Meopta Mud Hens - 30th Annual World Series of Birding Recap

Red-headed Woodpecker - iScoped with
Meopta S2 Spotter and Meopix Adapter 

Before I begin, I'd like to extend a tremendous thank you to Meopta Sports Optics for sponsoring our team in this years efforts. It was a true honor to have such a reputable optics company support our team. Meopta has pioneered the industry with their top of the line equipment and, without question, has developed some of the worlds finest optics in the game. I raise my binocs to Meopta for supporting bird conservation efforts in the Northeast.

The Meopta Mud Hens consisted of 3 members. Chase Cammarota, James "the Godfather" Blumenstein, and myself, Derek Rogers. We were missing our 4th member this year, my brother, Chris Rogers. He was busy cheering us on and tending to his newborn daughter Braelyn Lily Rogers. Perhaps she'll be entering in the World Series of Birding in the near future. The Mud Hens chose to participate in the LGA category (Limited Geographic Area) as we have done in previous years. The LGA is fun, challenging, tiring and saves a bit of gas guzzling. We detail Cumberland County every year as the birds are plentiful and there is no shortage of habitat diversity. We like the amount of open space in this county and it really adds to the enjoyment of our travels. Last year we ended up finishing in 2nd place for the Cumberland County LGA with 136 species. There is a lot of solid competition in this County tournament and we're always up against some very sharp birders.

Yellow-breasted Chat - iScoped with
Meopta S2 Spotter and Meopix Adapter 

Despite the apocalyptic, intermittent rain and thunderstorms 2013 was our best year yet. We finished up with 138 species overall (71%) of par for Cumberland County and just 5 birds (2%) fewer than the leading team putting the Mud Hens in the #2 spot for the Cumberland County race. Good scouting and some growing familiarity with the territory is starting to really pay off. Cumulatively, between scouting and the "big day" we birded for 43 total hours within Cumberland County starting around noon on Thursday, May 9, 2013 until we ended at about 11:00 PM on May 11th. It was a struggle to get passerines this year in the near constant pouring rain but we made the best of any and every break in the weather. On Friday, May 10th, while scouting Hansey Creek Road, we witnessed an epic fallout event. Warblers were strewn about all over the place calling, singing, and feeding. It was almost overwhelming, trying to pick apart each individuals song while simultaneously glassing each bird that flew across the road. Between a few locations, we had 26 warbler species in a little under 2 hours of birding. This activity did not continue into the "big day" but it was certainly a moment to remember. We ended with a total of 20 warbler species during the actual world series event, which was not bad considering the the weather and change in conditions. The most glaring warbler miss was Hooded Warbler, as we heard them in several locations during the days leading to the event. Not a single Hooded sang in any of our noted locations, after multiple visits during the day. Another glaring miss was Glossy Ibis. Last year we noted Glossy's all over the place. I didn't see a single Glossy Ibis in Cumberland County since Thursday afternoon. Perhaps we were just unlucky but I'm interested in finding out how other folks in the area fared with this species.

Here is the final checklist submitted by the Meopta Mud Hens at 11:20 PM on Saturday May 11, 2013. The following birds were seen and/or heard between 0200 hours and 2300 hours:

