The Eyrie

Letting Kids Know About Birding

by Lorenzo Rohani

It’s not very often that I see kids out birding, which is surprising. That’s not to say birding is easy, just that I know it is something lots of kids would like. I’ve done birding presentations at schools, mainly for younger kids such as 1^st or 2^nd graders. In that age group kids are very interested, not only about birds, but wildlife in general. For me, I’ve noticed younger kids are far more interested then older kids. They love sharing stories about an eagle that flew over their school playground or a duck that visited their backyard. They especially enjoy bird photography. It brings their imagination out and inspires them. The pictures motivate them to get started birding.

I have been a birder for many years. Starting at age four, I went to a local bird festival. From that time forward, I’ve been going on walks through the forest and often seeing birds that I never really expected to see. Thrilled and inspired, I would go home and look up the birds in my favorite field guide. Eventually, I wanted to keep these memories with photography so I could share what I found with others. I started in my backyard, a good place to observe birds up close and a spot where not much harm could happen to my camera. I eventually took photographs of birds everywhere I went. By age twelve, I had a large collection of photographs and, with my dad’s help, I published my very own book for kids, “A Kid’s Guide to Birding.”

I especially like working with kids around the ages of four through twelve, helping them learn the same stuff as I did. You’re never really too young or old to bird. I always suggest birding in your backyard first. Backyard birding requires a few things to make your yard a “bird friendly” habitat. It’s important that the yard has good sources of food, water, and natural cover. Native plants with berries are particularly good for attracting local birds. I like to ask kids to find out how many bird species come to their own yard. This will help them get started and become more aware of their own environment and what’s happening in it.

Giving a bird presentation isn’t very hard, but practice helps. At first, I was kind of quiet and really hurried things along. After about three presentations, I wasn’t so quiet. By then I knew the kids would connect to the topic. Younger kids have lots of questions and stories. I find they are very interested in hummingbirds, in particular. Hummingbirds are so unique they always amaze kids. Explaining things about a cool bird really gets them thinking. I also show video clips from trips I have done, such as one trip I did out in the ocean to the pelagic zone. At one point in the video there are birds flying away and as they take off, their feet slapping against the water as if they are trying to run on top of it. The videos always amaze, letting kids see what bird activity actually looks like, because sometimes they just don’t believe your words.

Rufous Hummingbird. Photo by Lorenzo Rohani.

Getting out into the wild is one of my favorite things. I sometimes get the chance to lead guided bird walks. It is not so easy because when people arrive it is hard for them to believe that I am the leader. They don’t expect to see a kid leading a walk. When I start, sometimes kids like running up and showing what they know. Keeping the group organized can be hard, but it does make me happy when participants share their information and show enthusiasm. It lets me know they are listening. But group walks are risky. Some days you see near to nothing. But sometimes you see that one rare bird you weren’t really expecting to see.

Teaching kids about birding is important because they are the future for birds. With all the habitat loss, pesticides, and illegal hunting, many bird populations are decreasing. It is good for kids to learn that birds are not just interesting, but an extremely important part of the ecosystem. The kids that develop a passion for birding can help protect birds in the future. Rachel Carson’s appreciation of birds helped lead her to discoveries about DDT. Those discoveries were ignored by some and opposed by others, but having support gave her the courage to continue. You never know what kid you encourage today may grow up to be the next Rachel Carson.

I think it helps when kids can learn from other kids. They feel like it is really possible to be a kid birder when they have an example. Being that example gives me motivation, too. Every kid has a chance to make a difference. But the first step is getting out and learning to appreciate nature, and birds are part of that. That’s why I put together a book for kids, so they can learn the steps of becoming a birder and discover the wildlife that is flying right into their yards and doing amazing things.

---

About the author: Lorenzo and his dad, Michael Rohani, have traveled thousands of miles together birding and photographing birds. Their book, A Kid’s Guide to Birding, is full of tips for kids about how to get started in birding, where to find birds, and ways to identify them. It also shows projects you can do to bring birds into your own back yard.

Lorenzo loves birds and is always learning more fun facts about them. He’ll tell about the fun he’s had looking at birds and share his beautiful photographs. Grownups say his talk is as entertaining and informative for them as it is for kids.

To read Lorenzo’s blog and learn more about him, visit his website.

Birding El Triunfo: Quetzals and the cloud Stories and Adventures from a Mexican Young Birder

By Alberto Lobato (translated by Jennie Duberstein)

(Read Part 1 of Alberto’s story here).

After seeing the Horned Guans, we returned to camp. It was hot and humid, but it is always like that in the cloud forest. Meanwhile, various Black-throated Jays were making noise and flying about high in the trees. There was some Common Bush Tanager activity, and moving around with them we also found a small Rufous-browned Wren.

We conducted monitoring work in the mornings, returning to camp by 1pm, so I had the afternoons free to bird. And of course I took advantage of this opportunity! I started to walk along a small trail, looking for activity and paying attention to what was moving around on the ground and in the branche of the trees. I spotted a Slate-throated Redstart jumping around, along with Green-throated Mountain-gem.

A Collared Trogon perched close to the road, and for a second I thought it might be a quetzal. Although it wasn’t, the trogon is still a beautiful bird to see. But suddenly I heard something big moving in the crowns of the trees, just behind me. It was a Highland Guan walking between the branches, moving rapidly and passing closeby before disappearing into the forest. Everything was silent for a moment, but then I heard something walking through the leaf litter on the forest floor. I remembered that there are jaguars here, as well as pumas, tapirs, and other large mammals that move freely through the forest, and my heart began to beat quickly. I definitely did not want to enounter a puma at close range! I stood still, waiting, and then it appeared: a collared peccary. It looked at me and continued on its path through the forest.

