The Stroud Preserve, 11 April 2013

DUTCHMAN'S BREECHES Dicentra cucullaria (L.) Bernh. 26 March 2012, Stroud Preserve, West Chester, Chester County, Pennsylvania.

I had not intended visit the preserve today because I had to take my children to the doctor in the morning. However, when I got finished with the kids it was so nice out that I reconsidered. Also, the weather forecast indicated that tomorrow might be the better day for staying at home.

Since I got a late start I didn’t have high expectations for birds. I ended up with 54 species and two new first of the year birds, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher and House Wren. It was a good day for raptors (6) and warblers (3) and I observed a Field Sparrow collecting nesting material. In the non-bird category I saw a northern water snake, red fox, and morning cloak (butterfly). All in all, a pretty good day!

Start time: 11:00

End time: 1:15

Temp: 70-73°

Wind: 8 from the east

Skies: high clouds

Species Total: 54

• Black Vulture – 2
• Turkey Vulture – approximately 10
• Canada Goose – 6
• Wood Duck – 2
• Mallard – 1
• Osprey – 1
• Bald Eagle – 1, adult
• Sharp-shinned Hawk – 1, adult
• Cooper's Hawk – 3, 2 adults, 1 immature. For the second day in a row, I saw an adult and an immature conducting pair bonding behavior.
• Red-tailed Hawk – 3, 2 adults, 1 immature
• American Kestrel – 1 male
• Mourning Dove – 1, heard only
• Chimney Swift – at least 2, heard only
• Belted Kingfisher – 1, heard only
• Red-bellied Woodpecker – approximately 10
• Downy Woodpecker – approximately 10
• Hairy Woodpecker – 2
• Northern Flicker – approximately 10
• Eastern Phoebe – 3
• Blue Jay – 6
• American Crow – approximately 10
• Fish Crow – 2
• Tree Swallow – approximately 75
• Northern Rough-winged Swallow – approximately 20
• Barn Swallow – approximately 10
• Carolina Chickadee – approximately 15
• Tufted Titmouse – approximately 25
• White-breasted Nuthatch – 3
• Carolina Wren – 3
• House Wren – 2, FOY
• Golden-crowned Kinglet – approximately 8
• Ruby-crowned Kinglet – approximately 10
• Blue-gray Gnatcatcher – 1, FOY
• Eastern Bluebird – approximately 20
• American Robin – approximately 20
• Northern Mockingbird – 2
• Brown Thrasher – 2
• European Starling – 5
• Yellow-rumped Warbler – 2
• Pine Warbler – 3
• Palm Warbler – approximately 10
• Eastern Towhee – approximately 8, heard only
• Chipping Sparrow – 2
• Field Sparrow – approximately 10
• Savannah Sparrow – 11
• Song Sparrow – approximately 40
• Swamp Sparrow – 6
• White-throated Sparrow – approximately 15
• Dark-eyed Junco – 1
• Northern Cardinal – approximately 12
• Red-winged Blackbird – approximately 30
• Common Grackle – 1
• Brown-headed Cowbird – approximately 10
• American Goldfinch – 4

The Stroud Preserve, 10 April 2013

​TROUT LILY Erythronium americanum Ker Gawl. 25 March 2012. Stroud Preserve, West Chester, Chester County, Pennsylvania.

I got a later start than usual as the battery in my car was dead. “No problem” I thought as I have a bike. I pulled my commuter bike down off the rack to find that the tire was flat. I thought for a moment and decided it was easier to fix my flat tire that jump start the car, which I did.

The reward for my late start was a mink! Not a mink coat, but a living breathing mink. I had a great view from about of it from the bridge over the creek. It was about 20 feet away walking along the bank of the Brandywine completely unconcerned with my presence. At one point, it came to a large rock. On the other side of the rock was a Swamp Sparrow. I was certain I was going to get to witness the hunting skills of a large weasel first hand. The mink stood on its hind legs and peered over the rock then jumped up on top. The mink looked down at the sparrow and the sparrow looked up at the mink. Then the sparrow went back to foraging and the mink walked off as if they had some mutual agreement that today was not the day to mess with each other.

Again to day the species count did not keep pace with the rise in temperature. In fact, bird life seemed much more subdued today. Not much was moving at all. While the birds did not seem to be responding to the warmer temperature, the plants sure were. On Monday very few plants were blooming, especially native species. By today, the forest floor was covered bloodroots, trout-lilies, skunk cabbage, and so on and so forth. I did take the time to identify the frogs that were in a spawning frenzy in most of the shallow water areas. They are not frogs at all, but Woodhouse’s toads.

I did return in the evening with my son so he could see the toads and snapping turtles. While I was there I saw 13 Chimney Swifts for my only new spring arrival for the day. This is about 5 days ahead of their arrival date last year.

Start time: 9:10

End time: 12:00

Temp: 72- 83°!

Wind: 6 from the west

Skies: mostly clear

Species Total: 48

• Black Vulture – approximately 10
• Turkey Vulture – approximately 25
• Canada Goose – approximately 10
• Wood Duck – 2
• Mallard – 2
• Sharp-shinned Hawk – 1
• Cooper's Hawk – 2, 1 adult and 1 immature, despite one of these birds clearly being an immature, they appeared to be conducting courtship displays and calling to each other.
• Red-tailed Hawk – 3, 2 adults, 1 immature
• American Kestrel – 1, male
• Wilson's Snipe – 1
• Mourning Dove – 1
• Chimney Swift – 13 FOY (at 6:30 PM)
• Belted Kingfisher – 1, heard only
• Red-bellied Woodpecker – approximately 10
• Downy Woodpecker – approximately 15
• Hairy Woodpecker – 2
• Northern Flicker – approximately 15, I saw 5 together in large oak tree, calling and chasing each other
• Eastern Phoebe – approximately 8
• Blue Jay – approximately 10
• American Crow – 5
• Fish Crow – 2
• Tree Swallow – approximately 100
• Northern Rough-winged Swallow – approximately 10
• Barn Swallow – 1
• Carolina Chickadee – approximately 10
• Tufted Titmouse – approximately 10
• White-breasted Nuthatch – 4
• Carolina Wren – 4
• Golden-crowned Kinglet – 1
• Ruby-crowned Kinglet – 5
• Eastern Bluebird – approximately 20
• American Robin – approximately 50
• Northern Mockingbird – 4
• Brown Thrasher – 1, heard only
• European Starling – approximately 50
• Eastern Towhee – approximately 5, heard only
• Chipping Sparrow – approximately 15, perhaps a spring arrival considering the numbers
• Field Sparrow – approximately 10, heard only
• Savannah Sparrow – 3
• Song Sparrow – approximately 30
• Swamp Sparrow – approximately 10
• White-throated Sparrow – approximately 30
• Dark-eyed Junco – 2
• Northern Cardinal – approximately 10
• Red-winged Blackbird – approximately 50
• Common Grackle – 2
• Brown-headed Cowbird – approximately 15
• American Goldfinch – 4

The Stroud Preserve, 9 April 2013

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​SPRING BEAUTY Claytonia caroliniana MICHX. 9 April 2013. Stroud Perserve, West Chester, Chester County, Pennsylvania

Awesome! Yesterday the starting temperature was over 50° with more 50 species on the day. Today the Starting temperature was over 60° and I ended the day with a grand total of 44 species! Wait a minute. What? Well that blows my theory that as the temperature goes up, so goes the species count. Actually, today I spent a lot of time looking for one species of bird. Louisiana Waterthrush. I also spent a lot of time looking for a plant Cardamine pensylvanica, or Pennsylvania bittercress. Both should be found about this time of year. However, I failed to find either. So it goes sometimes.

I did add a new bird to my list for the preserve. As I was walking around the bed of the old farm pond I heard the distinctive call of a male Ring-necked Pheasant. I also got an email today from a friend who said that his wife had seen a male pheasant on her walk this morning. While it is always exciting to add a new species to your list for whatever you are keeping a list for, the bird of the day was a male Rusty Black Bird in the bed of the old farm pond. The last one I saw was back on 22 March and I just had the felling they were done. This bird still had rusty feathers on its back. I also added a new warbler to the year list as a Yellow-rumped Warbler was mixed in with the Palm Warblers today.

