Listing is a fun birding activity, especially in winter.

It’s that time of year again, bird listing seems to gain popularity in winter. It’s not that there are more birds around, I think it’s because we have more time on our hands and what could be a better way to get through a long winter than adding birds to some of your various lists.

New Brunswick naturalists keep a winter list, the period for this one runs from the first day of December until the last day of February. This list has contributers from all over the province it doesn’t record numbers of birds, but rather if the species was represented that winter. I particularly like it if I see a bird that I don’t expect in winter, I check the winter list and often it has been noted on several other year’s lists.

Take our robin, inevitably I will get phone calls or hear reports on the radio that a robin was sighted in the winter. People always find it odd and wonder if it means an easy winter or early spring, but if you go to the winter list you’ll see it was checked off every year since 96/97 when the list came on line.(If I knew where to look, I’m confident it would have been recorded every year).

You’ll see some species that were spotted occasionally, even the odd swallow, warbler and flycatcher; you’ll be wondering what these guys would find to eat in a New Brunswick December.

So far this “winter” there were 131 species of birds recorded in New Brunswick, the average is 161. You’ll see this and be thinking, wow, this is going to be an awesome year for birding, only 8 days in (11 by the time you read this) and we’re already at 80% of the yearly average. Hopefully that is the case, but the first couple weeks of the count are the most productive, there are still some stragglers and since birders know this there are many eyes out there trying to find them. The last 20% that will bring the list up to the average will be much harder to tally that the first 80.

You can check it out at nbwinter.ghnature.com and if you’ve seen any species not already recorded drop and email to Gilles, it would be much appreciated.

The oldest and probably the most well known census is the Christmas Bird Count (CBC), this is the 111^th year for the count that runs from December 14 to January 5. Volunteers go into the field on one day during this period and count as many individual birds as possible, it’s more than just ticking off the species, every bird counts, (even the starlings, who often win the prize for most represented).

Everyone’s welcome, no matter your skill level, you’ll be placed in a group with at least one experienced birder who also knows all the best birding areas in your circle. You may not be able to identify every bird you see, but more eyes help find birds and the group can put a name to them together. It’s a great way to learn more and make a contribution to conservation. If you don’t want to go into the field you can sign up as a feeder watcher, at times throughout the day you can check who’s at the feeders, you don’t have to stare out the window all day, you simply record the time spent watching, so four stints of 15 minutes each at peak times of feeder activity could tally up some interesting numbers. The results get compiled and are reported as X number of birds per hour of observation.

If you have a rarish bird around your feeders coming up to the count day, you could try to let the local compiler know. If you can’t watch your feeders that day, someone could include your yard on their route and add it to the year. If you have a bird that is seen in the count period but not on count day, it gets noted as being present during the count period.

All the New Brunswick counts and compilers are on David Christie’s website (it’s a long url, I put the direct link on twitter.com/thebirdgarden).

As with the winter list, the counts held early in the period will usually have higher numbers of birds than those held at the end, birds still hanging around and somewhat warmer temperatures are likely the reason.

Project Feeder Watch is under way, it starts in November and runs 21 weeks, taking you into April. You count birds at your feeders for 2 consecutive days in each week. If you miss a week or don’t have as much time each day, it’s OK, you record how much time you’ve spent watching, it’s all important information. You are asked to choose your count days in advance and not alter them because you have a particularly busy day at the feeders, if everyone was to do that it would seem like there were an abnormally large number of birds around in that winter.

The Great Backyard Bird Count for 2011 is from February 18-21, you can count anywhere you wish for as long as you want, you tally the highest number of birds noted at one time, (you don’t want to count that flock of starlings every time it circles overhead). When you’re done you enter your checklist on line, anyone can follow the progress as numbers get entered.

This would make a great activity for a class, group, seniors home or anyone else with an interest. Everything you need to know is on birdsource.org, including a power point presentation, tally sheets (enter you postal code and get a regional checklist you can print) and slide show, along with the history of GBBC, kids page, FAQ’s and previous years results.

