I'm Glad Warblers Don't Read!

One of the things that I've wanted to do for a while is lead a field trip in Portland during the Spring Migration period. The problem is, the major bird clubs in Connecticut already have a packed schedule during Spring Migration. There really is no need for additional trips in spring. I finally found my opportunity when I ran into the President of The Mattabeseck Audubon during The Connecticut Eagle Festival in February. Mattabeseck Audubon does offer some nice field trips during the year but I noticed that their field trip schedule had plenty of room for growth . When I approached Allison about having a May field trip in Portland, she agreed to the idea.
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The trip took place this past Saturday on the 17th. I scheduled it for 6:30am which is earlier than most trips start. I was curious as to how many people would show up. I've attended several Mattabeseck field trips in the past and the attendance has ranged between 1(me) and about 10 people. I prefer smaller groups but as of 6:15 am not a single person had shown up for my trip. A complete no-show would have been a disappointment. Fortunately, two birders did eventually show up.

The three of us made a quick stop at the Portland Fairgrounds where we saw Barn Swallows, Tree Swallows, and a single Solitary Sandpiper. We quickly moved on to the Portland Reservoir which I had scouted the week before with good success. I was hopeful that there would be a good variety of migrants there this week as well. One of the first things we noticed was the large number of Gray Catbirds. Take a close look at the photo of the Broad-winged Hawk in flight. I'm not particularly good at identifying birds in flight but the single white band in the tail and black bordered wings are clearly visible. Note the of the feathers missing off the end its wing. I wonder what happened to this hawk?

Baltimore Orioles also see to be everywhere we turned. I don't think we had any complaints about that. As we were passing by the bog, Rich noticed a Green Heron perched on the top of a dead tree snag. I attempted about a dozen photos but the lighting was too strong. During the trip, we observed several species of bird gathering nesting material including a Scarlet Tanager. We had a nice view of an American Robin sitting on its nest.

There was a total of 59 species on the day but I would have to say that the warblers stole the show. We had very nice views of Common Yellowthroats and Yellow Warblers. Black-throated Green Warblers and Louisiana Waterthrush were heard but not seen. We all had a terrific view of an Ovenbird which posed for us on a low branch right in front of us. My favorite warbler sighting at Portland Reservoir was a boldly colored Magnolia Warbler. This was my first sighting of one at this location and I was pretty fired up about it! Other warblers seen here included: American Restart, Northern Parula, and Pine Warbler.

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Our last stop was at the Old Marlborough Turnpike power lines. There are 3 species of Warbler that I would expect to see there this time of the year and they were all there. The Blue-winged Warbler could clearly be heard (bee-buzz) but managed to stay out of our view. The Prairie Warblers were frequently singing their ascending song .We had a very nice view of one in particular as it perched on the top of a Cedar Tree. Those sneaky little Chestnut-sided Warblers were singing all around us but darned if they weren't difficult to get a look at. We really had to work to get a look at them. I finally had one land in a bush about two feet front of me. It was very low to the ground. We were just wrapping things up when we noticed some active birds just across the road. We we searching a bush with our binoculars when suddenly a warbler with a yellow breast and bold, dark, necklace caught our attention. It was a Canada Warbler! A nice bird for this area and a great way to end the trip!

Great Pond- I made a very short visit to Great Pond in Glastonbury on Sunday. Blood-thirsty mosquitoes were the reason for the brevity of this trip. I am wearing a long-sleeved shirt while birding for the rest of the year! During my brief visit I was able to get a look at a brilliantly colored male Blackburian Warbler. This marked the first time I was able to find one of these warblers without someone else pointing it out to me. I also had an interesting experience while checking the pond. As I approached the observation deck, I spooked something off in a hurry. It hurried into a brushy area of the pond to the right of me. I looked down and noticed some cute little ducklings. The ducklings started paddling off to the other side of the pond. Suddenly a female Wood Duck emerged from the brush and gave me a dirty look. The poor mother seemed awfully distressed because it couldn't find its young. It finally located them on the opposite side of the pond. There were plenty of other birds around but I just couldn't enjoy viewing them because of those wicked little mosquitoes. I decided to get a start on my garden instead. I'm doing two gardens this week-one at home and one at work. Gardening is fun but can be a lot of work! I'm just managing to squeeze this post in tonight. I'm sure I'll have plenty of editing to do on this post tomorrow.

