The American Robin

A well known, well loved, classic beautiful bird!  

If you think about it, the American Robin epitomizes what most North Americans think of when they consider song birds, nesting birds, and especially bird eggs.  Three states (CT, MI, WI) have it as their state bird.  It is one popular bird!

I love watching them strut the ground feeling the vibrations of subterranean worms.  They cock their heads as if listening or looking with one eye for worms.  What is that all about anyway?

The Crossley ID Guide...some additional thoughts

Aside from the purpose and intent of Crossley's ID Guide mentioned in my previous post...

...Here are some things I really like about this bird guide:

1.  The Size Guide - shows bird families together on one page, pictured by relative size.  What a great way to focus on and learn overall size and shape.  Size guides like this are especially helpful for species like gulls.

2.  The best Bird Topography guide I have ever seen.  On four pages, Crossley uses eleven different birds to point out all the parts and pieces.  Most guides only have one or two birds depicted - obligatorily squeezed onto a page.  (Stokes does have nine species on six pages, which is also really well done.)

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3.  This guide contains more images of birds than any other to date.  Birds are depicted in close-ups and varying distances, even to specs in the sky.  This is very helpful.

4.  Birds are depicted in probable habitat scenarios.  You can see how they perch, fly, wade, or feed in a natural setting.  This may not be accurate across a birds entire range, but good enough to convey the idea.

5.  Each bird photo shown is there for a reason.  Richard, or his staff, have taken the time to crop and manipulate each bird image.  They wouldn't have gone to the effort without something to teach by each one.  It is up to us to figure out what we can learn from it.  Sometimes another species shown on the same page.  It helps you understand the proportions and relative size.

6.  Crossley doesn't include much in the way of vocalizations, and he even says he ended up including more than he originally intended to.  I agree with Crossley that trying to teach vocalizations through a field guide is of little or no use.  The most effective method I have participated in for learning bird vocalizations was in John C. Robinson's webinars.  He would show his written out mnemonic, sing/say it how he knows it, then play a recording of the real bird call.  Only then was I able to learn the vocalization and see how I could apply it myself in the field.  Now this method of teaching mnemonic and bird vocalizations could be done in a digital format.

Some things I'd like to see improved on the next edition:

1.  Maps - the maps are pretty good, but I still prefer Sibley's map showing migration.  I am still hoping for all field guide creators to use a uniform system for color coding.  I am also still anxious for the day that a field guide author says "I used eBird data to help me create the range maps".

2.  It's kind of weird seeing photos of people in a field guide.  I figure Crossley was paying homage to a few old birding friends or something by including them in the backgrounds.  Its just weird!  (Since writing that, I have heard and read that one dude was a stranger he had known all of 20 minutes, and his daughters are in there too.  Who are the guys on the boat?)

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3.  Okay, so maybe a few plates are a little too busy or the background is too strong for my eyes to concentrate, for example the Rufous Hummingbird.  Crossley did say he was going after reality and the reality of nature is that the background can sometimes be busy.  Regardless, I think the plates are eye-catching and artistic and beg me to stare and study them.

4.  I love Rick Wright's idea of making this a digital guide.  I see it being a perfect tool for things like the iPad or other similar tablets.  Cell phone apps would probably be too small to be really useful as a workbook.  Crossley mentioned in his interview on the BirdChick podcast that he one day sees video-ID Giudes.  I could totally see that on an iPad.  Wouldn't that be cool!

Conclusion:


I really enjoy this new take on teaching birding skills through a workbook scenario.  The Crossley ID Guide is beautiful, captivating, and a real gem.  You'd better hurry up and get one now and bone up on those warblers!

The Crossley ID Guide...a workbook for all birders!

I regularly listen to a very eclectic assortment of music online at Pandora.com.  A very amusing and perhaps a serendipitous omen occurred when I opened Richard Crossley's new bird guide.  The song playing on Pandora at the very moment I cracked open the book was Frank Sinatra singing "My Way".