I’ll certainly be exploring this site on the long cold winter nights ahead.

The gift of a bird feeder can change a life.

I know I’m probably bias, but I think the best gift you could give someone is a bird feeder. I felt this way long before I ever got in the business; shortly after my grandfather died we dropped in unexpectedly on my grandmother, it was almost lunch time and we had picked something up and were going to eat with her. It took her a long time to come to the door and when she did she was still in her pajamas, she said she’d been watching TV but it was obvious we woke her. This was a woman who was always up before dawn and had done the work of 2 people complete with a large breakfast on the table when her husband passed through the kitchen on his way to work.

My father asked her if she was going to get dressed and she responded that there wasn’t much point.

After our visit we were doing a little shopping, Dad was picking out the customary house coat and slippers for Nana when I said that’s just depressing. He tossed them back on the shelf and we wandered. We ended up in the bird feeder section where he bought a new feeder for himself, I said why not get one for Nana. He started to object but then thought more, she loved the birds when she visited our house, she certainly had lots of time on her hands now and really needed a reason to get up and out.

So we started with a window feeder, a good steel canister, seed scoop and a bag of sunflower seed. It was the most exciting part of Christmas for me, when we pasted her the small box with the window feeder, she raised an eyebrow, she no doubt was expecting another pair of pajamas and must have been thinking anything that would fit in this box would be a little risque to be opening in front of the kids.

She wasn’t very enthused with the gift at first, I guess it was like getting a new remote control truck and not having any batteries, but when she opened the seed, scoop and canister she was already seeing this had possibilities. By the time the chickadees started making regular trips back and forth from our identical feeder she was excited, when the grosbeaks started she couldn’t wait to get home.

When we dropped her off it was dark, but we put the feeder in the window, waited to make sure it would stay on (cold glass isn’t a suction cups best friend). To hurry things along we beat down an area of snow and spread some seed around the lawn. When we came in the house she was rearranging the living room, she couldn’t see the shrub from her favourite chair and she figured that would be where much of the action would take place.

As usual the season was hectic and we kind of forgot about the feeder, the next time we dropped in, she was up, dressed and rosy cheeked having just came in from filling the feeder. A much nicer picture than what greeted us a few weeks earlier. Her only complaint was there wasn’t enough room for all the birds to feed at once, she didn’t mind filling it 3 times a day she just didn’t like it when the chickadees had to wait for the grosbeaks to fill up before getting their turn. Not a problem, when we finished our visit we headed to the store for a larger feeder, we filled it at the store and snuck back to Nana’s house and hung it in the shrub. When the phone was ringing shortly after dawn the next morning, we had a good idea who it was.

Now we had a new tradition, no more slippers, now it was feeders, I guess in a way we were lucky back then, we didn’t know about the lifetime warranty feeders so we always new at least one thing to buy, replace the old beat up feeder we got her last year. But there were speciality bird treats, books and even a cheap pair of binoculars so she could get better views.

If you’re shopping for someone who you think may develop an interest in bird watching, start with a feeder, not a house. If you hang a bird house Christmas morning they’ll likely be staring at it for 4 months before you see any action at all. A feeder on the other hand could be doing a brisk business by lunch time.

You can get someone started in a life long hobby for as little as $10, a cheap feeder and some seed. If it’s a gift for someone who may not be able to fill it by themselves, be ready to get them a larger feeder so they won’t have to worry about getting someone to fill it every day.

If the person on your shopping list already enjoys feeding birds you have many possibilities for gifts they will appreciate. There is the larger feeder, species specific feeders like suet, nyjer and peanuts. Even small bird specific feeders if they are complaining about bullies at the feeders.

