Fun in the Sun!

With the sun a blazin', I've been enjoying some summertime feelings in San Diego. What a gorgeous place to be this time of year, but of course I think the weather never really changes here. It's always just.....nice! Being the weatherperson in this town has to be a cinch! My Nikon travels have taken me hear for the San Diego Birding Festival which as been a blast up to this point. Great birds and great people are all it takes to make a show work. I have been blessed to see some major industry leaders here whom of which I call friends. The likes of Bill Thompson III, Steve Howell, Jeff Bouton, Lisa White, Marci Fuller, and Chip Clouse just to name a few.

Of course, I have gotten out to do some birding! Chip Clouse (American Birding Association) and I had ventured out yesterday to get some California Gnatcatchers, California Thrashers, and Wrentits at Border Field State Park while looking into the outskirts of Tijuana. Great birds for sure!

Nevertheless, I am a guy who has been landlocked most of his life so I try to focus on waterbirds while I am here and have the opportunity. And there is one bird I want to discuss quickly that received my undivided attention.

Brandt's Cormorant! Yeah, I know..I know. You are probably asking why I pick a Cormorant to talk about? Well, this one is a beauty! A close up look shows the facial colors and we sometimes forget that these birds are incredible swimmers for not having waterproof feathers (which is why you see them sitting out on a sunny day with their wings fanned trying to dry them). Wouldn't you agree that all things have their place on this Earth? I certainly think that way so even a Cormorant contributes to the circle-of-life.

Although, this wonderful species shares it's pacific home with Double-crested (DCCO) and Pelagic Cormorants the difference between the three can be readily identified. First off, Pelagic Cormorants are thinner bodied and billed then the other two. In flight you will notice white patches on the lower flanks of the Pelagic Cormorant which Brandt's and DCCO do not have. This bird seemed to be all dark throughout the entire length of the body. This leads me to believe this is an adult, because all first-year cormorants would have some degree of cream-coloration on the ventral side. Although, Pelagic is the darkest but can be eliminated by looking at the super-thin bill it carries. DCCO has the most degree of lightness when in first-year plumage. So let's assume this is an adult bird!

What other characteristics can you notice? Given what I had said about the Pelagic Cormorant's size and shape earlier; you think those fit? It seems to me that this bird is a bit bulkier in body size and bill size than we would normally see in a Pelagic, so I think we can rule out the skinny Cormorant. Plus, Pelagic Cormorants usually inhabit steep, rocky cliffs and I can tell you there was none of that occurring at the mouth of the San Diego River where this shot was taken. That leaves us down to DCCO and Brandt's.

Now let's see, we called this an adult so let's focus on those particular attributes. This is an easy one because DCCO has a huge orange gular patch (skin under throat) that can be seen from quite a distance. This bird clearly has none of that happening. What we can see here is light patches of feathers under the throat. However, Brandt's Cormorant has a blue gular patch in breeding season. Being that it is early March I think it is safe to assume that not all the birds we see here have initiated their breeding plumage just yet. But check out that raging blue eye. DCCOs have a turquoise-blue eye in breeding while the Brandt's has a ocean blue coloration. We might be a bit early for breeding, but it appears this bird is getting to that point. I was using my Nikon 10x42 EDG binoculars and I could clearly see no blue under the throat of this bird, either. The extra magnification along with the clarity certainly help me obtain that information. Given all the information we just looked over I feel confident in calling this bird a non-breeding adult Brandt's Cormorant.

Brandt's Cormorants breed all the way up the west coast into Alaska and like other cormorants, Brandt's holds it's head at a 45 degree angle upwards while swimming. This can be a tell tale feature when trying to discern if a distant bird is a Cormorant or a Loon. Loons will hold their heads more parallel with the water having to fight the weight of their massive bills (exception sometimes is Yellow-billed and Red-throated which will sometimes hold their head at angles).

So next time you are on the west coast and looking at cormorants please make sure to look at the size and shape first. That can eliminate at minimum one species if not two immediately. Always consider the season so you know if birds will be in breeding plumage or not. And lastly, if the cormorant has light coloration below you are looking at a first-year bird so take caution and use size and shape to ID.

Okay, I am off to the last day of the trade show here! Busy as always. I will be sure to post again soon and thank you for reading.

High Country!

