DOCSLIB.ORG

Nesting of Water Pipits in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks Larry L

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Nesting of Water Pipits in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks Larry L NOTES NESTING OF WATER PIPITS IN SEQUOIA AND KINGS CANYON NATIONAL PARKS LARRY L. NORRIS, ResearchOffice, Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, Three Rivers, California 93271 RANDY MORGENSON, Sierra District,Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, Three Rivers, California 93271 Within recent years, several observationsof the Water Pipit (Anthus spinoletta), adults and young, have been made in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks; most of these observationsoccurred in the Upper Kern Basin. Prior to 1975, Water Pipitswere not known to nestin California(Am. Birds29:1028, 1975). On 1 August 1975, a Water Pipit nest was discoveredat 3200 m in the central Sierra near Mount Conness(Gaines, Birds of the Yosemite Sierra, 1977:101). Subsequentnesting has been documented in the area. On 25 July 1975, Morgenson,a backcountryranger, observedan adult Water Pipit feedingtwo young at Lower HitchcockLake, 3 km southwestof Mount Whitney at an elevation of 3555 m. Morgensonstated on the field observationform that the im- maturepipits were "obviouslyborn . in the high Sierra--evidence that thesepipits nest here." Five years later, on 8 August 1980, Morgensonobserved a downy young Water Pipit near Shepherd Pass (3600 m) in the Upper Kern Basin. The immature pipit couldnot fly, but walkedabout on the ground.An adult birdstayed nearby or fluttered overhead during the observationperiod. Later that same summer, on 22 August 1980, Morgensonsighted another immatureWater Pipit in Miter Basin, northwestof Mount Langley. The bird was "observedfor severalminutes at about 20 m before it flew." At 1610 on 17 July 1981 in Center Basin (3555 m), KingsCanyon NationalPark, Norrisobserved a pair of Water Pipitsforaging on the mud and pebbleshore of a little snow-meltlake. One held insectsin itsbill. Searchingfor possiblenests, Norris flushed one young pipit from near the shore.The young bird had a shorttail, with white on the sides;its back was brown. One adultpipit (parent?)began short, sharp calls as it took wing and flew over him twice at about 3 m above the ground. The young Water Pipit then flew in a low, directflight across the lake inlet and into some nearbywillows. The two adult pipitsflew over Norristo the willows,and without landing,flew backover to theiroriginal position on the grassyhummocks near the lake shore. During this time, the two birdskept repeatingthe sharp "pink" note at regular intervals• About 10 minuteslater, one adult pipit took a billfulof insectsto the willowswhere the young pipit was lastseen. Norriscould not see the birdsat thispoint but couldhear the incessantbegging call of the youngpipit. The adult then flew from the willowsto light upon a boulder. From his angle of view, Norriscould not see if the insectswere gone from the adult'sbill. Eight minuteslater Norriswalked over to the willowsand flushedthe young Water Pipit. It flew up onto the nearby talus, perched on a boulder, and bobbedits short tail up and downl the bird continuouslycalled and kept watchinghim. The same adult pipit attemptedto bringfood to the youngin the willowsbut could not locateit. The two birdsdid not meet, and the adult eventuallyflew back acrossthe inlet. While on patrol the morningof 2 July 1982, Morgensondiscovered a Water Pipit nest 1.5 km west of ShepherdPass in the Upper Kern Basinat an altitudeof 3570 m. The habitat was rocky ground on a slightrise near a stream with stringermeadows. Morgenson'sreport describesthe discovery:"Walking toward the pass, I startledan adult Water Pipit from a place betweenthe halvesof a frost-rivenrock. On the ground, betweenthe halvesof rock, wasa grassnest with five dark-browneggs in it. The adult Western Birds 13: 39-40, 1982 39 NOTES pipit circledoverhead for a couple of minutesthen began to fly away, so I left without taking time for photographs.The bird was continuouslypeeping the unmistakablecall of a Water Pipit while flying overhead. The white outsidetail feathers,the sizeof the bird, the shape of the bill, and the brown color assistedin identification." As far as we can determine,this is the firstnesting record of the Water Pipit for the west slopeof the Sierra and the firstfor the parks. Water Pipitsin the southernSierra inhabit the grasshummock meadows and exposedgravel shorelinesaround alpine lakes near the crest of the range. This habitat is common in the high country. The Water Pipit is one of the most common passerineson the alpine fell-fieldsof the southernSierra Nevada during the summer. The lack of field observationsof Water Pipitsin the southernSierra in the past has had littleto do with the scarcityof the bird, but is more a resultof few knowledgeablebirders in the high countryduring the pipit's nesting season. Accepted 22 .September1952 4O .
