American Oystercatcher surprise on Tybee North Beach

A friend and I went out to the North Beach this evening hoping for shorebirds at the 8.1 foot high tide. We dd find Sanderlings, Least Sandpipers, Semipalmated Sandpipers and Semipalmated Plovers. However the treat of the evening came after we spied an American Oystercatcher standing on the beach.

American Oystercatcher adult

I wondered what it was doing there as I expected most to be on territory with nests and eggs or chicks by now. Then, a boat-tailed grackle landed on the beach, not particularly close to the oystercatcher. It immediately flew over and began harassing the grackle, driving it farther away. This made me think even more seriously that this bird must be on territory and may have a nest nearby.

Then, glancing back toward the dunes, I spied something small that almost blended with the sand.
It was Chick #1!

American Oystercatcher Chick #1

As this bird vanished into the vegetation, I spied Chick # 2 walking towards the log where the
parent bird had been standing.

American Oystercatcher Chick#2

Soon this bird too returned to the dunes. I also saw a second adult join the first and follow the chicks
into the dunes. Later, 3 crows flew over and both adults took to the sky, aggressively calling and bothering the crows to make sure they left the area.

Chasing away the crows!

My friend and I hung out a while and later saw one adult walk out onto the beach where it was joined by one of the chicks.

Adult and juvenile American Oystercatchers.

In the 15 years I have been back in Savannah, this is the first time I have seen a pair of Oystercatchers with chicks on the North End of Tybee.

On Tuesday afternoon, after I voted at the American Legion on Tybee, I went over to the Ocean Plaza Resort to check on the Gray Kingbirds. On May 4th, I had seen one adult and was hoping that its mate had arrived. After circling the parking lot, I noticed a kingbird-shaped bird sitting on the sign for the Dolphin Reef Restaurant. Bingo! Then a second bird flew in carrying a stick and flew to one of the Letter Es in the word REEF. I continued to observe.

Gray Kingbird pair on the sign

It appeared that one bird, the male?, stood guard on the corner of the sign, singing from time to tiime.

 

 

 

Gray kingbird sings

The second bird was actively flying back and forth, bringing, checking and arranging sticks.

Gray Kingbird leaves the sign

This bird would occasionally go sit in the sign and peer out, before flying off again. Then both birds would leave and be gone awhile before returning.

 

 

 

Gray Kingbird surveys the scene

Seems like an interesting nest choice - certainly away from possible predation by raccoons or rat snakes!

Gray-cheeked Style Thrushes in Forsyth Park

I went to Forsyth Park in downtown Savannah this morning, partly because James Fleullan reported seeing Veery and Swainson's Thrush there. I wandered around and finally found an American Redstart, a Blackpoll Warbler and a Red-eyed Vireo. As I was headed towards my car on the west side of the fountain, approaching Whitaker St., I spotted a thrush. It had a brownish back, two-toned bill, grayish face and no buffy eye ring. I attempted to get photos.

Gray-cheeked Style Thrush - First Bird

Then I spotted a second bird a bit further away. My first impression was that it was a bit more red-brown than the first. I got a couple of more distant photos.

Gray-cheeked style Thrush Number 2

Gray-cheeked style Thrush #2

After that, someone came by walking a dog and both birds flew into a nearby tree. They eventually came back down, then flew again. I started following and photographing and got confused as to which bird was which. Here are a few other images. Comments appreciated!

Long-tailed Duck and More!

Well, it seems like I've been too busy watching birds to blog about them! It was a busy time for the Great Backyard Bird Count. Chatham County so far has logged 163 species which is quite an accomplishment, thanks to the hard work by many including Stan Gray, Larry Carlile, Dot Bambach, Beth Roth, James Fleullan, Steve Calver, Steve Wagner, Tim Miller, Mary Sweeney-Reeves, Charra Sweeney-Reeves, Russ Wigh, Shannon Fair, Andre Coquerel, John Mark Simmons, and many more.

I planned to have a bit of a rest this morning but got a call from a friend informing me  that he had been seeing a male Long-tailed Duck at the Crab Shack over the past week. So off to the chase. I went to the Shack, found only a black scoter and many rock pigeons, and headed for the beach.
After helping a couple from Buffalo find their life Purple Sandpiper, and admiring them taking baths,

I went to the YMCA for some time on the treadmill.

Purple Sandpiper bathes

After the Y, I did one more check of the Crab Shack. No duck. Then, 4/10 of a mile from my house, I crossed a small bridge over Chimney Creek. Glancing to the left, I spied something white in the water. Expecting a male bufflehead, I was thrilled to find the Long-tailed Duck. A neighbor let me walk out on her dock so I could get photos as the duck was actively feeding in the creek. Nothing like being lucky!

Long-tailed Duck in Chimney Creek, Tybee Island

Long-tailed Duck shows off his tail

Great reflections of a Long-tailed Duck

I saw this handome duck in full breeding plumage in Alaska in the summer of 2012.

