Newburyport Birders Guided Birding Tours | Martin Burns WMA – Byfield – 5/25/14 AKA: The Black-billed Cuckoo Show

28 May Martin Burns WMA – Byfield – 5/25/14 AKA: The Black-billed Cuckoo Show

Posted at 19:03h in Birding by Newburyport Birders

Prairie Warbler by Jeremiah Trimble

Black-billed Cuckoo by Tim Spahr

Paula McFarland & I led a small, congenial group at this 1,555-acre management area. The sky was overcast but gratefully dry. The terrain is hilly & rocky, and the poorly drained low areas were a little wet. This old pasture with oak, hickory, black cherry, white pine, pitch pine, red maple, Eastern red cedar, aspen, birch, dogwood, blueberry and viburnum is fantastic habitat.

We saw coyote scat and an Eastern Ribbon Snake go slithering off.

We heard Black-billed Cuckoos as we parked at the garages. I thought of a story told to me a few years back that cuckoos have a tendency to call more frequently before rain. I’ve heard sage birders say that both Black-billed and Yellow-billed Cuckoos have been referred to as “Rain Crows”. I was hoping our walk would be a dry one… We had the best looks ever at this secretive species. The cuckoos stole the show this morning!

We met the Merrimac Valley Bird Club group and had up close and personal looks at a Black-throated Blue Warbler, a victim of a window collision. We studied the short, thin bill; the small, white spot on the edge of the folded wings. This male had deep slate blue above with a black face, throat and flanks. We also had the opportunity to examine a pheasant feather. I preened the feather, explaining the barbs are a series of short branchlets called barbules. These tiny hooklets tie the barbules together and, ultimately, the barbs together. This arrangement creates the strong and light structure of the feather. Many thanks, to the MVBC!

After seeing a kingbird, Great Crested Flycatcher, pewee and phoebe, I spoke of rictal bristles which extend from the bill of many insect-eating birds, including flycatchers. These stiff feathers are believed to provide protection for the bird’s eyes as it consumes its wiggly prey. The bristles likely provide tactile feedback like the whiskers on a dog or cat.

Canada Goose – pair with 3 goslings
Wood DuckMallard Common Loon - 2 migrant flyoversGreat Blue Heron - at nesting areaGreat Egret - 4Cooper's Hawk Buteo - 1 most probably a Broad-winged Hawk seen in flight while on a short farayTurkey Vulture Mourning Dove Wood Thrush Blue-gray GnatcatcherBlack-billed Cuckoo - 8, we saw a pair in the open for a prolonged timeChimney SwiftRuby-throated Hummingbird - heardDowny Woodpecker - 1Hairy Woodpecker Northern Flicker Red-bellied Woodpecker - 3 Eastern Wood-Pewee- 3, 1 perched in on a snag for great views while vocalGreat Crested Flycatcher - 3Eastern KingbirdEastern Phoebe Olive-sided Flycatcher - 1, seen well near beaver swamp Red-eyed Vireo Warbling VireoBlue JayAmerican CrowTree SwallowBarn SwallowBlack-capped ChickadeeAmerican RobinGray CatbirdBrown Thrasher - 1European StarlingCedar Waxwing - several, gathering nest material Indigo Bunting - 5, males singingCommon YellowthroatAmerican RedstartNorthern ParulaMagnolia WarblerYellow WarblerChestnut-sided WarblerBlackpoll WarblerBlue-winged WarblerBlack-throated Green WarblerCanada Warbler Prairie WarblerEastern TowheeSong Sparrow Field Sparrow Chipping Sparrow
Scarlet TanagerNorthern Cardinal Tufted Titmouse Black-capped ChickadeeRose-breasted GrosbeakRed-winged BlackbirdCommon GrackleBrown-headed CowbirdBaltimore OrioleHouse FinchAmerican Goldfinch

Good birding,
Sue