Way back 1967, ten years before I was born, Paul Anka sought to delve into Sinatra's mind as he penned the words to "My Way".  Similarly, I have been trying to get into Richard Crossley's head to understand his perspective and approach to this "revolutionary" bird guide.  Let's take a look at the words of the song, with a few minor word changes as if Richard Crossley himself were here singing to the birding world:

And now, my guide is here,
And so I face the open curtain.
My friends, I'll say it clear;
I'll state my case of which I'm certain.
I've photo'd every bird - 
I've traveled each and every highway.
And more, much more than this,
I did it my way.
Regrets? I've had a few,
But then again, too few to mention.
I did what I had to do
And saw it through without exemption.
I planned each plate of course -
Each careful pose, behavior display,
And more, much more than this,
I did it my way.
Yes, there were times, I'm sure you knew,
When I bit off more than I could chew,
But through it all, when there was doubt,
I ate it up and spit it out.
I faced it all and I stood tall
And did it my way.
I've loved, I've laughed and cried,
I've had my fill - my share of musing.
But now, as tears subside,
I find it all so amusing.
To think I did all that,
And may I say, not in a shy way -
Oh no. Oh no, not me.
I did it my way.
For what is a man? What has he got?
If not the birds - Then he has naught.
To make a guide he truly feels
And caring not to who it appeals.
The record shows I took the blows
And did it my way.
Yes, it was my way.

Richard Crossley certainly created this bird guide his way...and I like it!

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The Crossley ID Guide has already been subject to thorough examination by dozens of reviewers and bird bloggers like me.  Being a little late to the review game of this particular guide I wanted to present a unique perspective rather than a traditional review.  I've watched the author's video clips online and now have read the introductory text with highlighter in hand.  As I review the reviewers - with all due respect to my online birding friends whose reviews have generally been positive and in favor of this new bird guide - almost none of of them seemed to fully grasp Richard's Crossley's intent and purpose of how to use his guide.  I read a lot of  "the plates are too busy", "the book is too big to take in the field", "I wouldn't use this as my first choice to identify a bird I saw in the field", and "the lighting on each individual bird is not consistent on the page".  None of them seemed to expound on what and how Crossley intended the ID Guide to be used.  May I present my interpretation of Crossley's intent and I how I recommend we use this book?

"...the principal reason for its design is to be interactive with the reader - much like a workbook at school"           - Richard Crossley

In one early promotional video clip, Crossly talked about how most field guides are like a cheat sheet to a test; all the answers are given you.  His guide is rather a study workbook that prepares a birder for the test in the field.  This workbook is a useful tool to birders of all levels, and will increase your skills and ability to look at birds closely.

The following is how I believe The Crossley ID Guide is intended to be used:

For Beginning Birders:

From your birding mentor or from eBird, obtain a list of the 30 or so most common birds in your area for the season you are currently in.  Then heft your huge new copy of The Crossley ID Guide onto your desk to look up a few of the birds less known to you.  You can find the helpful index of common names starting on page 526.  Go to the page that bird is found on and study the photos. Don't read the text yet!

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On a note pad, write down what you observe about the size and shape of the bird.  What kind of habitat is shown in the photo? What clues about behavior do you see in the photos?  Finally, make notes about color pattern focusing on dark versus light patterns rather that the colors themselves.  Pay attention to how the bird appears perched and in flight.  Study the differences between males, females, and juveniles of each species. You might even consider trying to sketch what you see in the book because this will train your mind to look harder and more thoroughly.  Okay, now you can read the succinct text.  How do your notes compare to Crossley's?

Leaving the book at home, have your birding mentor take you to where you can see these specific birds.  No spoon-feeding allowed!  Your mentor is not allowed to identify any birds, but can help you find them.  Make sure you take your note pad and pencil.

"I believe that all experts have taken detailed field notes, which is simply the best foundation for becoming a good or great field birder"           - Richard Crossley

On a fresh page of your notebook go through the same process you did when you were using the The Crossley ID workbook at home - taking notes and thinking in this order: Size, Shape, Habitat, Behavior, and Color Pattern.  Add notes about any sounds the bird makes.  If you made "a prolonged effort" at home using the workbook, by the time you go into the field, identification of the bird was probably pretty easy.

For Intermediate and Experienced Birders:

When you are going to a location where you expect to see birds you don't know well or new life birds, before you go, study those birds in The Crossley ID Guide exactly as explained above for beginning birders.  When you are in the field, take notes.  When you are back in your car, hotel, or back at home, then break out your favorite field guide or bird reference book and compare your notes to theirs.  You will be amazed at how much your ability to look at a bird and therefore positively identify that bird has improved!

