HART BEAT: MORE ON REDDISH EGRETS

Reddish Egret

“What do you say we go up to Merritt Island for the day?”

I love it when Jewel comes up with these spur of the moment ideas for quick field trips. It was very early on a week day morning before the sun was even up, but she had breakfast packed in the car to eat on the way, our binoculars and cameras loaded, and we were off in less than half an hour traveling light with the sun just peeking over the horizon.

The trip was relatively uneventful. We stopped at Sandsprit Park in Titusville on the west side of the bay before the bridge across to Merritt Island to look for Common Loons, many species of sea ducks, and lots of different gulls that we normally have seen there on past trips. In the park itself there are usually many White Ibis, Woodstorks, various species of egrets, and lots of Cattle Egrets. On this trip not a bird in the bay, very few gulls flying around and virtually none of the Ibis, Woodstorks and egrets we are accustomed to seeing there except for a handful of Cattle Egrets.

There were, however, three large, damaged sailboats still beached apparently from Hurricane Ian which had only recently passed through the area. Just across the bridge on the north side of the road out to Merritt Island we pulled into the parking area at Parrish Park where we often find more sea ducks and Common Loons on the water, and a large array of gulls, and sometimes Black Skimmers in the parking lot.

This year, only a handful of Laughing and Ring-billed Gulls, and a large number of Boat-tailed Grackles and Rock Doves greeted us by the rest rooms. Along the shoreline  just east of the parking lot we normally expect to find a myriad of Sanderlings, Western Sandpipers, Ruddy Turnstones, Dunlin, Short-billed Dowitchers, and sometimes Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs. This year – nada. The shoreline looked the same as always, so the only explanation we could come up with was Hurricane Ian once again.

As we entered Black Point Drive at Merritt Island we saw a number of photographers right at the entrance being entertained by a Snowy Egret. We also could see that the water levels were probably the highest we had ever seen at Merritt Island which did not portend a promising day. We did not see any of the shorter legged waders that we are accustomed to at Black Point Drive, such as Avocets, Black-necked Stilts, either Yellowlegs, and certainly no shorebirds, and actually very few ducks save for a handful of Blue-winged Teal as well as the occasional raft of American Coots. (I did subsequently see an E-bird report filed the same day where another birder saw a Ring-necked Duck which we did not see).

The day, however, was not without some very satisfying sights. Several egret species, such as Great, Little Blue, Snowy and Tri-colored put on a nice show for us, and the Bald Eagle was up on the same telephone pole where we have seen him (or her) often in the past. A very cooperative Belted Kingfisher and similarly cooperative Osprey posed in close proximity to the Drive affording excellent photographic opportunities.

But the star of the day was definitely the Reddish Egret (top). There were a number of Reddish Egrets at several locations along the Drive. One passed by close and in the same focal plane as a Great Egret (photo 2) affording a size comparison. I have always thought of the Reddish Egret as a particularly large bird, but side by side it now appears to be somewhat smaller than the Great Egret. On the other hand, the Reddish Egret, side by side with a Roseate Spoonbill (photo 3), dwarfs the Spoonbill.

The most interesting show was put on by still another Reddish Egret who was running back and forth with flapping wings (photo 4), occasionally stopping to spread its wings in their typical canopy fishing style (photo 5). I understand this is to create shade to attract fish and also perhaps to enable the Egret to see better under the water. Thus, when it does in fact attract a fish it can plunge right in (photo 6) and grab a huge meal (photo 7) or in this case, perhaps an hors d'oeuvres. While most egret species feed on fish, the Reddish Egret is the only one that routinely uses this unique fishing technique.

The lesson for the day was that even if the birding is not terrific or even minimally exciting, there are always compensations and valuable experiences to be had. While we have had good Reddish Egret days previously, particularly at Black Point Drive, this was probably our best Reddish Egret day ever. Think of it like a blind date where you first encounter the date only to discover that he or she is really quite homely, just barely a notch above ugly, only to discover the date has a fantastic personality, and is witty, charming and completely captivating. Someone you might actually end up marrying. That describes our early November day at Merritt Island.

For more on Reddish Egrets, see: www.stlucieaudubon.org/hart-beat/2018/11/23/hart-beat-reddish.

