Worm Eating Warbler

I spent this evening fishing in Ninigret Pond for stripers. I fished in the evening hoping to fish a worm spawn. However, since there weren't any worms and there weren't any stripers, here is a picture of a Worm-Eating from today.

I birded hard today from 6:30 am until I started fishing at 7:30 pm. I had a great day getting eight new birds. My morning started at The Cumberland Monastery where I lucked into the Olive Sided Flycatcher reported yesterday. Then I went on the Ocean State Bird Club walk in Glocester. Again, I lucked into a bird. We saw a Yellow Billed Cuckoo.

After the walk I had a 75 minute drive to Napatree and a 25 minute walk out to the lagoon. I saw four birds there new for the year (Red Knots, Common Tern, Roseate Tern, and Laughing Gull. Then I drove back to Charlestown Breachway and put my kayak in. I paddled to the mudflat. I dipped on White Rumped Sandpiper. It was the only target bird I missed all day. But I did find another target there, Seaside Sparrow.

After I paddled back to the car, I went to the Grill's Preserve in Westerly. There I saw the Worm-Eating Warbler. I ended up with three lifers today (Worm-Eating Warbler, Olive Sided Flycatcher, Yellow Billed Cuckoo). Lifers are going to be few and far between after this year. I ended the day at 249 species for the year. I thought I was at 250, but I miscounted. As great as today was, not seeing a White Rumped Sandpiper bothered me.

Worst Day on Plum Island turned into a Great Day in Rhode Island

Black Billed Cuckoo

Because of all the rain we had this month, I felt like I didn't get enough birding in. Last week would normally be the best of the month, as bird migration is at its peak. But somehow, I felt underwhelmed. So I asked if I could do a double on Tuesday and take three days off this week. My boss said yes, so I birded Rhode Island on Wednesday and Thursday and planned on going to Plum for Friday.

I made a friend last year at Plum and magically, we stayed in touch. I contacted him earlier in the week to see if he wanted to get together and do some birding. Friday worked best for him. I got up at the god-awful time of 5 am to meet him at 7 am. My morning started off bad  when I realized fifteen minutes from home I forgot my camera. I couldn't go back and get it, because I'd have been late. Also, while I was driving up, I got a text message that an Alder Flycatcher was heard only ten minutes from my house at the Cumberland Monastery.

I thought I was meeting Steve at Hellcat Parking area then we'd bird together. Little did I know that Steve stopped at a place called "the S curves" and birded first. He saw yellow billed cuckoo, scarlet tanager and few other species. While I was waiting for Steve, I too had some good birds. I heard a willow flycatcher. A few minutes later I heard an Alder Flycatcher which was a life bird. You can count birds you hear, the goal is to identify them.  Note- Whether seeing them or hearing them, it is all the same morally and ethiclly. Usually there is more enjoyment when watching a bird obviously, but I am learning there is great satisfaction hearing and recognizing a song.

Unfortunately for both of us, once we got together about 7:30 we saw very little. The wind was howling and we assumed it kept the birds down. We had a few good warblers such as Magnolia and Blackburnian, but mostly it was bad. I went up to Plum Island the same date last May and I had ten birds for each one today.  Steve had to leave at 11 am for an appointment. I stuck it out until 1 pm but didn't see anything new. Today was by far the worst spring day I have ever experienced at Parker River National Wildlife Refuge.

When I got home I picked up my camera and went to the Cumberland Monastery. I had heard the Alder at Plum Island but couldn't count it because it wasn't in RI. I knew I had almost no chance of hearing the Alder from the morning. It most likely stopped singing or moved on. Still, it was only 3 pm and the drive was only ten minutes. I didn't hear the Alder Flycatcher but as soon as I got there I got buzzed by a Black Billed Cuckoo (yes, as in Cuckoo clock). I had never seen either species of cuckoo. I was disappointed I missed the one that Steve saw this morning. So I was really excited to see the Black Billed Cuckoo this afternoon. Both species are fairly common in migration and considering how much time I spend in the woods, it is almost statistically impossible that I had never seen either species.

