birdtalesblog

CODE 4! Normally in Asia

We were in SF for a fun-filled Parish Family/Palace Hotel wedding extravaganza this weekend and I had no intention of birding. My Nina had lived in SF for 20 years and we had three packed days of celebrating the newlyweds and catching up with friends. I did not bring my Nikon camera but I always travel with binoculars. I figured I might find an hour to view the amusing parrots of Telegraph Hill (Coit Tower).
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Wild_Parrots_of_Telegraph_Hill

On Saturday afternoon I received a Code 4 text alert. A male Garganey was dabbling with Cinnamon and Blue-winged Teals in a flooded field near Sacramento….far away from its Eurasian/Aleutian range! I had an adrenaline rush but quickly dismissed any chance of chasing this fellow on Sunday because I thought Sacramento was way out of MY range. And I simply had to return to Philly sometime Monday.

Our Sunday night dinner hosts politely listened to one of my birding monologues at cocktail hour and questioned why I wasn’t going to “try for it” on Monday morning. Their eldest son Miles, a life-long friend of our Chloe, was joining us for dinner before heading back to his apartment in California’s capital…..only a short 90 minute drive away. WAIT….WHAT!? My geographic knowledge of our third largest state had failed me. I had calculated it was four hours away.

Thankfully, Miles’ curiosity about bird-chasers and interest in searching for this aquatic specialty near his office, convinced me to adjust my Monday itinerary. After a wonderful meal and catch up with the Horton’s, Miles and I went our separate ways, having agreed to meet Monday @ 8am at the flooded field.

Within minutes of our arrival, three guys with scopes located our distant target and gleefully shared their views with us. I didn’t even need my binoculars. Miles had started his life-list with a Code 4 Garganey! Admittedly, sparking a possible interest in this hobby in a young person,…. an environmentally-conscious young person working with a State Representative,….gave me more satisfaction than checking off my ABA Area life bird # 781. Today was a Win-Win!

That dot IS a GARGANEY!

GCW & Miles Horton after spotting Code 4 Garganey (Sacramento)!

On paper, a Thick-billed Vireo description reads a little like a “LBJ” (little brown job). “Medium sized (5-6 inches), olive-green upperparts, brown iris, pale yellow underparts. Most often heard, not seen. Frequents dense undergrowth and thickets”. Oh….and it’s a Code 4 – meaning it pops over from the Bahamas to southeastern Florida, maybe once every other year. Frankly, I never felt I’d be in the right place at the right time to find this non-migratory bird. Therefore, I never expected to add this accidental US visitor to my life-list. Until President’s Day.

Fortunately for me, I was traveling to Fort Lauderdale very early Monday morning (5:45 flight!), a day after the rare bird report texts came over my phone. Crandon Park, Key Biscayne…..totally doable from Lauderdale. Everything went smoothly and I pulled into an empty Crandon Park Nature Center parking lot at 10am.

My early concern that this was going to be another “needle-in-the-haystack” search was alleviated as I was quickly joined by a woman from Orlando, a man from Milwaukee, a father-son duet from Toronto and a “Big Year” participant from Australia. Within minutes our target vocalized and we caught glimpses of him darting through the, yes….dense undergrowth, hunting for insects.

I had my “lifer” but a photograph seemed impossible. The others also were equipped with cameras but the conditions were not permitting a photograph worthy of this blog. Over the next three hours, perhaps satisfied with (at best) a dark silhouette image of this passerine, the others wished me well and departed. Except for the VERY persistent and friendly Canadians. Not much longer after the self-described “impatient ADD” man from Sydney succumbed to the bugs, the Toronto guys motioned me through the tangles to come to the courtyard. There was our bird, gleaning a meal from an eye-level bush. I think you will agree that he is far from drab or dull but rather, well….spectacular!

Thick-billed Vireo (Key Biscayne)

Code 4! Thick-billed Vireo

Last week the birding world was rocked by the news of a code 4 female Old World flycatcher (Red-flanked Bluetail) inhabiting an enclosed library courtyard at UCLA. Lucky me, I was already booked on a Sunday flight to Los Angeles for work! Truth be told, I had never even heard of this mega-rarity until an Idaho birder reported one two years ago. They winter in Asia, the Himalayas and Indochina! As I approach 800 lifetime ABA Area (USA and Canada) birds….this one was definitely NOT on my hit list.

The LA Times ran an article on Saturday about the masses of birders descending on this oasis in the city and the difficulty people had seeing (much less photographing) this skittish thrush-like creature. A winter downpour commenced at 5 this morning and continued past dawn. The crap weather did not temper my excitement but did force me to buy a cheap umbrella and a lousy poncho at a CVS.