Load more

Recommended publications
  • The Field Identification of North American Pipits Ben King Illustrated by Peter Hayman and Pieter Prall
    The field identification of North American pipits Ben King Illustrated by Peter Hayman and Pieter Prall LTHOUGHTHEWATER PIPIT (Anthus ground in open country. However, the in this paper. inoletta) and the Sprague's Pipit two speciesof tree-pipits use trees for (Antbus spragueit)are fairly easy to rec- singing and refuge and are often in NCEABIRD HAS been recognized asa ogmze using the current popular field wooded areas. pipit, the first thing to checkis the guides, the five species more recently All the pipits discussedin the paper, ground color of the back. Is it brown added to the North American list are except perhaps the Sprague's, move (what shade?), olive, or gray? Then note more difficult to identify and sometimes their tails in a peculiarpumping motion, the black streaks on the back. Are they present a real field challenge. The field down and then up. Some species broad or narrow, sharply or vaguely de- •dentffication of these latter specieshas "pump" their tails more than others. fined, conspicuousor faint? How exten- not yet been adequatelydealt with in the This tail motion is often referred to as sive are they? Then check for pale North American literature. However, "wagging." While the term "wag" does streaks on the back. Are there none, much field work on the identification of include up and down motion as well as two, four, many? What color are they-- pipits has been done in the last few side to side movement, it is better to use whitish, buff, brownish buff? Are they years, especially in Alaska and the the more specificterm "pump" which is conspicuousor faint? Discerningthese Urnted Kingdom.
    [Show full text]
  • Cotswold Water Park Species Check List
    Your local charity working for Record your Wildlife Sightings! wildlife and people Collecting biological records can provide us with important information about species and habitat distribution and abundance within the Cotswold Water Park. This information is made available to local planning authorities and conservation organisations and can help them to make decisions about future management. By submitting your sightings you can help to safeguard your local wildlife! So if you are spending time out and about in the Cotswold Water Park we would like to hear CotswoldCotswold WaterWater ParkPark about what you have seen! You can use the form below to record your data. Please include the species (common name is fine) and the location (such as lake number, reserve name or 6 figure SpeciesSpecies CheckCheck ListList grid reference if known). The completed form can then be posted to us at: Cotswold Water Park Trust, Manor Farm, Down Ampney, Cirencester, GL7 5QF We look forward to hearing from you soon! Species Location Date Comments Name:............................................................................................................................................ E-mail:........................................................................................................................................... Telephone:...................................................................................................................................... www.waterpark.org 01793 752730 Rachel Budworth Version Number: 03 December 2012
    [Show full text]
  • Migratory Birds of Ladakh a Brief Long Distance Continental Migration
    WORLD'S MIGRATORY BIRDS DAY 08 MAY, 2021 B R O W N H E A D E D G U L L MIGRATORY BIRDS OF LADAKH A BRIEF LONG DISTANCE CONTINENTAL MIGRATION the Arctic Ocean and the Indian Ocean, and comprises several migration routes of waterbirds. It also touches “West Asian- East African Flyway”. Presence of number of high-altitude wetlands (>2500 m amsl altitude) with thin human population makes Ladakh a suitable habitat for migration and breeding of continental birds, including wetlands of very big size (e.g., Pangong Tso, Tso Moriri, Tso Kar, etc.). C O M M O N S A N D P I P E R Ladakh provides a vast habitat for the water birds through its complex Ladakh landscape has significance network of wetlands including two being located at the conjunction of most important wetlands (Tso Moriri, four zoogeographic zones of the world Tso Kar) which have been designated (Palearctic, Oriental, Sino-Japanese and as Ramsar sites. Sahara-Arabian). In India, Ladakh landscape falls in Trans-Himalayan Nearly 89 bird species (long distance biogeographic zone and two provinces migrants) either breed or roost in (Ladakh Mountains, 1A) and (Tibetan Ladakh, and most of them (59) are Plateau, 1B). “Summer Migrants”, those have their breeding grounds here. Trans-Himalayan Ladakh is an integral part of the "Central Asian Flyway" of migratory birds which a large part of the globe (Asia and Europe) between Ladakh also hosts 25 bird species, during their migration along the Central Asian Flyway, as “Passage Migrants” which roost in the region.