If they already have enough feeders (although I haven’t met many people who think they have enough, only their spouses), you may want to give a bird house, a different, possibly better field guide, an online membership or subscription to a birding magazine. A pair of binoculars will open a whole new world of birds to someone who doesn’t already own a pair. A better pair will make a huge difference to most people too, try to get a look through the pair they are using, if the image isn’t great this may be a good gift idea. Be ready to spend at least $100 for a good starter pair and you can get a fantastic pair for $200, if this is out of your range consider going together with family members or giving a gift certificate towards a good pair. The really cheap binoculars don’t make the grade for birding and usually deteriorate from use. Avoid gimmicks like zoom, ruby coated optics, built in radios, built in digital cameras.

There are so many gift ideas for the bird watcher in your family that you never have to worry about what you’re going to give again.

Trying to identify a bird from a description can be a challenge

Last weekend I had questions about three different species identifications that started out almost the same, “I have a bird at the feeder, it’s about this big (fingers held about 5 inches apart) and all gray.” The only bird I can think of thats all gray would be the Townsend’s Solitaire but even he has a distinct eye ring. Even the Gray Catbird has a darker cap and rusty butt. So there was likely something else about the bird that should stand out and all these people did notice other traits, they just didn’t volunteer them up front.

The first bird had black through his eyes, so I’m thinking maybe it’s a Northern Shrike. I asked what he was doing and if he seemed aggressive with any of the other birds. The answer was, no he was very friendly. I asked where he was eating. The answer was the sunflower feeder. So he has a 5 inch gray bird with a black mask eating sunflower seeds. I asked if he noticed anything else about what the bird was doing, he said he’d come down the tree, on his way to the feeder, up side down.

Ahhh, so now I have an idea where to look in the field guide, I show him a picture of the Red-breasted Nuthatch and we have a perfect match, seeing the picture sparked all kinds of memories, right down to the rusty red breast.

The next 5 inch gray bird wasn’t a nuthatch, no black through the eyes or red breast, it was however white on the breast. He was eating under the feeders and wasn’t noticed on the feeders at all. When spooked he’d twitter all the way to cover, I asked if he noticed any white stripes on the tail when the bird flew. The answer was yes, white stripes appeared down each side of the tail. I showed a picture of the Dark-eyed Junco and got a match.

The next 5 inch gray bird was very aggressive around the feeders, chasing everything in sight. Again my thoughts go to the Northern Shrike, but they were pretty sure there wasn’t a black mask. They did notice the bird had white stripes on the tail that were noticeable when it flew, couldn’t be a junco though, they maybe chase each other but not many other species, especially larger ones. I asked if they noticed any white on the wings. The answer was yes, and the bird would even flick it’s wings when he was upset, flashing the white patches. Again I have a good idea where to look in the guide, and this time a Northern Mockingbird was the subject. Although they aren’t chasing the other birds for dinner as the Northern Shrike would be, they are very aggressive around the feeders, often chasing birds off all the feeders in an area before settling in to feed at one. The hosts did wonder why the bird wasn’t singing like they say they do, but it was likely just the season, if the bird is still around when spring approaches, I’m sure they will get more than their fill of mockingbird song. Remember my friend who played matchmaker for the mockingbird that was singing all night at his place? He caught the songster at his house and released it where there was a known female several miles away.

I find it interesting how much people notice about birds without even knowing it. All three of these birds started out as all gray, but when prompted, other subtle field marks and behavioral traits come to the surface. The other thing I notice is how hard it is to judge the size of a bird when viewed in the field, especially through binoculars. It’s a little easier when the bird is on your own feeders and a lot easier if he’s on a suet cage. The cages are usually make of a wire with half or one inch mesh, so you could count the squares he takes up on the feeders. Without the ruler right under the bird, it’s often more useful to not the size compared to other birds.

Take the time to notice how the common birds compare to each other, often they’ll cooperate nicely by perching side by side on a wire waiting for a perch to open up at the feeder.