As I walked back to camp, the sun was setting and I spotted some Chestnut-capped Brush-Finches that were making noise and moving along the ground. But the most exciting thing that I spotted was a pair of Blue-naped Chlorophonia that were eating fruit, along with a Rufous-collared Thrush. A Barred Forest Falcon was calling from inside the forest, and the the trees and the mountains were beginning to turn a reddish color as the sun set. The first stars came out and I heard Fulvous Owls begin to call.

Blue-naped Chlorophonia

Everyone staying in the camp (the researchers and the park guards) met for dinner. We told stories of pumas and jaguars that live in the forest, and also about the tapir that sometimes comes into the camp at night. When the stories ended and it had turned cold, we all headed to bed so we'd be ready for hte next day of bird monitoring.

The next day sunrise arrived, with humidity at almost 100% and somewhat cool, cloudy weather. We began to walk, again looking for quetzals and guans. We heard a quetzal but weren’t able to see it. The large oak trees, the tallest tree in the forest here, form the forest canopy. Below the oaks many other plants grow: palms, large ferns, epiphytes. And in all of this vegetation move tapirs, jaguars, and peccaries, as well as birds, like a Blue-throated Motmot that we heard. And suddenly, we heard the quetzal again, but this time, this time the bird was coming directly towards us and it perched three meters away. It was a male Resplendent Quetzal, brilliant green and red, a marvel of feathers. As it again took flight, it’s magnificent long, green tail feathers moving around it’s body.

Setting out for a day of monitoring.

We took measurements of the distance from which we saw the quetzal, and not much more because we didn’t know what the bird had been doing when we spotted it—we saw it, it saw us, and it flew away. As we continued walking we spotted Gray-breasted Wood-Wrens and we heard a Ruddy Foliage-gleaner. We spotted a small Wine-throated Hummingbird flying around three red flowers, and also found a Hooded Grosbeak, similar to the Evening Grosbeak that lives farther to the north.

We arrived to a spot where we found some Horned Guan "bañaderos"; these are clearings where Horned Guans come to “bathe” with dirt and display courtship behavior. Unfortunately, we didn’t find any guans here.

Farther along the trail, we heard the quetzals again and they flew from an avocado tree to an enormouse oak before continuing off deeper into the forest and out of sight. This is one of the best-conserved cloud forests in Mexico, where the atmosphere is always humid and the giant ferns grow together with tiny mosses. 

When we were walking back to the camp, five Emerald Toucanets flew over our heads, we heard a Ruddy-capped Nightingale-Thrush singing from the side of tht rail, a Yellowish Flycatcher caught some insects in flight, we passed a Spotted Nightingale-Thrush jumping around the trail…and we finally heard a guan, the same deep sound that we’d heard the previous day. It was a little difficult to hear over the sound of the running water, but there it was. Although we looked for it, we weren’t able to find it. It is incredible to me to think that a bird the size of a Wild Turkey can hide itself so well. 

By the time we returned to camp the temperatures were quite hot, but during the afternoon it began to cloud up and by nightfall the clouds were quite thick. Then the wind began to blow and the skies unleased a torment of rain. This continued for the next day and we found ourselves stuck at the camp, trying to find ways to amuse ourselves and pass the time and wondering how we were going to leave the following day.

El Triunfo cloud forest.

The following day at sunrise, we said goodbye to an “El Triunfo” camp still shrouded in clouds and began our descent. The lower we got, the more the clouds dispersed. We spotted a Paltry Tyrannulet and a flock of Barred Parakeets that flew over. It was a wonderful way to say goodbye to the El Triunfo Cloud Forest in Chiapas, where the quezals still live, where jaguars walk beneath the old trees, and where the mysterious Horned Guans live, a place that will be forever in my memories.

---

About the author: Alberto Lobato is a 16-year-old birder who was born in Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico. He has been birding since he was 5 years old and is an active member of the Xalapa Birding Club (Club de Observadores de Aves de Xalapa, or COAX). He has traveled with COAX to various parts of Mexico. In addition to birding, he is a musician, with an interest in traditional music. Alberto’s favorite bird is the Bearded Wood-Partridge.

 

Related articles

El Triunfo: Home of the Horned Guan

Student Blog Editors sought for The Eyrie

Young Birder Blog Birding #15

El Triunfo: Home of the Horned Guan

By Alberto Lobato
(translated by Jennie Duberstein)

The El Triunfo Biosphere Reserve, located in the south of the Mexican state of Chiapas and decreed in 1990, encompasses an area of approximately 119,117 hectares (about 294,345 acres). Although the Reserve has diverse habitats, one of the most important is the cloud forest.

I had the opportunity to visit this cloud forest for three days (and a little more) during January 2013 with a group of biologists and researchers from INECOL (the Institute of Ecology) to conduct Horned Guan and Resplendent Quetzal monitoring. And since I’m also a birder, I took advantage of the trip to be able to see not only these species, but more. Here I am going to share a few of my experiences.

To get to El Triunfo you have to travel through a number of different towns. The last one that we passed through was called Jaltenango La Paz. Afterwards, the highway changed into a dirt road and the trees began to be bigger. We passed little by little from tropical lowland forest into cloud forest. I took note of this because I saw more and more water as we traveled, as well as orchids.

