Volume 57, Number 4, May-June, 2015 BIRDS EVERYWHERE Article & Photos by Mike Birmingham, Entomologist Names from Wikipedia This is a great crowns of trees. I season to observe have seen several birds locally. Ovenbirds on the Canadian breeders Martin Van Buren that have been Trails. wintering in NYS The House can be seen in the Wren is a loud county until late songster especially April and early May. if one considers its FIGURE 4 OVENBIRD (SEIURUS AUROCAPILLA) Birds wintering in small size. It likes FIGURE 1 - AMERICAN YELLOW WARBLER the southern US gardens with trees and bushes. It uses artificial nesting (SETOPHAGA PETECHIA) and South America boxes. Figure 5 is a House Wren photographed in North will have returned Chatham. Among the other local wren species seen are to their breeding grounds in NYS by the second week in Winter, Marsh and May. On May 8th, eBird reported 168 species observed Carolina Wrens. in 2015 in Columbia County. The Carolina Wren These would include permanent shares some of the residents, migrants that will nest same haunts as the here, or migrants just passing House Wren. I through on their way north. saw Marsh Wrens The Yellow Warbler, Figure at Drowned 1 is an abundant and readily Land Swamp recognized bird. It is seen in Conservation Area thickets and especially near water. and Mud Creek Another abundant bird is the Environmental FIGURE 5 HOUSE WREN (TROGLODYTES AEDON) Yellow-rumped Warbler, Figure FIGURE 2 - YELLOW- Education Center. RUMPED WARBLER 2. I saw both of Winter Wrens were observed at Lewis A. Swyer Preserve (SETOPHAGA CORONATA) the above warblers and on Martin Van Buren Trails. in brush at Sutherland Pond in the Ooms Figure 6 is the White-throated Sparrow. I observed Conservation Area. I identified a Yellow- groups of these birds on the Martin Van Buren trails in throated Vireo, Figure 3, in a brushy area early May. Prior to that date, I saw the species singly or near water at the RamsHorn-Livingston in twos and threes at all eight of the ten Columbia Land Sanctuary. The Ovenbird, Figure 4, Conservancy areas. These birds breed in Maine, Canada FIGURE 3 YELLOW- THROATED VIREO is often heard scratching in leaf litter or at higher elevations in the nearby Berkshires. (VIREO FLAVIFRONS) or singing “teach, teach, teach” in mid- continued on Page 2 BIRDS EVERYWHERE continued from Page 1 Most warblers arrive when Warbler, Figure the leaves unfold and trees 10 fed below are in flower. Leaves and the other flowers are habitat for warbler species. the insects that warblers Figure 11 eat. Figure 7 is a Palm is a Brown Warbler at Hand Hollow Thrasher at the Conservation Area. Palm Olana State Warblers feed near the Historic Site. ground in wet areas. A The Thrashers Black and White Warbler are related to FIGURE 8 BLACK & WHITE WARBLER was seen at the Van Buren the Northern (MNIOTILTA VARIA) Trail eating insects on Mockingbird FIGURE 6 WHITE-THROATED SPARROW dead branches. and Gray Catbird – all songsters and mimic other bird (ZONOTRICHIA ALBICOLLIS) The American Redstart songs. Thrashers are much less common than their cousins spreads its tail and flits. I found Redstarts, Figure 9, and can be located by on Martin Van Buren Trails feeding in Red Oaks in their song in which flower. They were each loud note is in association with repeated. Black and White Seeing birds Warblers, Black- sing is helpful in throated Green recognizing them. Warblers and Yellow- Once the song is rumped Warblers. associated with a The Warbler Guide species, the birds FIGURE 9 AMERICAN REDSTART (SETOPHAGA by Tom Stephenson can be identified RUTICILLA) and Scott Whittle is accurately from just useful in identifying their song when they are hidden in dense foliage. So it’s FIGURE 7 PALM WARBLER warblers. The Black- time to go outdoors and listen and look for these colorful (SETOPHAGA PALMARUM) throated Green little songsters before they are nesting or have flown north. FIGURE 10 BLACK-THROATED GREEN WARBLER (SETOPHAGA VIRENS) FIGURE 11 BROWN THRASHER (TOXOSTOMA RUFUM) May-June 2015 The Warbler alandevoebirdclub.org 2 REMINDERS & NOTICES ADBC FIELD TRIPS CLC OUTINGS - For Information about CLC May 30, Sat. - RAMSHORN-LIVINGSTON SANCTUARY events, programs & outings: Visit www.clctrust.org or (Greene County) (morning) Meet 7:30 am at the parking area. call 518-392-5252 Directions: Crossing the Rip VanWinkle Bridge from east to west, turn left at first traffic light onto Route 385. Continue 2.5 miles through the Village of Catskill. Turn left on West Main Street after crossing the MOH ON A S W UDSON OHAWK IRD LUB RIPS K H M B C T D Catskill Creek. Continue 0.8 miles to small rotary; exit rotary on Dubois U H Road. Proceed 0.1 miles to RamsHorn parking area on right. Call the B & PROGRAMS I B R U leader to register for this trip. If no calls, the trip will be