Common Merganser - Preening

As Yogi Berra said, "You can see a lot by looking...". Often I see even more by taking a photo, as when in the field our eyes are drawn to the most obvious/attractive features of the subject and we may overlook or ignore some interesting subtleties.

On a recent trip to the Las Gallinas Ponds 4 adult male Common Mergansers vied for resting space on the guano-covered pipe, and one of them provided an entertaining display by actively preening. I counted 18 rectricies (tail feathers).

I was mesmerized by the feather display, with wings half spread and tail fully fanned. Viewing the photos later I saw how the uppertail coverts were partly erected. Most of my photos showed even more of what was hidden underneath at the base of the tail, as shown below. Also check out the toothy grin.

Whoa! Not sure I liked what the photos revealed, until it suddenly clicked that when birds preen they often reach back to rub their bill on the preen (uropygial) gland at the base of the tail, collecting oily/waxy secretions that can be spread on the feathers while preening, perhaps to reduce wear and provide water-proofing. This  can be best accomplished if the feathers overlying the gland are lifted up.

You may not enjoy a closer view, so you can skip this last shot, cropped from the above.

Geez, only took me 20 years of watching birds to finally see this important feature!

Gadwall - Anas strepera

Maybe I like the duck family because they're so easy to identify, as least regarding the male ducks, a.k.a. drakes. Female ducks are often called hens, but strangely enough they are all called "ducks".

The gray duck here is known as the Gadwall, Anas strepera - one of my favorites. The unaided eye sees him as a duck with gray body and head, black butt, and sometimes a white patch toward the rear (the "speculum", or the secondary inner wing feathers, seen well in flight).

Las Gallinas is a reliable spot for seeing Gadwalls, either in the slough along the west end or on the ponds themselves, especially pond #3. A slow walk will allow one to see them close at hand, as with this one on Dec. 29:

​

The black and white feathers on the breast form a pattern of shingles, whereas those on the side and flank are seen as wavy lines that are called vermiculations. Most striking of all are the delicate feathers on the back, known as scapulars, and the long silvery feathers toward the rear that are the tertials (innermost wing feathers). The bill of the male is a plain dark gray.

The side view, taken seconds later, gives a better profile of the smallish bill and the not-quite-round head, along with the dark gray wingtips (primaries).

​

Saw this young male Gadwall (Anas strepera) at Las Gallinas a few years ago. He was swimming with a female Gadwall, and I was struck by the fact that his head looked more like a female's, as it lacked the unusual male Gadwall's "puffy" profile, and the bill had orange on the sides like that of a female. 

The vermiculated pattern on the flanks has not fully developed.  So this makes him a hatch year male.

Here's another mature male from Las Gallina, with dark bill and a more typical profile.

Anna's Hummingbird - Calypte anna

We may not have a great variety of hummingbirds, but we do have an abundance of Anna's Hummingbirds, a species that has flourished and extended its range as homeowners install feeders and plant ornamental flowers.

Anna's are present year round in our Mediterranean climate, although some probably still migrate. The males are territorial and love to sit on an open perch to display their gorget, probably more to warn other males than to impress a female, who accepts him for mating only if he impresses with her with an aerial  diving display. Here he is sitting and giving me a look-over. The rose iridescence varies with the angle of the light, and often is seen on the crown as well. Note the pollen on the bill tip.

Here's one with the crown lit up:

A shot from April 2008 at Mt. Burdell shows how the color can vary, in this case a pretty violet:

I watched this Albany male for about 5 minutes as he sallied out to catch small insects, returning to his favorite open perches. As he lands the tail is spread and the wings fold, slow enough for the camera to capture some detail in the 10 primaries (outer flight feathers), 6 secondaries (inner wing), and 10 rectricies (tail feathers).

Another shot of the same bird landing on a different perch. Note that the tail feathers of the male are pretty much all shades of gray, whereas a female wold show white tips on the outer rectricies.

Now time to go out and try for an Allen's hummer!