Long-tailed Duck - Barrow, Alaska, 2012

Another highlight from the count was watching a Bald Eagle at Grove Point Plantation in Georgetown. It had a nest nearby and was not happy about us being there to count ducks.

Bald Eagle expresses itself.

Hutchinson Island "Reserve" has been a gold mine.

I was in Virginia after Thanksgiving when I saw that Steve Calver and Russ Wigh were posting about all the birds they were seeing on Hutchinson Island. The Reserve is a section of the island that was intended to be a high-end housing development that floundered with the real estate slowdown. Now there are lots of weedy fields and ditches that are great for sparrows, Killdeer, snipe, meadowlarks, shrikes, and more. Last winter, the area even had 2 Western Kingbirds.

When I got back, I stopped by the Reserve on Tuesday, Dec. 3rd. Savannah Sparrows were abundant, as were Swamp, Song and Chipping Sparrows.

Savannah Sparrow

I was thrilled to find several Vesper Sparrows. I got a couple of distant photos that day and better looks and photos on Sunday, Dec. 8, 2013.

Vesper Sparrow

Vesper Sparrow

Steve Calver showed up and spotted a Clay-colored Sparrow. I was able to relocate and get a couple of distant photos.

Clay-colored Sparrow

 Ogeechee Audubon had a field trip to Hutchinson Island on Dec. 8th. In spite of the cool, foggy, overcast weather, 15 people showed up. The best bird of the day was a Dickcissel - either female or young male. It perched low in a bush and most folks got good looks in the scope. The bird was relocated later that afternoon by several other birders.

Dickcissel

Dickcissel

Other fun sightings included an Osprey flying by with a large fish, more than a dozen Wilson's Snipe that flushed out of the wet fields, and a Loggerhead Shrike.

Osprey carries a big fish.

Loggerhead Shrike

Other birds seen in the area by others included Field Sparrow, Painted Bunting (green birds), Winter Wren and Yellow-breasted Chat.(in brush pile at entrance to Race Track)

Yet another windy day on Tybee Island

Well, once again I made the trek out to the point on Tybee North Beach with my friend Russ Wigh. Russ was in search of a Purple Sandpiper. The birds were all huddled up in tight groups facing into the 20 mph northeast wind.

At first, we saw a group of Ruddy Turnstones, Dunlins and Sanderlings, but no Purple Sandpiper.
We inspected American Oystercatchers for bands (found Yellow N4, Yellow W4 & Black UO).

Just as we decided to stop fighting the wind and head back, I glanced at a group of small shorebirds that had been startled out of their huddle. Their it was - a lone Purple Sandpiper!

Ruddy Turnstone & Purple Sandpiper

How many species do you see?

By the jetties, we found nothing but Double-crested Cormorants, Brown Pelicans and the usual gulls.

Russ and I went on to Ft. Pulaski where I suggested we check the picnic area for Brown Creeper. I played the call and we heard a high-pitched response. Soon Russ spotted the creeper doing its thing on a pine tree above us. Later I found that there were 2 Brown Creepers in the neighborhood.

Brown Creeper well camouflaged

Creeping upside down

Other treats at Fort Pulaski: a Loggerhead Shrike and a flock of Eastern Meadowlarks. Not bad for a blustery day!

Loggerhead Shrike

Eastern Meadowlark

Blustery Days on Tybee

Had to get out on the beach the last two mornings to take advantage of extra high tides. Northeast winds were blowing 15-20 mph making for some cold, blustery conditions.

Blustery day on the North End of Tybee

Yesterday's highlight was my first of the season Purple Sandpiper. This was early for me to find one on Tybee as they generally show up about the third week of November. I did not see the bird again this morning.

 

 

First of the season Purple Sandpiper trying to hide from wind.

There was a flock of about 60 American Oystercatchers with some banded birds. My regular Yellow N4 was there, as was Black UO. I saw returnees Orange W2 and Yellow W4 for the first time this fall.

Orange W2 was banded at Hereford Inlet NJ 4/25/08.

This morning, before I even got to the beach I was thrilled to see a large flock of black scoters fly by coming from the direction of Lazaretto Creek and heading around the north end of Tybee. During the 2 hours I was there, several thousand scoters flew by. All the flocks I saw were black scoters, not lesser scaup.

Large flock of Black Scoters

Easy to pick out the males and females in this photo.

Yesterday I found three Eastern Meadowlarks in the grass by the small pond just off the beach. Today was even better. There was a pair of common ground doves hanging out in the grass near the gazebo.
I rarely see these birds in Chatham County.

Common Ground Dove Pair

Common Ground Dove fluffed shows rust in the wing.

 Later, when I stopped at the Community Center to vote, a male Northern Harrier soared over Jaycee Park. It was a great blustery day on Tybee Island!