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RAMPS Allium tricoccum Aiton 9 April 2013, Stroud Perserve, West Chester, Chester County, Pennsylvania.

Besides birds, it was a good day for flowers and cold-blooded animals. I took photos of some of them, which are right and below. My first reptile of the day was a fairly sizable common gartersnake, which was on a hillside in one of the wooded areas. I bent over to take a photo and it immediately showed very strong disapproval for anything of the sort, snapping at me and making a noticeable hiss. When I backed away it turned its head down slope, straitened out its body like an arrow. A couple of pushes of its tail and it shot down the hill moving literally faster than I could run (you will not see a photo of it below). Next, frogs (I’m not exactly sure which species as they were just a little to far out for me to tell for sure, but I’m guessing bull frog) were gathered by the hundreds and were busy making more frogs at the old farm pond. Nearby a very large snapping turtle was hauled out on the vegetation sunning itself. I figured he would probably not pull a stunt like the gartersnake. So I did manage to get a picture of it (see below).  

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​Bull frog egg mass

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​Snaping turtle. carapace approximately 14" wide. 

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RED MAPLE Acer rubrum L. 9 April 2013, Stroud Preserve, West Chester, Chester County, Pennsylvania.

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​BOX ELDER Acer negundo L. 4 May 2012, Stroud Preserve, West Chester, Chester County, Pennsylvania.

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​BLOODROOT Sanguinaria canadensis L. 9 April 2013, Stroud Preserve, West Chester, Chester County, Pennsylvania.

As a side note, some might wonder why I’ve been going on so about the changing of the seasons. I lived in Washington State for nearly 20 years. There we have two seasons, wet season and dry season. The wet season last for 12.5 months, and the dry season last for 2.5 months (I double checked my data and those numbers appear to be correct). These seasons are not necessarily defined by temperature. In fact, the last year I was in Washington I wore the same cycling gear in January as I did in August. From January to August, 2011 I wore short pants and shirt on just five days, two of those days were in February! So, bear with me. It might take a while for me to readjust to this concept of the changing of the seasons.

Start time: 8:50

End time: 12:00

Temp: 62-74°!

Wind: 6-16 mph from the west

Skies: high clouds, mostly clear

Species Total: 44

• Black Vulture – approximately 10
• Turkey Vulture – approximately 25
• Canada Goose – approximately 12
• Mallard – 2
• Sharp-shinned Hawk – 1 adult
• Cooper's Hawk – 1 adult
• Red-tailed Hawk – 3 adults
• Ring-necked Pheasant – 1, heard only. FOY and my first for the preserve
• Mourning Dove – 1, where have all the doves gone?
• Red-bellied Woodpecker – approximately 8
• Downy Woodpecker – approximately 15
• Northern Flicker – approximately 15, as I noted yesterday, flicker numbers are rising. They are very vocal now
• Eastern Phoebe – approximately 5
• Blue Jay – approximately 10
• American Crow – approximately 10
• Fish Crow – 2
• Tree Swallow – approximately 50
• Northern Rough-winged Swallow – approximately 12
• Barn Swallow – approximately 10
• Carolina Chickadee – approximately 10
• Tufted Titmouse – approximately 10
• White-breasted Nuthatch – 4
• Carolina Wren – 6
• Ruby-crowned Kinglet – 3, heard only
• Eastern Bluebird – approximately 15
• American Robin – approximately 40
• Northern Mockingbird – 3
• European Starling – approximately 75
• Yellow-rumped Warbler – 1 FOY
• Palm Warbler – approximately 12
• Eastern Towhee – approximately 10
• Field Sparrow – 8, heard only
• Savannah Sparrow – 5
• Song Sparrow – approximately 50
• Swamp Sparrow – 9
• White-throated Sparrow – approximately 50
• Dark-eyed Junco – 1
• Northern Cardinal – approximately 12
• Red-winged Blackbird – approximately 100
• Eastern Meadowlark – 3, heard only.
• Rusty Blackbird – 1 male, Bird of the day!
• Common Grackle – 2
• Brown-headed Cowbird – approximately 20
• American Goldfinch – 5

The Stroud Preserve, 8 April 2013

On warm days I am not alone! Today was the first day that I started with the temperature above 50°, as luck would have it, it was the first day of the year with more than 50 species. I had four first of year birds today, including my first warblers, Pine and Palm. The other two were Ruby-crowned Kinglet and Double-crested Cormorant. I also had a nice assortment of winter birds the most surprising of which was a Red-breasted Nuthatch at a spot that I presume the same individual has occupied all winter. I have not seen one there for the last couple of weeks and had figured it was gone for the season. I searched hard for Eastern Meadowlarks today. I spent a good amount of time scanning the tall grass in the fields below No-Hang-Glider Hill but failed to see any. I finally heard one on my last ditch effort as I was leaving. So, they are still around, or at least one is. The flora is coming along fast and furious. I predict at within a week the landscape will be in full bloom. I look forward to that. Sliver Maple, Red Maple and Box Elders were blooming, which made for a nice study in Acer flowers.

Start time: 8:50

End time: 12:15

Temp: 52-64°

Wind: 6 mph from the west

Skies: high clouds

Species Total: 55

• Double-crested Cormorant – 1, overhead FOY
• Black Vulture – approximately 15
• Turkey Vulture – approximately 20
• Canada Goose – approximately 15
• Wood Duck – 3
• Mallard – 2
• Common Merganser – 1,
• Osprey – 1
• Bald Eagle – 2, immature and adult
• Northern Harrier – 1, male
• Red-tailed Hawk – 4, 3 adults, 1 immature
• American Kestrel – 1, male
• Wilson's Snipe – 1
• Mourning Dove – 2
• Red-bellied Woodpecker – approximately 10
• Yellow-bellied Sapsucker – 1
• Downy Woodpecker – approximately 20
• Hairy Woodpecker – 1, hoping for high nest site fidelity I revisited a nest site from last yean and there it was.
• Northern Flicker – approximately 10, numbers were up today.
• Pileated Woodpecker – 2
• Eastern Phoebe – approximately 10
• Blue Jay – approximately 10
• American Crow – approximately 8
• Tree Swallow – approximately 300
• Northern Rough-winged Swallow – approximately 10
• Barn Swallow – 1, a difficult bird today. Saw it perched on a wire as I was driving off.
• Carolina Chickadee – approximately 25
• Tufted Titmouse – approximately 20
• Red-breasted Nuthatch – 1
• White-breasted Nuthatch – 5
• Brown Creeper – 1
• Carolina Wren – approximately 10
• Golden-crowned Kinglet – 1
• Ruby-crowned Kinglet – approximately 10, FOY
• Eastern Bluebird – approximately 20
• American Robin – approximately 50
• Northern Mockingbird – 3
• Brown Thrasher – 1
• European Starling – approximately 30
• Pine Warbler – 1, singing in a stand of yellow poplars. FOY and only the 2nd observation at the preserve for me.
• Palm Warbler – approximately 20, FOY
• Eastern Towhee – approximately 20, numbers increasing
• Field Sparrow – approximately 20, also increasing
• Fox Sparrow – 1
• Song Sparrow – approximately 75
• Swamp Sparrow – approximately 10, these seemed to have made a small shift in habitat preference. Up till today, I could reliably find them in the wet grassy areas along the main road from the Brandywine to the old farm pond. Today I could find none there, but instead, they were in the wooded wetlands amongst skunk cabbage.
• White-throated Sparrow – approximately 100, numbers jumped way up from the last week.
• Dark-eyed Junco – approximately 10
• Northern Cardinal – approximately 20
• Red-winged Blackbird – approximately 100
• Eastern Meadowlark – 1, heard only
• Common Grackle – 2
• Brown-headed Cowbird – approximately 25. Here is a note about cowbird numbers as the nesting season progresses. In Washington State I would regularly count dozens of cowbirds on one of my study sites. Then I decided to capture and color-band them. What I found was that I recounted the same 2 or 3 males and 4 or 5 females over and over. I estimated that fewer than a dozen females were responsible for parasitizing the scores of nest that I found that contained cowbird eggs.
• House Finch – approximately 5, heard only
• American Goldfinch – approximately 5, heard only

The Stroud Preserve, 5 April 2013

A starting temperature above 40°! Plus the low wind made for a very pleasant day outdoors. Like yesterday, the bird species composition has not changed very much. However, the number of individual birds in the winter visitor category continues to drop. Woodpecker contact drumming seems to be the dominant bird sound in the wooded areas. Red-bellied and Downy are the most active. Hairy Woodpecker has been notably absent. They should be around as I know that at least two pairs nested in the preserve last breeding season. I am excited about the presence of the Pileated Woodpeckers. That is still the most uncommon woodpecker in the preserve. I would be surprised if they nested here as most of the woodlands are pretty fragmented. But, birds are much better at habitat assessment than I am so we will see.

