The season for CBCs!

Sterling, CO hosted their Christmas Bird Count on the 17th of December. Tis the season for such events and this count is reminiscent of Iowa plains birding. Since I had lived in Iowa for a period of time I joined 7 others to try and break the count record and find some good birds. One of my favorite winter plains birds is the Northern Shrike. My team was not able to find a bird on the count day, but I think we can call the above photo incriminating evidence of a Northern Shrike. They have been known to impale their prey to save it for later! This bird can be compared to Loggerhead Shrike, but usually do not overlap in breeding/winter ranges. The shrike of the northern variety is larger, lighter shades of gray on mantle and breast, sharply hooked bill, and the eye-patch cuts through the eye rather than over the entire eye as seen in Loggerhead Shrikes.
A great example of a US wintering bird that breeds in northern Canada is the American Tree Sparrow. This lovely bird is a member of the Spizella genus sparrows. Very similar to birds like Chipping and Brewer's Sparrows; this bird exhibits a bit chunkier profile, but still has the long thin tail of other Spizella genus sparrows. They winter throughout most of the northern/middle United States and can be very common yard birds along borders of brushy vegetation. They flock up in large groups and constantly give off a very bubbly/full twing-twing call note.

What king of diagnostic details can you pick up here from the plumage?

Like I said earlier, you will get a pot-bellied appearance from these birds along with a skinny, extended tail. Concerning plumage, brown cap and eye-line, buffy brown flanks, and a brown central spot sets it aside.


In the country you end up driving many country roads and even though I had already discussed Ferruginous Hawks a few weeks back you can't get tired looking at these birds! Overall for the count I believe we counted 72 species which was a record. The old record was held from few years back at 67 species! Much of this momentum was caused by my sole teammate Candace Havely whom spotted a Long-eared owl out of her peripherals while going 35 mph down a gravel road. Pretty amazing!

My group counted close to fifty species including count records of Rusty Blackbird, Chipping Sparrow, Long-eared Owl, and Brown-headed Cowbird! A great thanks to Gary Matthews for organizing the count.

All photos were taken with a Nikon D200 and a 300mm F4 Nikkor lens! Good Birding!

To the Sea

To the Sea, to the Sea! The white gulls are crying, The wind is blowing, and the white foam is flying.

From Return of the King By J.R.R. Tolken


Last Saturday I joined 35 other birders on a Sea Life Pelagic trip out of Lewes, Delaware. Sea Life Pelagics is operated by Paul Guris, a loyal Nikon man and captain Nikon's Birding team, the Lagerhead Shrikes, reigning World Series of Birding champions! Paul's trips are great; highly recommended. They sail mostly from the mid-Atlantic region as well as a few from North Carolina. His late summer trips probably offer the best chance to see White-faced Storm-Petrel in North America, which is, without a doubt, the most awesome bird on the planet!

Unfortunately, White-faced Storm-Petrels were in short supply on this particular trip. What we did have were gulls. We also saw several Dovekie and other winter pelagic species, but all declined to be photographed for this blog post, so we're doing one on gulls.

I'm passionate, some say obsessive, about watching gulls. I enjoy them because they are easy to observe closely and yet I constantly learn new things about them. In eastern North America, American Herring Gull is the dominate large gull in most areas. If you want to master gulls learn American Herring Gull and everything else will fall into place much more easily.

The first two picture below are of an odd American Herring Gull that was coming into chum behind the boat. Before it was seen well, some people on the boat thought that it might be a Thayer's Gull. Given the unusual appearance of this bird it is understandable that such a conclusion would be drawn. We will quickly examine why it looks like Thayer's Gull and what makes it a American Herring Gull.

American Herring Gull off the coast of Maryland. Photo by Cameron Cox with Nikon D200 and a 300mm Nikkor lens.

The reason Thayer's Gull was considered was that it shows far less black on the outer primaries than most Herring Gulls and it was 10-15% smaller than the other Herring Gulls in the area. A photo of a real Thayer's Gull, taken by Greg Gillson, can be seen here for comparison. While there are some similarities, the bird seen from the pelagic trip still shows too much black in the wingtip and the pattern seems a bit odd. Other aspects that do not line up for Thayer's Gull include the bright yellow eye and fairly heavy, all yellow bill. In the photo of the Thayer's Gull note that the eye is a dull honey color and the base of the bill is dull greenish yellow with a slightly brighter tip.