For Expert Birders that already know everything:

Buy this guide book to add to your expansive library of books containing everything you already know and let it collect dust.....OR...Give The Crossley ID Guide as a gift to a beginning birder and teach them how to look at birds using the Crossley method I've described above.

Concluding thoughts:

"...look at a bird for what it is rather than what someone else tells you it is supposed to be."           - Richard Crossley

I know that this method of learning actually works well.  Being an avid follower of birding blogs, over the last couple of years I have been exposed to hundreds of photos depicting birds I was unfamiliar with.  Last fall, when I traveled the east coast for a few months, I was surprised at how quickly I was able to identify birds I have never seen in real life before and without the aid of a field guide.  I confirmed the i.d. in the field guide in my car later, but didn't use the guide to help me look at the bird.

In an upcoming post, I will talk more about the features of The Crossley ID Guide.  I hope this is not, nor do I expect it will be, Crossley's final curtain.  Richard, keep doing it your way!

Special thanks to Princeton University Press for providing me a review copy.  The Crossley ID Guide can be purchased online for as little as $20.58.

Backyard Birding: Cedar Waxwings

Each day during the last week, I've been blessed with hundreds of Cedar Waxwings in my big backyard tree.  There is a dense grove of pine trees in the adjoining backyard, with a couple of cedar trees loaded with cedar berries.  A dozen Waxwings at a time will fly down into the cedar tree, eat some berries then zip back up to a perch in my tree, almost like they have meal shifts.

I've been searching through the large flock carefully hoping I might find a Bohemian Waxwing.  So far, no luck, but I am always happy to "settle" for Cedar Waxwings which are among the most sleek and beautiful of all birds.

I am reminded of the time when I took my family to Fort Boise WMA to see the Snow Geese.  There were two large trees overhanging the dirt road ahead of us chock-full of Cedar Waxwings.  I pulled up underneath the tree and opened my sunroof for a better view. Big mistake! Suddenly it started to rain, but it wasn't water. Some of the grossest bird droppings I had ever seen fell into our hair and all over, inside and out, of the family minivan. My wife was not well pleased.

Banded Goose Info

While visiting the Gilbert Water Ranch in Arizona in January, I photographed a pair of Canada Geese that had metal leg bands and plastic collars.  The collars were easily readable, so I submitted them to USGS.  Reporting banded birds is important to help track bird movement patterns.  Its also fun and interesting when they send you back a certificate with what they know of that particular bird.

Kind of a funny looking face that C88 is making.  Not to worry folks...the collar isn't choking the goose.  I have several other photos of it and it looks just fine. I just happened to get a photo of it sticking his tongue out at me.

C51 was right there near C88

I assume that C51 was banded at the same time and at the same place as C88.  So, while I hoped to uncover some long distance migration story, it turned out that they had migrated from the north to the south...all the way south from Scottsdale, AZ to Gilbert, AZ, a whopping 15 miles or so as the Goose flys.

Regardless of the lack of migrating distance drama, it is still interesting.  The geese were banded a year and half ago by the Arizona Game & Fish Department.  I have read that many Canada Geese are year-round residents and don't migrate.  I suppose if these geese were still in the scorching heat of Phoenix in June when they were banded, they would have to be residents.  I'd like to invite them to enjoy a cooler summer in Utah or Idaho.

I recently found another banded Canada Goose in my new Patch.  I was only able to see the numbers 8-1626 on the leg band.  USGS sent me a note back that they were unable to find its banding history based on the partial number.  Bummer!

So folks, next time you are out birding and see a banded, tagged, or collared bird, try and get that number and report it.  The banders will appreciate it and you can enjoy learning about it too.

How a Chickadee Eats!

I've been trying for the last couple of months to photograph how a Black-capped Chickadee eats.  They cautiously approach the feeder, grab a seed, and dart back into the bush where they break open or mash up the seed into bite-sized pieces while clutching the seed with their feet.  Its fun watching their antics with binoculars, but I wanted to see what else I could learn from still photos.  Because they ensconce themselves into the thickest part of the bush for safety while eating, getting photos has been nearly impossible for me.  But finally this evening one little Chickadee granted me a small opening between branches for some photos in the setting sunlight.