After traveling for a time on the very curvy road, we arrived at Finca Prusia, where we prepared to continue the climb on foot. To get to the field camp in El Triunfo, you have to climb approximately 12 kilometers on foot.

The landscape changed as we climbed. First we passed some coffee plantations; then, little by little, the cloud forest began to overtake the terrain. There were little patches of pine forest and as we climbed, it began to feel a little cool. The views from the trail were incredible: the tops of the hills were getting closer and closer (well, I suppose we were getting closer and closer to them, actually).

Finally, after several hours of hiking, we arrived at the camp. It was already getting dark and we heard some Fulvous Owls calling, a common species here. Once it was dark, it began to get colder. We were almost 2000 meters above sea level (over 6,500 feet), and the temperature can get as low as 32 degrees F during the night.

El Triunfo Biosphere Reserve

The following morning, we got up before sunrise to eat something and begin monitoring. The methodology consisted of walking a pre-determined distance and looking for the target species (Resplendent Quetzal, Horned Guan, or Highland Guan). If we spotted one, we noted the location and the bird’s behavior. The study is trying to improve our understanding of these species and their populations.

Inside the cloud forest it was cold and very humid. The water ran down from the crowns of enormous trees. Grey-breasted Wood Wrens were singing loudly. We heard various individuals, although there wasn’t much else. The forest was filled with a heavy stillness. But as we moved on, birds began to appear. Suddenly before us was a Spectacled Foliage-Gleaner, foraging with its head underneath the fallen leaves. Several Brown-backed Solitaires began to sing, a becard that didn’t give us a very good view made a brief appearance, and a Spotted Woodcreeper made its way up a nearby tree. But we still hadn’t seen any of the species we were trying to monitor.

After walking about 2 kilometers, we heard the Horned Guan: it makes a truly strange sound, as if you were blowing across the mouth of an empty bottle about seven times. It is a really low-frequency sound, which can be confused with the sounds of the wings of a hummingbird, but this was definitely a Horned Guan. We collected the necessary data about where we’d heard it and we tried to get a visual, but this is a very stealthy bird and it probably its song can travel distances; we didn’t actually get to see it.

Horned Guan droppings.

We kept walking through the quickly-warming forest to complete the transect. Suddenly a Green-throated Mountain-Gem came buzzing by. They feed on the nectar of the flowers of certain bromeliads. There were orchids in the trees, moss-covered trunks, a Horned Guan, some lianas, and…WAIT A MINUTE!!       There was the bird we were looking for! It was an immature individual, with the red horn, so characteristic of the species, shorter than it would be on an adult. We were concentrating so hard on observing the bird that we didn’t immediately notice that there was another guan hidden nearby—the mother of the young bird. She approached her offspring and fed it. The observation of these behaviors was really important, in part because we don’t know much about the Horned Guan and every observation of them is potentially teaching us something that we didn’t know before.

Immature Horned Guan.

Slowly the birds began to move off. They were very calm and didn’t’ seem to be at all disturbed by our presence. We were nearly at the end of our transect, so we finished up the final meters and then returned to the campsite.

But another surprise was waiting for us, because on our return, in the spot where we’d heard the first guan of the day, we found another two birds! These were two adults displaying courtship behavior. This is an incredible thing to observe. The male calls from a high perch and the female responds (the calls of the males and females are distinct). The male is stimulated to eat by the call of the female and afterwards he feeds the female as if she were a nestling.

The guans continued their courtship directly above our heads before slowly beginning to move deeper into the forest…

Stay tuned for part 2 of Alberto’s story, coming soon!

---

About the author: Alberto Lobato is a 16-year-old birder who was born in Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico. He has been birding since he was 5 years old and is an active member of the Xalapa Birding Club (Club de Observadores de Aves de Xalapa, or COAX). He has traveled with COAX to various parts of Mexico. In addition to birding, he is a musician, with an interest in traditional music. Alberto’s favorite bird is the Bearded Wood-Partridge.

Planning for Summer

by Charlotte Wasylik

Last year at this time, I decided to apply for the Doug Tarry Young Ornithologists’ Workshop at the Long Point Bird Observatory on Lake Erie in Ontario. I’m writing this post now to encourage any young birders who might be interested in this or another similar wonderful, educational opportunity like a camp or conference, to start thinking and preparing soon, especially if you need to fill out applications, write essays, and get letters of reference, or if you need to prepare for a scholarship.

A Canada Warbler at Long Point

The Young Ornithologists’ Workshop is 10 days long and includes bird banding (including Ruby-throated Hummingbird, which was a remarkable experience), bird and butterfly censuses, field identification, preparing museum specimens, and even a “Big Day”. YOW is for young birders between the ages of 13-17 and there are usually six participants each summer (last year seven attended).

This sort of workshop has so many rewards. I had lots of fun meeting other young birders from across Canada. We all had a wonderful time and shared our greatest passion, birds, and a number of us have kept in touch by email, Facebook, and even snail mail. 

The workshop also gave many of us our first chance to band birds. We worked in pairs, taking turns in the role of the bander and the other as the scribe. Both jobs are important to learn. On our second day, we each got to band a hummingbird. And several days later, I banded my first passerine, a Swainson’s Thrush. All together, in the 10 days, I banded about 20 birds of about 10 different species. A good start!

