Chirp Notes

Field Mark Diagrams
Clay-colored Sparrow

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June 11th, 2014 & Howell Woods
Swainson's Warbler(Limnothlypis swainsonii)
Location & Habitat Swainson's Warblers breed in canebrake, covering the ground in the picture above. In the mountains, they prefer thick rhododendron-mountain laurel. They breed in the southeast from the mountains of the Appalachian to bottomland forest and migrate to Jamaica, Cuba and the Yucatan Peninsula in the winter.
Behavior Swainson's Warblers feed on the ground in thick leaf litter and breed in thick understory plants like canebrake that making them hard to spot.
Other Notes & Facts Swainson's Warblers songs sound like So so, so, sweet-to-hear. The Swainson's Warbler is not endangered, but is on watch due to its specific habitat type.

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Lake Crabtree, NC--April 6th, 2014
Common Yellowthroat(Geothlypis trichas)
Location & Habitat I found in typical habitat: dense reeds and vegetation near water. Resident on coast through winter in NC, but migratory farther west. Found over most of US. Migratory birds winter in Mexico and Central america
Behavior Vocal, sings witchety-witchety-witchety. Males are very territorial. Not to shy, respond to phishing well.
Other Notes & Facts Males are marked with a black mask outlined in white. Female lack the mask and have an olive head and pale bill. Both sexes show a yellow throat, olive colored back, and black eyes. At risk due to habitat loss of wetlands, such as some populations in Rio Grande Valley and San Francisco have nearly disappeared. However, not on Audubon Watch list, stable population and abundant through whole U.S.

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Oregon Inlet, NC--March 1st, 2014
Purple Sandpiper(Calidris maritima)
Location & Habitat Breeds in the tundra of the high arctic of Canada, Greenland, and Iceland. Winters along the Atlantic Coast near rocky shores and jetties.
Behavior Forages on the rocky habitat with a splashing surf. Not usually found foraging on sandy beaches like other shorebirds. This shorebird tends to not be as noticeable due to its slate-gray color and due to its behavior of staying near rock habitats.
Other Notes & Facts The Purple Sandpiper has the northernmost winter range of any sandpiper(Cornell All About Birds). A similar species is its Western cousin the Rock sandpiper. I saw 3 individuals who were not as shy as I thought, and came into the light for pictures and views. They are a medium-sized, plump shaped sandpiper. When flying, the best way to ID then is to look for a dark rump. The head  and back in winter is slate-gray then speckled on its flanks and chest with a white belly. They have orange leg and bill with a dark tip. They braved the blow from the crashing surf and were foraging on the rocks by pecking at the algae on the rocks.

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Debordieu, SC--January 19th,2014
Anhinga (Anhinga anhinga)
Location & Habitat Saw during my big day in Georgetown county on South Carolina's coast. As usual, the Anhinga was basking on the bank of a freshwater pond.
Behavior The Anhinga is characterized under the small, 4 specie family of birds called Darters, and it is the only specie of Darter that lives in the US. The nickname "water turkey" fits this bird well for odd appearance. It gets the nickname "snake bird" because, whenever it swims, it sticks only its head out of the water. The Anhinga is an excellent soarer by extending it's flat shaped body to catch lift. The Anhinga mainly consumes fish it catches from diving under water.
Other Notes & Facts The Anhinga range extends from the south east in the coast plain down through South America.

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December 29th, 2013--Central Park,NYC
Long-eared Owl (Osio otus)
Location & Habitat The Long-eared Owl was found in a Pine tree, high up in the crown in Central Park. The weather was cool, in the 50s and 40s, with cloudy skies. It began to Drizzle more as the morning moved on.
Behavior The Long-eared was motionless,roosting in a tree to rest for the day. Long-eared and most owls like roosting in pine trees because of the dense cover it provides compared to deciduous trees that have lost their leaves during the winter. Another reason why this owl is found in the park is probably because there are no Great-Horned Owls around, a larger owl species, that appear as threats to smaller owl species like the Long-eared and Screech Owls.
Other Notes & Facts What makes the Long-eared Owl such an interesting bird are it's long ear tufts that stick out like horns on the top of its head.If you look close enough you can see the two tufts in my picture above. The Long-eared Owl has impeccable hearing and relies on this to catch its prey at night. It has been shown under controlled conditions that the Long-eared Owl can catch mice in complete darkness. What a noteworthy bird right in the heart of New York City!