Magee Marsh Bird News May 12,
2009
May 12, 2009
Two words to describe warbler watching at
Magee Marsh: eye-level. I have been asked
repeatedly why the typically treetop
warblers hang out so low in the trees at
Magee. Well, I can’t answer that question
with any certainty, but I do know that I am
consistently getting the best views of these
birds that I have ever had. At one point I
had to choose between watching a
fire-throated Blackburnian Warbler mere feet
in front of me or a sophisticatedly
beautiful Bay-breasted to my side. Alas, it
didn’t
matter, they both stuck around for so long
that I got leisurely views of
both! This meant I was able to study in
great detail my favorite feature of the
Blackburnian: the flaming orange central
forehead stripe. This
individual’s happened to be flecked with
black, adding yet more flare to
the incredibly complex plumage exhibited by
this exquisite sprite. This is
the classic Crane Creek experience.
A total of 24 warbler species put in an
appearance today; Magnolia,
Yellow-rumped, Chestnut-sided and
Black-throated Green were most numerous.
Thrushes were scarce, but a friendly Veery
continues to charm observers by hopping
about inches from their feet between the
boardwalk and the canal. A rosy Red-breasted
Nuthatch crept about the vines, a pleasant
surprise for those who saw it. A
Yellow-billed Cuckoo torpedoed in over the
heads of its admirers, furtively hopping
about the tree before being chased away by a
robin unhappy about the cuckoo’s location in
relation to its nest. Sora is still
present—but shy as ever—even after its nest
was dismantled by a muskrat over the
weekend.
Away from the boardwalk, the afternoon
guided outing easily found a single female
Wilson’s Phalarope feeding manically in the
wetlands at Veler Rd. A Ruddy Turnstone in
dapper breeding plumage livened up the beach
adjacent to Metzger Marsh.
With south winds a-blowin’ and a storm
predicted for tomorrow night, we
have high hopes for the next two days. No
doubt many birders are hoping the season’s
first Connecticut Warbler (and those
particularly optimistic birders a
Kirtland’s) blows in with the storm.
Josh Engel
Tour Leader, Tropical Birding:
www.tropicalbirding.com
Black Swamp Bird Observatory bird
guide-in-residence: www.bsbobird.org
The Guiding Light blog:
www.oxypogon.blogspot.com
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Date: Wed, 13 May 2009 19:49:26 -0400
Subject: Magee Marsh Bird News May 13, 2009
May 13, 2009
Shortly after dawn at Magee Marsh it was
clear there had been a changeover in the
shifts of migrants present. While some
individual warblers seemed to have clocked
out, an interesting assortment of other
migrants had came in for the next shift.
Thus the morning was spent chasing some
different birds around than over the
previous days. This kept us all on our toes,
and certainly spiced things up a little. A
chilly gray morning gave a clear indication
of the impending storm to come in the
afternoon, and the result was a lot less
warbler songs emanating from the woods by
the entrance to the boardwalk. The rains
began in the afternoon, and by the end of
the day the few persistent birders at Magee
Marsh found they had some late star finds
all to themselves.
While some warbler numbers at first appeared
to be down, diversity was good, with some of
the A-list warblers in town. Topping this
list was cool
Cerulean Warbler that sent waves of
excitement along the boardwalk when news got
out. It may have only been a lowly female,
but try telling that to the pack of birders
massing around marker 21B on the Magee
boardwalk. This powder-blue capped bird duly
popped up for all to see in the willows
right beside the boardwalk while hundreds of
birders stood elated around it. Clearly it
had taken a leaf out of “The Crane Creek
Official Warbler Rule Book”, as it too gave
us the “Classic Crane Creek Experience” (CCCE),
whereby many of them seem to abandon their
more usual treetop existence and come and
hang out right alongside the birders on the
boardwalk, providing smashing views in the
process. Mourning Warbler migration at Magee
also has started to pick up pace, with at
least four different birds seen in these
“Erien” woods today, and a few more also
banded in the area. At least one of these
was found just a short skip and hop from the
west entrance to the boardwalk. While giving
some people great looks, they could also run
for the title of “master-skulker” at times,
as they would melt back into the brush at a
moments notice. Other warbler fodder in the
woods included multiple Cape Mays, a
slippery, spanking male Blue-winged that
managed to
evade most of us, and a surge in Magnolias
around the boardwalk. Arguably these were
the biggest show boaters of the afternoon,
dangling unashamedly within inches of many a
flabbergasted birder, and salivating
photographer. A trickle of Canadas,
Wilson’s, and Bay-breasteds still hung in
the woods, though numbers of the latter were
probably down on a few days ago, as they
were surprisingly tough to find today.
