9 June, ferry from North Sydney, Nova Scotia to Port-aux-Basques, Newfoundland

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9 June, ferry from North Sydney, Nova Scotia to Port-aux-Basques, Newfoundland

I reserved special seating on the trip over.  I was the only one to do so and I had the entire lounge to myself.

8 June 2017, Nova Scotia: Wreck Cove – North Sydney

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8 June 2017, Nova Scotia: Wreck Cove – North Sydney

Heading for Newfoundland, otherwise known as “the Rock” tomorrow.  I am in North Sydney after a day of playback experiments in Wreck Cove.  Below is a list of today’s last sightings in Wreck Cove, Nova Scotia and some views from the Hotel North where I am staying tonight.

Here is the Mourning Warbler males recorded tally thus far.

Localities	Males
Wreck Cove. NS	33
Total	33

1          Canada Goose

2          Ruffed Grouse

3          Common Loon

4          Greater Yellowlegs

5          Ruby-throated Hummingbird

6          Yellow-bellied Flycatcher

7          Alder Flycatcher

8          Blue-headed Vireo

9          American Crow

10       Black-capped Chickadee

11       Boreal Chickadee

12       Red-breasted Nuthatch

13       Hermit Thrush

14       American Robin

15       Yellow Warbler

16       Magnolia Warbler

17       Yellow-rumped Warbler

18       American Redstart

19       Northern Waterthrush

20       Mourning Warbler

21       Common Yellowthroat

22       Fox Sparrow

23       White-throated Sparrow

24       Dark-eyed Junco

25       Purple Finch

26       American Goldfinch

7 June 2017, Nova Scotia: Wreck Cove

7 June 2017, Nova Scotia: Wreck Cove

I finished recording songs from 31 males and completed 8/10 playback experiments.  I hope to finish the playback experiments tomorrow and catch the ferry from North Sydney to Port-au-Basques, Newfoundland on Friday morning.

1          Canada Goose

2          Common Loon

3          Northern Harrier

4          Red-tailed Hawk

5          American Kestrel

6          Greater Yellowlegs

7          Spotted Sandpiper

8          Wilson's Snipe

9          Ruby-throated Hummingbird

10       Yellow-bellied Flycatcher

11       Blue-headed Vireo

12       American Crow

13       Common Raven

14       Tree Swallow

15       Black-capped Chickadee

16       Ruby-crowned Kinglet

17       Hermit Thrush

18       American Robin

19       Nashville Warbler

20       Yellow Warbler

21       Magnolia Warbler

22       Yellow-rumped Warbler

23       Black-throated Green Warbler

24       American Redstart

25       Northern Waterthrush

26       Mourning Warbler

27       Common Yellowthroat

28       Fox Sparrow

29       Song Sparrow

30       Lincoln's  Sparrow

31       White-throated Sparrow

32       Dark-eyed Junco

33       Purple Finch

34       Pine Siskin

35       American Goldfinch

6 June 2017, Nova Scotia: Wreck Cove

6 June 2017, Nova Scotia: Wreck Cove

Breeding habitat of the Mourning Warbler in Wreck Cove, Nova Scotia – WC8 breeding territory.

1          Canada Goose

2          Green-winged Teal

3          Common Loon

4          Northern Harrier

5          Red-tailed Hawk

6          Greater Yellowlegs

7          Wilson's Snipe

8          Belted Kingfisher

9          Downy Woodpecker

10       Yellow-bellied Flycatcher

11       Blue-headed Vireo

12       American Crow

13       Common Raven

14       Tree Swallow

15       Black-capped Chickadee

16       Ruby-crowned Kinglet

17       Hermit Thrush

18       American Robin

19       Cedar Waxwing

20       Nashville Warbler

21       Yellow Warbler

22       Magnolia Warbler

23       Yellow-rumped Warbler

24       Black-throated Green Warbler

25       Black-and-white Warbler

26       American Redstart

27       Northern Waterthrush

28       Mourning Warbler

29       Common Yellowthroat

30       Fox Sparrow

31       Song Sparrow

32       Lincoln's  Sparrow

33       White-throated Sparrow

34       Dark-eyed Junco

35       Purple Finch

36       Pine Siskin

37       American Goldfinch

5 June 2017, Nova Scotia: Wreck Cove

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5 June 2017, Nova Scotia: Wreck Cove

I began this year’s field work in Wreck Cove Nova, Scotia on Cape Breton Island.  There is still snow in many places here and the leaves are just appearing on the trees.  