Start time: 8:45

End time: 11:35

Temp: 41-51°

Wind: 0-8 from the north

Skies: mostly clear

Species Total:

• Great Blue Heron – 1
• Black Vulture – approximately 15
• Turkey Vulture – approximately 30
• Canada Goose – approximately 12
• Bald Eagle – 2 adults
• Sharp-shinned Hawk – 3 adults
• Red-tailed Hawk – 5, 1 immature, 4 adults
• American Kestrel – 1 female
• Killdeer – 1
• Mourning Dove – 2
• Red-bellied Woodpecker – approximately 10
• Yellow-bellied Sapsucker – 1
• Downy Woodpecker – approximately 15
• Northern Flicker – 2
• Pileated Woodpecker – 2
• Eastern Phoebe – approximately 10
• Blue Jay – approximately 10
• American Crow – 5
• Tree Swallow – approximately 300
• Northern Rough-winged Swallow – 5
• Barn Swallow – 1
• Carolina Chickadee – approximately 15
• Tufted Titmouse – approximately 10
• White-breasted Nuthatch – 3
• Carolina Wren – approximately 10
• Golden-crowned Kinglet – 1
• Eastern Bluebird – approximately 10
• American Robin – approximately 50
• Northern Mockingbird – 3
• European Starling – approximately 50
• Eastern Towhee – approximately 10, heard only
• Field Sparrow – approximately 15, many singing
• Savannah Sparrow – 1 heard only
• Fox Sparrow – 1
• Song Sparrow – approximately 75
• White-throated Sparrow – approximately 25
• Northern Cardinal – approximately 15
• Red-winged Blackbird – approximately 100
• Common Grackle – approximately 12
• Brown-headed Cowbird – approximately 20
• House Finch – 2
• American Goldfinch – 4

The Stroud Preserve, 4 April 2013

Today I had the same temperature range as I did yesterday. Yesterday I froze. Today, without the wind, it was wonderful to be outside! Despite the nice weather not much changed from yesterday in terms of birdlife. The only new bird that I recorded was a Brown Thrasher. I didn’t get a chance to see it but I heard it clearly from a distance. I did see at least two Fish Crows, which I missed yesterday. I am still seeing and hearing them in and around downtown West Chester. A Yellow-bellied Sapsucker was present on the same branch that I observed one about a month ago. All in all a nice day for a walk. Unfortunately, I had to cut my walk a little shorter today due to a doctor’s appointment.

Start time: 9:00

End time: 11:00

Temp: 32-40

Wind: 6 mph from the north-northwest down to zero by the time I left.

Skies: mostly clear

Species Total: 41

• Great Blue Heron – 1
• Black Vulture – approximately 15
• Turkey Vulture – approximately 30
• Canada Goose – approximately 15
• Mallard – 2
• Cooper's Hawk – 1 adult
• Red-tailed Hawk – 6, 1 immature, 5 adults
• Mourning Dove – 1
• Red-bellied Woodpecker – 4
• Yellow-bellied Sapsucker – 1
• Downy Woodpecker – 3
• Northern Flicker – 1
• Pileated Woodpecker – heard only
• Eastern Phoebe – 6
• Blue Jay – approximately 10
• American Crow – 8
• Fish Crow – 2
• Tree Swallow – approximately 300
• Northern Rough-winged Swallow – 5
• Barn Swallow – 1
• Carolina Chickadee – approximately 10
• Tufted Titmouse – approximately 10
• White-breasted Nuthatch – 3
• Carolina Wren – 5
• Eastern Bluebird – approximately 10
• American Robin – approximately 40
• Northern Mockingbird – 4
• Brown Thrasher – 1 FOY, heard only
• European Starling – approximately 20
• Eastern Towhee – 2 heard only
• Field Sparrow – 4 heard only
• Song Sparrow – approximately 50
• White-throated Sparrow – approximately 10
• Dark-eyed Junco – 1
• Northern Cardinal – approximately 10
• Red-winged Blackbird – approximately 30
• Eastern Meadowlark – 4, in the tall grass in the fields below No-Hang-Glider Hill. Probably more present, but were difficult to see.
• Common Grackle – 2
• Brown-headed Cowbird – approximately 20
• House Finch – 2
• American Goldfinch – 3

The Stroud Preserve, 3 April 2013

​WHERE GEESE ONCE ROAMED! 

After a week away for a faux spring break in the mountains of North Carolina (the Smokey Mountains had a fresh six inches of snow when we arrived) I had high hopes that we would be blessed with some days that were squarely in the spring column. However, this was not to be. I resumed my Stroud Preserve walks on a cold and windy day that was more like mid January!

GLORY-OF-THE-SNOW (Chionodoxa luciliae Boiss.), 3 April 2013, Stroud Preserve, Chester County, Pennsylvannia.

Nonetheless, there were a few new arrivals for birds, Barn Swallow, Rough-winged Swallow and Osprey. Looking back at last year’s records, the bird life is roughly the same, however, the plant life was much different. The place was alive with wildflowers this time last year. Tout-lily, Virginia blue-bell, and bloodroot were all in full bloom this time last year. They are just starting to push their way through the soil now. The vast majority of the flowering plants that are blooming now are all introduced aliens. Flowering and setting seed early is not a bad strategy for success if you want to get a leg up on the competition.

One new foreign stray that I found today was from Turkey of all places. Chionodoxa luciliae, commonly called glory-of-the-snow. Sine the wind was almost up to 20 mph today, I’m calling it glory-of-the-wind!

Start time: 8:50

End time: 11:00

Temp: 32-40

Wind: 6-17 mph from the west

Skies: clear

Species Total: 41

• Black Vulture – approximately 15
• Turkey Vulture – approximately 20
• Canada Goose –7, all of the winter flocks are now gone. The ones that are around now seemed to be paired with a mate.
• Mallard – 2
• Osprey – 1 FOY, high overhead
• Bald Eagle – 1 adult
• Sharp-shinned Hawk – 1 adult
• Red-tailed Hawk –5, 1 immature, 4 adults
• American Kestrel – 2 a male and female
• Mourning Dove – 2
• Belted Kingfisher – 1
• Red-bellied Woodpecker – heard only
• Downy Woodpecker – 1
• Northern Flicker – 2
• Eastern Phoebe – 5
• Blue Jay – approximately 10
• American Crow – approximately 10
• Tree Swallow – approximately 100
• Northern Rough-winged Swallow – 2 FOY
• Barn Swallow – 1 FOY
• Carolina Chickadee – approximately 10
• Tufted Titmouse – approximately 10
• White-breasted Nuthatch – 2
• Carolina Wren – heard only
• Eastern Bluebird – approximately 10
• American Robin – approximately 50
• Northern Mockingbird – 3
• European Starling – approximately 25
• Eastern Towhee – 3
• Field Sparrow – 4
• Song Sparrow – approximately 25
• Swamp Sparrow – 1
• White-throated Sparrow – 4
• Dark-eyed Junco – 3
• Northern Cardinal – approximately 12
• Red-winged Blackbird – approximately 30
• Eastern Meadowlark – 8
• Common Grackle – 4
• Brown-headed Cowbird – approximately 15
• House Finch – 2
• American Goldfinch – 3

Grapevine Birds, Spring 2013

Here is the (tiny) list of birds observed at Fisher Branch (unless otherwise noted). It is pretty minimal but it will give you a fair ideal of what was around. Fisher Branch is where Grandma and Grandpa live. It is a shoot off of Grapevine, which is a suburb of Center, which is on the out skirts of Petersburg, which is just down the road from Mars Hill, which is about 30 miles north of Asheville, North Carolina. In other words, it is out in the middle of no where. 

