5-9-16: Belleplain State Forest, New Jersey

Belleplain State Forest, NJ:  5-9-16

Acorns

Tent Caterpillar Nest

Black-throated Blue Warbler (Male):  These warblers are ideal songbirds to study because their nests in the shrub layer are relatively easy to find and monitor, and their plumage allows one to readily determine the sex.




Chipping Sparrow

During the breeding season, the female develops a bare patch on her abdomen that fills with fluid.  This allows more efficient transfer of heat to the eggs.

Yellow-throated Warbler

This species has a more extensive resident population in the southern US than most other warblers.

Canada Geese

Signs for a Smile:

Punography:  How does Moses brew his tea?  Hebrews it!

Tuesday, May 31st: Acadia National Park, Maine

May 31st, Tuesday:  Acadia National Park, ME

  We explored a small part of the park after arriving this afternoon and did a "Reconnaissance Drive" around the big loop to get our bearings for tomorrow.  Then headed to Thurston's Lobster Pound in Bernard, ME where we had enjoyed lobster meals on our last visit to the park years ago.  We are camped near the park for the next three nights and can't wait to hit some of the sites on the Birding Hot Spots in this beautiful park.
  "High" temps for the next 3 days are expected to be between 55 and 65 with the lows between 47 and 53 and no rain.

In 1916 President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed this area Sieur de Monts National Monument.  As more land donations expanded the national monument, in 1919 Congress redesigned it as a national park - the first to be established east of the Mississippi River.

A few shots from our initial drive.

Lobster pots

The "traps" are everywhere.

The lobsters hardly have a chance!

Memorial Day, May 30th: Great Bay NWR, NH & Rachel Carson NWR, ME

May 30th, Memorial Day, 2016:

Great Bay NWR, NH:  This morning started out rather dreary with temperature hovering around 53 degrees with mist and a light rain.  It didn't take long to traverse the entire coastline of New Hampshire since it's only 18 miles long, less than Pinellas County where we live.  On the 3 miles of hiking trails in the refuge, because of the rain and fog we only saw 5 bird species that we identified by sight; But we identified 9 more bird species by ear, listening to their songs as the birds themselves were nestled out of sight among the foliage in the tree tops of the canopy.

This refuge is approximately 5 miles west of Portsmouth, NH.  The main part (1,057 acres) is located along the Eastern Shore of Great Bay in southeastern New Hampshire.   The lands in and around what is now the refuge were long used for farming and the harvesting of hay.  Then the federal gov't purchased the area and established Pease Air Force Base.  After the base was closed in 1990, US Fish and Wildlife established the refuge two years later and is restoring and managing the refuge to enhance the quality and diversity of its habitats. 

Rachel Carson NWR, Maine

In the early afternoon we only had to travel 20 miles or so into Maine to get to this refuge.  The sun came out and a cool breeze made the hikes here most enjoyable though there wasn't a lot of wildlife.

This refuge was established in 1966 and covers greater than 5,000 acres.  It has 10 divisions scattered along a nearly 50 mile coastal stretch between Kittery Point and Cape Elizabeth in southwestern Maine.  In 1970 the refuge was named to honor the memory of the late environmental author Rachel Carson who wrote the landmark book Silent Spring.  Published in 1962, just two years before she died, it described the post-WW II unrestricted use and widespread, harmful impacts of highly toxic chemical pesticides and herbicides upon humans and wildlife.  The great diversity of habitats in this refuge supports nearly 400 species of birds, mammals, fish, reptiles and amphibians.  

Rachel Carson worked for the US Fish and Wildlife Service for 16 years, first as a biologist, then as a writer-editor.  One of our favorite quotes from this amazing lady is "all the life of the planet is interrelated... each species has its own ties to others, and... all are related to the earth."

Up Periscope!

Eastern Gray Squirrel

Pink Lady's Slipper

5-7-16 Cape May, NJ Two-Mile Beach

Today is Memorial Day, May 30th.  We traveled to the Great Bay NWR in New Hampshire in the morning and birded the Rachel Carson NWR in Maine this afternoon.  Info will follow in this evening's post.  Hopefully everyone is enjoying a good day out of holiday traffic (Interstate 95 heading south is essentially a parking lot; thankfully we are heading north on US 1 so there is very little traffic).

5-7-16     Cape May NWR, NJ      Two-Mile Beach

Though it was a sunny day (for a change after several days of not seeing the sun), it was also windy with a 25 mph NW wind.

Aptly-named Yellow-rumped Warbler

These warblers nest farther north than any other North American warbler

This species is one of the most common warblers in all of North America

Able to digest 80% of wax-coated berries such as bayberries, the Yellow-rumps are capable of wintering farther north than any other warbler.

Looking to the north through misty salt spray this roller coaster looked ethereal 

Wish I could balance as well as this Semipalmated Plover

This is the most common plover seen on migration in most areas

Scratch that itch!

Plover yoga class

Male Yellow Warbler

Having the sun out for the first time in several days, the warblers were out gleaning insects from the wet leaves and in this dappled light I just kept taking pictures.

Recent DNA-based studies indicate that the Chestnut-sided Warbler is their closest relative and both sing similarly phrased songs.

Their nests are frequently parasitized by Brown-headed Cowbirds.

Not to be outdone, they will often build a new nest directly on top of the parasitized one, sometimes resulting in nests with up to six tiers.