I showed up an hour earlier than the posted public’s 9am opening time and snuck into the grounds behind an employee with the magic gate-opening swipy card. But as the big metal gate shut me in to the several acre William Andrews Clark Library grounds, I had a slight panic that maybe I would not find a five (5) inch bird in a much bigger area than I anticipated….in such a downpour

Consistent sightings were reported near a ficus tree and a u-shaped hedge. A what, where? Damn, I couldn’t get cell service to even google a ficus tree. Thankfully, after an hour, I was joined by retired police officer “Jim” who had flown home to SF from Argentina yesterday and then driven all night to chase this bird. He knew exactly where we should look. Within minutes an “LBJ” (little brown job) flashed in front of us and posed on a (ficus?) branch. The orange-red flank and iridescent blue tail were evident…even in the rain.

Red-flanked Bluetail (LA)

OF COURSE, I had to try again to see and photograph the first-ever-documented-in-USA, South American resident, GREAT BLACK HAWK, currently in Portland, Maine. Two weeks ago I was skunked. Today was different. With the aid of my wife’s frequent flier miles, I was back at Deering Oaks Park this morning, accompanied by at least 30 avid birders from around the country. The pictures tell it all. YOU, please indicate your favorite and help me decide which one will be enlarged, printed and framed. Thank you and HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

Hawk-watchers (Portland, Maine)

Great Black Hawk (Portland, Maine)

Great Black Hawk

Great Black Hawk

Great Black Hawk

Great Black Hawk

Great Black Hawk

The Great Black Hawk had NEVER been spotted in the USA until 2018! Its normal range is South America to Mexico. The fact that one was being seen periodically in Maine this Fall was simply astounding. Since Thanksgiving I had been keeping a close eye on the rare bird alerts. Two close buddies of mine saw the bird yesterday, so with the help of American Airlines, I made my move this morning.

By 10:30am I was in Deering Oaks Park reading one of the Portland park ranger signs carefully placed around the copse of trees most frequented by the Great Black Hawk. Several birders had been there since dawn….no sign of our code 5 visitor. The winds were calm but the temperature was 19F.

RARE BIRD ALERT!

The park is host to a healthy gray squirrel population, a very popular food source for most raptors. The Great Black Hawk has reportedly feasted on at least one of these unsuspecting creatures daily.

After a couple of hours of pacing around the park, occasionally sharing brief conversations with the dozen or so other birders, but mostly looking at the sky, the trees, even the ground….I noticed a raptor in a nearby tree. For a moment I thought the Birding Gods had smiled on me once again. But no, it was a Red-Tailed Hawk.

RED-TAILED HAWK

More than five hours had elapsed and I couldn’t feel my fingers or my toes. Adrenaline had sustained me until now. I was frozen. The sun sets at 4:03pm up there. I was done.

So….this is not a triumphant story about ABA Area Lifer #776. Rather, it’s a chronicle of one day in my life where patience was tested and subsequent frustration must be conquered by the fact that trying is more important than the end result. Just writing this down helps take the sting out of today.

In May, 2014 I wrote about hearing but NOT SEEING the elusive Black Rail….it would have been #700.

https://birdtalesblog.wordpress.com/2014/05/

Well, E-Bird was reporting several of these shrew-sized birds reliably calling during the day (normally a pm activity) in the Alviso marsh in the Don Edwards SF Bay National Wildlife Refuge near San Jose. Since I was already in SF, the 50 mile drive south was a non-decision.

Don Edwards SF Bay NWR (San Jose)

I arrived at dawn and two other birders were already in place at the end of the boardwalk in the above photo. We heard several black rails give their signature “kic-kic-kerr” calls and “grr-grr-grr” growls. Seeing one of these tiny, shy marsh-slinkers is considered one of the most difficult achievements in North American birding; photographing one is nearly impossible. After two hours the guy gave up. The lady birder lasted another two hours but also departed, leaving me by myself. I was tempted to use my I-phone bird app to try to stir one of the birds but…remember….that is not ethical.

The calls and growls were coming from only a few feet away but I could not see any movement in the dense marsh grass. I had to leave in 45 minutes to make my business meeting in Mountain View. Frustration was peaking when I saw something walk by an empty Gatorade bottle brought in by the tide. My heart jumped. The bird gave me a two second look….it was a rail; but it was the much more common Virginia Rail. But wait, another shadow caught my eye as I peered down over the edge of the boardwalk railing. It looked like a mouse but it wasn’t a rodent. The Black Rail! Unmistakeable white flecks dotted its back and a chestnut-brown nape gleamed in the bright sun. I watched it for at least five seconds and then it was gone.

