Let the Birding Begin!

Puffins!

Of course, a session named The Joy of Birding is designed to broaden our horizons for all sorts of birds, but we looked forward most to seeing and learning about Puffins. Audubon supports the Puffin Project, and Stephen Kress spoke to us the first evening.

When Project Puffin began, all the puffins nesting along the Maine coast were on just two islands- Matinicus Rock and Machias Seal Island on the U.S./Canadian border. The two surviving colonies were vulnerable to a disaster such as an oil spill, or accidental invasion of predators such as rats or mink. Although puffins are not an endangered species (millions still nest in Newfoundland, Iceland, and Britain), they are rare in Maine and are listed by the state as a threatened species. Despite their large numbers in Europe, recent declines in populations and nesting success have led to them receiving world status of Threatened and Endangered in Europe by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

Project Puffin began with an attempt to restore puffins to Eastern Egg Rock in Muscongus Bay (near Hog Island), about six miles east of Pemaquid Point. Puffins had nested there until about 1885 when hunters took the last survivors of this once-flourishing colony. The restoration of puffins to Eastern Egg Rock is based on the fact that young puffins usually return to breed on the same island where they hatched. Young puffins from Great Island, Newfoundland (where about 160,000 pairs nest) were transplanted to Eastern Egg Rock when they were about 10 - 14 days old. The young puffins were then reared in artificial sod burrows for about one month. Audubon biologists placed handfuls of vitamin-fortified fish in their burrows each day and, in effect, took the place of parent puffins. I asked about imprinting, and the chicks never really saw the researchers who fed them. As our boat approached, many Puffins flew around to check us out.

As the young puffins reached fledging age (the time when birds leave the nest), they received leg bands so they could be recognized in the future. After spending their first 2-3 years at sea, it was hoped they would return to establish a new colony at Eastern Egg Rock rather than Great Island. Because this was the first time an attempt had been made to restore a puffin colony, the outcome was unknown. Between 1973 and 1986, 954 young puffins were transplanted from Great Island to Eastern Egg Rock and 914 of these successfully fledged.

Transplanted puffins began returning to Eastern Egg Rock in June of 1977. To lure them ashore and encourage the birds to explore nesting habitat, wooden puffin decoys were positioned atop large boulders. These were readily visited by the curious young birds, which often sat with the models and pecked at their stiff wooden beaks. Researchers had good luck using mirrors to get the Puffins to interact. The number of young puffins slowly increased. In 1981, four pairs nested beneath boulders at the edge of the island. The colony has since increased to 150 pairs. Read Egg Rock Update for the latest news. You may also be interested in this informative video: Dr. Stephen Kress: Puffins, Little Fish and Climate Change (from the Lincoln Theater presentation in Damariscotta Maine, August 2018)

Researchers still go to the island every year to keep track of the Puffins and other sea birds. On Petit Manan Island, part of a National Wildlife Refuge closer to Bar Harbor, the Puffins were declining due to gull predation of their eggs. Once the gulls were chased off, the Puffins began to recover. Of course, on our boat tour to see them, we had to keep our distance from the island itself, and trying for a close zoom from a rocking boat is a real challenge!

Eider Ducks and Razorbill

The Joy of Birding added 7 new birds to our life list, including Razorbills, Black Guillemots, and both Surf and Black Scoters. We saw the Guillemots almost every time we were on the water, but the others didn't seem to be as common.

Black Guillemots

Surf Scoters

Arctic Tern

 Our leaders also pointed out both Arctic Terns and Roseate Terns to add to our list, but my photos weren't close enough to get a good inspection. Researchers are using various types of GPS to track the migration of Arctic Terns, which go all the way to Antarctica and back again each year. Absolutely incredible.

Common Tern

We did get a good look at a Common Tern who rode on the dingy behind our boat one afternoon. See the black tip on its bill?

Puffins, Razorbills and Common Murre

At Petit Manan, we saw Common Murre as well, so we found all the Alcids in the area.

