Painted Buntings in demand and decline

As a kid birder, I tried to imagine some day seeing a Painted Bunting. Living in New Jersey and rarely venturing beyond my own neighborhood, this seemed an unlikely possibility. It was only after I got drafted and eventually moved to New Orleans that my dream was realized. I think that most birders remember their first sightings of many species, but for me this event stands out. It was a tantalizing brief glimpse of the unmistakable psychedelic coat of a male bunting, in a park along the Mississippi River.

More recently, I took up photography. Now the Painted Bunting is a favored subject. I have many shots of them at bird feeders, but I strive to capture their image in more natural surroundings. 

There are two breeding populations of Painted Buntings in the US. One occupies a large area centered in "Arklatex" (Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas) and nearby Oklahoma. The other, smaller area is along the southeastern Atlantic coast, from the Carolinas into northern Florida. The western population winters in coastal Mexico and Central America, while we in South Florida enjoy those migrating through the state to Cuba and the Bahamas, many of which remain here all winter.



The eastern population is adversely affected by human development of the coastal wetlands. Their numbers have steadily decreased, dropping by almost two-thirds since 1966. Ref: http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Painted_Bunting/lifehistory

Unfortunately, they are popular cage birds in Latin America and even in Miami. Despite their protection under the Migratory Bird Treaty, they are commonly trapped in south Florida, in residential neighborhoods and even in and immediately outside Everglades National Park. 

 Excerpt from The Danger of Beauty: "Our preliminary data analysis shows that for the domestic trade in Mexico alone, more than 100,000 Painted Buntings were trapped from 1984 through 2000, an average of 5,800 birds per year. This does not include any information on the illegal trade, which is commonplace but very difficult to document..."

A frustrating fact is that if birders find traps or even see them being captured the perpetrators cannot be arrested unless the crime is witnessed by a law enforcement officer. Read more here, with photos of trapped buntings: http://www.tropicalaudubon.org/trapping.html

I have unfairly favored the males in the above images. Females are beautiful in their own right. They are so green that they can sometimes remind one of small parrots.



First year males can resemble the females, so green birds greatly outnumber the brightly colored males in the wetlands near our south Florida home.



A few birds will stray out of their normal range, especially during migration, and they have been reported along the east coast as far north as New York.



I suffer no shortage of pictures of the females!

A caged male Painted Bunting in Cuba, a wild bird in obvious distress:

Penguins Galore in Antarctica: Part I

For those of us residing in the Midwest, the winter of 2013-2014 has been especially harsh. The frigid sub-zero temperatures and continuous record-breaking snowfall have brought memories of my February 2006 Antarctica trip to the forefront. Though birding and photography had yet to become passionate hobbies of mine, I hope readers will find this trip down memory lane of interest.

~  Days 1, 2 & 3 ~

Our adventures began as we departed from Ushuaia, the southern most tip of Argentina. After a day and a half of sailing through the formidable Drake Passage, we geared ourselves up, boarded zodiac boats and motored out to our first destination, Aitcho Island. What captured our attention immediately was the multitude of penguins inhabiting the island. We observed Gentoo and Chinstrap Penguins everywhere, each clustered on their own respective high points. Thousands of downy chicks squawked, shoved and hastily waddled about demanding food from their weary parents. The staff allowed us to explore the island and observe the 14,000 pair of penguins and various other birds such as Southern Giant Petrels, Antarctic Skuas and Snowy Sheathbills.

Gentoo Penguins on Aitcho Island

A Gentoo Penguin parent feeds its insistent, hungry offspring

A gathering of aptly named Chinstrap Penguins atop a cliff overlooking the Southern Ocean (the red tinged terrain is the result of penguin guano and krill droppings)

Two guano stained Chinstrap chicks seek regurgitated krill from the parent penguin

A Snowy Sheathbill wanders on the craggy island surface

Snowy Sheathbills are Antarctica's only land-based bird. An opportunistic scavenger, these birds will eat almost anything they can locate and/or steal. Snatching foods from penguins is a common practice. Snowy Sheathbills also forage along the shoreline seeking fish, invertebrates, carcasses and any other scrap or refuse they can find.

An Antarctic Skua on the mossy island of Aitcho

During breeding season, these very aggressive birds are known for stealing food from other birds (petrels and albatross) in midair and also preying on penguin eggs and vulnerable penguin chicks. Some skuas can be found hanging around seal and sea lion colonies. They feed on placentas, deceased pups and feces.