1) Canada Goose
2) Mute Swan
3) Wood Duck
4) American Black Duck
5) Mallard
6) Green-winged Teal
7) Lesser Scaup
8) Wild Turkey
9) Common Loon
10) Double-crested Cormorant
11) Great Blue Heron
12) Great Egret
13) Snowy Egret
14) Green Heron
15) Black-crowned Night Heron
16) Black Vulture
17) Turkey Vulture
18) Osprey
19) Bald Eagle
20) Northern Harrier
21) Red-tailed Hawk
22) Peregrine Falcon
23) Clapper Rail
24) Black-bellied Plover
25) Semipalmated Plover
26) Killdeer
27) Greater Yellowlegs
28) Willet
29) Lesser Yellowlegs
30) Solitary Sandpiper
31) Spotted Sandpiper
32) Ruddy Turnstone
33) Red Knot
34) Sanderling
35) Semipalmated Sandpiper
36) Least Sandpiper
37) White-rumped Sandpiper
38) Dunlin
39) Short-billed Dowitcher
40) Bonaparte's Gull
41) Laughing Gull
42) Ring-billed Gull
43) Herring Gull
44) Great Black-backed Gull
45) Least Tern
46) Forster's Tern
47) Black Skimmer
48) Mourning Dove
49) Rock Pigeon
50) Yellow-billed Cuckoo
51) Eastern Screech-Owl
52) Great-horned Owl
53) Barred Owl
54) Chuck-will's Widow
55) Eastern Whip-Poor-Will
56) Chimney Swift
57) Ruby-throated Hummingbird
58) Belted Kingfisher
59) Red-headed Woodpecker
60) Red-bellied Woodpecker
61) Downy Woodpecker
62) Hairy Woodpecker
63) Northern Flicker
64) Eastern Wood-Pewee
65) Eastern Phoebe
66) Great-crested Flycatcher
67) Eastern Kingbird
68) White-eyed Vireo
69) Yellow-throated Vireo
70) Red-eyed Vireo
71) Horned Lark
72) Purple Martin
73) Tree Swallow
74) Northern Rough-winged Swallow
75) Bank Swallow
76) Barn Swallow
77) Blue Jay
78) American Crow
79) Fish Crow
80) Carolina Chickadee
81) Tufted Titmouse
82) White-breasted Nuthatch
83) Carolina Wren
84) House Wren
85) Marsh Wren
86) Blue-grey Gnatcatcher
87) Eastern Bluebird
88) Veery
89) Grey-cheeked Thrush
90) Wood Thrush
91) American Robin
92) Gray Catbird
93) Northern Mockingbird
94) European Starling
95) Brown Thrasher
96) Blue-winged Warbler
97) Northern Parula
98) Yellow Warbler
99) Chestnut-sided Warbler
100) Magnolia Warbler
101) Black-throated Blue Warbler
102) Yellow-rumped Warbler
103) Black-throated Green Warbler
104) Yellow-throated Warbler
105) Pine Warbler
106) Prairie Warbler
107) Black and White Warbler
108) American Redstart
109) Prothonotary Warbler
110) Worm-eating Warbler
111) Ovenbird
112) Northern Waterthrush
113) Kentucky Warbler
114) Common Yellowthroat
115) Yellow-breasted Chat
116) Eastern Towhee
117) Chipping Sparrow
118) Field Sparrow
119) Grasshopper Sparrow
120) Saltmarsh Sparrow
121) Seaside Sparrow
122) Song Sparrow
123) White-throated Sparrow
124) Summer Tanager
125) Scarlet Tanager
126) Northern Cardinal
127) Rose-breasted Grosbeak
128) Blue Grosbeak
129) Indigo Bunting
130) Red-winged Blackbird
131) Boat-tailed Grackle
132) Common Grackle
133) Brown-headed Cowbird
134) Orchard Oriole
135) Baltimore Oriole
136) House Finch
137) American Goldfinch
138) House Sparrow

Again, it was a great honor to represent Meopta Sports Optics in this 2013 World Series of Birding. This was the 30th Anniversary of the event and thus far has raised close to $9,000,000 for bird and habitat conservation efforts.

The three photos in this blog post were captured during our scouting period on Friday, May 10th using my iPhone and a Meopix iScoping Adapter. Fasten this set up onto some good glass like, Meopta's Meostar S2 Spotting Scope, and you're in for some really nice photos and videos.

Finally, for those wondering what in the world a mud hen is. Mud Hen is the old hunters term for either  rail or a coot, both of which live in marsh environments, hence the nickname "mud hen."

Short-billed Dowitcher - iScoped with Meostar S2 Spotting Scope & Meopix Adapter

Grasshopper Sparrows

The day started off pretty well. I led a bird walk at the David Weld Sanctuary in Nissequogue with some friends. Despite the lack of migration movement the typical, site faithful breeders were in and put on a nice show. My first of season Common Terns were working the outside of the Nissequogue River, calling and dipping into the shallow bar. The wind was calm this morning and it looked like a perfect day to be out on the Sound. I was envious of the terns. We were eventually seen off by a female Orchard Oriole near the parking area. The morning ended just a bit too quickly and I was off to Calverton Ponds Preserve where some minor trail work needed to be taken care of. I decided to swing by the grasslands in Calverton, also known as EPCAL. EPCAL sits just north of the preserve, seperated by Grumman Boulevard. There is a section of grassland along the north end of Grumman Boulevard where one can pull off to the shoulder and have a decent view of the landscape. My interest was to see if the Grasshopper Sparrows might have returned to their breeding grounds. Grasshopper Sparrows need a significant amount of grassland habitat in order to breed. EPCAL is one of Long Island's few remaining, in tact grasslands and still remains as a breeding stronghold for this species.

