Today was an exciting day in the park. In V18, right on the edge of the park, Laura and I observed two male towhees and one female in a sort of tussle. The males were chasing each other back and forth across Wembley Park Road. They were performing their wing-raising display for each other, which is meant to intimidate competitors, but really just looks like a sort of jerky wave which shows off their “armpits”. It’s cool to see because male towhees only do the performance in the spring when they’re defending their territories. This was the first time I’ve seen them do it this year. One male tended to do the display from the park edge of the road, and the other male tended to display from the front yard closest to the park. The park male was banded - -AO, and based on the location, I’m guessing that he’s YYAO from last year and has lost his yellow bands. I never got a good enough look at the yard male to see his bands (or lack thereof) because he was in a dense bush in the yard most of the time.
The other exciting news of the day is that I saw a female carrying leaves for the first time this season! That means that they are starting to think about (or have already started) nest-building! When they are on the leaf-stage it is difficult to find the nests because they are not very invested in it yet (as opposed to when they have eggs or nestlings), so they don’t aggressively defend the nest, and it would just look like another clump of leaves if you did happen to look in the right place. The female in question today was ORPA, and she was carrying a leaf in V10. She flew to a large clump of Indian Plum, and I was not able to tell if she dropped the leaf or if she deliberately placed it somewhere. Sometimes they just drop the leaves (or grass) without taking them to the nest site.
In other news I observed an unbanded male calling close to the tennis center in N2 in an umbrella-shaped bush. After a little while a female popped up, but we were not able to find a nest in the area, and they didn’t appear defensive.
I also saw BABY again in what seems to be his usual area (T9). He was calling agitatedly, but then flew off.
The Anna’s Hummingbird along Rainbow Trail is still incubating her eggs. Today she flew all around the nest while calling, then continued to call while actually sitting on the nest. It seems odd that she would advertise herself from the nest, and possibly alert predators to her location, but most of the time she is very still and silent on the nest.
Monday, April 13, 2009
Friday, April 10, 2009
More females with leaves!
Today in L5 RRBA (a female) was calling and foraging near AY-- (male). Last year RRBA had a successful nest with an unbanded male. Is she AY--'s mate this year?
In E5 AROO (male) was calling agitatedly. Another Spotted Towhee was present and calling, but I was never able to track it down before they both disappeared. A few minutes later I found AROO in F4 and G4 calling and foraging.
In H4 and H5 BRAN (male) was singing. I was a bit surprised he was in this area, since I usually find him in in the H8 and I8 area.
In S8 BABY (male) was singing, calling, and foraging in a big clump of holly. Right next door in T9 and T10 RBAN (male) was also singing, calling, and foraging.
In U9 (south) BGAN (male) and an unbanded female were foraging and calling. The female was carrying a billful of moss! She hopped around with the moss for a bit, then dropped it. Did she notice me watching her? A few minutes later she picked up some leaves, but I didn't see if she dropped them, too, or if she placed them in a nest. I searched the area, but again I didn't find anything. I will make sure to check on them (and that area) next time. I've seen them in that same area several times now, and it may be where they are thinking about building a nest.
In Q10 an unidentified male was singing for a long time high in a tree. He was almost surely RRAO because he was singing right above RRAO's 2008 nest site. He stayed high in the tree then flew a considerable distance so I wasn't able to check his bands.
The Hutton's Vireo nest looks intact, but I didn't see the vireos anywhere near the nest.
In E5 AROO (male) was calling agitatedly. Another Spotted Towhee was present and calling, but I was never able to track it down before they both disappeared. A few minutes later I found AROO in F4 and G4 calling and foraging.
In H4 and H5 BRAN (male) was singing. I was a bit surprised he was in this area, since I usually find him in in the H8 and I8 area.
In S8 BABY (male) was singing, calling, and foraging in a big clump of holly. Right next door in T9 and T10 RBAN (male) was also singing, calling, and foraging.
In U9 (south) BGAN (male) and an unbanded female were foraging and calling. The female was carrying a billful of moss! She hopped around with the moss for a bit, then dropped it. Did she notice me watching her? A few minutes later she picked up some leaves, but I didn't see if she dropped them, too, or if she placed them in a nest. I searched the area, but again I didn't find anything. I will make sure to check on them (and that area) next time. I've seen them in that same area several times now, and it may be where they are thinking about building a nest.