I’ve heard birds described as “bigger than a robin but smaller than a jay.” I’m not even sure if anything would fit in that slot (unless they are referring to the European Robin, I got caught on that one once, then I clued in to the persons accent), I usually think of them as being the same size. I just checked though and a Blue Jay is only slightly bigger than an American Robin but has a shorter wingspan. Also falling in that category would be the Common Grackle and Mourning Dove, and the ones that surprise most beginners (myself included), Sharp-shinned Hawk and Merlin are really similar in size to these four birds, although they out weigh them. If you see one of these raptors cruising your yard they seem so big, (the do have a longer wingspan) but when you see one on top of a dove you realize just how close they are in size. I’ve also been amazed at how easy a Merlin gathered up a Mourning Dove and flew off into the woods when I surprised him.

I would describe the size of the three birds in question: Red-breasted Nuthatch as slightly smaller than a chickadee (and that’s because of the shorter tail). Dark-eyed Junco as slightly larger than a chickadee. And the Mockingbird as almost jay-sized but slighter. Again, even these broad comparisons are hard to make if you only get a quick glance, if you see them beside a well known species or on a feeder you are used to seeing common birds visit, these comparisons are easier. Pay close attention to the common birds and you’ll have a better reference point, and you’ll even notice more uncommon birds when they happen along.

There's nothing like a field trip with an experienced guide to increase your birding knowledge.

If you want to increase your bird knowledge you can find all sorts of information, but I think everyone would agree, no amount of surfing or reading will amount to the giant step up to the next level you’d get from taking part in your first field trip with a knowledgeable birder and good instructor. So much of the frustration is taken out of identification when someone gently guides you to look for certain field marks or point out the subtle difference in similar song. When you see the live bird for yourself, it stays in your mind much better that looking at pictures. A really good leader will add tips and anecdotes that help you remember even more.

The local nature clubs usually schedule field trips to coincide with the highlights of bird activity. For example there are warbler and waterfowl outings in the spring, shorebirds in August, feeder tours in winter. These guys know the best times and places to be looking, and there is usually a member leader with a special interest along those lines.

Some people hesitate to take their first field trip because they fear their lack of knowledge will bring the mood down. I’ve never known this to be the case, helping others and sharing knowledge (especially with beginners), would rank highly in a list of what people enjoy about birding. If there’s a particular bird you want to see, mention it to the leader, they will likely mention it to a few others who will keep an eye out, it’s always fun to help someone add that elusive lifer to their list. It doesn’t have to be beginners who do this either, I’ve heard leaders say something like, “Joe here has 299 birds on his NB list and he hasn’t seen a Goshawk yet, everyone keep their eyes peeled for Joe.” If Joe gets his 300^th, he’s expected to buy ice cream or hot chocolate (it’s seasonal) all around.

A few things to remember before heading out for your first time. Check with the organizer about the level of activity required. If you aren’t up to a hike then certain trips won’t be for you, although you may be able to take part in some aspects and bird on your own near the van with others who pass on the more strenuous leg of the journey. Nobody will mind, as long as you’re still there when they return, missing persons searches tend to put a dent in the trip.

Check weather and dress appropriately, it should go without saying, but good footwear is essential, it’s hard not to whine when you have blisters, wet/cold feet or you jammed a twig in your toe because you wore your Birkenstocks.

You may want to take along bug spray, sun screen, lip balm, water or anything else you may think you’ll need, within reason. Please note, when spraying bug spray, number one, remove your binoculars from around your neck and walk down wind of them, and everyone else. Nothing eats the coating off your lenses like certain bug sprays, and, wrecking the leaders new Swarovskis will definitely put a dent in the trip.

If you’re not “equipped” for, or skilled at, relieving yourself in the great outdoors, drink less coffee and take advantage of every man made toilet you come across, whether you need to or not. It’s distracting to the leader and everyone if your doing the “I-gotta-pee” dance in the middle of the group. (Sorry, but it had to be said.)

You shouldn’t wear anything too loud, in both senses of the word. That is no overly bright colours, apparently white is the worst, as many species flash white as an alarm. They shouldn’t be too noisy either, nothing rattling, flapping in the wind, whistling when you move, sure when you wear corduroys the rubbing of your thighs may call in some birds, but it gets annoying to other birders after a few hours. The worst one I experienced was hearing a constant chirp, it followed us around all day, I didn’t want to call attention to it because I had no idea what species was responsible. Later when I was asked to check someone’s binoculars, I heard it again, even closer this time. The culprit… a metal strap connector rubbing on the metal hook of the binocular.