 

Please take note that the photo above is of a goat, not a bird. There seemed to be more goats on this visit than birds. Check out last year's bird list from the same time period to see the difference a year can make.

1. Common Loon  – 2 flying over Grapvine on 29 March heading somewhat north.
2. Black Vulture – Many seen along the way but none seen in the area of the Rogers house.
3. Turkey Vulture - Many
4. Osprey – 1 over Wilson Branch
5. Sharp-shinned Hawk  - 1 on 3/30
6. Cooper's Hawk – 1 on 4/1
7. Red-tailed Hawk – Many
8. American Kestrel – A few
9. Peregrine Falcon – 1 just south of VA/MD state line on 3/28
10. American Woodcock – 1 just before dawn along the PA Turnpike. My first in over 20 years!
11. Wild Turkey – Several
12. Ruffed Grouse – Many drumming around
13. Rock Dove – Many
14. Mourning Dove – Many
15. Belted Kingfisher – a few
16. Red-bellied Woodpecker – a few
17. Downy Woodpecker – a few
18. Hairy Woodpecker – 1 on 4/1
19. Northern Flicker – several
20. Pileated Woodpecker – Many! By far the most common woodpecker!
21. Eastern Phoebe – Many
22. Blue Jay – Many
23. American Crow – Many
24. Tree Swallow – 2 on 4/1
25. Northern Rough-winged Swallow – 1 on 4/1
26. Barn Swallow – 2 on 4/1
27. Carolina Chickadee – Many
28. Tufted Titmouse – Many
29. White-breasted Nuthatch – 1
30. Carolina Wren – many
31. Winter Wren – 2, a fairly uncommon bird for the area despite the fact that they nest at some of the higher elevations (Mount Mitchel and Roan Mountain)
32. Eastern Bluebird – a few, not as many as around West Chester.
33. Hermit Thrush – 2, feeding on the front lawn of some neighbors yard with robins.
34. American Robin – Many
35. Northern Mockingbird – Many
36. European Starling – Many
37. Eastern Towhee – Many
38. Chipping Sparrow – a few
39. Field Sparrow – several, singing
40. Song Sparrow – Many
41. Swamp Sparrow – 1
42. White-throated Sparrow – a few
43. Northern Cardinal – Many
44. Red-winged Blackbird – Many
45. Common Grackle – Many
46. Brown-headed Cowbird – Many
47. House Finch – Many

The Stroud Preserve, 27 March 2013

Today was a continuation of the slow slide from winter to spring. The fields of the preserve are just starting to show a greenish tint to them and more birds seem to be singing. There were still small patches of snow left over from Monday when we had about three inches or so. I certainly home those few clumps were the last grip that winter holds for now. The wind was a factor, again, being quite strong at times, which makes it difficult to hear some of the higher pitched calls and chip of some species. 

One of the bigger changes that I noted to day was the lack of Canada Geese. I saw only 7! Today was the first time since the fall that I had less than 100 geese at the preserve. Another oddity was that I saw more Fish Crows than American Crows. That is the first time that has happened.  Another birder reported to me that they had observed a Northern Rough-winged Swallow along the Brandywine yesterday. I had high hopes that I would see one today. I checked all the Tree Swallows pretty thoroughly and came up empty. Looking at last years field notes the only species that was present then that is not present now are Northern Rough-winged Swallow and Brown Thrashers. The plant life was certainly much further along last year at this time. Bloodroot, in particular, was already in full bloom. Again, I think I'm going to have to have a little take with a certain groundhog about our regional weather trends! 

Start time: 8:50

End time: 11:00

Temp: 37-45°

Wind: 8-21mph from the NNW

Skies: mostly clear

Species Total: 44

• Great Blue Heron – 1
• Black Vulture – 3
• Turkey Vulture – approximately 15
• Canada Goose – 7
• Mallard – 2
• Bald Eagle – 1
• Red-tailed Hawk – 3
• Wilson's Snipe – 2
• Mourning Dove – 3
• Red-bellied Woodpecker – 5
• Yellow-bellied Sapsucker – 1
• Downy Woodpecker – 4
• Hairy Woodpecker – 1
• Northern Flicker – 2
• Pileated Woodpecker – 2
• Eastern Phoebe – 2
• Blue Jay – approximately 10
• American Crow – approximately 10
• Fish Crow – approximately 25
• Tree Swallow – approximately 150
• Carolina Chickadee – approximately 10
• Tufted Titmouse – 4
• White-breasted Nuthatch – 1, hear only
• Carolina Wren – 5
• Golden-crowned Kinglet – 1
• Eastern Bluebird – approximately 15
• American Robin – approximately 125
• Northern Mockingbird – 2
• European Starling – approximately 20
• Eastern Towhee – 3
• Field Sparrow – approximately 12, many singing
• Savannah Sparrow – 1
• Fox Sparrow – 1
• Song Sparrow – approximately 25
• Swamp Sparrow – 1
• White-throated Sparrow – 5
• Dark-eyed Junco – 8
• Northern Cardinal – approximately 10
• Red-winged Blackbird – approximately 30
• Eastern Meadowlark – 1
• Common Grackle – 1
• Brown-headed Cowbird – approximately 15
• House Finch – 2
• American Goldfinch – 3

The Stroud Preserve, 22 March 2013

When I get up in the morning around 5:40, I check my weather app on my iPhone to see what the day has in store for me. By the time I make breakfast for the family, see the children off to school and arrive at the Stroud Preserve at around 8:45, whatever little icon and temperature range was displayed earlier will have surely changed, and usually for the worse.

Let’s take to day for example. At 5:40 I got a sun icon with a temperature range of 28 to 47°.  Awesome! By the time I got to the Stroud Preserve at 8:50, the icon had turned to snow flakes and any hope of reaching 47° was nothing but a distant dream. Well, what can you do? I tell you one thing I’m going to do, if I ever met Punxsutawney Phil in a dark alley, I’m going to open up a can of woop ass on that hairy little rodent for saying we were going to have an early spring. That’s what I’m going to do.

That said, it actually wasn’t a bad day bird-wise. I tallied the highest species count of the year so far without seeing anything unusual. The meadowlarks and snipe of the day before were nowhere to be found. I saw a single Rusty Blackbird flying over an open field on the south side of the preserve. It briefly landed in a tree at the edge of woodlands and quickly moved on. There was a large flock of sparrows on the west side of the preserve, which probably totaled over 300 individuals by my best guess. They were madly foraging in, on, under and around a big thicket of multi-flora rose. The other highlight was a total of 4 Killdeer.

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​Common chickweed (Stellaria media (L.) Vill.), 22 March 2013. The Stroud Preserve, Chester County, PA, 

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​Field speedwell (Veronica media L.) 5 March 2013. The Stroud Preserve, Chester County PA. 

For the weed enthusiast out there I found a few others to add to the early bloomers list (I actually found these blooming back on March 5th but I’m just now getting around to posting the photos). They are field speedwell (Veronica agrestis) and common chickweed (Stellaria media). If anyone disagrees with identification of these plants please don’t hesitate to let me know (click on the photo for a better look). I’m not nearly as certain about my botanical identifications as I am with my ornithological identifications. I used the keys in Plants of Pennsylvania (Rhoads and Block 2007) to identify these. I am most uncertain about the Veronica. It shouldn’t be blooming until April. But I went through the keys several times with it and still came up with this one.

