Author: Lani Raymond

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The Mystery of the Dark, Banded Bird

In early June, David Hanson, a Texas birder, took some photos from inside Spit Sisters of an odd, black bird. He had been on trips up here before and he knew that this was not a usual sighting out on the spit. He showed the photos to several birders who were quite perplexed as to what it was and thus began our quest to discover just what in the heck this bird was?

 

Early on it was suggested that it was only a wet, bedraggled Song Sparrow but the bill seemed wrong and also the size. Gary Lyon measured the shingles in the photo and found that the exposed shingle was 6 inches so the bird was accurately measured at 8-9 inches long. 

 

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The bird had a yellow band on one leg which we thought meant that it had been a caged bird since wild birds are banded also with a metallic band. At one point we thought that a yellow band meant that it was from Peru but later found out that yellow bands mean Peru only if they’re shorebirds.

 

The other clues that it had been a caged bird were that the feathers were rumpled and unkempt and the tail was quite bedraggled. And, according to Martin Renner, that the lower mandible was shorter than the upper one.

 

It was singing so that meant a male no doubt. Unfortunately Dave had been inside the busy, noisy Spit Sisters restaurant when this was happening so he couldn’t hear the song at all.

 

 

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We contacted Cornell and they had several folks look at the photos and decided that it was probably a Red-winged Blackbird. This based on the physiology and the fact that they are in Alaska. I wanted to say BUT, IT HAD BEEN CAGED so could have come from anywhere, couldn’t it? Could it be a Melodious Blackbird or Scrub Blackbird, however unlikely?

 

We tried to track down a bona fide Icterid specialist but could not find one. There must be one out there somewhere? And through this time we advertised and promised absolute “unlimited fame” to anyone who would ID this bird with certainty.

 

Recently we discovered an interesting website called WhatBird where you post a photo plus information and lots of folks look and hopefully respond. Our post got over 480 viewings but few useful responses. They suggested possibly Melodious Blackbird which is from Central America but gave no real evidence. What happens on this site is that your post gets buried deeper and deeper if no one responds, so I wrote some little additions to my post and so we’d get back on Page One for a while. I did my best! It was mind boggling, but maybe comforting, to see how many people had birds they couldn’t identify! (Gee, it wasn’t just us!!)

 

So here we are, nearly two months after the original sighting. Our conjecture is that it’s a Red-winged Blackbird. But we will always wonder why it had the yellow band, why someone would have had it in a cage, and whatever happened to it?

 

Maybe “When you have eliminated all which is impossible, then whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.” Arthur Conan Doyle, The Case-Book of Sherlock Holmes.

 

 

“Fully 98%…”

We as birders have an opportunity to help set aside prime habitat for birds by purchasing a Migratory Bird Stamp each year. Fully 98% of this purchase goes directly to buying wetlands, grasslands and other key habitats for our birds, expanding the National Wildlife Refuge System.

I am amazed at the opportunity this gives us if we can just educate birders about what this means and what we, as birders with our huge numbers, can do for setting aside prime habitat. If we all bought a stamp in one year we would raise more than has been purchased in 80 years!!! It is a force!

As we show our support we will be able to include images of other migratory birds on these stamps. Presently waterfowl are depicted. This can become quite the program if we can get the word out, unruffle any feathers of misinformation that has circulated in the past and strive forward to purchase land for our birds into the future.

(from the USFWS Federal Duck Stamp Office)

“At the turn of the century, significant bird protection efforts arose to end the disturbing slaughter of birds. This was effectively the country's first organized movement by individuals we generally know as “birders” today. The initial crisis in the 20th century bird conservation was addressed by the Lacy Act of 1900, the creation of Pelican Island in 1903 as the first Federal refuge in the country, and the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918. These events effectively outlawed forever the indiscriminate killing of birds in this country, along with the use of their feathers for interstate trade.

A second bird-crisis emerged as a result of the over draining of wetlands, the degradation of prairie grasslands through increased mono-crop agriculture, and by cycles of over-harvesting of waterfowl on ever dwindling habitat. Along with the Dust Bowl of the depression years these events culminated in a drastic loss of waterfowl. An important step taken to address this crisis was the creation of the Federal Migratory Bird Stamp in the mid-1930’s, an action which sought to strengthen a National Refuge System in desperate need of support.”

