Northwoods Birding – The Farm
August 22, 2007
Article in: Birding
Some of the Birdfreak Team headed up north to Park Falls, Wisconsin in search of birds in the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest area (and to visit relatives). Much of our family lives up in northern Wisconsin and we have been birding and visiting up there our whole lives.
The Farm
As kids we would visit our Grandparents on their farm and spend time exploring the woods surrounding. Northern Wisconsin is one of the most quiet, serene places to visit.
Purple Finch
It was fairly chilly while we were up there, highs between 50 and 70. A large part of northern Wisconsin is in severe need of rain and we noticed many low rivers, lakes, and un-wet boggy areas which is such a difference from northern Illinois.
The Flambeau River was really low.
Around the farm we found an Ovenbird, Red-breasted and White-breasted Nuthatches, Blue Jays, Black-capped Chickadees, American Goldfinches, American Crows, and many other common birds. We also saw Ravens, Dark-eyed Juncos, and Purple Finches around the farm. Dakota even saw a Barred Owl while out on a four-wheeler ride with one of our uncles.
White-breasted Nuthatch
We had a good time birding around the farm with roosters crowing instead of sirens wailing and cows mooing instead of motorcycles revving.
American Goldfinch
Black-capped Chickadee
Bird Doppelgangers
August 20, 2007
Article in: Birding
Doppelganger is a fun word, borrowed from German, that in stories usually refers to someone’s evil twin or a ghostly apparition that looks like the viewer. However, it can also mean someone that closely resembles someone else.
Here are a few examples of Bird Doppelgangers:
Lesser and Greater Yellowlegs, Hairy and Downy Woodpecker, Cedar and Bohemian Waxwing: These birds may have some dissimilar characteristics, but their primary differences are in their sizes. A few weeks ago, the Birdfreak team was fortunate enough to see both species of Yellowlegs in the same location so it was obvious which was which. Otherwise, it is easy to leave a birding spot, thinking, “I know I saw a Yellowlegs, but which one?”
Which Yellowlegs Am I?
Eastern and Western Meadowlark, Carolina and Black-capped Chickadee, Acadian, Alder, and Willow Flycatcher. These are examples of birds who look almost exactly the same in the field (size and markings) so the best way to tell them apart is to listen for their songs.
Black-capped Chickadee
Occasionally birds that don’t look alike but have similar behaviors may confuse birders. A Black-and-White Warbler may mimic the behavior of a Red-breasted Nuthatch by scaling the trunk of a tree. Even the most-seasoned birder may mistakenly identify a bird so it’s always best to give it a good look before making an identification.
Bird Doppelgangers can be frustrating in the field, but the more you bird, the more skilled you will become in finding the subtle differences that define each bird.
Bond. James Bond. Ornithologist.
August 19, 2007
Article in: Birding
Disclaimer: I have never watched a single James Bond movie in all my life, and I have no desire to do so.
Ian Fleming, the author of the James Bond novels, wanted to give his hero a name that sounded “as ordinary as possible.†He was a avid birder living in Jamaica and was familiar with a bird guide called Birds of the West Indies, written by ornithologist James Bond and originally published in 1936.
So although the name James Bond will forever be associated with the famous international spy hero from the movies, bird lovers can proudly know that the original James Bond (January 4, 1900-February 14, 1989) was one of their own. “Bond won the Institute of Jamaica’s Musgrave Medal in 1952; the Brewster Medal of the American Ornithologists Union in 1954; and the Leidy Medal of the Academy of Natural Sciences in 1975.â€
Note: Some information obtained from wikipedia.com
Nomenclature in Birding
August 18, 2007
Article in: Birding
How do birds get their names? Why is a Roseate Spoonbill called a Roseate Spoonbill…and not a Pink Ladle-bird? Nomenclature is the term used to describe the process of naming things. But how do birds get their names?
Pileated Woodpecker. The word, “pileate,” means to have a crest extending from the bill to the nape, as some birds. Why not just “Crested Woodpecker?”
White-throated Sparrow. Most bird names are descriptive, but they can lead to confusion. For example, the first thing I notice on a White-Throated Sparrow is the white cap and speck of yellow–not the white throat. But, of course, there is also the White-crowned Sparrow.
Northern Oriole. In the ever-changing taxonomy, two species of orioles–Baltimore and Bullock’s–were determined to be the same species, and they became known as Northern Orioles. But–alas. The Northern Oriole is no more–the two are considered separate species once more.
The way we look at birds and classify them is ever changing as new advances in studying DNA brings surprising results. The Red Crossbill could be eight or more different species based on differences in flight calls and bill shapes. Some western gull species could be lumped together in the near future.