American Herring Gull off the coast of Maryland. Photo by Cameron Cox with Nikon D200 and a 300mm Nikkor lens.

The question is why did the Herring Gull seen on the pelagic show so much less black on the wingtips than normal? As with so many questions that perplex birders, the answer is molt. If you look at the near wing on the first photo you can see the outline of a new feather growing in. Which feather is this? In North America we use a system of numbering primaries that starts with the innermost, P1, and works outward. Since gulls have ten primaries the outermost primary is P10. This is also the direction primary molt takes in most species; the innermost primaries replaced first and the wave of molt works outward. If you read European bird identification literature you will notice that they number primaries in the opposite direct, just to make things fun!

Looking at the photos of our odd Herring Gull again, we can see that the inner primaries, from P1-P8, are fresh and fully grown, P9 is growing, and P10 is old. This particular pattern often causes Herring Gulls to show far less black in the wing because the black markings on P9 are not visible. Here in the mid-Atlantic region most adult Herring Gulls show this pattern in late October or early November and have finish primary molt by this time of year. The bird seen on the Lewes pelagic was molting quite late and, consequently, stood out among the other Herring Gulls. Being aware that Herring Gulls frequently show less black in the wing during the late fall due to molt can keep you from mistaking one of these birds for a Thayer's Gull.

Kumlien's Gull off the coast of Maryland. Photo by Cameron Cox with Nikon D200 and a 300mm Nikkor lens

My personal highlight of the trip was this Iceland Gull that fed behind the boat for over ten minutes. This Iceland Gull is from the Canadian high-arctic breeding population often referred to as Kumlien's Gull. Kumlien's Gull shows variable amounts of dark pigment in the outer primaries, unlike nominate Iceland Gull which breeds in Greenland and has pure white flight feathers. Kumlien's Gull is officially regarded as a subspecies of Iceland Gull, but that status is in question. Some authorities consider Kumlien's Gull a self-sustaining hybrid population between Iceland Gull and Thayer's Gull. Other consider it a full species, separate from both Iceland Gull and Thayer's Gull. Frankly, I don't care that much, Kumlien's Gulls are incredibly gorgeous no matter what they are classified as. If you are interested in more information on Kumlien's Gull identification and taxonomy then Gulls of the Americas by Steve Howell is a good place to start.

Kumlien's Gull off the coast of Maryland. Photo by Cameron Cox with Nikon D200 and a 300mm Nikkor lens.

Notice how different the bird look in this photo compare to the other two. This one was taken while a cloud obscured the sun. The dark marking on the bird are much more visible and the bill appears darker. Next time you are birding on a partly cloudy day when conditions are shifting between full sunlight and heavy cloud cover, note how this affects how you perceive birds. Light conditions have a huge impact on which aspects of a bird's appearance are most notable and even have a strong impact on our impression of size. It is useful to be aware just how drastically shifting light conditions can change your ability to judge a birds appearance.

Kumlien's Gull off the coast of Maryland. Photo by Cameron Cox with Nikon D200 and a 300mm Nikkor lens.

In the photo above, the bird is plunge feeding off the back of the boat. It is such a treat for birders in the mid-Atlantic region to see this stunning bird. Most Kumlien's Gulls winter along the coast of Newfoundland and only a trickle make it down to us. They are more common, though still in relatively small numbers, in New England and the eastern and central Great Lakes. The past two winters the Gloucester Harbor along the north Massachusetts coast has been graced with an incredible Kumlien's Gull show, with some counts in the low triple digits. Check it out if you are in the area.

Happy Holidays and good gulling to all!

Open Country!

Yesterday started off cold here on the Front Range, but warmed up and skies really opened for some good photography. Rough-legged Hawks are a member of the Buteo-genus that breeds in the far north (Canada). When living in the Midwest and essentially anywhere in the middle US with open prairies/fields you can expect Rough-legged Hawks in the winter. Look at the photo above, notice the long tail with a thick subterminal band. These two points will be present in all Rough-legged Hawks (RLHA). Not only are the wing tips pushed forward, but the shoulders are hunched up around the patagial area. This is not typical of other Buteo-genus hawks like Red-tailed Hawk, whom has a dip in the shoulders. The wings are long and rectangle-shaped and there are always two dark patches on the carpal area otherwise looking like the, "fists," of the creature. Typically solitary or in pairs it would be odd to see them in groups in the winter time. Migration can be different in this way!