One of the YOWs banding a Northern Flicker

I have never had so much fun at a camp or workshop before as I had at the YOW. It was very hard to leave Long Point because I made some great new friends, learned so much, and saw some incredibly beautiful places. I can’t wait to return to Long Point as an intern, volunteer, or just for a visit. I would especially like to be able to show my family Long Point. More in-depth posts on my YOW trip are here, here, and here.

I highly recommend registering for a birding camp, workshop, or conference. You learn so much, meet others with similar interests, and further your knowledge of birds!

At the Bird Studies Canada Headquarters in August during the Young Ornithologists’ Workshop (photo by Ana Maria Gonzalez)

Click here to see a round-up of the various summer opportunities for young birders.

---

About the author: Charlotte Wasylik is a 15-year-old birder who lives on a farm in Alberta, Canada. She has been birding since 2009 and is a member of the local naturalist society as well as leader of her 4H Outdoor Club's hiking project, where she tends to take other members on bird walks. You can find her at the Alberta Birds Facebook page and at her own blog, Prairie Birder.

 

Related articles

2013 Summer Opportunities for Young Birders

Quail Hunt

By James Purcell

At Camp Chiricahua in 2012, I had the time of my life. There were many great experiences, friends, and of course, birds. One particular day stands out to me among the rest; it was the day that will forever remain in my memory – the day we saw a Montezuma Quail.

The entire group had just come back from a fantastic birding day on Paradise Road, Barfoot Mountain, and Onion Saddle, full of Red-faced Warblers, Pygmy Nuthatches, Mexican Chickadees, Scott’s Orioles, Virginia’s Warblers, Juniper Titmice, and so many other unique birds. Everyone was satisfied, except for one thought that penetrated each person’s mind. Paradise Road had been one of our best shots for Montezuma Quail on the trip, and today was our last day in the Chiricahuas. Everyone knew that, while still possible, our chances for getting this secretive denizen of the oak grasslands were greatly decreased after we left this mountain range.

With this thought in mind, six campers, including myself, decided to take one last desperate stab for quail around the grounds of Cave Creek Ranch, the beautiful and scenic birding paradise where we had been lucky enough to stay for the past few days. We had heard from Michael O’Brien, one of our extremely talented leaders, that they could be found around the area here; one simply had to look for “the rock that moves.” That was the most frustrating and yet enticing part about this bird; they weren’t rare by any means in this area, but they are so secretive that they stay put in the long grass until you are within a foot of them.

The challenge was accepted, and we headed out to the dry riverbed. We didn’t really have a plan of action other than to walk through the proper habitat and hope to either flush one off the trail or hear a male giving his distinctive whistle. I don’t think anyone really had the idea that we would actually see one that day. I’ve never been happier to be wrong.

We started down a trail through the oak grasslands on the fringes of the property. Deeper and deeper we explored until we realized that we were a fair distance away from the ranch. In fact, we were on a ridge and we could see the ranch far below. We pushed on, aware that we would have to turn around soon to get back in time for dinner.

Everyone was walking down the trail, casually discussing the birds of the day in a quiet tone, when we heard it. We all stopped dead in our tracks. It was the distinctive descending whistle of a male Montezuma Quail, somewhere off the trail. We all looked at each other in silent excitement.

We had a decision to make. We could either stay on the trail and hope that the bird got closer, or we could go off the trail and hope the bird keeps calling so we could pinpoint the location and hopefully catch a glimpse of it. It was decided that the latter choice would be the best one, seeing as the bird continued to call but did not sound as if it was getting any closer.

There could be many things in the grass of southeastern Arizona that one would not want to step on, rattlesnakes among them, so we all took tentative steps into the grassland off the trail. We moved up the hill, but the bird had stopped calling. It must have heard us as soon as we stepped off the trail. We waited for over 10 minutes, but it was useless. The bird had heard our approach and was probably hunkered down in the grass somewhere, never to be found.

Still, we had heard the bird and that counted for something, I thought to myself. I brought up the idea that we should probably walk back down the hill a different way we came up, and we should split up into two groups of three in order to better our chances of possibly flushing the bird on the way down. Everybody knew that it was a needle in a haystack. That bird would not move unless we nearly stepped on it. Theoretically, we could have found it by staying there for hours and running through all the grass on the hill. However, we had no wish to harass the bird or disturb the environment, so we just hoped maybe we would get lucky making our way back to the trail.

We started our casual conversations again, believing we had lost our chance. I was walking behind Kyle, and Eamon was behind me. Only ten feet away were Cedric, Aaron, and Alex in a line. All of a sudden, something exploded off of the ground in front of Kyle. After the milliseconds of fright I looked at the bird naked eye as it flew down the hill. It was small, completely round, with a dark belly. It turned to the left and then disappeared around a line of junipers, and when it turned I caught a glimpse of the harlequin face pattern. Everyone was silent, and looking at each other with disbelief. Had we actually just seen a Montezuma Quail?! There was silent celebration (mostly from me).

We wanted to try and get a better look at it, as Aaron said that he thought he had seen it land behind a juniper. The bird certainly had not flown far, so we made our way over to the isolated juniper bush in the grass. We surrounded it, and as we were peering into the grass, I remembered my bottle of root beer in my pocket. I had bought it earlier in the day in Portal. I hadn’t opened it yet, saving it for a “victory drink” in case we somehow found a quail. Well, we found the quail, so I took it out and opened it as we closed in on the bush.