Grasshopper Sparrow - Photo taken in Calverton, NY on 5/7/13
iScoped with Meostar S2 Spotting Scope and Meopix Adapter

Grasshopper Sparrows (Ammodramus savannarum), like other members of its genus, have a soft, insect-like song. They are not always easy to hear therefore it helps to have birds singing nearby. As I walked toward the chain link, barb wired fence, I heard it. There was a singing Grasshopper Sparrow within very close proximity to my position. Two additional birds responded from separate locations and I waited patiently for one to choose a prominent perch. If you're lucky, one will pose for you on top of the fence, which is not an unusual case if that feature is nearby. I didn't have to wait very long until one of the birds perched up for me and sang its heart out. The video below, while not the best quality, provides a look a singing Grasshopper Sparrow and lends its song.

This is not a rare bird for this location, but I really enjoy sparrows as a group and I'm particularly fond of the Ammodramus genus. They can be challenging to locate and normally offer little more than just a quick glimpse. Ammodramus sparrows are found specifically in grassland type habitats with birds specializing in either wet or dry meadows. Grasshoppers are found in the drier type habitats, Seaside and Saltmarsh in wet, etc. Grasshopper Sparrow is a welcomed 226th bird of the year for me in New York State.

Grasshopper Sparrow - Photo taken in Calverton, NY on 5/7/13
iScoped with Meostar S2 Spotting Scope and Meopix Adapter

Red-necked Phalarope on Dune Road, Hampton Bays

I had a conversation with Peter Polshek this morning about birds we've being seeing and, of course, birds we hope to see. At some point in the conversation I said, "I'd like to find a Red-necked Phalarope today" while reminiscing of last year's Mecox bird.

I had plans to meet friend Bruce Horwith and his brother Michael, who was in from Colorado, for a morning of birding in the Dune Road area. We started off at Road K. The tide was low and still receding and the flats were well exposed. Many usual suspects were in sight like Dunlin, Piping Plover, Black-bellied Plover and my first of season Willets. Moving on to Shinnecock Inlet, where we saw hundreds of mixed scoters stacked along the shoreline, some in flight, occupying much of the offshore action.

Red-necked Phalarope at Road L, Shinnecock - iScoped
with Meostar S2 Spotting Scope & Meopix Adapter

We doubled back to Dune Road and noted some nice flats exposed on the bay side across from Road L. We scoped across to the distant flats but it took some time to figure out that there was Red-necked Phalarope, tucked in close some 30 feet from us feeding along the shore's edge! I guess this morning's wishful thinking worked out well! The Red-necked Phalarope fed actively and was undeterred by our presence. It was a beautiful female in full-on breeding plumage. I watched the bird pluck out what looked to be the larval stage of an American Eel, possibly a elver eel or "glass eel."It was quite a mouthful but the bird was able to force the hefty meal down its throat. What a great end to a fantastic weekend of birding.

Red-necked Phalarope at Road L, Shinnecock eating what appears to be
an elver eel- iScoped with Meostar S2 Spotting Scope & Meopix Adapter

Red-necked Phalarope at Road L, Shinnecock - iScoped
With Meostar S2 Spotting Scope & Meopix Adapter

Red-necked Phalarope at Road L, Shinnecock - iScoped
With Meostar S2 Spotting Scope & Meopix Adapter

Red-necked Phalarope at Road L, Shinnecock - iScoped with Meostar S2 Spotting Scope & Meopix Adapter

Yellow-throated Warblers on Long Island

The Yellow-throated Warbler, Dendroica dominica, is the most handsome of its tribe. This is of course my own opinion and I've long debated which Dendroica might win the prize. The Dendroica genus undoubtedly contains an array of spectacular looking wood warblers. Blackburnian once held the number 1 spot, then Cerulean. But now I am convinced that the Yellow-throated Warbler is the most striking of them all.