Over the weekend I spent some time in the high country snowshoeing in Rocky Mountain National Park. The temperature held around 30 degrees farenheit which I consider to be warm this time of year at 10,000 feet. All of the hardcore outdoorsy people were on the trails, but still not enough to erase the solitude for which I came. The diversity of birds at high elevation is naturally low this time of year, but some of the birds that do brave the winter have lots of food to feed on, given their adaptations. 

One of the sounds I associate with such blistering conditions is a woodpecker drum that starts off like a normal drum but increases with speed at the end of the drill. This drum that I speak of belongs to the American Three-Toed Woodpecker (ATTW) which inhabits the spruce-fir habitat above 8500 feet. Very similar to the Hairy Woodpecker, one must be careful of it's identification especially if you are looking through dense foliage. The drumming is very distinct and different than that of the Hairy and can be used with confidence to identify this species, but other details come into play as well. Concerning habits, ATTW tend to stick to the lower portion of the trees in which it feeds on (flaking away bark in search of insects). Hairy can be found foraging at all heights of the forest, thus if you were to find a Hairy/ATTW in the area and it happened to be feeding in the canopy you can be close to sure that your bird in question is a Hairy Woodpecker.

Female American Three-toed Woodpecker photographed by Mike Freiberg

Female Hairy Woodpecker photographed by Bill Schmoker

Looking at both Hairy and ATTW (like the one above) can show that the differences can be quite well defined, but in a dense spruce forest (where the foliage reaches the ground level) this can impact a birder's confidence. The Rocky Mountain race of the ATTW, dorsalis, has a clean white oval on the back of the bird whereas other races have white with black bars running down creating a ladder effect. Hairy will exhibit more white in the moustacial area on the cheek, but again can vary and be hard to see. Hairy is slightly larger with a longer bill and this is evident in the field after seeing some of both. Furthermore, for me one of the tell tale signs is the barred flanks of the ATTW. Hairy shows clean white ventrally and this is always visible in the field.

The male ATTW would show a slight yellow cap in all seasons thus telling us the photo above is a female ATTW. Just the same way, male Hairy woodpecker shows a red nape in all seasons and the female shows no color. Take a look at both photos above and see if you can see some of these differences I am talking about.

Interestingly enough, most woodpeckers have a toe arrangement called Zygodactyl where they have two toes pointing front and two toes pointing back. However, the ATTW has more of an Anisodactyl-type arrangement where two toes are pointing forward and one to the back, losing the fourth toe. However, an Anisodactyl arrangement has three to the front and one toe to the back This is what makes this bird special!

Many of these woodpeckers were bopping around me on my hike. Most of them I heard knowing the sharp, piercing, "PIIINK," of the Hairy and the much lower, "TEEK" of the ATTW. The ATTW will also give a crying-like whinny when disturbed. But other species took notice of my presence and one to expect on such occasions are the Gray Jays.

Gray Jay photographed by Mike Freiberg

I was sitting on the edge of a lake eating a granola bar for lunch when a family group came to investigate. One even landed two inches from my boot to feed it's curiosity. They're truly a common bird in Colorado at high elevation, but these guys never get old. Plus, when there is a lull in the birding these Corvids are usually around to entertain. They sometimes will follow you and constantly jump in front of your face if your not paying enough attention to them.

Birds will always be around, but it is always the mammals that can be hard to see, so I was pleasantly surprised when this Pine Squirrel that jumped in front of my camera.

Pine Squirrel photographed by Mike Freiberg

So a very successful day it was and I thank Mother Nature for providing us with such great life. I wish everyone a great day and Good Birding.

Some Cool Southern Birds!

The finale of the Space Coast Birding &Wildlife Festival was a morning on my own. While often leading trips in the field, I also like to enjoy some solitude and absorb some of the gems of the land. I decided to go to Hal Scott Nature Preserve which is mainly Scrub Palmetto habitat, Longleaf Pines, and oaks. Perfectly suitable habitat for Red-cockaded Woodpecker (pines) and Bachman's Sparrow (ground floor). It was a brisk morning, but with nobody around I was breathing easy.

