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9 May rosebreasted grosbeak ["Jon and Dawn Yoder" ] 8 May Pectoral Sandpipers ["Lucy and Bob Duncan" ] 08 May Grosbeak (Rose-breasted or hybrid)??? Orange-breasted?? ["numberonebirder" ] 08 May Update For Anniston May 8, 2008 RBG EVERYWHERE! ["numberonebirder" ] 7 May Scissor-tailed Flycatcher - Limestone County ["Jud Johnston" ] 07 May Update For Anniston May 7, 2008 RBG EVERYWHERE! ["numberonebirder" ] 06 May Re: North Alabama Big Day...Addendum [] 06 May North Alabama Big Day...Addendum [] 6 May Fun time at Ruffner Mountain ["Greg D. Jackson" ] 05 May North AL Big Day, May 5, 2008 [] 05 May Sunday birding at Ruffner Mountain, Birmingham ["scotduncan26" ] 5 May apples and oranges ["Lucy and Bob Duncan" ] 05 May Update For Anniston May 5, 2008 ["numberonebirder" ] 4 May Cape May Warbler - Marion Co. ["Jud Johnston" ] 4 May Huntsville-Decatur today (4 May) ["Greg D. Jackson" ] 4 May Fw: [MISSBIRD] Rig birds May 3&4, 08 ["Lucy and Bob Duncan" ] 04 May The Warblers are back- Dauphin Island report 5/3/08 [Chazz Hesselein ] 04 May U-pick Bobolinks ["scotduncan26" ] 3 May Harpersville today (3 May) ["Greg D. Jackson" ] 03 May fallout forecast? ["David and Carrie" ] 2 May Miss. Kites, Monte Sano [Bert Harris ] 02 May Like the swallows returning to Capistrano.... ["mbraid" ] 2 May Monte Sano Golden-winged [Bert Harris ] 1 May Fw: Monte Sano migrants ["Larry Gardella" ] 1 May Monte Sano migrants [Bert Harris ] 01 May Incidental birding (300+ Whimbrels) [Chazz Hesselein ] 30 Apr Re: Dauphin Island Fallout 4-29-08 ["scotduncan26" ] 30 Apr Re: Dauphin Island Fallout 4-29-08 [Matt Smith ] 29 Apr Dauphin Island Fallout 4-29-08 [Chazz Hesselein ] 30 Apr Anniston Update For April 29, 2008 ["numberonebirder" ] 29 Apr White Dove: one more comment... ["Howard Horne" ] 29 Apr RE: White Dove ["Barry Fleming" ] 29 Apr birding Gulf Breeze today ["Lucy and Bob Duncan" ] 29 Apr Re: White Dove ["Howard Horne" ] 28 Apr FT. Morgan and Dauphin Is. today ["Lucy and Bob Duncan" ] 28 Apr Re: White Dove ["Gregory J. Harber" ] 29 Apr White Dove ["David and Carrie" ] 28 Apr Birmingham area birding 27-28 April ["Greg D. Jackson" ] 28 Apr Late Report-Bird-a-thon in NW Alabama [] 27 Apr Willow Flycatcher ["Larry Gardella" ] 27 Apr Re: fallout?? [Chazz Hesselein ] 27 Apr fallout?? ["Lucy and Bob Duncan" ] 27 Apr Spring Outdoor Festival-Saturday, May 3 ["john_trent00" ] 27 Apr Mon Louis Island ["Jabe Fincher" ] 27 Apr Turtledove? Photo ["David and Carrie" ] 27 Apr Dauphin Island sat, 4/26 pm [] 27 Apr migrants in East Birmingham ["scotduncan26" ] 26 Apr Summer Tanager and Bald Eagles ["orm091101" ] 26 Apr Update For Anniston April 25, 2008 ["numberonebirder" ] 25 Apr Shorebirds in nw Alabama [] 25 Apr Update For Anniston April 23 And April 24 ["numberonebirder" ] 24 Apr Re: Birmingham birding this morning [Joshua Szulecki ] Subject: rosebreasted grosbeak From: "Jon and Dawn Yoder" <jeyoder AT frontiernet.net> Date: Fri, 9 May 2008 18:35:15 -0500 Debbie your Rosebreasted Grosbeak pics are great; I don't have any at all this year, although most years we have a few! We did have a whitewinged dove visit our feeder this pm. We are still seeing a Great crested flycatcher scope out the old woodpecker holes, and they seem to be making a nest there, although I am not sure.... [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]Subject: Pectoral Sandpipers From: "Lucy and Bob Duncan" <town_point AT bellsouth.net> Date: Thu, 8 May 2008 21:43:23 -0500 Hi all, In spite of regular trips to the Gulf Shores Sew. Treatment Plant (which today had loads of peeps) and the "cut" on Santa Rosa Is., I have yet to see a Pectoral Sandpiper this season. This species is normally common in the right habitat in April. Nor have we encountered them at Dauphin Is.'s west end on several trips this spring. What's going on? Has anyone encountered many Pecs anywhere else? I hope this is not an indication the species is in trouble. I did go to Ft. Morgan today, not expecting anything, and was not disappointed. There were a total of 10 migrant species, one of each. Extremely dull. But tons of terns on the point. As I was leaving, about 3:30 p.m., a fairly large flock of E. Kingbirds was flying around above the trees, apparently just coming in on a pretty good SW wind (no rain involved). A movement could have been shoved this way, the late arrival due to extra distance covered by the birds. Dauphin Is. could be interesting tomorrow morning. Bob Duncan Gulf Breeze, Fl [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]Subject: Grosbeak (Rose-breasted or hybrid)??? Orange-breasted?? From: "numberonebirder" <DMCKEN9341 AT AOL.COM> Date: Thu, 08 May 2008 22:45:28 -0000 Hi, I just posted a picture of what appears to be a male Rose-breasted Grosbeak but it has a really orange breast. It could be a hybrid or the color is from whatever he has been eating. Anyone want to take a guess? Here is the link to where I posted it. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/albirds/spnew/view/48e0?i=468 Debbie (BirdLady)Subject: Update For Anniston May 8, 2008 RBG EVERYWHERE! From: "numberonebirder" <DMCKEN9341 AT AOL.COM> Date: Thu, 08 May 2008 19:31:49 -0000 Hi, everyone! I still have RBGs, Gray Catbirds, Brown-headed Nuthatches and one male Ruby-throated Hummingbird. I just posted a picture of 7 Rose-breasted Grosbeaks. On the top left above one of the males you can barely see a red spot which is another RBG male. Here is where you can see it: http://ph.groups.yahoo.com/group/albirds/photos/view/48e0?b=50 Debbie (BirdLady)Subject: Scissor-tailed Flycatcher - Limestone County From: "Jud Johnston" <egrosbeak AT centurytel.net> Date: Wed, 7 May 2008 16:28:46 -0600 I have received a report of a scissor-tailed flycatcher in an out-of-the-way location near Athens. Consult DeLorme p. 18 C2. Traveling west from Athens on U.S. 72, turn right on New Cut Road (CR 48). This looks like about 12-14 miles west of I-65. Then after maybe 3 miles, turn left on Baker Hill Road (watch the slope). After another couple of miles, turn left on Elk Mills River Road. Shortly, cross the bridge over the Elk River and merge right onto Cairo Hollow Road. Along Cairo Hollow Road in this area is where the bird was seen. Jud Johnston Winfield [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]Subject: Update For Anniston May 7, 2008 RBG EVERYWHERE! From: "numberonebirder" <DMCKEN9341 AT AOL.COM> Date: Wed, 07 May 2008 21:09:07 -0000 Hello Everyone, I know today isn't over but I just couldn't wait to tell you that I have at least 30 Rose-breasted Grosbeaks! Debbie (BirdLady)Subject: Re: North Alabama Big Day...Addendum From: Swmavocet AT aol.com Date: Tue, 06 May 2008 20:32:37 -0400 Wow Damien!? You must be angry! "Shot"-billed Dowitcher? : ) -----Original Message----- From: tnbarredowl AT aol.com To: albirds AT yahoogroups.com; moezali15 AT hotmail.com; sabrewing AT earthlink.net; bleufer AT aol.com; tmhaggerty AT una.edu; g_d_jackson AT bellsouth.net; pdkittle AT una.edu; Swmavocet AT aol.com; fjmenapace AT una.edu; pjzinger AT hiwaay.net; nedpiper AT yahoo.com; fsherrod AT comcast.net; waylands AT bellsouth.net; djsimbeck AT tva.gov; stkite AT centurytel.net; wpoliver AT una.edu; ANLASTUMPE AT aol.com; chickadeedee AT bellsouth.net; jgpaul AT tva.gov; dnks AT lorettotel.net; fraser.keith AT comcast.net; chuckrivers AT comcast.net; jrholl34 AT bellsouth.net; dixiecarter AT bellsouth.net; mbeuerlein AT comcast.net; rjmoore AT tva.gov; reddjo AT bellsouth.net Sent: Tue, 6 May 2008 6:57 pm Subject: North Alabama Big Day...Addendum As Steve noted in his earlier al-birds post, he, Jeff Garner and I tried once again to break the state May record (157 species) yesterday, but once again came up short (154 species).? It is with great sadness that I type this post.? Earlier today, I went to The Sinks to count shorebirds present (forgot to make an ISS?count while we were there yesterday).? To my