cancelled.. D CL More info: 518-439-8080 or www.hmbc.net Coordinators: Larry Federman and Karen Schoemer: 518-678-3248. MONDAY, June 1, 2015 - 7:00 pm at the William K. June 13, Sat. - BICKNELL’S THRUSH ON HUNTER Sanford (Colonie) Town Library - “BLUEBIRD TRAIL MOUNTAIN (Greene County) (morning) MANAGEMENT AND RESEARCH” with Kevin Berner Meet 7 am at Columbia-Greene Community College for car pooling. This trip involves a 3.5 mile hike up Hunter Mountain on a dirt road. Yellow- Kevin will cover his research findings related to which nest bellied Flycatcher, Swainson’s Thrush, Blackpoll Warbler and Bicknell’s box designs are most effective for attracting bluebirds and Thrush are possible here. Call the leader to register for this trip. If no calls, how predation can be minimized at nest boxes. the trip will be cancelled. Coordinator: Will Yandik: 518-851-2678. June 14, Sun. - GREENPORT CONSERVATION AREA (morning) Meet 8 am in the parking lot of the Greenport Conservation Area at 54 Daisy Hill Road. From the North: Take Route 9 to Greenport, NY. Veer right onto Joslen Blvd., and go straight for 1.2 miles. Turn right at the sign for the Conservation Area. You will see a parking area and information kiosk. Coordinators: Chris Franks and Drew Hopkins: 518-781-0204. July 5, Sun. - POWELL SANCTUARY (morning) Meet 8 am in ALAN DEVOE BIRD CLUB MEMBERSHIP FORM the parking lot of the Sanctuary on Hunt Club Road in Old Chatham. Membership Annual Renewal Date: January 1st Coordinator: John Piwowarski: 518-672-7622. Send check to: Sandra Williams, 1730 Co. Rte 9, Chatham, NY 12037, payable to the Alan Devoe Bird Club, Inc. July 11, Sat. - RAMSHORN-LIVINGSTON SANCTUARY (Greene County) (morning) Meet 8 am at the parking area. NAME: Directions: Crossing the Rip VanWinkle Bridge from east to west, turn left at first traffic light onto Route 385. Continue 2.5 miles through STREET ADDRESS: the Village of Catskill. Turn left on West Main Street after crossing the Catskill Creek. Continue 0.8 miles to small rotary; exit rotary on CITY, STATE & ZIP: Dubois Road. Proceed 0.1 miles to RamsHorn parking area on right. Coordinator: Karen Schoemer: 518-304-0066. TELEPHONE: Note TO FIELD TRIP LEADERS: Following the field trip for which you are the leader, send a brief summary/write-up of the E-Mail: trip for the Warbler to the editor - Nancy Kern, PO Box 321, Ghent NY 12075. email: [email protected] Paper Warbler or E-Warbler (please circle your preference) MEMBERSHIP CATEGORIES: Adult $20 [ ] Junior (18 or younger) $10 [ ] Supporting Adult $30 [ ] Individual Life $500 [ ] Family/Household $25 [ ] Supporting Family/Household $45 [ ] ADDITIONAL CONTRIBUTIONS: General Fund: RENEWING MEMBERS FOR 2015 Sanctuary Fund: Educational Opportunities Fund: Debbie Shaw TOTAL ENCLOSED: May-June 2015 The Warbler alandevoebirdclub.org 3 VERNAL POOL STUDY Article & Photos by Mike Birmingham, Entomologist The Columbia Land Conservancy woodland pool session was held on April 25th at the Wilson M. Powell Sanctuary. Heidi and Jessica from the CLC attended. Suzanna Beyler discussed the Jefferson Salamander (Ambystoma jeffersonianum) and Blue-spotted Salamander (Ambystoma laterale) eggs and also hybridized eggs of the two species, Figure 1. Jason, her husband, waded in the vernal pool to net eggs and look for salamanders and other FIGURE 2 - RED EFT (NOTOPHTHALMUS VIRIDESCENS) aquatic animals. Marbled plywood boards set out (including some at the sanctuary) Salamanders on the ground to monitor the populations. Redback (Ambystoma opacum) Salamanders (Plethodon cinereus) are terrestrial and the also breed in the most ubiquitous species. They have two color phases: pool. Their strategy, red and lead color. They are a woodland salamander that unlike Jefferson or Blue- comes out at night to hunt insects. Salamanders can spotted salamanders that wander up to 3 kilometers in search of food. Their ability FIGURE 1 - BLUE SPOTTED are early spring breeders, to find their home pool is remarkable considering they are SALAMANDER EGGS (AMBYSTOMA is to lay their eggs in the JEFFERSONIANUM) such small creatures that crawl relatively great distances fall. Suzanna showed and encounter many barriers such as roads, structures us an Eastern Newt (Notophthalmus viridescens). The and clearings. Suzanna discussed Wood Frogs (Lithobates bright orange juvenile stage is land-dwelling and known sylvaticus) which are the species that make duck-like quacks as a Red Eft., Figure 2. It is widely distributed and in the water when the ice is barely off the pond. Suzanna abundant. Also pulled from the bucket was a Four-toed also showed the group dragonfly nymphs that were Salamander (Hemidactylium scutatum) that also has found in the pool and eat almost anything smaller than aquatic and terrestrial stages. It has been little studied, and themselves.