With all the excitement and adrenaline of the last few minutes, I completely forgot that the bottle had been shaken around as we walked and climbed up the trail. When I opened it, it exploded. Soda started fizzing and spraying out of the half-open bottle, and not really knowing what was going on myself, I started yelling and holding the bottle away from my binoculars. Cedric, who had been in front of me, was also yelling because he had no idea what was going on and what liquid was spraying into his back. The bottle calmed, and then there was complete silence. At first, there were looks of anger. There was no way that bird was nearby now. Then, everyone started laughing hysterically. Alex had thought someone had gotten bitten by a rattlesnake when he heard the hissing and yelling, and Cedric thought I was sneezing on him when felt the soda.

Still laughing, we decided to leave the bird alone and we made our way back to Cave Creek Ranch. We had seen the elusive and spectacular Montezuma Quail, and I had the sticky hands and few sips of root beer left in the bottle to prove it. We had done it by ourselves, the young campers, without the expertise of an adult leader. The Montezuma Quail is to this day my favorite bird, and that is a day I will never forget for the rest of my life. It reminded me why I love birding. It’s about the chase, the amazing friendships, the stories, the things that amaze you, and the things that make you laugh along the way.

---

About the author: My name is James Purcell. I am 16 years old and from Fairfield, CT. I was really into owls in 4^th grade, and this obsession soon expanded to include all birds when I received a field guide in the mail from my local Audubon society (Owls are still my favorite family of birds). I started out watching the birds at the feeders, and then I moved to watching birds all over my yard. Then, in 7^th grade, I began birding in the field outside of my property. I was exposed to a whole new world, and I embraced it completely. I started going birding around town, and then outside of town all over Connecticut, and then all over New England, and now I am birding all over the country, and even outside the country occasionally. I rarely go anywhere without my pair of binoculars, and I especially enjoy taking advantage of birding on family vacations. At first I thought birding was another one of my “phases” - I would grow out of it eventually like I had with all my others. However, it soon became clear to me that this would be a lifelong passion, and even now I am planning my future in college around birding and ornithology. My favorite bird is the Montezuma Quail; it was hard for it not to be after that amazing experience. 

Where Are the Warblers?

By Nathan Martineau

In winter, while we focus on the resident bird species in our area, we often forget about the tiny little warblers and other neotropical migrants that have just flown hundreds or thousands of miles to their Central and South American wintering grounds from their breeding grounds here in North America, and within a matter of months will be flying back north again...

Those Yellow Warblers I saw near my house in the spring--what are they doing now, and where are they staying for the winter? What about the Nashville Warbler that I saw in my garden late in October? How far south did it go after its day-long stop in the garden? I hope that it survived and that it did not head south too late. With any luck, it survived its perilous journey south and will again travel north in spring, surviving to reach its breeding grounds.

I have been lucky enough to observe a fallout of warblers and other migrant passerines at Black Swamp Bird Observatory in Ohio, where most of the exhausted birds were foraging in trees and shrubs high above ground level.

The following pictures of these incredible long-distance travelers completely out of habitat on open lawn, metal beams, windowsills, and sidewalks is a testament to how amazing these little birds really are. Almost every one of the migrants that drops down at Machias Seal Island (off the coast of Maine) survives to take flight again across the Atlantic Ocean, toward its breeding grounds. What a stunning example of the resilience of nature.

Enjoy the photos (all taken by Ralph Elridge, one of the MSI lightkeepers):

See more amazing photos of this spectacular fallout event here: http://www.pbase.com/lightrae/migrant_birds

---

About the author: Nathan Martineau is a 16 year-old birder from Lansing, Michigan. He's been birding since 2006. He was really intrigued by the fact that birds in his yard would eat out of his hand. Since then, he has hand-fed chickadees, titmice, nuthatches and Downy Woodpeckers. He loves the north woods of Michigan and the birds that breed there, including Ovenbird, Common Loon, Pileated Woodpecker, Hermit Thrush, and Magnolia and Blackburnian warblers. He also loves swimming in Lake Superior.  Nathan sings in the MSU Young Men's Chorus, plays the cello, enjoys art lessons and artwork, and working on his photography skills.  He spent the summer doing volunteer work at the local nature center where he enjoyed pulling invasive species, helping plant a butterfly garden, leading kids on bird walks, and gathering bird data.

Related articles

The Warblers of Veracruz: Tales and Adventures from a Mexican Young Birder

Young Birder Blog Birding #10

My New Experiences in Birding

Color: Simple or Complex?

The Warblers of Veracruz: Tales and Adventures from a Mexican Young Birder

By Alberto Lobato
(translated by Jennie Duberstein) 

To me, warblers are the most colorful and easily disturbed birds out there. In Mexico there are 64 species, and in the state of Veracruz (where I live), there are 55 migratory and resident species of warblers. 

This diversity is due to factors including migration. Many of the warblers that arrive here in Veracruz come from all over North America (where you can find about 45 species). Birds from the eastern U.S. and Canada migrate along the Gulf of Mexico, while birds from the west come through the mountains. In central Veracruz, along the low elevation slopes of the mountains, it is possible to see a combination of migratory eastern and western warblers, as well as our resident species.

Now I will describe the life of a warbler observer during the fall in two different spots in the city of Xalapa, one in the cloud forest and the other in thornscrub.