Another top draw “warbler” for the day was a
Yellow-breasted Chat that was about the only
thing that managed to divert birders
attentions from the first big Cerulean show
in the morning. Unfortunately, the chat had
not read the rule book, and clearly did not
like the “media frenzy” that followed its
appearance, rapidly managing to slip through
the net and promptly disappear soon after.
Even late in the afternoon after gray skies
had dumped a significant amount of rain on
Magee migrant watchers new birds turned up,
one lone birder finding a sharp-dressed
Golden-winged Warbler just east of the
eastern end of the Magee Marsh Boardwalk
parking lot. This was more than ample payoff
for refusing to be budged or diverted by the
storm sweeping in. On the “non-warbler”
front in this lakeshore lot there were also
some notable changes from the previous days.
The leaf litter rustled from a new wave of
thrushes that had jetted in overnight,
larger numbers of rusty-backed Veerys being
particularly in evidence, alongside the now
regular Swainson’s Thrushes. No Gray-cheekeds
however were reported at all. Cuckoos are
always a thrill to see, and while Yellow-billeds
were conspicuously absent, at least a few
Black-billed Cuckoos were conspicuously
present, and put out for the morning
trailblazers. Wherever you walked today it
seemed there was incident and something to
talk about. One huddle of birders that had
their lenses pointed straight down at their
feet drew people’s attentions to a tame
roosting Whip-poor-will that rocked the
Crane Creek crowd today. The afternoon
weather felt a little balmy, although the
birds on show were obvious signs of spring
migration well on its way, although a few
goodies are still being held back, and we
await them with eager anticipation. The
spring-like feel was only dampened by
reports of Winter Wren and Hermit Thrush
turning up in their nets over at the Black
Swamp Bird Observatory banding station.
Good stuff all round, and what with alluring
weather moving in as I post
this we await the next wave to drop in
tonight…Connecticut Warbler in the morning
anyone??!!
Sam Woods
Tropical Birding (www.tropicalbirding.com)
Black Swamp Bird Observatory Bird Guide in
Residence (www.bsbobird.org)
Lost in Birding Blog (www.samwoodsbirding.blogspot.com)
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Date: Fri, 15 May 2009 17:25:22 -0400
Subject: Magee Marsh Bird News May 14, 2009
May 14, 2009
There was a large turnover of birds
overnight in the hottest of Black Swamp
hotspots: the Magee Marsh boardwalk. Slow at
first in the cold, wind and rain, both birds
and weather brightened simultaneously. The
later of the spring migrants were well
represented today. There was a large influx
of dapper Canadas and wily Wilson’s. Most
birder’s were satiated with Mourning Warbler
today, a drastic change from yesterday’s
more frustrating Oporornis experience.
Redstart was the day’s most common warbler,
their orange or yellow tail spots
brightening virtually every viny tangle in
the woods, while Yellow-rump numbers were
conspicuously down. The season’s first
Connecticut Warbler proved elusive, much to
the dismay of most birders. It was seen
twice, first heard and seen in the morning
near the east end of the boardwalk, then
seen again around midday near #32.
While there has been a trickle of
flycatchers in recent days, the first real
wave arrived today. While Least was still
the most common Empidonax,
several silent ‘Traill’s’ and at least one
Yellow-bellied were along the boardwalk. An
Olive-sided Flycatcher was uncommonly showy
on the little loop, while Eastern Wood-Pewee
was present in small numbers.
Cuckoos were well represented. Multiples of
both Black- and Yellow-billed
were present, if elusive. It was a matter of
being in the right place at
the right time to catch up with these highly
mobile migrants. The subtly
beautiful Philadelphia Vireo was
surprisingly numerous in the woods today.
Both Eastern Screech- and Great Horned Owls
continue to impress the crowds, as does the
occasionally showy—and occasionally
stealthy—Sora. A pair of Peregrines was
seen, one half of which was watched catching
a Common Tern over the lake.
With continuing south winds, tomorrow
promises to be another stellar day. Who will
be tomorrow’s star of the show?