Cell phones should be set to vibrate and only answered if the call is from the rare bird alert hot line, maybe you can detour and pick up a new bird for everyone.

Just because you are a beginner don’t be afraid to call out a bird, if you’re wrong, remember everyone else has likely been wrong more often than you. If you don’t know what the bird is call out something, literally, “I got something here.” Maybe you’re the only one who sees it and getting more eyes trained on the bird will help identify it. On the other side, if you’re more advanced don’t be so quick to identify every bird, you too may want to call out, “I got something here”, even if you know what it is. If you’re more advanced never disparage another sighting, just because you’ve seen the bird before, others may be excited to see it for the first time.

Don’t monopolize the leaders time, others may have questions as well. If everyone is sharing a couple scopes, take a quick, good look and let the next person see.

If you are car pooling, and you should be, stay behind the leader, chances are he’s scouted the route before the trip and knows the key stops. I remember one year we had a rare bird visiting our feeders, the leader called that morning to see if it was still around. I was watching the bird when the group pulled in, one car went around the leader, sped down the driveway skidded to a stop inches away from the feeder, jumped out and asked “Where’s the bird?” We were able to relocate him about 45 minutes later.

I have a pet peeve, actually I have many, but one is when someone holds their tripod vertically and releases the legs so that they clunk down noisily (6 times), scaring off everything for a 100 yard radius. I’ve seen birders of all levels do this. Hold your tripod horizontal and quietly pull the legs out.

Although you are there for a good time, apparently you should keep the wise cracks to a minimum, but in all fairness, if everyone is listening intently for a distant bird song and an old VW Beetle sounds the horn, “MEEP, MEEP” and you call out “Roadrunner” I don’t think it warrants sending me to the end of the line.

Identifying Birds from Pictures

Most birders would agree that a field guide consisting of artists renderings is much more useful that a photographic guide. Except for Kenn Kaufman’s guide, which contains digitally enhanced photographs, the picture is just one representative bird. Bird photographers don’t have the luxury a fashion photographer would have, you never hear one in the field saying, “Look to the left, head down, lift your tail, that’s it, work it, work it, now pout.”

It’s hard to get all the field marks in one picture, the artists who paint the pictures for field guides are usually excellent birders, who’ve studied hundreds of birds, have years experience and can pull everything together in one painting to capture the feeling of the species. It’s hard to do this with a snapshot of one bird, that is, without the aid of photoshop.

I’m getting a new appreciation for the work that must go into creating a good field guide. I’ve been getting dozens of pictures sent to me, people dropping by the market with them on their cameras or printed off and trying to ID birds in photos on line. The truth is, not many of the pictures look exactly like they do in the guides, I suppose that’s why people are seeking help though.

Mailed and e-mailed pictures are the easiest, people don’t know for how long or how many books I referenced or to how many friends I forwarded it, to come up with the ID. The toughest are the ones that walk by the market with only the digital camera view screen to see the picture. First off, I’m already brain dead from working late the night before and getting up at 4:30 in the morning Saturday, there have been days I can’t remember my wife’s name. Then the small picture held in shaky hands, (good coffee at the Market), all of a sudden 10 people who were ignoring me are now listening to what I’m going to say.

Lately I’ve been using a variation on a tip a professor taught us in Vet Tech school, he would give us tips on how to stall when you are absolutely clueless, without looking so. The first thing he’s say is to listen with a stethoscope, you can’t hear the owner with your ears plugged so they won’t be expecting any wisdom right away. Then he’d say, if you still need more time to think, take a rectal temperature, if the owner tries to ask questions, slightly raise a finger in a “wait one second” gesture and nod towards the far end of the patient with our nose sightly wrinkled. You usually get an “Oh, I’m sorry.” We’d only get caught if the owner was to ever catch us taking temperatures in the back, we’re very few conversations were off limits during the deed.