This system once again is in desperate need of support! Birders to the rescue! We started this protection of our Migratory Birds and we need to continue our direct on-the-ground protection by purchasing an annual Migratory Bird Stamp each year. They are available on line for $15. Go to https://store.usps.com/store/browse/subcategory.jsp?categoryId=duck-stamps (A current stamp of the year also gives free entrance into any Wildlife Refuge that charges admission.)

We have a responsibility to continue the job we started…to protect the birds that give us so much joy by setting aside nesting, rearing, wintering and stopover refuges so they are assured open space and we can continue to monitor and enjoy them.

Meeting, Potluck and Slideshow!

The Kachemak Bay Birders last meeting until August will be Thursday, May 29th at 4:30 pm at Islands and Ocean Visitor Center in the Seminar room.  After the meeting there will be a potluck meal and members will share slides. Come and enjoy this last gathering, great meal and always interesting slides! Bring a dish to share and up to 10 slides on a thumb drive if you'd like to show them.

Everyone is welcome and there is no charge. For more information contact Lani Raymond 399-9477 or Lori Paulsrud 299-3724. Cosponsored by the Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge.

 

 

 

Great Backyard Bird Count

Thank you to the many birders who participated in the Great Backyard Bird Count this year. It is an important way to help with the counting of birds in our area and finding some very interesting ones also. If you would like to check out what was submitted on the Kenai Peninsula, check out http://ebird.org/ebird/gbbc/subnational2/US-AK-122?yr=all.
 
Some very interesting birds we found here in Homer were the RUSTIC BUNTING, NORTHERN FLICKER, and WHITE-THROATED SPARROW. (The White-throated Sparrow has an interesting story concerning how it was reported. Apparently—and this is just a story I heard second-hand—the location was initially given with longitude and latitude coordinates. However with one little number typo error, this bird ended up located in Russia, not Homer! So this Homer birder was able not just to see all the way to Russia, but see a really great bird in Russia from his living room window! And then enter it on the GBBC which fortunately now is international…)

2013 Christmas Bird Count Final Report from Dave Erikson

The final CBC report from Dave Erikson is finished . We got 54 species for the day and then an additional 5 species for the Count Week.

What we found: HARLEQUIN DUCK, SURF SCOTER, WHITE-WINGED SCOTER, BLACK SCOTER, LONG-TAILED DUCK, BUFFLEHEAD, COMMON GOLDENEYE, COMMON MERGANSER, RING-NECKED PHEASANT, RED-THROATED LOON, COMMON LOON, HORNED GREBE, RED-NECKED GREBE, PELAGIC CORMORANT, BALD EAGLE, NORTHERN GOSHAWK, ROCK SANDPIPER, MEW GULL, HERRING GULL, GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULL, COMMON MURRE, murrelet sp., ROCK PIGEON, DOWNY WOODPECKER, HAIRY WOODPECKER, NORTHERN SHRIKE, GRAY JAY, STELLER’S JAY, BLACK-BILLED MAGPIE, NORTHWESTERN CROW, COMMON RAVEN, BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEE, BOREAL CHICKADEE, RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH, BROWN CREEPER, PACIFIC WREN, GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLET, RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET, AMERICAN ROBIN, VARIED THRUSH, BOHEMIAN WAXWING, CEDAR WAXWING, AMERICAN TREE SPARROW, FOX SPARROW, SONG SPARROW, WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW, GOLDEN-CROWNED SPARROW, DARK-EYED JUNCO, SNOW BUNTING, GRAY-CROWNED ROSY-FINCH, PINE GROSBEAK, PINE SISKIN, RUSTIC BUNTING, MOURNING DOVE.

Count Week species : GREAT HORNED OWL, NORTHERN HARRIER, HARLAN’S HAWK, MARBLED MURRELET, PIGEON GUILLEMOT.

The largest numbers were BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS (1027), NORTHWESTERN CROW (372), and BLACK SCOTER (360). A total of 3578 individual birds were counted.

