Cape May's Hawkwatch tower is located within Cape May Point State Park. The official fall hawk watching season takes place from September 1 - November 30. The species of hawks that come through any given hawk watch generally vary throughout the hawk watching season and there are a number of species that come through here. When we were there, the species that I remember best were the number of Sharp-shinned Hawks and Cooper's Hawks that offered nice comparisons, "gray ghost" male Northern Harriers, and Merlins darting through. One of the Merlins flew so close to my ear that I heard it and felt the wind off of its wings! While on the platform we also saw American Kestrels, Peregrine Falcons, Broad-winged Hawks, Red-tailed Hawks, and Bald Eagles. The official hawk counters were great and happy to answer any questions and point out differences between the similar species between the flurries of activity. Below is the tally of birds that is kept updated throughout the season. More information about the this hawk watch can be found here. Hawkwatch International also has lots of good information and can help you find a hawk watch close to you. If you can't participate in one, you can also follow the daily counts of any of their hawk watches.
When we were there in late October of 2016 for the 40th Anniversary of the Cape May Hawkwatch, the weather was variable with decent temperature swings and frequent rain, but generally cold. Nonetheless, the hawks were moving through and we had a good time. Cape May is known for its hawk watch in the fall. Hawks do not like to cross open water while migrating. There are a few exceptions, like falcons or young hawks without experience, but generally the rule holds. During migration, they use thermals to rise into the air and glide long distances. Since thermals are created by heat rising off of the ground they disappear over open water, which instead serve as heat "sinks". When hawks lose the thermals, it requires an increased expenditure in energy since they have to power their own flight rather than ride the warm air currents. Peninsulas concentrate hawks since their choices are to either follow the shore and fly around the water barrier or cross the water at the end of the peninsula and fly the shortest distance possible over the water. Cape May's Hawkwatch tower is located within Cape May Point State Park. The official fall hawk watching season takes place from September 1 - November 30. The species of hawks that come through any given hawk watch generally vary throughout the hawk watching season and there are a number of species that come through here. When we were there, the species that I remember best were the number of Sharp-shinned Hawks and Cooper's Hawks that offered nice comparisons, "gray ghost" male Northern Harriers, and Merlins darting through. One of the Merlins flew so close to my ear that I heard it and felt the wind off of its wings! While on the platform we also saw American Kestrels, Peregrine Falcons, Broad-winged Hawks, Red-tailed Hawks, and Bald Eagles. The official hawk counters were great and happy to answer any questions and point out differences between the similar species between the flurries of activity. Below is the tally of birds that is kept updated throughout the season. More information about the this hawk watch can be found here. Hawkwatch International also has lots of good information and can help you find a hawk watch close to you. If you can't participate in one, you can also follow the daily counts of any of their hawk watches. There are trails and good bird watching all around the hawk watch platform. There are ponds to the left and in front of the platform. The ocean is a short walk to the right. With all of the different habitats, warblers, sparrows, shorebirds, waterfowl, loons, herons, egrets, gulls, and more can be found. There is even a harbor defense battery, called Battery 223, within the park's grounds. The weather can change very quickly, so be prepared! The Cape May Lighthouse also has a very nice museum that highlights the environment and history of the area. My favorite displays were of the beautiful hand carved and painted birds. Some showed the shorebirds that can be found on the beaches and others showed breeding birds with their nests and eggs. Some of the specimens in the museum can even be found nearby on the beach. The area around Cape May Point State Park is also known for its good birding locations and includes South Cape May Meadows and Higbee Beach Wildlife Management Area. Although I have highlighted shorebird and hawk migrations in these two posts about Cape May, they are also known for migrating warblers, owls, sea birds, and butterflies, including the Monarch Butterfly. Monarch Butterfly was seen along a beach path on Seven Mile Island, but we also saw them at the Cape May Hawkwatch and they can be found throughout Cape May during their migration. Below is the view from the Avalon Swatch, located on Seven Mile Island, which takes place from September 22 - December 22 each year. More information can be found here.
