The Pelican Invasion

The Wisconsin bird of the year has to be the American White Pelican. Their numbers attracted thousands of people along the Lake Michigan shoreline from Milwaukee to Door County.  And their return is significant.

Caspian Terns surrounded by Ring-billed Gulls

Many moons ago during the time period when people didn't understand the word extinction, these birds were hunted on the Great Lakes for their feathers. Women enjoyed wearing hats with exotic feathers. Some of them even had bird nests, the whole dead bird or their wings attached to the hat! For more info, check out the NPR link on the women who saved birds.  The history of birds is a fascinating one. 

Nothing says sexy like a woman with a dead bird on her head.  Photo courtesy of NPR

Alas, all the pelicans were wiped out from the Great Lakes for many decades.  Only a few of these birds could be seen in places like Green Bay.  As a child growing up in the area, I NEVER saw a pelican once.  Nor had the people of my Shire. Eventually after the ban on poaching during the early 20th century, these birds slowly made a comeback and their populations have dramatically increased today. 

The Great Lakes have also seen an invasion of exotic fish and marine life over the years.  One fish I do remember well is the alewife.  This tiny fish dies off in the thousands along the beaches of Lake Michigan during dramatic weather shifts in spring and early summer.  The smell alone is terrible.  And the coastline can be covered in piles of these fish as the currents force their sickly bodies closer to the shore.  Over the years, towns along these areas have had to send in equipment to clean up the beaches. Take for example this recent report from Racine.  I'd like to make a correction to the article.  There are no such things as sea gulls.  Just gulls.  

A Forster's Tern stretches out the wings

Well these little fish attract MANY gulls, terns, grackles and other pelicans!  I've noticed that in Manitowoc where the pelican population is quite large, there weren't as many alewife on the beaches.  This bird may actually be beneficial for people living along the shoreline who suffer from the wretched smell. The food source has attracted many birds into this area.  They are nature's natural(all green) clean up system.  And perhaps the answer to restoring balance to an unstable ecosystem.  Just by the return of a bird species, beaches might become cleaner places.  Good for the birds and good for the people.  The dead alewife that do make it to shore are ground up for cat food and fertilizer.  FYI.

So back to the pelicans who were stealing the show.  People from all over, in their friendly Wisconsin ways, would ask birders if those were indeed pelicans.  Birders politely would tell them that they were.  Then people would share their personal recollections about having never seen one growing up.  And speaking for myself, it is shocking to see pelicans flying over the beach on a summer day.  I mean, were we living in California?  It's pretty amazing to see them fly in their "V" formations over the roads.

An angry Bonaparte's Gull

So while people walked their dogs with leashes and some without, they would ask birders about the pelicans.  Birders were looking at rarer things.  And soon it became a distraction.  One birder would take one for the team while we isolated the rarer gulls.  We'd watch unleashed dogs run out and chase the gulls into the air.  AND while we were trying to count them.  It was very frustrating.  It's dangerous for the birds.  It's dangerous for people and other dogs.  On one outing one dog attacked an owner with a dog on the leash.  When the dogs were separated and the owner of the unleashed dog was told that his dog attacked another, the owner responded, "Not my dog."  Irresponsible moron. 

Nellie cuddles up in her blanket. She'll have nothing to do with them birds.

Shorebirds take serious concentration. And after awhile, the question, "Are you looking at them pelicans?" got old.  Fast. Maybe I became too serious.  But when you're counting somewhere around 500 Ring-billed Gulls and get distracted, it gets frustrating.  I can't multi-task very well.  I am after all a man:) And I'm not saying all men can't multi-task.  But I know I'm not alone:)

Don't get me wrong. I love the pelicans!  But I also loved the gulls. I wanted to spend most of my time on the Lake and bird.  Towards the latter part of my vacation, I went to the infamous Manitowoc Impoundment every day.  It was cool and breezy with a great chance for rarities.  Lots of rarities.  

Lesser Black-backed Gull

Some birders don't get into the gull ID thing like I do. And I get it. Gulls can be some of the most challenging birds out there. Understanding gulls over the years has been a lot of fun.  However, I'm not the same way with sandpipers.  Isn't it interesting how we all have our favorite groups of birds?