The Red-cockaded Woodpecker is an endangered species that is heavily managed by the St. John's River Water Management District, in that area. This woodpecker is the only one of it's kind to excavate their holes in live pines. Most woodpeckers use rotting wood in which the heartwood is soft and easy to drill into. Not only will they excavate in live pines they will continuously drill minute holes around the cavity in order to keep an ample amount of sap flowing down the tree. This acts as a defense mechanism for their primary predator outside of man. The creature I am talking about is the Rat Snake. Rat Snakes will wind their way up the tree and feast of the eggs inside the cavity like other predators of the woodpecker. The excavation of holes by these gorgeous birds also assists other species in their survival. Birds like Eastern Bluebirds, Carolina Chickadees, Tufted Titmouse, and other woodpeckers will use vacant holes for their broods. Can you see how the circle of life plays out? Everything in nature has it's rightful place.

While walking through the scrub my ears captured the call note of a Red-cockaded close by. The call I am referring to is the loud PUUURT, often in succession of one another. There is also a very high pitched Tsik that may be heard as well. These cooperative breeders are not fertile during their first year of life. The young (mainly males) assist in brood rearing and food searching. They do this because the juveniles are dependent of the adults for up to five to six months after hatching. Nevertheless, the pair I had seen was extremely active and appeared to be courting.

Notice the wings flapping here. It is very difficult to see here but this was the male getting excited. Male and female Red-cockaded Woodpeckers are nearly identical with the male having a minute red flare at the top of the auriculars. Other than that we are looking for the large white cheek patch, clean ventral parts, ladder-patterned back, and short stubby bill. Those are the main attributes that make this bird stand out. Other woodpeckers occur in the same habitat like Downy, Hairy, and Red-bellied Woodpeckers. Downy and Hairy have a white oval on the back and lack the huge white auriculars of the Red-cockaded. Red-bellied has a ladder-patterned back, but it is dusty colored underneath, much larger, with a longer bill.

Of course, Red-cockaded Woodpeckers don't totally rule the land. Nearly a United States endemic, the Brown-headed Nuthatch roams the canopy of this habitat in search of insects and seeds. However, they blend in so well you are most likely to hear their calls first giving off peet-peet-peet at a high-pitch and if there are a lot of them the calls can be incessant. This nuthatch is morphologically similar to the Pygmy Nuthatch which is also similar in calls and is noted for it's miniature tail making the bird look butt-less, so-to-speak. Brown-headed share that characteristic. Even given the two bird's similarities the Brown-headed has a much more defined cap not to mention their ranges are separated by well over 1,000 miles in between. 

So even though this day was cold and rainy with no sunlight, I treasure the time I spend with these southern specialties.

All of these shots were taken by Mike Freiberg using a Nikon D200 and a 300mm F4 Nikkor lens. Good Birding!

Masked Duck for the day!

Okay, so today was pretty much a stellar day. My field trip loaded up with 16 passengers to Viera Wetlands at 6 AM and of course we would be trying our butts off for the adult male Masked Duck that has staked his claim on one particular pool. The wetlands were booming with birds including Anhingas, Ring-necked Ducks, Hooded Mergansers,etc. We birded the entrance for a while to get everyone adapted to the environment but wasted no time in making our way to, THE SPOT!" This Masked Duck has been seeing battling for marsh postion with some Ring-necked Ducks and American Coots for a while and it was our time to catch it in action.

We jumped out of the van and all of us proceeded to scan the water for the unusual visitor. I jumped on my Nikon 65mm EDG Fieldscope panning the field. Knowing that Masked Ducks are reclusive creatures with a prehistoric feel, I decided to look intently at the thicker marsh vegetation hoping for some of the deep maroon color the body of the bird holds, to show up. Nothing! I needed a little break from the deep stare into the marshy abyss, so I started scanning through the Ring-necked Ducks and American Coots to see what other waterfowl might be there. There was a bird that was quite different in terms of stature holding it's body closer to the water, however, the bird was facing away from me so I had to wait to get a different angle. The bird turned, only for me to see a spatulate-type bill. My EDG Fieldscope began delivering some excellent true colors enough to see the bill was blue and the body was deep red. BAAAAAM!