Josh Engel
Tour leader, Tropical Birding (www.tropicalbirding.com)
Black Swamp Bird Observatory bird
guide-in-residence (www.bsbobird.org)
The Guiding Light Blog (www.oxypogon.blogspot.com)
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Date: Sun, 17 May 2009 07:34:46 -0400
Subject: Magee Marsh Bird News May 16, 2009
16 May 2009
Last nights rumors of a storm and a mass of
birds dropping in at Magee, did not totally
work to plan. The night time storm did not
happen quite as
dramatically as hoped, although certainly
birds did drop in at Magee, and a good crowd
of keen birders lined the edges, scoured the
underbrush, and blazed the boardwalk in hot
pursuit of the latest sightings. The
“paparazzi” were lined up along the edges of
the lot and cameras went
into overdrive. It is difficult to argue
that warblers are not A-list
celebrities when you take a good look at
this fascinating Magee Marsh
birding scene. Friday had been forgettable,
however Saturday was truly
memorable. We soon moved our thoughts on
from the dreary, slow day that was
yesterday, and turned our attentions to
another magic Magee day today. This may not
have been a great day, but it was
unquestionably a very good one. Warblers
gave us the Magee Marsh “low down” (where
they frequently dropped down low and dangled
temptingly in front of us), and there was
also a good crop of other migrants to go to
work on too.
On the warbler front birders managed to
chalk up at least 26 different
species. Rumors floated around concerning an
early morning report of a
tantalizing Connecticut Warbler that
unfortunately never came to fruition
for anyone thereafter. We all continue to
wait with baited breath for a good arrival
of the “Big C”. Among the available goodies
in the warbler crowd were a Blue-winged
hanging out in the brush just in from the
western end of the boardwalk, and a late
Louisiana Waterthrush, a “southerner” that
surprised a few of us by dropping in this
late in the season, just beyond the little
loop from the western end. An unobtrusive
Hooded Warbler was also a good turn up
during the morning at the west end of the
big loop on the boardwalk, and a lone
Orange-crowned continued to get reported.
Also notable was another pair of
Prothonotarys that were setting up shop at
Magee, this pair nest-building around marker
16 along the boardwalk; the males’ powerful
song continues to haunt the undergrowth now
at two separate locations along there.
Warblers massed in the trees along the
boardwalk and posed along the edges of the
parking lot that left birders buzzing with
excitement, and
photographers positively beaming after a
fruitful day in Magee. Wilson’s
and Canadas enjoyed a big bounce in numbers
today, and were hard to miss as they
showboated along the trails and edges.
Commonest Magee migrant warblers though
appeared to be American Redstarts,
Magnolias, and Chestnut-sideds. Scorching
male Blackburnians flitted elegantly around
the edges of the packed car park, and the
odd dandy Blackpoll also competed for our
affections. Bay-breasteds also arrived
overnight, as did the next installment of
Cape Mays and Northern Parulas. It was a
difficult to tell whether the “wraiths of
the underbrush”, Mourning Warblers, were
newcomers or hangers on from previous days
as at least three of these were in the exact
same top spot as in previous days – at the
extreme western end of the parking lot,
around marker 4 on the western end of the
Magee boardwalk, and another lingered on
just before the small bridge as you come in
from the western end. Another at least
showed up along the edges too, and was
visible just east of the western end of the
boardwalk, and a further bird was found
further afield along the boardwalk. A good
showing for this bird, that could still
frustrate when it chose too, fading into the
undertangles whenever it felt like it.
In smaller numbers than some of the warbler
gang, although still in good
form were Swainson’s Thrush and Red-eyed
Vireos that had a strong presence in this
Erien woodlot today. A few Gray-cheekeds
were also out there although in much smaller
numbers. Other “anti-warblers” included the
odd Yellow-billed and Black-billed Cuckoos,
and Blue-headed, Philadelphia, and Red-eyed
Vireos. A Common Nighthawk tried and failed
to be invisible as it roosted prominently by
the western entrance to the boardwalk,
although an American Woodcock did a better
job, probing the dank, dark leaf litter for
a while before fading into the undergrowth
and promptly disappearing after its early
showing. Another noticeable feature of the
day was an overnight arrival of empids, with
Leasts continuing to turn up, but now having
a significant number of Yellow-bellieds for
company, and at least one singing Alder was
also present along the trail.
