Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Tropical Terns in RI; Hurricane Irene

I'll post a little bit more detailed of a blog in a little bit about the entire day, and all of the cool birds and other Irene related phenomena that we were bestowed with this weekend but in the mean time, here are a few photos of some Bridled Terns found on Sunday in Galilee, Rhode Island.

My first views of the birds came at 1140 in the morning, after birding and sightseeing around Narragansett since well before dawn. I saw a darker backed Tern flying in the channel in front of George's restaurant. The wind was blowing steadily out of the south/southeast about 50 mph or more, and the rain and sand were blowing at an injurious rate. The bird I saw was struggling against the wind, and I only saw it for about 10-15 seconds. I managed to snap some horrible photos of the bird with my wide angle lens, covered in salt spray and out of focus before the bird settled down behind the rock jetty on the other side of the pier. Two field marks that I saw were that the light collar on the bird continued all the away around the nape of the neck, separating the dark cap and the mantle, and that the cap was very dark, contrasting heavily with the lighter mantle color. The lighting was pretty bad, but comparing the two relative to each other I thought was good enough for me to text Jan St. Jean and others with a report of probable Bridled Tern.


Here is the best of my first photos of the bird. It clearly shows all of the above field marks....NOT!!

Having not seen any other birders all day, or gotten any reports, or even read any reports from other states, I was kind of frantic about the fact that this would be a rare encounter, and I wouldn't have proof, and that no one else would see the birds. Luckily for me, there have since been numerous accounts of tropical terns in the past couple of days from the state, and many birders have had the chance to see them.

I hung out for a bit in Galilee, waiting to see if the bird would fly, or if anything else would show up, but it didn't so I drove around seeing things like 6 Royal Terns in the Sand Hill Cove Parking lot with 3 Marbled Godwits, and a Pomeranian Jaeger flyover. I figured my best chance of documenting the bird was to get to the other side of the jetty, where I figured the bird would be roosting. I waited for the bulk of the storm to pass and the wind to switch to Southwest and decided that now was as good a time as any to press my luck with the police who were blocking the way down there. Luckily my shop is behind the road block and I had an excuse, and after a little talking, the cop let me through.

I checked my shop really quick and found very little damage, except to my beautiful zinias and scooted down the road toward where I had last seen the bird. I made my way to the beach, but all I found were 7 Common Terns where I had hoped to find the Bridled. No luck. I then went to check on my buddy's fish market, "Skip's Dock". It looked fine, except for the screen door which was being blown around, and as I was trying to secure it, zoom, a brown-backed tern flew by. I ran and got my camera and got great looks at the bird. Here are some photos and discussion. Please keep in mind that it was VERY windy, and not ideal photo conditions. The pictures are pretty bad, but in my view and lack of experience with the species, (or Sooty for that matter) show the birds I saw to be Bridled Terns. The photos have not been altered in any way as far as color saturation or other adjustments are concerned, but have been cropped and zoomed to focus on the birds a little closer.


So here is a tern. First, notice the distinct molt that is happening. The bird is missing one or two of its inner primaries which exposes the lighter colored inner web of the next primary. This appeared as white spot and allowed me to recognize this bird as the same bird that I viewed for over an hour. It has similar molt in the greater primary coverts that appeared as a white spot as well. In this photo, you can see that the back is grayish brown, not slate, or sooty black, but that alone tells you nothing, as in bad light colors can appear very different, but coupled with the much darker cap it can be relied on a little more. Other field characters helpful in distinguishing Sooty versus Bridled, namely the extent of the white superciliary and amount of white in the tail or not visible in this bad photo.

The field guides all present different interpretations of these birds, and I used a combination of Harrison's "Seabirds", the National Geographic guide and the new Stokes guide to help me work on this, as I have never seen a Bridled Tern before, and had no guidance from any more experienced birders.


This image is a little better, but not the best either. The underwing shows well, and we can see the darker outer web of the primaries and secondary tips, which contrast with the white wing linings and secondaries and primary bases. To me this helps show it as a Bridled, as I think the extent and contrast would be greater in a Sooty, but not really sure about that, hoping some people will weigh in on this. Also, most of the books show the blackish alula showing though on the underwing of the Sooty Tern, which appears as a black carpal patch. This was not apparent on any of the birds that I saw. The main thing about this photo though is the superciliary which continues past the eye and the forehead which is narrow.

A close up of the superciliary.


After about a half an hour of watching this one bird alternately forage and roost, a second bird joined it for a second. This bird appeared cleaner, though it was also molting in the primaries symmetrically, and I got a few photos of both birds together. On Monday, Tom Auer, Jan St. Jean and I had great looks at a bird at Napatree point which appeared very similar to these birds, but with much more white throughout the crown, and we assumed that bird to be a first summer Bridled Tern. Having seen that, and given the symmetric remig molt of these birds I would assume that they are after hatch year birds. The two disappeared somewhere out of site near the wall, and I assumed that they were roosting and tried to find them, but without trespassing, I failed to relocate the birds.