Common Loon

In Kentucky, we only see Loons in their winter feathers as they pass north to their breeding grounds. We found quite a few Loons, but all the breeding birds were inland, since that is where they nest apparently.You can watch a live cam of a Puffin nest at https://explore.org/livecams/national-audubon-society/puffin-burrow-cam, or just watch them loafing around at https://explore.org/livecams/national-audubon-society/puffin-loafing-ledge-cam.

Hog Island Maine - Audubon Bird Camp!

Hog Island Audubon Camp

Yes, it's been a long time since I have posted anything to this blog. Between volunteering many hours each week and being a super-nana to my grandchildren, we haven't had much chance to go birding. However, I heard about a bird camp operated by the Audubon Society in Maine, and when I discovered that it was NOT just for kids, I knew we had to plan for a trip to Maine! Bird Camp here we come!

Boat Dock

Hog Island is only one-fourth mile from the mainland near Bremen, ME, and the boat quickly ferried us across where the Friends of Hog Island helped carry our bags to our cabin. We chose a cabin with our own bath, while other "campers" were in dormitory type housing and walked to the baths.

Interior Osprey Cabin

 

We were warned that early June in Maine can get cold, and we might consider bringing a sleeping bag to supplement the blankets provided. The cabin had glass in the windows, but no insulation or heating of any kind. The first night was very chilly and we wore long-johns under flannel pjs with wool socks! I pulled the blankets up over my face to warm my nose. Fortunately, on other nights it either wasn't as cold or we got accustomed to it really fast. No cell service on the island, so I just turned off my phone altogether.

 The Fish House was our meeting room each day for workshops and presentations by a superb staff of instructors. How often do you get to sit in a chair on the lawn and bird with Pete Dunne!

The Bridge - Dining Hall

Meals were served family style by a wonderful kitchen staff who arose around 4 am to start the day. Of course, the sun itself rose about 4:48 each morning, so we all appreciated hot coffee as soon as we could get it! Quite a few campers were actually from Maine, and the rest from the northeast area for the most part. Some were from Florida and one couple came from California, along with the Dennis' from Kentucky--about 33 campers in all--about 56 folks ate meals each day, and they packed lunches for all of us on the days we left the island for all day trips. The kitchen staff REALLY worked hard.

We lucked out on the weather. Cold the first evening, then clear and warmer. It rained gently two nights - making for pleasant sleeping- but the sun came out the next morning.

I now have a new color in my vocabulary - Maine blue! I know the tide changed several times each day, but it always seemed to be low tide when I looked at the shore.

Black Guillemot

Common Loon

Eider eating a mussel - including shell

Northern Parula

Surf Scoter

Purple Finch

 We saw birds in the yard that were new for some of us, and practiced identifying them by call. But the sea birds were the most interesting to me. I think we got six new life birds in the week, but of course, I would not be able to pick all of them out again confidently. More to come about the fantastic birds we saw...

Barrier Islands As They Should Be

A barrier island is just what it sounds like - large sand dunes along the ocean's edge which protect the land from the ocean's rampage during storms. Barrier islands are fragile, constantly changing ecosystems that are important for coastal geology and ecology. Development has posed dangers to these ecosystems and has also increased the risk of property damage every year from hurricanes. The Outer Banks in North Carolina have been heavily developed for people to live and vacation there. This year Hurricane Florence caused billions of dollars of damage because people built on the barrier islands.

The islands are separated from the main land by a shallow sound, bay or lagoon. Barrier islands are often found in chains along the coast line and are separated from each other by narrow tidal inlets, such as the Outer Banks of North Carolina. Barrier islands protect the coastlines from severe storm damage. Second, they harbor several habitats that are refuges for wildlife.

Padre Island National Seashore separates the Gulf of Mexico from the Laguna Madre, one of a few hypersaline lagoons in the world.  The park protects 70 miles of coastline, dunes, prairies, and wind tidal flats teeming with life.  It is a safe nesting ground for the Kemp’s ridley sea turtle and a haven for over 380 bird species. The islands are broad and covered in grass, so ranchers grazed cattle here until approximately 1970. If you didn't know the ocean was nearby, you would think you were in Kansas.