Hungry, this Black-capped Chickadee has grabbed a seed that is a little more than a mouthful.  See how it has the seed pinched between its two feet?

By pecking and crushing the seed against the branch it is able to break off bite-sized pieces.  Look at that cute little pink tongue!  My eyes weren't fast enough to see that through binoculars.

Ever wary of predators, the Chickadee stops eating often to have a quick look around before taking another bite.

"Pardon me sir, you seem to have a bit of food on your lip," says I.
"I'm a bird you fool.  I haven't any plump fleshy lips like you land-bound bipeds."

"Do you like sea food?  Get it? SEE food!", he puerilely jokes as he munches on the remaining masticated portion of the seed.

And when it was all done eating, he licked his lips...I mean bill...then stuck out his tongue at me and said, "This $14 a box premium bird seed from Costco is pretty high quality stuff.  You don't mind if I help myself to another serving do you!"

After I took these photos, my two oldest kids and I tried to tempt this chickadee and his friends into eating from our hands.  One chickadee came within a foot of Anne's hand and seemed to be thinking really hard about it before giving up and taking the easy seed from the hanging platform feeder.  We'll have to keep trying to hand-feed them until they get used to us.

My new birding patch

A continuation of the previous post about how to pick a patch for birding...

Check out the photo captions and see how I employed my selection criteria even in the middle of winter and without help from local birders to identify this as a place with birding potential.  I'll also discuss the advantages and disadvantages of my new birding patch.

I found this new birding patch by using Google maps and looking for water and trees within a reasonable distance of my Salt Lake office.  The bends in the river and the public trail made it look promising for being a good birding location before I ever visited.

On my short drive to my new patch there is an old now unused pasture.  In the last months I've seen Red-tailed Hawks,  Canada Geese, Black-billed Magpies, and hundreds of Rock Pigeons and European Starlings here.  I lump this area into my patch as it adjacent to the trail, but only viewable from the drive in.

The trailhead starts at General Holm Park which is traditional community park with playset, picnic shelter, and perpetually closed restrooms.  I don't spend much time birding here, but I have seen several species including the geese in this photo, Northern Flickers, Yellow-rumped Warblers, and Dark-eyed Juncos.

Trailhead sign, complete with hoodlum spray-painted "tags". I'm sure General Holm could have whipped those boys into shape!

Magpie nest in the trees.  There are dozens of them here...a good sign that birds do inhabit this area.  Magpie nests are often used by other birds.  I have already found these trees occupied by Robins, Chickadees, Brown Creepers, Downy Woodpeckers, and Flickers.

Nice patch of dense scrub brush, trees, and pines.  I've already found these types of patches full of Juncos, White-crowned Sparrows, Spotted Towhees, Yellow-rumped Warblers, and more.

Every patch has something unique that gives it character like this section of leaning trees. I tried for some time to get a close-up of a Brown Creeper right in those trees and I never got a single photo.

A nice patch of sage brush along the trail which gives some nice variety to the habitat.

The Jordan River winds its way through my new birding patch.  There seems to be plenty of willows and cottonwoods along its banks.  I've seen Belted Kingfisher hunting its waters and few species of waterfowl floating its surface, while Bald Eagles fly over head.  I like that the trail provides me an elevated view

Some open areas above which perch American Kestrels hunting for voles and deer mice.

I knew the Jordan River was directly west of my office, and I was delighted to discover a park and trail head as I zoomed in on the online map. It was important for the location to be within a 5 minute drive so that I could spend an enjoyable amount of time birding rather than driving.  This location is 1.7 miles from my office.  If you can find a birding patch within walking distance, even better!

I could tell that this location was publicly accessible, and there was safe parking.  Sometimes you will find on the map places that you know are perfect birding locations, but when you arrive, you discover that they are private property with no public access or that the place is just to darn scary to park or walk.

This trail gets used by walkers, joggers, cyclists, and dog walkers.  I have found everyone to be courteous and friendly and they have not interfered with my birding.  I am concerned with the apartments which are right above the bank of trees and brush where the birds seem to congregate in poorer weather.  Really, I'm just afraid that people will look down from their windows and see this strange dude looking up in their general direction with binoculars or a camera.  It is important for birders to be sensitive to concerns about peeping and avoid false accusations.  A couple of annoyances I have about my new birding patch is the amount of litter and of feral or neighborhood cats.  Birding patches may also have other dangers, for example this location has a steep river bank that collapses regularly, so it is wise to stay on the trail.