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I have been fortunate enough to visit the Rio Grande Valley in Texas a couple of times, but there are so many great birding spots that I had not previously visited Quinta Mazatlan. This time they had a Blue Bunting that was showing up daily. I debated whether or not to go out of my way to see it. To be honest, originally I thought "What's the big deal? I've seen one before". I kept hearing about this bird, though, and when I finally flipped through my Sibley Guide, it turned out that I was thinking of an Indigo Bunting. While Indigo Buntings can be found throughout the eastern half of the U.S., Blue Buntings live in Mexico and northern Central America. Occasionally, they will find their way to south Texas. They look like a cross between an Indigo Bunting and a Blue Grosbeak (especially the immature males like this one). Since the pictures of the three species looked fairly similar to me, I was worried about whether I would be able to identify it myself, but fortunately it was distinct enough to be able to tell that it was a Blue Bunting rather than one of the other two. So, long story short, that's what took me to Quinta Mazatlan. It took hours of waiting and when it did finally show up, the looks were brief. It was a beautiful bird, though, and while I waited I enjoyed making new friends with the many others who were also waiting patiently to see it. I was really glad that I went out of my way to see the bunting because Quinta Mazatlan was beautiful. They have done a wonderful job with the property. There are bronze sculptures of many of the the birds and animals found locally with interesting information, a nice area with seating and several feeders, and a garden with fossils and information about dinosaurs. Additionally, the property is a manageable size and has nice walkways. I ended up visiting three times. Twice to see the Blue Bunting and a third time to finally get to see the rest of the property. While the Blue Bunting will not always be there, other Valley specialities can be found regularly including Great Kiskadee, Green Jay, Plain Chachalaca, Tropical and Couch's Kingbirds, Clay-colored Thrush, Olive Sparrow, Buff-bellied Hummingbird, and Common Pauraque. The Common Pauraque sleep on the ground during the day and are amazing at camouflage. They are really tricky to find, so if you can't find them in the pictures below, I have pointed them out at the end of this blog. If you don't know what one looks like, here's a link to get you started: All About Birds - Common Pauraque There is another feeding area for birds behind the open air structure in the picture below. This area is left off the main loop after you pass the Rock Amphitheater. The sculpture below was the only one that was not bronze and my favorite. I have never heard of a Tree Ocelot. Maybe it's just because I like cats, but the statue was mesmerizing. They did a wonderful job. I can only hope that I get to see one in the wild one day. There were several more sculptures around the garden, really too many to show here! It was overcast and the light was harsh, so it was difficult to get decent pictures of some of them. In addition to the birds and sculptures, there were beautiful flowers throughout the grounds. It is difficult to find blue flowers in nature and I love stumbling across them! I did not alter the photo below in any way. For more information visit: www.quintamazatlan.com
Common Pauraque When I woke up this morning, one of the last things I expected to see was a Snowy Owl. But there it was in my email. The rare bird alert that one had been found in Texas yesterday, and better yet, had been relocated this morning. I have to admit, I debated about whether or not to go for a little while, but then I finished putting on my shoes. Yes, it was a Snowy Owl, but it had been found in a busy area of town. Who knew when a loud noise or too much commotion would spook it. Although this species usually resides in the Arctic, I had already been fortunate enough to see two other Snowy Owls, the first of which I wrote a post about, but I had never seen one up close. This one wasn't in the middle of an agricultural field or out on a frozen lake somewhere, it was next to a shopping center in Odessa, TX.