When I was driving home from Plum I got a text from my friend Jan that she was going to look for Mississippi Kite at Frenchtown Park in East Greenwich and asked me to go with her. The kite was seen two days ago as a flyover by a guy mowing his lawn. They are extremely rare in New England and are considered a vagrant. More over, seeing a bird "flyover" isn't really cause to go look for it because it could be 20 miles away in a matter of minutes. Still, I would have went if I hadn't just drove a combined 3:45 hours. Besides I was stuck in traffic north of the Mass Pike. Within fifteen minutes she got the Mississippi Kite anyway.

Mississippi Kite

A little while later when I was at Cumberland Monastery basking in the glory of finding the cuckoo and just relaxing on the trails Jan sent me another message that FIVE Mississippi Kites were spotted by another birder at Frenchtown Park (Jan had left). To which I responded "At this point I think you're enjoying tormenting me.  Her response to that was"YOU'LL GET THEM, GO NOW!"

So I went back to my car, headed south on I-295, and sat in Friday before Memorial Day weekend traffic. I eventually made it to Frenchtown Park. Three other birders I know where there Dan and Sue (last name is unknown to me) and Alex Patterson. They had just seen the birds. I was worried I was five minutes too late. However, I didn't have a long wait. Within a few minutes two Mississippi Kites were in the air. We watched them for a minute then they flew off. A minute later another came from the opposite direction. We definitely saw three different ones. This went on for an hour where we would see a kite soar for a minute then we'd have a five minute lull until another showed up.

So all in all, Plum Island being lousy was a blessing in disguise. I did hear the Alder Flycatcher up there, so it was a lifebird and not a wasted trip. However, the best part of my day was definitely after I got home. I'm glad I stopped and got my camera and thrilled to see the cuckoo. I also appreciate Jan kicking me in the ass and "forcing" me to go chase the Mississippi Kites.

New Rhode Island Personal Best

Species #234 Saltmarsh Sparrow

Before this year, the most species of birds I had seen in Rhode Island was 232, that was last year. This year my goal is 250. Yesterday, I reached another milestone on the way to 250 species. I passed 232.

   My record breaking bird was a a good one too, it was a Kentucky Warbler. Kentucky Warbler is a pretty rare species around here, but a pair has nested at Simmon's Pond in Little Compton the last three years. I, of course, had no clue these birds nested there until recently. A bunch of great birders went there last Saturday and I tagged along. None of us heard it in the middle of the afternoon. There were too many people, loud kids, and dogs off leach for it to be out in the open. I went back first thing on Wednesday morning and heard it around 7:30 am. Not trusting my ears I told my friend Jan where I heard it. She went back with two other people Linda G and Carlos Pedro and they all heard it. The good news was others didn't go on a wild warbler chase and it gave me a bit of "street cred".

I know that most people reading this don't care a hell of a lot that I beat a personal record, especially about birds. So if you are reading this, trust me, I'm not bragging. I'm not even that excited about it because 233 wasn't/isn't my goal. That said, I have worked my ass off to see these birds. Most days off from work I get up around 5 am. I have birded every single day off from work since January 1st except two (snow storm and all day rain). During the last couple of weeks on work days, I have been getting up most days very early and birding at Swan Point for ninety minutes before going in for 8 am. So needless to say, if you spend all that time birding, your going to see a few birds.

I could start to worry about how many species I will see this year. Two hundred and fifty is within view. I think I have a chance at it when I go on the Ocean State Bird Club pelagic on June 8. I would need about nine new species before then, but I still have a few shorebirds that are pretty easy, so it is possible.

Statistics

There have been 266 species seen in Rhode Island so far this year.

The leader Jan StJean is killing it. She has seen 251 species.
The second highest total is 247 (Carlos Pedro) followed by Matt Schenck (238), then me at 236

I have seen 12 lifebirds so far this year
I have seen 35 species so far this year that I did not see last year
Six species were identified by song only and I didn't see them

I will not be adding to my list tomorrow. I am birding up at Plum Island with a friend whom I met last year there and we have kept in touch.

Getting High (Numbers) With a Little Help from my Friends

This is a Savannah Sparrow. The aren't rare but they
normally live in large fields. I saw this one at
Swan Point Cemetery 

Today I went on a bird walk at Miantonomi Park in Middletown. The walk was an Ocean State Bird Club walk. I was at Mia yesterday and picked up Bay Breasted Warbler. Many other warblers were there that I had seen but still enjoyed. During this morning's walk, I didn't get any new birds for the year. Two were seen after the group split up but the birds sis not want to cooperate with me.