There he was! The bird in question low in the water for all to see. I was baffled to see this bird in the open. It's habits have always reminded me of the Sungrebe from south of the border, but this guy was showing off a bit. He chased Ring-necked Ducks away and in turn was chased by American Coots. The black mask was so obvious it didn't take long to ID this dude. Somewhat related to the Ruddy Duck this diver is in a monotypic genus meaning it is the only one of its kind. I learned in November that this bird does not paddle it's feet when attempting to take off but rather flies straight into the air. I got a chance to see and confirm this neat attribute. He dives down deep to get to his primary food source which is seeds and roots of aquatic plants. I have only seen this species once before in Texas, but this was the first breeding male I had seen. Truely a beautiful and exciting bird. He was a life bird for nearly everyone in the group and as a leader, I certainly felt proud of that. Our group was super active with asking questions and spotting birds. Nothing makes a leader more happy than a group that wants to learn. At one point later in the day one of our female participants spotted an American Bittern in it's freeze-stance which takes diligance and patience. I of course had to reward her with a job well done and a hefty high-five. That's what I'm talking about!!!!!

Masked Ducks breed from Mexico all the way to Brazil and in the western Caribbean. It would be nice if this one could have a mate, but he may be waiting a while. Waterfowl was the family of the day which included the next bird in the photos:

Two strapping Mottled Ducks. Notice the clean face, dark eye-line and darker chevrons on the body. The orange-yellow bills are a dead give away. These birds will sometimes hybridize with Mallards, but usually will have a darker face and a black patch on the bill indicating a female Mallard.

Overall, we had 66 species on the day and was really successful. I love my job and feel blessed to be able to experience Mother Nature's handy work.

So the Space Coast Birding & Nature Festival has officially taken flight much like this Mottled Duck. Thanks for reading and I hope you visit back. Cheers and Good Birding from your Nikon Birding ProStaff!

Space Coast Birding & Wildlife Festival

This Loggerhead Shrike was shot by Mike Freiberg at Merritt Island NWR with a Nikon D200/300mm F4 Nikkor lens

The habitats in the vicinity of Titusville, Florida offers some of the most flashy birding to be found anywhere. With a plethora of marshes and mangroves many birds not only breed here, but consider this their winter home as well. Nikon ProStaffer, Tom Dunkerton, and I spent the day touring the Viera Wetlands and Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge. There are more waders and waterfowl than you can shake a camera at much less a stick. This Loggerhead Shrike was one of many we had seen playing in and around the mangroves. This being the only shrike that can be found down here, is a common resident and can be found in any open habitats in Florida.

The show kicks off tomorrow with field trips and the exhibitor area at the Brevard County Community College. You can register any time during the show either at the college or online at the Space Coast Birding & Wildlife Festival website.  Thanks to Neta Harris and company, this festival has fast become the leading birding-related show in America.

This adult male Anhinga was shot by Mike Freiberg at Viera Wetlands with a Nikon D200/300mm F4 Nikkor lens

This adult male Anhinga was drying off his feathers in the hot sun. Again, this species can be found throughout central Florida along any coastal or inland waterway. Take a look at some of the other species that graced our presence today:

This adult Glossy Ibis was shot by Mike Freiberg at Viera Wetlands with a Nikon D200/300mm F4 Nikkor lens


This Tricolored Heron was shot by Mike Freiberg at Viera Wetlands with a Nikon D200/300mm F4 Nikkor lens


This subadult White Ibis was shot by Mike Freiberg at Merritt Island NWR with a Nikon D200/300mm F4 Nikkor lens


This adult Common Moorhen was shot by Mike Freiberg at Merritt Island NWR with a Nikon D200/300mm F4 Nikkor lens


These Hooded Mergansers were shot at Viera Wetlands by Mike Freiberg with a Nikon D200/300mm F4 Nikkor lens

If you are in the area of central Florida I suggest you stop into the show and sign up for a field trip or three. Some of the best tour guides in the country will be leading and speaking here. The show will also display all sorts of birding-related items including Nikon's EDG binocular and the new Nikon SHE binocular. I wish everyone good birding and I hope you follow my journey at one of America's premier shows.

Unusual Winter Visitors!

Winter chugs along and according to most people we are all getting rained and snowed on like crazy. If it is like that down here then it is bound to be messy up north. Some of the larger storms we have been having sometimes push birds like a Snowy Owl to drop to the south to find their food, lemmings (ordinarily). Nevertheless, Snowies are opportunistic and will eat what is available. They hunt from a high perch and plunge into the snow to catch their food using only their auditory senses to locate the prey item.