Yellow-throated Warbler - Photographed at Connetquot River State Park on 4/14/13
iScoped image taken with a Meostar S2 Spotting Scope and Meopix Adapter by Meopta

Yellow-throated Warbler - Photographed at Connetquot
River State Park on 4/14/13iScoped image taken with a
Meostar S2 Spotting Scope and Meopix Adapter by Meopta

Their name suits them quite well. They have a bright yellow throat that extends down the upper chest in an almost "bib-like" fashion. Notice the black face pattern that strongly contrasts with, and outlines, the upper yellow throat area. This, combined with slaty gray upper parts and some black flank streaking, makes for a great looking bird. 

Yellow-throated Warblers are still an uncommon sight on Long Island and in New York. Much of their breeding range is south and west of New York within New Jersey and Pennsylvania, where two known populations breed. The nominate, coastal race, Dendroica dominica dominica, and the more inland Dendroica dominica albifrons. There are physical differences to look for when attempting to separate these subspecies, but there is also much overlap and caution must be used when deciphering the two. Over the years, Yellow-throated Warblers have been expanding their range and has become an annual visitor to Long Island during migration. Long Island has yet to confirm a breeding record but it seems we might be getting close.


On Saturday, 4/14/13, I came across 3 Yellow-throated Warblers at Connetquot River State Park in East Islip. While this is a great single site number for Long Island, I was not entirely surprised to come across these birds. For the past 3 years, Yellow-throated Warbler have been documented at this location. Last year, my friend Chase Cammarota witnessed 2 birds perched on the same limb, within 2 inches from one another. Are these birds returning breeders? And is the third individual one of their kin? There are some subtle differences in the three birds that I observed but I cannot challenge that there are different subspecies within this group. Until more... I hope for a follow up post containing images of some recently fledged birds.

Yellow-throated Warbler - Photographed at Connetquot River State Park on 4/14/13
iScoped image taken with a Meostar S2 Spotting Scope and Meopix Adapter by Meopta

Black Brant at Timber Point Country Club

I was on my way home from work this evening and decided to follow up on Pat Lindsay's reported Black Brant from yesterday. Pat had a single Black Brant among a flock of about 35 Pale-bellied (Atlantic) Brant at Hecksher State Park early yesterday afternoon. Well it just so happened that I as at Hecksher State Park yesterday morning and likely saw the same flock of Brant at a distance. I birded my way over to flock but they were gone. They warm Spring day had the park crawling with recreational activity and the birds eventually took off. "Oh well, they were probably all Pale-bellieds." Of course, a couple hours later the post came in about Pat's Black Brant, Branta bernicla nigricans.

I have yet to see this Pacific Coast subspecies and usually take the time to detail for them. Needless to say I was anxious to get back to Hecksher. I shot over right after the post but the Brant were gone and the rest of my day was filled with Easter plans. So as I was saying, I decided to check out Timber Point Country Club this evening while on my way home from work. I know Timber is a "honey hole" for Brant as I rarely fail to find them during their wintering months on Long Island. That Black Brant must have traveled here from nearby Hecksher. I pulled in around 5:15 and noted a fairly sizable flock of Brant, estimated at about 800, feeding behind the main building. "Here we go!"

I posted up patiently and watched as the flock shuffled and foraged on the open grass. They were feeding tightly, as Brant normally do, so detailing is not always that easy. Every now and then they would synchronously pop their heads up and check me out. I picked one out with a thicker, more complete white collar that looked really good. Eventually, the Black Brant came into view. Pardon the shaky images. These iPhone digiscope images were taken in high wind from quite a distance with my Meopix adapter and Meostar S2 Scope. The lighting had darkened considerably and conditions were not ideal for photographs. Regardless, I managed some decent record shots. Note the nearly complete white collar that wraps around the neck, black apron that extends past legs, bright white upper tail coverts and slightly darker above than the Pale-bellied (Atlantic) Brant. It was fairly easy to pick out this bird among the more common Pale-bellied but I must say it is a chore, especially when they are feeding so tightly.