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One last thing I wanted to mention. It is well documented in books and on the Internet where the state's best locations are for viewing warblers. I'm glad that warblers don't read about where they're supposed to be or I might not be seeing so many of them right in my own area! My next plan is to search for some of the less common species like the Cerulean Warbler. That will have to wait till the weekend.

Kings Of The Canopy

It was 5:00am on Saturday morning when I noticed that the sky was just starting to get lighter. I gathered my binoculars and camera ready to head out for what I expect will be an exciting morning of birding. We are entering the peak of Spring Migration and reports of warblers have been promising this week.

I arrived at Portland Reservoir at 5:30am, not wanting to miss one moment of what is a perfect spring morning. The sky is clear and the forecast calls for temperatures in the upper 60's. There's something magical about the early part of the morning. It's the time of the day that my mind is at its sharpest with only the sounds of nature to compete with my thoughts. Most people are still asleep at this time allowing me to walk through the woods slowly with no distractions.

A few birds had started to already. There were the slurred singing of the Baltimore Oriole, the lyrical notes of a Song Sparrow, and the squeaking cackle of Canada Geese on the far end of the reservoir. As I walked along the path lined with towering trees, the sun made it's first appearance as its golden glow cast upon the long, soft needles of the white Pines. As I passed the small bog on my left, a beaver smacked its tail against the water letting me know that I was crowding its space.
As I walked further into the forest, things quieted down again. I thought about what I had read in the Bible the night before. I rarely read the Bible but when I do, I'm left with a lot of questions. Most of them start with the word how? Science has tried to answer many of the questions we have about life. They have even come up with theories about how life first began. I find these theories to be fascinating but they leave me with one big question--why? Scientific explanations seem to imply that life was created by a series of cosmic accidents causing a chain reaction which led us to where we are at this very moment. I'm not buying the theory that the miracle of life was just a lucky coincidence. Although I'm not a follower of any particular religion, I believe someone or something definitely had a plan. The truth is I'll probably never know who, what or why. These are the kind of thoughts that run through my mind when I drink coffee and go walking in the woods at 5:30 in the morning.
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As I came to the end of my walk, I started to hear a sound from the canopy above. Chick-brrr, Chick-brrr. That is the call of Piranga olivacea, more commonly known as a Scarlet Tanager--beautiful!

It was an excellent day of birding for me. I saved money on gas by staying in my hometown of Portland. I was able to see 14 species of warbler:

At Portland Reservoir- Northern Parula, Yellow , Yellow-rumped, Black-throated Green, Louisiana Waterthrush, Common Yellowthroat, Pine, American Redstart, Black & White, and Ovenbird.

At Old Marlborough Turnpike-Blue-winged Warbler, Prairie Warbler, and Chestnut-sided Warbler.

I took a ride over to Gadpouch Hill Road and parked my car across from the blue-marked trail which leads to the top of Great hill. This seems to be a reliable place to find Worm-eating Warbler during Spring Migration and this year was no exception. I could hear the insect-like trills of two Worm-eating Warblers just before the trail winds through the cliffs along the blue trail. Another reliable migrant that can be found here every spring is the Rose-breasted Grosbeak. I had my first look at a male singing jubilantly as he flew from one treetop to another.

Once I reached the top of the hill I started to hear the low, croaking call of a Great-crested Flycatcher. I didn't hear its weep call at all. Maybe it was such a nice day that he had nothing to weep about. Here is a photo looking at the back of the bird sitting in a tree at the top of the 400 foot Great Hill.

Later in the morning, I stopped at the Portland Fairgrounds. Things didn't start out to well as I got my truck stuck in the mud. AAA sent out a truck that arrived within an hour. They pulled me out of the mud with no problem. The nice thing was that I was at a place that I could watch the birds while I waited. The fairgrounds were loaded with swallows chasing each other around. They were mostly Tree Swallows and Barn Swallows like the two in the above photo. There was also a variety of sandpipers to be seen including 12 greater Yellowlegs, Lesser Yellowlegs, Solitary Sandpiper, and Least Sandpipers. I was really pleased with the variety of species that I saw which totaled about 50.

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I will leave you with two videos that feature brilliant colored male migrants that love to sing from the tops of trees. I shall call them- " KINGS OF THE CANOPY."

The first video is of a Rose-breasted Grosbeak. He was quite easy to hear but getting a clear look at him was another story. I lost the bird at the end of the video but left it running so you could hear him sing a repeat verse of his song.

Our second King Of The Canopy is a male Scarlet Tanager. He never got into his full song but you can clearly hear him repeating his call notes.

