What a beautiful day at the Landis Arboretum in Esperance, Schoharie Co. It was a great day, although did not get the number of hawks that I was hoping for.
Here is what we saw as far as raptors -
Bald Eagle - 1
Broad-winged Hawk - 4
Sharp-shinned Hawk - 2
Northern Harrier - 1
Red-tailed Hawk - 3*
Turkey Vulture - 5*
Unidentified Raptor - 6
Unidentified Buteo - 3
*the most seen at one time
Most interesting raptor not seen was Osprey, as I have seen that raptor on most of my spring hawk watches at the Arboretum when the weather was cooperative.
In addition to these raptors the follow birds were identified during the day -
Mallard
Rock Pigeon
Northern Flicker
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Eastern Phoebe
Tree Swallow
Blue Jay
Common Raven
American Crow
Black-capped Chickadee
Red-breasted Nuthatch
Brown Thrasher
American Robin
Eastern Bluebird
Red-winged Blackbird
Brown-headed Cowbird
Northern Cardinal
Purple Finch
House Finch
American Goldfinch
Eastern Towhee
Dark-eyed Junco
Chipping Sparrow
Field Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Plattekill Bird Survey
On Friday, April 9th, I did two bird walks with students at the Plattekill Elementary School in Wallkill, NY. Here is the Bird Survey Report for the walk with 2nd grade ornithologists in Mrs. Bailey's, Mrs. Moran's and Mrs. Bouk's classes.
Mrs. Bailey’s and Bouck’s classes
9:15 AM, 100% cloudy, slight breeze, seasonably cool
Canada Goose – 2
Turkey Vulture – 1
Killdeer – 1
Mourning Dove – 1
Blue Jay – 3
Fish Crow – 1
American Robin – 4
European Starling – 5
Common Grackle – 3
Chipping Sparrow – 1
House Sparrow – 4
Mrs. Moran’s and Bouck’s classes
10:15 AM, 100% cloudy, slight breeze, seasonably cool
Mourning Dove – 3
Northern Flicker – 1
Blue Jay – 11
American Crow – 1
American Robin – 3
European Starling – 6
Red-winged Blackbird – 1
Common Grackle – 4
Chipping Sparrow – 1
House Sparrow – 4
On both walks there were many birds that were observed but went by unidentified. Binoculars would have been very useful for observing these birds. Unfortunately there was not a supply of binoculars sized for second grader eyes. It would be a great to have a classroom set of compact binoculars for younger students. Compact binoculars can be adjusted to fit the intrapupilarry distances of young ornithologists.
For some birds the identification was made by the bird's song or call. A good example of this is the American Crow which has a very distinctly different call than the American Crow. Two other birds were identified by their songs, the Chipping Sparrow and the Killdeer. The Chipping Sparrow has a song that is a series of chips that is sung to a tempo that makes it sound like a sewing machine. Hence I suggested to the students that it was the “sewing machine bird”. We were able to see the sparrow fly about, but it was far enough away to pretty much look like and "LBJ" - a Little Brown Jobber. The Killdeer was only heard and never observed. It was calling from a gravel parking lot where it might eventually nest right on the ground not making much of a nest but with eggs that blend right in with a gravel environment.
We can compare this survey with the bird walk that was done with Plattekill’s sister elementary school, Ostrander Elmentary. To see the Ostrander data, check Ornithology at Ostrander Elementary entry for March 16th.
Mrs. Bailey’s and Bouck’s classes
9:15 AM, 100% cloudy, slight breeze, seasonably cool
Canada Goose – 2
Turkey Vulture – 1
Killdeer – 1
Mourning Dove – 1
Blue Jay – 3
Fish Crow – 1
American Robin – 4
European Starling – 5
Common Grackle – 3
Chipping Sparrow – 1
House Sparrow – 4
Mrs. Moran’s and Bouck’s classes
10:15 AM, 100% cloudy, slight breeze, seasonably cool
Mourning Dove – 3
Northern Flicker – 1
Blue Jay – 11
American Crow – 1
American Robin – 3
European Starling – 6
Red-winged Blackbird – 1
Common Grackle – 4
Chipping Sparrow – 1
House Sparrow – 4
On both walks there were many birds that were observed but went by unidentified. Binoculars would have been very useful for observing these birds. Unfortunately there was not a supply of binoculars sized for second grader eyes. It would be a great to have a classroom set of compact binoculars for younger students. Compact binoculars can be adjusted to fit the intrapupilarry distances of young ornithologists.