Start time: 8:50

End time: 12:40

Temp: 30-34°

Wind: 7-17 mph from the west

Skies: mostly cloudy light snow flurries, occasional sun breaks

Species Total: 46

• Great Blue Heron – 2
• Black Vulture – approximately 10
• Turkey Vulture – approximately 25
• Canada Goose – approximately 150
• Mallard – 9
• Common Merganser – 2
• Bald Eagle – 1 immature
• Sharp-shinned Hawk – 1 adult
• Red-tailed Hawk – 6, 4 adults, two immature
• American Kestrel – 1 male
• Killdeer – 4, still an uncommon bird at the preserve!
• Mourning Dove – 2
• Belted Kingfisher – 1
• Red-bellied Woodpecker – 5
• Yellow-bellied Sapsucker – 1
• Downy Woodpecker – 2
• Hairy Woodpecker – 1
• Northern Flicker – 1
• Eastern Phoebe – 1
• Blue Jay – approximately 10
• American Crow – approximately 30
• Fish Crow – 3
• Tree Swallow – 7
• Carolina Chickadee – approximately 10
• Tufted Titmouse – approximately 10
• White-breasted Nuthatch – 4
• Carolina Wren – approximately 5, heard only
• Eastern Bluebird – approximately 20
• American Robin – approximately 150
• Northern Mockingbird – 3
• European Starling – approximately 75
• Eastern Towhee – 4
• Field Sparrow – 7
• Savannah Sparrow – 1
• Fox Sparrow – 3
• Song Sparrow – approximately 100
• Swamp Sparrow – 1
• White-throated Sparrow – approximately 250
• Dark-eyed Junco – approximately 25
• Northern Cardinal – approximately 15
• Red-winged Blackbird – approximately 100
• Rusty Blackbird – 1
• Common Grackle – 1
• Brown-headed Cowbird – approximately 15
• House Finch – 1
• American Goldfinch – 3

The Stroud Preserve, 21 March 2013

I started the day off with snow flurries and a light dusting of snow on the ground! The wind was much more reasonable today, however, it was still cold if you were standing in it. When I could find a spot that was out of the wind it was quite nice. As with yesterday, I did spend a fair amount of time looking for plants. I did notice that bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis) pushing up through the ground.

Bird life was almost a carbon copy of the previous few days. The standouts were 15 Eastern Meadowlarks and 2 Rusty Blackbirds. The meadowlarks were in the same location as previous days, in the big open field below "No Hang Glider" Hill. They were in the mowed grass making them easy to count. The Rusty Blackbirds, a male and a female, were near the old farm pond area and they didn't provide a very good look.

The snipe were in the wet depression below “No Hang Glider” Hill. This might be a reliable location for people to find snipe prior to flushing them. I found these three by scanning the grass for dark spots. A spotting scope would provide some outstanding looks at these secretive birds. "No Hang Glider" Hill is directly across the road from the parking lot along Creek Road. I call No Hang Glider Hill because of the sign at the bottom that states just that. 

Start time: 9:00

End time: 11:45

Temp: 32-34°

Wind: 8-10 mph from the north

Skies: snow flurries to start becoming partly cloudy

Species Total: 42

• Black Vulture – approximately 5
• Turkey Vulture – approximately 20
• Canada Goose – approximately 200
• Mallard – 2
• Sharp-shinned Hawk – 1, adult
• Red-tailed Hawk – 6, 5 adults, 1 immature (5 were visible at one time)
• American Kestrel – 1 female
• Wilson's Snipe – 3 (another birder reported 6 from the same location)
• Mourning Dove – 2
• Belted Kingfisher – 1
• Red-bellied Woodpecker – 4
• Downy Woodpecker – 2
• Northern Flicker – 1
• Blue Jay – approximately 10
• American Crow – approximately 20
• Fish Crow – 2
• Tree Swallow – approximately 15
• Carolina Chickadee – approximately 10
• Tufted Titmouse – approximately 10
• White-breasted Nuthatch – 3
• Carolina Wren – approximately 10
• Winter Wren – 1
• Eastern Bluebird – approximately 15
• American Robin – approximately 200
• Northern Mockingbird – 3
• European Starling – approximately 200
• Eastern Towhee – 1
• Field Sparrow – 3
• Savannah Sparrow – 1
• Fox Sparrow – 2
• Song Sparrow – approximately 75
• Swamp Sparrow – 2
• White-throated Sparrow – approximately 20
• Dark-eyed Junco – 3
• Northern Cardinal – approximately 10
• Red-winged Blackbird – approximately 100
• Eastern Meadowlark – 15
• Rusty Blackbird – 2
• Common Grackle – 3
• Brown-headed Cowbird – approximately 10
• House Finch – 2
• American Goldfinch – 1, heard only

The Stroud Preserve, 19 March 2013

Spring is slowly coming around. The average species count for my last five visits is 42 and the average count for the five visits prior to that is 33. So things are looking up! Where I am finding the most bird activity is in the lowland riparian areas around the Brandywine and the creeks that flow into it. This is a change from a few weeks ago when I was finding larger mixed flocks of sparrows and such in the brushy undergrowth areas of the uplands. The Dark-eyed Juncos and White-throated Sparrows are being replaced by Red-winged Blackbirds and American Robins. 

My most exciting birds of the day were still the Icterids. I started off the day with 14 Eastern Meadowlarks in the same spot where I saw 16 last Friday. I had an exceptional view of a male Rusty Blackbird that was mixed in with a flock of Red-winged Blackbirds and Starlings near Creek Road entrance of the preserve.

I am keeping my fingers crossed for signs of nesting Fish Crows. I still seeing them in the preserve albeit in smaller numbers than a month ago. I have also been seeing and hearing Fish Crows at my house in downtown West Chester. Over the weekend I hear two Fish Crows calling down the street. A few minutes later, I found two crows one of them breaking off small branches of from a tree and flying off with them. I don’t know for sure if these were the Fish Crows that I heard calling, but if it was it would be pretty cool!

Start time: 10:30

End time: 1:00

Temp: 34-43°

Wind: 6 mph from the NNW

Skies: light rain to start be coming partly cloudy and sunny by the end.

Species Total: 41

• Great Blue Heron – 2
• Black Vulture – approximately 10
• Turkey Vulture – approximately 25
• Canada Goose – approximately 150
• Wood Duck – 2
• Common Merganser – 4
• Red-tailed Hawk – 5, 4 adults, 1 immature. This immature has been occupying the area around the bridge over the Brandywine since last summer. It is distinctive in that it is very pale, the head, in particular, is very pale. Somewhat reminiscent of a light phased Rough-legged Hawk.
• American Kestrel – 1, adult male
• Killdeer – 1, heard only
• Mourning Dove – 1
• Red-bellied Woodpecker – 4
• Downy Woodpecker – 2, heard only
• Hairy Woodpecker – 1
• Northern Flicker – 2
• Eastern Phoebe – 1
• Blue Jay – approximately 10
• American Crow – approximately 20
• Fish Crow – 1
• Tree Swallow – 3
• Carolina Chickadee – approximately 10
• Tufted Titmouse – approximately 10
• White-breasted Nuthatch – 6
• Carolina Wren – 5
• Eastern Bluebird – approximately 25
• American Robin – approximately 300. It seemed as if every open space was covered with robins today.
• Northern Mockingbird – 3
• European Starling – approximately 100
• Eastern Towhee – 4
• Field Sparrow – 6, all singing
• Savannah Sparrow – 2
• Song Sparrow – approximately 50
• Swamp Sparrow – 2
• White-throated Sparrow – approximately 25
• Dark-eyed Junco – approximately 10
• Northern Cardinal – approximately 10
• Red-winged Blackbird – approximately 50
• Eastern Meadowlark – 14 in the same location as last Friday
• Rusty Blackbird – 1
• Common Grackle – 3
• Brown-headed Cowbird – 1
• House Finch – 2

The Stroud Preserve , 15 March 2013

​Eastern Meadowlarks were in the area with the lighter colored grass. 

Today was a pretty good day for the Ides of March. Yesterday I mentioned how it was the first time I’ve ever seen Red-shouldered Hawk two days in a row and that I rarely see them at all. I must not have been holding my mouth right because today I saw three Red-shouldered Hawks. It was also the fourth day in a row for Rusty Blackbirds. I saw three along the banks of the Brandywine. I haven’t made mention of it, but all of the Rusty Blackbirds that I have seen have been males. Today one of the three was a female. I also added a new year-bird with a female American Kestrel.