Most of my Snowy experiences come from the Mission valley in Montana visiting Denver Holt's Owl Research Institute. He regularly gets 10-30 owls that winter in the valley each year. I also lived in Iowa and thus the birding can be slow in the winter, so I would drive around agricultural fields hoping to stumble across some.  I almost always for encounter some during each winter.

A Snowy Owl is not too difficult to ID, but what about sex? Snowy Owls can be sexed using the amount of darker bars on the body, particularly the chest. Females are much darker and males appear white. The whiter the bird the older of a male it is. The bird above looks certain to be a male, but I could never be sure from just looking at the photo. We can also use the extent of the white bib on the birds meaning the larger the bib, the more likely a male. All of these things would need to be evaluated carefully with each bird. Notice the bird up top is clean white underneath!

This Snowy in the photo was photographed outside of Colorado Springs this week.

Barrow's Goldeneye is an interesting bird that breeds in the Pacific Northwest including Idaho. I know there is one spot in Colorado they breed, but I am not sure where exactly. Furthermore, these birds winter in Colorado and can be found anywhere in the state during that time. This bird was photographed on the S. Platte River in Denver.

These are the kind of birds that are most sought after during the winter months. I am hoping to find a Barrow's Goldeneye near Fort Collins, but we will have to wait and see.

Both photos were taken by Nikon Birding ProStaff, Bill Schmoker. The Snowy was digiscoped with a 65mm EDG Fieldscope and Bill used a Nikon D2X and a 200-400 F4 Nikkor lens for the duck. Good birding to all! Hope you enjoyed this quick post.

Nikon's Birding Adventures TV!

Nikon Announces Title Sponsorship of Birding Adventures Television

Melville, NY - Nikon® is proud to announce it's title sponsorship of Birding Adventures TV. Now Nikon's Birding Adventures TV, the series follows host James Currie as he explores the wilderness and culture of top worldwide destinations. The highlight of the show is the quest for the, "golden bird," a unique and exciting species from each destination. Nikon's Birding Adventures TV begins in January with a lineup of exciting shows, featuring Snail Kites in Palm Beach county Florida, Green Jays, Aplomado Falcons and Red-crowned Parrots in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas and Guianan Toucanet from the jungles of Suriname.

"Nikon is thrilled to support the show and James' passion for the outdoors," said Jon Allen, General Manager of Nikon Sport Optics. "Nikon builds its optics for the toughest adventures and is elated to have James put it's binoculars and fieldscopes to the test week in and out."

Nikon's Birding Adventures TV is available on many networks, including Fox Sports Network™ and Untamed Sports TV™, to more than 100 million households. For local listings visit http://www.birdingadventures.com/batv_schedule.php

About Nikon

Nikon Inc. is the U.S. distributor of Nikon sports and recreational optics, world-renowned Nikon 35mm cameras, digital cameras, speedlights and accesories, Nikkor lenses and electronic imaging products. For more information about Nikon's full line of binoculars, spotting scopes, fieldscopes and laser rangefinders, visit www.nikonbirding.com 

About Nikon's Birding Adventures TV

Nikon's Birding Adventures TV on adventure bird-watching and explores exotic birding destinations; the most unusual, rare and sought-after bird species; amazing cultures and wildlife. The show portrays a unique blend of information and adventure, making bird-watching refreshing, contemporary, interesting and exciting. The program has a strong conservation emphasis and highlights the urgency of preserving the planet's incredible birdlife. For more information about Nikon's Birding Adventures TV, visit www.birdingadventures.com

A life-long birder and native of South Africa, your host James Currie has many years experience in the birding and wildlife tourism arenas. James has led professional wildlife and birding tours for over 12 years and his passion for birding and remote cultures has taken him to far corners of the earth from the Amazon and Australia to Africa and Madagascar. He has contributed to several publications, including the acclaimed Southern African Bird Finder. He is also an expert in the field of sustainable development and holds a Bachelor’s Degree in African Languages and a Masters degree in Sustainable Environmental Management.

From 2004-2007 James worked as the Managing Director of Africa Foundation, a non-profit organization that directs its efforts towards the upliftment of communities surrounding wildlife areas in Africa. James has recently immigrated to the United States with his family and currently resides in West Palm Beach, Florida.