Eclipse Dabbling Ducks

In September and October each year we see a confusing array of atypical-looking ducks as they molt from eclipse (basic) plumage into the more familiar breeding plumage of winter and spring. I've found that as with passerines it helps a lot to focus first on the bill and face of the bird before checking out the rest of the bird. These photos, from Las Galinas ponds in San Rafael, are not as sharp as I would have liked, but since I learned something from each one I figured they are worth sharing.

The eclipse Cinnamon Teal drake looks a lot like the female, but the red eye gives him away. Note the Shoveler-like bill and "plain" face, i.e. no dark line through the eye.

The Eurasian Widgeon was puzzler, as its color was almost like a Cinnamon Teal, but the bill clearly said "wigeon", and it was much too red to be an American Wigeon. The female Eurasian Wigeon can often be warm in color, but never quite so warm as this drake. There is no real black border where the bill meets the face, as seen on American Wigeon. Same bird viewed 10 days later began to show some buffy color on the forecrown, and a hint of gray on the shoulder.

At times there have been up to 3,000 Northern Pintails at the ponds, but numbers down to perhaps 600. Very instructive to seem the males in every stage of molt from eclipse to breeding. The male here has the plain brown face we see in the female Pintail, but his beautifully trimmed steel blue bill gives him away. We can also see the beginning of fine vermiculations on the side of the body.

Here's another Pintail that is a bit further along in the pre-alternate molt:

The eclipse Gadwall looks a lot like the breeding male, save for the lack of vermiculation on the body. Here he's showing the cinnamon wing patch, formed by secondary coverts on the top of the wing, best seen in flight. Female and juvenile Gadwalls have some orange on the bill.

Lastly, here's a male Northern Shoveler from early September. I suppose it could be a juvenile, but the bright yellow eye is more consistent with an adult eclipse male.

Seaside Dragonlet - Erythrodiplax berenice

When in Connecticut we do most of our walk along Long Island Sound (Milford to Madison), rather than inland. In past  years we've spotted the small Seaside Dragonlet, Erythrodiplax berenice, but usually just the black male. This year, along the trail to Meig's Point at Hammonasset State Beach we saw a number of female Seaside Dragonlets, and were taken with their striking colors. Here's a "striped" female:

The brown wash at the mid-wing  apparently a clinal variation. Toward the end of the abdomen you can see the ovipositor, an extension of what is called the subgenital plate.

This view shows the brown wash a bit better:

The striped thorax and bright orange abdomen really stand out, but we learned that as the females age many of them will get quite dark, both on the thorax and abdomen, in the manner of the male. Here's a shot from late July 2012, at an East Haven salt marsh along Cosey Beach Avenue, showing a black female in tandem.

Males are usually easier to find, as they are the only small black dragonfly seen in seaside locations:

Another male:

And lastly:

Some taxonomy -

Family: Libelluidae - Skimmers and allies. Biggest dragonfly family, with 1,000+ species.

Genus: Erythrodiplax - Dragonlets. Large genus of mostly tropical new world skimmers, small to medium in size, with about 60 species. Only about 6 dragonlet species seen in the U.S.

Species: Erythrodiplax berenice - Seaside Dragonlet. They fly from mid-May to mid-September. Eat small insects and even small damselflies. Lay eggs only in salt water, even hypersaline alkaline lakes. Couldn't find any other U.S. dragonfly that oviposits in salt water.

Flame Skimmer - Libellula saturata

The Flame Skimmer is a large red-orange dragonfly that is common around warm ponds in the west. It ranges from Texas to California, and north into Oregon and Idaho. In our area there is really no other dragonfly like it, with its red eyes, orange inner wings, and orange just about everywhere else, including face, thorax, abdomen and legs! The males compete to occupy favored perches near the water, but they are often seen away from the water, and forage over wide areas.

The first photo shows a pale young (teneral) damselfly , which I didn't really notice until I viewed the photo on the computer. The Flame Skimmer looks like a monster next to the damsel, which may be a bluet sp. (thanks, Leslie). Taken at the pond in Tiburon.

Second photo shows some dark spots on the inner wings. From a Del Puerto Canyon trip led by Leslie Flint.