HART BEAT: BLUE GROSBEAKS

Blue Grosbeak, male

“Now it’s time for the Blue Grosbeak.” This response came as part of an email comment from a Hart Beat reader very shortly after the last column on Indigo Buntings was first posted. I love it when readers suggest topics for these columns, and luckily I have some photos of Blue Grosbeaks (photo 1 and top) to share with you.

Many a novice birder has confused Blue Grosbeaks and Indigo Buntings (photo 2) in the range areas where they overlap. However, while Blue Grosbeaks and Indigo Buntings share a number of features in common such as the bill color and black eye lores, Blue Grosbeaks are larger and bigger billed than Indigo Buntings and, most significantly, have two distinctive brown wing bars that Indigo Buntings do not have.

Also, Blue Grosbeaks have a jet-black tail (photo 3) while Indigo Buntings have a bluish/gray tail. Similarly, while both female Indigos and Grosbeaks are brown, the female Blue Grosbeak (photo 4) has the same two brown wing bars that its male counterpart has, while the smaller female Indigo Bunting (photo 5) has a small cream-colored wing bar above a less distinctive brown wing bar.

Certainly, Blue Grosbeaks will never be mistaken for their Rose-breasted Grosbeak cousins (photo 6, male, photo 7, female). As a matter of fact, male Rose-breasted Grosbeaks are not likely to ever be mistaken for any other species, and females are only likely to be mistaken for female western Grosbeak species that are not in the eastern United States.

While Blue Grosbeaks breed in central and northern Florida generally north of Lake Okeechobee, I have never seen one in St Lucie County. Their range extends throughout much of the southern part of the United States all the way to California. Our Pennsylvania home north of Philadelphia is just about the northern extent of their range although I have never seen one on our farm. However, they do occur regularly about 30 miles south of us closer to Philadelphia and are quite common at some of our favorite birding spots in Delaware where these photos were taken.

Conversely, Indigo Buntings extend their range all the way north to southern Canada, but do not breed as far west as Blue Grosbeaks. They also can be found year round in Florida and are regular visitors to bird feeding stations all winter in St Lucie County. They also breed on our Pennsylvania farm and are regular visitors to our feeding stations all summer long but not in the winter.

Rose-breasted Grosbeaks also breed on our Pennsylvania farm and are regular visitors to our feeders often bringing their young to feed with them. Unfortunately, they are strictly migrants through Florida as their breeding range extends south only into the Appalachians and north into southern Canada. They winter in Central America and north western South America.  

One of the dangers of writing this column for 10 years now is the risk that I might unwittingly write about a topic I have covered before and even use photos that I have used before. For this I apologize. In checking I found that I wrote about the color blue in birds back in January 2014, (page 185 of the Hart Beat book on-line) and again in August of 2018, (click for pdf ) where a couple of these same Blue Grosbeak photos previously appeared. But since I forgot all about the previous columns and photos I will assume that you, Dear Readers, have also forgotten about them.

For more information about Blue Grosbeaks, see: www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Blue_Grosbeak/id, and abcbirds.org/bird/blue-grosbeak/.

For more information about Indigo Buntings, see last month’s Hart Beat column at: www.stlucieaudubon.org/hart-beat-2022.

For more information about Rose-breasted Grosbeaks, see: www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Rose-breasted_Grosbeak/id, and abcbirds.org/bird/blue-grosbeak/.

HART BEAT: INDIGO BUNTINGS

Indigo Bunting

While Painted Buntings are high on most birders lists of most beautiful birds in North America, breeding plumage male Indigo Buntings (top) are spectacular birds, even if in the process of auditioning to serve as the mascot for “Angry Birds.” Their deep blue coloration is unique among birds as most other small blue species, such as Blue Grosbeaks, Lazuli and Varied Buntings, and Mountain Bluebirds all have other colors mixed in with the blue plumage.

Interestingly, range maps differ on the distribution of Indigo Buntings. For instance, Cornell’s All About Birds shows Indigo Buntings breeding throughout Florida, including the Treasure Coast, and well into the southwest, even to California. Their range maps also have Indigo Buntings barely reaching Canada and wintering strictly in the West Indies and Central America.

The IBird Pro range maps do not show Indigo Buntings reaching the U.S. southwest, but does correctly have them wintering in Florida, particularly along the Treasure Coast. IBird Pro also shows Indigo Buntings just north of the Treasure Coast year-round. In any event, five of the seven photos depicted here were taken on the Treasure Coast in the winter.

