5 Reasons I Enjoy Birding When I'm Camping

Camping is enjoyable enough on its own but I have found that I enjoy birding more when I'm on a camping trip.

Here are 5 reasons why I enjoy birding more while camping:

1) You become more in tune with nature while camping: One of the reasons I enjoy camping is that you eliminate a lot of the every day distractions you become used to. this allows you to become more sensitive to the sights and sounds of nature that surrounds you. Hundreds of years ago Native Americans were completely in tune with nature. It was key to their survival. They didn't have modern conveniences to rely on. I believe spending some time camping helps give you a sense of that same connection with nature.
2) You don't have a lot of responsibilities while camping:

When you're camping you need to worry about building a fire, eating, relaxing, and sleeping. You can go birding an not have to worry about things like going to work or cutting the grass. It allows you to go birding for as long as you want at whatever pace you want.

3) You might as well go birding where you're at since you're there already: Have you ever started birding at a location and became impatient? Maybe the place you chose to go birding is a little slow and you wonder if you might be better off trying a different spot. Chances are that you didn't give the place you're at enough of a chance.When you're camping you can take the time to explore the place you're at to the fullest.

4) Birding becomes more appealing because you don't have a lot of options: When you're camping there are less things around to keep you entertained-no computers, cell phones etc... That makes birding a more appealing option.

5) The extra time that comes with camping makes it easier to set up a scope or take photographs: A lot of time I don't bother using a scope while birding because I'm in a rush and don't feel like lugging it around. The perfect time to use a scope for more detailed nature study is while your camping. It's also easier to have the time and patience it takes to capture bird photos.

I'm sure that there are many more reasons I could come up with but I'm busy packing for a camping trip!

Golden Pheasant

The Golden Pheasant or "Chinese Pheasant", (Chrysolophus pictus) is a gamebird of the order Galliformes (gallinaceous birds) and the family Phasianidae. It is native to forests in mountainous areas of western China, but feral populations have been established in the United Kingdom and elsewhere. In England they may be found in East Anglia in the dense forest landscape of the Breckland.

 

The adult male is 90–105 cm in length, its tail accounting for two-thirds of the total length. It is unmistakable with its golden crest and rump and bright red body. The deep orange "cape" can be spread in display, appearing as an alternating black and orange fan that covers all of the face except its bright yellow eye with a pinpoint black pupil.

Males have a golden-yellow crest with a hint of red at the tip. The face, throat, chin, and the sides of neck are rusty tan. The wattles and orbital skin are both yellow in colour, and the ruff or cape is light orange. The upper back is green and the rest of the back and rump is golden-yellow. The tertiaries are blue whereas the scapulars are dark red. Other characteristics of the male plumage are the central tail feathers, black spotted with cinnamon, as well as the tip of the tail being a cinnamon buff. The upper tail coverts are the same colour as the central tail feathers. The male also has a scarlet breast, and scarlet and light chestnut flanks and underparts. Lower legs and feet are a dull yellow.

The female (hen) is much less showy, with a duller mottled brown plumage similar to that of the female Common Pheasant. She is darker and more slender than the hen of that species, with a proportionately longer tail (half her 60–80 cm length). The female's breast and sides are barred buff and blackish brown, and the abdomen is plain buff. She has a buff face and throat. Some abnormal females may later in their lifetime get some male plumage. Lower legs and feet are a dull yellow.

Both males and females have yellow legs and yellow bills.

Despite the male's showy appearance, these hardy birds are very difficult to see in their natural habitat, which is dense, dark young conifer forests with sparse undergrowth. Consequently, little is known about their behaviour in the wild.

They feed on the ground on grain, leaves and invertebrates, but they roost in trees at night. While they can fly, they prefer to run. If startled, they can suddenly burst upwards at great speed and with a distinctive wing sound.

Although they can fly in short bursts, they are quite clumsy in flight and spend most of their time on the ground. Golden Pheasants lay 8-12 eggs at a time and will then incubate these for around 22–23 days. They tend to eat berries, grubs, seeds and other types of vegetation.

The male has a metallic call in the breeding season.

The Golden Pheasant is commonly found in zoos and aviaries, but often as impure specimens that have the similar Lady Amherst's Pheasant in their lineage.

