{BIRD NOTES} ~ August 19, 2013

Bird Notes

 

Giant Swallowtail by Steve & Laurie Medved

 

Hi Al,  I believe that this is a Giant Swallowtail that's visiting our Zinnias. We had one last year, but didn't get a photo.

---Steve and Laurie Medved.

 

Nighthawks Migration at Westminster Station

It's that time of year again.

Had a few Nighthawks pass over Westminster Station count site last night 8/15.

8/16  43 birds.

8/17  54 birds.

8/18  78 birds in 2 hr. watch.

---Don Clark, Grafton, VT

 

Great Birding at Heldene Monthly Birdwalk
What a day for a birdwalk! 16 people attended our monthly walk around Hildene this afternoon, and with food plenty available, birds did not disappoint.  Lots of fledglings, impressive numbers of Common Yellowthroat (likely undercounted), Rose-breasted Grosbeaks, and a "lively" exchange trying to ID the female Purple Finch... great fun! Northern Parula was a nice find too.    Highlight on the observation platform for the last 3 birders... not only seeing 2 Virginia Rails, but seeing 2 very young chicks as well!  Black puff balls on black mud.  See list of 42 species below:
---Barbara Powers

Ruffed Grouse 1
American Bittern 1
Great Blue Heron 1
Virginia Rail 4   (2 adults, 2 young chicks)
Chimney Swift 1
Ruby-throated Hummingbird 2
Belted Kingfisher 1
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 5
Downy Woodpecker 1
Hairy Woodpecker 2
Northern Flicker 2
Eastern Wood-Pewee 5
Least Flycatcher 1
Eastern Phoebe 3
Eastern Kingbird 3
Red-eyed Vireo 7
Blue Jay 10
American Crow 2
Black-capped Chickadee 6
Tufted Titmouse 3
White-breasted Nuthatch 1
House Wren 6
Eastern Bluebird 2
American Robin 24
Gray Catbird 8
Cedar Waxwing 10
Ovenbird 1
Black-and-white Warbler 1
Common Yellowthroat 10
American Redstart 2
Northern Parula 2
Yellow Warbler 1
Black-throated Blue Warbler 2
Chipping Sparrow 9
Song Sparrow 5
Swamp Sparrow 3
Scarlet Tanager 5
Rose-breasted Grosbeak 12
Red-winged Blackbird 20
Purple Finch 1
House Finch 1
American Goldfinch 10

Good Birding at Plum Island, MA

Coastal birding doesn’t get much better than this:

The CURLEW SANDPIPER discovered at the Parker River Refuge at Plum Island a week ago was last seen on Monday.

 

Other reports from the refuge this week included:

44 GREAT and 88 SNOWY EGRETS, 2 NORTHERN HARRIERS, 255 BLACK-BELLIED and 1150 SEMIPALMATED PLOVERS, 2 HUDSONIAN GODWITS, a RED KNOT, 985 SEMIPALMATED, 54 WHITE-RUMPED, 7 PECTORAL, and 4 STILT SANDPIPERS, 82 SHORT-BILLED and 1 LONG-BILLED DOWITCHER, an EASTERN SCREECH-OWL, a PEREGRINE FALCON, a YELLOW-BELLIED FLYCATCHER, 73 EASTERN KINGBIRDS, an estimated 50,000 TREE SWALLOWS, warblers including NORTHERN PARULA, MAGNOLIA, PRAIRIE, and BLACK-THROATED GREEN, as well as a SCARLET TANAGER, a ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAK, a DICKCISSEL, 175 BOBOLINKS, and 22 BALTIMORE ORIOLES.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Please share your birding news with us.

Any new migrants or nesters?

What have you seen while on a trip?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Al Merritt

chpmnkx@sover.net

SVAS   www.sevtaudubon.org

The Blue Jay, Just for Fun

A Blue Jay applied for the receptionist’s job at the new AT&T headquarters.  The interviewer, a bit annoyed, told the Jay that the candidate had to be able to type at least 80 words per minute. The Jay demonstrated proficiency with a 120 wpm.  Not wanting to hire a BIRD for the job, the interviewer told the Jay that the candidate had to be able to take dictation.  The Jay surpassed all of the other candidates with both speed and accuracy. Finally the interviewer thought he’d be able to get rid of the Jay with “the candidate must be bilingual!”  The Jay replied “Meow!!”

---New York State Ornithological Association