COUNT WEEK continues until 17th at midnight

COUNT WEEK SPECIES
In addition to the bird species and numbers tabulated on the CBC day itself, additional species may be added from three days before the count day and three days after the count day; they are designated ?count week? species. This will be from Dec. 11th to the 13th and from the 15th to the 17th.
Any unusual species you see within the count circle during those days should be reported to Dave Erikson 235-3487 derikson@alaska.net or Lani Raymond 399-9477 lani67@alaska.net

You Never Know What We Will Find!

AUDUBON CHRISTMAS BIRD COUNT IN HOMER
Nationally, this will be the 114th Audubon Christmas Bird Count and it is an excellent opportunity to participate in the largest and longest-running Citizen Science activity in the whole country. The first count in Homer was 1965 and there have been regular CBCs in Homer since 1973. Dave Erikson has organized and led them for over 35 years!
Our Christmas Bird Count will be held on Saturday, December 14th. Meet at 8:30 am at Islands and Ocean Visitor Center in the Seminar Room. We will have coffee/tea and breakfast breads to enjoy while teams are formed and Dave Erikson assigns areas. Birding commences at first light… We will return by 4:00 pm to tabulate the results and enjoy a potluck meal.
All levels of birders are welcome?novice birders team up with those with more experience, and, it is a good family activity. There is no charge again this year. Bring optics and dress warmly. Bring a dish to share for the potluck. (We use the plates, silverware, etc. there so you don?t need to bring them for yourselves.)
In the last ten years, the average number of species found here has been about 62. Some years are dreadfully cold, in some years snow and wind make visibility difficult even at mid-day, but then sometimes we have nice, sunny, longer days, sometimes even with significantly more open water. Almost every year a surprise, wonderful, unexpected bird is found! One year it was a Purple Finch, another year a Mountain Bluebird… Emperor Goose…Wilson?s Warbler! You never know what will be found with so many birders out there searching the area all day! There are usually about 25 people who participate, possibly more if feeder-watchers and owl-counters are included.
FEEDER-WATCHERS and OWL-COUNTERS
Anyone living within our ?count circle? may count birds seen in their yard/feeder and anyone planning to count owls during that 24 hour period should check in with to Dave Erikson ahead of time. These species/numbers are included in with our totals. The center of our ?count circle? is in Mud Bay and a radius of 7.5 miles. Roughly this goes to Fritz Creek to the east, up to Diamond Creek where it empties into the Inlet, and includes all the Spit, Homer and above the Homer bench.
COUNT WEEK defined:
In addition to the bird species and numbers tabulated on the CBC day itself, additional species may be added from three days before the count day and three days after the count day; they are designated ?count week? species. This will be from Dec. 11th to the 13th and from the 15th to the 17th. Any unusual species you see within the count circle during those days should be reported to Dave Erikson or Lani Raymond.
WINTER BIRD IDENTIFICATION CLASS
On December 12th Dave Erikson is teaching a class to help folks brush up on their winter birding ID skills or introduce beginners to the birds that winter here. It will be held at 6:30 pm in the Seminar Room at Islands and Ocean Visitor Center. No charge and everyone is welcome.
For more information about either of these events contact:
Dave Erikson 235-3487 derikson@alaska.net or
BJ Hitchcock 235-1265 hitchcock613@msn.com
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Fledgling Bird Identifiers’ “Big Day”

The Fledgling Bird Identifiers had a great "Big Day" on Saturday October 5th. They started out with George Matz ( A big thanks to him volunteering to go with them!) at the Beluga Sough and Baycrest Trail. Then after some refueling they went to Wynn Nature Center; Reber Trail; the Reservoir; overlooks at Beluga Slough; refueling again at Starvin Marvin's and then to Jason Sodergren's for a great time with two owls banded.

 

A total of 20 species were sighted- the best besides the owls was a Downy Woodpecker at Wynn. It was a good Big Day! Jason taught them how to enter their data on E-bird. They have another event planned for next Sunday the 13th but are watching weather to decide what they are doing and then may call for some help again – so stay posted.

 

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