Say's Phoebe

Say's Phoebe Shows Up in Keswick

Say's Phoebe

We were lucky last week to get a call telling us there was a Say's Phoebe (Sayornis saya) in Keswick.  In spite of the rain a friend and I made the short trip and found the bird immediately.  It was sitting on a play structure in the back yard of the person reporting the bird.  We watched and photographed it from the protection of her deck.  Not all twitches are that easy nor hosts as obliging!

According to Sibley this species is common in expansive open areas such as prairies, tundra, farmland, and playing fields.  Clearly this bird was far from home!  

The Say's Phoebe looks much like our Eastern Phoebe although only slightly larger (19 cm vs. 18 cm long).  In fact, I had to look closely for the orange on the lower breast and belly to confirm it was a Say's Phoebe.  It perched, moved and flew out from the perch after insects the same way our phoebe does.  

Say's Phoebe [Internet Photo]

The Say's Phoebe has a pale gray throat and upper breast, gray-brown wings and upper parts, brown-black tail and is pale rufous on the belly and undertail coverts.  The juvenile is browner and has pale rufous wing bars.  It does not pump its tail like the Eastern Phoebe.  Our visitor showed pale slightly orange-tinged wing feather edges so may have been a young bird.  The Eastern Phoebe does not show any orange, is slightly smaller and has a darker head and white underparts.  What I noticed about this individual is that its head looked darker like the Eastern Phoebe except in good light when you could tell it was light gray.  All 3 photos in this post show a dark head.  The top and bottom photos are of the bird seen in Keswick and it did have a lighter head in good light.

Say's Phoebe

The Say's Phoebe is a western species.  Its summer range covers inland Alaska, British Columbia, Alberta and southern Saskatchewan, and all the western US states.  It winters in coastal California east to Texas and south to much of Mexico.  It is a permanent resident in some of these areas.  

The Say's Phoebe is an active flycatcher.  It feeds on insects and sometimes berries. It builds its nest in a sheltered dry site on a ledge, rock wall, bridge or building.  It builds its nest of grass and fibres and lays 3 to 7 white eggs.  Incubation is 12 to 14 days and is done by the female.  She usually raises 2 clutches.  

The Say's Phoebe is named after an American naturalist, Thomas Say.  This phoebe species breeds farther north than any other flycatcher.  It breeds as far north in Alaska as there are nesting sites.  Sadly the population numbers of this species are declining like many other species of birds.  It is thought that the decline is due to the loss of habitat in its winter range.  

Snowy Egret

Egrets Arrive From the South

Snowy Egret

 It is early May and the egrets have arrived.  At this time of year we usually have two species of egrets stray into our province from the south.  Great Egrets and Snowy Egrets often come in the spring and a third species, Cattle Egrets, often come in the fall.  Snowy Egrets are listed as rare visitors in 'Birds of New Brunswick: An Annotated List'.

On Sunday, April 28, we found 2 Snowy Egrets (Egretta thula) at Saints Rest Marsh in Saint John.  They were on the highway side of the marsh and were easily seen from the roadside.  They were busy feeding and comfortable with the heavy traffic whizzing by.   It was a real treat to watch them.

The Snowy Egret is smaller than the Great Egret (61 cm/24" compared to 99cm/39") but larger than the Cattle Egret, which is only 51 cm/20" long.  The Snowy is a delicate-looking bird,  pure white with beautiful plumes coming off its head and breast in breeding season.  It has a black bill and yellow orbital areas.  Its legs are black with bright yellow feet, 'golden slippers' as described by some.  It is found in both fresh and salt water habitats but usually appears in salt marshes here.  It feeds on fish, aquatic invertebrates and sometimes snakes and amphibians.  It feeds by standing still in water and stabbing at prey.

Snowy Egret

Usually the only species that you would have to distinguish the Snowy Egret from here is the Great Egret and size and the presence of the black bill and yellow feet tell you it is a Snowy.  However, in rarer circumstances you might have to differentiate it from a white morph Little Blue Heron which would be very rare here.  That form of the Little Blue Heron has a bicoloured bill,  greenish legs and often black tips to its primary feathers.