Last photo, also from Del Puerto, shows an appendage hanging near the last abdominal segment, and is probably the "epiproct", an unpaired structure seen in some male dragonflies, but apparently unrelated to sexual function. Or maybe it is just a fecal pellet!

These are all males. The female Flame Skimmer is browner. After fertilization she does the ovipositing by herself, similar to the Blue-eyed Darner.

No one needs a bird guide book to identify the male Wild Turkey, Melagris gallopavo. The turkey is native to the eastern half of the US, but it range has been extended by introducing it to other states by various fish and game agencies to satisfy the needs of hunters. Turkeys are now found from southern Canada down to Mexico, in all 48 contiguous states, and also in Hawaii.

The male Turkey is a formidable bird, and appears enormous when he displays. The sexes segregate by sex, and with groups establish a hierarchy by displaying and fighting. This guy was clearly dominating the 5 males nearby. Females also establish hierarchies, in similar fashion. The males are polygynous, and often court in pairs in more. It's interesting that a male who courts females in the company of another male has greater success in producing offspring. The males are much larger, and can measure 50" and weigh 24 pounds. The snood and wattles may seem grotesque to some of us, but it works for them. The dark pendant on the chest is called a "beard", and is composed of fibrous feather analogues. Can be seen on some females.

No surprise they have been extensively hunted for food. Their elusive wary nature also provides a challenge for the sportsman. Western Wild Turkeys supposedly came from Texas birds, a subspecies called the Rio Grande Wild Turkey, Melagris gallopavo intermedia.

Turkeys are non-migratory. They are omnivorous, but prefer acorns, fruits, seeds and grasses. Many animals predate their nests (average 12 eggs in a clutch). Biggest predator of adults by far is man (turkey second only to deer as a hunting target, excluding ducks). Other predators are what you might expect: coyote, bobcat, and mountain lion. And some that might surprise: Golden Eagle and Great Horned Owl.

Extensive information in Cornell's Birds of North America Online, #22, S. Eaton.

Scientific name from birds it resembles. Melagris for guineafowl, gallus for farmyard rooster, and pavo for peacock. Even more interesting is that Linnaeus originally used the common name turkey because he mistakenly believed that the specimens he was given came from Turkey, the country! (Holloway, Dictionary of Birds of the United States).

Trinidad: Bearded Bellbird - Procnias averno

The first morning at Asa Wright began with an orientation hike on the forested paths of the preserve, leading down to a lekking site of the Bearded Bellbird, Procnias averano. We soon heard a repeated "BOCK!" call, which became quite loud as we approached a lek tree where this male was calling. Seems they spend a lot of time on there, always hopeful of attracting a female. When several males gather I guess they make enough noise to attract a female, who has already built a nest. She will visit each male at the lek and then make her choice. After mating she returns to her nest alone, as the male has no family responsibilities, and in fact is quite free to shake his wattles to impress another lady.

Bellbirds are fruit-eaters, plucking small fruits in flight, and later regurgitating the seeds. They are big (11") birds, in the large and diverse Cotinga family (70 species). The black-and-white male has a rich brown head, and rather grotesque messy wattles. The female has a green back, streaky breast, and lacks wattles. They have long broad bills and strong feet. There are 4 Bellbirds in the genus Procnias. Photos from Jan 13, 2013.

The male Bellbird we watched that day was the only one calling, and did not give out the rapid song sometimes heard. Good video with Bellbird calls at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TKgKe24-_G4

One last shot, giving a view of the wings and back:

Trinidad: Blue Dacnis - Dacnis cayana

The Blue Dacnis, Dacnis cayana, is in the Tanager family, and is known by some as the Turquoise Honeycreeper. We didn't see this species as often as the other tanagers at Asa Wright, and it rarely perched long enough for a photo, but the striking color of the male is perhaps worth sharing.

The Blue Dacnis is one of 8 species in the genus Dacnis, and the Blue Dacnis ranges from Central America well down into South America. This is probably the nominate subspecies, Dacnis cayana cayana. Despite the borderline quality of the photo, we can see the black mask, black nape and tail, a hint of a red eye, and the obvious lush turquoise blue. The bill is not as long as the local honeycreepers (who are unrelated to the Hawaiian Honeycreepers), but they are close relatives. The female is green, with some blue in the head, or so I read in the guidebook.