After the walk a bunch of us went to Simmons Pond in Little Compton to look for Kentucky Warblers which breed there. There were way too many dogs and people and the Kentucky's stayed quiet, but on the way out we heard Easter Wood Pewee a new bird for me.

From there we went to  Dundry Brook also in Little Compton to find Willow and Alder Flycatcher. We heard and saw the Willow but there wasn't an Alder.

Next we went to Weetamoo Woods in Tiverton where we found an Acadian Flycatcher.

So I got three new birds today. All of them were because the experienced birders I hang around with knew right where to go. I had never been to Dundry Brook, been on the trail at Weetamoo Woods, or known where to look for the Kentucky Warbler.  I owe those birds to Jan, Carlos, Linda, and Wayne.

Believe me, I value their experience and kindness

I forgot my camera today, so here is a pic of my
favorite warbler Black Throated Blue

Just some pictures from today

   As you would expect, I spent my dayoff birding from dawn until well after dark pulling into my driveway. Today was very productive. I got ten new birds for the year. I also got two lifebirds. The first lifer was at Miantinomi in Newport. As I was walking in, a bunch of my friends were looking at the super rare (around here) Golden Winged Warbler. This is a once every five years type of bird.

   The second lifer was a Hooded Warbler at Great Swamp. Besides the two lifebirds, the other first of the year birds were Eastern Kingbird, Rose Breasted Grosbeak, American Redstart, Common Yellowthroat, Broadwing Hawk, Blue Winged Warbler, and Least Tern, Spotted Sandpiper.

   Most of these are common birds. However, with rain almost every day I was starting to worry I wouldn't end up seeing them. Of these non-lifebirds the one I was most happy to see was the Broadwing. It is a species I see by the hundreds in the fall at Mt Wachusett. But in the spring they migrate by themselves. They are fairly common, but you can't look for them. They can be in any random woods but there aren't any "hotspots". It was pure relief seeing this one in the woods, that is why I added the crappy picture. 

Some of the birds I saw today are below 

Broadwing Hawk

Cedar Waxwing

Yellow Warbler

Veery

Black and White Warbler

Scarlet Tanager

Beaver

I saw a Scarlet Tanager two days in a row,
this is the one from yesterday

I saw an Orchard Oriole yesterday also

Photographing birds that have eluded me

Over the past twenty five years, when my radio is on I listen to Classic Rock and Country Music about equally. When I think about how much I drive, that means I have listened to classic rock thousands upon hours. However, it wasn't until three or four years ago that I first heard Juke Box Hero by Foreigner. Can you imagine how many times that song must have been on before or after I changed the channel, yet I had never heard it.

On the same token, I have missed out of photographing a couple species that I really wanted. Both Black Crowned Night Heron and Wood Thrush are fairly common yet I never got a good photo of each.

I've seen plenty of Black Crowned Night Hero (BCNH for now on). Unfortunately, most of the ones I've seen were at Potter's Cove in Jamestown after dark. Both myself and the BCNH were there fishing. I was after stripers and the heron were after silversides. Needless to say get a photo wasn't a possibility. I've seen others, but usually I accidentally flush them as I'm walking and they see me before I see them.

Wood Thrush are another common species. Yet in all of my birding I had seen exactly one. It was at Oxbow NWR three years ago. They are a stately bird and I not only wanted to see one but get some good photos. 

Today I got both. I went birding before work this morning. There was a BCNH at Hunt's Mill in East Providence. It was still drizzling so I didn't have great light. So, my pictures could have been awesome, but for now I'll settle for decent.

After work I went to Swan Point. It was pretty quiet. However as I was driving to leave I could hear wood thrush. There was one singing in the trees. I couldn't find it, but a chorus of at least three others joined in. I found one singing about ten feet up. The sun was out and I had great light on it. For ten minutes I took pictures while it sang its little heart out. It was cool.

200!!! And thoughts on a Rhode Island Big Year

Wilson's Plover
Lifebird #9 this year

Today I reached a stepping stone in my Rhode Island Big Year. I hit 200 birds. My goal of two hundred and fifty is within sight.

