BIRDING TO THE EDG

The Cape May Avalon Seawatch regularly records some very impressive migratory spectacles.
Take a look at BirdCapeMay.org to see some of the daily seawatch totals for this fall. Single day counts of over 76,000, 81,000, 98,000, and 106,000 make for some incredible days of birding.

A large percentage of these totals are made up of the two smaller species of scoter, Surf and Black Scoter. These two species are by far the most numerous species counted at the Avalon Seawatch and are sometimes lump together in the category, "dark-winged scoter". While identifying nearby scoters sitting on the water is straightforward, separating masses of them in flight at long range is a bit more challenging. Take a look at the first photo to get a feel for what migration flocks of scoters look like and a better idea the challenge they present.

Surf and Black Scoters photograph at Cape May, NJ by Cameron Cox with a Nikon D200 and 300mm Nikkor lens.

These massive flocks are constantly changing shape: swirling, expanding and contracting as birds shift positions. Large flocks usually contain both Black and Surf Scoter and there may also be a scattering other species in the flock as well. The most common additional species are White-winged Scoter, Green-winged Teal, Eider, Scaup, and sometimes even Razorbill. For three months in the fall it is the task of the counter at the Avalon Seawatch to sort through these flocks and record the number and species that pass the watch.

Explaining all the techniques that go into this task goes way beyond what we can cover in this blog. I can, however, provide a small taste of what it is like to be a seawatch counter by going through a crash course on dark-winged scoter identification.

Scoters often migrate far enough offshore that it is difficult to make out coloration. For this reason shape is key feature when separating the two smaller scoters. Head shape is by far the most useful clue, but other characteristics can be helpful as well. Other things to note include wing shape, body shape, flock formations, and plumage patterns. Examine all these features in the next couple of photos.

Surf Scoters photograph at Cape May, NJ by Cameron Cox with a Nikon D200 and 300mm Nikkor lens.

In the photo above try to burn the oversized, wedge-shaped heads of these Surf Scoters into your brain. They have relatively long necks and sloping foreheads. Notice how the head shape of the four males (first three and last individual) look bloated while the female's head shape is more a classic, sharply pointed wedge. Notice also how the wings are swept back at the wrist on several of these birds and they all show sharply pointed wingtips. Other important characteristics include the white patches on the faces and napes of the males, the dark cheek with two small white spots of the female, and the flock structure. Surf Scoters tend to fly in more organized groups than Black Scoters. Notice the large gaps between each individual. Black Scoter tend to be much more bunched together. Let's look at some Black Scoters for comparison.

Black Scoters photograph at Cape May, NJ by Cameron Cox with a Nikon D200 and 300mm Nikkor lens.

Compared to the Surf Scoters in the previous photo these birds look stockier and more compact. Even more important, though, are the head and bill shapes. Instead of the long, sloping foreheads that bleed directly into the bill, these Black Scoters have smaller, more rounded heads, slightly shorter necks, and small bills that seem to have been stuck on the face almost as an afterthought. In fact, at a distance, these tiny bills seem to disappear giving the appearance that the faces of these ducks end abruptly at perfect flat foreheads. Unlikely the Surf Scoter flock, these birds are packed close together in a tight oval; the typical flock formation for small groups of Black Scoters. Black Scoters also seem a bit more active than Surf Scoters as there is more shifting of location within the flock. There are also a few differences coloration, the male Black Scoter are completely black except for the bright orange knobs at the base of the bill. Females have a large pale cheek, which can most easily be seen on the second bird from the front. Finally, this photo was taken on a sunny day which illuminates the translucent flight feather of the Black Scoter. Surf Scoters can show a silvery flash to the underside of the primaries but never show largely translucent flight feathers. Extra credit goes to those of you who noticed the two Surf Scoters tucked into the bottom of this flock (fourth and fifth birds for the front on the bottom).

Surf and Black Scoters photograph at Cape May, NJ by Cameron Cox with a Nikon D200 and 300mm Nikkor lens.

Use this final photo to put everything together. Clearly Surf Scoter is the dominate species in this flock, but there are 12 Black Scoters as well. Concentrate on shapes and see if you can find them.

This time of year in Rocky Mountain National Park can be one of the best times of year to visit. Even though it is cold, the trails still are open as the lower elevations in the park haven't been bombarded by snowfall yet. On Sunday, I went into the park and was delighted to see it was void of vacationers, as to be expected in November. The day started off quite cloudy, but eventually opened up for enough light.

The winter season is usually synonymous with finches here in the north. Red Crossbills and Pine Siskins are two common breeders in the park, however, these birds drop in elevation during the winter time. Both of these species can be difficult to photograph without feeders, but an open spot along a stream in Upper Beaver Meadows hosted both these species as seen in the photos.

The Pine Siskin shown above is a small finch of the north that commonly shows up at feeders and will flock together with other finch species. My Nikon EDG binoculars gave me an extra advantage to separate the fine features of this bird. Notice the heavy streaking on the head, flanks and breast. Pine Siskins have noticeable cleft in the tail as is the case with most finches. The bird is overall thin-bodied and small with a sharp, pointed conical bill. The yellow on the siskins vary but can show prominently on the vent, rump, and some of the linings of the flight feathers such as the primaries and secondaries. These birds extend their winter range to include most of the United States along with other species like American Goldfinches. Their most recognizable call is a rising "zeeeeeEEEEE," along with a downslurred "shhheeet." Their song is a typical complex finch song that is similar to American Goldfinch but more burry. Not a very difficult bird to see in most circumstances, but they like to sing from the high treetops in breeding season as most other finches will do as well.