However, these grassy areas quickly fill with shallow basins of water, making important habitat for shorebirds. Don't pull of the road without checking for water first!

The best bird we found on our trip was a Long-billed Curlew! It was great to travel the dunes without see all the houses and condos.

Late Fall in Corpus Christi, TX

Here we are in Corpus Christi, TX, the self-proclaimed birdiest city in Texas. Yes, if you come during migration that's probably so, but we are here in the first week of November, so we are working on confirming Gulf birds we already know for the most part.

Texas roads can be frustrating if you aren't used to them. Divided interstate-like highways are common, but each of them has an "access road" running along it where all the stores and restaurants are. You have to get off at the nearest exit, drive along the big highway, then do a U-turn under it at the next intersection and drive down the other side again to reach what you want. If you are in the wrong lane, tough luck. And if there is construction -- double tough luck. The poor GPS isn't much help.

This morning we drove to Hazle Brazemore Park, where Hawkwatch International has a hawk watching station. How those people can find birds so far away, even with a spotting scope amazed me.The Nueces River is flooding, so much of the park was closed, but the hawk station is on the highest hill in the county, so no problems there. I didn't get pictures of any raptors in flight - too far away to find in my camera- but we saw a Caracara in flight, a beautiful Kestrel and a female Northern Harrier. The counters were excited to spot a Bald Eagle, but I never did find it. Yesterday, they saw 13,199 Turkey Vultures!

Inca Dove

White-tipped Dove

I've been surprised to find 5 of 7 dove species on the bird list. A flock of White-winged doves showed off their white wings. Then we were able to compare the Inca Dove and the White-tipped Dove with its outstanding rainbow neck.

As the clouds blew in, we headed downtown to tour the USS Lexington, now a museum in the harbor. I asked a docent, what they did during Hurricane Hugo, and he said that the ship is actually fastened to the groun - essentially it is a building now, now a ship. They just brought all the planes off the flight deck and battened down the hatches to ride it out. 

OBX - Outer Banks, NC

Bode Island Lighthouse

May was a tough month, since I was sick for almost three weeks, and three different doctors and antibiotics seemed to make little difference. We had reservations at the Outer Banks, and the last doctor said that leaving the Ohio Valley would probably do as much good as anything. He was right.

I've seen those little oval bumper stickers with OBX for years, and it took quite a while for me to figure out what it meant. The Outer Banks (is there an Inner Banks anywhere?) are the barrier islands along the Atlantic Coast of North Carolina, also known as the Graveyard of the Atlantic because so many ships ran aground there.

There are seven lighthouses still operating along the Outer Banks. We visited two which are almost identical except for the paint job on one, Currituck and Bodie Island. In the old days, lighthouse keepers lived in isolation, since the islands weren't developed then. Their families lived somewhere else so kids could go to school. They would climb to the top of the lighthouse several times a day, lugging cans of fuel for the lights, and polishing the lenses, as well as watching for ships on stormy nights. There were also life saving stations along the coast, not necessarily associated with the lighthouses. The timing of the flashes told ships which light they were seeing.

 In fact, we climbed to the top of 162 foot tall Currituck Lighthouse early in our stay, and it took almost a week before I could go up or down stairs normally again, so I have great admiration for the endurance of the lighthouse keepers. The steps did not spiral around the entire inside of the tower, but only on one side, with a platform to rest on between the flights. Going down was actually harder since it was difficult to see where one step ended and the next began in the open iron work of the steps.

Barrier islands are large moving sand dunes. The entire sound on the inside has only one inlet/outlet to the ocean now, and they have to keep dredging it to keep it from filling in. Parts of the islands are very narrow and protected by the Hatteras National Seashore. After storms, they have to clear the sand off the road again.

Jockey's Ridge State Park

JOCKEY'S RIDGE is the tallest natural sand dune system in the Eastern United States, reaching up to 100 feet high. Located in Nags Head, it looks like he Sahara Desert until you reach the top where you can see the sound on the other side. Climbing the shifting sands is much harder than climbing the lighthouse steps! People like to fly kites from the top (although the constant sea breeze makes kite flying easy any where), and you can take hang gliding lessons there as well. Be careful not to get lost though! The state park was formed by residents trying to protect the dune from developers.