I started my day with 190 species. I knew if I got lucky with a few woods birds in the morning I'd have a shot at two hundred because I was going after shorebirds in the afternoon. I have largely ignored shorebirds so I knew I'd get a few. My morning started off pretty well. I got the Summer Tanager in Watch Hill that was found by Sue Palmer yesterday. While there, I got a bonus bird as Chimney Swifts were flying overhead.

Next I went to Misquamicut hoping to see Lesser Yellowlegs. I thought I saw one but it flew out of sight before I could get a positive ID. Because I spent so much time chasing birds I got to Trustom later than I wanted. It was pretty dead.

While I was at Trustom, there was a report of a Wilson's Plover at Charlestown Breachway. I have never been to the mudflats in the spring before. However, going there was already part of my plan so this was another bonus bird. I put my waders on and went out to the mudflat. Half of Rhode Island's best birders were already there (the other half showed up while I was there). My friend Jan was out on the flat in her waders. She had already seen it but it had moved. She found it in her scope before I did so I looked through hers. Then I found it in mine. This was Lifebird #9 for the year.

After looking at the Wilson's, I started looking for the common shorebirds. I saw Semi-Palmated Plover, Semi-Palmated and Least Sandpipers, Short Billed Dowitcher, and a lot of Willet. Besides the new birds, there were also Piping Plover, Caspain Terns and a bunch of Dunlin. I did miss a few species that I'll get later such as Common Tern, White Rumped Sandpiper, Saltmarsh and Seaside Sparrow.

From the mudflats I went to Succotash Marsh and saw Lesser Yellowlegs that I was sure were Lesser's. There were also Greater Yellowlegs and Green Wnged Teal.

I killed a couple more hours then I went to the Tillinghast property. Also there were JanStJean, Don Heitzmann, and Alex Patterson. All of us were hoping to hear the Chuck-will's-widow. This is a nightjar that only calls at dark. I went a couple days ago, I didn't hear it but I did hear Whip-poor-wills for the first time. I was pretty happy anyway. Tonight we got lucky. It flew in and we saw it. Then it called right away. The whips were also calling a lot. I was actually giddy. I completely forgot all about numbers and just enjoyed the moment. It wasn't until we were leaving that I even remembered that I hit 200.

Not a new bird,
but fun to see a Great Egret in a tree

Thought on a Big Year-

First off, for me calling birding in Rhode Island a"big year" is a little misleading. I love birding so next year I'm still going to bird a lot. I'm still going to chase rare birds. I'm still going to enjoy going to Trustom, Great Swamp, and Miantonomi. However, there are a couple of things that make this year different. The first is mainly birding in Rhode Island. Normally, I'd bird n Rhode Island most of the time anyway, but I'd make multiple trips to Plum Island in May. This year, I may go to Plum at the end of the month once.

Another thing is how much time it takes to really find or chase every bird is incredible. It really has cut into my other hobbies, mainly fishing. Normally, I'm a believer of "do whatever makes me happy". If I feel like trout fishing, I go trout fishing. If I want to striper fish or walk at Trustom I do it. However, when your goal is to see 250 species, then, you go and look for birds. Right now, I am missing one of the best tautog bites I've ever heard of (sorry, I can't tell you where) because I spent all day (into the night) getting those ten birds. I am okay with it because I want to reach my goal. Next year, again, I'll bird a lot, but if I want to spend a day fishing for lake trout and salmon at Wachusett, then that is what I will do.

One difference between this year and next will be the number of miles I'm putting on my car. Next year I'll still chase rarity but I'll be more judicious about it. I probably won't be making after work runs to Narragansett in January when there is only 45 minutes of sunlight to chase birds. I won't drive to Trustom four times in a week to look for white eyed vireos and brown thrashers (saw the vireos, still haven't seen a thrasher). I'll probably go back to birding on my days off and fishing close to home in the evenings. If I don't, I'll be pushing my car to a dealership as a trade while still having a loan payment. I don't mind the driving or even the gas money spent on this journey, but I do worry about the wasted miles on my car, especially after dipping on a bird.

