The Report from Kirtland Bird Club

It was my great honor to do a program in Cleveland for  The Kirtland Bird Club last night.

The Kirtland Bird Club is one of Ohio's oldest and most prestigious bird/ science groups.  It was named after the Dr. Jared Kirtland who in 1852 collected and identified the very first specimen of Kirtland's Warbler on his farm near Cleveland, Ohio. It was many years before biologists found the birds nesting in 1903 in northern lower Michigan.  This is a bird of concern which has been long studied, and recently, conservation efforts have possibly prevented its pending extinction. You can read about the bird, here.

The bird club was named in honor of Dr. Kirtland and their website gives the following history:

The Kirtland Bird Club (KBC) was formed on September 28, 1940 and has a long tradition of quality contributions to the Northeast Ohio Birding community. In its early years the club conducted monthly meetings, field trips, breeding bird population studies, Christmas bird counts, and wintering duck population studies. The objectives of the KBC are serious study of ornithology with a view to increase the knowledge of individual members, the exchange of ornithological experiences and records, the compilation and publication of important information on birds, and the promotion of good fellowship among its members. 

Out-going Kirtland Bird Club President Lukas Padegimas 

 It was Lukas Padegimas' last night as President.  This fine young man is busy attending school at Cleveland-Marshall College of Law, but I am certain he will remain active in the birding community as well.

A nice crowd filtered in...

 As always, a nice crowd of 30 or so filtered in and we discussed upcoming meetings, bird trips and  membership (I renewed my membership, you should join too!)

The Talking Head

 Since The Kirtland Bird Club meets at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History, you never know who is going to stop by to make an announcement or two.  Fortunately, I spoke after this guy, so my program was a little more lively than his.

Cheryl Harner and Lukas Padegimas ( Flora-Quest Scholar 2015)
photo by Paula Lozano

It is also my great honor to announce that Lukas has received a scholarship to the 2015 Flora-Quest!  This is super exciting, because Lukas is interested in land conservation and practising law for conservation easements.  We can't wait to have him meet and greet all our botanical and birding friends when we gather at Mohican State Park in August.

Sign up for Flora-Quest and take part in eco-tourism.  This is educational-entertainment!  We hope to see you there; I'll introduce you to Lukas!

Bird Well and Prosper

As the dawn breaks fresh on a new day of birding, it is the beginning of a journey.  No two days of birding are the same. One never knows if the birding will just be good, or if something in this day might be life-changing.

Our journeys all start differently.  My interest in "serious" birding did not happen until my 40's. Even now, it is but a portion of my interest and always tied to plant communities and habitats. 

Some birders are called at an early age, like the young birder I recently met, Anna. Who knows where this path will lead her, but Ohio has produced some excellent scientists rising out of our Ohio Young Birders Club community. 

Morning mist lifts as Anna explores the shores of Lake Erie.

Thanks to the Young Birders Club, kids like Anna will know they are not alone in their ornithological pursuits. There are opportunities to meet with other young birders and develop their skills and leadership abilities.

Katie Anderson, a talented leader helping others discover birds.

Biggest Week In American Birding is another opportunity to meet other birders and learn more about birds. We offer encouragement and support for each other, often develop strong bonds of friendship and discover secrets of the natural world. Black Swamp Bird Observatory offers field trips with experienced guides from all across America and around the globe.  It has been an opportunity for me to improve my leadership skills and network with others in the birding community.

Dr. Elliot Trammer (far right) our expert guide on the Oak Openings trip.

 We laugh.  We learn. Whether it is cold or hot, raining or sunny, we carry on.  No two days are alike and the offerings of nature are various and sundry. Sometimes the findings are unexpected.

Young raccoon sleeps off a rough night.

This young raccoon had chosen an odd way to sleep-it-off. We were debating if it was even alive, when it waved its left paw as to say, "Go away!  Move along birders, move along."

A group effort can often produce.

Festivals are social affairs and while many think birding is best done alone, there is no denying the likelihood for success when many eyes are focused.  The combined effort of many paid off when we were trying to relocate a very special bird. We worked together as a team and shared the glorious moment together.  We have birded well.

Kirtland's Warbler, female, the first recorded in the Oak Openings.

The crowd bubbled with the excitement of seeing this extremely rare bird as she wings her way to the Michigan breeding grounds from her wintering ground in the Bahamas. Most likely, the Oak Openings was her last stop before home.

The federally listed Endangered Kirtland's Warbler, the rarest warbler in the United States, is the Holy Grail bird for many Biggest Week Birders.  The good news, due to habitat management in their Michigan breeding grounds, Kirtland's populations are on the rise. More birds to love and admire.

To read more about this very special bird, click on  Conserving the Kirtland's Warbler.  

Thankful moments, nature's reward.

As the sun sets on our birding day, we know we have done no harm and discovered a little more about the value of life: our lives, the birds lives, and value of the natural world which we need to survive. The high of a successful chase and the warm reward of locating one bird in an entire forest is enough. 