All in all a good display for the weekenders
that had turned up in force to
get another Magee fix. For those of us who
are completely and utterly
addicted to the mayhem of migration birding
long may this birding madhouse continue.
Sam Woods
Tropical Birding (www.tropicalbirding.com)
Black Swamp Bird Observatory Bird Guide in
Residence (www.bsbobird.org)
Lost in Birding Blog (www.samwoodsbirding.blogspot.com)
|
Date: Sun, 17 May 2009 21:18:28 -0400
Subject: Magee Marsh Bird News May 17, 2009
(Kirtland's Warbler)
May 17, 2009
All the rest is just details: a Kirtland’s
Warbler was found and
photographed just shy of 1:00 afternoon by
young birder Andy Johnson, and as word
spread the boardwalk cleared while the trail
behind the Sportmen’s Migratory Bird Center
filled with displaced birders. A team of
BSBO guides arrived at Oak Openings at 1:10
and left at 1:15 (no crossbills flew over
during those five minutes) after receiving
the Kirtland’s call. Large numbers of
birders scoured the woods early in the
afternoon, with the tension mounting as time
went on and climaxing at 3:00 as the news
went out that Special K had been relocated
in the same area where it had originally
been found. Over 50 birders hurried to the
spot and got on this highly sought (and
remarkably skulky) endangered species,
before it once again vanished. It was
briefly resighted by Michael Retter at 3:30,
then not heard from again. Many birders gave
up the chase, but then, at seven o’clock
when Iain Campbell, who also relocated it
the first time, came through again. Those
who were persistent enough to stick around
(or quick enough to make it from the
boardwalk) got to enjoy wonderful views as
it fed in spruce and pine trees along the
southwest side of the pond behind the Bird
Center. A quick analysis of photos
afterwards (just on the camera’s LCD screen)
led us to believe that it is probably a
first spring male, rather than a female as
initially believed.
Equally interesting, but significantly less
tickable, were two bizarre
sparrows near marker 3 on the boardwalk. One
is perhaps a melanistic
White-throated Sparrow (on day two of its
stay), with a remarkable pattern of dark
gray on its face and underparts. The other,
who kept company with the aforementioned
“dusky” sparrow and a couple of normal
White-throats, showed a strange combination
of characters typical of both White-throated
and White-crowned Sparrows.
Now for the “normal” birds. While warblers
were still present in
awesome numbers, thrushes, vireos, and
flycatchers were all down from
yesterday. Canada, Wilson’s, and
Bay-breasted Warblers were particularly
well-represented today (giving typically
ridiculous in-your-face views), while
Nashville, Tennessee, and Black-throated
Green hang on in only very small numbers. A
couple of Mourning Warblers were their
usually elusive selves, at time posing like
catwalk models and as times vanishing like a
rail into the undergrowth. A more
cooperative Mourning Warbler was seen in the
same area as the Kirtland’s. Gray-cheeked
Thrush continues to show
uncharacteristically well. Willow
Flycatchers seem to have begun setting up
territories around Magee Marsh; a silent
Acadian was carefully studied at the
boardwalk’s little loop. The boardwalk
parking lot—always a hotspot—hosted the
day’s Black-billed Cuckoo and continues to
be an excellent place to see Cape May
Warbler.
If the Kirtland’s in found again tomorrow,
we will try to post as soon as
possible. It was surprisingly difficult to
locate this afternoon, so if you
do stroll behind the bird center, a large
dose of patience may be in order.
Josh Engel
Tour leader, Tropical Birding (www.tropicalbirding.com)
Black Swamp Bird Observatory bird
guide-in-residence (www.bsbobird.org)
The Guiding Light Blog (www.oxypogon.blogspot.com)
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Date: Sun, 17 May 2009 21:22:22 -0400
Subject: Kirtland's photos (Magee Marsh)
Photos of todays Magee Marsh Kirtland's
Warbler have been posted on my blog:
http://www.samwoodsbirding.blogspot.com
Good birding,
Sam Woods, Black Swamp Bird Observatory
Volunteer Guide
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Subject:
Magee Marsh Bird News May 18, 2009
Date: Tue, 19 May 2009 07:47:43 -0400
18 May 2009
This should
have been a day for celebration as the
immature male/female Kirtland’s Warbler
lingered on for the Monday morning crowd.
However, the reality was that this slippery
Kirtland’s was more elusive than the Scarlet
Pimpernel, leaving more than a few birders
frustrated, and many left empty-handed.