Rhode Island is small. I can reach every town except Westerly and Little Compton in an hour and I don't even live in Rhode Island! I found out that our bird club has about 130 members. However, no matter where a real rare bird shows up the same fifteen people (some not bird club members)show up. I can even recognize their cars when I pull up. These are the real diehards. These are amazing birders who not only see the most birds but also have a ton of knowledge.  What I have come to learn is they are not only great birders, but also awesome people. I think because these same people show up at all the birds and are out every chance they can, there is more than mutual respect. It is a bond. When people will also go look for an American Bittern a half dozen times until they find it just like you, there is a common brotherhood/sisterhood. For me its the same as with fishermen. I'd much rather hang out with the guy that will slug it out a couple hours for two or three fish than be with someone that wants to leave because they didn't get a hit in twenty minutes. I really enjoy hanging out with this group of dedicated birders for the same sort of reason.

I've started my paragraphs in many blogposts with "there was a report". That means some unselfish birder found a good bird and shared it with the birding community. I really can't overstate how lucky I am to go birding in a state that has birders so willing to share information, I can't stress enough how lucky I am that Jan befriended me, she has been unbelievable. There are a multitude of others that have been really helpful and I've been lucky enough to get to know (Dick and Marge, Matt, Sue, Carlos, Alex, John, Don, Jess, Ed, Wayne, Wendy, Linda, Richard, and a host of people I have never met that share info)

Lastly, in my plans for my Big year quest I did not expect such a range of emotions. When I'm at work and there is a report of a rare bird, I get anxiety. No joke, my heart starts racing, my pulse quickens, and I get actually nervous that I might miss the bird. If I know I can go chase the bird after work the anticipation is a little overwhelming (I get the same feeling in September when I know I'm going  albie fishing after work). The only real word I can use to describe this anxiety is stress. I have totally stressed and been nervous sometimes for hours until I can finally go birding. What is ironic about that is as soon as I go birding, I am totally relaxed. I'm at ease, my anxiety calms down. This is even true if I don't get the bird. Despite spending the last few hours at work stressed out about whether I see the rare bird or not, once I'm there it doesn't really matter. I guess the chase means as much to me as the find.

Last week there was a White Faced Ibis in Middletown. I went straight from work. It was in some muddy fields on a farm. I along with Jan spent over 2.5 hours peeking through holes in the brush along a loud, busy, street looking for this bird. We would walk along the street and back to the open field over and over. You would think one would get bored or give up because we didn't see it. To the contrary, we both had to leave at 6 pm. The closer it got to 6 pm, the faster time sped up. As long as I was there, I/we had a chance to see this bird. We didn't see it that night, but we both got to see it the next day about 90 minutes apart.

You could make an argument that if birding is stressing me out and making me anxious than it is unhealthy and I should tone it down. I wouldn't have an rebuttal. But, I think that if birding is the cure, then I should keep doing it. If all I'm thinking about is finding birds, or planning my next trip it shows how much I care and how much it means to me. I can only imagine the anxiety level Neil Hayward and Greg Miller had while doing their Continental Big Years. They invested thousands of dollars, spent countless hours at airports, and drove across huge parts of the country, sometimes to see one bird. Fortunately, I will never know the stress these guys were under because a Continental Big Year is not in my budget.

On the flip side, sometimes getting a good bird or a good photo is intoxicating. I got two lifebirds today, which is a lot at this point in my birding career (local birding). The Wilson's Plover was the much harder bird to get. They don't nest north of the Carolinas. The Chuck-Will's-Widow has been found at the same spot four years in a row, although I'd never heard or seen it. Yet, when we were listening the the Whips and the Chuck and saw them flyover, I got giddy. The emotion was pure joy. No different from catching a twenty pound striper, any size albie, or standing on a mountain top. It was euphoric.

I just wish there was time to squeeze a little more fishing in!

Lifebird #8 for the year; Yellow Crowned Night Heron

Today, I saw my first ever Yellow Crowned Night Heron. It was at Allen's Cove Marina in North Kingston, RI. I got a text from my friend Jan that one was spotted and I was only twenty minutes away. I have missed the couple that I have looked for previously on Plum Island. YCNH is a pretty rare bird for these parts. It was feeding out in the open on the shore when I saw it. I really wanted to watch it and study it but I knew the longer I stayed the more likely it would spook. I didn't want to scare it for other birders so I only watched it for about two minutes.

Year stats update- 190 species in Rhode Island

                              Dropped down to 4th place

                               Number of species seen 237

                               Leader 211