The Snowy Egret is a permanent resident of Florida, the coastal areas of Georgia and South Carolina, Mexico, California and the West Indies.  It moves northward throughout the US as far as the mid-central area to breed and some of those migrating birds overshoot up the eastern coast to Maine and New Brunswick.  In its normal range it forms colonies with other large wading birds.  It nests in trees where it builds a platform nest from twigs and sticks.  It occasionally nests in marsh grass.  Both adults incubate the eggs for 18 days.

Snowy Egret

The Snowy Egret population was nearly driven to extinction in the late 1800s and early 1900s due to the millinery industry.  Their beautiful plumes became desirable to decorate womens' hats and the price of plumes was driven above the price of gold at that time.  That led to the near demise of this beautiful species!  Human beings and their foibles!  I hope we have learned that vanity does not trump the conservation of our animal and plant species.

Another interesting fact about the Snowy Egret comes from iBirdPro.  Apparently a pair of these egrets has trouble recognizing each other, distinguishing the individual from any other Snowy Egret.  When one of the mates arrives at the nest to relieve the other, it has to do a special greeting ceremony to be recognized.  Otherwise it would be attacked by the mate.  That is something we miss seeing because these birds do not breed here.

New River Birding & Nature Festival

Cathedral Falls, Glen Ferris, West Virginia. The waters of Cane Branch tumble 60 feet over a series of cascades, and soon merge with the New River.

As for the past 14 or 15 years, I'm down here in Fayetteville, West Virginia for the New River Birding & Nature Festival. We have a great time, and are dazzled with a stunning array of flora and fauna. The New River and local Appalachian mountains harbor some of eastern North America's richest biodiversity. Field trips are the bread and butter of the event, and organizers Rachel Davis, Keith Richardson, Geoff Heeter and Paul Shaw bring in some of the best guides in the industry (present company possibly excluded).

This gorgeous little bird, clad in ocher earth tones, is one of the area's most coveted species. It is a Swainson's warbler, one of the rarest of our warblers. It occupies visually stunning habitats: mountain streams hemmed in by dense great rhododendron thickets overlain with hemlock and birch overstory. The bird's piercing whistled song slices through the dense vegetation and reveals their presence.

I photographed this animal on our trip today. It was one of 19 species of warblers, which were among the 73 species that we found on this excursion. A personal highlight was the nest of a least flycatcher. The birds, at least the female, was busily constructing it. She had placed the nest right in the fork of a red maple, by the trunk and about 25 feet off the ground. Unless you saw her fly in to it, as sharp-eyed Alma Lowery did, you'd not spot the nest in a million years so well did it blend with the tree.

The festival takes place every spring in late April/early May. If you like birds and nature, you'd love this event. CLICK HERE for the details.

The First Day of May

Muguet or Lily-of-the-Valley

It wouldn't be May without these sweet scented tiny white bells.

It's a tradition in France and here in Switzerland,

as well as some other European countries

to offer a small bouquet of Muguet on the first of May.

I even have an embroidered tablecloth with these tiny flowers

and it always adorns my small round table during the whole of this month!

It all fits together so well.

A May Day tradition dating back to 1561. The first of May in France is a holiday

to celebrate Labour Day.

It carries an even older tradition.

Today families all around France get up early in the morning and go into the woods

to pick the flowers and offer the little bouquets

to loved ones and friends.

Since I live in the town, it's not easy to go into the woods to hunt these flowers.

Luckily all the florists here sell pretty bouquets

wrapped in a decorated paper

and with the inscription:

'Je porte bonheur'

(I bring good luck)

I hope the Muguet in my blog entry today will bring you good luck too!

If you would like to read a story about Lily of the Valley, click on the link below:

Hollyhocks and Honey-Coloured Houses

***

Something spring-like and colourful on my crochet hook 

is making me happy.

Little Daisy Granny Squares.

They are quite irresistible to make.

I wonder what they will become?

