Birding Craney Island

It isn't much to look at when it comes to islands from a human perspective, but to the birds, Craney Island is a sanctuary, and in turn has become a favorite hot-spot for bird watching.

The man-made dredged peninsula disposal site consist of 2,500 plus acres located in Portsmouth, Virginia where the James and Elizabeth River come together. Shallow ponds cover much of the island.

For the most part, Craney Island is an industrial area made up of material dredged from the local channels and ports in the Hampton Roads area. The site was built by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in the 1950s and is still managed by them today.

Over the years Craney Island has become a vital food, nesting and rest stop for many migrating birds. Fortunately the corps, working with local conservationist, have recognized the area as an important region for many bird species and work to co-exist with them.

I was excited to tag along with the Virginia Beach Audubon Society group on a field trip to Craney Island last month. Despite the blustery chilly weather that day, we weren't disappointed. Right out the gate we spotted a bald eagle, and from there it only got better. We split up into small groups, jumped in our designated vehicles and toured the island in true caravan style – sometimes stopping every few feet to look at birds.

We were fortunate to see a wide variety of birds ranging from raptors to songbirds, and lots in-between. I was even fortunate to get a lifer on the trip. Below is just a few of what we saw on Craney. Note that some of the photo’s were taken by club members as noted above each photo.

We start out with northern shovelers. We saw lots of these ducks feeding in the ponds. They use their highly specialized bill (from which their name is derived) to forage for food.

The below photo of American wigeons was taken by our trip leader Steve Coari.

Lots of Northern gannets were flying along the edges of the island out over the James River. It’s fun to watch these seabirds plunge-dive for fish from high above. This is a juvenile Northern gannet.

Below is an adult gannet about to take a nose dive. Photo by Keith Roberts.

One of my favorite raptors is the Northern harrier (below). It’s often seen gracefully gliding low over open fields and marshes.

And this was my one lifer for the day – the red-throated loon (in non-breeding plumage). The red-throated loon is the smallest of the loons and winter here along our shores. Photo by Keith Roberts.

 

Below is a complete bird list for the day, topping out at 37 species.

American Crow
Brown Headed Cowbirds
Belted Kingfisher
Eastern Meadowlark
Mockingbird
Savannah Sparrow
Song Sparrow
E. Starlings
Yellow-rump Warbles
Downy Woodpecker
Bald eagle (Immature)
Peregrine Falcon
Coopers Hawk
Red Tailed hawk
Northern Harrier
Common Loon
Red-Throated Loon
Horned Grebe
Black Duck
Bufflehead
Canvasback
Mallard
Northern Shoveler
Ruddy Duck
Green Winged teal
American Widgeon
Northern Gannet (adults and Immature)
Tundra Swan
Killdeer
Sanderling
Forsters tern
Great Black Backed Gull
Herring Gull
Ring-billed Gull
Brown Pelican
Great Blue Heron
Cormorants

New Year Juncos and Favorite Birds of 2011

Happy New Year! Like many, I always look forward to the new year. I’m not sure exactly why, I’m definitely not getting any younger. For me, I think it’s the feeling of having a fresh start – a new chance to get it right. If I could just stick to all those new year promises that I make to better myself (aka resolutions) , then all would be grand. However, we all know how that usually turns out.

As a birdwatcher, the new year brings promise of exciting new adventures and the hope of new life bird or two. The first bird sightings of the new year for me was the dark-eyed junco. Junco’s are not the most exciting of the songbirds, but they are one of my favorite winter-time birds.

Dark-eyed juncos arrive in my area with the first cold spell of the season (usually late October) and spend the first few months of the new year with us. Many associate there arrival with the first snowfall of the season (aka snowbirds), but since our area doesn’t get all that much snow the first cold front will have to do.

Juncos are ground feeding birds so be sure to toss a little bird seed on the ground when filling your feeders. I keep a small bag of white proso millet, one of their favorite, on hand just for that purpose.

With that said, I would like to recap and share a few of my favorite birds, including some lifers, of the past year. Note that I said ‘favorite birds’, not favorite photographs of birds. I clarify because many of my bird photos leave much to be desired. Birds can be quite uncooperative at times.

First up is the red-cockaded woodpecker (RCW). I’ll take any photo I can get of these guys. The primary habitat of the RCW, the
longleaf pine ecosystem, has all but disappeared. This reduction of suitable habitat has caused the number of RCWs to dramatically decline. They are currently listed as endangered and today there
remains approximately 14,000 birds scattered throughout the southeast.

[Click on any photo to enlarge]

Here’s a lifer I got the opportunity to get in the marshes of the Outer Banks of North Carolina this past fall – the salt marsh sparrow.

Another 2011 favorite bird was the Northern gannet. This one is a juvenile. Northern Gannets spend most of their life at sea.