The flight and posture of a RLHA should really stand out against other hawks. Of course, everything takes practice. Raptor ID is the same way! I find myself still checking Brian Wheeler's website for advice along with his wonderfully written and photographed, "Raptors of Western North America." What a great reference guide!

Okay now, so let's analyze this beauty. We know this is a RLHA from the long, rectangle wings and hunched up shoulders. Not to mention the large black carpal patches and thick, dark subterminal band on the tail.

Sex can always be difficult to determine in this species, but females tend to have a more tawny-brown appearance underneath. The remiges and flight feathers looks pretty white contrasting to the breast and axillary area. Given this I am going to call this bird a female. However, sometimes you just have to swallow the thought of you not being able to sex the bird. The iris is dark and the tail exhibits a clear multi-patterned tail with a crisp black subterminal band. Juveniles and females would have a much browner shade to the black in the tail. The black on the remiges looks even like it should in adults. Given all this and we can still see an eyeline which all adult males will have and will be faded in juvenile and females.

I would call this a moderately-marked adult female Rough-legged Hawk...with some room for error!

Good luck to all of you out there in the field and I hope I helped a little in your winter Buteo identification. Get out onto your local CBC's to search for this lovely bird! Good Birding!

Fun Stuff Seen Today

I stopped by the Avalon Seawatch for a short time today and had quite a productive hour. Before I had even exited my car the seawatch counter, Sean Fitzgerald, was pointing at something on the stone breakwater in front of the count site. That something proved to be an uncommonly cooperative first-cycle Lesser Black-backed Gull.

Lesser Black-backed Gull photographed at Avalon, NJ by Cameron Cox with a Nikon D200 and 300mm Nikkor lens.

I really like Lesser Black-backed Gulls and first-cycle birds are always very sharply looking. Notice the dark wing coverts with crisply marked pale edges. In my experience, first-cycle Lesser Black-backed Gulls come in two types , dark and light. Light types are quite pale below with darker wing coverts and back, appearing distinctly two-toned. This individual is a dark type which are more similar to a first cycle Herring Gulls in that there is little contrast between the underparts and the back. Compared to a Herring Gull, this bird is slimmer with longer wings, a smaller head, and daintier bill. The bill is still all black, while most first-cycle Herring Gulls have a pink-based bill by this time of year.

Lesser Black-backed Gull photographed at Avalon, NJ by Cameron Cox with a Nikon D200 and 300mm Nikkor lens.

In flight notice how evenly dark the wings look. The inner primaries are only slightly paler than the rest of the wing, unlike Herring Gull which shows a distinctly paler inner primary window. You can just make out the whitish rump on this bird, another good distinguishing mark from Herring Gull. First-cycle Lesser Black-backed Gulls have pale rumps and base to the tail ending in a terminal black tail band. First cycle Herring Gulls have a brown rump and and all dark tail. Finally note the glossy appearance of the outer primaries. This is a trait unique to Lesser Black-backed Gull, all other first-cycle gulls show rather matte flight feathers. Whatever causes this oily appearance seems to keep their feathers protected better than other gulls. In late winter other first-cycle gulls regularly show tattered primaries that have bleached to pale brown, while Lesser Black-backed Gulls usually retain their crisp, glossy black appearance.

Purple Sandpiper photographed at Avalon, NJ by Cameron Cox with a Nikon D200 and 300mm Nikkor lens.

I walked out the nearby jetty to take photos and came across a flock of about twenty Purple Sandpipers. Purple Sandpipers are always a treat; a truly spectacular little shorebird! One of the benefits of freezing my tail off here in the mid-Atlantic is being able to go out and see Purple Sandpipers anytime I want. They are quite common here in late fall and winter around rock jetties and breakwaters. I love watching them as they feed in the spray zone created when waves break along these jetties. They clamber around wet rocks like pros, often walking down steeply tilted rocks to feed right at the edge of the water.

Purple Sandpipers photographed at Avalon, NJ by Cameron Cox with a Nikon D200 and 300mm Nikkor lens.

Here is part of the group I was watching today in their typical habitat. Notice the two birds in the center are smaller and shorter billed that the bird directly behind them in the background and the bird on the left. The two larger birds are probably females, which are larger and longer billed in most shorebirds, while the others two are probably males.