It was an unusual place to be. During most years a few will show up in the United States during the winter, but every now and again, several dozen will find their way south. The prevailing theory is that when they have a good breeding year up in the Arctic, enough offspring are produced that the young adults leave to find food outside of other owl's territories. Typically these wanderers are found in the northern United States, but every now and again, a few will find their way further south. Based on a search of other reported sightings, this one will be only the 8th to be officially recorded in Texas. It was a two hour drive, but I knew that it was likely the shortest trip I would ever make to see a Snowy Owl and that I had a good chance of seeing it up close. I am really glad that I went. It turned out to be a first year female resting on a telephone pole in a parking lot. She was absolutely gorgeous and did not seem to mind all the noise of the highway and the attention from gawking onlookers. I left home with the intention of only watching her for about an hour so that I could get back before dark, but one hour quickly turned into several. I got to talk to a lot of nice people about her and give them an even better view of her through my scope. I was worried that the employees of the Discount Tire, who's parking lot we were in, would be annoyed at us birders being in their parking lot and attracting people driving by, but instead they were inquisitive and gracious hosts and we all had a nice time enjoying the experience of seeing such a rare sight together. There are not many opportunities to see owls up close, and even fewer to get to watch one for hours on a 60 degree day in the middle of January with good company. On our most recent trip through Arizona, we were finally able to make some time to stop in Portal. Portal is located on the east side of the Chiricahua Mountains. It is in Arizona, but only a few miles from the New Mexico border. We should have continued on our way home, but Portal is a renowned birding area and we had one last weekend night and day. I didn't know what to expect. It was late November and the summer seasonal specialties should have been gone. I was hoping to see a Blue-throated Hummingbird. As I approached a milestone in the number of species that I have seen and kept a record of ("lifers" to us birders), I went back through my sitings and removed any "lifer" that I had any doubt about. One of those records was a Blue-throated Hummingbird that I thought I had seen in Ramsey Canyon, AZ. At the time, I had only recently seen a Magnificent (now Rivoli's) Hummingbird for the first time and this one looked "different". Nonetheless, it was a female or juvenile and my identification was primarily based on the amount of white in the lines on its face. That wasn't good enough to separate it from a Magnificent Hummingbird, so it had to be removed from my list. It's a species that I really wanted to add back to my list and Portal is a well known location to see them in the summer. I was afraid to even ask if there was a chance to see one when we arrived. To my knowledge they were gone in the winter. Almost all species of hummingbirds leave the United States in the winter. It was too much to hope for and I didn't want to be laughed at for asking...but lo and behold. We arrived after dark and I decided to go ahead and ask our lodging host if there was a chance, however remote, to see one. I was shocked when he told me that they could be seen at his residence year round! I couldn't hardly wait until morning, but watching bats circling the porch light to snap up insects was a wonderful way to pass the evening. I got up early the next morning and the sunrise hitting the top of the mountains was incredible. I could hear a large hummingbird nearby. The sounds of its wings was surprisingly loud. By the time I located it, it took off. After seeing a number of other great birds, including a surprising number of Northern Flickers and Red-naped Sapsuckers, I went up to the hummingbird feeders and waited. Finally one showed up and perched mid-story in a pine tree. I was thrilled! After watching it perched for 10-20 minutes, I felt like I had gotten great looks and assumed that it was as good as it was going to get...until it flew to a perch 8 feet away from me, virtually at eye level! It was an incredible experience and I watched a male Blue-throated Hummingbird defend its territory around a feeder from another male, but let the 2 females come in to feed whenever they would like. I could sit on a bench 3 feet from the feeder and have them still come in to fed. Mission accomplished! More importantly, a wonderful experience and time spent with an incredible species. The picture below is a female Blue-throated Hummingbird at the feeder. It's backlit, but note the large white tip on the tail. This is one of the field marks of this species. And as we turned to leave to explore more of Portal and the Chiricahuas, there was a beautiful female Red-naped Sapsucker feeding on berries in a nearby bush. This bird is a female because of the small white patch directly under its bill. This is one of the more discreet differences for telling males and females apart in sapsuckers and woodpeckers.
A Northern Saw-whet Owl was one of the last things I expected to see during a trip to Phoenix, AZ. It is my understanding that these owls are usually found in forests, and I would guess, at higher elevations. This one was found in a wetland preserve in the greater Phoenix area at the Riparian Water Ranch, also known as the Gilbert Water Ranch, in Gilbert, AZ. I had missed out on seeing it the first day that it was found, but not for lack of looking. When I tried again the second day, I understood why I hadn't found it the day before. It was shockingly small and if a handful of birders hadn't already been there, I would have missed it again. Even having seen it, I could not find it again the next day. It's always difficult to judge size in pictures, but from the top of its head to the bottom of its tail I don't think it was more than 6 inches long. I was so surprised by how small and beautiful this bird was. I knew it was going to be pretty from looking at pictures, but birds are always more beautiful in person. This owl was surprisingly calm despite being viewed by birders (who were well-behaved) throughout the day. It even tolerated some very excited children. I stayed until dark hoping to see it take flight for the evening, but it was happy in its tree. I was incredibly lucky to get to spend an afternoon watching this bird. To top it all off, it was a milestone "lifer". All of these pictures were taken with my phone through my binoculars, so there are reflections in some of the pictures.