But as exciting as all that was, I believe the best observation of the day would have to go to the flock of at least 16 Eastern Meadowlarks that were in the unmowed part of the field below “No Hang Glider” Hill. This was the first area I checked when I started this morning. I saw nothing of interest. Then before I left, I decided to walk a little further out into the field to see if I could flush up a Savannah Sparrow (which I didn’t). However, a group of birds took off and headed east, which at first glance I almost mistook as a flock of Starlings. But one look through my binoculars showed them to be meadowlarks. They flew over the trees and it looked as if they put down in the field adjacent to the preserve, but moments later they all streamed back to the high grass between the creek and Strasburg Road, sixteen in all. One they landed they all quickly disappeared. I looked hard to see how many I could see on the ground and all I could find were two. They were also silent, which makes me wonder if I have been overlooking these birds on past visits.

Earlier this week I commented that I saw a strangely out of place Swamp Sparrow that was about 30 feet up in a tree acting like a Brown Creeper. Today I had another equally strange observation. Most of the morning was clear, with many birds flying about. I noticed a large bird directly overhead that was just a speck with the naked eye. I put my glasses on it and was puzzled as to what it was. It was clearly a large bird with a very wide wingspan. It was not dark like I would expect for an eagle, instead it seemed kind of pale. I could just make out that it had what looked like a long tail or streamers and not much head. At first thought “could that be a Frigatebird of some sort?” I dismissed that thought almost immediately as a Frigatebird would have pointed wings, these were rounded. Was it a crane? I strained to see if I could see a head sticking out. There wasn’t one. Then it hit me, this was a Great Blue Heron! It was so high up that it was a mere speck in the sky – barely recognizable at all. I tried to follow it for as long as I could but I eventually lost track of it as it rose higher and higher.

I have read that they will sometimes ride a thermal up high and then glide to distant foraging areas. This bird was so high up it could have glided to a foraging location in Maryland! It is interesting that after forty years of birding you can still see unusual things in the common species you seen every day.

Start time: 8:55

End time: 12:20

Temp: 30-39°

Wind: none to a bit gusty by noon

Skies: clear to begin, becoming overcast by noon

Species Total: 44

• Great Blue Heron – 2, one high and one low.
• Black Vulture – approximately 15
• Turkey Vulture – approximately 35
• Snow Goose – approximately 450
• Canada Goose – approximately 500
• Mallard – 18
• Common Merganser – 2
• Sharp-shinned Hawk – 2 adults
• Red-shouldered Hawk – 3 adults
• Red-tailed Hawk – 4 adults
• American Kestrel – 1 adult female, FOY
• Killdeer – 1, heard only
• Wilson's Snipe – 1, flushed from the creek below “No Hang Glide” hill
• Ring-billed Gull – 2
• Mourning Dove – approximately 10
• Belted Kingfisher – 1
• Red-bellied Woodpecker – approximately 10
• Downy Woodpecker – 2
• Hairy Woodpecker – 1
• Northern Flicker – 1
• Blue Jay – approximately 5
• American Crow – approximately 50
• Fish Crow – 2
• Tree Swallow – approximately 12
• Carolina Chickadee – 4
• Tufted Titmouse – 5
• White-breasted Nuthatch – 3
• Carolina Wren – approximately 10
• Winter Wren – 1
• Eastern Bluebird – approximately 30
• American Robin – approximately 200, increasing at a great rate
• Northern Mockingbird – 3
• European Starling – approximately 100
• Eastern Towhee – 1, heard only
• Song Sparrow – approximately 50
• Swamp Sparrow – 2
• White-throated Sparrow – 3
• Northern Cardinal – approximately 10
• Red-winged Blackbird – approximately 50
• Eastern Meadowlark – 16, Bird of the Day!
• Rusty Blackbird – 3, 2 males, 1 female
• Common Grackle – approximately 10
• Brown-headed Cowbird – approximately 10. 2 males and a female engaged in their very interesting “head down” courtship display.
• House Finch – 2

The Stroud Preserve, 14 March 2013

Dag-gone-it…if you thought winter was done with us, you should have been out this morning! Cold and windy. This dip back to wintertime was reflected in the birdlife. Yesterday, birds were flying left and right. Today the skies were nearly empty of birds with the exception of vultures. Also, to make the cold fell a little colder, today was the first day since January 25th that I have not recorded Great Horned Owl on my daily walks.

The bird of the day was a Red-shouldered Hawk. This is the first time that I’ve ever seen one here two days in a row. Actually, they are uncommon here. Over the last year this would only be the 6th time I’ve seen one here. The reason this is the bird of the day is as I was watching it glide from one side of the preserve to the other I watched it land in the paulownia grove behind the old farm houses, thus making it the first Red-shouldered Hawk that I’ve actually seen attached to terra firma! All of the other five observations have been flyovers.

I’ve also determined that the second week of March is Rusty Blackbird season at the preserve. On Monday I saw one, then yesterday I saw eight, and today I saw two. It’s a real shame that I would be this excited over seeing a grand total of 11 Rusty Blackbirds, because in South Carolina in the 1970’s they were very common birds. But in the 35 years since, they have experienced one of the most dramatic declines in total population of just about any North American passerine. The reasons for their this decline is a mystery.

They have always been one of my favorite birds. I think it is because I really like their fresh fall plumage with those piercing white eyes. The last time I saw this many Rusty Blackbirds was in 1996 when I visited their nesting grounds in British Columbia and Alaska. I remember in particular a campground in Prince George, British Columbia, where there was one that would perch on top of my tent when I was more than five feet way from it. In contrast, to the south in Washington State, they are considered a vagrant with only one or two reports a year. I can only recall seeing 3 in nearly 20 years of living there.

Start time: 8:50

End time: 11:00

Temp: 30-34°

Wind: 18 mph from the northwest

Skies: mostly cloudy

Species Total: 36

• Black Vulture – approximately 14
• Turkey Vulture – approximately 35
• Canada Goose – approximately 200
• Wood Duck – 8
• Mallard – 6
• Bald Eagle – 1
• Sharp-shinned Hawk – 2, adults,
• Red-shouldered Hawk – 1
• Red-tailed Hawk – 2 adults
• Mourning Dove – approximately10
• Red-bellied Woodpecker – 3
• Downy Woodpecker – 1
• Hairy Woodpecker – 1
• Northern Flicker – 1
• Blue Jay – approximately 10
• American Crow – approximately 50
• Fish Crow – 3
• Tree Swallow – approximately 25
• Carolina Chickadee – approximately 10
• Tufted Titmouse – 5
• White-breasted Nuthatch – 3
• Carolina Wren – approximately 10
• Winter Wren – 1
• Eastern Bluebird – approximately 20
• American Robin – approximately 100
• Northern Mockingbird – 3
• European Starling – approximately 100
• Eastern Towhee – 1, heard only
• Song Sparrow – approximately 40
• Swamp Sparrow – 3
• White-throated Sparrow – 1! Boy are these clearing out fast! 
• Northern Cardinal – approximately 10
• Red-winged Blackbird – approximately 100
• Rusty Blackbird – 2
• Common Grackle – approximately 20
• Brown-headed Cowbird – 8

It's not easy out there

I went back the preserve this evening with my scope so I could better assess the status of the Great Horned Owl nest. As I had thought, it looked as if 80%​ of the nest was missing. I decided to take a look around the base of the nest tree to see if I could find anything and sure enough, I quickly found a dead chick on the ground along with the rest of the nest. 

Judging from the size of the dead chick, I doubt that there were any others. It certainly wasn't big enough to move around. Any other chicks certainly wouldn't have been old enough to survive outside of the nest. 

My guess is that the storm from the day before knocked the nest out of the tree. It was quite windy at my house, which is three miles away. I sure it was probably the same there. Also, looking at the nest material that was on the ground, I think the nest was quite old. Many of the sticks were decayed and very weak. I think it was just a structural failure in adverse weather. 

It's a sad ending for these owls this season. Since Great Horned Owls only produce one brood a year, these adults are free to roam. ​I'll certainly miss seeing them on my daily walks. 