For some birds the identification was made by the bird's song or call. A good example of this is the American Crow which has a very distinctly different call than the American Crow. Two other birds were identified by their songs, the Chipping Sparrow and the Killdeer. The Chipping Sparrow has a song that is a series of chips that is sung to a tempo that makes it sound like a sewing machine. Hence I suggested to the students that it was the “sewing machine bird”. We were able to see the sparrow fly about, but it was far enough away to pretty much look like and "LBJ" - a Little Brown Jobber. The Killdeer was only heard and never observed. It was calling from a gravel parking lot where it might eventually nest right on the ground not making much of a nest but with eggs that blend right in with a gravel environment.
We can compare this survey with the bird walk that was done with Plattekill’s sister elementary school, Ostrander Elmentary. To see the Ostrander data, check Ornithology at Ostrander Elementary entry for March 16th.
Thursday, April 08, 2010
Owl Pellet Study at Kings Elementary School
On Wednesday, April 7, I visited the Kings Elementary School in Warwick to work with 3rd graders studying owls. Part of our study was to dissect owl pellets to see what their favorite food is. Here is what we found:
Mrs. Flynn’s class – 8 pellets dissected, with 20 mice, 0 shrews, 0 moles, 1 bird
Mrs. Nachtigal’s class – 10 pellets dissected, with 26 mice, 0 shrews, 0 moles, 0 birds
Mr. Dinoto’s and Mrs. Kipp’s classes – 23 pellets dissected, with 63 mice, 0 shrews, 0 moles, 2 birds
In our discussion before dissecting the owl pellets I had presented the idea that the most favored food for owls were mice and that shrews were a secondary food and moles and birds were much less often eaten. It was very interesting to find with the 41 pellets that were dissected that there was no evidence that any shrews had been eaten and that, in fact, 3 birds were part of the owls’ prey.
Compare these findings with owl pellets dissections that I have reported here on my blog - most recently Lynnwood and Ostrander Elementary Schools, Jefferson Elementary in February 2010 and Nazareth Intermediate School in January 2010 (there are other reports - look for them in the archived blogs). The average number of animals eaten per owl pellets is pretty much consistent with the findings of other classes. If this data is combined with the data from other classes it does show the moles and birds are much less eaten than mice and shrews.
Mrs. Flynn’s class – 8 pellets dissected, with 20 mice, 0 shrews, 0 moles, 1 bird
Mrs. Nachtigal’s class – 10 pellets dissected, with 26 mice, 0 shrews, 0 moles, 0 birds
Mr. Dinoto’s and Mrs. Kipp’s classes – 23 pellets dissected, with 63 mice, 0 shrews, 0 moles, 2 birds
In our discussion before dissecting the owl pellets I had presented the idea that the most favored food for owls were mice and that shrews were a secondary food and moles and birds were much less often eaten. It was very interesting to find with the 41 pellets that were dissected that there was no evidence that any shrews had been eaten and that, in fact, 3 birds were part of the owls’ prey.
Compare these findings with owl pellets dissections that I have reported here on my blog - most recently Lynnwood and Ostrander Elementary Schools, Jefferson Elementary in February 2010 and Nazareth Intermediate School in January 2010 (there are other reports - look for them in the archived blogs). The average number of animals eaten per owl pellets is pretty much consistent with the findings of other classes. If this data is combined with the data from other classes it does show the moles and birds are much less eaten than mice and shrews.
Tuesday, April 06, 2010
Cape May Birding Trip
I had a few days off with no school programs scheduled so I decided to take a little trip south to Cape May, New Jersey, to look for birds including early migrants. Cape May is actually a fall birding hot spot, but it’s not at all bad for over wintering birds and spring migrants. I started my visit with a stop at the Cape May Bird Observatory Northwood Center to get a map and find out where to go looking for birds. As soon as I got out of my car I spotted a brown thrasher – ah, a bird I wouldn’t see at home in upstate New York at this time of year.
I birded at the Cape May Point State Park, Concrete Ship, the Nature Conservancy’s Cape May Migratory Bird Refuge, Higbee Beach Wildlife Management Area and a section of the Cape May Canal off of Seashore Road (there had been a black-necked stilt seen there, but it escaped me).
I first took a walk around the trails at Cape May State Park where I had the chance to see a sharp-shinned hawk scoot in and scare up the Carolina chickadees, pine warblers and robins. The warning calls of the chickadees were quite distinct from the black-capped chickadee call which I am more familiar with. I observed a large number of osprey, including one that had caught a fish. Also had great looks at hermit thrush and Carolina wren moving about on the ground just off of the board walk trail.
At the Concrete Ship there were a large number of red-throated loons (which at this time of year in New Jersey have no red on their throats), northern gannets and black and surf scoters. Then it was off to the Nature Conservancy site.
The most interesting finds include piping plover at the Bird Refuge. While enjoying the plovers which were along the sandy beach not much more than twenty feet from me two American oystercatchers came squawking their way to a small pool of water twenty feet on the other side of me. Though not the rare bird the plovers are still a very cool bird to see up close. Along with these two species of birds there was a nice variety of ducks.
