PICTURE OFFERED
Shown is a raft of long-tailed ducks in this image by Joan Tisdale, which won the Audubon Photography Award 2016.
I’m what’s understood in the birding world as a “chaser” — somebody who takes a trip out of their home location following reports of uncommon or uncommon birds. While I enjoy the regional typical suspects, meandering around simply to see what I see in my preferred parks and protects, there’s something exceptionally enjoyable about making a huge journey searching for something brand-new.
Some of my preferred goes after have actually consisted of increasing to the northern New York/New Jersey border to see an extremely lost teenage anhinga (typically seen in the United States south), or down to Sea Girt, New Jersey, after a much more lost garganey (Europe). I get to see brand-new locations, fulfill other birders who are likewise on the hunt, and search for a bird that I would never ever get to see in my own yard.
However, the important things about goes after is that you likewise risk of not seeing the bird you’ve chosen to pursue. Recently, I’ve made 3 different journeys to various areas wanting to see a Eurasian wigeon. Our American wigeons are reddish birds with green heads and a white vertical stripe down the face. Their Eurasian cousin has a grey body with a red head.
When they end up in New Jersey, it’s normally simply a couple of lost people, and they typically stand apart on ponds or lakes covered with more common regional birds. I anticipated each of these journeys would be quite easy, however over and over once again I’ve missed what I was searching for (in one case, the wigeon changed ponds on the day I showed up; in another, it existed one day and gone the next).
Because I was searching for a particular bird I thought to be present, I had a reward to relax and wait. I went out my scope and trained it on any suspicious bird-like blobs in the water. I inspected every American wigeon that cruised by. And the cool thing that takes place when you do this is you pay a great deal of attention to the birds that you aren’t searching for.
As I had a look at one duck-heavy zone I psychologically marked off the birds I wasn’t thinking about — green-winged teal, northern shovelers, gadwall, pintails. No wigeon. Then I began to hear an unusual sound, like a whistle combined with a coo. It was really rather pretty. Was that the noise of an uncommon bird? I took out Merlin, a birdsong ID app.
The whistle-coo was originating from the pintails! Not what I was anticipating at all. I had actually never ever heard them vocalize in the past and had no concept they might make such a soft, captivating sound — I had actually simply presumed they would quack. I trained my scope on the pintails. The males are a stunning smooth grey with a white throat and a chocolate head, and a long pointy black tail. One of the males on the edge of the pond was basing on one leg with its wing outstretched, preening by messing around at its plumes with its expense.
I’m sure the very first time I saw pintails I was struck by their appearances, however by now I had actually seen a lot of that I’d end up being rather blase. But as I enjoyed these pintails, I began to value them once again. Like a Shamrock Shake at McDonalds, these birds are a seasonal taste that you can’t get all the time, and it’s worth enjoying them for the months of the year that they’re around.
At completion of the day, I missed my wigeon once again, however I drove home sensation material all the very same.
Another current stopped working chase was down to Manasquan Inlet, where in early January a flurry of dovekie had actually been passing near to land. Dovekie are small, round seabirds that seldom come close sufficient to the coast for seeing — they’re more frequently observed throughout sea journeys. I was hoping the high numbers other birders were reporting would still be coming through and I’d get an opportunity to include among these little alcids to my life list.
Alas, I based on completion of the jetty with a crush of other birders for around 3 hours without any indication of the dovekie. With very little else to do, I began taking long take a look at the birds that were around.
Manasquan is a terrific area for typical and red-throated crazies in the winter season. These birds, particularly the red-throated crazies, appeared courageous, totally not impressed with the great deals of human beings peering through field glasses and scopes. They drifted near to the jetty, close enough to snap pictures with a mobile phone and see field marks with the naked eye, and after that dove so efficiently it seemed like a magic technique. They would emerge once again with Atlantic blue crabs in their costs.
Further out, long-tailed ducks dove in the browse. These sea ducks are real to their name — males can have a tail as much as 9.3 inches — and their markings stand out. Like the crazies, long-tailed ducks feed by diving listed below the surface area of the water. They have actually been seen in flocks of 200 or more.
I was lacking time, so I wanted everybody else luck and went out. Ten minutes up the roadway, I saw a text flash onto my screen — the dovekie had actually appeared. But I had someplace to be and couldn’t reverse.
It was all right. I mored than happy I had actually gone out, happy to have had a factor to check out the inlet, which isn’t close enough for me to go simply at any time. I mored than happy with the birds I did see. In a couple of months they will all have actually headed back north and these seasonal tastes will be off the menu up until next winter season.
Chasing doesn’t constantly exercise, however I’ve never ever been sorry for a chase. Even when you don’t get the bird you opted for, you get an opportunity to stall and value what you do see.
Julie Cramer-Le is a transplanted Snyder Countian, who discovered her love of birds and birding in New Jersey. She remains in her 2nd year as a severe birder, an enthusiasm she pursues in between her occupation as social employee and offering for an animal rescue organization. Julie belongs to New Jersey Audubon.