I've added this location to the eBird Hotspots and I signed up to participate in eBird's My Patch program.  This page tells you what your life, year, and month list is for your patch, and it ranks your patch in comparison with other participants (if you care about such competitions..and sometimes I do).

My eBird bar chart for this location is well underway with 27 species.  Darn it!  I missed the first two weeks January and the first two week of February, so I won't be able to have a complete bar chart until next year.  I may miss another week or two during the year, but after a couple years I should have a great bar chart giving anyone a pretty good understanding of the comings and goings of birds in my patch.

I am excited about the birding possibilities at my new birding patch.  I'm sure my blog will include posts and photos of my lunch-hour birding adventures here.  I'll keep you updated on the species I see there.

How to pick a patch! ...for birding

My new Utah lunch-hour birding patch - Jordan River Parkway trail system.

Every birder should have his or her own special birding patch or two.  A birding patch is a place a birdwatcher can visit regularly, know intimately, and enjoy deeply.

When I lived in Arizona, my Saturday morning birding patch was the Granite Reef Recreation Area along the Salt River just a minute's drive from my home.  My lunch-hour patch was the Desert Botanical Garden near my office.  In Idaho, for a time we officed along the Boise River in the Eagle area, so my lunch-hour birding patch was a stretch of trails along the river there starting at Merrill Park.  When we moved our home and office into the Boise foothills to the Avimor community, all the creeks and hills in the area became my birding patch.

Now that I've moved to Utah, I am starting fresh and needing to find my own birding patch.  I have a method for picking a new birding patch, but never written it out until now.  Here's how to pick a patch for birding:

Step One:  Use Online Maps

By locating my office on Google Maps (red-box with yellow "x"), I then looked for dark green (trees) and water near it on the satellite image (I added the green border).  I have used this method to discover dozens of great local birding hotspots.  Short driving and walking distance is important as it will dramatically increase the frequency with which you can visit the site.

You will need to find out by the map, or by visiting the site if it is publicly accessible and safe.  I am not one to shy away from asking private land owners if I can have on-going permission to visit their property.  Some say no, but many are proud of the habitat they have or have created and are delighted to know somebody might be interested in looking at birds on their land.

Step Two: Visit the Site

Look for the key characteristics of topography and habitat that are conducive to a bird's lifestyle:  Food, Water, Shelter, Nesting.  Even in winter, you can still identify a potentially great birding location just by knowing what to look for.

Well groomed parks with lots of grass and spaced out trees don't often have very many birds.  Parks can be good if they have plenty of "wild" habitat zones.  Brush and shrubs in combination with trees of varying sizes with some amount of density provide greater food sources and shelter.  I prefer ecosystems that have both coniferous and deciduous trees just because I think it increases the variety of birds I will see.  Trees with natural or woodpecker-made cavities is always a good sign.  If you see nests in the trees and shrubs, you'll know you have a decent birding patch.  Having water nearby is essential.  I love trails along good flowing creeks or slow moving small rivers.  Ponds and lakes are always nice too.  Man-made canals with dirt road banks aren't usually very good for a large variety of birds.

When I visit the site, another thing I am looking for is the ease of bird viewing what I call "viewing windows".  I've been to some places loaded with birds, but it was so frustrating because you couldn't see any of the birds.  The reeds, trees, or bushes were just too thick and blocked any view of the birds.  Because of this, I like to bird at places that give me a somewhat elevated view, where I can look down into the trees, brush, and water.  Decent trails and ease of walking and hiking the area are also very important.

Elevated view over the trees, shrubs, and water.  

Step Three:  Add the location to eBird... 

...and start submitting a checklist to eBird for every visit your patch.  If the location is public, please consider adding it as an eBird Hotspot.  Public or private, you can add it as your Patch on eBird to join in a friendly comparison to other birder's special patches.

The data you collect over time will provide you with fascinating information for your own pleasure, but it also contributes to science.  Whenever I establish a new birding patch I try to visit the location at least weekly so that my eBird bar chart will be 100% covered for the entire year.

A snippet of the bar chart from my Avimor Patch in Idaho.  It shows that I have submitted a checklist for each week of the year.  If you've missed a week, that week's column will be grayed out, giving you motivation to make sure and bird your patch that week the next year.