So I came up with some stalling techniques for identifying pictures of birds, first, it’s expected that you take a minute to familiarize yourself with the camera, especially zooming in. Then you get maybe 30 seconds before you hear, “Oh, sorry, I thought you’d know.” So use it wisely.

Just before I get waved in from the mound, I’ll ask, “Do you have any other pictures of this bird?” And since it’s a digital camera, and since the pictures are free, the answer is usually, “Yes, I have all kinds.” So you pass the camera back, and this is why you really familiarized yourself with that particular model, you shut it off right before they take it. Now you have time while the camera reboots itself, and the photographer finds the right spot. Maybe even enough time to get a field guide out, you look quick and when they pass you the camera you pass them the guide and ask, “Do you think this may be it?” or if you’re still not sure, “I think it’s one of these, let’s have a look at the other pictures.”

This trick works great, but like the professor who taught us the variation said, “It doesn’t work if the dog has an arrow stuck in his butt. You don’t need to take a rectal temperature to tell the owner the dog has been shot with an arrow. In fact, it’s best not to mention it at all, it’s likely they already noticed.”

So if it’s a close up of a robin, chickadee or other bird you should know, just say, “Wow, that’s a great picture of a ….!” Even if it’s a starling.

I’ve been finding out though that having a dozen pictures of a bird that’s tricky to identify is very helpful, although they won’t always move around the way a fashion photographer would expect, they do move around. If a photographic guide could include a dozen pictures of each bird and still be able to be carried in the field it would be much more useful.

The same sometimes happens with pictures taken of the same species on the same day in the same tree, they may not look exactly alike. Usually it’s because they are in different stages of molt or there’s a variation in plumage. I like to refer to the introduction in Kaufman’s guide where he shows 10 pictures of what at first appears to be 10 different species, they’re all House Finch showing varying degrees of streaking and colour, (from brown to orange to fairly bright red).

This week I was helping identify a Spotted Sandpiper on line, it wasn’t in breeding plumage so wasn’t even depicted in some guides that only show one picture of each species. I thought I remembered that the white from the breast that pointed upwards between the wing and neck was a field mark distinctive to the Spotted Sandpiper. Here’s where there really isn’t a substitution for field experience… years ago in Hillsborough, they let the water out of the big pond on Golf Club Road during shorebird migration. The newly exposed mud was a bird magnet, especially on high tide in the Bay. I remember seeing three different plumages of this sandpiper in one field of view, I wasn’t alone or would never have figured it out. There was one still in breeding plumage with the namesake spots on the breast, one with a light chocolate back and clear breast (adult nonbreeding), and one very similar but with slight barring through the chocolate (juvenile). They all showed the same white wedge up onto the shoulder. I can remember this from 15 years ago, and can’t recall why I went to the basement, no book can teach you what watching the bird will.

I was doubting myself though, because Sibley didn’t point to it as a field mark, so I retrieved my well worn Peterson and there was the arrow pointing out the field mark, (just checked Kaufmann and he points it out too). So one book, even if it’s Sibley (my bird bible) can’t be all things all the time.

Another ID question came on line, a dreaded thrush picture, these guys are easy to identify by sound, quite a bit harder from a picture. There was some discussion, and when it was said they might never know for sure based on this one photo, I chimed in with my stock question, “Got any more pictures of this bird?” Turns out there were 13 pictures, one of them showed the tail lifted high enough to see the top side, clinching the ID as a Hermit Thrush. So what started as a stalling tactic has become a good tool, not many people take only one photo of anything any more, now that it doesn’t cost a dollar a click.

Things were sure hopping around the province this week with rare birds, the highlight of the week though would have been Saturday when a the Pink-footed Goose spotted near the Cormierville wharf in Kent County, the word went out quickly and the group in the Nature Moncton field trip were able to divert course and see the bird before dark. It stayed in the area at least until Wednesday when I had to submit the column, so check around it may still be in the area.