    [Show full text]
  • Northward Extension of the Known Range of the Bush Pipit Anthus Caffer Blayneyi in Kenya and Preliminary Evidence for a Northern Breeding Population
    Scopus 31: 11-18, November 2011 Northward extension of the known range of the Bush Pipit Anthus caffer blayneyi in Kenya and preliminary evidence for a northern breeding population Darcy L. Ogada and Nathan C. Gregory Summary The Bush Pipit Anthus caffer is a partly nomadic African species whose movements coincide with the onset of rains. Across the continent, the distribution and geographic extent of the five Bush Pipit subspecies are poorly known. In Kenya, the documented range of the Bush Pipit is along the Tanzanian border in the southwest of the country. We provide evidence of a previously undocumented population of Bush Pipits in Laikipia District, Central Kenya that may have been overlooked due to difficulty in identifying this species. It appears that this population may constitute a seasonal influx related to an increase in local primary productivity. However, we also provide preliminary evidence that this species may breed in Laikipia during December–January, while it has been reported that it breeds during March– April in Kenya. Nonetheless, we could not completely ascertain based on this short study whether or not Bush Pipits are year-round residents in Laikipia. Introduction In Africa, the Bush Pipit Anthus caffer is an endemic resident that is partly nomadic; its movements coincide with the onset of the rains (Fry et al. 1992, Zimmerman et al. 1996). It has a disjunct distribution from southern Ethiopia south to South Africa and west to Angola (Fry et al. 1992). The extent of its distribution is uncertain and the geographical variation and limits of the races are poorly understood (Clancey 1991, Tyler 2004).
    [Show full text]
  • Trip Report June 21 – July 2, 2017 | Written by Guide Gerard Gorman
    Austria & Hungary: Trip Report June 21 – July 2, 2017 | Written by guide Gerard Gorman With Guide Gerard Gorman and Participants: Jane, Susan, and Cynthia and David This was the first Naturalist Journeys tour to combine Austria and Hungary, and it was a great success. We visited and birded some wonderfully diverse habitats and landscapes in 12 days — the forested foothills of the Alps in Lower Austria, the higher Alpine peak of Hochkar, the reed beds around Lake Neusiedler, the grasslands and wetlands of the Seewinkel in Austria and the Hanság in Hungary, the lowland steppes and farmlands of the Kiskunság east of the Danube, and finally the pleasant rolling limestone hills of the Bükk in north-east Hungary. In this way, we encountered diverse and distinct habitats and therefore birds, other wildlife, and flora, everywhere we went. We also stayed in a variety of different family-run guesthouses and lodges and sampled only local cuisine. As we went, we also found time to take in some of the rich history and culture of these two countries. Wed., June 21, 2017 We met up at Vienna International Airport at noon and were quickly on our way eastwards into Lower Austria. It was a pleasant sunny day and the traffic around the city was a little heavy, but we were soon away from the ring-road and in rural Austria. Roadside birds included both Carrion and Hooded Crows, several Eurasian Kestrels, and Barn Swallows zoomed overhead. Near Hainfeld we drove up a farm road, stopped for a picnic, and did our first real birding.