Incredibly satisfied, I mean sooo content I cannot explain…I drove to my meeting – in my birding clothes. Thankfully the fellow I met was quite understanding and being California, didn’t expect to see me in a coat and tie. My next meeting had cancelled earlier in the day so I had a crazy thought. Why not go back to the marsh and attempt a photo with my I-phone? How can I write this blog without showing an image? Of course, I had not even considered bringing my Nikon camera on this trip. Nobody photographs a Black Rail.

I returned to the boardwalk and waited with my I-phone camera “on” with arms extended over the exact spot I had seen it earlier. It was 2pm. Every ten minutes or so a rail called. Clearly the end of the boardwalk was in the middle of its territory. I waited and waited. At one point I returned to my car and recharged my phone for 15 minutes. By 4pm the calls were more frequent. I prayed and I questioned my sanity. But my patience and persistence paid off!

Black Rail (looks like a white-speckled mouse)

ABA Area #775 officially in the books.

“Hi, Laura…Ohio”. “David, Minnesota”. “Leslie, San Antonio”. “Barbara, Lauderdale”. “George, Philly”. These were the brief but polite exchanges as we greeted the young PhD student from Corpus Christie. None of us wanted to engage in actual conversation for fear of missing a glimpse of the Mexican Violetear… a hummingbird that rarely emigrates from central Mexico to the USA. The six of us stayed positioned in one spot at Quinta Mazatlan, a Spanish revival style mansion with gardens – an urban sanctuary. We were desperately hoping for the appearance of a metallic-green bird formerly known as the “Green Violetear” which had made daily trips to the purple and red flowers in front of us the past 13 consecutive days.

Having nailed my two Arizona target birds (both on Father’s Day!) with a vacation day to spare, hitting south Texas on the way home was a no-brainer. For David, the 24 hour drive from Minneapolis earned him the right to occupy the pole position, the location along the short fence with the widest view of the clearing. Laura and Leslie had five second looks at the bird the day before so they were content to stand behind Barbara, David and me, cameras pointed at the mimosa bush. I never did catch the PhD’s name and frankly didn’t care. We waited four hours until closing time. Buff-bellied and Black-chinned Hummingbirds but no Colibri thalassinus.

The next morning the “mansion with a mission” opened an hour early (7am) for us birders. The same group congregated…and waited…four more hours. My last possible flight out of McAllen required I leave at 11am. Disappointed on one hand but also satisfied with my effort, I made it to the airport with minutes to spare. I had failed to calculate the extra time required waiting to clear Border Patrol’s checkpoint. I was in McAllen, Texas….the current focus of NATIONAL attention on (human not avian) immigration. The topic never came up with my fellow self-absorbed birders. But the irony of the situation didn’t escape me.

No words needed

You didn’t think I’d trek to SE Arizona in pursuit of only one rarity, did you? Nah. There were TWO birds on my hit list. Only 80 miles from the Slate-throated Redstart, in Ramsey Canyon, a Flame-colored Tanager (code 3) had been seen on and off for about three weeks. This is an area over 6500’ in elevation with a unique cool environment unusual in the desert Southwest. It’s also the nature preserve where I unknowingly had pneumonia and unwisely tracked and photographed a Tufted Flycatcher in March, 2017.

Ramsey Canyon, AZ (home of Flame-colored Tanager)

I don’t expect anyone to remember my April, 2013 post about a hybrid Flame-colored x Western Tanager. A YELLOW-orange bird but not “countable” because it is not considered a separate species. Seems odd to me that I couldn’t count it as anything and there it was. Oh well, the birding authorities…..

Hybrid: Flame-colored x Western Tanager

Anyway, the Flame-colored Tanager (a RED-orange color) was being seen along a 1/2 mile stretch of the Hamburg trail. This rocky path wound through dense stands of conifers, oaks and sycamores. Viewing would be difficult as this medium-sized passerine prefers to glean insects from the foliage in the mid to upper levels of the trees. I arrived at Ramsey Canyon Preserve and happily paid the $6 fee. Daylight was not my limiting factor rather the 5pm closing time imposed by The Nature Conservancy. You did not want to be on the wrong side of the iron gate when the staff locked up.

After three hours of pulse-jumping views of colorful Red-faced Warblers and Hepatic Tanagers, among other not so exciting interruptions by common woodpeckers and jays, I found a spot where I had an unobstructed 90 degree view of the tops of trees in his expansive territory. I estimated I was 30 minutes from the gift shop or put another way, I had 30 minutes to find this bird. It was 4pm in the canyon and the sun was casting long shadows. I stood there beginning to rationalize the Slate-throated Redstart sighting earlier that day as sufficient justification for spending three days (and a bit of money) in Arizona,…when I heard a distant call that sounded like our eastern Scarlet Tanager.