This will be a first Pink-footed Goose for New Brunswick, they breed in Greenland, Iceland and Svalbard, one shows up occasionally in North America but until now not in New Brunswick.

Some time last summer I noticed a photo on the Weather Network that was submitted by a subscriber, when I went back a few weeks later it was nowhere to be found. This week I finally tracked down it’s origin. The picture was of two fledgling Peregrine Falcons eating a Ruffed Grouse, even better there is accompanying video that Kevin Snair of Creative Imagery recently uploaded to Birding New Brunswick, (find it under “VIDEO” tab). Warning though, this may not be for everybody, the gruesome twosome have very poor table manners; they look like two teenagers with the munchies and a bucket of the colonel’s finest.

One of the birds I mentioned I was especially looking forward to was the Gray Jay, so far they haven’t made an appearance in our yard and I hadn’t heard of any reported. There was a small group of birders milling around the market talking about all the excitement of the week when a someone who was listening said, “I just want to buy some suet for my Gray Jays.” I was a quite excited to hear they were beginning to appear at feeders. It’s not that they’re rare, but usually someone calls to verify what they are seeing and the comment frequently is that it’s like the pictures in the field guide but it reminds them more of a big chickadee than a jay. It’s always interesting to see a bird this size easily navigate the small-bird-only or up-side-down suet feeders, I know Blue Jays can sometimes, but the result wouldn’t be described as “graceful”, Gray Jays can hang on with the ease of a chickadee or nuthatch.

They are in the same family as crows and jays, but belong to a different group within the Corvidae. Gray Jays are our only Old World jay, which helps explain the difference between them and their cousins. Extremely tame and polite, (except for the lunch stealing) they are welcome visitors in any yard. Once you’ve gotten to know them, you’ll recognize their unique way of gliding from tree to tree until they pull up and land beside you or at your feet, you’ll even recognize the shadow they cast as it passes by, sending you running to the seed bin or freezer for their favourite foods.

In our yard they’d show up in three’s, we’d get a group from the west and a different group from the east, if there wasn’t food supplied on each side of our yard, fights would ensue. They travel in three’s because the dominant juvenile will chase it’s nest mates off and only he (two-thirds of the time it’s male) will accompany the parents throughout the rest of the fall and winter, benefiting from their teaching and protection.

I can’t think of any bird with more colloquial names than the Gray Jay, still known by their former name, Canada Jay, they’re also called moose-bird, camp-robber, camp-bird, meat-bird, gorby, (I think is a New Brunswick thing, when I first heard it after moving here, I just nodded along and kept quiet, not wanting to admit I had absolutely no idea what people were talking about), whiskey-jack (I just learned, from Wiskedjak, Wisekejack or other variations of aboriginal languages, meaning a mischievous transforming spirit who liked to play tricks on people. Making it the only Canadian bird who has a common name with an aboriginal derivation.)

All the other crows and jays show little plumage difference across sex and age, the juvenile Gray Jay however is much darker overall and has a dark gray head and throat, certainly sending birders with less than adequate field guides into a tizzy.

The other corvids have different beak structure with a special flange in the lower jaw to brace it against the scull, when you see a Blue Jay holding a peanut between it’s feet, it’s only pecking only with it’s lower bill.

Gray Jays will eat just about anything a Blue Jay will, I find they don’t have a strong desire for sunflower but will take some if hulled, for some reason they go wild for bread, I save them a couple crusts in the morning, when I go out on the deck and whistle for them, they show up in seconds. I prefer though to feed them something a little more hardy, peanuts, peanut butter suet, plain rendered suet and raw suet seem like favourites and will provide extra calories for winter survival. Left on their own they have a wide variation in diet, insects, spiders berries, seeds, fungi, rodents, eggs, and carrion.