The Cloud Forest

The first location I am going to write about is a park outside of Xalapa called “Santuario del Bosque de Niebla” (Cloud Forest Sanctuary), where the forest is well-conserved throughout most of the sanctuary. I generally arrive at this spot around 7am, when there is still a fine layer of cloud covering everything and it is very humid. There are many birds, such as Chestnut-capped Brushfinch, Grey-breasted Wood-Wren, and noisy White-crowned Parrots flying around. At first it seems like there are not many warblers around, so I take a trail that extends from the main road. Walking a little bit I begin to listen to some “cheeps,” and there they are, two resident species foraging next to a fallen tree trunk: a pair of Golden-browed Warblers and a small group of Golden-crowned Warblers. The Golden-browed is notable for its enormous golden eyebrow. Continuing along the trail, I find a very familiar migrant: Wilson’s Warblers are everywhere! Later another familiar friend appears, climbing around in the branches: Black-and-White Warbler is also here.

Cloud forest.

As I go deeper into the cloud forest the mosquitoes appear. Many, many  mosquitoes. But hunting the mosquitoes between the trees, there are also birds: Social Flycatchers, different species of Empidonax flycatchers, and warblers. Here are a Black-throated Green, various Wilson’s, and a Nashville Warbler. On the ground I spot a Northern Waterthrush and an Ovenbird, and this reminds me that I found my lifer Northern Waterthrush in the sanctuary this past August.

Nashville Warbler.

I finally return to the main trail and spot some movement in the trees. Amongst the more common warblers, I spy another rarer bird, probably a female Black-throated Blue Warbler, which is not common here. 

I head toward the exit of the park around 12:30pm and by this time there aren’t very many birds. But a Gartered Trogon (one of the three trogon species I have seen here) is perched quietly in the crown of a tree. I search the nearby ground carefully for the Fan-tailed Warblers that you can sometimes see here, but without luck. Maybe next time!

Thorn Forest: Parque Natura

Parque Natura is a reserve in the extreme east of Xalapa. It has remnants of cloud forst, coffee plantations, and the start of thornscrub habitat. It is also one of my favorite places to go birding. I’ve spotted 117 bird species here, and there are many others that I have yet to spot myself, although other birders have seen them.

Parque Natura, Xalapa, Veracruz.

This park has various entrances, but I generally enter by the main one and walk the length of the park to the exit on the other side. I almost always arrive at 7 or 7:30am and spend some time up in the observation tower at the park entrance, where you can see large flocks of White-fronted Parrots and ocassionally a view of the resident Short-tailed Hawk, perched in the crown of a tree. On this day, in other trees nearby the tower there are some migratory warblers, a pair of Wilson’s Warblers, and a Black-throated Green Warber, as well as the gnatchatchers that are always present during this time of year.

Black-throated Green Warbler.

When I climb down from the tower, I find more warblers: on the ground and in the shrubs I can spot Rufous-capped Warblers looking for food. This resident species is very noisy. Walking along the trail, I arrive to an open, shrubby zone. This is the spot where I almost always find the endemic Hooded Yellowthroat, although today I don’t see anything. Instead I focus on a nearby dead tree, where a Roadside Hawk is perched. This is the problem—as long as the hawk is there, no birds are going to come out. I decide to wait for a few minutes, in hopes that the hawk will leave, and suddenly a flock of Brown Jays appears and begins to mob the hawk, who flies off, pursecuted by the jays. As this happens, I begin to hear agitated calls in the shrubs, and there is a male Hooded Yellowthroat among the branches. Closer to the forest is a male Common Yellowthroat which arrives for the Veracruz winter.

Hooded Yellowthroat.

After walking a bit, I enter the forest again, but this part is special for me. It is a place called “el pasillo de los chipes” (the warbler corridor). During the fall, you can spot 18 species of warblers just by walking about five meters. Magnolia, Worm-eating, Golden-crowned, Orange-crowned, Nashville, MacGillivray’s, and Hooded warblers, Ovenbird, Tropical and Northern parulas, and Common Yellowthroat are all here, along with others. And at the start of the fall migration, I spotted a beautiful pair of Prothonatory Warblers.

Golden-crowned Warbler.

Common Yellowthroat.

As I continue to walk, the trail divides. I normally take the trail that leades to a small lagoon and picnic area that then leads to the park exit. Following this trail, I can see the first migratory warblers of the season. This year a Black-and-white Warbler that I spotted in July led the migration. Canada and Yellow warblers quickly followed, and later other species began to appear, as well as flycatchers and buntings. In the lagoon you can find Pie-billed Grebe, but one of my most interesting sightings was in the trees next to the lagoon: one April I spotted a Blackpoll Warbler there, a very unusual sighting for thie area, as the species generally migrates along the Caribbean Sea.

The birding on the road from the lagoon to the park exit can a bit slow. There aren’t many birds because there are many people, but you can still spot an Osprey hunting over the water. But this doesn’t bother me, because I, for my part, am very satisfied with the warblers that I’ve seen.

---

About the author: Alberto Lobato is a 16-year-old birder who was born in Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico. He has been birding since he was 5 years old and is an active member of the Xalapa Birding Club (Club de Observadores de Aves de Xalapa, or COAX). He has traveled with COAX to various parts of Mexico. In addition to birding, he is a musician, with an interest in traditional music. Alberto’s favorite bird is the Bearded Wood-Partridge.

2012 Ohio Young Birders Conference

by Ethan Rising

The Ohio Young Birders Conference is an event I look forward to every year. This year’s conference, held at the Aullwood Audubon Center in Dayton Ohio, was my third conference.