It is so cool to be able to see the comings and goings of the birds through your patch and to have evidence of it on an eBird bar chart.  Over time it will help you anticipate the arrivals and departures of the migrants.  You can also look for trends in the abundance of species throughout the year.

My next post will be about my new lunch-hour birding patch in Salt Lake City, Utah and how I used this method to select it and track it.


Please feel free to share in the comments what criteria you have for selecting your birding patches.  From my experience in the eastern United States last fall, the strategy may be a little different.

Always be birding!

My new job has me bound to a desk with three computer monitors staring me in the face at all times.  These screens each have a separate program up which allows me to efficiently manage a couple hundred home repairs in the eastern half of the United States...all with the clicks of my wireless mouse and a few key strokes on my ergonomic keyboard.

Recently, a property came up to bid in Salt Lake, just five blocks from my office so I was asked to oversee the repair bidding process on this home.  I was so excited for the opportunity to break free from the cubical farm and have a little field time.  I had an appointment to meet a heating contractor and in my haste to get out of the office I arrived five minutes early.  I discovered the yard to be severely overgrown as it had been abandoned for about a year, but the birds were plentiful.  I thought I'd play a little game and see how many bird species I could see before my contractor arrived.  My binoculars were left at home that day (a terrible mistake for anyone who truly calls oneself a birder), so this was going to be bare-naked birding at its is best!

Here's how the game went down:

A half dozen House Sparrows in the front rose bushes right off the bat.
I did a little pishing in the front yard..........nothin'.  Movin' on.
When I walked around to the backyard, instantly a whole flurry of wing-beats erupted almost from under my feet...Three Red-shafted Northern Flickers, a few California Quail, and a dozen American Robins.
The Oregon Dark-eyed Juncos and the male Downy Woodpecker didn't seem to mind me being next to their brush pile.  I enjoyed watching the Juncos up close as they hopped around scratching for food like little chickens.  The Downy zoomed up and down short little branches protruding from the brush pile just feet from me.
This backyard abutted another large untamed yard where House Finches and European Starlings frolicked in the shrubs.
I thought that would be all the birds I would see, but just as my appointment arrived, a flock of Canada Geese flew noisily overhead.
Bam! Nine species in just a four short minutes. At lunchtime I submitted the checklist to eBird.

I had my camera with me to photograph the property, so I snapped a few shots of the birds while I played my little game.  Here are a couple photos that were decent enough to share...

Male Downy Woodpecker with the fantastic red patch on the back of his head.

A majestic American Robin seeking worms in the leaf litter freshly exposed to sunshine after a snow melt.

I'm not sure if this is a 1st year Robin or a female, but I thought the texture on its belly and throat was pretty neat.

House Sparrow in the overgrown rose bush.  Even House Sparrows are fun when playing this little game.

Live the birder's mantra and Always Be Birding!

 (I've been inspired to play this little game regularly after reading Pete Dunne's articles "Ten Birds for Walter" and "Friendly Skies" in Birder's World Magazine, now called BirdWatching.)

Gilbert Water Ranch: Ground-doves

My life bird Ruddy Ground-dove!

I believe this is a Common Ground-dove, but I do have some reservations that make me question the i.d..  The head doesn't show any scaliness.  The picture below shows the rufous primaries that both Ruddy Ground-doves, Common Ground-doves, and Inca's have.  The bill as seen in the photograph doesn't have a pinkish or orange color as shown in Sibley's, but it is close enough in color to those shown in photographs in Stokes'.  The tail looks a bit long for a Common in the photo below, but the color pattern is right.  Hmmm...a lighter colored Ruddy Ground-dove? a hybrid perhaps?  Any Ground-dove experts out there?

Rufous wing feathers shown in flight

Below are Ground-dove range maps according to eBird recording sightings.  I am very excited about all the Central and South America sightings showing up in eBird.  Over time, this will significantly increase our understanding of where our birds go during the North American winter.

You can see that the two species of Ground-dove have a similar range, but the Ruddy doesn't get into North America all that frequently.  Inca Doves share similar range and habitat to Common Ground-doves.  I was priviledged to have Inca Doves visit my yard regularly when we lived in Mesa, AZ.