Like other jays the Gray Jay will store food for winter, but they have specialized salivary glands and can coat the food in a mucus making a bolus that it will stick in nooks and crannies throughout it’s winter territory. This mechanism for surviving winter also makes them vulnerable to climate change, they store food in the fridge, if the fridge isn’t cold enough the food will spoil. This is one of the reasons I’m anxiously awaiting Gray Jays in my yard, we didn’t have any last year and this year I’m hearing very little from others. Maybe it’s just me, drop an email if your getting some visits.

Fall Birding in New Brunswick

Last week I mentioned it may be a good time to be out birding, as both rare birds and the normal seasonal visitors might be appearing. Well, for once I was right, every time I check emails there is another report of a new bird. With all this increased activity there are sure to be more birders on the prowl which will turn up more interesting birds and draw more birders and so on.

I’d like to think that last weeks column inspired folks to go birding and my readers discovered all these rarities, but neither of you made any of the reports.

Things kicked off last week with an influx of Redheads (better clarify, they’re ducks), the first reports were in the north of the province, then Saint John area, then Salisbury and a local birder thought he should scope out the Moncton area because of all the sightings and was successful.

The week was also marked with reports of Eastern Towhee, starting in Rothsay, then Blacks Harbour (at the feeder yard of a former Lower Coverdale resident, now keeping in touch on BirdingNewBrunswick, where there are great photos posted) and another in Albert County. A Northern Cardinal showed up at a feeder in Sainte-Marie-de-Kent.

There were several Cattle Egret, first in Hebron, Albert County, then three showed up at the Jones Farm in Upper Coverdale and another on Lameque Island. There were several Field Sparrow reports, as well as Bufflehead,

I also mentioned some species should be moving into our region for winter or still passing through on migration, Bohemian Waxwings , Lapland Longspur, Horned Lark, American Pipit, Dark-eyed Junco and Snow Bunting were all noted.

With lots of birds still passing through, like large numbers of American Robins, Double-crested Cormorants, Common Eider, some warblers and plenty of shore bird species, you hardly know where to look first.

Sound like a lot of birds? Well, I’m sure I missed, lost and forgot a few reports, and I didn’t even mention the birds that are here in normal numbers. With all the eyes out looking, I’ll bet next week brings even more interesting reports.

One constant for spotting birds is the local sewage treatment lagoon, many of the sightings mentioned were discovered in various lagoons, and when my friend went on his mission to spot a Redhead, that’s where he went. At least three different lagoons were mentioned in his travels (White Birch Estates being the winner). Talk to any birder and they’ll tell you they are a consistent draw for not only ducks but many other species as well. Think of me the next time your eating wild duck, I remember my father would alway try to describe the taste of each duck, it might be “fishy” or “muddy” or “wild”, we were young and never thought to ask why. But no matter where you shot the duck, remember they have wings and it’s highly likely he’s “been there, ate that”. Especially during hunting season; since they’ve stopped allowing hunting in our local lagoon it acts as a miniature sanctuary. Yeah, before my time here, people used to hunt in the lagoon, I bet the retriever didn’t sleep on the bed those nights.

One of the categories on BirdingNewBrunswick under HotSpots is: Sewage Lagoons of New Brunswick: A Birders Guide... because they’re not usually mentioned in the travel brochures. Used to be if you didn’t know any birders in the area you’d have to stop at local businesses and ask for directions, I’d recommend carrying a clipboard and wearing an official looking uniform cap. That way they’ll think you’re an inspector instead of a nut bar who’s going their on purpose... to look at birds.

Soon, when you’re traveling and have a spare hour, you’ll be able to login with your iBerry clone phone and find directions to the local hottest spot. (Then login to the weather network and find out which way the winds blowing.) Often you can scope these gems from higher ground as they are usually in the lowest lying areas of the town, remember the plumbers number one rule of thumb… poop flows downhill.

I’m always wondering what the draw is, for ducks it’s obvious, they’re in for the corn. I suppose grebes, cormorants and herons are there for the gold fish. Swallows, warblers and flycatchers must be there for the insects that are attracted to the warm water. Then the birds of prey are there for all of the above. None of this has any basis in science what so ever, it’s just the product of spending too much time alone with my thoughts.