In Q10 an unidentified male was singing for a long time high in a tree. He was almost surely RRAO because he was singing right above RRAO's 2008 nest site. He stayed high in the tree then flew a considerable distance so I wasn't able to check his bands.
The Hutton's Vireo nest looks intact, but I didn't see the vireos anywhere near the nest.
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Vegetation Observations
Today was a lousy day for finding towhees, so I spent some time looking at the vegetation. Here are the few towhee observations:
In E4 and F4 AROO (male) was singing, calling, and foraging. I didn't see a female around.
In R11 RRAO (male) was calling, then flew to Q10 where his 2008 nest was.
In R9 BABY (male) was singing in a large holly.
I found another Downy Woodpecker excavating a cavity in U14.
Red Huckleberry leaves are starting to emerge. They are bright green and soft. The huckleberry's tiny flowers are beginning to develop.
Some Inside-Out flowers are starting to emerge. Just the duck feet-shaped leaves are visible right now.
Trillium are everywhere! In some places they almost look like they were intentionally planted to form a bouquet shape.
New Swordfern fronds are starting to poke up. Right now they look a bit like light brown question marks.
Robert's Geranium leaves are also starting to come up.
In E4 and F4 AROO (male) was singing, calling, and foraging. I didn't see a female around.
In R11 RRAO (male) was calling, then flew to Q10 where his 2008 nest was.
In R9 BABY (male) was singing in a large holly.
I found another Downy Woodpecker excavating a cavity in U14.
Red Huckleberry leaves are starting to emerge. They are bright green and soft. The huckleberry's tiny flowers are beginning to develop.
Some Inside-Out flowers are starting to emerge. Just the duck feet-shaped leaves are visible right now.
Trillium are everywhere! In some places they almost look like they were intentionally planted to form a bouquet shape.
New Swordfern fronds are starting to poke up. Right now they look a bit like light brown question marks.
Robert's Geranium leaves are also starting to come up.
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Springbrook Park Map
Here is a map of Springbrook Park. We have overlaid a grid on the map for easy reference. I will try to post the map on a sidebar so it is permanently displayed, but here it is for now.
April 7, 2009
Today I saw an unbanded male and female calling in N2 near the tennis center. It probably is the same pair I saw a few days ago.
BBAG was singing again in M3. Later in the day I saw him in N6 foraging with Gimpy.
In L4 an unbanded male was calling near a big cedar. In L2 ORBA (female) was seen foraging with an unidentified male.
In K2 A-GP was calling very close to the edge of the park. I hope he doesn't decide to nest right there. It is a dense mass of holly in that area. Not very pleasant for nest-searching or tracking fledglings.
An unbanded male was singing right on Rainbow trail in V2. An unbanded female was hiding close by. I think this male will be one of the first adults we try to catch this year because it will be easy to set up a net right on the trail where he was singing. The Rainbow trail hummingbird is still incubating her eggs.
In T5 YGAN was calling. I didn't see PBOA.
In U9 (south) BGAN was calling in one bush for a few minutes. After a bit his unbanded female popped up from nearby. This made me a little suspicious. Sometimes when towhees have an active nest the male perches close by in one spot for a long time. I searched the area where the female had emerged, but I didn't find anything. The towhees did not stick around or seem the slightest bit upset when I searched the area, so I dismissed the possibility of an active nest there.
In V10 (west) I observed RRAP (male) calling. This observation was very exciting, because RRAP was one of our radio tagged fledglings from last year. We had first banded him as GRAP (his father was YARN and his nest was along the fenceline in J10). Later in the season we accidentally caught an unbanded juvenile towhee and mistakenly banded him GRAP, also. When we caught YARN's GRAP later in the season to remove his transmitter, we switched his G band for another R so that if we saw him again we would know for sure who he was. Today RRAP flew from V10 into W11. I observed ORPA (a female) close by. Perhaps she is RRAP's mate. ORPA was carrying leaves, which means that she is beginning to build (or at least thinking about building) a nest. At this stage it is very difficult to find the nest, because they just look like piles of leaves on the ground. Once the female starts adding grass and forming the nest cup it will be easier to find.
In V14 OBAN was foraging and calling in his favorite large holly tree on the corner with a female who just had an aluminum band on her right leg. I wonder if this female is PORA, OBAN's mate last year.