surprise (and anger), I found the following species:? Killdeer, Semipalmated Plover, Greater Yellowlegs (missed yesterday #1), Lesser Yellowlegs, Solitary Sandpiper, Dunlin, Pectoral Sandpiper, Least Sandpiper, Semipalmated Sandpiper, Western Sandpiper (missed yesterday #2), Shot-billed Dowitcher, and Wilson's Phalarope (missed yesterday #3!!!).? For those of us that can still do simple math, 154 species plus?3 missed species equals 157 species.? These birds had to drop in today.? We might have overlooked the Western amongst the Leasts, but 5 Greater Yellowlegs standing in the middle of the pond are unmistakable, and a breeding plumaged Wilson's Phalarope is an eye-catcher.? Of course, this gives us more motivation to try again next year!? I also checked The Point and saw no signs of the Gannet. Damien Simbeck Killen, AL Plan your next roadtrip with MapQuest.com: America's #1 Mapping Site. [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]Subject: North Alabama Big Day...Addendum From: TNbarredowl AT aol.com Date: Tue, 06 May 2008 19:57:43 -0400 As Steve noted in his earlier al-birds post, he, Jeff Garner and I tried once again to break the state May record (157 species) yesterday, but once again came up short (154 species).? It is with great sadness that I type this post.? Earlier today, I went to The Sinks to count shorebirds present (forgot to make an ISS?count while we were there yesterday).? To my surprise (and anger), I found the following species:? Killdeer, Semipalmated Plover, Greater Yellowlegs (missed yesterday #1), Lesser Yellowlegs, Solitary Sandpiper, Dunlin, Pectoral Sandpiper, Least Sandpiper, Semipalmated Sandpiper, Western Sandpiper (missed yesterday #2), Shot-billed Dowitcher, and Wilson's Phalarope (missed yesterday #3!!!).? For those of us that can still do simple math, 154 species plus?3 missed species equals 157 species.? These birds had to drop in today.? We might have overlooked the Western amongst the Leasts, but 5 Greater Yellowlegs standing in the middle of the pond are unmistakable, and a breeding plumaged Wilson's Phalarope is an eye-catcher.? Of course, this gives us more motivation to try again next year!? I also checked The Point and saw no signs of the Gannet. Damien Simbeck Killen, AL [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]Subject: Fun time at Ruffner Mountain From: "Greg D. Jackson" <g_d_jackson AT bellsouth.net> Date: Tue, 6 May 2008 16:31:13 -0600 AL Birders: The adage about not being able to teach old dogs new tricks is simply wrong. I've spent the last 21 years in Birmingham after returning from Mobile; inexplicably during that time I've only been to Ruffner Mountain once or twice, and not in over a decade. My thanks again to Scot Duncan's posts for lifting the wool from these old eyes! I've been there three times in the last couple of weeks, and it just keeps getting better! This old hound has learned a new favorite local spot! This morning was wonderful on the mountain. Debi and I got there at 7 a.m. and spent the next four hours wandering the area, birding the parking lot and various tower roads in nearly perfect weather (only marred by a bit of breeziness at times). Migration is in full swing! We had good numbers of migrants, including several House Wrens, Swainson's Thrushes and Veeries, Rose-breasted Grosbeaks, Summer and Scarlet tanagers, and Baltimore and Orchard orioles. The big show today, though, was the warbler parade. We had good variety and numbers, often at close range and in song. These were: Tennessee (25), Chestnut-sided (5), Magnolia (4), Cape May (3), Yellow-rumped (5), BT Green (3), Blackburnian (4), Palm (7), Bay-breasted (2), Blackpoll (10), Black-and-white (5), Am. Redstart (3), Worm-eating (1), Ovenbird (1), Kentucky (2), and Hooded (1). That was enough to dazzle anyone, especially the spectacular views of the Blackburnians. Even better was a prolonged "in your face" study of a male Cerulean singing a variety of songs, including variations I've never heard in the past. The top warbler, though, came later in the morning. As we were walking up to the fire tower I heard a soft song; just as I was about to yell out "Black-throated Blue!" it appeared in front of us, continuing to sing a low song and coming within 10 feet This was my first of that species in Birmingham, and it really capped the morning! What a fantastic place -- "Ah kicka myselfa" for not spending the last 21 years there! An added treat (at least for me) was getting good looks at the visitors center of a copperhead and a large canebrake rattler that were outside being readied for educational exhibition. The rattler even got to take a "walk" on the sidewalk, rattling his tail so loudly you could hear it at a distance. Even Debi (NOT a snake person)remarked, in a tremulous tone, of the beauty of their markings -- though that may have been in a reference to suitability for shoes . . . We ran by the west end of the airport after Ruffner, but only Killdeer and a single Least Sandpiper were the shorebird offerings. Still no Bobolinks there, despite good habitat, but if you want to see Eastern Kingbirds, this is the place -- over 60 were on the fences! Considering all the miles we usually have to drive to find good birding, it was great to experience such bounty in a local patch, and on a morning that just made you glad to breath the air! Greg Greg D. Jackson Birmingham, AL g_d_jackson AT bellsouth.net [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]Subject: North AL Big Day, May 5, 2008 From: Swmavocet AT aol.com Date: Mon, 05 May 2008 22:57:36 -0400 Damien Simbeck, Jeff Garner, and I, chose today to run our annual spring Big Day.? What a fabulous day to be alive and birding the migration!? Dawn broke cool (car temp at one point registered 40 F) in the western hollows of Lauderdale County.? The migrant activity was very impressive and the diversity was equally good.? We finished the day with 29 species of warbler which I think is our best ever. From mid-morning the activity seemed to drop off steadily and our initial optimism we might FINALLY break the state May record (157), by mid-afternoon, had faded significantly.? Personally, I think the spiral began at the moment I was trying to get my scope set-up to check a distant Olive-sided candidate and the bird flew just as my eye reached the eyepiece!? Ouch! When we reached The Point at the mouth of Town Creek in late afternoon, we pretty much knew breaking the record was next to impossible.? We did find several new species at this location, however, including a 1st Shoals record:? an adult NORTHERN GANNET!!! Photo:? http://www.pbase.com/swmavocet/recent_alabama_rarities We ended the day at our familiar 154 species.? One day we'll get it done! To give you some idea of what is possible for a May day in north AL, here are some of our 'easy' misses from today:? Pied-billed Grebe Cattle Egret Least Bittern (strangely silent at normal locations) Virginia Rail (again, strangely silent) Greater Yellowlegs (what!?) Laughing Gull (I think this was the first time we've missed this one on a Big Day) Northern Flicker (one of the most expected misses) Ruby-crowned Kinglet Gray-cheeked Thrush Philadelphia Vireo ============================== There's still plenty of migration happening out there!? Get out and enjoy! Steve McConnell Hartselle, AL [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]Subject: Sunday birding at Ruffner Mountain, Birmingham From: "scotduncan26" <sduncan AT bsc.edu> Date: Mon, 05 May 2008 21:13:29 -0000 Birmingham. On Sunday (May 4, 2008) Ashlin and I had another productive morning of birding at Ruffner Mountain Nature Center. From the parking area we had 49 species including many migrants and 11 warbler species during 2 hours (7-9 am). HOUSE WRENS were still singing like mad 3 at once at one point. We were joined by two other birders whose company we certainly enjoyed. Ashlin wanted me to mention how beautiful the SCARLET and SUMMER