A little later, I joined a group that was watching the birds from near Champlin's Seafood in Galilee. When I arrived, two birds were roosting on the wall. The group was calling them Sootys, and that made me uncomfortable. Since I had only seen two birds in over an hour of watching, I assumed these to be the same birds, which I thought I had pretty confidently ID'd as Bridleds. They were perched on a wall, completely backlit and appeared very dark. The group was sure that they were Sootys, but I thought that was a pretty bad look, and then they flew. Here is a photo of the two birds that were roosting on the wall.


Looking at the molt of the front bird, I'm pretty sure that these were the same two birds that I had been observing earlier that afternoon. This photo shows the clear contrast between the caps and mantle, and the superciliary which extends in front of the eyes, as well as the narrow forehead patch. Scott Tsagarkis and I got a good look at one of the birds as it wheeled around and spread its tail, and you could see that the tail had extensive white in it, and the central coloration was brown, and not blackish.

I'll be the first to admit my lack of knowledge and experience about abundance and distribution of birds in RI, and I think that sometimes works to my benefit, as birds don't read books either. There was a lot of group pressure to call those birds Sooty Terns based on a very bad look in horrible light, and I even got texts that night saying that all of the Mass reports were Sootys, intimating that because of that data somehow my call was wrong. Maybe it was my report of 300 Northern Rough-winged Swallows last week that got people thinking I don't know my birds, and maybe there were fewer, but I can ID a Rough-winged Swallow by call, and this was certainly the largest group I have ever seen, in any state or country. Either way, I felt that my ID was dismissed, and that people didn't want to do the real work, but were content just calling it what they wanted. It's very interesting how group dynamics, preconceived notions and desires all interact when we're watching birds, and we got a great example of that, when 8 birders identified a Gull-billed Tern, which photographs proved to be a Sandwich Tern. These were some of the best birders in the state all agreeing on the ID.

I wouldn't be surprised in the least to have an expert Tern person ID these as Sootys, and if that's the case it'll certainly be interesting, and I really hope some people with more of a knowledge base can weigh in on these photos. Being wrong is ok. I'm wrong all the time, but when we recognize that we are wrong is when we really learn and take things to heart.

Friday, August 26, 2011

Drew is interviewed by Tim Cantworre from the Whether Channel as Irene approaches RI


Check out this awesome interview that Drew did with the Whether Channel today!!!!

Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Block Canyon Pelagic Trip

On Friday the 19th, I slipped onto the sold out Pelagic trip organized by Carlos Pedro as someone on the trip dropped out and I was on the wait list. The trip was a 24 hour deep-water pelagic that hoped to turn up some sweet birds like a Pterodroma Petrel, or Bridled Terns and Leach's Storm-Petrels. The weather forecast was perfect in terms of quiet seas and sunny skies, but with a few clouds to highlight birds on the horizon. However, the perfect weather meant that the more rare birds weren't getting pushed around outside of their normal haunts.

Most were up before dawn and were treated to a wonderful sunrise as we hit the edge of the Block Canyon, a deep chasm that feeds into the Hudson Canyon, the remnants of the glacial Hudson River.
Some people had looks at a Cory's Shearwater early and a Leach's Storm-Petrel as well. I missed both!!! I've seen them before, but would've liked them for my year list!!


We had PLENTY of Wilson's Storm-Petrels!! Especially after we chummed with some dogfish livers. They really came in in droves after that was in the water!


At times we had a hundred Storm-Petrels around the boat, but the night-hawk like flight of the Leach's failed to be seen, nor the elusive Band-rumped Storm-Petrel! Bummer


Despite the smell, the deckhands got right in there and cut it all up sans gloves!!!


We got some great looks at Great Shearwaters!! People still have a hard time not saying Greater, but it doesn't really matter anyway!


Here's one with some Wilson's Storm-Petrels behind it

We had some excitement when from the upper deck came shouts of "Tropical Tern Tropical Tern!!!" What was meant by this was a brown backed Tern of Tropical origins, namely a Sooty or a Bridled Tern. I got on the bird right away, but it was a little far out for me to get a telling look at the head. I saw the back color well, and the white under parts, but for my lifer Bridled Tern, I wasn't willing to call it. Bummer!!! Someone got a photo, and the leaders were able to confirm the ID as a Bridled Tern, but I'm conservative with my lifers. I don't count heard only lifers either! I'm a birdwatcher, I like to see them. Heard only for a daily list is different, that's about noting detections, but a life list for me is a special thing, and I want to see my lifers well!


Seen well, like this Great Shearwater!!

Even though the trip didn't yield too many rarities it was still a great time, and provided 40 birders the chance to get to know each other in close quarters and put faces to the names floating around on the net, and a chance to get really familiar with hard to see pelagic birds, and only a couple people puked. We also saw lots of cool Fin Whales and dolphins, and a Basking Shark and a huge Logger-head Sea Turtle. But as Jan would say NFF!!

The day ended with a wonderful sunset over Block Island, and we said our goodbyes.

Birding is wicked fun!!!