The Stroud Preserve, 13 March 2013

​SKUNK-CABBAGE. Symplocarpus foetidus (L.) Salisb. ex Nutt. 13 March 2013. Stroud Preserve, West Chester, Chester County, Pennsylvania.

Today was a great day for Icterids with 5 species in all. I checked the field where I saw the Eastern Meadowlark first and quickly found 6 birds! I then walked along the Brandywine where I flushed a male Rusty Blackbird that was working the banks of the creek. It got as close as 15’ from me. Which was pretty nice. Icterids were flying around all during my walk. Most of them were Red-winged Blackbirds or Common Grackles. However, at least 7 were Rusty Blackbirds. There may have been others as well, but those were the only ones that I was sure of their identity. The fifth species of blackbird for the day were a pair of Brown-headed Cowbirds.

 The Great Horned Owl has a major change in status today. When I looked at the nest it appeared as if part of the nest was missing! Even if the nest was still intact and functioning, the adult was certainly wasn’t on it. I decided to walk up closer and perhaps check the ground to see if anything fell from the tree. As I got to the edge of the woods, I flushed an adult owl from the understory. I decided to back off in case a nesting was on the ground or elsewhere. I’m no expert on owl nesting behavior, but my guess is that if the nestlings were missing, the adults would abandon the site. I’ll assume that as long as the adults are around, there must be young birds somewhere.

Another spring arrival was an Eastern Phoebe. It was feeding in the small trees on the right after you walk over the bridge at the entrance. Tree Swallows were numerous, but not quite in abundance.

As you can see from the banner, skunk cabbages are pushing up through the mud in the wet areas of the preserve.

Start time: 8:40

End time: 11:30

Temp: 34-40°

Wind: slight to none.

Skies: clear

Species Total: 42

• Black Vulture – approximately 12
• Turkey Vulture – approximately 30
• Canada Goose – approximately 50
• Mallard – 8
• Common Merganser – 3
• Bald Eagle – 2, adults
• Sharp-shinned Hawk – 1, adult
• Red-shouldered Hawk – 1, adult
• Red-tailed Hawk – 3, 2 adults, 1 immature
• Mourning Dove – approximately 15
• Great Horned Owl – 1
• Belted Kingfisher – 2
• Red-bellied Woodpecker – approximately 5, heard only!
• Downy Woodpecker – 1
• Hairy Woodpecker – 2
• Eastern Phoebe – 1
• Blue Jay – 4
• American Crow – approximately 30
• Fish Crow – 3
• Tree Swallow – approximately 50
• Carolina Chickadee – 6
• Tufted Titmouse – approximately 12
• White-breasted Nuthatch – 5
• Carolina Wren – approximately 10
• Golden-crowned Kinglet – 2
• Eastern Bluebird – approximately 25
• American Robin – approximately 100
• Northern Mockingbird – 2
• European Starling – approximately 50
• Eastern Towhee – 1, heard only
• Savannah Sparrow – 2
• Song Sparrow – approximately 50
• Swamp Sparrow – 1, this bird was about 30’ up in a tree. At first glance I thought I had a Brown Creeper. It clung to the side of the trunk for a moment then dropped like a rock to the brush below.
• White-throated Sparrow – 4
• Northern Cardinal – approximately 20
• Red-winged Blackbird – approximately 200
• Eastern Meadowlark – 6
• Rusty Blackbird – 8
• Common Grackle – approximately 100
• Brown-headed Cowbird – 2
• House Finch – 1, heard only
• American Goldfinch – 2

The Stroud Preserve, 11 March 2013

What a great day with five new birds for the 2013 preserve’s year list, which is now up to 69. By far the best bird of the day, in my humble opinion, was an alternate plumaged male Rusty Blackbird that was foraging in the muddy areas of the old farm pond bed. I got to watch it at a fairly close range (40 feet or so) for about 20 minutes.

Runner up for bird of the day was another Icterid, a lone Eastern Meadowlark that was in the field at the base of “No Hang Glider” Hill. This is another species that I would expect would be very common at a place like the Stroud Preserve, however, this is only my 7th observation of this species. I did not note any during the breeding in the area last summer. My guess is that the grasses in the fields are cut to low for suitable nesting habitat.

The third runner up for bird of the day was a gobbling Wild Turkey. I heard it on the west side of the preserve along Lucky Hill Road. It sounded fairly close but my efforts to actually see it were not successful. It wouldn't be the first time that I've searched in vain for a turkey that I heard. This in only the third time I have heard a Wild Turkey at the preserve (I’ve never actually seen one there!).

I can hereby declare that spring has officially arrived with the presence of seven Tree Swallows! I looked at every bird on the wing today to see if it was a swallow, but it wasn’t until nearly the end of my walk that I saw these birds over the parking area as I was about to get in my car. The last new year-bird was a pair of Wood Ducks on the Brandywine. Other signs of spring were singing Field Sparrows and a Downy and Red-bellied Woodpecker with nest cavities big enough for the birds to fit into completely. They sky’s were full of groups of birds moving around. I’d say about 97 % of them were Red-winged Blackbirds, Common Grackles, and American Robins.

The winner of the oddest aerial observation today goes to 6 migrating Gas Hawks in formation. There was one very large one, which I’m guessing was a 747, and following behind it were 5 fighter planes of some sort or another. My I didn’t get a good look at the 747 to see if it was painted in the presidential color scheme. Whoever was on the plane must have been important.

Start time: 8:50

End time: 12:15

Temp: 37-49°

Wind: slight from the east

Skies: heavy foggy to overcast

Species Total: 45

• Great Blue Heron – 2
• Black Vulture – approximately 12
• Turkey Vulture – approximately 25
• Snow Goose – 23
• Canada Goose – approximately 400. I heard several very large flocks flying over head above the fog.
• Wood Duck – 2
• American Black Duck – 1
• Mallard – 6
• Sharp-shinned Hawk – 1
• Red-tailed Hawk – 2
• Wild Turkey – 1, heard only
• Killdeer – 4
• Mourning Dove – approximately 50
• Great Horned Owl – 1, same bird, same place
• Belted Kingfisher – 1, heard only
• Red-bellied Woodpecker – approximately 10
• Yellow-bellied Sapsucker – 1, heard only
• Downy Woodpecker – approximately 10
• Hairy Woodpecker – 3
• Northern Flicker – 1
• Blue Jay – approximately 10
• American Crow – approximately 100
• Fish Crow – 5
• Tree Swallow – 7
• Carolina Chickadee – approximately 20
• Tufted Titmouse – approximately 20
• Red-breasted Nuthatch – 1
• White-breasted Nuthatch – approximately 10
• Carolina Wren – 5
• Eastern Bluebird – approximately 25
• American Robin – approximately 250
• Northern Mockingbird – 1
• European Starling – approximately 100
• Eastern Towhee – 4
• Field Sparrow – 6, two singing
• Song Sparrow – approximately 50
• White-throated Sparrow – approximately 75
• Dark-eyed Junco – approximately 200
• Northern Cardinal – approximately 20
• Red-winged Blackbird – approximately 1000 (probably a low estimate)
• Eastern Meadowlark – 1
• Rusty Blackbird – 1, Bird of the Day!
• Common Grackle – approximately 1000 (probably a low estimate)
• House Finch – 5
• American Goldfinch – 2

The Stroud Preserve, 10 March 2013

Like last Sunday, I took an evening walk around the preserve today. I started out a little earlier to insure I actually saw some birds. What a difference a week makes! Last Sunday, it was cold and windy and I saw zero birds. Today the starting temperature was a balmy 57°, the highest so far this year. Plus, there was no wind, so hearing birds was much more of a possibility.

Despite the favorable conditions, I did not hear any owls or woodcocks. Geese, however, were on the move. I estimate that at least 4000 geese flew over the preserve, in groups of a few to approximately 500 birds, all heading north. Plus, another 500 were on the ground. All of these approximately 4500 geese were Canada Geese with exception of 3 Snow geese that were mixed in with one flock. Red-winged Blackbirds and Common Grackles were the other species that were on the move.