Birders scoured the area shortly after dawn
and were left wanting with no sign of it in
the vicinity of the Sportman’s Migratory
Bird Center at Magee. However, a few
diligent birders stuck to the task and did
not allow themselves to wilt after early
negative reports from the area, and at
around 11am got their just desserts when
they found this sneaky warbler of the
northern jack pines hanging out once again
close to the area it had been at the last
call the night before. Word trickled down to
the boardwalk, and in the early afternoon
another select crowd enjoyed further
sightings of North America’s rarest warbler,
which then promptly went to ground again
thereafter. Much effort was put into
relocating the Kirtland’s in the afternoon
with just another short reported sighting
around mid-afternoon to show for it all up
until at least 7pm The Kirtland’s clearly
bucked the trend of all other seasonally
immigrant Magee warblers, and was downright
difficult to see, demanding a lot of effort,
a little dedication, and a good dose of
luck. A strange departure from the normal
warbler drill at Magee where you can just
turn up and watch them dangle temptingly in
front of you! A nice distraction from the
main no-show event was a couple of obliging
Mourning Warblers that time and again defied
their usual shy reputations by hopping
around in the open and allowing all and
sundry to glass them near the Sportsmen’s
Center. Aside from this there were the
occasional Maggies, several female “tiger”
warblers (Cape Mays), and a few Willow
Flycatchers seemingly setting up territories
there.
Back at the
Magee Marsh boardwalk warblers were clearly
a little thinner on the ground than in
previous days, and we would welcome the
widely predicted next big push in the coming
days. However, a bad day in Magee could
feasibly be a big day by many other place’s
standards. The “usual suspects” were still
in town – with Bay-breasteds still numerous,
Northern Parulas buzzed from the treetops,
Blackburnians thrilled us when they ducked
in low down, while Magnolias and American
Redstarts continued their recent dominance.
The odd Blackpoll song still rang out from
the treetops, although unlike recent days
they decided to hang out up there for a
change of scene, making them more
challenging to come by. Black-throated
Greens were conspicuously absent; although
their numbers had been dropping off for the
last few days, and the death knell of their
spring was nigh anyhow. No new Prothons were
reported but this did not seem to bother the
birders blazing the boardwalk, as two pairs
continue to make Magee their home for the
summer, both still attending to
nest-building duties on and off during the
free BSBO–guided morning walks.
Away from the
usual warbler antics thrushes were much in
evidence, with Gray-cheekeds around although
never as plentiful as the numerous
Swainson’s Thrushes plying their trade in
the leaf litter. Veerys too continued to
shuffle through the underbrush, one
particular individual appearing to have an
Ovenbird shadowing its every move.
Away from the
warbler party was several Ruddy Turnstones
working the Erie shore north of the parking
lot for the Magee boardwalk, and a
Yellow-headed Blackbird sent waves of
excitement through the Metzger Marsh crowd
in the afternoon when a citrine-headed male
cruised across the marsh around 4.30pm.
In summary,
the day should have been dominated by the
sweet talk of the “special K” (Kirtland’s
Warbler), however, while talk did center
around it, this was mostly for all the wrong
reasons as people dropped everything to
chase it, only to arrive and find that it
had gone the way of the pimpernel: “They
seek him here, they seek him there…seek him
everywhere”. Let’s hope the bird continues
its stay at Magee and decides to adopt a
more regular and predictable routine, or
failing that let’s just enjoy the next wave
of “immigrants” arriving on their northward
journey over the next few days, as winds
have shifted to the south and should reveal
a new batch of birds for our viewing
pleasure very soon!
Sam
Woods/Tropical Birding (www.tropicalbirding.com)
Black Swamp Bird Observatory Bird Guide in
Residence
Lost in Birding (www.samwoodsbirding.blogspot.com)
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Date: Mon,
18 May 2009 13:49:11 -0400
Subject: Kirtland's Warbler still present at
Magee (18 May)
Hi all,
The Kirtland's Warbler was re-found around
midday today (18 May 2009) in the same area
as it was last seen yesterday afternoon
behind the Sportsmen's Migratory Bird Center
at Magee Marsh. See the link in Kenn's post
from yesterday for the specific location.
Good luck if you're coming in for it!
Josh Engel
Black Swamp Bird Observatory and
Tropical Birding
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Last updated on
Monday, January 25, 2010 |
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