I binoculared the furthest sun-lit tree tops and a bright red figure outlined in coniferous green stood out. I fumbled for my camera, steadied my hand and clicked away…..the magic of zoom lenses and automated digital photography! The Flame-colored Tanager disappeared after only a minute or two.

Flame-colored Tanager (#774 ABA Area)

Adrenaline pumping, I quickly traversed down the steep and narrow trail back to my rental car. After patrolling the “stake-out” area for three hours, I was certain I had just captured an image of the distant target bird. As I examined the photo in the shade of the front seat, my heart sank. There was white in the wings. Ugh. I had seen the common Painted Redstart rather than the code 4 rarity…Slate-throated Redstart.

Painted Redstart (male)….note white in wing

I had traveled to SE Arizona for an encounter with this Mexican specialty. It had been seen daily but sporadically for a couple of weeks. I re-read the recent e-bird postings describing the habits of this small warbler and headed back up the ravine. Sunset was my only deadline.

I sat at the end of the 200 yard trail by a little waterfall and waited. Within minutes two birds caught my eye as they darted among the conifers and oak trees, mimicking each other’s moves. I had a good look at the lead bird….male Painted Redstart again. Prior birders had mentioned that the male Painted and the female Slate-throated appeared to be exhibiting courtship behavior. This pair continued their coordinated but randomly-patterned flight dance. I struggled to focus my binoculars on the second bird. Finally they took a break and perched in a viewable spot 20 yards away. I had my SLATE-THROATED REDSTART!

Slate-throated Redstart (code 4), Pinery Canyon, AZ

Slate-throated Redstart (female)….fanning tail in courtship ritual

My heart jumped when I read the NJ Rare Bird Alert text on Sunday morning April 29th. The Swainson’s Warbler had eluded me in Florida, two Carolinas…and now it was hundreds of miles north of where it was supposed to be…but only two hours from Philadelphia. By 2pm I was anxiously wandering the footpaths near the Cape May Point lighthouse hoping I had interpreted the e-bird coordinates correctly when I ran into my birding friend Win Shafer. Together we determined exactly where this small (5″) bird had been heard but basically not seen. Unfortunately, after a couple of hours standing in the bird-sound-less wind, we each headed home, very disappointed.

Overshot its normal range.

For the next two weeks I jealously read daily reports of birders hearing but rarely seeing this same singing male. This bird must have set up a breeding territory, otherwise it surely would have moved and continued its wayward migration. The Swainson’s Warbler is an olive-brown (i.e. drab) bird with a huge voice. Think Carolina Wren. When not singing from an exposed branch in breeding season, it spends most of its time skulking on the ground, hidden in dense thickets and “foraging on the ground looking for insects, spiders and caterpillars”. This guy  was particularly difficult to locate because it was situated deep in the tangles of private property.

Drab appearance but what a voice!

Monday May 14th I woke up very early and decided to try again. Fueled with WAWA coffee, I cruised to southern NJ and was planted in “the spot in Bob’s Woods” just before dawn. The 3:00 am wake-up was worth it because the bird was already belting out its distinctive song very LOUDLY. It actually wasn’t that close and, of course, it was hidden somewhere in the distant dim-lit stand of trees. I desperately wanted to see it as I don’t “count” heard-only birds on my life-list. I was alone. Should I play the bird’s song on my IPHONE to draw it closer? I thought of the occasional (?) golfer with a bad lie in the rough who moves the ball to ostensibly check its identity and replaces the ball in a better position. That’s called cheating. NO….using the phone would be unethical and kind of cheating. Not to mention it would be very disturbing to this persistent, lonely male who has already been exerting tremendous vocal energy for 15 days to impress (sadly) a non-existent female.

At 6:15 am I noticed a slight silhouetted movement twenty feet up and about 50 yards away. I was rewarded with a 10x binocular-aided visual of this Code 2 wood-warbler! It was singing from a branch in a tree whose leaves had not completely popped out. Eureka! I reached for my camera….oh, right. I didn’t think I had a prayer to photograph this bird so I left the camera and its telephoto lens at home. But I did take an IPHONE shot of the tree it occupied.

I promise a Swainson’s Warbler is in this tree!

You’ll just have to trust me. ABA Area species #772 and also the last of the 50 (excludes Mexican rarities) warbler species one can see in the Lower 48 states.