Here is the lovely pattern

Osprey

Osprey, the Fish Hawk

Osprey

The Osprey (Pandion haliaetus) is a common bird in most of Canada.  It is a summer resident and breeds here.  It arrives in mid-to-late April and stays until late summer or early fall.  It winters where there is open water with a population of fish.  Most migrate to Florida, California, Mexico and Central America.  Ospreys occur all over the world except for Antarctica.

Osprey

 The Osprey is an easy species to identify.  It is large (60 cm/25 in long) with a wingspan of 160 cm/65 in.  It holds its wings in a 'W' (or 'M') formation while in flight.  It is mainly white beneath with black carpal marks on the underwings (areas at the wrist).  It looks a bit gull-like in flight.  The upperside is all dark including the rump and tail.  At close range you can see the white cap on the head and the dark stripe through the yellow eye.  It is a conspicuous bird which frequently vocalizes its distinctive whistle.  

Osprey

The Osprey eats fish almost exclusively.  It catches them by hovering over the water or plunging head-first in to catch them.  Its beak is very hooked and it has specialized feet for holding fish.  The talons are hooked and their toes are large with rough, barbed soles enabling them to hold on to slippery, wriggling fish.  They are often seen flying with a fish in their talons.  They always fly with the fish pointing in the direction in which they are headed, making it more aerodynamic.  They also have a large wing proportion for their weight which enables them to carry their large, heavy prey.  

Ospreys became the 'poster child' for the devastation done by DDT-use in the 1950s and 1960s.  Their populations plummeted especially along the Atlantic coast.  The banning of DDT and the establishment of conservation programs like providing nest-platforms resulted in a wonderful comeback.  

Ospreys build large stick nests on platforms, dead trees, power poles or channel markers over water.  Three pink or white eggs marked with olive or brown are laid.  Both adults carry out the 35-40 day incubation.  Not all the eggs hatch at once.  There is usually about 5 days between the hatching of the first to the last chick.  

Osprey on Nest

The Latin name for this raptor is derived from Greek.  'Hals' means salt or sea and 'aetos' means eagle, sea eagle.  It is the only raptor which feeds exclusively on live fish.  An interesting trait of this species is its reversible toe!  It can grasp the fish either with 3 toes in front and one in back or 2 in front and 2 in back.  The outer toe is reversible.  This makes flight with a heavy fish more stable.

Easter Day

A recent spring bouquet,

the prettiest I have ever received,

contained three beautiful red Anemone

Five tulips

Yellow Ranunculus

and soft pink ones

Soft salmon pink

on a rainbow of my latest crocheted Mandala

A whisper of petals.

On my daily walks

I have encountered beautiful Magnolia

Such lovely lines

Both these trees are in my neighbourhood.

The Lilac is just starting to bloom

early this year.

I've so enjoyed crocheting a new

Waterlily Mandala.

I have changed the edging a little from the original pattern.

Primula from my balcony

in the traditional crown-shaped vase I use for small flowers every spring.

It wouldn't be Easter without some good dark Swiss chocolate!

Don't you love the gold sprinkles between his ears?

***

Magic Waterlily Mandala

Rosyside Dace, in nuptial colors

From L to R, Phil Melillo, Kelly Capuzzi, John Howard, and your narrator inspect a mess of fish hauled from a small stream in southern Ohio's Scioto County.

Last Tuesday was an epic ichthyological day, at least as far as I was concerned. Fish-hunting is something I'm lucky to get in on once or twice a year, and these aquatic forays are always fruitful, and highly educational. And when I say fish-hunting, this isn't bluegills with doughballs or bass with rod and reel. We're nearly always after far more obscure species than that, and the target this day is a fish known to very few.

Our guides were aquatic biologists Kelly Capuzzi and Laura Hughes. You've seen Laura's name in posts here many times, if you are a regular reader. Kelly works with stream surveys and fish routinely as part of her job with the Ohio EPA. And man, does she know the scaly crowd. Back in my early days with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, I was fortunate to have the opportunity to spend untold hours afield conducting fish surveys with Dan Rice (who wrote this NEW BOOK) and Ted Cavender. Both of those guys are ichthyological legends, and I never failed to be awed at how they could glance through a seine full of similar minnows and shiners and quickly call out the different species. Deja vu set in after watching Kelly and Laura do the same.