No matter how they change over time, bird names effect birding and give us a look into history.
Who Was Meriwether Lewis?
August 18, 2007
Article in: Birding
Meriwether Lewis was born on August 18, 1774, in Virginia. Along with William Clark, he led one of the most famous explorations of the United States that uncovered new species, documented geography, and led to many preserved parks and trails.
There are historic trails along the large area of Lewis and Clark’s Expedition and they can be great to go birding. Many plants, birds, and places are named after the famous explorer, including the Lewis’s Woodpecker.
I saw a black woodpecker [6] [NB: or Crow] today about the size of the lark woodpecker as black as a crow. I indevoured to get a shoot at it but could not. it is a distinct species of woodpecker; it has a long tail and flys a good deel like the jay bird.—Lewis and Clark Journals
As their travels led them to new and wild territory they discovered many different bird species.
Unfortunately, Lewis died under mysterious circumstances a few years after the exploration was finished. He was only 35-years-old, but his work and discoveries will live on forever.
Arizona Doberman – A Canine Birder’s First Campout
August 17, 2007
Article in: Birding
On Saturday, while in the middle of a big camping trip, we hosted a cookout for Dakota’s official birthday party. Arizona Doberman came along too for his very first camping trip.
He adjusted well to camp life, but all of us were rudely awakened around two by a fierce-but-short storm that soaked everything. Arizona slept through most of the storm. We spent much of Sunday morning drying things out and heard a Pileated Woodpecker call from our campsite! We also heard a Wood Thrush and Eastern Towhee singing which made the job a bit more pleasant.
Arizona didn’t bird much. But he did intently watch a brave Chipping Sparrow hop about near him.
All-in-all, he was very well-behaved. Success on Arizona’s first camping trip!
Resident Bird
August 16, 2007
Article in: Birding
On every camping trip, there is one bird that hangs around the campsite more than any other. We like to call him our “Resident Bird”. This past weekend, we spent five nights out at Sugar River Forest Preserve, and it was hard to figure out just who was our Resident Bird, since we had a few strong contenders.
First we narrowed down the most frequently seen species. There were four finalists:
1. Chipping Sparrow
2. American Crow
3. Red-breasted Nuthatch
4. Northern Cardinal (who would not stay still for a photo, so we used a stunt double.)
The Chipping Sparrows came nearest to us, looking for food on the ground. The American Crows mostly squawked and hollered above us in the trees in between bouts of scavenging nearby empty campsites. The Red-breasted Nuthatches were in a small gang and were ecstatically pulling seeds out of pine cones and jabbering loudly to each other.
Our overall winner? The non-photogenic Northern Cardinal! The male would skulk through the pines almost every hour, and there was a female and some young adults hanging around as well. In the morning, he was the first bird singing, as well as the loudest. He sang all day and was one of the last to retire for the night.
The Resident Bird usually becomes a bird that we forever feel a special bond with, as if they were ours for a few days. Our campsite was a great place to chill and watch birds.
Sugar River Forest Preserve
August 15, 2007
Article in: Birding
Dakota’s birthday wish was to go on a big camping trip. So we decided to spend five nights at Sugar River Forest Preserve here in Winnebago County, Illinois.
During our stay, the Sugar River was still cresting from all the rain we had and by Saturday it had spilled over into the main preserve. We walked into the park to check it out. Some of the park roads were completely covered in water and most trails were inaccessible.
Part of the main forest preserve road.
Even though our main “big hikes” were out, we still found plenty of birds and Dakota found additional turtles and frogs as well. Our total bird list was less than 40 species, most likely because we were so limited on where we could go.
This turtle was happily sunning despite all the water.
We were able to see quite an aerial show by the water. There were Eastern Bluebirds, Cedar Waxwings, and Eastern Wood-Pewees having a bug feast. The Cedar Waxwings were doing crazy insect-catching displays that would make a flycatcher jealous. It was incredible to watch them. We also saw some shorebirds enjoying the flooded grass.
Our campsite was more birdy than any I can remember. It was a good site with many pine trees, a small field nearby, and not many camping neighbors. We heard Barred Owls and Great Horned Owls at night, as well as some raucous Coyotes. During the day we saw Downy and Red-bellied Woodpeckers, Red-breasted and White-breasted Nuthatches, Common Yellowthroats, a Cooper’s Hawk, American Crows, Blue Jays, Northern Cardinals, Cedar Waxwings, Eastern Phoebes, Song Sparrows and Chipping Sparrows. All this, without leaving the camp chair!
The average trip weather was hot, humid, and buggy. Most of the trails were closed due to flooding and we had two storms, one on Saturday night and one on Monday night. Despite it all we had a great time birding for Dakota’s birthday.