TANAGERS were; one of the scarlets was so bright in the morning sun it nearly fried my retina. Numbers per each species were light, as usual. Migration seems to have begun to wind down. Migrant highlights included: WOOD THRUSH SWAINSON'S THRUSH INDIGO BUNTING EASTERN WOOD PEWEE AMERICAN REDSTART TENNESSEE WARBLER PALM WARBLER ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAK HOODED WARBLER SCARLET TANAGER BLACKPOLL WARBLER CAPE MAY WARBLER BALTIMORE ORIOLE MAGNOLIA WARBLER BAY-BREASTED WARBLER BLACK-AND-WHITE WARBLER CHESTNUT-SIDED WARBLER YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER Good birding! ScotSubject: apples and oranges From: "Lucy and Bob Duncan" <town_point AT bellsouth.net> Date: Mon, 5 May 2008 11:31:03 -0500 It's the darndest thing. The yard will be full of orioles, and I'll put out oranges for them. The orioles stay around a couple of days, and not an orange will be touched by them or by the resident birds. Yesterday, I had a dripping-juicy apple and halved it, put it out on the sticks on the bird feeder, and in a matter of hours it was gobbled down to the inside of the red skin. We had local birds feasting on it (Red-bellied Woodpecker, T. Titmouse, C. Chickadee) as well as two Rose-breasted Grosbeaks and a stunning male "calico" Summer Tanager. Today, I put out another apple, a Granny Smith, just as juicy as yesterday's apple. The tanager came, checked it out and left. The woodpeckers have visited it and left. Not a bite has been taken out of either half! So how do these birds "know" the Granny Smith is tart, not sweet? Or is it the color of the apple skin? The birds have approached the apple from the flat, white, cut side. Did they check out the skin color first? Lucy Duncan Gulf Breeze, FL [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]Subject: Update For Anniston May 5, 2008 From: "numberonebirder" <DMCKEN9341 AT AOL.COM> Date: Mon, 05 May 2008 16:13:54 -0000 Hello everyone, Right now I have 16 Rose-breasted Grosbeaks, 3 to 5 Gray Catbird. Saturday I had a Hermit Thrush and a White-throated Sparrow. Last week I had 3 Indigo Buntings. Debbie (BirdLady) http://www.pbase.com/birdlady/birds&page=1Subject: Cape May Warbler - Marion Co. From: "Jud Johnston" <egrosbeak AT centurytel.net> Date: Sun, 4 May 2008 21:19:21 -0600 Noticing the 3- Cape May report from Greg Jackson: I also had the plesure of viewing a male Cape May warbler today about 4 PM in my yard here in Winfield. This first yard record was visiting both hardwoods (best look in a sweet gum) and some of the massive 100-ft pines just off our property. This is only my second state record for the species. I'm thinking the bird may have been a first spring male, as the yellow on the breast was less extensive than the few other Cape Mays I have seen. ( asking for comment here) In fact, on initial glimpse, I thought it might be a yellow-throated warbler. For those following geographically, I think the DeLorme page is 18, but don't have it in the house presently. I'm about 120 miles SW of Monte Sano and 70 miles WNW of Birmingham, about 25 miles east of the Missisippi state line near Tupelo and Fulton. The elevation here is about 500-550 ft. msl. Jud Johnston Winfield, AL [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]Subject: Huntsville-Decatur today (4 May) From: "Greg D. Jackson" <g_d_jackson AT bellsouth.net> Date: Sun, 4 May 2008 20:08:55 -0600 AL Birders: Debi and I made our annual pilgrimage to that shrine of north Alabama migrant birding, Monte Sano SP in Huntsville. We arrived early to find a beautiful but chilly morning on the mountain. Migration was a bit subdued compared to earlier reports (and our visits in other years), but nevertheless it was worth the trip -- just had to work harder to find transients. Of many warblers, best were three each of Cape May and Bay-breasted, though the singing male Magnolia was not to be ignored. We just missed a Nashville found by the Harris birding duo (Milton and Bert). Thrushes were present in moderate numbers including six Veeries. A beautiful morning spent in one of my favorite places! After lunch (yes, yes, including Big Bob's coconut meringue pie!), we tried valiantly to find any shorebirds in the Decatur area -- nothing but Killdeer, even in the wet areas at Rockhouse (oddly void of shorebirds at peak season). The Solutia pond was so hard to see through the dense willows, I may scratch that once-great spot off my list in the future. What we really enjoyed near Decatur, though, was about 100 Bobolinks in small groups in fields of vetch on Greenbrier Road. This was just south of the I-565 exit near the Chevron station, along a small business road (with optimistic street names like "Success Circle"!). The Bobolinks, mostly males, serenaded us from all directions, and allowed close views as they fed in the flowers. I've posted a few shots to the AL Birds Yahoo site at: http://ph.groups.yahoo.com/group/albirds/photos/ Look in the "Greg D. Jackson -- 2008" album. Another treat in the fields there was a singing male Dickcissel. Greg Greg D. Jackson Birmingham, AL g_d_jackson AT bellsouth.net [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]Subject: Fw: [MISSBIRD] Rig birds May 3&4, 08 From: "Lucy and Bob Duncan" <town_point AT bellsouth.net> Date: Sun, 4 May 2008 08:42:35 -0500 Chazz mentioned the report from the oil rigs that was posted to the Mississippi Birds and Louisiana Birds listservs. I thought y'all might like to read it yourselves! Lucy ----- Original Message ----- From: cnrdmd AT bellsouth.net Sent: Sunday, May 04, 2008 7:24 AM Subject: [MISSBIRD] Rig birds May 3&4, 08 Good morning everyone, The day is starting to out to be a good one as far as birds go. With any luck, I won't be confined to my office today. This morning there quite a few birds around. Gray Catibrds, Magnolia Warblers, Summer Tanagers, lots of Barn Swallows, Baltimore Oriole, Flycatchers of some sort(?),about a dozen or so RT hummers and two Peregrine falcons circling in the sky. Yesterday brought in Cattle Egrets, Barn swallows and the Peregrine Falcons just before dark. Apparently I've been sleeping at the wrong time, during the night, because between 01:00 and 03:00 hrs there has been semi-heavy bird traffic. I just received a phone call telling there there are more hummingbirds on the helideck.. So I'm off to see what is going on. No specimens found. Have a great day... .it's fun here again.... Troy Reitan, GOM 190 miles SSW of Port Fouchon, La [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]Subject: The Warblers are back- Dauphin Island report 5/3/08 From: Chazz Hesselein <chazz AT hesselein.com> Date: Sun, 04 May 2008 08:17:25 -0500 Yesterday looked very promising for birders but not birds with a massive and powerful squall line deep in the Gulf south of Dauphin Island for much of the morning. I wasn't able to make it down to Dauphin Island until 3:00 yesterday afternoon but my first impression prior to entering the Shell Mounds was encouraging, a flock of 30-50 birds were flying out of the mounds heading south. Birding was active and interesting throughout the afternoon. Many birds were visibly wet and those birds seemed fatigued but overall the birds seen were quite active and were up high in the trees in contrast to birds seen last Tuesday. Even spotted thrushes were more frequently seen in the trees than on the ground. By the time I called it a day, I had seen 14 species of warblers, by far the most warblers I have seen both in terms of numbers and species since the April 5 fallout. The only species of warbler I added to my season's list was BAY-BREASTED, otherwise, no uncommon species were seen. A BLACK-BILLED CUCKOO (probably the same bird seen since at least last Tuesday) was observed in the bowl throughout the day by several people and a ROSEATE SPOONBILL was reported by Joan Seigwald on the west end of the island. As I was leaving the Audubon Sanctuary at dusk I noted a flock of birds