On the way to Higbee Beach I looked for the black-necked stilt at an impoundment just off of the Cape May Canal, with no luck. I stopped at Higbee Beach mostly to check it out so I knew where to go for an early morning bird walk with CMBO staff and volunteers. There were a lot of yellow-rumped warblers feeding about the upper tree branches. The early morning walk was super with my only sightings of palm warbler, Bonaparte’s gull and red-breasted merganser for my little trip. There was also large flight of northern flickers.
I had 63 species for the entire trip. Here is a list of the birds I got.
Mute Swan
Snow Goose
Canada Goose
Mallard
Gadwall
Northern Pintail
American Wigeon
Northern Shoveler
Blue-winged Teal
Green-winged Teal
Ring-necked Duck
Lesser Scaup
Surf Scoter
Black Scoter
Red-breasted Merganser
Red-throated Loon
Pied-billed Grebe
Northern Gannet
Double-crested Cormorant
Great Blue Heron
Great Egret
Turkey Vulture
Black Vulture
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Cooper’s Hawk
Northern Harrier
Red-tailed Hawk
Osprey
Piping Plover
American Oystercatcher
Sanderling
Bonaparte's Gull
Laughing Gull
Herring Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
Rock Pigeon
Mourning Dove
Belted Kingfisher
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Eastern Phoebe
Blue Jay
American Crow
Fish Crow
Tree Swallow
Carolina Chickadee
Tufted Titmouse
Carolina Wren
Hermit Thrush
American Robin
Northern Mockingbird
Brown Thrasher
European Starling
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Palm Warbler
Pine Warbler
Eastern Towhee
Field Sparrow
Song Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Northern Cardinal
Red-winged Blackbird
Common Grackle
Brown-headed Cowbird
House Sparrow
House Finch
I birded at the Cape May Point State Park, Concrete Ship, the Nature Conservancy’s Cape May Migratory Bird Refuge, Higbee Beach Wildlife Management Area and a section of the Cape May Canal off of Seashore Road (there had been a black-necked stilt seen there, but it escaped me).
I first took a walk around the trails at Cape May State Park where I had the chance to see a sharp-shinned hawk scoot in and scare up the Carolina chickadees, pine warblers and robins. The warning calls of the chickadees were quite distinct from the black-capped chickadee call which I am more familiar with. I observed a large number of osprey, including one that had caught a fish. Also had great looks at hermit thrush and Carolina wren moving about on the ground just off of the board walk trail.
At the Concrete Ship there were a large number of red-throated loons (which at this time of year in New Jersey have no red on their throats), northern gannets and black and surf scoters. Then it was off to the Nature Conservancy site.
The most interesting finds include piping plover at the Bird Refuge. While enjoying the plovers which were along the sandy beach not much more than twenty feet from me two American oystercatchers came squawking their way to a small pool of water twenty feet on the other side of me. Though not the rare bird the plovers are still a very cool bird to see up close. Along with these two species of birds there was a nice variety of ducks.
On the way to Higbee Beach I looked for the black-necked stilt at an impoundment just off of the Cape May Canal, with no luck. I stopped at Higbee Beach mostly to check it out so I knew where to go for an early morning bird walk with CMBO staff and volunteers. There were a lot of yellow-rumped warblers feeding about the upper tree branches. The early morning walk was super with my only sightings of palm warbler, Bonaparte’s gull and red-breasted merganser for my little trip. There was also large flight of northern flickers.
I had 63 species for the entire trip. Here is a list of the birds I got.
Mute Swan
Snow Goose
Canada Goose
Mallard
Gadwall
Northern Pintail
American Wigeon
Northern Shoveler
Blue-winged Teal
Green-winged Teal
Ring-necked Duck
Lesser Scaup
Surf Scoter
Black Scoter
Red-breasted Merganser
Red-throated Loon
Pied-billed Grebe
Northern Gannet
Double-crested Cormorant
Great Blue Heron
Great Egret
Turkey Vulture
Black Vulture
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Cooper’s Hawk
Northern Harrier
Red-tailed Hawk
Osprey
Piping Plover
American Oystercatcher
Sanderling
Bonaparte's Gull
Laughing Gull
Herring Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
Rock Pigeon
Mourning Dove
Belted Kingfisher
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Eastern Phoebe
Blue Jay
American Crow
Fish Crow
Tree Swallow
Carolina Chickadee
Tufted Titmouse
Carolina Wren
Hermit Thrush
American Robin
Northern Mockingbird
Brown Thrasher
European Starling
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Palm Warbler
Pine Warbler
Eastern Towhee
Field Sparrow
Song Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Northern Cardinal
Red-winged Blackbird
Common Grackle
Brown-headed Cowbird
House Sparrow
House Finch
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