    [Show full text]
  • The Year of Birds at Untersee, Germany
    Page 1 of 2 The year of birds at Untersee, Germany At Untersee you can discover the diverse world of birds all year long. There is a constant bustle and especially in spring and autumn thousands of migratory birds, which cross over the continent, can be observed. In the following, bird types that favour reeds and lakeshores are mainly considered. February until May In February, the Northern Lapwing, the White Wagtail and the Reed Bunting come back. In March, the following birds can be seen as breeding or migratory birds: the Garganey, the Black Kite, the Marsh Harrier, the Water Rail and the Common Snipe. In April, the Hobby, the Common Cuckoo, the Nightingale, the Grasshopper Warbler, the Reed Warbler and the Great Reed Warbler return. April until June The morning concert of the songbirds can be enjoyed during a bird calls tour. At the lakeshore the Great Crested Grebe but also the Red-crested Pochard and other water birds show their conspicuous courtship behavior. June until August From June on, Herons and Ducks bring out their babies from the reed. During an excursion on a solar boat you can have a look at the young water birds. July until September In July a noticeable moulting population of Great Crested Grebes, Black-necked Grebes, Mute Swans, Red-crested Pochards and Coots appears. Also in July almost ten thousands of migratory birds arrive and look for a suitable resting place at the lake. Some of them just stay for a few hours, others settle for weeks or months. Swallows and European Starlings stay in the reed in huge groups overnight.
    [Show full text]
  • SCANNING the CONSERVATION HORIZON a Guide to Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment
    SCANNING THE CONSERVATION HORIZON A Guide to Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment DRAFT May 2010 Scanning the Conservation Horizon: A Guide to Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment Edited by Patty Glick and Bruce A. Stein Draft May 2010 Copyright ©National Wildlife Federation 2010 Citation: P. Glick and B.A. Stein, editors. 2010. Scanning the Conservation Horizon: A Guide to Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment . Draft. National Wildlife Federation, Washington, D.C. Disclaimer: This draft document represents the work and views of the editors and authors and does not necessarily imply endorsement by the agencies or organizations who provided financial support for this work, or with whom the authors are affiliated. Cover: Snow geese at Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge. Coastal marshes such as these will be vulnerable to inundation from climate change-induced sea-level rise. Photo courtesy U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. National Wildlife Federation 901 E Street, Suite 400 Washington, DC 20004 202.797.6000; www.nwf.org CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ............................................................................................................................ 3 PREFACE....................................................................................................................................................... 6 1.INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................................................... 9 Our Rapidly Changing World ...................................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Taxonomy of the Rock/Water Pipit Superspecies Anthus Petrosus, Spinoletta and Rubescens
    Taxonomy of the Rock/Water Pipit superspecies Anthus petrosus, spinoletta and rubescens Alan Knox t the time of the last British checklist (BOU 1971), the Rock and AWater Pipits were generally regarded as one polytypic species of Holarctic distribution, Anthus spinoletta. This species ranged from western Europe to eastern Siberia, across North America from Alaska to western Greenland and southwards along the Rocky Mountains. Recently, the British Ornithologists' Union Records Committee, on the recommenda­ tion of its taxonomic working group, decided to treat these pipits as a superspecies composed of three species, A. petrosus, A. spinoletta and A. rubescens, all of which occur or have occurred in Britain and Ireland (BOURC 1986; table 1). In this paper, I shall briefly give the background to this decision. Geographic variation Many of the subspecies within the original Rock/Water Pipit complex (table 1) grade into one another to some extent. This is particularly so with the forms in western Europe, where a cline runs from the longer- billed and darker 'kleinschmidti' (see below), through petrosus, to the shorter- billed and paler littoralis (Hall 1961). These races also vary in the extent to which they undergo a moult in late winter. In the cases of 'kleinschmidti' and petrosus, the winter plumage is largely retained and the birds are dark and heavily streaked as the breeding season approaches. A distinctive spring plumage is acquired by littoralis, to a degree which varies between individuals. Some petrosus from Ouessant, France, appear to be intermedi­ ate, and moult into littoralis-\\ke spring plumage (Mayaud 1952). Although the northern end of this cline is called kleinschmidti, this form is 206 [Brit.Binha1:206-211,May I9RB] Taxonomy of Rock/Water Pipits 207 only poorly differentiated and arbitrarily separated from petrosus.