In other news, the Hutton's Vireo nest is still active. One of the vireos was sitting in the nest when I arrived, but then flew off. Was the female laying eggs, or are they still building the nest and forming the nest cup?
A couple of days ago I found a Downy Woodpecker excavating a cavity. Today the cavity looked deeper but there was no sign of the woodpecker.
In T9 a whole flock of Bushtits were busily flying around. Last year they had a nest in this area, but it was either depredated or abandoned.
The Waterleaf leaves are getting bigger each day. Thimbleberry is also starting to emerge.
BBAG was singing again in M3. Later in the day I saw him in N6 foraging with Gimpy.
In L4 an unbanded male was calling near a big cedar. In L2 ORBA (female) was seen foraging with an unidentified male.
In K2 A-GP was calling very close to the edge of the park. I hope he doesn't decide to nest right there. It is a dense mass of holly in that area. Not very pleasant for nest-searching or tracking fledglings.
An unbanded male was singing right on Rainbow trail in V2. An unbanded female was hiding close by. I think this male will be one of the first adults we try to catch this year because it will be easy to set up a net right on the trail where he was singing. The Rainbow trail hummingbird is still incubating her eggs.
In T5 YGAN was calling. I didn't see PBOA.
In U9 (south) BGAN was calling in one bush for a few minutes. After a bit his unbanded female popped up from nearby. This made me a little suspicious. Sometimes when towhees have an active nest the male perches close by in one spot for a long time. I searched the area where the female had emerged, but I didn't find anything. The towhees did not stick around or seem the slightest bit upset when I searched the area, so I dismissed the possibility of an active nest there.
In V10 (west) I observed RRAP (male) calling. This observation was very exciting, because RRAP was one of our radio tagged fledglings from last year. We had first banded him as GRAP (his father was YARN and his nest was along the fenceline in J10). Later in the season we accidentally caught an unbanded juvenile towhee and mistakenly banded him GRAP, also. When we caught YARN's GRAP later in the season to remove his transmitter, we switched his G band for another R so that if we saw him again we would know for sure who he was. Today RRAP flew from V10 into W11. I observed ORPA (a female) close by. Perhaps she is RRAP's mate. ORPA was carrying leaves, which means that she is beginning to build (or at least thinking about building) a nest. At this stage it is very difficult to find the nest, because they just look like piles of leaves on the ground. Once the female starts adding grass and forming the nest cup it will be easier to find.
In V14 OBAN was foraging and calling in his favorite large holly tree on the corner with a female who just had an aluminum band on her right leg. I wonder if this female is PORA, OBAN's mate last year.
In other news, the Hutton's Vireo nest is still active. One of the vireos was sitting in the nest when I arrived, but then flew off. Was the female laying eggs, or are they still building the nest and forming the nest cup?
A couple of days ago I found a Downy Woodpecker excavating a cavity. Today the cavity looked deeper but there was no sign of the woodpecker.
In T9 a whole flock of Bushtits were busily flying around. Last year they had a nest in this area, but it was either depredated or abandoned.
The Waterleaf leaves are getting bigger each day. Thimbleberry is also starting to emerge.
Sunday, April 5, 2009
April 5, 2009
Today was not quite as eventful as the past few days. I'm starting to see the same towhees again in roughly the same areas that I've seen them before.
In N5 BBAG (male) was singing from a stump near the trail. Later in the day I saw BBAG in M5 foraging with Gimpy (-Y-A).
In K3 I saw AY-- foraging in the area where A-GP's nest was last year. In K4 I saw P-AG (a female) foraging with an unidentified male. The unidentified male was most likely A-GP, and P-AG is mostly likely PYAG, who we banded last year. A-GP and PYAG were mates last year.
In F4 I observed AROO (male) calling and singing. Yesterday I thought I saw AROO, but I wasn't 100% sure about the band combination. Today I got several good looks at his bands, and it is definitely AROO. A bit later I saw him singing again in a holly in D5. An unbanded female was calling in the same area. Is she AROO's mate? They weren't that close to each other, so it's hard to tell if they are a pair for sure.
On the west side of F2 an unbanded male and female were calling. We'll try to catch the male at some point to band him, but we may be unsuccessful since they are so close to the edge of the park and the main part of his territory might be in someone's backyard.