Black Brant at Timber Point C.C. in Great River, 4/1/13 - distant iScope image with Meopix Adapter and Meostar S2 

Black Brant at Timber Point C.C. in Great River, 4/1/13 - distant iScope image with
 Meopix Adapter and Meostar S2

I returned to Timber Point Country Club on the afternoon of 4/2/13, around 5:30 PM to have another look at this bird. The weather conditions on 4/1 were rather poor with heavy NW wind, cold temperatures and occasional drizzle. I wanted to see this bird in better lighting. The conditions were much better than the previous day's and the large flock of Brant continued behind the main building at the Golf Course. Despite the golf activity, the flock of Brant carried on about their business. The Black Brant showed nicely in the setting sunlight and I managed some more iScope shots with my Meopta set up. 

Black Brant iScoped with Meostar S2 Spotting Scope and Meopix Adapter at Timber
Point Country Club in Great River, NY on 4/2/13. Not the black apron that extends well
and boldly down birds chest and stomach and eventually past the extent of its legs. Thick,
     nearly completely connected white collar also diagnostic.

Black Brant iScoped with Meostar S2 Spotting Scope and Meopix Adapter at Timber
Point Country Club in Great River, NY on 4/2/13. Classic frontal view of black apron.

iScoping With Meopta Equipment

I've been digiscoping birds and wildlife, with an iPhone (iScoping), for almost 2 years now. It all started when I tried to iScope a Vesper Sparrow at Smith Point County Park by manually holding my phone up to my scope's eyepiece. I was amazed at how well the iPhone camera matched up with my eyepiece. Months passed and I began to think of how I could invent some sort of adapter that allowed me to iScope birds with a more "hands free" approach that allowed for instant camera to eyepiece line-up. I spent way too much time fumbling around, trying to find the sweet spot and I ended up missing many birds. I was a little late in thinking I had this great invention idea as I found out that Meopta Sports Optics had already did the work for me! They created the Meopix Adapter. A snug mount that securely fits over your iPhone with a built in mount that perfectly aligns the iPhones camera with your scopes eyepiece.

Many of you may have already seen my post back in early September, 2012, where I described the iScoping process and how helpful the Meopix Adapter has been in allowing me to obtain some great quality images. If you have not yet read this post, feel free to check it out: http://dereksnest.blogspot.com/2012/09/iscoping-with-meopix-adapter-by-meopta.html

Meostar S2 Spotting Scope/20-60X Eyepiece w/Meopix Adapter:
I felt the need to create an updated post that highlights some of my latest images. Many folks have been inquiring about my set up, not only in the field, but also via email. To date, I have grown more familiar with the Meopix Adapter and have spent a great amount of time getting accustomed to this amazing device. As I have stressed in my earlier post, obtaining a quality iScope image with a Meopix Adapter requires a good spotting scope. I now use a phenomenal spotting scope, the Meostar S2 Spotting Scope with Meopta's 20-60X eyepiece. The following images will speak for themselves. Simply put, I find the Meostar S2 Spotting Scope to be in a league of its own, ranked equally, if not better, than the leading optics brands. Since I've been using the above referenced set-up, my images have gotten crisper and cleaner. Remarkably, when increasing zoom to 60X, you lose little to no outer edge whatsoever. If you would like to learn more about the Meostar S2 Spotter, please check out Kenneth Rosenberg's, spot on review: http://www.birds.cornell.edu/Page.aspx?pid=2523

The following are some sample images that I've obtained using my iScope, Meostar S2 Spotting Scope and Meopix Adapter. Enjoy:

Clay-colored Sparrow

White-winged Crossbill

Pine Grosbeak

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker

Panama Flycatcher

More Information on Meopix Adapter:

• Soon available for iPhone 5, due for release at the end of March 2013
• Soon available for the new Samsung Galaxy
• New Meopix Adapter adapter comes as an actual phone case, where you can have the option to remove the eyepiece connect
• Fits a variety of of eyepiece sizes and dimensions: http://www.meoptasportsoptics.com/sqlcache/meopix-fit-chart-2.pdf

I have been having a blast iScoping. Its quick, accessible, lightweight and perfect for the field. 