There are also different mutations of the Golden Pheasant known from birds in captivity, including the Dark-throated, Yellow, Cinnamon, Salmon, Peach, Splash, Mahogony and Silver. In aviculture, the wild type is referred to as "Red Golden" to differentiate it from these mutations.
Data refer : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_Pheasant

Pipes In The Valley At Riverfront Recapture

 I had a chance to catch the last free riverfront recapture event for 2013 at Mortensen plaza on Saturday in Hartford. There was plenty of great food and music. 

Unfortunately, I arrived about 10 minutes too late to catch the birds of prey exhibit.This is a Red-shouldered Hawk that I saw there last year. Nevertheless, it was a great way to celebrate the transition from Summer to the Fall season. 

I climbed Pirre and survived!

My previous post was an introduction to my recent trip to Darien National Park in eastern Panama.  My main objective was to hike with a guide to the highlands of the Pirre range behind the station.  This is not an easy task, specially if you plan the craziest one-day trip ever, as I did.  There is a reason for such madness.  Since the closure of the Cana field station, and hence the tour to the summit camp in the Alturas de Nique range, the only reachable site to find the Pirre range endemics is, in fact, the actual Cerro Pirre, a forested massif with its highest point at 1569 meters above sea level... exactly the point I was willing to reach.

Cerro Pirre, as seen from the first lookout at 650 meters above sea level

There were some logistic issues that I needed to solve first, like ANAM and SENAFRONT permits to visit the area.  Fortunately, my good friend Guido Berguido (of Advantage Tours) took care of that, so I smoothly found my way to Pirre Station, passing through the towns of Yaviza, El Real and Pirre 1, where Isaac Pizarro, my local guide, was waiting for me.  He was busy attending a group of biologists, but arranged another local guide, Tilson Contreras, to accompany me to Cerro Pirre.  We left the station in the dark, hearing Vermiculated Screech and Spectacled Owls in the way.  We followed a trail knows as "El Estrangulador", which means "The Strangler"and oh boy, what an appropriate name!  The first few kilometers consist of a constant, but strenuous uphill hike on muddy ground, taking you from 60 to 650 meters above sea level and passing through tall primary forest and two lookouts with exceptionally views of the surroundings forests to the southeast (first lookout) and to the west (second lookout).

First lookout.  Colombia in the background!

This first part of the trail is covered by the locals in two hours, when they reach a camping site known as Rancho Plástico.  There is an interesting story about this name.  Originally, the site was known as Rancho Frío, well beyond the actual site of the ANAM´s Pirre Station that is known as Rancho Frío today.  The actual Rancho Plástico is a still higher camp in the ridge top, called that way because of the plastic tarps used by scientist many years ago for shelter against the rain.  A little bit confusing eh?  The names seem to have migrated downhill!

"Rancho Plástico"

Well, it took me 4 painful hours to get to Rancho Plástico!  At first I tried to carry my own supplies, water and camera gear... soon Tilson was carrying all that stuff and I still was suffering from the terrible march... only the dream of Pirre endemics kept me up... but the worse part was yet to come.  Beyond Rancho Plástico, the trail climbs steeply... covering an altitudinal range of 600+ meters in little more than one kilometer!  In fact, I needed ALL my limbs and nails to climb the last meters to the top, an stretch of the trail known as "La Ensuciapecho" (the one that mess your chest).  By the way, this second part of the trail took me 3 miserable hours to accomplish!

Me, faking a smile at "La Ensuciapecho"

Probably you're thinking at this point "C'mon, stop complaining and tell us about the birds".  When I reached the top, I was so tired that, instead of walking along the ridge, I decided to sit and wait for the mixed flocks... my shaking hands were useless to hold my lens focused in canopy dwellers, so I just grabbed my binoculars for a while... thanks God the summit was a GREAT spot!  Soon, a flock of Pirre Bush-Tanagers mixed with a Lineated Foliage-Gleaner was above my head (yes, I was lying on my back)... you'll have to trust me, the next photo shows the underparts of one of those Pirre Bush-Tanagers.