composed mostly of SCARLET TANAGERS and spotted thrushes flying into the tops of the trees from the south. It's a good possibility that these birds had just arrived on the island. I also read a report of on the Missbird listserve of birds arriving on an oil platform yesterday evening so given the new arrivals, the north wind last night and the beautiful weather today, it looks like a good day to make a visit to Dauphin Island. Good Birding all! Chazz Hesselein Mobile, ALSubject: U-pick Bobolinks From: "scotduncan26" <sduncan AT bsc.edu> Date: Sun, 04 May 2008 03:27:32 -0000 (Saturday May 3) After the front passed our family went up to Locust Fork in Blount County Alabama to pick strawberries at a U-pick farm. While the strawberries were the sweetest I have ever eaten, the best part for me was to watch a flock of about 40 BOBOLINKS feeding in an adjacent fallow field. Every so often the males would erupt into song. Being stuck in the interior of the continent for most spring migrations, I haven't seen a big flock of bobolinks in many years. My son Ashlin got great views of them plus a male INDIGO BUNTING and BLUE GROSBEAK at close range. There was a flock of about 6 SAVANNA SPARROWS decked-out in their summer plumage; I would have expected them to have already migrated north by now. And, yes, I maintain that sparrows can get "decked-out", albeit in their own special sparrow style. Later I read up on bobolinks on All About Birds (http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/BirdGuide/Bobolink.html) and learned (possibly re-learned its getting hard to tell the difference these days) that they over-winter in south-central South America and make a round trip of about 12,500 miles each year. When I explain this to Ashlin he was quite puzzled. After consulting his globe we discovered that he thought WE lived in South America. He reasoned that we live in the south of America, hence South America. Glad we got that cleared up. Happy Birding, ScotSubject: Harpersville today (3 May) From: "Greg D. Jackson" <g_d_jackson AT bellsouth.net> Date: Sat, 3 May 2008 22:09:58 -0600 AL Birders: Following the heavy rain this morning, Debi and I ran down to the Harpersville area. Shelby Sod Farms were barren, as was the case a week ago. The Sunbelt Turf Farm had pods of shorebirds scattered in several wet spots, of six species but nothing unusual. Seven Bobolinks in the tall grass east of the office complex were nice, and a Sora scampering into the grass at a nearby wet area was unexpected. A quick check of Logan Martin Dam revealed a couple of surprises. Below the dam two Am. White Pelicans were basking on a rock. Above the dam a Bonaparte's Gull was unusually late. The sod farms near the dam had good pockets of water but were devoid of shorebirds. Greg Greg D. Jackson Birmingham, AL g_d_jackson AT bellsouth.net [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]Subject: fallout forecast? From: "David and Carrie" <downbythebay AT bellsouth.net> Date: Sat, 03 May 2008 15:38:04 -0000 Okay soothsayers. I am heading for the island this afternoon. Am I going to be disappointed or should it be good? Or better in the morning? David Dortch Fairhope ALSubject: Miss. Kites, Monte Sano From: Bert Harris <helmitherosharris AT yahoo.com> Date: Fri, 2 May 2008 15:48:37 -0700 (PDT) On the topic of Mississippi Kites, we just had two fly by our house on the
bluff on Monte Sano Mountain, Huntsville. The species was a first for us on the
mountain and it is an uncommon one in the Tennessee Valley.
good birding,
Milton and Bert Harris
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Subject: Like the swallows returning to Capistrano....From: "mbraid" <mbraid AT Yahoo.com> Date: Fri, 02 May 2008 22:44:29 -0000 Two Mississippi kites have returned to Montevallo, Shelby Co., AL. I saw two on Wed., April 30, though I am about 90% sure I saw one of them last Friday (April 25). The rose-breasted grosbeaks, indigo buntings, and returning ruby- throats have made the yard exciting the past couple of weeks. Must go out of town, so I am glad they arrived when they did. Regards, Mac Braid Montevallo, ALSubject: Monte Sano Golden-winged From: Bert Harris <helmitherosharris AT yahoo.com> Date: Fri, 2 May 2008 08:00:38 -0700 (PDT) Al birders,
We had another good morning in Monte Sano St. Park today although the numbers
of birds were down a bit. The highlight was a beautiful Golden-winged Warbler
that was near the manager's residence. It was singing a stange song that was
closest to the second cut on the Stokes CD. It sounded somewhat Parula-like.
To add to yesterday's list we found Ovenbird, American Redstart (gorgeous
male), Worm-eating Warbler, and several Bay-breasted Warblers.
Milton and Bert Harris, Huntsville
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Subject: Fw: Monte Sano migrantsFrom: "Larry Gardella" <tapaculo AT knology.net> Date: Thu, 1 May 2008 20:38:54 -0500 Ditto to what Bert said about the wonderful Monte Sano. I enjoyed spending a little time with Milton and Bert (and the Red-breasted Nuthatch and glimpsed probable Blue-winged) this morning as I visited Monte Sano before getting to Legal Services Alabama's Huntsville office to complete an evaluation. Yesterday had been a very nice 90 minutes at Monte Sano. Today was a nicer 150 minutes. The male Baltimore Oriole I saw was singing near the cabins - as were two Blackburnians and a Cerulean. Other warblers not mentioned by Bert were Yellow-rumped, Chat and Black-and-white - and yesterday there was a Northern Parula. Even without the Nashvilles (ouch), I had 14 warblers during the two days. Adding in a singing American Redstart at Anniston's Museum of Natural History (as well as 6 Blackpolls, several of them singing) when I was visiting our Anniston office and Prothonotary, Pine and Ovenbird from brief stops north and back home, I had 18 species during a 4-day office work trip to northeast Alabama. Larry Gardella Montgomery ----- Original Message ----- From: Bert Harris To: albirds AT yahoogroups.com Sent: Thursday, May 01, 2008 9:35 AM Subject: [ALBIRDS] Monte Sano migrants Al birders, We had a very nice morning at the overlook and cabin area at Monte Sano St. Park today with many warblers. Larry Gardella and John Ehinger were also enjoying migration on Monte Sano. Highlights for us included two singing Nashville Warblers and a Red-breasted Nuthatch, the latter of which was a first for us on Monte Sano in many years. John has been seeing them all winter though. Other migrants included: Tennessee (many) Palm Black-throated Green (many) Blackburnian (two) Chestnut-sided (a few) Blackpoll (many) Kentucky (many) Hooded (many) probable Blue-winged but it was only glimpsed Baltimore Oriole (male) singing Rose-breasted Grosbeak in full sun Veery and Swainson's Thrush in the same binocular field of view May 1st never fails at Monte Sano! Milton and Bert Harris, Huntsville --------------------------------- Be a better friend, newshound, and know-it-all with Yahoo! Mobile. Try it now. [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]Subject: Monte Sano migrants From: Bert Harris <helmitherosharris AT yahoo.com> Date: Thu, 1 May 2008 07:35:41 -0700 (PDT) Al birders,
We had a very nice morning at the overlook and cabin area at Monte Sano St.
Park today with many warblers. Larry Gardella and John Ehinger were also
enjoying migration on Monte Sano.
Highlights for us included two singing Nashville Warblers and a Red-breasted
Nuthatch, the latter of which was a first for us on Monte Sano in many years.
John has been seeing them all winter though. Other migrants included:
Tennessee (many)
Palm
Black-throated Green (many)
Blackburnian (two)
Chestnut-sided (a few)
Blackpoll (many)
Kentucky (many)
Hooded (many)
probable Blue-winged but it was only glimpsed
Baltimore Oriole (male)
singing Rose-breasted Grosbeak in full sun
Veery and Swainson's Thrush in the same binocular field of view
May 1st never fails at Monte Sano!