While the male Indigo Bunting is a spectacular blue, the female and young are a quite drab brown (photo 2). In the winter on the Treasure Coast, male Indigo Buntings can vary from mostly brown with the slight beginning of some blue (photo 3), to approximately half brown and half blue (photo 4), to mostly blue with only some remaining brown (photo 5), to almost all blue with only spots of brown remaining (photo 6), to completely blue (photo 7), but not the deep rich blue of the ultimate breeding plumage as seen in the lead photo above.

Indigo Buntings are popular feeder birds, enjoying nyger thistle feed, mealworms and white millet. They also eat any number of berries and insects, including Browntail Moth Caterpillars which are covered with noxious hairs that cause nasty rashes and respiratory problems for people but are no problem whatsoever for hungry Indigo Buntings. They nest in fields, woods edges and along roadsides. The female builds the nest while the male may watch but not join in the construction. No comment.

Last month this column compared sparrows to common folk, as opposed to movie stars like Painted Buntings. Breeding plumage male Indigo Buntings are B list movie stars, not quite as flashy as their Painted cousins, but certainly more colorful than sparrows. As Snowbirds, Jewel and I enjoy Indigo Buntings in Florida in the winter and at our Pennsylvania feeders in the summer.

While we enjoy the wonderful benefits of both locations year-round, Indigo Buntings just add to that enjoyment. Kind of like having your cake and eating it too. As I sometimes say, “Wearing shorts and T-shirts year-round.” Now do you have a favorite cliché?

For more information about Indigo Buntings, see: www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Indigo_Bunting/id#

HART BEAT: SWAMPS AND CHIPPIES

Swamp Sparrow

“I just got new hearing aids and now I can hear birds again. To see what I might be hearing I used my Sound ID app on Merlin that records all the bird songs. I was surprised when it recorded a Swamp Sparrow, but then I looked out at my feeder and there was a bird I never saw before. It had a rusty cap and looked just like the Swamp Sparrow picture in the book. Could I actually have had a Swamp Sparrow?” The call came from a Hart Beat Reader and good friend in Maine with whom I speak regularly, so I know he is familiar with most of the birds he sees.

Swamp Sparrows (top) are not common feeder birds, but they do sometimes come to feeders. They can be easily identified by checking the rusty-brown cap, the reddish shoulder patch and the dusky almost dirty seeming breast. Conversely, the other more common feeder bird with a red cap is the Chipping Sparrow (photo 2).

However, Chipping Sparrows should be easily separated from Swamp Sparrows because they are slightly smaller and have a pristine white breast and most significantly, a solid black line through the eyes, with a larger solid white line between the eyes and the rusty cap. In the fall when birds start changing into their winter plumage, Chipping Sparrows lose that distinctive rusty cap and adopt a dull brown head feathering (photo 3). Conversely, Swamp Sparrows, in the winter, maintain their rusty-brown cap but seem to lose some of their rusty coloring on the wings (photo 4).

Both Swamp Sparrows (photo 5 from Viera Wetlands) and Chipping Sparrows are strictly winter birds in Florida, while both species range into Canada in the summer. The year-round range of the Swamp Sparrow extends along the Atlantic coast from Maryland to Long Island and around the eastern Great Lakes - Ontario and Erie.

Conversely, the year-round range for Chipping Sparrows is much farther south, extending through eastern Georgia to North Carolina, and parts of the Gulf Coast in Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana as well as a few spots in Texas. Range maps in the bird books show Chipping Sparrows as a winter resident of Florida, but I have never seen one in Florida and certainly don’t have any photos of one from Florida.

Many birders regard sparrows in general as ho-hum birds that certainly don’t measure up to the more exotic species such as warblers, tanagers, cardinals and the showiest of them all, the Painted Bunting. Nevertheless, they can be a challenge to identify and there is certainly something satisfying about being able to recognize and separate the different sparrow species and know more about them.

It might be like we humans: some are spectacularly beautiful or handsome, but many more are ordinary folk, like sparrows, just going about their business and making the world a more interesting place. Think about it: For every movie star or model there are thousands of the rest of us, sparrows, simply going about our business enjoying life to the fullest. And we would not want it any other way. 

For more information on Swamp Sparrows, see: www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Swamp_Sparrow/id

For more information on Chipping Sparrows, see: www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Chipping_Sparrow/id

For “Seven of the Coolest Sparrows in the United States,” see: abcbirds.org/blog20/coolest-sparrows/