And while we we’re talking marine birds, check out this large group of brown pelicans. There’s nothing all that unique about seeing a few brown pelicans, but what was impressive to me was the large number of pelicans in one place. This photo was taken this past fall on a pelican rookery located on one of the barrier islands in North Carolina.

It may be tough to tell, but there’s an American redstart singing in the photo below. This photo was taken in the Dismal Swamp this spring and was another lifer for me.

One of my favorite little woodland songbirds is the brown-headed nuthatch. This was the first photo I ever got of one of these birds. They’re so small and never sit still!

Here’s a red-shouldered hawk sitting on my Christmas décor in my front yard. At least someone likes my decorations.

Last, but not least is this group of American goldfinches. These birds were captured by my Wingscapes Birdcam this past spring.

Thanks for stopping in and taking  the tour with me. Good luck on your own birding adventures this year.

Again, Happy New Year!

Mistletoe: Not Just for Kissing

 Tis the season for mistletoe! Most would agree that the Christmas season and mistletoe go hand in hand. I remember my dad shooting it out of the trees when I was a youngster.  According to folklore, after every kiss under the mistletoe one of the berries was plucked, and once all the berries where gone, there was no more kissing.

American mistletoe can be found all throughout eastern and southern forest of the US, and is especially fond of maple trees. It’s unveiled each year when the last of the leaves fall from the trees and reveal their clumps of green, ball-shaped foliage growing among the tree branches.

There’s more to mistletoe than just holiday tradition. Believe it or not, it plays an important part in our ecosystem. Mistletoe is a host plant for the great purple hairstreak butterfly, and is the only plant that its larva will eat.

Mistletoe is also a good winter food source for birds. Birds feast on the female mistletoe’s white berries, which are toxic to humans, and then spread the sticky seeds to other trees through their droppings. From there it takes root into the tree. It’s considered a hemiparasite because it doesn’t live entirely off the tree. Mistletoe generates its own photosynthesis; however, it does depend on the tree for its food and water, enough so that the tree could die from a heavy infestation – but in most cases, that’s not the case.

For the most part, this unique native is harmless and its benefits to wildlife and our holiday enjoyment outweigh its potential invasiveness.

I want to personally wish everyone a happy and safe holiday!!

Trip to the Zoo - Rhino Hornbill

 The zoo has always been one of my favorite places to visit, even as an adult it remains at the top of the list. I especially enjoy going there knowing that new animals have arrived, such as the case with Virginia Zoo’s new pair of Rhinoceros Hornbills.

It looks almost prehistoric doesn’t it?

Rhinoceros hornbills are native to southeastern Asia where they are currently under extreme pressure for survival due to deforestation and poaching (for there feathers). Rhino Hornbills are an indicator species in their range and their absence indicates a poor ecosystem. They eat a variety of fruit and play a vital role as important seed dispersers for Southeast Asian tropical forest ecosystems.

That’s why programs such as AZA’s Species Survival Plan Program (AZA stands for Association of Zoos and Aquariums) work hard with accredited Zoos and other organizations to manage and conserve threatened or endangered species.

These juveniles became part of the Virginia Z0o last November. The goal of the zoo is to establish a breeding pair among the two birds. They are only 3 years old right now and become reproductively mature at the age of around 6 years. In captivity, it’s important to attempt pairing these birds early so they can build their relationship/bond.

Like with most other hornbills, the male has orange or red eyes, and the female has whitish eyes.

One of the other distinctive characteristics of hornbills is the presence of the “casque”, a structure on top of the bill that is unique to hornbills. All hornbills have some type of casque, but few are as impressive as the rhinoceros hornbill.  The purpose of the casque is not entirely clear but it is thought to play a role in amplifying sound and used in mating behavior as well.

I found it interesting that Hornbills are the only birds in which the first two neck vertebrae (the axis and atlas) are fused together; this is obviously due to the extra weight from the bill they carry around.

It’s still early, but all indications from the zoo show that they’re getting along well and seem to be happy in their new environment.

This post was submitted to this weeks edition of Bird Photography Weekly (#167). Be sure to stop by and check it out.

My Virginia Gardener Blog

 I wanted to write a quick and slightly overdue post to publicize another blog I’ve been contributing too since the beginning of this year. I consider myself fortunate to be a part of the State-by-State Gardening Publication team as one of their bloggers for the state of Virginia, alongside my blogger pals Les and Jan.

State~By~State Gardening has been publishing state gardening magazines for 11 years and provide quality magazines that have proven to be useful tools for gardeners in Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, Mississippi, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia.

Now, in addition to the magazine, each state has its own set of online garden bloggers. Here’s a link and logo to my Virginia garden blog (also located on the right side bar of this blog).

