Bulletin #153 - Spring migration #2

We have not had a fallout this year so far and the weather suggests it will be unlikely in the next week or so. Birding has been rather slow everywhere on the coast from what I can read on Texbirds.

Still, a few birds can lead to some good photos. This weekend has seen an influx of the more sought after beauties, but few warbler species.

The perennial favorite of all is the Painted Bunting (Passerina ciris). The gaudy male is unmistakable with his red breast, blue head and yellow-green back. This bird came to the drip at LaFitte's Cove and perched on a snag by the pond for his photo to everyone's delight.

Painted Bunting - male

Of interest, I noted the green feathers between the eye and bill. I had not noticed this before, but when I checked my other photos of this bird, they all have it. It is amazing how we can miss a curiosity like this.

He got down into the drip and took a bath as we all clicked away. This photo has his feathers on his head standing up and his head in a reflection. What a great bird! These were my best photos ever of this species.

Painted Bunting - male

Another favorite of mine is the Scarlet Tanager (Piranga olivacea). Last year I read and told you that the piranga genus of tanagers were going to be moved to the cardinal family. Apparently it hasn't happened yet. The male is red with black wings and tail. It has been a hard bird for me to get a good photo as usually when he is in the sun, the photos ar overexposed on the back and head in the sun. This bird was low down in some shrubs eating a berry. the time was 6:30pm, so no sun and a perfect exposure using flash. I like the photos with the bird doing something..eating, singing etc.

Scarlet Tanager - male breeding

Here is another photo a minute later in another pose with a half-eaten berry.

Scarlet Tanager - male breeding

The black, red, and white male Rose-breasted Grosbeak (Pheucticus ludovicianus) is an easy ID.

Rose-breasted Grosbeak - male breeding

Baltimore Orioles (Icterus galbula) have always been a difficult bird for me to photograph as they tend to perch near the treetops. This one at least was in a bare tree. The breeding male with black head, black wings with white bars, black tail and orange body is stunning.

Baltimore Oriole - male breeding

The best warbler for the weekend was this Magnolia Warbler (Setophaga magnolia). Notice the genus change from dendroica as I mentioned in the last bulletin, all the warblers have been renamed and reordered. The yellow beast with black streaks, gray head and back, and black face ID this bird.

Magnolia Warbler - male breeding

The female American Redstart (Setophaga ruticilla) is gray with yellow wing and tail patches.

American Redstart - female

The male Yellow Warbler (Setophaga petechia)is all yellow with red streaks on the breast. The female lacks the streaks.

Yellow Warbler - male

 Happy birding and photography,

David McDonald
dkmmdpa@gmail.com

photos copyright 2012 David McDonald

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Bulletin #138 - migration #4 - warblers

David McDonald Photography
Friendswood TX
5-4-11

(Click on image to see larger photo)

The Common Yellowthroat  (Geothlypis trichas) is a very widespread warbler in North America. It lives in marshy areas. I noted how brown the breast and belly were, so looked in Sibley. The eastern form is like this, but western birds are more yellow - white on the breast and belly. Also, the shape of the black mask and white line above varies. There are many subspecies in North America (about 13).

This male Bay-breasted Warbler (Dendroica castanea) was very cooperative by staying in a dead leafless tree for about 1 hour and allowing everyone to get good looks and photos.

The male Yellow Warbler (Dendroica petechia) is another widespread species in North America. This was my first opportunity to get a photo of this bird at the drip. It is IDed by being all yellow, and the male has the reddish breast streaking.

American Redstarts (Setophaga ruticilla) were everywhere the last few days. The male is black with orange wing and tail patches and orange flanks.

The female is gray with yellow patches. These birds are perhaps the most active warblers when foraging, so the best way to get a photo is at the drip. They fan their tails constantly flashing the colorful patches, as shown here.

There were also many Magnolia Warblers (Dendroica magnolia) recently. This bird is IDed by the yellow underparts with black streaks, gray head and back and white wing and tail patches. Here are 2 photos, with the second showing the white on the tail.

In an earlier bulletin, I showed the male Kentucky Warbler (Oporornis formosus). Here is the female. Notice that the black 'mustache' doesn't extend onto the breast.

The first year female Northern Parula (Parula americana) lacks the breast bands.

Lastly, I obtained my best photos of an Ovenbird (Seiurus aurocapillus). This terrestrial warbler walks along the forest floor, foraging in the leaf litter. Thus it is drab brown above. It has a streaked breast, bright white eye-ring and orange stripe on top of its head. The sexes are similar. This photos shows the profile of the bird.

This photo of its head shows the breast streaking and orange crown stripe.

Happy birding and photography,

David McDonald

davidkmcdmd@yahoo.com

photos copyright 2011 David McDonald

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Bulletin #121 – misc summer and fall birds

David McDonald Photography
Friendswood Texas
September 6, 2010



Bulletin #121 – misc summer and fall birds

There were only a few birds that I photographed over the summer, as it was just too hot to be out in the field.