Red Crossbills and their young depend on the conifer seeds they eat, so they are resident in most places they occur. They vagrate a bit into the southern tier of the midwest USA, but not commonly. Their odd-shaped bills are used to twist the cones and lift up the seeds that lie underneath. They come in a variety of sizes and eventually will split into numerous different species. The taxonomical world lists these as different, "types." The Rocky Mountain ecosystem lays claim to 4-5 types including the Black Hills, South Dakota.


The things I would like everyone to focus on for the photo above is the lack of overall streaking and the prominence of color on these birds. Those two things establish these two birds to most likely be adult females. It is hard to determine when these birds are just climbing out of their juvenile plumage (which takes ~three months before molt to adult) since this species can breed all year long. Notice the variable color patterns between these two ladies. Both have streaking on the mantle, overall gray/brown tone with the yellow/orange focused on the rump, belly, and crown. The placement of color is spot on as these two typical females get a drink. Juvenile birds would show little if any color and streaking all over.


Here is a typical male Red Crossbill. Notice the large criss-crossed bill (which can vary in size between types) on this bird. The black wings and tail are diagnostic. Also, notice the dark patch on the auriculars. These birds shown in the these photos are a likely Type-II candidate. Red Crossbills give off a two-note tip-tip of varying frequency. Others I have heard give off a ship-shup-ship as well. I hope this helps for the upcoming winter season.

Two days ago I spent some time north of Fort Collins, Colorado looking for wintering birds on the front range. I had been using my Nikon 82mm Fieldscope with a 30x wide-angle eyepiece and my brand new Nikon EDG bins! It seems as though everything is settling in as most of our wintering ducks have arrived such as both Goldeneye, Hooded Mergansers, Bufflehead, and scoters popping up around the map. Gulls have been congregating and as always they allow for time consuming ID problems when nothing else is around.

North of Fort Collins I had run into my first Northern Shrike of the year. The only shrike that would be expecting at this latitude and this time of year. I noticed the larger, more robust bird that seemed lighter in color than the Loggerhead Shrike. A longer, more sharply hooked bill carved the way for this ID, but also noticed the black face mask cutting through the eye. In Loggerhead Shrike the mask covers the entire eye. Northern Shrikes are wonderful and they are active in nearly all types of weather.

As I continued past the shrike I noticed a Buteo sitting alone atop a telephone pole when I noticed it was an adult Ferruginous Hawk. Of course, they breed up here and winter in south US, central California, and northern Mexico. Some do winter in Colorado, but I usually do not find them with great frequency this far north.


Notice the amount of barring underneath. This is variable and usually coined with (heavy/lightly marked) phrase. Given its size I thought it looked a bit slim therefore assuming this bird to be a male. The large body size, white tail, gray hood, extensive rufous on some of the scapulars/wing coverts are things to look at here.

It may be hard to see, but the Ferruginous Hawk has a large gape that extends back behind the eye. No other Buteo exhibits this characteristic. These hawks are normally found perched on the ground in my experience, but doesn't mean they'll never sit on a pole.

These lovely birds a diminishing fast due to the transition of winter and breeding prairies being converted into agricultural lands. Please take note of this and do what you can to help out our prairie ecosystems. Check out Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory for more information!

I had the privilege of co-leading two field trips during the week. One of them was out to South Padre Island for the day. The convention center on the island usually is a very popular spot due to the vegetation that exists (attracting migrants). The boardwalk is being developed and what was once going to be completely mowed over will now host a beautiful marsh that is a key stopover point for migratory and wintering birds.

Mike Bergin of 10,000 birds blog shared some special insight into the birds of RGV. Check it out!


Brown Pelicans (shown above) are residents in the area and can be seen side to side with American White Pelicans during the winter time. Quite a sight for these robust creatures!



You may have read my posts about terns before, but I have learned that constant viewing of medium-sized terns is the only way you will get used to them. Above we have a winter adult Forster's Tern. Notice the dark patch behind the ear. This is the only medium-sized tern in Texas this time of year with this attribute. It can be common on the coast! Common Terns usually do not winter on South Padre Island—but should you see one, look for the darker carpal bar on the wrist of the wing, plumper body, and extensive black in the primaries.


Probably one of the more common terns to expect on the lower Texas coast in the winter is the Sandwich Tern. Larger and more robust than the Forster's, Sandwich Terns are most likely to be confused with Royal Terns this time of year down here. Royals have a thicker, bright orange bill and are definitely bigger. The Sandwich Tern pictured above shows lots of black in the wing tip, flat forehead, and a long, thin black bill. Sometimes you may even get a look at the yellow tip of the bill.

Terns are always fun to watch—they have as much personality as (or more than!) any other birds. The Gulf Coast of Texas in the winter is a great spot to be. Make sure to pay special attention to the conservation needs to this area. If you would like to play a role in protecting these special beaches, please visit the Gulf Coast Bird Observatory web site.

All photos were taken by Mike Freiberg with Nikon Equipment on South Padre Island!