New Hampshire 2009 Part 1

I revisited 2 study sites in White Mountains National Forest - Twin Mountain and Jefferson. Unfortunately, today was not a great day for Mourning Warbler research. The birds here are not singing with the same intensity as they were in Canada. They may be further along in the breeding cycle (e.g., nesting) and the males may be winding down their territorial behavior.


I only had success with 2 out 6 playback experiments but I did collect some more great data on the responses of Eastern males towards the Western song types. I also scoped out some great habitat here in Franconia for tomorrow morning.

My first successful experiment today was made more interesting when a Common Yellowthroat pair came out to scold me because I must have been close to the nest. The video below is a classic example of the “NESTY” behavior I mentioned earlier this summer.


NESTY Common Yellowthroat female with food





Note that the female who is scolding me here has food in her mouth and was probably about to feed chicks in the nest before I came by. A Mourning Warbler (NH4) is singing in the background.

Here are some photos of the equipment I have been using this summer.


Recording equipment - parabolic microphone, digital recorder and GPS receiver





Playback experiments - iPods and wireless speakers





More great birding as usual and my sighting are found the June 2009 website.