My First Pair Of Binoculars

Patrick at The Hawk Owl's Nest recently did a post about his first pair of binoculars and invited other bloggers to do the same. My first pair of binoculars actually belonged to my grandfather. As I recall, they were 7x50 WWII US Navy issued binoculars. I had nothing to compare them to but they sure seemed to have a sharp, wide-angled view. As a child, I would often spend a week as a guest at my grandparents house. Those binoculars were one of my main sources of entertainment during those times.
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I didn't have much of an interest in birds back then. I would glance at whatever birds were in the feeders but that was about as far as it went. I was more interested in stargazing and searching he skies for anything of interest. This included clouds, satellites, jets, and hot air balloons. There's probably not many kids these days that would be so entertained by a pair of binoculars. I spent hours at a time using them.
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There came a point when I decided to get my own binoculars. I don't remember the brand but they were 8-16 x 40 zoom binoculars, if I remember correctly. I don't know what happened to them but they didn't last long. The optical quality was not as good as my grandfather's.
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The first binoculars I used for birding were a $30 pair of 7x35 Tascos. They may not have been Swarovski's but they seemed to work just fine for me. They were ruined when I left them sitting in the sun. The cement that held the lenses in place must have melted.

Thanks for the fun idea for a post Patrick!

Cornell Sound Recording Workshop

I was contacted by Pat from Cornell a couple of weeks ago. She asked if I would post information from Cornell on my blog. I was happy to meet this request since I use Cornell's All About-Birds frequently. -Larry

Contact:Tammy Bishop, Macaulay Library(607) 254-2198 For immediate release macaulaylibrary@cornell.edu May 8, 2008

Workshop Fine-Tunes the Passion for Sound

Cornell Lab of Ornithology Course Taking Registrations Now- Ithaca, NY­ From June 7 to 14, the annual Sound Recording Workshop offered by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology returns to San Francisco State University’s Sierra Nevada Field Campus in the spectacular surroundings of the eastern foothills of California’s northern Sierra Nevada mountains. Participants learn state-of-the-art techniques for capturing bird sounds, guided by experts. Learn to capture the sounds of wildlife through lecture, discussion, and daily field recording sessions participants learn how to effectively handle a portable field recording system to make scientifically accurate recordings of bird vocalizations. Participants learn how to conquer wind, how a roadbed can help overcome the sound of a rushing stream, and why placing a microphone on the ground is sometimes the best strategy. There is also an introduction to the science of sound analysis which converts sound waves into visual images called spectrograms. With signal analysis it’s possible to visualize a bird song note by note. The Sound Recording Workshop fee of $895 covers tuition, class materials, ground transportation, food, and lodging. A $100 deposit is requested to reserve a space, which is limited to 20 students. Registration and payment are due by May 31. Learn more at: http://www.birds.cornell.edu/macaulaylibrary/Contribute/soundRecordingWorkshop.html or contact Tammy Bishop at (607) 254-2198 or macaulaylibrary@cornell.edu.
# The Cornell Lab of Ornithology is a membership institution dedicated to interpreting and conserving the earth’s biological diversity through research, education, and citizen science focused on birds. Visit the Lab’s web site at http://www.birds.cornell.edu/ .

The Return Of The Yellow Warblers

I am writing this post in reverse chronological order starting with Sunday evening. It 's been about 5 years since I took my first walk with the sole intention of looking for birds. My first birding spot was a trail that runs along the Connecticut River that is within walking distance from my house. One of my first great revelations came when I discovered there were tiny yellow birds with thin red streaks on their breasts living in the bushes near the river.

I carefully searched through my first real field guide, Peterson's Birds of Eastern and Central America, to try to find the identity of these tiny yellow birds. It didn't take long to figure out that these birds were Yellow Warblers. Where the heck did they come from? It amazed me to think that these birds had been around my whole life and I was just now seeing them.

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Sunday, I walked the same trail that I did five years ago and was happy to see that these warblers were back again; right on schedule. One of the things I like about them is that they like to hang out in thickets, which means I don't have to strain my neck looking up into the tops of trees to see them. I also heard a Wood Thrush singing from somewhere deep within the bushes. This is another bird that seems to come back to this area every year, which surprises me considering the patch of woods along this trail is very small.

There is a private field adjacent to The Portland Riverfront Trail that is often flooded, as it was this past Sunday. A quick scan of the flooded area revealed 2 Greater Yellowlegs and one Solitary Sandpiper, which is less common in Connecticut. The Solitary Sandpiper has a dark back, greenish legs, and a distinct white eye ring. There was also a Red-tailed Hawk circling over the field as well as a pair of Wood Ducks hiding in the weeds on the opposite side of the flooded field.