Milton and Bert Harris, Huntsville
---------------------------------
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Subject: Incidental birding (300+ Whimbrels)From: Chazz Hesselein <chazz AT hesselein.com> Date: Thu, 01 May 2008 07:54:46 -0500 Yesterday, after visiting a local nursery, I made a brief stop in front of Leroy Hill's property on Grand Bay-Wilmer Rd. north of I-10 in Grand Bay, AL. The previously reported WHIMBREL flock has swelled to over 300 individuals in the south pond in amongst the grass growing in the water. These birds were very close to the road so a scope wasn't even needed. Later at my house in West Mobile I saw my year and yard's first BALTIMORE ORIOLE. With the exception of Rose-breasted Grosbeaks and Indigo Buntings, migrants have been few and far between at my house this spring. Could the current crack down on illegal immigration be, at least partially, to blame ;-) ??? As I stated in a previous post, Mr. Hill isn't very fond of people bird watching in front of his property, so if you go there to watch birds be forewarned that you may get an unpleasant visit from him. Chazz Hesselein Mobile, ALSubject: Re: Dauphin Island Fallout 4-29-08 From: "scotduncan26" <sduncan AT bsc.edu> Date: Wed, 30 Apr 2008 15:12:06 -0000 More commentary on the clear-weather 'fallout' at DI on April 29. It is fascinating to read the observations from along the coast and the (e.g., Matt's) correlations with local vs Yucatan and Caribbean weather. I would point out that one part of the explanation for Chazz's observations is that birds operate with incomplete/imperfect information, and must weigh a variety of costs and benefits. As migrants ammased on the mexican coast on the evening of the 28th, some of them likely did not fly. Perhaps this explains the paucity of warblers - smaller birds that would have had more trouble against those winds (as Matt suggested). Others (larger species?) may have gambled that the winds would die down mid-gulf. When they reached the 'point of no return', weaker species/individuals would have had to make the final choice about continuuing into the winds. Perhaps some turned back. The ones that arrived on the coast on the 29th clearly gambled/calculated that they could make the rest of the flight. The benefits to the birds that made the flight is that they will be that much closer to prime breeding territories than their competitors who stayed behind. As each day in the spring passes, the chance to secure a good breeding terriority diminishes. These relatively short- lived species only enjoy a few good years of breeding, and have been preparing for the present breeding season for the last (say) 9 months. In that context, i think it is easier to understand why these birds make choices that can seem perplexing when we see them at their weakest, immediately after the flight. Another factor is whether birds encounter rain during the trans-gulf migration. From what i understand, rainfall is a much greater threat than wind. With rain, birds get wet and heavier. The extra weight increases the energy they must burn to complete the flight. The rain also disrupts the aerodynamics of their contour feathers (i.e., ruffles their feathers) and increases drag, further increasing the cost of flight. Finally, birds lose extra heat when moisture penetrates the feathers and contacts the skin - this costs them even more energy. THus, birds may be more likely to gamble that they can complete the trans-gulf migration when there is 'just' a strong wind, than if they are also/instead facing rain. Okay, enough fun. Back to grading papers... Scot --- In albirds AT yahoogroups.com, Matt SmithSubject: Re: Dauphin Island Fallout 4-29-08 From: Matt Smith <mcsmitfl AT yahoo.com> Date: Wed, 30 Apr 2008 07:22:24 -0700 (PDT) ALBIRDers, The fallout Chazz reports is remarkable from a weather standpoint. Birds leaving Mexico on Monday night would have taken off into cloudy skies and 10-15 mph headwinds, and in fact would have faced these kinds of headwinds at all altitudes the entire way across the Gulf. This may account for the dearth of smaller travelers like warblers, but it's amazing to me that even a bunting or oriole would tackle such an unforgiving flight. There was virtually nothing visible on the Mobile radar screen yesterday -- suggesting that the birds may have come in at very low altitudes, under the radar beam -- although the station seems to have been down for a couple of hours in the mid-afternoon, so our intrepid flight may have snuck in then. Just goes to show how the birds can foil our best efforts to predict them. Thanks for the ground truthing Chazz! Matt Smith jasmigration.wordpress.com P.S. Judging from last night's imagery, most of the migrants present on the AL coast do seem to have stayed put -- so birding today should continue to be good. ----- Original Message ---- From: Chazz HesseleinSubject: Dauphin Island Fallout 4-29-08 From: Chazz Hesselein <chazz AT hesselein.com> Date: Tue, 29 Apr 2008 22:31:24 -0500 What a magnificent day at Dauphin Island today! The weather couldn't have been better. Sunny, warm and LOW HUMIDITY with hint of a cooling breeze. I will call today a fallout not so much for the numbers of birds seen, though there were many, but mostly due to the condition of many of the birds on the island. Plum tuckered out would describe many of the birds. There were SCARLET TANAGERS everywhere (certainly hundreds, maybe thousands) many of them at eye level or on the ground, relatively unconcerned about a 250 lb predator lurking about (that would be me). Also, probably as many thrushes (Wood and Catharus spp.) as I've seen on the island with many individuals allowing extremely close looks. One WOOD THRUSH I startled in the Audubon Sanctuary sprung straight up in the air, struck a branch, and landed right back where it started. That was a bird more concerned about getting a meal than being one. The other species with high numbers were ORCHARD ORIOLES and INDIGO BUNTINGS. My highlight was my second view of a very cooperative BLACK-BILLED CUCKOO in the bowl of the Shell Mounds. Eugenia Carey said she saw four BBCU today and another woman, whose name I didn't get, saw three at the Shell Mounds in the space of less than an hour! As has been the case on Dauphin Island most of this spring, warblers were few and far between. I saw two HOODED, one AMERICAN REDSTART, one PROTHONOTARY, and four YELLOW WARBLERS. Getting to the island around 4:00 this afternoon probably didn't help my chances of finding those seemingly elusive warblers but I had to work pretty hard for the few I saw. There were more shorebirds at the airport than I have ever seen. As a lagniappe (a little something extra), I was treated to a singing WOOD THRUSH as I left the Audubon Sanctuary. I would guess, given the condition of the birds seen today (that is, plum tuckered out) and the fact that it will be cool tonight (indicating either no wind or northernly winds), that most of today's birds will be around the island tomorrow. Even if some of them leave, the beautiful weather will make a trip to Dauphin Island worthwhile. Good Birding All! Chazz Hesselein Mobile, AL PS Although there has been a dearth of warblers, on the plus side, there have been very few biting insects this spring on the island. Today was no exception with mosquitoes only becoming a problem at dusk and no-see-ums only encountered at the airport (and that was a dusk). Bring your insect repellent but you may not need it.Subject: Anniston Update For April 29, 2008 From: "numberonebirder" <DMCKEN9341 AT AOL.COM> Date: Wed, 30 Apr 2008 02:56:16 -0000 Hello, everyone.
Today I had 12 Rose-breasted Grosbeaks, 1 Indigo Bunting (male), 3 Gray
Catbirds and 1 Ruby-throated Hummingbird (male). The Brown-headed
Nuthatches are still here.
Debbie (BirdLady)
PS: I posted a picture of a male Red-bellied Woodpecker with a grape in
his beak.