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1          Canada Goose

2          Green-winged Teal

3          Common Goldeneye

4          Common Loon

5          Northern Harrier

6          Killdeer

7          Spotted Sandpiper

8          Wilson's Snipe

9          Ruby-throated Hummingbird

10       Yellow-bellied Sapsucker

11       Downy Woodpecker

12       Northern Flicker

13       Pileated Woodpecker

14       Yellow-bellied Flycatcher

15       Blue-headed Vireo

16       American Crow

17       Common Raven

18       Tree Swallow

19       Black-capped Chickadee

20       Red-breasted Nuthatch

21       Ruby-crowned Kinglet

22       Swainson's Thrush

23       Hermit Thrush

24       American Robin

25       Gray Catbird

26       Nashville Warbler

27       Yellow Warbler

28       Magnolia Warbler

29       Yellow-rumped Warbler

30       Black-throated Green Warbler

31       Blackpoll Warbler

32       American Redstart

33       Ovenbird

34       Northern Waterthrush

35       Mourning Warbler

36       Common Yellowthroat

37       Wilson's Warbler

38       Fox Sparrow

39       Song Sparrow

40       Lincoln's  Sparrow

41       White-throated Sparrow

42       Dark-eyed Junco

43       Red-winged Blackbird

44       Purple Finch

45       Pine Siskin

46       American Goldfinch

31 May 2017, New Hampshire, Hillsborough Co., Manchester, Saint Anselm College

31 May 2017, New Hampshire, Hillsborough Co., Manchester, Saint Anselm College

Introduction to Summer 2017

This summer of 2017 I am studying changes in song and cultural evolution over time in the Mourning Warbler.  This study involves 1) recording 2017 songs from breeding males, 2) playback experiments measuring the aggressive responses of males to historical songs from my 1988 recordings versus songs of current breeding males.  My study will focus on whether and how the songs have changed over time.  The playback experiments are designed to test whether the historical songs still elicit aggressive responses by males or whether the historical songs have lost their signal efficacy.  I will begin in Wreck Cove, Nova Scotia and then travel to the west coast of Newfoundland.  This blog will contain updates from this field work and daylists of birds during the trip.

30 April 2016, Massachusetts: Essex Co., Plum Island (Parker River NWR), Newburyport

Massachusetts: Essex Co., Plum Island (Parker River NWR), Newburyport

4/30/16

Observers BI 347 Class

1.     Brant

2.     Canada Goose

3.     Mute Swan

4.     Gadwall

5.     American Black Duck

6.     Mallard

7.     Long-tailed Duck

8.     Bufflehead

9.     Wild Turkey

10. Common Loon

11. Double-crested Cormorant

12. Great Egret

13. Snowy Egret

14. Glossy Ibis

15. Osprey

16. Bald Eagle

17. Virginia Rail

18. Piping Plover

19. Killdeer

20. Greater Yellowlegs

21. Willet

22. American Woodcock

23. Herring Gull

24. Great Black-backed Gull

25. Blue Jay

26. American Crow

27. Fish Crow

28. Purple Martin

29. Tree Swallow

30. Barn Swallow

31. Black-capped Chickadee

32. Marsh Wren

33. American Robin

34. European Starling

35. Cedar Waxwing

36. Palm Warbler

37. Eastern Towhee

38. Field Sparrow

39. Song Sparrow

40. Northern Cardinal

41. Red-winged Blackbird

42. Common Grackle

43. Brown-headed Cowbird

44. American Goldfinch