A 3rd cycle Great Black-backed Gull!!!  This was shocking to me!  I thought they wintered only in Two Rivers, but apparently not!  Cool find!

Even their various year molt cycles are interesting. We found Bonaparte's, Franklin's, Lesser Black-backed, Great Black-backed, Little, Ring-billed, Herring and Laughing Gulls.  That's a LOT of gulls! And then there were the terns!

Former professor, Doc Sontag, was at it again.  Every day at 2 PM he finds rarities for the Wisconsin crowd to chase at the Manitowoc Impoundment.  On my last day, I wanted to say good-bye to this amazing fellow.  And what followed afterwards was awesome......

Doc is wearing the brim hat with suspenders.  Love that guy!

Something spooked the pelicans, gulls and terns into the air. Thousands of birds circled around us.  When all the birds began to land, I noticed a strange tern in flight.  It looked like a Common Tern(expected for this area), but something was off in the flight pattern.  As it landed, I noticed it was tiny.  So I went to the Doc and said, "Hey, is that a Common Tern?"  It sure wasn't acting like one. 

Arctic Tern

 The Doc's eyes grew.  With his expertise and knowledge, he shouts out, "OH MY GOODNESS! We've got an Arctic Tern here!" I've only seen this bird ONCE in my life! A birder group forms quickly and everyone begins to record and take data making notes.  Orange/red bill, small, short orange/red legs, etc etc.  Our team keeps up with the ID getting photos for the records.  We begin to report to the various listservs. This is HUGE! As we are trying to do all this detailed work, a group of friendly people stop by and ask, "Are you looking at the Pelicans?" Son of a .........

The Doc takes one for the team and begins chatting with the people about the pelicans.  This guy is amazing. I think back on my times with him in class and remember how patient he was with me. And here again he shows the same courtesy and patience towards others. Flashback! In one corner of our lab, he had a pile of formaldehyde cats for study. Needless to say, I was a bit traumatized:)  It was part of the curriculum and he was a great professor. Me? Well I could've done better. I was into the art of party and socializing. I remember during a time when we did blood testing in class. I hate blood and I almost passed out trying to prick my fingers like 500 times. It was like sticking a turnip! The lesson was about testing chromosomes.  If I went back now as an adult, I would be a much better student.  One of my favorite lessons with him was dominant and recessive gene traits.  Doc, I failed you in the biology department but I hope to make up for it in the bird one:)

Caspian Tern

During my last days along the "Lakeshore", I enjoyed all the shorebirds as much as I could.  Even the pelicans.  I have only seen one white pelican in Arizona this year so Wisconsin certainly made up for my lack of sightings this year. 

Here is yet another positive about the pelicans. They became the unofficial ambassadors between birders and non-birders alike. Their presence caught the public's eye and a general interest for birds. And that's a good thing!

Franklin's Gull

 Their large numbers and exotic beauty brought in crowds of people. Places like the Manitowoc Impoundment and North Point in Sheboygan were magnets for the crowds where the pelicans hung out. Unintentionally, we, the birders(or anyone foolish enough to wear binoculars:), became the ambassadors who bridged the people with these birds.  When votes are needed to save or protect habitat, etc, perhaps people will remember their positive experiences with these birds and help protect our ever shrinking wildlife spaces. At least, this is my hope. 

Because as we know, birds are simply amazing. They are meant to fly free. They inspire art.  And they inspire so many of us. 

It doesn't matter where we live.  There is beauty everywhere we are.  All we need to do is stop and look. It's really that easy but something we can often forget to do in our busy daily lives.  And the pelicans did that for so many people.  

Until next time......

Photo courtesy of NPR

Veni, Vidi, Vici

The power and beauty of nature! at Empire Gulch

This weekend was a whirlwind as the Wrenegades united once again for a good cause to find as many birds as we could around Southern Arizona. It was a successful trek into mountain, riparian, desert and grassland habitats.  Along the way, we avoided heat stroke, falling asleep at the wheel and a rabid skunk attack!