In U9 I saw BGAN (male) and an unbanded female foraging. In T10 RBAN (male) was singing.
The highlight of the day was finding my first Hutton's Vireo nest in L5! Both the male and the female were actively building the nest. They were flying back and forth to the nest, adding moss and feathers. The nest looks mostly like moss, and it is in a small tree that has limbs covered in moss. I'm sure Adam would love to film this nest, also. I'll be sure to keep an eye on it.
In N5 BBAG (male) was singing from a stump near the trail. Later in the day I saw BBAG in M5 foraging with Gimpy (-Y-A).
In K3 I saw AY-- foraging in the area where A-GP's nest was last year. In K4 I saw P-AG (a female) foraging with an unidentified male. The unidentified male was most likely A-GP, and P-AG is mostly likely PYAG, who we banded last year. A-GP and PYAG were mates last year.
In F4 I observed AROO (male) calling and singing. Yesterday I thought I saw AROO, but I wasn't 100% sure about the band combination. Today I got several good looks at his bands, and it is definitely AROO. A bit later I saw him singing again in a holly in D5. An unbanded female was calling in the same area. Is she AROO's mate? They weren't that close to each other, so it's hard to tell if they are a pair for sure.
On the west side of F2 an unbanded male and female were calling. We'll try to catch the male at some point to band him, but we may be unsuccessful since they are so close to the edge of the park and the main part of his territory might be in someone's backyard.
In U9 I saw BGAN (male) and an unbanded female foraging. In T10 RBAN (male) was singing.
The highlight of the day was finding my first Hutton's Vireo nest in L5! Both the male and the female were actively building the nest. They were flying back and forth to the nest, adding moss and feathers. The nest looks mostly like moss, and it is in a small tree that has limbs covered in moss. I'm sure Adam would love to film this nest, also. I'll be sure to keep an eye on it.
Saturday, April 4, 2009
New Discoveries!
Today was a busy day in Springbrook Park with lots of new observations and discoveries. In G8, along Sundeleaf Drive, I saw a male, --AN, just sitting in a bush. Last year we banded a lot of towhees, adults and nestlings, with AN on the right leg, so unless we were to capture him and read his aluminum band number, it's anybody's guess as to who he is.
In J8 I observed BRAN (male) singing right next to the path in a big holly. The other day he had been near the big blackberry patch, which is right next to somone's backyard. We never did find a nest for BRAN last year. We ended up finding one of his offspring after his nestling(s?) fledged. I wonder if he had nested right next to the backyard and we missed it completely.
In E4 and E5 I observed a male singing. His left leg was AR. His right leg was almost certainly OO, but I didn't get a good enough look to be sure. If this towhee is AROO, it would be very exciting, first of all because AROO was one of our radio tagged fledglings last year, and also because we were never able to find any nests (or territorial males) in the northern part of the park last year. It seemed to be a place that towhees generally avoided. It does make sense, since Country Club Road borders the north part of the park, and it is very loud in that area.
In M5 I observed BBAG foraging with a female. I got a good look at the female and determined that she is "Gimpy" from last year. We called her Gimpy because she seemed to have some problem with one or both of her legs, and never stood up straight enough for us to see her bands. Last year she seemed to be the mate of AYYG, but we never found a nest for that pair. Today I was able to get a few good looks at her legs. Her left leg has a single yellow band and her right leg has an aluminum band. Her left foot has no toes, which is probably why she had trouble perching last year. I'm a bit surprised she made it through the winter, but she actually seems to be doing better this year. She can use the toeless foot to balance herself, and stands up straight more often, which is why I was able to see her bands today.
In L4 and M4 I observed an unbanded male calling. It is important to keep track of unbanded males so we can determine where their territories are and find a good place to set up a net to catch and band them.
In R9 I observed BABY (a male) calling loudly and repeatedly while an unidentified male sang from across the path (between the bridges). Another exciting discovery! BABY was one of our fledglings that we radio tracked last year. It's always nice to know that they made it through the winter and are now establishing territories of their own.