Of the "Pirre" birds (Pirre Hummingbird, Bush-Tanager and Warbler), the bush-tanager is the only one still endemic to Panama, since the other two have been recorded in the Colombian side of the border. Then, a mixed flock of Black-and-Yellow Tanagers and Orange-bellied Euphonias included a Green-naped Tanager, the only other national endemic remaining.  Other Pirre range endemic recorded was several Pirre Hummingbirds, all females. I dip on the warbler... an expected one since that species is not that common according to Isaac.  No photos of those birds... but at least I got a photo of a Panama near-endemic... a Varied Solitaire.  Its ethereal song fills the air of the montane forest.

I also saw more widespread species that, in Panama, are only readily found in these mountains, like Sooty-headed Wren, Tooth-billed Hummingbird and fascinating views of a singing Choco Tapaculo!  And even more widespread species are relatively common and easier to see up there, like Crested Guan, Red-and-green Macaws, Plain Antvireo, White-throated Spadebill, Chestnut-capped Brush-Finch and Slate-throated Whitestart.

I only spend three hours in the summit, and then started the return... which was faster, but a little bit scarier.  Around Rancho Plástico we were able to watch more birds, like my life Lemon-spectacled Tanagers, Russet Antshrike, Sharpbill, Wing-banded Antbird and a Crested Guan.

We also saw several mammals species, like agouties, monkeys (three species in fact) and several Pygmy-Squirrels that I'm still trying to ID (this particular individual was seen at 700 meters above sea level and and exhibited a white dot behind the ears).

After 4 hours, we reached the Pirre station at dark... barely.  I was exhausted, but happy... with many life birds in the bag and a great tale to tell.  According to Isaac, very FEW birders have managed to reach the top, all I know are true athletes (not like me for sure), so I like to think that I now belong to a select group of brave masochistic able to do anything for endemic birds!

The 2013 Midwest Birding Symposium!

From September 19 to 22, many hundreds of bird watchers converged on Lakeside, Ohio for the 2013 Midwest Birding Symposium, hosted by Bird Watcher's Digest, The Ohio Ornithological Society, and The Lakeside Chautauqua. 

The speakers were incredible, the Birder's Marketplace was brimming with vendors, the birding was excellent, and the weather was mostly cooperative.

  

 The MBS started off on Thursday evening with a Lake Erie Sunset Boat Cruise around the region's many beautiful islands. The sunset also made an appearance.

MBS attendees embark on the Goodtime II for the Sunset Boat Cruise.

We had an army of volunteers helping us with MBS, including more than a dozen members of the Ohio Ornithological Society and more than 100 members of the Lakeside Chautauqua community.

The MBS was held just following the summer programming season at Lakeside Chautauqua. If you haven't experienced Lakeside during their summer season, it's quite a wonderful thing. You can learn more here.

 Attendees picked up their goodie bags and name tags at MBS registration in Hoover Auditorium.

 

 

 

During the event, attendees strolled the charming Lakeside Chautuaqua campus from venue to venue.

 Friday and Saturday mornings were reserved for birding at one of our five birding spots staffed with guides. Two species of phalaropes, red knot, golden plover, and golden-winged warbler were among the species of note spotted during the two mornings of birding.

 The MBS is called "the world's friendliest birding event," and judging from the smiling faces of attendees, it lived up to its reputation.

 

Many of our speakers are also authors of important books on birds and nature. On Saturday we held an authors' book signing in South Auditorium. Here, British author Mark Cocker sings a copy of his epic new book Birds and People. 

It's hard to put into words (or electrons in the case of this blog post) just how wonderfully enriching and engaging it is to be a part of The Midwest Birding Symposium. Those of us at BWD have hosted it five (!) times here in Ohio—each time at Lakeside. But this every-other-year event needs to visit other parts of the Midwest, so in 2015 we'll be taking it to Bay City, Michigan. I'll share more details about that in a future post.

The next post here on Bill of the Birds is going to be part two of my MBS 2013 recap.

Pier passerines

I've managed to go the entire month so far and find no year birds at Tiscornia, quite possibly an unprecedented feat.  Last year during September (despite having an appendectomy) I saw 10 birds that would have been year birds this year.  Ah well.