However, 2 birds were particularly noteworthy. The first was a Sooty Tern (Sterna fuscata). This species is strictly pelagic, occurring over open tropical oceans. They nest on offshore islands in the Gulf of Mexico, and rarely are seen on shore. However, this bird was found among a large breeding colony of Black Skimmers at Rockport Beach, Texas. He was found in early June, but I didn't have a chance to go to Rockport prior to my Alaska trip.



After I got home from Alaska, a hurricane went through that area and he disappeared for a few weeks. Finally, he was relocated and I went to photograph him on July 24th. Subsequently, a pair was found, so maybe they will begin breeding there with the skimmers. That would be a great treat for birders to be able to see this bird in a readily accessible place. It was not a life bird, as I had seen it once before on a pelagic trip in 1993.



This is an attractive black and white tern with white forehead. This pose in grass with some blue wildflowers is an added bonus for a pelagic species.

The other bird was a Northern Gannet (Morus bassanus). My wife and I had gone to Galveston the next day July 25th. As we were driving along the Galveston seawall to watch the ocean, I noticed a large bird swimming just at the base of the seawall. I thought at first it was a pelican, but later realized the bill was wrong, so I pulled over and got out. It was obviously a gannet or booby, but I didn't have binoculars, camera or bird book with me. It climbed out of the water onto the boulders at the base of the seawall and just lay there. It was obviously sick or injured. We went home, and I got my camera and went back to Galveston. He was in the same place and fortunately it was still light enough to take some photos. I climbed down onto the rocks at the base of the seawall and was able to walk right up to him.


It is a second year bird as the head and neck are white, mottled with brown. There was some concern that he might be oiled from the massive BP well explosion, but there is just a smudge of staining on the breast in the first photo. Texas Parks and Wildlife were called and rescued him the next day. I hope he is able to be rehabilitated and released back into the wild. This is only the second Northern Gannet I have seen, and the first in Texas. At 37" in length, this is a huge bird.

Molting birds that are missing feathers can give some unusual appearances. I'm sure that we have all seen some birds with no tail feathers, or just a couple. However, the cardinals in my yard molted all their head feathers simultaneously and thus were crestless. I'm sure this happens every year, but I had not noticed it before. His beak appears to be huge!

Fall migration is underway. I have about a half dozen hummingbirds in my yard now and they will continue until early October. So if inclined and you live along the Texas coast, get your hummingbird feeders up and keep them filled and cleaned. You can have the pleasure of these aerial jewels in your yard.


I went to LaFitte's Cove in Galveston to check for songbird migrants the last couple of weekends. Fall migration gives us the opportunity to see other plumages (juveniles) that we don't find in the spring. Also some birds are already in their winter or basic plumage.



Sibley list 3 plumages for the Canada Warbler (Wilsonia canadensis). This warbler seems to be more common here in fall migration. I saw 3 of them on Saturday - all 3 plumages! This is known as the necklace warbler. It is gray above with some black around the face. There is a distinctive white eye ring. The underparts are bright yellow and there is a necklace of black streaks on the breast.



Here is a male from the spring, as I didn't get a photo of the male Saturday.Notice the black on the face and how dark the necklace streaks are.

The adult female has a little black on the face. The streaks are more gray then black.

The juvenile or 1st year female has no black on the face and just a hint of streaks.

This bird got into the drip and bathed. She was soaked and disheveled. Sometimes making an ID of a wet bird like this can be a challenge, as the breast streaks cannot be seen. However, the plain gray upper and yellow below with the large eye ring should still enable one to make the correct ID. She has some serious preening to do!

The other juvenile warbler was a male American Redstart (Setophaga ruticilla). The adult male is distinctive black and orange.

The adult female is gray and yellow.

The bird guides list the juvenile male as similar to the female. This is true, but the yellow at the shoulder is more orange than yellow as shown in this bird yesterday.

By the next spring, the male is starting to show some black feathers on his head, neck and breast, as seen in this bird during spring migration this year. At the end of the 1st summer, the males molt into their adult plumage.

The juvenile male Am. Redstart above also enjoyed a bath in the 90 degree temperature.

The other bird of note this weekend was an Olive-sided Flycatcher (Contopus cooperi). This medium sized (7.5") flycatcher is IDed by the dark streaked 'vest' that he seems to be wearing. His song is distinctive as well and is quoted as "Quick three beers". This is listed as an uncommon bird on the upper Texas coast in spring and fall. As best as I can remember, this is only the second one I have seen here in 20 years of birding.

All comments and suggestions are welcomed and appreciated.

Happy birding and photography,

David McDonald
email: davidkmcd@comcast.net
photos copyright 2010 David McDonald

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