This is birding: the thrill of the chase, the communing with nature, the friends, laughter and life-long learning. We are a curious community, wanting to know more about birds and the big picture of life. Young to old, we are all ages, races, genders.  We are a welcoming community. 

Bird Well and Prosper.

What could be a better definition of "prosper"?  We are rich in so many ways. 

Our Man in the (Kirtland's) Field

 One last post on the Kirtland's Warbler, as I have an update from our friend, Greg Miller.

Greg Miller puts his blessing on the Kirtland's Warbler. Photo by Michael Godfrey.*

 Greg is headed up to Grayling, Michigan to be the keynote speaker on Thursday June 12th at the Ramada Inn located in Grayling, Michigan.  The program will be from 6:30-8:30 p.m., so it is not too late to make it!!!

Kirtland's Warbler in Jack Pine. photo by Kim Leedom.*

 Greg tells me the Kirtland's Warbler is about to be removed from the Endangered Species list. It is wonderful news that their population has increased to such a level.  However, there are concerns, without continued management of the habitat and control of predators the Kirtland's Warbler will have a tough time of it.  Here is a Michigan news article to tell you all about it.

Greg is supporting the efforts of Huron Pines group, and you should go to his blog  to get the story first hand.

Kirtland's Warbler feed in early spring oaks.
Photo by Kim Leedom.*

Better yet, go support this group's efforts and enjoy a tour of the Jack Pines and the gorgeous Kirtland's Warblers which inhabit them!  Once again, tourism dollars speak volumes when it comes to political action.  Make your plans to visit Michigan, soon.

* A footnote on these photographers.  One meets the nicest people while birding!  Both of the photographers featured in this blog were people I first met in the field while birding. If you like the people aspect of birding, you might consider joining the Birding Ohio Facebook group or visit Ohio Ornithological Society's web page.  The birding community is just waiting to meet you!

On the Special K-bird Trail

Kirtland's Warbler. Sure everybody wants to see this gorgeous blue and yellow bird of the Michigan pines!  I have been fortunate to see a few in my days, but a recent trip to Michigan multiplied that number substantially. So here are the pro-tips for finding America's rarest warbler.

1.  Fly.  If it is an option I suggest flying to Michigan, as it saves a six hour car ride!  My favorite means of transportation is Annie Mae. We were there in a few short hours.

 2. Head N-W, as the Crow flies, or any bird for that matter, it is fairly short trip from Port Clinton, Ohio to Grayling, Michigan.  Grayling and Mio are ground-zero for the breeding grounds of Kirtland's Warblers.

Good-bye Port Clinton and Catawba Island!  This is the most scenic portion of the journey, as the next leg takes us on a course between Toledo, Ohio and Detroit. Michigan.  I wish I could have seen those areas pre-settlement.

3. Pines, now this is more like it.  We have now entered Michigan's land of the Kirtland's Warbler.  Even aged Jack Pine, Pinus banksiana forests are the only breeding sites for the ground nesting Kirtland's.  The preferred pine is young, between 6-12 years, for a prime canopy dense enough to hide the much-sought warbler.

4. Sand botany is a huge part of this Kirtland's equation.  The diminutive Jack Pine, often stunted in growth, grows in sandy regions. It rarely reaches 50 ft in height. It was once thought to poison the ground on which it grows, as few plants are found in conjunction with the pine.  However, we noted thick mats of Sand Cherry and Blueberries growing in abundance. Another plant species requires a disturbance to set-up shop in this dense eco-system. Bird-foot Violet, Viola pedata is only found growing in the middle of the sandy roads we traveled through the forests.

The leaves of Bird-foot Violet, Viola pedata.

 Aptly named, this unusual violet has leaves that resemble tiny bird's feet!

Bird-foot Violet is a favorite of Ohio's botanists, as we only find it in a few counties, predominately the sand barrens of the Oak Openings and in Scioto and Adams County.  

It is only fitting that a rare plant should point the way to one of American ornithologist's favorite birds- the Kirtland's Warbler!

Geeking out at Biggest Week

It has been a whirlwind week- going from Flora-Quest to the Biggest Week in American Birding.  Greg Miller and my good friends the Cornetts are all spending quality time on the Magee boardwalk, seeing old friends like Dawn and Jeff Fine and making new friends.  The one thing we all have in common is birding...

Greg Miller love to use his special birding phone apps.  

another common interest is the latest phone applications for birding.  Greg is addicted to Sibbley's guide and Twitter.  I have been totally absorbed in learning how to post to E-bird with Bird Log.  It makes keeping a list fun! I never dreamed I would be the one keeping the day list for our birding trips.  Dawn Fine  (center right) is  the unofficial queen of blogging who has done much to make birding a more social event and encouraging new (and old) bird bloggers.