Duck, NC boardwalk

We stayed in the little town of Duck, NC, on the north end of the Outer Banks. We were closer to the remaining bits of maritime forest, and there were nice trees and vegetation between all the houses, and sidewalks for walkers and bikers, of which there are many. The town built a pleasant boardwalk along the sound, and shops stay open in the evening. Much of the Outer Banks, lacks this vegetation, yet developers build houses right next to each other and as close to the beach as possible. I have no sympathy for anyone who lose their house to a hurricane here. The residents know to live on the other side of the island.  I was surprised that we saw no "hurricane evacuation route" signs. But when a storm comes, there is only one road and one bridge to go the the mainland.

Coast Guard maneuvers

We found a sailing boat and got a private trip, since no one else signed up for the afternoon cruise. We watched a Coast Guard helicopter practicing life saving techniques out in the sound. That big bird stayed virtually motionless in the air for at least an hour. Since no one else was aboard, they let us take turns piloting the boat, which is actually harder than you would think. Water in the sound runs from 5 - 11 feet deep. So many rivers dump into it, and there is only one inlet to the ocean, that is not salty or tidal. Is the OBX a birder's paradise? More in the next post.

Between Spring Showers

Red-tailed Hawk

Spring has been so indecisive this year. One day the sun shines and temps are in the 60s or 70s, and the next day a cold front sweeps through, leaving heavy rain and/or snow, with temps back in the 30s. Events scheduled for Saturdays have been hit hard, having been changed twice because of predicted rain all day on Saturdays. This week, we have had a couple days of warm, but very windy weather, so I decided to go out. Local birders are reporting some rare species coming through our area, and I wanted to see if I could find any of them.

Song Sparrow

Beckley Creek Park is a favorite birding spot along Floyd's Fork river, and birders have found several Virginia Rails in the wetlands. I joined a group of people already there, and although I didn't see the Rail yesterday, I did find a Wilson's Snipe all by myself. Yeah! Mostly I found Song Sparrows and Red-winged Blackbirds.

American Kestrel

The raptors enjoyed the clear skies, and I saw many Turkey Vultures, a Red-tailed Hawk, and a fast little American Kestrel. Maybe I'll try for the Rail again tomorrow.

Sora

The Sora is a member of the rail family too, passing through Kentucky on its way to Canada where it breeds after spending the winter along the Gulf Coast. This one is using the bird observation area at the Falls of the Ohio State Park, just across the river, as a resting spot. It is sheltered from observation, except for people inside the building. There is a little pond and rocks to shelter in. So far, it seems pretty happy there.

Nesting Bald Eagle

4 or 5 years ago, when they started building a bridge across the Ohio River at the eastern edge of the county, an existing Eagle nest was found right by the construction area. Will all the activity affect it? They couldn't really move the planned bridge, so they just started building. Now the bridge is complete, and the birds seem unaffected. She seems to be counting the cars as they zoom beneath her tree.

The river has flooded again in the last week, after the huge floods in March, so people are trying to ge things cleared up. The gates on the McAlpin Dam are still lifted allowing the water to flow through as fast as possible. Debris clogs the sidewalks leading down to the fossil beds at the Falls of the Ohio, but that's not too much of an issue yet, since the fossil beds themselves are still under water. Management at the state park don't hurry to clear away debris in the spring since it can reappear so quickly.

 The river is still high and so muddy that it looks like milk chocolate rather than water!

The Kentucky Derby is the first Saturday in May, and the party starts two weeks before the race itself. This year it's starting even earlier since someone erected this giant ferris wheel within the ramp of the Big Four Bridge. The Bridge attracts huge numbers of people wanting to walk across the river. The ferris wheel will be here until after Derby. As soon as there is a nice evening with a good sunset, we plan to go down and ride it too!

Here is the little Sora enjoying an algae snack from the pond.