From the Field
May 10: Steve Rooke on his just completed tour to Georgia
Our visit to the tiny country of Georgia managed to find all the main target birds unusually quickly thanks to the heavy falls of snow that brought some normally elusive higher elevation species down to our level. A flock of 20 Guldenstadt’s Redstarts and one of 19 Great Rosefinches got things off to a good start and this was followed by wonderful ‘scope' views of Caucasian Snowcock and Caucasian Black Grouse, some of which were seen performing thier leaping lekking display. The supporting cast included plenty of Ring Ouzels, Twite, Red-fronted Serins, masses of migrating Ortoloan Buntings, and rare migrants in the form of both Collared and Semi-collared Flycatchers. We had as well magical encounters with two candidates for any list of the world's greatest birds, the mighty Lammergeieir and dazzling Wallcreepers (see below), all against the backdrop of the stunning Kazbegi valley. Moving down to the south east we found ourselves in a much different (and warmer) landscape of wide open steppe dotted with pistachio trees where Imperial Eagles sailed overhead and Menetries’s Warblers scolded us from the bushes. We managed to fit a lot into this short tour, including a fine Georgian banquet in the wonderful old capital Tblisi.
May 3: Gavin Bieber on his just completed South Florida tour
The Spring Florida tour took in such wonderful sights as the seemingly endless “sea of grass” of the Everglades, the metropolitan coastline of Southeast Florida, whose many protected areas shelter many more species than just the “exotics” that it is known for, the fabulous cypress bottomlands laden with epiphytes and flowers, the upland pine/oak scrub and grassland savannahs of the central peninsula, the coastal mangroves and bays, and long stretches of sparkling white sand beaches. We had outstanding and repeated views of wading birds such as Glossy and White Ibis, Wood Stork, Roseate Spoonbill, 11 species of herons, and Limpkin, many of which were on nests and decked out in their full breeding regalia (see Cattle Egret, below). We located no less than four species of parrots alongside the aristocratic Common Myna (slumming in a gas station parking lot) and the arresting Spot-breasted Oriole. The throngs of nesting Sooty Terns and Brown Noddies whirling around the Dry Tortugas were wonderful as always, and we had excellent views of Brown and Masked Boobies enroute to the park. This year there were good number of migrants at Fort Jefferson: Yellow-billed Cuckoos, Indigo Buntings, Gray-cheeked Thrushes, 17 species of warblers and a calling Antillean Nighthawk. We were thrilled to have great views of virtually all of the South Florida specialties, with the real standouts including blushing Roseate Terns, a cooperative Mangrove Cuckoo, a group of male Shiny Cowbirds, White-crowned Pigeons, and Black-whiskered Vireo. It was a great week, with warm weather and fantastic birding.
April 25: Derek Lovitch from his tour to Michigan's Upper Peninsula
Spruce Grouse displaying at dawn with Sandhill Cranes bugling in the background, a Northern Goshawk dive-bombing a Rough-legged Hawk, and Common Redpolls, Fox Sparrows, and Rusty Blackbirds all side-by-side at the feeders: all in a day's work at Whitefish Point in Michigan's Upper Peninsula! Then, as night fell, hands-on experience with Northern Saw-whet Owls! The image below was not taken on the tour but shows a not infrequent scene while night banding Saw-whets - thanks Greg Greene.
April 25: Gavin Bieber on his just concluded Colorado Grouse tour
Just wrapped up a bird rich and fun tour around Colorado. The leks of Greater and Gunnison Sage-Grouse, Greater and Lesser Prairie-Chicken, and Sharp-tailed Grouse were, as always, the highlights of the tour. The Greater lek was especially good this year, with almost thirty birds strutting and calling within just a few yards of the from of the blind! The prairies were unusally well on their way into springtime, with partly leafed-out trees and many species that we only rarely see on the tour but we managed as well to locate rosy-finches on three separate occasions, with a large flock in Crested Butte containing all three species! We even tracked down a staked-out Black-chinned Sparrow (the fourth record for Colorado). Where else in North America can one be watching the spectacle of dozens of male Greater Prairie-Chickens surrounding you at dawn only to drive a few hours west and stand in a sunlit snowbank at 12000ft surrounded by a ring of snow-covered peaks seeking a calling White-tailed Ptarmigan. Truly, Colorado has a lot to offer!
April 24: James Lidster from Morocco
Todays target was to see Northern Bald Ibis.....and we saw over 40 (maybe over 20% of the world population), with birds seen feeding next to the road as well as flying right past us!
April 24: James Lidster from Morocco
We have now seen 3 Egyptian Nightjars (including 1 in daylight, below), Pharaoh Eagle Owl, 500+ Brown-necked Raven, Black-bellied Sandgrouse, Collared pratincoles, Marbled Ducks, Lanner Falcons, Desert Sparrows, African Desert Warbler, lots of Rufous Bush Chats, Western Orphean Warblers, Moroccan Wagtail, Scrub Warbler, more Thick-billed Larks & all during some fairly intense sandstorms. We are now in Agadir, and even today (a travelling day) we recorded 95 species! Tomorrow is Bald Ibis day...
April 22: Derek Lovitch from his tour to Michigan's Upper Peninsula
Great first day! Dancing Sharp-tailed Grouse at dawn to displaying American Woodocks at dusk. In
between: 18 spp. of waterfowl, 100's of Sandhill Cranes, a Great Black-backed Gull, and Rough-legged Hawks!
April 20: James Lidster on Day 4, Morocco in Spring
All day on the Tagdilt track today with Cream-coloured Coursers, Crowned Sandgrouse, Long-legged Buzzards (below), Thick-billed, Temminck's, Bar-tailed, Thekla and both Greater and Lesser Short-toed Larks, Red-rumped and Desert Wheatears, Melodious Warbler, Common Redstart, Yellow Wagtail and 100's of Trumpeter Finches. Tomorrow we head to the Sahara....
April 19: Jon Dunn on his ongoing Upper Texas Coast tour
In the middle of the Upper Texas Coast tour which is on pace to record 28 species of warbler including in the last few days arms-length Cerulean and Swainson’s at our feet flipping leaves.. There have been as well Yellow Rail, Red-cockaded Woodpecker, lots of colorful orioles and buntings, a wide range of shorebirds, and at every turn herons, egrets and ibis. Tomorrow perhaps we’ll add Bachman’s Sparrow to the fold.
April 7: Gavin Bieber on his just completed tour of Puerto Rico
Just back from a wonderfully warm week in Puerto Rico. We managed to find 16 of 17 of the island endemics (the one holdout being Puerto Rican Parrot, which is basically inaccessible during the breeding season), as well as the endemic subspecies of Loggerhead Kingbird and Lesser Antillean Pewee (see below), both candidates for elevation to full species status. Especially great this year were our repeated and lengthy views of Elfin-Woods Warbler, a stationary Key West Quail-Dove, great close up views of a Puerto Rican Screech-Owl, and a flock of 17 West Indian Whistling-Ducks. The free afternoons in suites with private balconies overlooking the sparkling Caribbean Sea were hard to beat as well!