 Twitter is a game changer at these birding gatherings.  Now when a rare bird is seen, many of us know within minutes.  There is no more waiting until the end of the day to find out we missed a Kirtland's Warbler on the boardwalk.  Now we can run right over and meet up with a couple hundred hopeful birders.

Eventually, with any luck... someone else will re-find the bird.  Like today, when the bird  (and an adoring crowd) moved from the back side of the boardwalk to a big open field.

The Kirtland's Warbler teed up in a Cottonwood tree, giving great looks to a huge audience.  Thanks to "Twitter" reports on our cell phones,  Greg and I were right there. It is remarkable that this entire crowd was there to see one bird.  But then again, it was the rare Kirtland's Warbler- which is no longer Greg's Ohio nemesis bird.  Congratulations Greg and the other 200 plus people who probably saw this bird for the first time!

Botany = Birds

Continuing the tale of Separate Shores...

Kelleys Island's scenic shore of Long Point and the Jones Preserve have a similar feel to parts of Magee's boardwalk area. Large trees provide a canopy for a shrubby undergrowth. This path has consistently provided good looks at many warblers and ground loving thrushes.


......................................photo by Laurie Boylan

A rock wall parallels Erie's shore, marking the perfect location for a soothing sounds recording: waves gently lapping the shore play counter-bass to the susurrus of overhead leaves, teased by coastal breeze. An enchanted place which once held a myriad of spring flowers is now overrun with the invasive Wild Chervil, Anthriscus sylvestris. It looks much like a minature Poison Hemlock, as both are in the Apiaceae, or carrot family. Barely known in Ohio, it is considered an invasive in many other states and ironically, on another island: Iceland.

...
AND NOW our story continues to a distant shore: a beach habitat of sparse scrubby brush, beaten back by sand and wave. As our group toured Kelleys Island, the Twitter report came across the waves of a major sighting at Magee. Witness how botany can come to play in birding:

Just as it had been predicted earlier in the week, this sandy beach with low scrubby vegetation would provide the best habitat for a Kirtland's Warbler. The Twitter report had confirmed a "K-Bird" was found by Kenn Kaufman, along this no-man's land.

...

The question was, would we be able to return from Kelleys in time to see it!

Exactly 32 minutes from our Kelleys Island ferry docking in Marblehead, Ohio- the first of our tour group ran across the Magee/Crane Creek sands at break-neck speeds. And as one might imagine, we had little trouble locating the bird, with a little help from the paparazzi!

The "biggest" bird- during the entire Biggest Week In American Birding: Kirtland's Warbler. Bird wise it is not so huge, but it is a fine, strapping specimen for a warbler. Not only was this bird kind enough to stop by Magee on its way to the Jack Pines stands of Michigan, he was also in beautiful breeding plumage and quite willing to strut his stuff and sing a bit for the masses.

Those of us who witnessed this incredible find felt blessed just to be in the presence of such an uncommon bird. Unfortunately, it was a one-day-wonder, and was gone before the next sunrise hit these shores.

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My thanks to all the good folks at Black Swamp Bird Observatory, Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge, Ohio Division of Wildlife and all the other partners who hosted the BWIAB.

Special thanks to Kenn for sharing the bird we viewed with the wide-eyed with excitement of children! And a big hug of thanks to Kim for allowing me to drive "her bus" and share my excitement for wonderful birds and botany with so many new birding friends.

You Don't Know Jack...

Photo by USFWS; Joel Trick

...Pines, that is, and their relevance to Kirtland’s Warblers, if you didn’t attend Chuck Hagner’s keynote program at Wing Watch in Port Clinton on Saturday. It is another case of botanizing for birds.

Our story is all about Jack Pines, Pinus banksiana, and maybe a little about the Kirtland’s Warbler. This extremely rare warbler, named for Dr. Jared Kirtland from the Cleveland area, is once again expanding breeding territories and populations are now found in Michigan, Wisconsin and Ontario, thanks to “Jack”.

These beautiful warblers, with the most coveted eye-rings, winter in the Bahamas where their wintering-grounds are under pressure from development. And they were not having any picnic of it in Michigan either. Between the Brown-headed Cowbirds and the loss of suitable Jack Pine habitat, this was a bird in big trouble. Fortunately, US Wildlife Service and Michigan’s Department of Natural Resources started working together to reduce cowbirds and manage Jack Pine forests with fire. Yes, this is another case where fire can be a beneficial, as Jack Pines do not completely release their seed without the aid of fire.

Kirtland’s Warblers will only nest on the ground under young Jack Pines, and now that the relationship between bird and tree is better understood, their numbers are increasing steadily due to good forest management practices.

Thanks to all the knowledgeable speakers at Wing Watch, especially Chuck, Sharon Cummings, Jenny Brumfield, Jim McCormac and Larry Richardson (the programs I got to see.) These gatherings are always wonderful place to learn more about birds and catch up with friends. Hope to see you at the next event!