http://www.pbase.com/birdlady/birds&page=1
Subject: White Dove: one more comment...From: "Howard Horne" <hhorne AT earthlink.net> Date: Tue, 29 Apr 2008 15:08:06 -0000 Hi again, Here is the species account for "White Dove" from The Dove Page Website (www.dovepage.com): The White Dove is often thought of as a separate species but it is actually perhaps the most common color mutation of the Ringneck Dove (Streptopelia risoria). This bird is often confused with the domestic white homing pigeon which is used to release at special occasions (weddings, anniversaries, etc.). This bird does not have the homing instinct and should not be released. The domesticated bird (Streptopelia risoria) descends from the African Ring Dove (Streptopelia roseogrisea). For a good write-up on separating Eurasian Collared-Dove and Ringed Turtle Dove check out the following from Cornell's Project Feeder Watch Website: http://www.birds.cornell.edu/pfw/AboutBirdsandFeeding/EucdovRitdovID.h tm There is a great PDF here that illustrates the differences between the two taxa. Hope this helps... Cheers, Howard Horne Mobile, ALSubject: RE: White Dove From: "Barry Fleming" <warbler AT charter.net> Date: Tue, 29 Apr 2008 09:42:09 -0500 Hello folks, I've been off the computer (praise be) for a few days and haven't seen the pictures, but I saw a bird near the Dortch residence a couple of weeks back that seemed to be a well bred Ringed Turtle-Dove. It had the right size and white coloration overall, including a black collar, light brown and gray flight and wing covert feathers and white undertail covert feathers. I agree it was pretty. We had a White-winged Dove here in Auburn April 3rd. It rested in a tree for 3 hours then left the area. Enjoyed good looks at a singing Canada Warbler that followed me down the trail yesterday and a session watching Yellow-crowned Night-Herons build a nest. I missed seeing the recent Bronzed Cowbird and White-faced Ibis in the state, but the big red eye of the heron watching you watching it, can't be beat. The time to bird is now. Barry Fleming Opelika, Alabama _____ From: albirds AT yahoogroups.com [mailto:albirds AT yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Gregory J. Harber Sent: Monday, April 28, 2008 9:40 PM To: David and Carrie Dortch; AL-birds Subject: Re: [ALBIRDS] White Dove An escapee from a wedding release? Releasing doves at the church after the wedding is a popular way to celebrate nuptials these days. They birds have got to go somewhere, and ending up at the Dortchıs house on Dauphin Island is as good as it gets! On 4/28/08 9:25 PM, David and Carrie at HYPERLINK "mailto:downbythebay%40bellsouth.net"downbythebay AT -bellsouth.-net wrote: > > > > The almost unanimous opinion about the white dove at my house on > Dauphin Island is that it is an albino. There hasn't been much > speculation as to species, because few people have seen it. Size-wise > it is bigger than an Mourning Dove but not as large as Eurasian > Collared Dove. There are apparently several possibilities before you > even consider intergrades. Opinions welcome. > > Still, it's pretty. > > David Dortch > Fairhope AL > > > -- Greg Harber Birmingham, AL ³Itıs never too late to have a happy childhood.² Tom Robbins [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG. Version: 7.5.524 / Virus Database: 269.23.5/1401 - Release Date: 4/28/2008 7:18 AM No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG. Version: 7.5.524 / Virus Database: 269.23.6/1403 - Release Date: 4/29/2008 7:26 AM [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]Subject: birding Gulf Breeze today From: "Lucy and Bob Duncan" <town_point AT bellsouth.net> Date: Tue, 29 Apr 2008 09:17:31 -0500 Hi all, This morning a tour of our neighborhood revealed many birds present, tanagers, grosbeaks, Indigos and some warblers and vireos. We were at Dauphin Is. late yesterday, leaving about 7 p.m. There was no indication of incoming migrants up to that time and I suspected birds were delayed by the strong NW winds they encountered in the northern Gulf. I suspect these birds present now probably came in overnight and are not from last night's possible migration which probably didn't occur due to adverse migrating conditions in the s. Gulf and Yucatan. I would appreciate any reports from D. I. of birds present this a.m. I watched a flock of about 30 Bobolinks take off from the end of the peninsula and head due west toward the mainland, evidently making a lateral course adjustment. Good birding, Bob Duncan [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]Subject: Re: White Dove From: "Howard Horne" <hhorne AT earthlink.net> Date: Tue, 29 Apr 2008 12:48:10 -0000 Hi all, Just some real quick observations to add regarding the all-white dove at Dauphin Island. The bird falls approximately half-way between Mourning Dove and Eurasian Collared-Dove in overall size. This feature was readily apparent because earlier in the month, I observed the bird perched immediately adjacent to a ECD. When I say immediately adjacent, I mean the two seemed to be much closer than normal dove interactions would typically allow. Now I'm not an expert on the intimate social interactions of doves but the closeness of these two birds seemed to approach more than just friendship. The word "snuggling" comes to mind to describe the activity. I highly suspect this is a released bird from a wedding somewhere nearby. Cheers, Howard Horne Mobile, ALSubject: FT. Morgan and Dauphin Is. today From: "Lucy and Bob Duncan" <town_point AT bellsouth.net> Date: Mon, 28 Apr 2008 22:06:24 -0500 Hi all, Lucy and I and Betsy Tetlow made the "great circle" today. Ft. Morgan was terrific, we got there about 9 a.m. Birds were plentiful, 16 species of warblers before we took the D. I. ferry at 1:15 pm. We had a Purple Gallinule at The Plantation pond as well, and the Gulf Shores Sew. Ponds had lots of shorebirds. We had 43 species of land type Neotropical migrants at FT. M. alone, a pretty good showing. Dauphin Is. was somewhat disappointing, very few warblers and a smattering of other species, we ended the day with 119 species. The non-birding highlight of the day was on the ferry, our van was front row center and a wave splashed into the van, filling the passenger seat with water, soaking Lucy and Betsy outside the van and interrupting my review of our Ft. M. checklist. Thanks to David Dortch's hose, we were able to get the salt water off the windshield and continue. Why all the warblers at FT. M. and not at D. I. is beyond my speculation. Tonight, the front is in the s. Gulf, Progresso has N 14 mph and cloudy weather and I suspect migration is shut down. However, any birds that left last night may be arriving way behind schedule and come in tonight. Those folks at D. I. will find out in the morning. Bob Duncan [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]Subject: Re: White Dove From: "Gregory J. Harber" <gharber AT mindspring.com> Date: Mon, 28 Apr 2008 21:39:56 -0500 An escapee from a wedding release? Releasing doves at the church after the wedding is a popular way to celebrate nuptials these days. They birds have got to go somewhere, and ending up at the Dortchıs house on Dauphin Island is as good as it gets! On 4/28/08 9:25 PM, David and Carrie at downbythebay AT bellsouth.net wrote: > > > > The almost unanimous opinion about the white dove at my house on > Dauphin Island is that it is an albino. There hasn't been much > speculation as to species, because few people have seen it. Size-wise > it is bigger than an Mourning Dove but not as large as Eurasian > Collared Dove. There are apparently several possibilities before you > even consider intergrades. Opinions welcome. > > Still, it's pretty. > > David Dortch > Fairhope AL > > > -- Greg Harber Birmingham, AL ³Itıs never too late to have a happy childhood.² Tom Robbins [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]Subject: White Dove From: "David and Carrie" <downbythebay AT bellsouth.net> Date: Tue, 29 Apr 2008 02:25:10 -0000 The almost unanimous opinion about the white dove at my house on Dauphin Island is that it is an albino. There hasn't been much speculation as to species, because few people have seen it. Size-wise it is bigger than an Mourning Dove but not as large as Eurasian Collared Dove. There are apparently several possibilities before you even consider intergrades. Opinions welcome. Still, it's pretty. David Dortch Fairhope ALSubject: Birmingham area birding 27-28 April From: "Greg D. Jackson" <g_d_jackson AT bellsouth.net> Date: Mon, 28 Apr 2008 18:23:38 -0600 AL Birders: I'm working night shifts this week, so Debi and I have been able to get out a little during the day around Birmingham in conjunction with the front and two days of sporadic rain. Yesterday, 27 April, we went to the Harpersville sod farms. The Shelby Turf Farm was unproductive. The Sunbelt Turf Farm has undergone some changes, with the western portion (along AL 25) now fenced and apparently being turned into a cattle farm. It looks like they have, unfortunately, "cleaned up" the hedgerows along the south perimeter road, not a good thing for sparrows next fall and winter. Most of the farm is still accessible, though, and the gates were open even on Sunday so we drove around at will. Most shorebirds were in a nice pond just in the fenced area near the