---------------------Can You Name The Plant In This Photo?

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Hartford Audubon had a field trip scheduled for Sunday morning at Gay City State Park. This park has a strange and interesting history that you can read about here. This is a wonderful park to bird in. It has well maintained trails with bridges to lead you over the streams. It also contains a pond and some interesting boggy areas. Some of the birders who came along for this field trip were also interested in plants.

The trip leader was under the assumption that his trip would be rained out since it was pouring as late as 6am in the morning. To his surprise, six hardy birders showed up for his trip any way.

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Birding was a bit slow, possibly due to the weather conditions. There wasn't a lot of bug activity and it was a bit chilly. Although the sun didn't come out, the rain held off for the entire trip. I did see my first of the year Black-throated Green Warbler, which was singing its zee- zee- zee- zee- zoo- zee song. We also saw a couple of thrushes. One of them appeared to be a Veery and the other a Hermit Thrush. We all had nice looks at a Yellow-throated Vireo as well.

------ ---------------What Is This Thing?

Saturday, I went on another field trip sponsored by Hartford Audubon at Machimoudus Park in East Haddam. Interestingly, I met a birder named Ed who reads my blog on occasion. It was fun to have him join us for the field trip. It is his hand that holds that strange looking...that's the problem, "What is it?"

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We had to work for the birds we saw, but in the end it turned out to be productive day. We had excellent views of an Orchard Oriole and Baltimore Oriole in the same flower-covered tree right next to the parking area. Orchard Orioles are uncommon in Connecticut, but they seem to be doing well at Machimoudus Park. We were able to patiently pick out an Ovenbird that was well-camouflaged amongst the fallen leaves. We had a great view of its striped head and breast. It took us a while, but we finally tracked down a singing Prairie Warbler. For some of the birders that was the highlight of the day. Adrian, the trip leader, was talking about how a Pileated Woodpecker has been taunting him at this park. He could see evidence of its holes all around and would often hear its rambunctious call. On this day he, along with most of the group, had a nice view of the bird at the top edge of a hill. I also saw my first of the year Scarlett Tanager.

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I believe the total number of species seen or heard was 53. Other birds of note included a Barred Owl (calling), Yellow-throated Vireo, Yellow Warbler, Black and White Warbler, Louisiana Waterthrush, Northern Parula, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Wood Thrush, Pine Warbler, Eastern Bluebird, Great Blue Heron, Tree Swallows, and Eastern Phoebe.

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There was one last surprise at the end of the day. Just as many of us were getting into our cars to leave, I heard someone say "Peregrine Falcon flying overhead!" We watched it soar with its pointed wings slicing rapidly through the sky. It was a great way to end the morning!

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What was the first warbler you ever identified yourself?

Camping And Birding In Kent Connecticut

This weekend did some camping at Macedonia State Park in Kent, Connecticut. Kent is located on the Western border of Connecticut right next to the State of New York. Like many of the towns in rural Litchfield County, it is known for its scenic beauty. Everywhere you look there are steep hills, green fields, rushing streams and waterfalls like the one seen above. It is also well known by birders for having one of the best Spring Migration birding spots. River Road follows a portion of the Housatonic River and serves as a natural corridor for migrant birds during the spring. Birders have been known to see as many as 25 warbler species in one day during the peak of migration season. The campground I stayed at was conveniently only a couple of miles down the road from River Road.

I arrived in Kent at about 8am on Friday morning. Apparently, President Bush was scheduled to visit Henry Kissinger at 11:30 am just a few miles down the road. Surprisingly, I had no problems getting to where I wanted to go. It wasn't until 10 am that I had a chance to check out River Road. My first stop was at a bridge located right across from a school. The first two birds I saw were Eastern Bluebirds which were perched on the telephone wire. Then I saw a pair of swallows a pair of swallows which were flying underneath and around the vicinity of the bridge itself. This had my interest since I had read that Cliff Swallows used to nest on the support beams under the bridge. I took a look underneath and sure enough there were Cliff Swallow nests there. As it turns out , these must have been old nests. The two swallows that I had spotted turned out to be Rough-winged Swallows.

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I followed Skiff Mountain Road until I saw a sign which read Appalachian Scenic Trail. I think this is where River Road officially starts but I was never really clear on that point. The road came to an end at a metal gate. From there, I walked a small portion of the riverside trail. The birds were really quiet at this time.