The stream in the first image is a big one, considering the habitat of our primary quarry on this day. We didn't find it in there, but did produce some interesting species including this rainbow darter, Etheostoma caeruleum. It is a male resplendent in its nuptial colors - a gaudy dress it'll only hold for a brief few weeks during the courtship and mating period. Hard as it may be to believe that such an exotic looking creature occupies Ohio streams, rainbow darters are pretty common statewide. It epitomizes the wonders of conducting subsurface aquatic explorations. Streams are full of fascinating creatures, but one must dive in to observe them.

We also hauled up several central stoneroller minnows, Campostoma anomalum. This is a male in breeding condition, flushed with peachy-orange and head beset with pointy tubercles. Apparently this "fish acne" helps male stonerollers win the girl. This fish has big lips. The lower lip is modified into a stiff cartilaginous ridge that it uses to rasp algae from rocks. Stonerollers are very common throughout Ohio, and one of relatively few fish species that tolerates heavy phosphorus loading. This common agricultural pollutant promotes the growth of algae - not good news for most things - but the hardy stonerollers capitalize and make lemonade from lemons.

Ah! This much smaller headwater stream holds today's primary target, which we'll soon get to. One could easily bound across this stream in places, and it's so small that the flow dries to a trickle in the heat of summer. Deeper pools like the one at the bend of the stream in this photo are critical in providing refugia for fish during low water flow. Dense forests along the stream's course ensure a lack of siltation and high water quality.

We were understandably pleased to find several orangethroat darters, Etheostoma spectabile. Here we have a pair - male above, female partially concealed in the rock cobble. The male is in its nuptial finery and we can see the namesake orange throat. Orangethroats are headwater stream specialists and normally occupy tiny streamlets such as this one.

Darters are icing on the cake, but today was principally a dace safari. Dace are small members of the cyprinid family, which includes carp, chubs, dace, minnows and shiners. The five Ohio dace species all inhabit small headwaters streams such as the one in the previous photo. Three species occur in the stream section in the image, or very nearby. This one is a female southern redbelly dace, Chrosomus erythrogaster.

This is a male western blacknose dace, Rhinichthys obtusus, its lateral band infused with rusty orange as it is during breeding season.

Finally, the main target, a long-coveted "life fish" for your narrator, and a stunning creature, the rosyside dace, Clinostomus funduloides. Rosyside dace have a very limited distribution in a handful of stream systems in just four southern counties: Adams, Jackson, Pike and Scioto. They were once thought to be much rarer, but heavy sampling of their (at the time) understudied habitat by the aforementioned Dan Rice and colleagues revealed the rosysides to be more plentiful than thought.

Kelly noted their resemblance to salmon, and I couldn't agree more. Elfin salmonlets. A big one is only a few inches long. These two males are still in breeding condition and it isn't hard to see where their common name is derived.

There are about 62,000 river miles in Ohio. Big rivers like the Maumee, Muskingum, and Scioto get more than their fair share of attention due to their size and conspicuousness. But it's the little headwater streams that do much of the heavy aquatic lifting. They make up nearly 80% of Ohio's river miles, and form and feed the big streams. As we've seen - and this is just a tiny sampler - headwater creeks support an interesting diversity of specialized fishes and other aquatic life. But they are vulnerable to destruction and detrimental impacts. One of the largest rosyside dace populations was wiped out by a highway construction project. Just a week or so ago, in the area that generated this article, I came across an excavator smack in the middle of a headwater stream, dredging rocks which were being hauled out by big dump trucks. Permits? Nah, probably not. Stuff like this goes on all the time, and it's not to the benefit of the streams' rightful occupants.

Major thanks to Kelly, Laura, John and Phil for creating a fascinating natural history foray.