Saturday, June 15, 2013

Birding

Elizabeth Osborne

15 June 2013
8:00 am
72 degrees

Coverdale Farm Preserve
Hockessin, DE


On June 15th, the Naturalist Certification class surveyed the birds around Coverdale Farm Preserve. I did not have a working camera for this trip, so this post will lack pictures.

When I got to Coverdale, the group was looking at a tree swallow (Tachycineta bicolor) nest with eggs in it. Male tree swallows have more iridescence than females. Before I got there, they saw a blue heron (Ardea herodias) and a green heron (Butorides virescens).

We moved from the parking lot down the hill through the meadow. Red-winged blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus) males were displaying. Females weave a nest out of dry grass not far off the ground. This species is found near marshes and water. Their eggs are blue with brown streaks. Female redwing blackbirds are stripey and brown, without red wings at all, but the men get the name! The birds are about hand-sized.

We saw a male Baltimore Oriole (Icterus galbula)--the first one I had ever seen. This bird is a neotropical migrant present in Delaware from May to September.

As we walked through the meadow, off in the distance, we saw a big dark bird soaring, with the tips of its wings up. This was a turkey vulture (Cathartes aura)--not a true raptor, because it doesn't have talons. Black vultures (Coragyps atratus) are shifting their range and are now also present in Delaware.


From the thickets, we heard a mourning dove (zenaida macroura) and a bluejay (cyanocitta cristata). We also saw chimney swifts (Chaetura pelagica), Northern mockingbirds (mimus polyglottus),  and Common starlings (sturnus vulgaris).

In a dead tree far off, we saw an American kestrel (falco sparverius). These birds like to sit in dead trees because it affords them a greater view. Kestrels have two black patches on the back of their heads--predators may mistake these for eyes. The birds sit upright. They nest in cavities.

Tree swallows were dive-bombing one member of the group. We also saw a second-year female banded tree swallow.

We saw an American crow (corvus brachyrynchos) in typical rowing flight.

Another mockingbird was singing loudly and flew over. Only the male mockingbirds mock--it may be that the number of songs or sounds in a male's repertoire helps him win the female.

We heard a field sparrow (spizella pusilla), with its rising notes. A yellow warbler (dendroica petechia) also was seen and heard--it says "Sweet, sweet, I'm so sweet!"


On the path, we saw an Eastern tailed-blue butterfly (cupido comyntas) getting minerals from bird scat.

We walked along the path skirting the meadow and saw several different birds at different times perching on grasses and in trees across the meadow. We were able to see some, like the Baltimore Orioles, both with and without aid. 

We used a scope to look at an indigo bunting (passerina cyanea) perched on some grass.
 The field sparrow perched nearby, but was also colored to blend in with the grasses. 

We also saw a male orchard oriole (Icterus spurius). It was just a brown spot from far away, but easy to see through the scope.

Another butterfly, a Great Spangled Fritillary, flew along the yarrow plants. These butterflies are orange like monarchs, but don't have the black and white spots.



A woodpecker was drumming in the distance. Woodpeckers drum to communicate instead of singing.

Other butterflies and moths we saw in the meadow:
painted lady (genus Vanessa)
clouded sulphur (colias philodice)
cabbage whites (pieris rapae)

The orchard oriole reappeared. He is a dark brown/rust paired with black. Orioles are in the blackbird family and have the same form.

We heard a Gray catbird (Dumetella carolinensis) in the thicket.

We saw a common yellowthroat (geothlypis trichas) in the trees.

A goldfinch (carduelis tristis) flew across the meadow.

Through the scope, we were able to see an Eastern towhee (Erythro pipilophtalmus) singing in the thicket. Its call is, "Drink your teeeaaa!" 

Down near the creek, above the bridge, we found the Baltimore oriole nest Ian had mentioned earlier. Because of the heavy rains recently, the bottom had dropped out, but the babies were still hanging on. Someone found the bottom of the nest--it's constructed with grapevine twigs and sycamore fluff. While we watched, the female and then the male came back to feed the babies, who were calling.

Down below the bridge, we saw and heard an Eastern phoebe (sayornis phoebe), a kind of flycatcher. They live in holes in streambanks.

Species list:

Birds:
tree swallow
blue heron
green heron
red-winged blackbird
Baltimore oriole
turkey vulture
mourning dove 
chimney swift
bluejay
mockingbird
starling
American kestrel
American crow
field sparrow
yellow warbler
indigo bunting 
orchard oriole
woodpecker
Gray catbird
common yellowthroat
goldfinch
Eastern towhee
Eastern phoebe

Butterflies/moths:
Eastern tailed-blue
Great spangled fritillary
painted lady
clouded sulphur
cabbage whites