If you enjoy reading and learning about nature and gardening, be sure to stop by and check out my blog there, along with some of the other great blogs there as well. It doesn’t matter whether you live in one of these states or not, there’s something present for everyone that appreciates gardening.

Close Encounters

What a cool insect – looks like something from an alien movie doesn’t it? I’ve always liked praying mantises, they seem so cool and sophisticated.

Mantises are at the top of the insect food chain and will eat just about anything it can grab and hold with its powerful front legs. It didn’t take me long to realize why this particular praying mantis was stalking the area. Yes, it may be hard for some to comprehend (even myself), but these insects are capable of taking down a hummingbird if given the opportunity.

Hummingbirds passing through my area now are very active, franticly feeding and bulking up for their long journey south for the winter; but this large female praying mantis (above) has her own agenda. She will be laying eggs soon and could use the extra nutrition herself.

Out of curiosity I watched as a cautious hummingbird approached the feeder, while the mantis watched closely and tried to angle itself in a position to attack.

There are lots of species of mantis’s, but the one in these photos is the Chinese Mantis (Tenodera sinensis). It’s a non-native insect introduced to North America in the late 1800s to aid in pest control. The Chinese Mantis can grow to a length of more than 6 inches. Our native mantis’s are about half that size when fully grown making it easy to distinguish between the two.

Situations like this in nature don’t normally affect me, it’s just part of the circle of life and the way nature balances itself out. However, this particular insect is non-native, and it’s also stalking a man provided food source that's been put out for the birds. Under those circumstances, I feel as if I’m somewhat responsible for the birds safety. I guess one could argue that it’s no different than hawks that stalk backyard birdfeeders, but in the hummingbirds case, it’s just a matter of relocating the feeder to a safer location. And that’s what I did.

Just remember to always keep an eye out on your feeders to ensure that they’re in a safe location for the birds. Things will happen beyond our control but at a minimum we can at least eliminate the obvious dangers.

There’s an article on the Birdwatchers Digest Site titled “Praying Mantis Makes Meal of a Hummer”, along with photos. If your not too sensitive to such things like this be sure to check it out!

Surviving Irene

After experiencing a couple hurricanes and a few more close calls in my lifetime, the anticipation of Hurricane Irene wasn't a welcomed one. I wasn’t that worried about the storm itself, but more so the dreaded aftermath that such a storm can leave behind. Experiencing the wrath of Hurricane Isabel in 2003, I know the kind of damage that these winds and rains can bring.

Although not entirely the event that the news media made it out to be in our area, Irene was a storm to be reckoned with that flooded many low-lying areas and unfortunately took several lives. Damage in our area was mostly due to falling trees, which as a result, kept us in the dark for 5 days. Being without electricity definitely makes you realize the little things that we often take for granted. But I’m thankful nevertheless, it could have been much worse. With the exception of some minor siding damage to the house, and being without power for a few days, I’m pleased to report all is well with me and my family.

Here’s one of the many downed trees in our area –

This unfortunate family had one tree fall on their house, causing major damage, and to add insult to injury, a second one (shown below) fell across their front yard knocking down power lines that fell into the street and blocked the entrance/exit of their driveway.

For many, the rain from Irene was a welcome site. Normally this isn’t the type of rain that you would wish for, but for many local farmers who have been dealing with below normal rainfall for the last couple of summers welcomed it. Better yet, the rainfall from hurricane Irene contained most of the forest fire in the Great Dismal Swamp that has been gagging everyone in the area for a good part of the summer.

If interested, more Dismal Swamp fire photos are available from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) Northeast Flickr account: http://bit.ly/ohNf6s

Believe it or not, there are still a few smoldering areas in the swamp, but hopefully the latest rains we’ve been getting this week (remnants of hurricane Lee) will help put an end to the remaining flare ups.

If you’re a hard core birdwatcher, hurricanes can offer one the opportunity to see some rare birds, especially along the coast. Strong winds blow many pelagic birds off their course, driving them closer to the coast, offering opportunities to spot them in areas that they normally wouldn’t be. You can read about some of the cool birds that were seen as a result of hurricane Irene here.

Here’s a quick photo (below) I took of a house finch (sorry for the poor quality) taking cover during the storm on our back porch up next to the house. A pair of house finches hung out most of the day there surviving the storm. Birds are very sensitive to changes in air pressure and know instinctively to take shelter. A sharp drop in barometric pressure alerts them that a big storm is on the way. This photo kind of gives you an idea what a lot of these little birds go through in times like these – not only do birds have to deal with the harsh heat of summer and freezing winters, but events like hurricanes can be costly to small birds. Read more about the effects of hurricanes on birds here: http://www.birding.com/hurricanes.asp

And while we’re talking birds and hurricanes, check out this really cool video about a bird that got caught up in the middle of hurricane Irene and survived:  http://youtu.be/wlbCZG-wGuY