The dates for the conference worked out really well for me. I had the Friday before the conference off from school, so my family and I headed for Dayton a day early to help set up. I think the best part of set up was “having” to scout out the bird walk for the next morning. On this walk we saw several woodpecker species including Pileated, Red-bellied, and Downy woodpeckers. We also saw a Northern Flicker and a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker. The conference was at a great facility that has a working farm. It was hilarious when we walked by the turkeys. They ran up to us, expecting dinner. I had never had the experience of seeing more than 50 turkeys running TOWARD me at such close range. They have a pretty goofy looking run! Mom bought some farm fresh eggs while we were there. If you’ve ever wondered if there is a difference between eggs at the store and fresh eggs straight from the farm- there is!

That night we enjoyed getting to know other conference volunteers at dinner, like the Parry family and Darlene Cole. I sat near Paula Lozano, Bob Finkelstein, and Kate Zimmerman, our new Ohio Young Birders Club (OYBC) coordinator. Paula started things off very formally by blowing a straw wrapper at me!! From that moment on she was my new best friend! I had a great time talking about birds and lots of other topics with her. Later that evening Kim Kaufman introduced me to Rob Ripma. Rob recognized my name because I’m completely addicted to the bird ID quizzes he posts at his website www.nuttybirder.com, and I almost always submit my guesses. It was really fantastic to meet the man behind the curtain!

The next morning we arrived early, got registered, and went on the “real” bird walk with Kenn Kaufmann. This time we saw Brown Creepers, a Red-breasted Nuthatch, a Winter Wren, more Pileateds, including 3 at one time, and some Cedar Waxwing, which we checked carefully in hopes of sighting a Bohemian Waxwing. No such luck, but it was interesting to learn about their appearances in our region this year. My friend from Cincinnati, Jack McSwiggin, stayed behind to enjoy the banding station run by the Mark and Julie Shieldcastle. There was also a great service project all prepped and ready to go. We were able to build Prothonotary Warbler boxes right there on site. I believe as a group we made 40 boxes. I LOVE Prothonotary Warblers, and I was glad to have a practical way to help them. Inside, my brother Josh was fascinated by the American Kestrel and the Great Horned Owl that Raptor, Inc. brought. Raptor, Inc. does great work in the Cincinnati area rescuing and rehabilitating raptors from around the region, and educating audiences of all kinds.

The speakers were great. It was really exciting to learn about the great experiences that young birders are having at places like Hog Island! I think the most important take away for me was learning how young birders are finding ways to make real contributions in the areas of research and conservation. It was empowering. I was especially impressed with Benjamin Van Doren’s presentation about his research on night migration. There was so much new information about how research is being done and what new information is being gained from it!

It wouldn’t be right if I didn’t mention the lunch. I mean, after all I AM a 5th grade boy! The food was great. Oh, and the conference always has amazing raffle prizes. There were two binoculars that were raffled off, donated by Celestron and Time and Optics, some very cool bird feeders and bird houses, amazing artwork, and too much more to list. I think the only possible way to top that next year is if someone donated a spot at one of those amazing summer camps! OK, yes, that’s a shameless hint. THAT WOULD BE REALLY COOL!

Of course, for me the best moment of the conference for me was getting to help Kenn Kaufman with the bird ID quiz answers. It was a good thing I was talking about my passion—BIRDS—because it was a first for me to talk to that many people about ANYTHING!

It was great to be a part of a chapter of OYBC and sit at a table with other southwest Ohio birders this year. Brian Herriott and Bill Creasey, with some help from Lester Peyton, have begun a southwest Ohio chapter, which meets at the Cincinnati Nature Center. If you know a young birder in the southwest Ohio area, definitely tell them about the new chapter! And speaking of southwest Ohio, I want to mention two of my favorite people, Drs. Dave and Jill Russell. They were doing a banding demonstration nearby that day and came to check out the conference. I want to say a huge thank you to them. They were just stopping in for a quick visit, but ended up staying through to see me give my bird ID presentation. That’s just the kind of people they are. Dr. Dave and Dr. Jill, that meant a lot to me. Thanks for the way you encourage an support me and other young birders every chance you get.

My conference blog would not be complete without also mentioning how Kim Kaufman manages to make everyone feel welcomed and important. If you haven’t had a chance to experience what I’m talking about, just attend the 2013 OYBC conference and you’ll know exactly what I mean.

---

About the author: Ethan began birding at the ripe old age of 4. He was initially interested in bald eagles. He was fortunate enough to have a preschool teacher who loved birds, and she nurtured his interest. It wasn't long before he was a fan of all raptors. He went on his first birding trip when he was five, when his grandfather hitched up the pop up trailer and took him to Hawk Mountain in Pennsylvania. Ethan's interest was once again encouraged in first grade. His teacher insisted he head back to Pennsylvania, this time to Powdermill Avian Research Center where her son, Dr. Andrew Vitz, was the ornithologist in charge of bird banding. Seeing and releasing birds up close catalyzed what has been an unquenchable passion for ALL birds in Ethan. Andrew Vitz encouraged him to find local birding opportunities, and soon he found Kathy McDonald and Drs Dave and Jill Russell, whose enthusiasm and knowledge have continued to encourage and grow Ethan as a birder. Bill McGill, Lester Payton, and more recently Bill Creasey and Brian Herriott have served as important mentors for him. When Ethan was eight he attended his first Ohio Young Birders Conference. This is his third conference!