In W13 I heard a male singing. It was most likely OBAN, but I wasn't 100% sure about the O band. I saw it from far away and it could have been Y. Last year OBAN had two successful nests, and we had put transmitters on BONA (from his first nest) and ARBY (from his second nest). BONA survived the first 2 weeks or so of the tracking period, then mysteriously his signal went dead for a few days. We thought we would never find the transmitter, but mysteriously again we started hearing his signal again a couple days after it went dead. We tracked it down to U12 or so, where we had never seen OBAN or BONA spending time before. It was maddening! We knew the transmitter was extremely close, based on the signal. In fact, we knew it was on the ground under the leaves right in front of us. After digging through the leaves for a while and probably stepping on the transmitter a couple times, we managed to find it. It had a few small body feathers stuck to it, and the antenna was slightly bent, but it was otherwise intact. We were pretty pleased that the receiver and antenna were so sensitive that we were able to find a tiny transmitter under the leaves, even though it did take a bit of time. We assumed that BONA had been killed because we had never seen him or his father (OBAN) range this far, and at BONA's age he would have still have been dependent on his parents to bring him food. Also during the entire 2008 breeding season, we never had any instances of a towhee wiggling out of its transmitter harness. ARBY survived the entire tracking period. I wonder if we'll see him again this year.
In Q17 and Q18 I saw PAPO (a male) and an unbanded female calling and foraging. They were very close to the edge of the park, right next to someone's backyard. Lo and behold, there was a cat stalking them! The towhees (and the other birds in the area) did not seem to be aware of the cat. Outdoor cats are extremely detrimental to wildlife, especially birds. I used to be a cat person, and I still enjoy being around cats, but cats should really be kept inside houses, or at least outdoor enclosures. The Audubon Society has some staggering statistics about the number of birds that are brought into their center each year because they were attacked by cats. Last year PAPO's nest was in the same area. On the day that the nestlings were due to be banded, we discovered that the nest had been depredated.
In R16 an unbanded male and female were foraging silently. They seemed to be very close to PAPO. I wonder if towhees tend to be more stealthy when they know they are getting close to the border of someone else's territory. A few minutes later I saw an unbanded male foraging in Q14. Could this be the same unbanded male?
In R12 I saw RRAO (a male) and an unbanded female foraging. Last year RRAO's nest was very close to the edge of the park, in Q11. One of RRAO's fledlgings, RGAY, was another of our radio tagged birds. RGAY was one of our most wide-ranging fledlgings. His nest was up in Q11, but then he spent a lot of time in the T/U 11, 12, and 13 area.
A little bit later I found myself in the same area where I had seen BABY previously today. In S9 and T9 I saw BABY again. This time he was singing (a good sign that he has claimed the territory) and calling. In S10 I observed RBAN (a male) singing and calling in between the two bridges. This is the same spot where he had his nest last year.
In W4 an unbanded male was singing from high in a big cedar.
In R5 I just happened to see BARO (a male) and an unbanded female just perching, absolutely still, for a few minutes. I looked all around to see if there was a predator nearby, but I didn't see anything. All of a sudden, in unison, the two towhees dove down under a Swordfern.
Along Rainbow trail I found the first Anna's Hummingbird nest of the season! I just happened to see the hummingbird hovering fairly close to me, so I raised my binoculars, and she just sat down on the nest! She settled down into it, and appeared to be incubating eggs. The nest is amazingly close to the trail. I will check the nest every few days. I'm sure Adam would love to film the nest when he gets back from Hawaii.
In J8 I observed BRAN (male) singing right next to the path in a big holly. The other day he had been near the big blackberry patch, which is right next to somone's backyard. We never did find a nest for BRAN last year. We ended up finding one of his offspring after his nestling(s?) fledged. I wonder if he had nested right next to the backyard and we missed it completely.
In E4 and E5 I observed a male singing. His left leg was AR. His right leg was almost certainly OO, but I didn't get a good enough look to be sure. If this towhee is AROO, it would be very exciting, first of all because AROO was one of our radio tagged fledglings last year, and also because we were never able to find any nests (or territorial males) in the northern part of the park last year. It seemed to be a place that towhees generally avoided. It does make sense, since Country Club Road borders the north part of the park, and it is very loud in that area.