I also heard American Robins singing for the first time this evening. Another first for the spring were peeping spring peepers. The Great Horned Owl was still on the nest, but again, it was sitting quite upright. No chicks were noted.

Start time: 6:15 PM

End time: 8:05

Temp: 57-50°

Wind: none

Skies: mostly clear

Species Total: 26

• Black Vulture – 3
• Turkey Vulture – approximately 10
• Snow Goose – 3
• Canada Goose –  approximately 4500
• Common Merganser – 2
• Red-tailed Hawk – 1
• Killdeer – 1
• Mourning Dove – 4
• Great Horned Owl – 1, same bird, same place
• Belted Kingfisher – 1
• Downy Woodpecker – 1, heard only
• Blue Jay – 1
• American Crow – approximately 10
• Carolina Chickadee – 1
• White-breasted Nuthatch – 1, heard only
• Carolina Wren – 2, heard only
• Eastern Bluebird – 2
• American Robin – 4
• Northern Mockingbird – 2
• European Starling – approximately 150
• Eastern Towhee – 2, heard only
• Song Sparrow – approximately 20
• White-throated Sparrow – approximately 10
• Northern Cardinal – 2
• Red-winged Blackbird – approximately 400
• Common Grackle – approximately 400

The Stroud Preserve, 7 March 2013

Today was just like Tuesday, but without a Peregrine Falcon. I now have empirical evidence as to the difference a single bird can have on the mood of the observer. I hereby conclude that the presence of such a bird has a positive effect.

While I had no surprises on the composition of my daily list, I did have one of the birds give me quite a surprise. As I walked along the trail on the southwest corner of the preserve a Turkey Vulture spring up from the brush about 30 feet in front of me. It perched on a branch that was way to small for it about 6 feet off the ground and directly above a dead raccoon. I see Turkey Vultures nearly every day at the preserve, but rarely do I get to see one where I can see the wrinkles in the skin on their head and, in fact, what a strangely wonderful head they have! When I see the head of a Turkey Vulture this up close and personal I am always astounded at to just how much they really resemble storks. Which, in turn, sends me back 31 years in time. 

Back in 1982, when I was a freshman at Temple University, I quickly found my way to the Delaware Valley Ornithological Club (DVOC). I remember the speaker for one of the first DVOC meetings I attended was Dr. Charles Sibley. In case you are unfamiliar with him, he was an early pioneer of modern phylogenetic taxonomy in birds. In my notes from that talk I wrote “new world vultures are actually short legged, short necked storks!”

Wow. Did that changed my life forever. For me it all seemed to make perfect and sudden sense. I also wrote in my notes “corvids/shrikes/vireos” and “wrentit/new world babbler?” I remember many people at that meeting had a hard time wrapping their heads around such radical clams and more or less laughed them off. In 1990 Sibley and Monroe’s Distribution and Taxonomy of the Birds of the World was published, again to many raised eyebrows. Look at taxonomic order in your field guides now. It’s all Sibley.

Start time: 8:45

End time: 11:30

Temp: 34-40°

Wind: slight, from the east to start, from the north at the end

Skies: mostly over cast

Species Total: 32

• Black Vulture – approximately 15
• Turkey Vulture – approximately 20
• Canada Goose – approximately 400
• Mallard – 12
• Common Merganser – 2
• Red-tailed Hawk – 7, 6 adults, 1 immature
• Mourning Dove – 2
• Great Horned Owl – 1, same bird, same place
• Red-bellied Woodpecker – approximately 10
• Yellow-bellied Sapsucker – 1, heard only
• Downy Woodpecker – 2
• Hairy Woodpecker – 2
• Northern Flicker – 1
• Blue Jay – approximately 10
• American Crow – approximately 75
• Carolina Chickadee – approximately 10
• Tufted Titmouse – approximately 15
• White-breasted Nuthatch – 4
• Carolina Wren – approximately 8
• Eastern Bluebird – approximately 30
• Northern Mockingbird – 4
• European Starling – approximately 80
• Eastern Towhee – 1
• Chipping Sparrow – 5
• Savannah Sparrow – 2
• Song Sparrow – approximately 30
• Swamp Sparrow – 2
• White-throated Sparrow – approximately 20
• Dark-eyed Junco – approximately 30
• Northern Cardinal – approximately 10
• Red-winged Blackbird – approximately 100
• Common Grackle – approximately 40

The Stroud Preserve, 5 March 2013

What a beautiful day! As beautiful as the day was, it looked and sounded really lifeless. I figured it was literally the calm before the storm. I thought it would be another run of the mill late winter day at the preserve. There were a few things here and there, but not much to slow me down. Within a few minutes a Turkey Vulture appeared then a Black Vulture shortly thereafter. “Good. I knocked those off” I thought. At about 9:00 I saw a group of four Black Vultures circling overhead. Amongst them was another bird. I immediately knew it was a good one as it didn’t look like a Red-tailed Hawk or an accipiter. I quickly got it in my binoculars to see that it was an adult Peregrine Falcon! This was a long over due bird for the preserve (167 for the preserve, 151 for me, and 67 for the year).

The Great Horned Owl made another minor change in behavior. Today it was sitting nearly upright in the nest. I looked very hard for chicks but none could be seen. Otherwise, things were indeed pretty slow. Again, numbers of everything were down. Even Red-winged Blackbirds seemed to be few in numbers than the last week or so. The only other notable species were three Field Sparrows at the northwest corner of the preserve.

While I had a hard time finding birds today, one of the birds found me. I was walking along the path that runs west of the serpentine outcrop when I heard a woodpecker tapping. There are many trees there with many dead branches. I searched in vain for 10-15 minutes without any luck when all of the sudden something, larger and more substantial than a leaf, hit me on my head! I looked down to see a big piece of bark about 5 inches long and 2 wide, laying on the ground. I then looked up to see a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker pecking away at a dead branch about 30 feet up. Tapping mystery solved…the hard way. I didn’t need to be told twice to move out of the way.

Back at the parking lot, I usually take a short walk down along the fence that goes beside Creek Road where I can reliably flush up a hand full of Savannah Sparrows, which is usually my final species of the day. I walked down the road and flushed up nothing. Calling it a day I then turned around and walked back along the same path that I covered just seconds before flushing up no less than 10 Savannah Sparrows. That left me scratching my head. As I stood there scratching a flock of over 100 American Pipits flew over, circled, and finally landed in the short grassy area over near the “Shrek” Barn down the road. And with that, I did call it a day.

I did note three more flowering plants, all introduced weeds; Thyme-leaved sandwort (Arenaria serpyllifolia), hairy bittercress (Cardamine hirsuta​), and Creeping speedwell (Veronica filiformis​). 

Start time: 8:40

End time: 12:05

Temp: 32-40°

Wind: slight from the east

Skies: clear

Species Total: 33

• Black Vulture – approximately 20
• Turkey Vulture – approximately 20
• Canada Goose – approximately 300
• Mallard – 12
• Red-tailed Hawk – 8, as is becoming usual, 6 apparently paired adults, and 2 immature
• Peregrine Falcon – 1, adult! Bird of the Day!
• Great Horned Owl – at least 1, same bird, same place
• Red-bellied Woodpecker – approximately 10
• Yellow-bellied Sapsucker – 1
• Downy Woodpecker – 2
• Hairy Woodpecker – approximately 8
• Northern Flicker – 2
• Blue Jay – 2
• American Crow – 10
• Carolina Chickadee – approximately 10
• Tufted Titmouse – approximately 10
• White-breasted Nuthatch – approximately 10
• Carolina Wren – approximately 5
• Eastern Bluebird – approximately 30
• American Robin – 1
• Northern Mockingbird – 4
• European Starling – approximately 50
• American Pipit – approximately 100
• Eastern Towhee – 1, heard only
• Field Sparrow – 3
• Savannah Sparrow – approximately 10
• Song Sparrow – approximately 40
• White-throated Sparrow – approximately 20
• Dark-eyed Junco – 1
• Northern Cardinal – approximately 15
• Red-winged Blackbird – approximately 25
• Common Grackle – 1
• House Finch – 7