Thursday, August 18, 2011

A Letter To a Jerk; Culmination of a Crazy Summer

I wrote this after an email I received last night from the guy who charged me rent all winter for a pice of shit building that leaked and was full of his stuff, and never told the landowners that he was renting the property.

To Jimmy:

The email I just read had the tone of a shakedown. Not too cool.

Our deal was a month to month deal, and as far as I am concerned ended as soon as the OWNER of the property told me not to pay you when she realized that you had been renting to me since January and not telling her about it. When they pulled up they told me that they thought you were running a convenience store and were totally surprised at my presence. I was then told "not to give you another dime." So, until Antoinette Contalbiano tells me herself anything different that is how I stand. I don't think that interferes whatsoever with your relationship and or verbal agreement with them about the property.

As far as I understand, they still have every intention of honoring your agreement in terms of the 10% of selling price if and when the building sells.

The date of my exit depends on my current negotiations with Antoinette about a year-long lease. If I am staying, then I will be open until Columbus day, if not then I will have to figure that out.

How could you have a renter committed to something that you don't know about. I'm really confused. You rented me the space in January, charged me $350 a month for about 50 square feet of space because your property nearly filled the entire contents of the building. The deal was that any work I did on the jobs listed would come out of the rent. I put 20 plus hours into tiling the floor, built a sink and connected the plumbing, sewed six custom roman shades, put over 30 hours into finishing the plaster work and repainted. I never did the basement work because it was never going to work, and because there were never any materials provided to get the job done. I never got a hot water heater because I never needed one. That was to come out of the rent if I did, it wasn't a requirement of me renting.

What I have done with the building is by far the best thing that has happened to it since it was a gift-shop in the early nineties. I have heard it from every person in the community, and how happy they are that I am there. If you, as in you and Antoinette, weren't so insane you would realize that I have a good thing going on and you would do everything in your power to keep me there. Instead, I got emails and drunk texts on the verge of threatening me.

What do you mean, “if you don't answer ...i will be there.... a lot more.”?????
That was a quotation from your email, so you’re saying, had I not gone home and checked my email tonight, and seen this, and not answered you, that you will be at my shop…. With “a lot more.”???? What the fuck, are you insane???

If you’re the property manager call the owner and ask her to tell me to pay you instead of her, and I’ll cut you a check for August rent minus the water bill, $30/ hour for the plumbing, $20 hour for the tile work, plus materials, and $40/hour for the custom window treatments, plus materials.

I don’t understand why this has to be shady, and why you and the two Toni/y’s can’t just be straight. All I’ve ever wanted was a straight relationship and agreement. June was tough for me, but I paid it although a little late, as any renter would have, and there are normal guidelines and laws that regulate this type of activity.

I appreciate the opportunity, and experience that I’ve had here, and owe a lot of that to our chance meeting and serendipity, but you’ve never really been straight with me about anything from the get go in terms of your relationship with Antionette and the building, and you weren’t quite straight with the hot dog people, and they lost a huge investment. You keep getting people to take all of the risk in hopes that you’re going to get something out of it and never risk anything yourself. I put myself out there, and now it seems like you’re trying to muscle me out, and I just want to say that when you’re a straight shooter, and don’t have anything that anyone can call you on, then you never have to worry about anyone calling you on your shit. It’s really what karma boils down to, and I’d like you to know that I’m not worried about being called on any of my shit because all I’ve done is worked my fucking ass off and obeyed the letter of the law and all of the agreements that I have made with the various people that have been involved with this endeavor.

So, I hope you come. I have cleaned the back so that you can show it to your prospective buyer. I thank you for the notice, although a phone call would have insured that I got it. I will have a check for you for your consigned glasses and bracelets, but I would like to terminate our consigning arrangement and ask you to remove your wares from the store as well, and request that you not treat me like a douche. I’m fucking sick of it.

Drew

Saturday, August 6, 2011

The Rare Birds of Coney Island

Eventually, I'll get some text up here to illuminate some of the finer points of chasing this bird, but until then, here are some photos. This was my first cross state border twitch, and it was well worth it!! The experience of such an amazing bird on the boardwalk of Coney Island was nearly too much! Anyway, here are some photos

Here, the rare Gray-headed Gull hangs out with some other rare Coney Island creatures


The Gull seemed to exert some dominance, grabbing food in front of larger Ring-billed Gulls and Laughing Gulls


At times, even though it was such a good bird, it was easy to get distracted!


The local kids had no idea how special this bird was and chased it like any other rat with wings


My focus was still on manual, so I kind of blew these two shots in flight, but they're still fun with the rides in the background


Against the Wonder Wheel!


It was really quite the scene!


Here you can see the conspicuous white wing patches behind the black in the wing tips. A very obvious character that sets it apart from the Laughing Gulls in flight.


Here you can see that the bird seems to be molting one of its primaries in both wings.


Even the locals broke out their iphones for some pix!


The cops kept their eyes on the Connecticut contingent while they kept their eyes on the Gull!!


It really is a handsome bird!!