Passerines will drop out onto the pier at times giving much closer looks than they typically do in the woods.  I've seen Grasshopper sparrow, sedge and marsh wren, several warblers and other sparrows, and who knows what all else that was un-ID'd.  This BT Green is un-cropped, just about my only photo in the sequence that doesn't chop off the tail.

Not so with the wingtips here (I still like the pic though)

Here it's foraging in the lee of the lighthouse and Tim's backpack (from which it snatched a bug)

Tim noticed a pipit a couple feet away earlier in the morning, almost certainly my best pic of one even if it is backlit.

The friendly neighborhood Merlin was attentive to the buffet line too.  It (or maybe a couple) have been hanging out for most of the week.

The wire got in the way of the take-off sequence.  It's moulted in fresh underwing coverts in an irregular line.

I saw it take a pass at a sparrow class thing that evaded it easily before the sun rose above the dune.

Flash trip to Darien National Park

The Darien National Park covers 579,000 ha of pristine primary forests and other habitats in extreme eastern Panama, and is home to some range-restricted endemics and near-endemic bird species.  In fact, around 40 species of birds are only readily found for Panama in this park... so you can imagine why I was trying to visit this park.  I have my own "Darien Gap" in my life list... and I wanted to fill it!

To be honest, this was not my first time in the park.  On two previous occasions (you can read about it here and here), I have accompanied the Panama Audubon Society in its annual fieldtrip to El Real, which includes a short visit to Pirre Station (also known as Rancho Frío).  This station is barely within the limits of the park, but surrounded by tall primary forest, making it a great place for birding.  Besides, the installations are comfortable and ideally located next to the Peresénico river.

But reaching it require a two hours walk through muddy trails and creeks from the nearest town, making a one-day visit not exactly a good idea for quality birding... although surely you'll find widespread species like the eastern form of Chestnut-backed Antbird cassini, with distinctive small white spots on wing coverts and females brightly colored below, as shown in the photo.

I  went to this station some days ago, taking advantage of my last days of vacations.  I spend only two half days in the station... my main objective were the highlands of the Pirre range (more about that in my next post), but that was enough to see great birds... and even a life bird for me.  The day of my arrival, my local guide pointed to me a HUGE cuipo tree next to the trail before entering the limits of the national park.  A quick search with my binoculars revealed a wide nest atop the tree... a Harpy Eagle nest!  After searching the surrounding, Isaac found a young Harpy close to the nest... what a great way to start my birding trip!  Not every day you see a Harpy Eagle!

We were not even 15 minutes from the station!  Once in the station, I only had time for dinner and take a shower... soon it got dark and the sounds of the night took over the place.  I heard both Crested and Spectacled Owls, and a Vermiculated Screech-Owl behind the station.  The next day I hiked to the highlands, leaving the station in the darkness of the dawn and returning at night; however, I still managed to photograph a Spectacled Owl in the darkness.

For the last day, Isaac took me to a spot 10 minutes away of the station, crossing the river.  It was a little bit dark, but we heard (and saw) both Streak-chested and Black-crowned Antpittas, Spotted and Chestnut-backed Antbirds and a Bright-rumped Attila.  We stopped next to a tall tree with a wide nest on it... another eagle nest!  This time, the tree was considerably smaller than the HUGE cuipo tree we saw two days before with the Harpy Eagle nest.  This nest was empty... Isaac began to whistle... I waited.  Suddenly, a ghostly shape flew under the canopy, perching in a nearby tree.  I was able to see clean white underwings... a young Crested Eagle!

I was able to see the field marks that separate this young bird of the very similar young Harpy we saw before: single-pointed crest, less massive bill and longer, less massive legs.  But the show was about to start... after a couple of minutes, an adult eagle arrived to the nest, and started to vocalize.

We spent more than 1 hour seeing both birds... but I needed to go.  Reluctantly, I left the eagles interacting between them... what a great life bird... and so close to the facilities!  Amazing.  I started and ended my flash trip to Darien National Park with two huge eagles, the largest eagles in Panama... but those were not my highlights of the trip (not kidding)... check my next post if you want to know!