    [Show full text]
  • Unusual Wintering Records of Pipits (Aves: Motacillidae) in Hatay, Eastern Mediterranean Region of Turkey
    Turkish Journal of Zoology Turk J Zool (2015) 39: 74-79 http://journals.tubitak.gov.tr/zoology/ © TÜBİTAK Research Article doi:10.3906/zoo-1311-49 Unusual wintering records of pipits (Aves: Motacillidae) in Hatay, Eastern Mediterranean Region of Turkey Ali ATAHAN, Orhan GÜL*, Mehmet ATAHAN, Mehmet GÜL Subaşı Birdwatching Society, Subaşı Beldesi, Hatay, Turkey Received: 25.11.2013 Accepted: 08.05.2014 Published Online: 02.01.2015 Printed: 30.01.2015 Abstract: We studied the unusual wintering records of some rare pipit species during winter in Hatay Province, in the Eastern Mediterranean Region of Turkey. Through intensive field observations performed between 2007 and 2013, 8 pipit species were recorded in the province. Among the observations, 59 were unusual wintering records belonging to 5 pipit species. In this article, we present observations on frequency and seasonality of each pipit species observed in Hatay Province. Meadow, water, and red-throated pipits were already known as winter visitors to the region, but for the first time in this study, we observed buff-bellied, Richard’s, tree, tawny, and Blyth’s pipits in Hatay Province during winter. In light of our observations, we suggest that all 5 species—especially buff-bellied, Richard’s, and tree pipits—might be regular winter visitors to Hatay. Key words: Anthus spp., Aves, Eastern Mediterranean, Hatay, pipits, Turkey, unusual wintering records 1. Introduction Following this unusual observation, we decided to study Pipits are a group of wagtails, which are small, mainly the region in detail to explore the possibility of pipits not terrestrial, and insectivorous birds generally observed only passing through Hatay during migration but also in grasslands and wet meadows, although a few prefer using the region as a regular wintering ground, given shrubby or rocky habitats (Snow and Perrins, 1998; the presence of adequate habitats and suitable weather Alström and Mild, 2003).
    [Show full text]
  • Prey Weights for Computing Percent Biomass in Raptor Diets
    PREY WEIGHTS FOR COMPUTING PERCENT BIOMASS IN RAPTOR DIETS by Karen Steenhof Snake River Birds of Prey Research Project Bureau of Land Management 3948 Development Avenue Boise, Idaho 83705 Researchershave been assessingthe relativeimportance of prey speciesin raptor dietsfor manyyears. Early in thiscentury, biologists attempted to documentthe numberof pestspecies consumedby raptors (e.g., Kalmbachet al. 1964). More recently, biologistshave studied raptor dietsto understandthe effectsof land usechanges and environmentalcontaminants (e.g., Cade et al. 1968). Frequency of an individual prey speciesin the diet is not alwaysdirectly related to its nutritional importance(Southern 1954, Morris 1979). Raptorsmay consumeseveral small itemsthat provide lessweight and energy than a singlelarge prey item. To accountfor this, raptor dietsare now usuallyreported in termsof biomass: frequencyof a prey item multiplied by its averageweight (e.g., McGahan 1966, 1967;Porter and White 1973; Smithand Murphy 1973; Marti 1974). Accuracyof a biomassestimate depends on the accuracyof the weight assignedto a prey item. To ensureaccuracy, weights for eachprey speciesshould be categorizedby age and sex when appropriate.An averageadult weightwill distortrelative importance of a prey speciesif raptorsare consumingjuveniles. Similarly, an averageweight will distort resultsif one sexof a sexuallydiomorphic prey speciesis more vulnerableto raptor predation.Unfortunately, few studieshave consideredsize classes in computing biomassin the diet. Prey weightscan rarely be
