January 09, 2006
South Portland Western Tanager!
A Western Tanager has been frequenting a feeder in South Portland since the middle of last week. This wayward visitor from the West breeds between the Rockies and the Pacific Coast, from southernmost Northwest Territories into northernmost Mexico. It normally winters from Central Mexico south, but a few each year wander eastward and will even overwinter in the Northeast. Last year, one spent a part of the winter at a Georgetown feeder. Right now, there is one hanging out Downeast at a Winterport feeder.
This morning, I decided to have a look at the bird. It is apparently most dependably seen between 8:00 and 9:00am, so I arrived at about 8:10. Coincidently, Marian, on her way to work pulled up less than a minute later. We were told to watch the feeders behind the cedar. So we did.
After waiting for about 5 minutes, a CMP Meter Reader came by, and when he pushed some branches of the cedar aside to look at the meter, the Tanager flew out. Luckily, it soon returned. Eight minutes later, the Tanager dropped over to feed on suet for a bit. It would then return to the cedar, and remain motionless for up to 10 minutes, before again returning to the feeder. I snapped some poor, but adequate for documentation, photographs and then moved on. A nice treat on another snowy winter morning!
The bird is on the lower right of the suet cage, by the way. Look for the bright orange bill.
Here's another attempt; also taken by holding my camera up to my binoculars. More of the bird is visible here, but it is not as sharp:
Also, directions to the bird, and viewing suggestions can be found on our store's website
My next stop was Bug Light Park. I was very disturbed at what I saw. Half of the park’s trees - scrubby Scotch Pines - had been thinned and cleared of all of their lower branches. The stand of sumac – popular with Robins and Waxwings - was gone, as was the scrubby vines and saplings that were slowly, but surely, forming an understory. While there may be a practical reason for this “landscaping,” I sure hope it’s a better reason than that someone thought it looked better this way (The classic “European Parkland” style of clear sight lines and no understory that impacts management of a number of parks in the area). Either way, the value of the park to both birds and birders has been significantly diminished. It’s too bad, I have enjoyed many-a-mornings of birding Bug Light during migration as the thick pines harbored lots of bugs for hungry warblers and lots of good cover for other migrants – from Long-eared Owls to tons of sparrows.
Here’s what it used to look like – and ˝ of the park still looks like.
Here’s what it now looks like – and I fear the other ˝ will look like soon.
THATS ABSOLUTELY HORRIBLE!!!! At Bug Light, I mean...congrats on getting the Tanager! But man o man...what they did at Bug Light is...well...BAD! I personally think it looks better the old way, and with the environmental benifits...
Grargh
Luke S
Falmouth
http://mainebirders.tripod.com
Posted by
Luke SeitzJanuary 9, 2006 02:49 PM
I always wonder how the feeder owners fare when these rarities are reported. It sounds like these folks are being treated well by their human visitors, but I have heard some stories describing less considerate behavior. I've posted a comment on the importance of homebirders to the greater birding community with a link your piece, especially as a source or rarities. Congratulations on the bird! Good birding.
Posted by
Home BirdJanuary 11, 2006 08:00 AM
This is a great point, "Home Bird." This can be a major issue. Personally I have seen the best, and worse of birder behavior from my time in NJ, Michigan, and Maine. 9.9 times out of ten, birders are welcome, cause no problems, and everyone leaves happy. But, there are certainly exceptions. (Sometime I'll have to share my lifer Painted Bunting in NJ and police encounter story).
As for here in Maine, we have many fewer birders (and far more spread out) than places like Massachussetts and New Jersey. Therefore, there tends to be less of an issue with homeowners being "overwhelmed" although that can definitely happen anyway.
Personally, I greatly appreciate whenever someone shares a bird in their yard with me. And, I greatly appreciate when they offer to allow birders to come and see the bird. Sometimes, it's easy like the viewing from the road on Rhode Island Ave. Othertimes, as in the Blue Grosbeak early this winter at a Georgetown feeder, birders need to be inside the house to view the bird.
One of my first bird "chases" in Maine was of a Painted Bunting (maybe I should just avoid chasing this bird, seems to be bad luck for me!). When I received word of the bird on a listserve, I immediately drove down to see it. Problem was the bird occurred over a week ago and the homeowners wanted a call first. Neither of these important items were mentioned, and therefore when I showed up unanounced a week later, I was not-so-warmly greeted by an irate homeowner. After we figured out where the miscomunication had occurred, there were no hard feelings of course.
After that experience, and other issues, I started my own Rare Bird Alert for Southcoastal Maine (Archives at www.yarmouthbirds.com/rare_bird_alerts.asp) when we opened our store. As policy, I do not post any specific addresses unless it has 1)already appearred on a public listserve, etc. or 2)I personally have gained specific approval to provide information.
This is only fair to the homeowner, but also the birding community who want to see exciting rarities. Some of the examples of how our Rare Bird Alert has balanced providing information and access to birders and protecting the rights and privacy of homeowners is to mention any and all specifics (visiting hours, parking info, contact in) either directly in the RBA or via our Bird News page on our website (such as with the Western Tanager in South Portland).
Whenever a rare bird or other interesting species occurs in a yard or at a feeder, the homeowner's rights far exceed a sometimes insisted-upon right of birders to see the bird. If we can coordinate and compromise visititation with the homeowner's desires, then everyone wins, and more folks will report more birds!
That's a long-winded way of saying: "I agree"
Posted by Derek
January 11, 2006 01:44 PM
Thanks for your detailed (a term a prefer to "long-winded") response. I have heard some similar tales from my years in Maryland, which is not quite as densely populated as New Jersey or Massachusetts, but which does have a very large, active, and sometimes highly competitive birding community. I always think of the homebirders and hope that the enthusiastic visitors comply with whatever requests their hosts might make in terms of where and when and how to "get" the bird they're seeking.
Posted by
Home BirdJanuary 12, 2006 07:40 AM
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