Trinidad: Tufted Coquette No. 2

This will be the last of the Trinidad-Tobago hummingbird photos, but more stuff to follow.

When we watch birds and try to photograph them we prefer to find them in good light, and of course sitting relatively still. I had few opportunities to see the Tufted Coquette on a perch, and in this case the male Coquette was illuminated by harsh back-lighting. These shots almost hit the "delete" pile, but I realized they show some features that I had missed when watching the bird flitting about.

There are 10 species of Coquettes, comprising the genus Lophornis. Six of them are said to have rufous crests. The first photo here shows the orange crest from the side, shining brightly. It also shows the amazing dark-tipped neck plumes, which I guess are the "tufts" referred to in the common name. The red bill is transluminated. The second shot showed me 2 features I had not noted when in the field, namely the bright green sheen of the throat and the rufous tail.

So how about the other 9 Coquettes? They include the White-crested, Short-crested, Festive, Rufous-crested, Dot-eared, Black-crested, Frilled, Peacock, and Spangled Coquettes, but you'll have to do quite a bit of traveling to find them all.

Nuttall's Woodpecker - A California "Near-endemic" - Picoides nuttallii

An "endemic species" can be defined as a species found only in a defined geographic area, such as specific island, state, or country. Great discussion of California's "Endemics and Near Endemics" in Jules Evens California Birdlife, a must for your bookshelf. Jules writes of Nuttall's Woodpecker: "Nuttall's Woodpecker is essentially a bird of California's live oak woodlands, but it also breeds in Baja California and wanders very rarely to Oregon and Nevada."

We see a Nuttall's on almost every visit to Lake Solano Park along Putah Creek, and our visit on October 23rd with Rich Stallcup didn't fail to produce one. The male seen backlit in the tree was likely picking insects from the bark (they rarely eat acorns, so perhaps they will get by if Sudden Oak Death continues its relentless march). Nutall's WP, Picoides nuttallii, is also found in pines and riparian habitats. Putah Creek is in Solano County, California.

The genus Picoides is diverse, and includes the closely related Ladder-backed Woodpecker of the southwest, whose range includes southwest California, with minimal overlap with the Nuttall's. These are small woodpeckers at 7", barely larger than our diminutive Picoides, the Downy Woodpecker. The other local Picoides species is the Hairy Woodpecker, a larger version of the Downy.

You can be pretty sure of your identification of Nuttall's if you see the "laddered" black and white pattern of horizontal bars on the back of a small woodpecker in California. If you are in southeast California, say Kern County, you can tell it from the Ladder-backed Woodpecker by the large expanse of black on the upper back of Nuttall's, as shown in the second photo. There is more black on the face of Nuttall's (narrower white stripes) and the white bars on the back are said to be more narrow. Nutall's also has a very characteristic rattle call, which frequently helps you locate one.

The laddered back pattern is a common feature of many woodpecker species, and is present on the female Williamson's Sapsucker, Golden-fronted WP, Gilded WP, and the American Three-toed Woodpecker, among others.

See BNA #555, by P. Lowther.

California Quail - Callipepla californica

Keith Hansen led a "Big Day Blast" at Point Reyes, November 3rd 2012, during which about 106 species were tallied. Highlights included Marin's first Field Sparrow, a male Harlequin Duck and a male Black Scoter at the PR Lighthouse. But the winning candidate for "best view" for me was the the male California Quail, standing sentinel duty at the entry to Abbott's Lagoon.

Our state bird, the California Quail (Calipepla californica) is a member New World Quail family (Odontophoridae), in the order Galliformes.The taxonomists have moved Galliformes up nearer the front of Aves, right after the Ducks, so in the new books they will precede the Loons and Grebes. This male was quiet for a while, and then began to assemble the clan with his, "Come here now" call, or as some say, "Chi-CA-go." The scaled pattern on the neck and belly is distinctive. Compare to closely related Gambel's Quail, C. gambelli.