intersection of AL 25 and AL 76 -- a small access road remains allowing easy viewing. Moderate numbers of Lesser Yellowlegs, and Solitary and Least sandpipers were present, with one Wilson's Snipe. The small pond area just south of the office complex had only a Spotted Sandpiper, but nearby grass-cutting may have been a factor. Lots of Cliff Swallows were feeding over the fields. Late this morning after I stumbled out of bed we went to Ruffner Mountain, walking the paved road to the fire tower. The lateness of the morning and strong winds made birding a challenge, but some warblers were present. These included several Tennessees and Blackpolls, as well as Chestnut-sided and Magnolia. Veery, Swainson's, and Wood were the only spotted thrushes, and we had only one Scarlet Tanager. The west end of the airport had a few shorebirds, mostly Solitary and Least sandpipers. Eastern Kingbirds were everywhere, and a surprise was a beautiful male Dickcissel feeding in a large tree with Cedar Waxwings. No bobolinks -- yet. Greg Greg D. Jackson Birmingham, AL g_d_jackson AT bellsouth.net [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]Subject: Late Report-Bird-a-thon in NW Alabama From: TNbarredowl AT aol.com Date: Mon, 28 Apr 2008 08:07:58 -0400 Jeff Garner and I participated in the Shoals Audubon Society's annual Bird-a-thon Saturday (4-26).? Early morning rain allowed us to "sleep in", meeting in Florence at the late hour of 4:45 a.m.? We went straight toward Waterloo and almost hit a Barred Owl along the way.? In Waterloo, we quickly added Screech-Owl, Whip and Chuck before the deadness began.? Although bird activity was fairly nice most of the day, woodland migrants were missing.? We were able to get all local breeding warblers except Redstart, Cerulean and Swainson's.? Migrant warblers found included only Tennessee, Bt Green, Yellow-rumped and Palm.? Total warbler species for the day...20.? Our only thrushes were Wood and Hermit.? Vireos included only the three local breeders.? We were able to rack up with shorebirds, however, tallying 15 species before the day's end.? Our first were at the mouth of Brush Creek in Wright.? On a small island were 22 Willets, 1 Pectoral, and 4 short-legged, stocky reddish birds that we originally ID'd as Red Knots.? They appeared short-billed and?definitely had the football shape.? Then one of them went to the shore line and began to probe, giving us a good look at its long bill.? Long-billed Dowitchers were nice, but I would have loved to finally add Knots to my state list.? A lunch-time stop at Oakland Marsh added very vocal King Rails (2), a weakly vocal Virginia Rail (our only unshared bird for the day), and decent looks at a Sedge Wren.? Key?Cave yielded Grasshopper Sparrow, Dickcissel, Bobolink, Kestrel, Horned Lark and Pipits (perched on?a power line east?of the refuge!).? Church Pond boosted our shorebird list some more, with Semi Plovers (2), L Yellowlegs (20+), Solitary (4), Spotted (1), Least (30+), Dunlin (1 alternate plumaged), Short-billed Dowitcher (16) and Snipe (1).? A fly-over Baltimore?Oriole was our only one for the day.? The Marbled Godwit seen the previous day was not to be found.? We made a 1 hour deviation to Underwood for probably the only Shrike left in nw Alabama (I feel like I am back in east Tennessee).? Wilson Dam added only?Rb Gull and Caspian Tern,?but also had 3 more Willets.? The Sinks finished off our shorebird list with Semi Plover (3), G (4) and L (130+) Yellowlegs, Solitary (6), Semipalm (2), Least (40+), Pectoral (2) and Stilt (1) Sandpipers, and 12 more Sb Dowitchers.? The Point added White Pelican (Old One Wing with a partner!), Common Tern and Fish Crow.? We decided to end the day early after a trip to Red Bank then Wheeler Dam.? Red Bank gave us our last warbler of the day...Yellow and yielded our nemesis woodpecker.? At approximately 5:00 p.m. we FINALLY added a Downy to the days tally!? Wheeler Dam added our final 2 species: Bc Night-Heron and Herring Gull.? Final summary:? 0445-1845, 197 miles by car, 1 mile on foot, 146 species (145 shared).? Hopefully the warblers will arrive in time for our official May Big Day sometime in the next 1-1.5 weeks. Damien Simbeck Killen, AL [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]Subject: Willow Flycatcher From: "Larry Gardella" <tapaculo AT knology.net> Date: Sun, 27 Apr 2008 19:46:30 -0500 I returned from some pretty good birding (including a Cape May and a singing Philadelphia Vireo) a bit after 10 and was about to start work on the garden. As it turned out, I got my 4+ hours of yard work in - but only after first checking out a calling empid in the corner of the backyard near the ditch. The bird was persistently giving a weet call, which helped me localize it and see the good-sized bill, the quite-brown back and head with contrasting white throat, the buffy wingbars, the very weak eyering and the moderate primary projection. All in all, a nice suprise Willow Flycatcher. Larry Gardella Montgomery [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]Subject: Re: fallout?? From: Chazz Hesselein <chazz AT hesselein.com> Date: Sun, 27 Apr 2008 19:40:26 -0500 No fallout on Dauphin Island today. (I don't think I'll get any disagreement on this interpretation.) No large flocks of birds or large numbers of any individual species. The weather looked promising but the birds weren't there. There was a strong east surface wind. Is it possible that the birds were directed east of DI? I can send you the list of species that saw/heard if you'd like. Chazz Lucy and Bob Duncan wrote: > > Hi all - Would appreciate any reports of birding at Ft. Morgan or > Dauphin Is. today. Thanks. Bob Duncan > > . > >Subject: fallout?? From: "Lucy and Bob Duncan" <town_point AT bellsouth.net> Date: Sun, 27 Apr 2008 16:49:05 -0500 Hi all - Would appreciate any reports of birding at Ft. Morgan or Dauphin Is. today. Thanks. Bob Duncan [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]Subject: Spring Outdoor Festival-Saturday, May 3 From: "john_trent00" <john.a.trent AT gmail.com> Date: Sun, 27 Apr 2008 21:08:14 -0000 Hi all, The State Lands Division of the Department of Conservation is hosting the 11th annual Spring Outdoor Festival at the Wehle Land Conservation Center near Midway in Bullock Co. (Southeast of Montgomery) this coming Saturday, May 3. I'm primarily plugging the birding opportunities, as the Conservation Center is a great place to see Bachman's Sparrows and occasionally Common Ground Doves. We will also have bird banding demonstrations and mist nets set up throughout the day as well as raptor biology and conservation presentations. Other educational exhibits and demonstrations will include wildflower woods rides, fossil exhibits, butterfly exhibits, pine needle basket making, draft horse plowing, gourd and pumpkin planting, a kids activity tent, syrup cane planting, and Bats of our Worlds presentations. Vendors and products to purchase include handcrafted goat milk soap, Magnolia Farms plants, pine needle basketry, Outdoor Alabama Store, Henry's BBQ, and Pop's Kettle Corn. The hours are from 9am-5pm and is a wonderful way to spend a Saturday. The link below has additional information, but please feel free to contact me if there are any questions. Take care, John Trent Montgomery, AL http://www.outdooralabama.com/public-lands/stateLands/WNC/Subject: Mon Louis Island From: "Jabe Fincher" <jabe.fincher AT gmail.com> Date: Sun, 27 Apr 2008 13:18:45 -0500 Hi all, We have regular visitors of Rose-Breasted Grosbeaks, Indigo Buntings, and various other migrant visitors. I saw this morning a Towhee. Of course, we have the usual chipping sparrows, blue jays, mockingbirds, red-bellied woodpeckers,eastern bluebirds, house finches, and so forth. Jabe Fincher Mon Louis Island (north of Dauphin Island) [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]Subject: Turtledove? Photo From: "David and Carrie" <downbythebay AT bellsouth.net> Date: Sun, 27 Apr 2008 15:35:12 -0000 I have finally gotten around to posting the photo of the Dove that has been coming to our feeders on Dauphin Island that Howard suggested might be a Turtledove? Be sure and click the word "large" to be able to get a good clear look at the bird. David Dortch Fairhope ALSubject: Dauphin Island sat, 4/26 pm From: sbru AT jaguar1.usouthal.edu Date: Sun, 27 Apr 2008 05:31:16 -0500 We did not get to the island until 3:30 or so. Our arrival coincided with the regatta's arrival to the Island. It was an impressive line of sail boats coming to and under the bridge to anchor for the night. Birding was steady and varied making for a good day. Highlights at the Shell Mounds: American Redstart, Blackpoll, Black-throated Green,Prothonotary, Northern Waterthrush and Black and White Warblers, Scarlet and Summer Tanagers, Orchard and Baltimore Orioles, Red-eye Vireos, Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Eastern Kingbird Indigo Bunting, Blue and Rose-breasted Grosbeaks, Ruby-throated Hummingbird. The trees blooming (Persimmon?) on the Northeast trail, above the road, were quite active with the Orioles and and Rose-breasted Grosbeaks, Red-eye Vireos and Prothonotary and Blackpoll Warblers. The Westend pools: Reddish Egret, Least sandpiper, Ruddy Turnstone, Willet, Dowitchers, and breeding plummage Black-bellied Plover(the highlight of our day), Semi-palmated Plovers, Dunlin. Many others beyond out ID patience level. These pools are really a big addition since Katrina. Airport: Dowitchers, Osprey fly over Aloe Bay: Black Skimmers Stephen and Sally Bru MobileSubject: migrants in East Birmingham From: "scotduncan26" <sduncan AT bsc.edu> Date: Sun, 27 Apr 2008 02:52:06 -0000 My 8-year-old son, Ashlin, and I had another fine morning of birding at Ruffner Mountain Nature Center this morning (Sat Apr 26, 2008). We birded from 7-830 am under mostly overcast skies and warm temperatures. Many migrants were present. We finished our visit to RMNC with a total of 51 species. We had 57 species by noon, adding a few more at home, including our over-wintering RED-BREATED NUTHATCH. Last week we had 40 species at RMNC with about the same amount of effort. Today we'd surely have reached 60 birds if so many of our residents were not on the down-low, trying not to draw attention to themselves as they shuttle wad-after-wad of caterpillars to hungry gapes back at the nest. During our entire visit, the canopy resonated with the songs of BLACKPOLL and CHESTNUT-SIDED WARBLERS. Our other warblers were CAPE MAY, COMMON YELLOWTHROAT, TENNESSEE, ORANGE-CROWED, YELLOW-RUMPED, PALM, BLACK-THROATED GREEN, and HOODED. At home in nearby South Roebuck we added PINE and REDSTART. 