We have been to Big Branch Marsh NWR in Louisiana several times, all in hopes of seeing the Red-cockaded Woodpeckers that reside there. They are endangered and can only be found in a handful of places across their range in the southeast U.S. because most of their habitat has been lost to logging. I have searched for them in Texas, Louisiana, Florida, and South Carolina. We have never successfully found one...until today! When you drive into the parking area, the telltale signs of the woodpeckers are all around if you look at the trees. T Red-cockaded Woodpeckers are the only woodpecker in the U.S. to make their nesting and roosting holes in live trees. Because of this their holes will have running sap around them, like in the picture above. This is likely a defense against some predators. We usually stop at this NWR whenever we pass through. Previously, that has been in the summer and fall, but this time we went out of our way to stop during the spring, when they are raising their young. These woodpeckers usually travel in family groups, but they could be anywhere most of the year. During the spring, when they are breeding, they raise the young within their family groups cooperatively and this gave us a better chance of getting to see them. Luckily, it paid off and we got to see several individuals as they foraged. We had a great time watching these charismatic little birds go about their daily lives.
AIRBOAT!!! We went to Lake Kissimmee in Florida with the purpose reason of taking an airboat ride. I had never been on one and I chose an airboat ride over the exorbitant price of going to Disney World. The airboat ride was not cheap, but it was cheaper and I have wanted to ride one for awhile. I was also hoping for the added bonus getting to see a Snail Kite, Short-tailed Hawk, or alligators, all of which can be found in the area. What I did not expect were all of the Limpkins foraging in the marshy area along the driveway on the way in! I have not seen many Limpkins, but my previous sightings were hard earned, catching glimpses of one at a time while peering through dark shadows and thick trees. This experience was completely different. I counted 20 Limpkins in an open area right next to the airboat company's parking lot! We chose Kissimmee Swamp Tours and our airboat captain was great! The kites were no longer on their nests, but our captain knew where the nests were and therefore the general areas where the kites were likely to be found. I was hoping to see 1, but we were fortunate enough to see 8! We saw males, females, and juveniles! We got great looks and he was able to maneuver the airboat fairly close to where they were perched on signs and trees. Since we were on the airboat, I had to take the pictures with my phone and I did not have good zoom capabilities. We also saw lots of herons, egrets, gallinules, Anhingas, and a handful of baby alligators! Since it was late in the year, we only found one large alligator, but she was near her nest, which was really cool to see, too. We didn't get to see a Short-tailed Hawk, but you have to leave one for next time, right? :)
I have visited this park twice, in 2010 and 2015, and the views and wildlife were worth the visit both times. This is a free park maintained by the city of Colorado Springs. The park can be seen by driving, biking, or walking and there are a couple of pull-offs and parking lots. There are trails off of the parking areas and a biking lane that follows the road. The park also has a very large gift shop (called the Trading Post) and a separate Visitor's Center. Bursts of wind can blow through the park, particularly around the main parking area, bringing with them blowing dust, so be mindful when you are in the higher areas. Additionally, storms can come up quickly, so be prepared. There is also plenty of wildlife including deer, bunnies, and squirrels/chipmunks, so please drive carefully. Highlights of the birds I saw included a Prairie Falcon, Black-billed Magpies, Western Scrub-Jays, Spotted Towhee, and a Blue-gray Gnatcatcher. Pinion Jays can also be found here, but I did not see one. The main attractions here are the rock formations, which are beautiful, and I also really enjoyed the Least, or Colorado, chipmunks!