I was hoping to see an interesting bird or two before going back to set up camp. There were Tree Swallows flying back and forth across the river. A flock of Cedar Waxwings made a short stop in a tree above me before flying off. Then I heard a bird singing an odd song. I song sounded a little familiar but I couldn't quite remember what it might be. I finally figured out that it was some kind of vireo but I wasn't sure which one. Red-eyed?-no, too burry sounding- Then I had a great view of the mystery bird. It was the Yellow-throated Vireo -(seen in the above photo). That made my morning! It's not a rare bird but I was excited to see it.The Camping- After checking in at the Macedonia Campground office, I went to locate my campsite. I reserved site 24 which appeared to offer some privacy from what I saw on the reservation map. I usually camp on a weekday during the off season when no reservations are required but being that it was a weekend in April, I thought it would be the smart thing to do. As I drove up into the camping circle, I saw one site with no number followed by site 25. One other site across from me was occupied. I figured that the blank site must have been number 24. After I was all done setting up my tent and equipment, I noticed a small faded number on the opposite end of the picnic table. It was number 26- Oh No! I checked all the other sites around me but saw no 24. Finally, I asked the campers at the site across from me what site number they had. They told me that they had reserved number 24 but when they checked their papers, they discovered they had actually reserved 23. I didn't want to make both of us move so we were able to work it out with the campground managers that we could stay where we were.

My favorite time at the campsite are always when night falls. The camp fire is blazing and something good is cooking on the stove. I sit and listen to the sound of the water rushing over rocks in the stream below. One evening, I saw Wild Turkeys crossing the brook right at dusk and at the same time the mysterious calls of Barred Owls could be heard echoing in the woods. Its nights like that when I think: Life is good.

I went back to River Road early Saturday morning. I saw this pair of Common Mergansers standing facing in opposite directions on a rock in the Housatonic River. It almost looks like they might have had an argument.

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The warbler most commonly heard singing in the area was definitely the Louisiana Waterthrush. Every time I passed over a brook, I would hear one singing. In previous years I only saw a couple of waterthrushes all season. I would usually see them in the summer and Fall when they weren't singing. Have I just been overlooking them in the spring or are there more of them this year? I'm not sure. When you watch these videos, notice how the birds like to change positions and bob their tail when singing. This waterthrush sang throughout the day near the brook where at my campsite. It was very hard to locate though. The first few notes seem fairly even which was typical of the many waterthrushes I heard throughout the weekend.

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This one particular bird which I encountered along River Road had a different beginning to its song. the first few notes alternated up and down. I wondered if this was a Northern Waterthrush whose song I was unfamiliar with. After much searching, I found the bird and identified it as another Louisiana Waterthrush. I asked another birder who had a Birdpod to play a comparison between the Northern Waterthrush and Lousiana Waterthrush. I found out that the northern's song was quite different. This particular Louisiana Waterthrush stuck with the same beginning to its song every time while all the others in the area sounded like the one in the first video. I wonder why?

I parked my car at the end of the road and walked along the trail. I heard a bird singing a peculiar song that seemed totally unfamiliar to me. It turned out to be a Ruby-crowned Kinglet. I had only heard one sing once before in northern New Hampshire. It was a real treat to able to see his red crest and listen to him singing. It started out slow with the warblers but became increasingly active as the morning went on. First I saw a Yellow Warbler in a shrubby area. As entered the wooded path, I began to hear a couple of Black & White Warblers. I had a brief look at a Northern Parula. I walked further down the trail past some pines. I could hear the thin, nasal call of Red-breasted Nuthatch. I could hear a Pine Warbler but could only catch a glimpse of its yellow. I saw a Winter Wren on the opposite side of the path. I came to an area where there was a patch of some younger trees.I noticed several Yellow-rumped Warblers. I watched them closely for several minutes as they moved from branch to branch and tree to tree. I noticed one acting differently. It crawled along the top of a horizontal branch. it was an tannish-olive colored bird with distinct stripes on its head. It was a Worm-eating warbler. I heard its buzzing song not long after. Several Palm Warblers moved into the area. I recorded another warbler which I was unable to identify (terrible lighting) . After playing it back, I believe it was a Black-throated Blue Warbler. That would make 9 species of warbler for the day. That is a far cry from the 25 advertised but pretty good for an April morning! It wouldn't surprise me if I missed something too.

I was heading back to camp late Saturday afternoon when I spotted a Great Blue Heron trying its luck at fishing in Macedonia Brook. There was something special about seeing this bird near a brook as opposed to the muddy little field ponds that I'm used to seeing them in.