12 warblers total. Other migrants were EASTERN WOOD-PEWEE, ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAK, INDIGO BUNTINGS, SCARLET AND SUMMER TANAGERS, NORTHERN ORIOLE, SWAINSON'S AND WOOD THRUSH, RED-EYED AND WHITE-EYED VIREOS, YELLOW-BILLED CUCKOO. Many of these were seen near the `sweet spot' by the amphitheater. A few winter residents linger on including RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET and WHITE-THROATED SPARROW. Curiously, several HOUSE WRENS were singing from the forest margins all morning. I wonder if these were our resident house wrens or migrants from the coastal plain? And what inspired them to come out of stealth mode and sing with such vigor? Ashlin wanted me to share how much he enjoyed the close-range views we had of male summer and scarlet tanagers. Summer tanager was his desired target bird for the morning. When I found a male to show him, the bird was foraging and hidden in a dense Virginia creeper tangle. Desperate, I spat out my best "ch-beck", imitating the Summer T's contact call. Much to my surprise and relief, the tanager popped out, gave me a good once-over, and gave Ashlin a nice view. Ashlin also wanted to share how interesting it was to watch a male RUBY-THROATED HUMMINGBIRD sitting on a leafless stem atop a small tree. The hummer kept returning to his perch after forays to the feeder, chasing bees, or hawking insects. For anyone wanting to bird RMNC: if you arrive early and find the gate locked, you can either park on the road margin, or in the parking lot of the administrative center (last house on the right as you approach the entrance). Also, East Lake park and Roebuck Springs are just a short hop away and can nicely round out a morning's bird list with species associated with aquatic habitats. Finally, I'd like to pass on my refined technique for coaxing sleepy boys out of bed on a weekend morning to go birding. A huge steaming mug of hot chocolate (a special treat in our house) to sip en route to the destination seems to do the trick quite nicely. Good birding!Subject: Summer Tanager and Bald Eagles From: "orm091101" <justadude80 AT hotmail.com> Date: Sat, 26 Apr 2008 15:34:22 -0000 I posted two new pictures in "Rocky's Pictures". One is a Summer Tanager, unless it is a Scarlet Tanager. The other is a shot of two eaglettes on a nest. Rocky BakerSubject: Update For Anniston April 25, 2008 From: "numberonebirder" <DMCKEN9341 AT AOL.COM> Date: Sat, 26 Apr 2008 02:25:00 -0000 Hi, Everyone, Today I had three Male Rose-breasted Grosbeaks. Two are in their breeding plumage and one in non-breeding plumage (first year spring male). Also I had three Indigo Buntings. Two are in their breeding plumage and one in non-breeding plumage (first year spring male). Debbie (BirdLady) PS: I posted 3 pictures. http://www.pbase.com/birdlady/birds&page=1Subject: Shorebirds in nw Alabama From: TNbarredowl AT aol.com Date: Fri, 25 Apr 2008 16:19:05 -0400 I spent most of today hitting all the sinkhole ponds in Colbert and Lauderdale Counties today.? Continued drought conditions has put a limit on available habitat.? Only two sites proved productive, and yielded 12 species. The Sinks (east of Leighton, Colbert) Killdeer 1 Greater Yellowlegs 10 Lesser Yellowlegs 94 Solitary Sandpiper 6 Spotted Sandpiper 1 Semipalmated Sandpiper 2 Least Sandpiper 41 Pectoral Sandpiper 2 Stilt Sandpiper 1 Church Pond (off Gunwaleford Road, Lauderdale) Killdeer 7 Greater Yellowlegs 2 Lesser Yellowlegs 26 Solitary Sandpiper 2 Marbled Godwit 1 Least Sandpiper 22 Short-billed Dowitcher 3 (alternate plumaged) Wilson's Snipe 1 Damien Simbeck Killen, AL [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]Subject: Update For Anniston April 23 And April 24 From: "numberonebirder" <DMCKEN9341 AT AOL.COM> Date: Fri, 25 Apr 2008 02:55:36 -0000 Hi, Everyone!
Other than the usual birds here is what I've had in the last two days.
April 23, 2008
White-throated Sparrows
Brown-headed Nuthatch 1 or 2
Ruby-throated Hummingbird 1 male
Gray Catbird 3
Indigo Bunting 1 Male
Rose-breasted Grosbeak 1 Male
Yellow-rumped ("Myrtle) Warbler 1 Female
House Wren (This is the second year they have nested in my yard using
one of my nest box)
April 24, 2008
White-throated Sparrows
Brown-headed Nuthatch 1 or 2
Ruby-throated Hummingbird 1 Male
Gray Catbird 3
Indigo Bunting 2 males (1 in full breeding plumage and the other was
still molting)
Rose-breasted Grosbeak 1 Male and 1 Female
Yellow-rumped ("Myrtle) Warbler 1 Female
A yellow, almost olive looking Vireo or Warbler. I didn't have my
glasses on or my binocular in my hand at the time.
Debbie (BirdLady)
http://www.pbase.com/birdlady/birds&page=1
Subject: Re: Birmingham birding this morningFrom: Joshua Szulecki <junkmail AT szulecki.com> Date: Thu, 24 Apr 2008 18:41:18 -0500 Greetings folks, I was also at Ruffner Mountain this morning, and watched a RB Grosbeak for a while. No other birds of note, but I only spent about 45 minutes set up watching the feeders, before the field trip group started to get too noisy, and I switched to wildflower mode. I'm sad I only discovered Ruffner Mountain a few months before I leave Alabama. Here are the five pictures I took featuring the Grosbeak. http://www.szulecki.com/images/Ruffner42408/slides/IMG_7778.html http://www.szulecki.com/images/Ruffner42408/slides/IMG_7774.html http://www.szulecki.com/images/Ruffner42408/slides/IMG_7862.html http://www.szulecki.com/images/Ruffner42408/slides/IMG_7863.html http://www.szulecki.com/images/Ruffner42408/slides/IMG_7776.html Have a great day, Josh Joshua Szulecki Birmingham, AL junkmail AT szulecki.com Greg D. Jackson wrote: > AL Birders: > > I had a chance to bird this morning around Birmingham, hoping some migrants would enjoy the spectacular weather as much as I did. I'm afraid the birds didn't quite live up to the day, but it was fun anyway. > > Spent a couple of hours early at the botanical gardens and north zoo road. A male Scarlet Tanager dazzled in the poplar flowers at both sites, and a few RB Grosbeaks were fun. Several other transients were about, but mostly Palm Warblers. Though there was a lot of bird song, it was coming almost entirely from local breeders -- the only transient I heard singing the whole morning was a RB Grosbeak, very strange in Birmingham at this date. > > I then went to a place I hadn't birded in years, Ruffner Mountain Nature Center. I was intrigued by Scot Duncan's recent post, and hit the parking lot at (the oddly late) opening time of 9 a.m. A beautiful male Cape May Warbler was near the visitors center, and several other warblers were up the tower road. That road, which looks great for birding, yielded four species of thrush, only lacking Gray-cheeked. A fine place -- I plan to make up for lost time there in the future! > > Ran by the west end of the airport (Air Cargo Road) on the way home. Despite recent lack of rain, moderate mud and water are along the fence -- though no shorebirds except Killdeer. The creek at the road end, near the UPS/Fed Ex > buildings, is a great spot to observe YC Night-Herons. An adult was as decked > out as I've ever seen -- an absolute "love machine" of hormones -- with white head plumes nearly reaching the back and a vivid yellow forecrown. > > Can't wait for the peak of migration to hit -- should be soon! > > Greg > > Greg D. Jackson > Birmingham, AL > g_d_jackson AT bellsouth.net > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] > > > ------------------------------------ > > IMPORTANT ADDRESSES: > Post message: albirds AT yahoogroups.com > Subscribe: albirds-subscribe AT yahoogroups.com > List owner: albirds-owner AT yahoogroups.com > AOS website: http://www.bham.net/aos > > This list is sponsored by the Alabama > Ornithological Society (AOS) and is provided > as a service to the birding community. AOS > does not endorse the views or opinions expressed > by the members of this discussion group. Nor > does AOS support or endorse the advertising > provided by the OneList list service.Yahoo! Groups Links > > > > > |