~ Day 4 ~

The next day we entered the eastern side of the Antarctic Peninsula, an area known for its spectacular scenery. Our first landing was at Paulet Island where we observed many small icebergs and blue bergy bits that had eroded into interesting shapes. On this island, we had a chance to wander around and see vast numbers of hungry Adélie Penguins. The chicks would solicit food from almost any adult penguin that passed their way, but the adults only feed their own offspring. Sometimes the adult penguins would run from their own chicks in order to avoid the hungry mouths of unrelated youngsters. In turn, the blood related chick joins the chase attempting to obtain its daily dose of requisite sustenance. The result is a hilarious helter-skelter sprint around the rookery until the parent eventually relents and allows the chicks to feed. 

Adélie Penguins and spectacular scenery observed from Paulet Island

At lunch we anchored at Brown Bluff. There we took note of many Weddell and Fur Seals hauled out on the beach. Weddell Seals are true ice seals that spend their whole lives in the Antarctic. Once again, we observed an abundance of penguins. In early February, the young penguins start to molt their baby chick feathers, thus they sport very silly looking Mohawk and shag hairstyles.

An Adélie Penguin shows off its distinctive white eye ring

Adélie Penguin chicks in various stages of the molting process

Another breathtaking scene

Two Fur Seals soak up the sun

A snoozing Weddell Seal enjoys a lazy day

Adélie Penguins romp around the blue ice sculptures

~ Day 5 ~

Our next excursion took us to Mikkelson Harbor where we stepped onto a rocky island filled with Gentoo Penguins and Fur and Leopard Seals. Hundreds of huge bleached whale bones littered the shore creating an interesting texture to the landscape.

Gentoo Penguins waddle along the shoreline of Mikkelson Harbor

Exploring the scattered whale bones ~ Gentoo Penguin chicks

Two very photogenic subjects ~ Fur Seal and Antarctic Skua

Later in the day, we boarded the boats and set off on our first zodiac tour. This excursion took place in a pristine area known as the "Iceberg Graveyard". It was filled with gorgeous icebergs of every shape and size. Each berg looked like a stunning work of art, one more intricately carved than the next. On our zodiacs, we wove in and out through the wind-carved sculptures, gasping in awe at the breathtaking sights.

One of the many seals seen lounging atop ice formations

To be continued ...

Please check back on March 2nd for a post on the second part of my spectacular trip to Antarctica.

Post by Julie Gidwitz
Nature's Splendor ~ http://naturessplendor-julie.blogspot.com/

Birding the Aribabi Conservation Ranch

After finishing up my Panama series, I thought I'd bring birders a little closer to the US border.  Now I know that Mexico hasn't had a lot of great press lately so hear me out:)  Arizonan birders are very lucky to be surrounded by great states like California, New Mexico, Utah, Colorado, and Nevada.  But so many people often forget the "other" state located just a few hours south of Tucson.  In my next series, I will highlight two places that are must visits in the state of Sonora, Mexico. There are certainly more, but these places are VERY close to Arizona....and full of great birds!

This horse blocked my path to the nesting Rose-throated Becard!

Safety first!  Mexico has had a bad rap for several years and quite honestly, it's for good reason. HOWEVER, there are many areas that are actually safer than some of the birding spots in the US! The two places I'm writing about in the next BIF posts are safe and friendly locales full of great birds for the international birder.  And yet still, I will offer some advice from my 20-some odd years of travel to this country. 1.  Keep up with the local news from around the area. 2. Go with a group.  3. Drive during the day  4.  Arrive at the ranch and enjoy beauty. Why all the effort? For people searching US rarities like the Rose-throated Becard, it's rather nice to know that a several hour drive south from Tucson beyond the border will most likely get these birds on that life list.  For each time of year, something different may be hanging out around the ranch. This report is from July of 2013. The Rose-throated Becard was not seen around Southern Arizona this year.  But they were definitely at Aribabi Ranch.  There was a huge nest hanging over the river nearby.

Rose-throated Becard(female)

So today we are driving 40 minutes south of the US border to Aribabi Ranch.  You will need a passport, high clearance vehicle for a small bit of off-roading, and a cooler full of goodies.  Think of it as a nicer camping excursion with showers and a bed:)  On this trip, a fellow birder and myself were asked to join a tracking team and find birds.  Since this was a new area to scout, we couldn't say no.  This was an opportunity for exploration. 

Rufous Hummingbird

We had studied the birds that might be found around the area and it was rather exciting.  Many of these birds are rare to uncommon in Southern Arizona, but here at the ranch, they were regulars.  Violet-crowned Hummingbird, 5-Striped Sparrow, Rose-throated Becard, Thick-billed Kingbird, Buff-collared Nightjar, Green Kingfisher and Sinaloa Wren were some of the birds that we might chance observing. So sleeping was a challenge.  These exciting finds kept us tossing and turning throughout the night as we waited with anticipation for dawn's early light.  And when the morning arrived, we were up scouting rock, river and canyon.