    [Show full text]
  • And Wagtails
    ZOBODAT - www.zobodat.at Zoologisch-Botanische Datenbank/Zoological-Botanical Database Digitale Literatur/Digital Literature Zeitschrift/Journal: Vogelwarte - Zeitschrift für Vogelkunde Jahr/Year: 1982 Band/Volume: 31_1982 Autor(en)/Author(s): Bijlsma Rob G. Artikel/Article: The visible migration of pipits (Antbus) and wagtails (Motadlla) near Suez (Egypt), Autumn 1981 423-427 © Deutschen Ornithologen-Gesellschaft und Partner; download www.do-g.de; www.zobodat.at 3 1 ,4 423 1982 R. G. Bijlsma: Migration of pipits and wagtails Die Vogelwarte 31, 1982: 423—427 The visible migration of pipits (Antbus) and wagtails (Motadlla) near Suez (Egypt), Autumn 1981 By R o b G. Bijlsma Introduction Systematic counts of the diel and seasonal migration of passerines have been extensively carried out in Western Europe (e. g. C rousaz 1961, D orka 1966, U lfstrand et al. 1974). The information for Eastern Europe is much less detailed (F eeny, A rnold & B ailey 1968, K umerloeve 1957, 1972, S uth erland & B rooks 1981) and the same applies for the Middle East (C h risten sen 1962, S afriel 1968, K rabbe 1980). The many gaps in the knowledge of passerine migration in the Mediterranean are clearly pointed out by M oreau (1972). In this paper the seasonal and diel passage of pipits and wagtails near Suez during the autumn of 1981 will be described, supplemented with observations on behaviour and habitat choice of resting birds. Local topography and climate Suez is situated at the northern edge of the Gulf of Suez and is surrounded by vast, mountainous deserts. The Attaqa mountain extends for 120 km west of Suez and reaches the Gulf of Suez close to Adabiya, a village 15 km south of Suez.
    [Show full text]
  • New Zealand Pipit (Anthus N
    200 Notornis, 2019, Vol. 66: 200–209 0029-4470 © The Ornithological Society of New Zealand Inc. New Zealand pipit (Anthus n. novaeseelandiae) nesting and breeding behaviour in urban Onerahi, Whangarei A.J. BEAUCHAMP 17 Bellbird Ave, Onerahi, Whangarei 0110, New Zealand Abstract: Four New Zealand pipit nesting attempts were monitored in an urban wasteland field in Onerahi, Whangarei. A female laid two clutches in dense kikuyu (Pennisetum clandestinum) in October and December 2015 and fledged young from both clutches. Pipits were then absent from the site from February until late August 2016. The male reappeared and used the exact same home range, with a new female. This female laid two nests in the more open low gorse (Ulex europaeus) and aristea (Aristea ecklonii) cover in September and October 2016 but both nests were depredated at 3–5 and seven days after hatching, respectively. All three chicks, the female, and possibly the male were killed during the latter predation event. There were differences in adult behaviour throughout the breeding cycle. The female constructed the nest and undertook all the incubation. During the incubation period the male was only present at the nest site in the early morning and did not roost at the site each evening. The pair was present throughout the day after the chicks hatched. Pipits used more frequent calling rates when there was a perceived threat, and when that threat was near a nest. Beauchamp, A.J. 2019. New Zealand pipit (Anthus n. novaeseelandiae) nesting and breeding behaviour in urban Onerahi, Whangarei. Notornis 66(4): 200–209. Keywords: Richard’s Pipit, predation, cats INTRODUCTION of roadside breeding habitats during the 1983–1986 The New Zealand pipit (Anthus novaeseelandiae) is drought (Beauchamp 1997).
    [Show full text]