Recently there was an interesting discussion about Purple Sandpipers on Texbirds, the listserver that covers Texas birds, as a vagrant showed up on a jetty in south Texas. Basically, anytime an out-of-range Purple Sandpiper is found the Rock Sandpiper issue is raised. Rock Sandpiper is the ecological counterpart of Purple Sandpiper inhabiting the west coast. In the winter the two look almost identical and while Purple Sandpiper has the tendency to stray far from it's usual haunts, Rock Sandpiper does so very seldomly. The question is why and are we sure, given how similar the two look, that these vagrants really are Purple Sandpipers? I believe that the two can be reliably separated in the field and that there is a reason why Purple Sandpiper are more prone to vagrancy. I will leave the answers to these questions as a homework assignment for those who are so inclined. Post your thoughts as comments if you like.


Great Cormorant photographed at Avalon, NJ by Cameron Cox with a Nikon D200 and 300mm Nikkor lens.

Finally as I walked back from the Jetty I encountered this second-cycle Great Cormorant. Second-cycle means that the bird was born not this past summer but the summer of 2007 and is now a year and half old. Second-cycle refers to the second plumage cycle. Basically this bird is in it's second full set of feathers since being born. Notice rather thick neck, large head, heavy, hook bill, and white at the base of the throat. All these characteristics separate Great Cormorant from the more common Double-crested Cormorant. Seen side-by-side Great Cormorant is clearly larger. When I get a good comparison photo I will post it.

Notice at how the back and tail feathers look waterlogged. Unlike ducks, cormorants do not have oil glands to keep their feathers waterproof. Once this bird finishes feeding it will have to find a spot to dry off. It will chose an open perch and spread it's wings and tail and drip-dry, looking rather prehistoric while doing so.

That's all for today. Good birding!

Finally...Ash-throated Flycatcher

Today I finally caught up with an Ash-throated Flycatcher in Cape May, New Jersey. Ash-throated Fly was getting to be a really ridiculous nemesis bird for me in New Jersey and it was good to finally clean it up. If Texas or Arizona, not New Jersey, come to mind when you think about Ash-throated Flycatchers then this blog post is for you.

Ash-throated Flycatcher photograph in Cape May, NJ by Cameron Cox with a Nikon D200 and a 300mm Nikkor lens.

Why would I expect to see a Ash-throated Flycatcher in Cape May? Over the past 15-20 years a late fall (typically November) influx of southwestern species has been noted in the northeast. For some reason, a number of birds from the southwest, most notablely Cave Swallow, Ash-throated Flycatcher, and Western Kingbird, are blown up into the northeast after long periods of southwest wind. They are most often found by birders when a strong cold changes the wind direction to the north west, driving these misplaced birds to the coast where they are concentrated at south face peninsulas like Cape May. While Ash-throated Flycatchers are certainly not common in New Jersey, they are expected annually, particularly in Cape May. I could have gone and seen several over the 5-6 falls I have spent in south Jersey but I always expected to find one on my own. Last year I got fed up with my lack of Ash-throated Flycatcher success and chased several in the Cape May area but to no avail.

The bird I saw today was found over a week ago, but I had no chance to look for it until today. Unlike prior Ash-throated searching, the bird popped up almost immediately and was very cooperative. At one point it almost lost it's life as a juvenile Cooper's Hawk came blasting through the woods and made an unsuccessful grap for it.

Someone not familar with this late fall dispersal of Ash-throated Flycatchers might see a Myiarcus in the east in the late fall and write in off as a late Great-crested without looking carefully because Great-crested is the common breeding species. This is why understanding seasonal changes in distribution is such a useful tool for becoming a better birder. From November and through the winter a Myiarcus in the northeast is far more likely to be a Ash-throated than a Great-crested.

Ash-throated Flycatcher photograph in Cape May, NJ by Cameron Cox with a Nikon D200 and a 300mm Nikkor lens.

Seperating Ash-throated from Great-crested is quite simple for a careful observer. Ash-throated is a smaller, slimmer bird with a much smaller bill. In coloration it looks like a very washed out Great-crested. The belly is pale yellow and the chest is pale gray and, unlike Great-creasted, the one color seems to fade into the other with no distinct dividing line.
On the upperside of the bird look at tertials. They are dark brownish gray with pale gray fringes. Great-crested Flycatchers have darker gray tertials with bright white fringes.

Check your local patch for Ash-throated Flycatchers and other fun southwestern things. In recent year some of these birds have lingered into Christmas Count season.