Ethan is the youngest member of Raptor, Inc., is a proud founding member of the new Ohio Young Birding Club Southwest Chapter in Cincinnati, and is also an enthusiastic member of the Miami Valley Christian Academy's young birder's club. He is a fifth grader at the Seven Hills School in Cincinnati, Ohio. He has 265 life birds, and the first thing he does when he gets home from school is to scan the Cincinnati Birds sightings log to see what new birds have flown in. Ethan wants to get his banding license as soon as he turns 18, and study birds at Cornell University.

My New Experiences in Birding

By Philip Stollsteimer

I have always loved nature, but birding started off as a simple spark of interest by watching the movie The Big Year with my mom and my aunt. I thought it would be fun to do a “big spring break” but at the time it was just about getting numbers on my life list. It wasn’t until I saw my lifer Common Loon, sitting out on the Churchville Reservoir preening, that I realized that birding was more than just writing down numbers.

The author holding a Saw-whet Owl at a banding station in Pennsylvania.

Along with birding come many great experiences, seeing things, and going places. Because of birding I have made new friends, slept in a lodge overnight, and even held my lifer Saw-whet Owl. I have seen some remarkable things like an American Kestrel fly through the sky like a bullet and grab a Savannah Sparrow taking off from the grasses. Four feet off the trail at Churchville Nature Center and two feet above my head, I saw an Eastern Screech-Owl. I have had warblers of all kinds flitting around and calling on branches at eye-level all around me. I have had the opportunity to go to many cool places like Delaware for the ABA/Leica Mid-Atlantic Young Birders Conference; Brigantine, New Jersey for a Churchville Nature Center trip; and Rushton Farms for Northern Saw-whet Owl banding with the PA Young Birders Club. Birding has changed my life and I would say in a very positive way. 

---

About the author: Philip Stollsteimer is a 12-year-old from Newtown, Bucks County, Pennsylvania. He is a 7th grader in the Council Rock School District. While Tyler State Park is close to home, he really loves to bird at Churchville Nature Center and join their Saturday morning bird walks.

Memories of the 2012 Mid-Atlantic Young Birder Conference

By Mike Hudson

Do you ever have that moment where you just think “this really can’t be happening”? On Friday, September 21, 2012 I was having that moment: again and again and again. Every time I pulled out my phone to look at the time I thought that there was no way the school bell hadn’t rung yet and then, when it did, I started to think that there was no way that it was really time to set out on the hour and a half long trip to Hockessin, Delaware. Even when my Mom pulled into the parking lot of Ashland Nature Center after a drive that seemed like it would never end, I was still in disbelief. Once we arrived though, the reality of what was happening struck me like a rush of icy water. That night we were just roasting marshmallows and chatting, but the next day, the first ABA Mid-Atlantic Young Birder Conference would begin.

The author (right) with Young Birder of the Year Marie McGee (center) and another YBC participant
(Photo by George Armistead).

I decided to get an early start to the day the next morning; I didn’t want to miss a single thing. Everyone else seemed to have the same idea, and we left the lodge and started birding before the sun had finished rising. From then on, the day went by faster than any other I can remember. One minute I was watching Philadelphia Vireos on a walk with Bill Thompson III and then I was listening to ABA Young Birder of the Year Marie McGee’s astute and sound keynote on the effectiveness of field notebooks and how her own helped her become the YBY. Then I was the one everyone was looking at for an inspiring presentation. Before I knew it the day was over and I had to go back to my usual routine.

YBC participants in the field (Photo by George Armistead).

The birding was good—not incredible, but good. The amazing thing is that no one really seemed to care that they weren’t overwhelmed with birds. One reason for this was certainly the sheer number of guides and presenters that were there to provide them with an excellent experience. At the beginning of the conference, Bill Stewart, the organizer of the Conference, said that the workshop leaders had been told they had fifteen minutes “to change these kids’ lives.” I took that to heart, and from the workshops I attended, it seems like all of the other presenters did too. There was not a person there who wasn’t bursting with energy and passion, ready to leave an impression on the young people who had come out to enjoy being a youth birder.

Photo by George Armistead.

The Conference’s biggest success though, was getting so many of the kids from all over the eastern US together. So many young birders there, including myself, were just thrilled to have the chance to bird with other people their own age. I think that some adult birders, especially if they didn’t start birding until they were older, take for granted that they have peers they can bird with on a fairly regular basis. Many young birders get that opportunity far less often and I, for one, latch onto it every chance I get. Yes, the Conference brought together a brilliant team of presenters to try and impact youth, but it also brought the youth together to impact each other. New and experienced young birders turned out. People who were into photography and science and simple enjoyment of birds gathered, and that was the Conference’s strongest point. All of the kids that attended went home with a new appreciation for birds and new insights from the presenters and from their peers—people they might never have met without the Young Birder’s Conference. For my part, I was honored and humbled to be in attendance, and I hope that I’ll see all of you next year.

---

About the author: Mike Hudson is a sixteen year-old birder from Baltimore, Maryland. Mike first got into birding when his grandfather began to draw birds with him. Since then, he has continued to nurture his love of birds and nature by volunteering at the Maryland Zoo and area nature centers. He is also involved in shorebird research and conservation. Mike was one of the presenters at the 2012 Mid-Atlantic Young Birder Conference and attended the ABA’s 2012 Camp Colorado.