Weekend Wildlife - Grey Seal & Cackling Goose

Gray Seal Pup - iScoped with Meostar S2 Spotting Scope and Meopix
Adapter

Gray Seal Pup - iScoped with Meostar S2 Spotting Scope and Meopix
Adapter

Slowly getting back into the routine after my trip abroad, readjusting to the cold weather but more so to life with a stomach. I contracted some weird bug in Panama, still waiting to find out exactly what, but was finally back on my feet today. I took the dog for a quick walk at Smith Point this morning, which was dead, as far as bird life went. Very slim by way of land birds so I took to the ocean side to have a quick gander. A decent number of White-winged Scoters were within scoping reach of the beach. Other than that, slim pickings. I noticed a dark object resting on the beach, just east of the outer beach entrance. As I approached, I saw what was an obvious Grey Seal pup. Its body looked to be in good condition and I finally saw its eye open (it's alive!), scoping from about 50 feet away. The 30 pound pup started slowly crawling up toward the dunes. I managed some photos as the seal made its ascent. I didn't highlight any photos that showed it, but the seals left eye had initially showed some mucusy discharge. Still maintaining a 50 foot buffer, and testing Rita's ability to remain calm, I phoned the Riverhead Foundation. I sent them photos of the seal along with a GPS waypoint that I managed from my GPSkit on my iPhone. Unfortunately, they were already out on a run to Montauk and had no chance in getting to this little pup by the close of the day. I was under the impression that this poor pup wasn't feeling so well. While this is sad, the reality is that this type of thing happens routinely in nature. We just don't always get to see it. Shortly after I left the seal, I turned back and last saw it had made its way near the snow fence line at the toe of the dune. I can't help but hope this little Grey Seal pup makes it. Good luck to you buddy.

Red-breasted Nuthatch - iScoped with Meostar
S2 Spotting Scope & Meopix Adapter

I slowly made my way back to my vehicle, cut through some black pines, and found a still Red-breasted Nuthatch resting on a limb. Usually when you see a nuthatch they're either feeding, climbing or flying from tree to tree. I thought it was interesting how this little guy just sat here, waiting for a photo. The bird was quite approachable and never did budge.

My body reminded me that it was fighting a foreign parasite or bacteria and I decided it was best to bird from my vehicle for the rest of the day. Hmmm? I guess I'll go goosin' in the Calverton/ Riverhead area. I'm still not accepting the fact the Long Island still hasn't gotten its 2012/2013 season Pink-footed Goose. I haven't checked out the Riverhead herds in quite a while and decided to give it a go. I drove down Horton Avenue first and had no geese. I did find a tremendous flock of Horned Larks, somewhere in the 150 individual range. They were absent along Hulse Landing Road, or at least I didn't see them. The first sizable goose herd (750) I came across was on Roanoke Ave. They were kind of distant but close enough to sift through and I found nothing of note. I thought of one of my favored goose fields that is just east of CR-105 along the north side of Sound Avenue. This field undergoes some serious hunting pressure, but now that the season is over I was hoping to score some geese. Bingo, there were easily one thousand geese in the field when I arrived. As soon as I set up my scope, within 5 seconds of scanning, I had a really nice Cackling Goose showing a perfect broad, white neck collar. I've never actually gotten to see this feature on a Cackling in the field, so I was super excited. Not all Richardson's Geese show this feature. In fact, a smaller percentage of the population is thought to. White neck collars are more evident on Cackling Geese of the Aleutian population. Aleutian birds will show much darker overall with a more square head shape. Aleutian subspecies' white collars usually connect around the entire neck. There are several other features used to distinguish these two subspecies that I won't mention. You can see that the neck collar on the bird below is broken toward the back of the neck by black. This bird was at a perfect range for iScoping with my Meopta set up. Well, you can always be closer but not worth the risk when it comes to geese. They are quite aware of your presence and only have so much of a comfort zone.

Richardson's Cackling Goose with white neck collar -
iScoped with Meostar S2 Spotter and Meopix Adapter

Richardson's Cackling Goose with white neck collar -
iScoped with Meostar S2 Spotter and Meopix Adapter

Richardson's Cackling Goose with white neck collar -
iScoped with Meostar S2 Spotter and Meopix Adapter

I finished up my scan with no other uncommon geese, other than an odd looking Canada Goose with a light yellow bill.