Northern Pygmy Owl

 Overall, our team discovered 163 birds which beat our record from last year. There were a lot of great birds that unfortunately were too far for my camera to pick up. Or it was too dark!  Among my favorites were an Olive-sided Flycatcher, Flammulated and Barn Owls, and Buff-breasted Flycatcher.

Two-tailed Swallowtail

 Timing is everything on these trips and it's tricky business doing three things at once. However, I need to train and practice for this upcoming Mexico trip! Finding the birds.  Entering the data.  And photo documentation.  By the end of our Audubon Birdathon, we were exhausted. I fell asleep but woke up later with a splitting headache!  I've never experienced that kind of pain before and I think it was related to an overworked eye.  It's intense non-stop birding that really doesn't allow for a break.  So when I got home, I took a shower and fell asleep. 

Wrenegade strategist and data analyst Tim leads the team over a stream to potential birds while Wrenegade surveyor Sara carefully scans the surrounding area with her excellent spotting. 

 But our treks were successful and very rewarding. Anytime you work with a group, you always pick up something new that you didn't know before. Take for example, these Black-tailed prairie dogs(below).  They are a threatened species that have been reintroduced back into the Ciénagas Grasslands near Sonoita after being wiped out since the early 1900's.  These mammals have been doing very well and seem to be reestablishing their population once again. In the past, ranchers poisoned these "pests" off their lands. This is a keystone species for the grasslands in that other species benefit by their presence.  Without them, other species begin to decline.  Since their introduction, Burrowing Owls have returned thanks to the abandoned Prairie dog burrows. 

In other news, I have been following my heart on several other birding treks.  We were going to hike up a mountain a week ago but it had rained that day.  Working on a hunch, we headed down to Cochise Lake and scored big!  Not only was it freezing cold(very unusual this time of year) but the storm pushed a thousand+ shorebirds our way!  Hot birds for this frigid day included my first state Sanderling, a Greater White-fronted Goose, Bonaparte's Gull, Forster's Tern, and my favorite, the Franklin's Gull(below).  

Large numbers of Lesser Yellowlegs(below), Long-billed Dowitchers and Wilson's Phalaropes were also present. White-faced Ibis and Marbled Godwits dotted the lake shore as well.  It was an amazing day out. Plus shorebirds are a fun challenge. Sometimes you gamble and win!  This day was definitely one of those times:)

Lesser Yellowlegs

It's now May and my current list for North American birds is at 303 species for the year. Last year I finished the year with 476 birds(including Mexico).  This year I hope to beat that number with 500. The Life bird chase has slowed down dramatically now until I am free from work for the summer.  This year has been quite unique for me. The "Americano" chapter of my birding life feels different.  For one thing, it lacks the crazy adrenaline chases of last year's "Across America".  It's much more relaxed, but I find myself pulled in deeper to the birds that I know. For many I smile, but for others I worry. 

American Avocet

For example, the Barn Owl below.  I have been documenting a lot of dead Barn Owls this year along our highways.  This particular LIVING owl is also nearby the interstate and I worry for its safety.  They are low flyers and are often hit by motor vehicles. Their numbers seem to be in decline in many areas.  When I see an owl, I get excited, but I never want to disturb them.  I quickly snap their picture from a distance and leave.  Sacred birds, they are.  I wish this one well!  

I leave you with a collage of the owls I've seen this year.  I've heard several others and will hopefully get some photo documentation on them. The Flammulated Owl still evades my camera. Although it had no problem flying over my head early Friday morning! Next week, we slow down and enjoy an event known as "The Big Sit".  If you'd like to donate to the Tucson Audubon, click here. A login is not required after you go to the donate button. Remember, we are the Wrenegades and our fearless leader is Jenny Wren:) A Birdathon Big Day is an important way to share the excitement of being outdoors and watching birds while raising funds to support the programs that make this region a better place for us all to live(or visit!) and enjoy. Since 1987, Birdathon has garnered support for birds and bird-friendly habitats, and for Tucson Audubon's work to conserve these unique natural resources and to educate our community on their importance.  Until next week friends....