Bird Watching for Beginners - How To Identify Birds

If you enjoy watching birds, more than likely you are going to want to learn how you can identify them. While it can be exciting to be able to identify birds, it isn't always a simple task; in fact, it can be downright frustrating much of the time. Of course having a good field guide is an excellent idea. However, you'll have to have some knowledge of your own even to be able to accurately use the field guide. So, if you are a beginner at bird watching, the following are a few tips that can help you more accurately identify birds.

 

Tip #1 - The Size of the Bird - One thing that will help you identify birds is to first take a look at the size of the bird you are trying to identify. Is it about the size of a large ostrich, maybe chicken size, about the size of a small sparrow, or perhaps the size of a robin? Also, consider whether the bird is plump, on the skinny side, short, or very long. The entire body should be taken into consideration, including the size of the beak, the size of the tail, and the size and shape of the wings as well.

Tip #2 - Note the Colors - Another tip that will help you to more accurately identify birds is to take note of the colors that are on the bird. As you learn which colors certain birds tend to be you'll soon learn how to identify some birds by color alone. However, colors can trick you from time to time. The lighting may affect the color that the bird appears. Be sure to check the colors that are on each part of the body as well. Are the legs a certain color, the wings a specific color, or does it have any specific markings anywhere on the body?

Tip #3 - Where are You? - Believe it or not, your location can actually help you identify birds as well. Take a look around and figure out where you are. Are you out on the water, deep inside a large forest, or perhaps in your front yard? There are certain birds that live in specific habitats. Is the bird in the water, is it wading or swimming, does it actually climb the tree, how and where does it fly, and does it move its tail? These are all questions to ask that can help you out when identifying the birds that you are watching.

Tip #4 - Listen - One of the most important tips for beginner bird watchers that want to identify birds is to listen. Every single bird has a unique song that they sing and if you listen you may be able to identify the bird just by what you hear. If you are listening closely you may even see some birds that you would have never seen otherwise, and while this won't always help you identify a bird, it can definitely help.

So, next time you go out bird watching, keep all of these tips in mind. They'll help you identify the birds you see and have a more fun and rewarding experience out in the wild.

William Scott contributes bird watching advice to BirdWatchingAdvice.com, a site dedicated to helping people find the best birding binoculars.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/940332

Snettisham for the Spring Tide

Yep, it's been a while and my apologies accordingly.  I had to leave my job and take a breather.  I'm still taking that breather and will continue to do so for at least another year (though we are selling a house having bought another house, having building work done and a few other bits and bobs) but this is time for me to unwind and get over the stress illnesses that had been mounting up.

We've started to get out and about again, our first 'proper' trip being planned back in May when I was working my notice, and that was to take advantage of the timing of the neap tide at Snettisham, when it coincides with wader migration.

Saturday:

We arrived at the car park at Snettisham RSPB at 05:45 and walked out on the beach in the first light of day.

With the first light of day of we could start to make out the huge numbers of birds roosting on the mud flats, I estimate at least 50,000 birds, no doubt there were more, this was just the spot we were at after all.

As well as the tidal flow the forecast was for leaden skies but we were also treated to a beautiful sunrise:

The tide rushes in, quickly starting to cover the mud and reduce the space for the waders forcing them to start to move together in even tighter groups:

As more and more mud is covered they take to the air in larger flocks moving across the remaining mud towards the land:

They get more and more pressed together, eventually there's no mud left so they fly over the water to land and the lagoons therein:

We were lucky that the sunrise coincided with this spectacle:

By 8am the waders were settled in their roosts in the lagoons so we headed back to Hunstanton for breakfast and on for pleasant albeit quiet visits to RSPB Titchwell and NWT Cley before driving on to Lowestoft and our hotel there for Saturday night.

At Titchwell extensive works have been completed with the lagoons brought further inland to provide better defence against ingress by the sea, leading to some former wooded areas to be marshland now:

Sunday:

Sunday morning we had the first breakfast sitting available at 7am and then drive to Minsmere

One bird I really wanted to during the weekend was the Bearded Reedling or Bearded Tit.  We'd helped someone see them on Saturday without seeing them ourselves.  We headed to the Island hide but rather than go in, stayed on the boardwalk and were soon rewarded with great views of a small flock:

Amusingly the hide emptied as everyone inside came running out to try and get a picture while the birds were showing so well :)  Minsmere was also very quiet so we decided to head for home well pleased with the weekend away.