Then there was this thrush. During the winter its usually an easy call for me. The vast majority of Catharus thrushes are Hermit Thrushes in Connecticut during winter. I knew this guy wasn't a Hermit Thrush because they always have a reddish color variation to the tail area. My first thought was-It's a Veery. I didn't have my binoculars with me and never got to see the front of the bird. Later when I looked back at the photo and compared it to a field guide, I noticed something strange. Aren't Veeries somewhat reddish in color. This bird is so washed out looking. maybe its just a variation in plumage or a product of bad lighting. I still think Veery but other possibilities did cross my mind. What do you think?

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Other species that I saw during my stay included: Numerous Blue-gray Gnatcatchers, Belted Kingfisher, Red-tailed Hawk, Sharp-shinned Hawk, Broad-winged Hawk, Eastern Phoebes, Bald Eagle, and Eastern Towhee. I also saw five species of woodpecker: Downy, Red-bellied, Northern Flicker, Pileated, and Yellow-bellied Sapsucker. In area like this it isn't surprising to find five species of woodpeckers. What is surprising was that the Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers seemed to be the most numerous or at least the most noticeable. They are quite uncommon in my part of the state. Throughout each day, I could hear their squeaky calls. Several times I was able to view 3 sapsuckers squabbling with each other. I could hear them drumming a loud sequence of knocks on hollow wood throughout the day. It has a rapid-fire start and then slows down at the end. It sounds as if the sapsuckers are imitating the rhythm of the wheel spinning on Wheel Of Fortune. I saw about 60 species in total . If my goal was to build a big species list, I probably could have seen more.

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I was exploring a back road in a different area when I came to a group of cars that were blocking the road. There were some people were wandering around with cameras and talking as though they were making plans to shoot a movie. While I was waiting for the scene to clear, I looked up and I saw a nest about 30 feet up in some ledges. I wondered what sort of nest it was. As I got back into my truck , a Raven came swooping down into the nest. I shot the video from my truck window. Seeing the baby ravens begging for food was quite a site. I didn't stay for long because I didn't want to disturb them.

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In the future, I think that I would prefer to visit the Kent area during the week in order to avoid the weekend recreation crowds. Next year I hope to visit during the peak of Spring migration. I was pleased with my first real birding experiences in Kent. Now, I'm anxious to see what next weekend brings. This time of year there is so much to see!

Contact: Pat Leonard(607) 254-2137pel27@cornell.edu For release: April 24, 2008
New Project Spotlights Life in the NestNestWatch project takes off, seeks participants Ithaca, NY-­What could be cuter than baby birds all atwitter in the nest? But amid the “oohs” and “aahs” are real data about the rhythms of bird biology and how they may be changing as the result of human activity. Combine the “wow” factor of the former with the scientific value of the latter and you have NestWatch­a new, free citizen science project developed by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology in collaboration with the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center and funded by the National Science Foundation. Participants visit nests during spring and summer to collect simple information about location, habitat, species, number of eggs, and number of young in the nest. Then they submit their observations online.“NestWatch introduces birding and simple methods of scientific inquiry to families, children, retired adults­people of all ages and skills,” says project leader Tina Phillips. “It’s easy and fun. It helps people reconnect with nature in their own yard, nearby park, or nature preserve.” Peter Marra from the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center at the National Zoo says, “Each and every observation is important because it helps scientists measure the impact of such things as climate change and habitat destruction. Without citizens across the country collecting this information for us it would be almost impossible to track these large-scale destructive processes.” The always-popular NestCams companion site has been revamped and is now up and running. Live cameras show the nesting activities of Barn Owls, Wood Ducks, and Northern Flickers in Texas and California. More cameras will be going online across the country in the weeks ahead at http://www.nestcams.org/.All NestWatch materials and instructions are available online at http://www.nestwatch.org/, including directions on how to find nests and how to monitor them without disturbing the birds. “One of the most exciting things about NestWatch,” says Phillips, “is that we’ll be able to take in data from as far back as 1900!” Anyone who’s been keeping nest records on their own will now have a way to put that important information to use. With all this information from NestWatchers, scientists will be able to track changes in reproductive timing and fledging success which may be linked to climate change. For more information and to sign up, please visit http://www.nestwatch.org/.
# The Cornell Lab of Ornithology is a membership institution dedicated to interpreting and conserving the earth’s biological diversity through research, education, and citizen science focused on birds. Visit the Lab’s web site at http://www.birds.cornell.edu/ .