Barr Lake State Park is about 40 minutes northeast of downtown Denver and it was well worth the visit. This was only one of two parks that I got to visit in the Denver area and it turned out to be one of my favorite stops in eastern Colorado. They won me over when the first thing I saw was a adorable owl at the front entrance! As if that wasn't enough, I also saw some great birds and beautiful scenery. About half the park is trails while the other half can be driven. I spent my time at the boat ramp and on the Neidrach Trail before a storm chased me back to my car. Even while I was waiting out the storm, I spotted a few good birds including a Swainson's Hawk being mobbed and a Black-billed Magpie. I liked this park so much, that I returned again before we left Colorado. Even the bunnies thought it was too hot before the storm! Highlights of the birds I saw included Clark's and Western Grebes, Bald Eagles, Osprey, a Swainson's Hawk, an American Kestrel, Northern Flickers, a Downy Woodpecker, a Black-billed Magpie, Bullock's Orioles, American White Pelicans (which I never expected), and Barn Owls. There is plenty of wildlife around, so please drive slowly. Our favorite bunny. It must have been a juvenile because it would get so close at times that we could have touched it. Mom was a bit more wary. The Barn Owls were what I came to see, and they did not disappoint! If you do go to see them, please be respectful of their nest by quietly watching from an appropriate distance. I was able to get my pictures by putting my camera up to my spotting scope, which was set up at least 40 feet away. Like most birds, owls are protected by Federal Law. Apparently the lake was pretty high since Colorado has been getting lots of rain lately (summer 2015). The park is owned by the state, but the lake itself is owned by a Farmer's Association company that sells water. They can access water from the lake at any time in order to provide water shares to farmers. This means that the lake is not always as high as when I saw it and my understanding is that they can drain it to pretty low levels sometimes. Nonetheless, it was a very pretty park with views of meadows, Barr Lake, Cottonwood groves, and the mountains. I am not sure how birdy it is when the lake levels are low, but there was a nice variety of birds when I visited. The people that I spoke with at the entrance station, visitor's center, and the Park Rangers were all very nice and knowledgeable about the park. I can't wait to go back and explore more of the park next time!
The entrance fee was $7 for the day. There were several bathrooms, picnic areas, and a nice visitor's center. The park has plenty of information about activities that you can join on their website and on the information boards that can be found at parking areas. They have a nice website with up-to-date information about activities, several maps, and other good information: Barr Lake State Park website. Two of their activities included Moon Walks and outings on a Pontoon Boat, both of which I thought would be fun! This park is maintained by Jefferson County, and wow, have they done a nice job! I have to admit, after seeing the name, I didn't know what to expect and was hesitant to go, especially since the park is in the foothills of the mountains (I mean why else would you name a park Lair O' the Bear if there weren't bears everywhere?!), but when I saw that American Dippers had recently been sighted on the eBird list, I was off before you could yell "Bear!". This park is about 40 minutes west of downtown Denver, and while I did not see any bears or mountain lions (whew!), I did see lots of great birds. They have a nice parking area and the trails are open for use by horses, mountain bikers, hikers, and dogs, though a couple of short trails are restricted to hikers only. This was a pretty busy park with plenty of bikers and hikers and all of the dogs were well behaved with one exception (there's always one...). There were also plenty of fishermen and anglers enjoying the river. Facilities included bathrooms, picnic areas, and an educational area. The trails were easy to walk and level. Taking the trail upstream of the parking area, there were two stream crossings where you had to skittle across slippery rocks for a couple of feet, but these were a good ways down the trail. There are two bridges that can be used to cross the river, but at the time of my visit, the one upstream of the parking area (Dipper Bridge) was closed. And I don't know how this couldn't be a dinosaur footprint! The park was apparently greener and more vegetated than normal due to recent rains. I don't know what it normally looks like, but it was beautiful when I was there. This was also my favorite drive while we were in the Denver area. Besides the scenery, highlights included American Dippers, Broad-tailed Hummingbirds, Violet-green and Tree Swallows, Yellow Warblers, Lazuli Buntings, a Spotted Towhee, and a Black-capped Chickadee (for birders like me that spend most of their time in Carolina or overlapping ranges). There were also plenty of butterflies, including a Weidemeyer's Admiral (pictured below). And of course, the star of the park, the American Dipper! I was lucky enough to not only find one Dipper, but two! A juvenile and adult were foraging along Bear Creek. They may be plain looking birds, but American Dippers are very neat. They can only be found in clear, fast flowing streams with exposed rocks to perch on, and they only eat the aquatic insects and larvae that can be found in these streams (Sibley 2014).
More info about Lair O' the Bear can be found here: https://jeffco.us/open-space/parks/lair-o-bear-park/ as well as info about other Jefferson County parks. Map of Lair O' the Bear: |
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September 2022
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