In M5 I observed BBAG foraging with a female. I got a good look at the female and determined that she is "Gimpy" from last year. We called her Gimpy because she seemed to have some problem with one or both of her legs, and never stood up straight enough for us to see her bands. Last year she seemed to be the mate of AYYG, but we never found a nest for that pair. Today I was able to get a few good looks at her legs. Her left leg has a single yellow band and her right leg has an aluminum band. Her left foot has no toes, which is probably why she had trouble perching last year. I'm a bit surprised she made it through the winter, but she actually seems to be doing better this year. She can use the toeless foot to balance herself, and stands up straight more often, which is why I was able to see her bands today.
In L4 and M4 I observed an unbanded male calling. It is important to keep track of unbanded males so we can determine where their territories are and find a good place to set up a net to catch and band them.
In R9 I observed BABY (a male) calling loudly and repeatedly while an unidentified male sang from across the path (between the bridges). Another exciting discovery! BABY was one of our fledglings that we radio tracked last year. It's always nice to know that they made it through the winter and are now establishing territories of their own.
In W13 I heard a male singing. It was most likely OBAN, but I wasn't 100% sure about the O band. I saw it from far away and it could have been Y. Last year OBAN had two successful nests, and we had put transmitters on BONA (from his first nest) and ARBY (from his second nest). BONA survived the first 2 weeks or so of the tracking period, then mysteriously his signal went dead for a few days. We thought we would never find the transmitter, but mysteriously again we started hearing his signal again a couple days after it went dead. We tracked it down to U12 or so, where we had never seen OBAN or BONA spending time before. It was maddening! We knew the transmitter was extremely close, based on the signal. In fact, we knew it was on the ground under the leaves right in front of us. After digging through the leaves for a while and probably stepping on the transmitter a couple times, we managed to find it. It had a few small body feathers stuck to it, and the antenna was slightly bent, but it was otherwise intact. We were pretty pleased that the receiver and antenna were so sensitive that we were able to find a tiny transmitter under the leaves, even though it did take a bit of time. We assumed that BONA had been killed because we had never seen him or his father (OBAN) range this far, and at BONA's age he would have still have been dependent on his parents to bring him food. Also during the entire 2008 breeding season, we never had any instances of a towhee wiggling out of its transmitter harness. ARBY survived the entire tracking period. I wonder if we'll see him again this year.
In Q17 and Q18 I saw PAPO (a male) and an unbanded female calling and foraging. They were very close to the edge of the park, right next to someone's backyard. Lo and behold, there was a cat stalking them! The towhees (and the other birds in the area) did not seem to be aware of the cat. Outdoor cats are extremely detrimental to wildlife, especially birds. I used to be a cat person, and I still enjoy being around cats, but cats should really be kept inside houses, or at least outdoor enclosures. The Audubon Society has some staggering statistics about the number of birds that are brought into their center each year because they were attacked by cats. Last year PAPO's nest was in the same area. On the day that the nestlings were due to be banded, we discovered that the nest had been depredated.
In R16 an unbanded male and female were foraging silently. They seemed to be very close to PAPO. I wonder if towhees tend to be more stealthy when they know they are getting close to the border of someone else's territory. A few minutes later I saw an unbanded male foraging in Q14. Could this be the same unbanded male?
In R12 I saw RRAO (a male) and an unbanded female foraging. Last year RRAO's nest was very close to the edge of the park, in Q11. One of RRAO's fledlgings, RGAY, was another of our radio tagged birds. RGAY was one of our most wide-ranging fledlgings. His nest was up in Q11, but then he spent a lot of time in the T/U 11, 12, and 13 area.
A little bit later I found myself in the same area where I had seen BABY previously today. In S9 and T9 I saw BABY again. This time he was singing (a good sign that he has claimed the territory) and calling. In S10 I observed RBAN (a male) singing and calling in between the two bridges. This is the same spot where he had his nest last year.
In W4 an unbanded male was singing from high in a big cedar.
In R5 I just happened to see BARO (a male) and an unbanded female just perching, absolutely still, for a few minutes. I looked all around to see if there was a predator nearby, but I didn't see anything. All of a sudden, in unison, the two towhees dove down under a Swordfern.
Along Rainbow trail I found the first Anna's Hummingbird nest of the season! I just happened to see the hummingbird hovering fairly close to me, so I raised my binoculars, and she just sat down on the nest! She settled down into it, and appeared to be incubating eggs. The nest is amazingly close to the trail. I will check the nest every few days. I'm sure Adam would love to film the nest when he gets back from Hawaii.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)