Top left-Long-eared owl, Top right- Barn Owl, Bottom Left-Spotted Owl. Middle Right-Great Horned Owl  Bottom Right-Northern Pygmy Owl

Specks of Dust

On a prayer and on a hunt, we chased several birds near Lake Cochise in Willcox, AZ.  Things have been warming up and I had hopes to find my Scaled Quail.

Spotted Sandpiper

I also had hopes of getting better observations of birds that I have on my lifelist. On this day, I would finally have some wonderful views of the Spotted Sandpiper, Lesser Yellowlegs, Franklin's Gulls, and Marbled Godwits.

But after circling the lake many times and looking into the waters, our eyes began to blur from the intense focus and count.

Franklin's Gull

Was there only one Franklin's Gull?  Or were there 2 or 3?  After doing several scans, we were successful in spotting 3 of these lovely birds.

And there was dust.  Dust storms blew into our area like mini-tornadoes. I wear contacts so I had to protect the eyes from the intense dust.

They are quite common in the deserts of the Southwest and also very beautiful....from a distance.

The birds were unaffected as we circled the lake 5 times observing such rarities like the Wilson's Phalaropes. 

Lesser Yellowlegs

Shorebirds are becoming easier to ID for me.  We moved behind blinds to observe many of these birds without disturbing them.  The only issue we had was from a random dirt bike that sped quickly around the lake and .......you guessed.......stirred up more dust!

But there were so many magnificent birds out there to get on camera.   The White-faced Ibis is a shy bird and one that can detect a birder in close proximity.....blinds or no blinds:)

White-faced Ibis

They strike me as Egyptian by the way their bill is curved.  During migration, the White-faced Ibis fly through Arizona.

I enjoy these kinds of observations while birding.  Sometimes the birds are so small that it's difficult to see them clearly.

Including the Marbled Godwit trying to hide in the grasses.  But the bill is much too hard to disguise.

Marbled Godwit

The Wilson's Phalaropes were a bonus bird for me and in great numbers.  At one point, a Peregrine Falcon came out of nowhere and scared up the flocks.  As they did, we were able to observe the birds as they flew circles around the lake.

Wilson's Phalarope

Flocks of birds flew around the lake.  Two Red-necked Phalaropes and a Baird's Sandpiper were supposed to be in the mix, but we could not find them.  And we spent hours looking for them in the water, around the water, above the water........until our eyes blurred and saw yet more......dust.

Phalaropes with Mr. Franklin

We did find the Scaled Quail and I believe that Kathie was able to get great shots of them. I tried but they were quick within the tall grasses.  Another time.  Now if I find the Montezuma Quail that will be the last quail found here in Arizona for the year. They are extremely elusive and probably THE hardest of the birds to find.  Most people just count them on voice alone.  That won't be me because I'd love to see this beautiful bird.  Las Aventuras has more to come.  Stay tuned!

Lesser Yellowlegs

Gadwall 4

Mallard 6

Blue-winged Teal 2

Cinnamon Teal 8

Northern Shoveler 100

Green-winged Teal 2

Ruddy Duck 60

Scaled Quail 4

Eared Grebe 1

White-faced Ibis 10

Turkey Vulture 4

American Coot 30

Killdeer 6

Black-necked Stilt 4

American Avocet 36 There were many in the lake and in the other side pond.

Spotted Sandpiper 2

Lesser Yellowlegs 3

Marbled Godwit 1

Western Sandpiper X

Least Sandpiper X

Long-billed Dowitcher 12

Wilson's Phalarope 30

Franklin's Gull 3

Eurasian Collared-Dove 8

White-winged Dove 3

Mourning Dove 1

Peregrine Falcon 1

Cassin's Kingbird 4

Western Kingbird 2

Horned Lark 16

Northern Rough-winged Swallow 2

Barn Swallow 26

House Wren 1

American Pipit 6

Yellow-rumped Warbler 1

Chipping Sparrow 6

Brewer's Sparrow 3

Vesper Sparrow 10

Pyrrhuloxia 1

Eastern/Western Meadowlark 1

Great-tailed Grackle 4

House Finch 6

House Sparrow 12