Violet-crowned Hummingbird

Of course this ranch is also a highlight for wildlife trackers and many others because it hosts an amazing assortment of bugs, amphibians, reptiles and mammals like the elusive Jaguar! And we didn't have to go far to find this Violet-crowned Hummingbird.  We put the feeders up right outside our place and they came.  One of the first hummers to the feeder was the above bird. The Violet-crowned reminds me of a dolphin with wings because of the clean white breast and blue-gray back.  But that's just me:)

The ranch is also home to a wide variety of habitats including mesquite forest, a riparian area with an active stream, canyon area, and desert.

Green Kingfisher

Much to his delight(and mine), it didn't take my birding bud long to find the Green Kingfisher.  Everyone was excited by this incredibly beautiful bird.  I myself was hoping for a good look at the Five-striped Sparrows.  Sometimes, they can be very tricky to locate  in Southern Arizona around areas like Peña Blanca Lake or Montosa Canyon. At the ranch they were behind our bedroom all along the hillside. In fact, it was the most common sparrow found around the area.

Five-striped Sparrow- a little pic fun....do you see it?:)

There were Black and Turkey Vultures around an area. Of course, this is a sign that something is dead or dying.  It was rather exciting to see them posing like this on a branch.  Classic vulture shot:)

Turkey Vultures

And no matter how hard I try, I can't resist taking pics of Cardinals or this Black Phoebe.  It's one of "those" birds that has a huge fan following:) So when the moment happens......

Black Phoebe

During the monsoon weather, the sky is quite dramatic teasing the vegetation with Happy Hour....or Minutes:)  In this region, rain can be expected at regular intervals every afternoon/early evening.

a meadow near the stream

Several important things to consider while birding during the summer here.  Bring sunblock, a hat, plenty of water and long pants to keep the chigger bites to a minimum.  However while we were there, I didn't have any issues.  These are just general birder guidelines anywhere we go during those hot summer months along riparian areas both in Southern Arizona and throughout Mexico and Central America. 

Thick-billed Kingbird

While walking around a pasture, we easily spot a Thick-billed Kingbird.  It's much lighter and larger than the other Kingbirds.

Nearby Mission Cocospera

Of course, there were others in our party who were studying other critters like reptiles, amphibians, etc. And I learned a thing or two about snakes, frogs and bugs.

Red-spotted Toad

This area has a high concentration of insects which made for a healthy population of birds and amphibians near the river. 

Lowland Leopard Frog

We hoped to find a Happy Wren, but were thrilled to find this Sinaloa Wren.  If you follow specialty birds around the US, you may notice that ­¡TWO! Sinaloa Wrens have been hanging around Southern Arizona over these past several months.  These wrens prefer washes and streams......and are rather vocal at times. Many times they can be difficult to see as they weave like a mouse through leaves and branches. We had to study up on this one because it looks quite similar to the Bewick's Wren.  Now after observing them over the past several months, I actually find this wren quite distinct.  At the time, it was a life bird for both of us in the photo below and it was important to recognize their call and behavior.

Sinaloa Wren

Bleary eyed after my trip to Guatemala, I woke up one morning and birded in my pajamas around the property and ran into an angry mother javelina.  I am so focused on the birds that I forget to look around me at times. In the case of this javelina, I saw 8 walk past me on the trail so I waited from a distance. When all was clear, I moved forward.  Suddenly a mother popped out on the trail with her two little ones.  This time I was only feet away from her......and she growled.  Alone, I began to consider my options.  Javelina have poor eyesight and there was a concrete block I could run and jump on.  If she tried biting me, I'd have to punch her in the nose. Luckily, none of that happened.  I slowly backed away keeping my eyes on the cute little babies.....and Mom.  She growled again.  Still too close.  I backed away further and she continued across the road allowing me a quick pic to remember the experience. Everyone was still waking up and I was alone not too far from the ranch:)

An angry momma Javelina

During the break from the summer heat, we'd sit on the wonderful shaded patio and watch birds, snakes and critters.

Canyon Towhee

We'd see so many birds up close and personal.

Yellow-billed Cuckoo

We are looking again to schedule another birding mission during migration.  I believe this area will host some of the most amazing warblers and hummingbirds in the upcoming months.  The weather should be perfect for birding. 

Yellow-breasted Chat

For more information, check out their link here.  Contact information is on their website.  We planned this trip several months in advance and were so glad we did.  The owner is a very friendly man who cares deeply for the environment. The ranch is an important study site for both the US and Mexico as Jaguars do pass through the area.  We felt safe and our group had a great time out in the field.   I hope you'll join Birding is Fun again when we explore a popular beach destination for Arizonans in Rocky Point, Mexico. We'll visit "Bird" Island and comb the beaches for those wonderful feathered feathered friends of ours.  Until next time.....Happy Birding!!