Warbler Guy, Where may I most likely see warblers in northern California near you (or where might I see warblers in Marin County)?

Thanks for asking, Jeremy (in Mill Valley, CA).

Here's a great web site to note seven fine Marin County birdwatching spots (i.e., the best birding places in Marin County, and, arguably, some of the finest birding locales in northern California):
http://www.marintrails.com/birds.html

(By the way, my Web site, www.warblerwatch.com, features a button -- "2010 Nature Watch Calendar" -- where you can read several brief accounts that discuss wood-warblers in northern California and, in particular, wood-warblers in Marin County.)

Currently, among the seven on the list, I suggest going to Rock Springs (on Mt. Tamalpais) and
Muddy Hollow (within Point Reyes National Seashore, a paramount, iconic place on the W. Coast to see diverse species of birds in multiple families/orders).

In these two spots where forests occur, the most likely wood-warblers to see currently include TOWNSEND'S WARBLER (non-breeding season resident only; see closest above photo) and YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER (typically the AUDUBON's subspecies).

At Rock Springs and Muddy Hollow, watch for the much less common (in this order) ORANGE-CROWNED and HERMIT WARBLER, too -- though they are both rare to absent throughout most of Marin Co. during January (Populations of these two neotropical migrants return in late winter and spring, thereby nesting in suitable habitats throughout the County.) Even more rare at this time of year is to see the NASHVILLE WARBLER (above photo, below the headline), though it periodically makes a cameo appearance and, indeed, the local annual Christmas Bird Count surveyors such as Rich Stallcup sometimes extract one from the landscape.

#2: Fab Five Warbler Quiz

Can you ID the five wood-warblers in the photos? (Answers will be here by 1/20/10; please check back)

Please see the nearby quiz where you can select your answers.

{As promised, here's the answers to the 12/27/09 quiz, below (from top to bottom):
- BLACK-THROATED GRAY
- YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT
- TOWNSEND'S
- KIRTLAND'S (HATCH YEAR INDIVIDUAL)
- KIRTLAND'S (MALE) }

#1: WOOD-WARBLER Photo Quiz (Quiz Yourself, If You Please)

Can you identify the wood-warbler species in the five (5) photos, above?

(Hint: There only four total species among the five photos.)

Answers will be posted here in my next article that will appear no later than 1/5/10. Please check back, in addition to noting my NEW 2010 "Daniel's Nature Watch Calendar/Phenology Calendar" that will be posted at my regular web site by the first week of 1/2010:

http://www.warblerwatch.com

Happy New Year, Daniel
edelstein@earthlink.net
415-382-1827

(Photo credits from top to bottom: Kevin Stockman, Martin Meyers, Martin Meyers, WI DNR, and WI DNR)

Warbler Guy, have wood-warblers shifted their winter distribution as warmer winter temperatures have become more common in recent years?

(Above, thanks to Martin Meyers for submitting a Common Yellowthroat male photo (taken in Nevada) )

That’s a fine question, Howie (in Minneapolis).

Turns out the answer is “yes,” if you agree with a recent technical report titled “Birds and Climate Technical Report (Niven, Bucher, and Bancroft, 2009; birdsandclimate.Audubon.org)

This report tracked the locations of 305 species by using Audubon Christmas Bird Count (CBC) data collected in the past 40 years throughout the lower 48 states (and s. Alaska and s. Canada).

Among these species, researchers suggest 58% of them shifted farther north in the past 40 years. They include many non-warblers such as Fox Sparrow, Pileated Woodpecker, Pine Siskin, Purple Finch, Ring-Billed Gull, and Fox Sparrow, among others.

Which wood-warbler species has shifted father northward during winter? It’s the Common Yellowthroat. Seeing this moisture-centric species on CBCs is not uncommon during the breeding season, especially because they are found throughout all of the lower 48 continental states. In addition, even seeing them throughout the winter in southern states is regular occurrence.

More eyebrow-raising: Seeing them increase their presence in northern USA states when the December/January CBC surveys occur. By this time, insect resources should have ebbed. Resources are few and far between. The pantry is empty for most insect-dependent bird species, such as Yellowthroats.

In other words, a sighting of a Common Yellowthroat on an Illinois or Indiana (or Wisconsin) CBC used to be much more rare. But the current report suggests the shift northward has made a winter-time Yellowthroat observation less rare.

The authors of the report cite four lines of evidence as verification of warming climate being a major factor in why bird species’ (including the Yellowthroat’s) have shifted north during the last 40 winters.

Time and space doesn’t allow me to discuss these four areas. But it’s worth noting that the birds’ movement north is consistent with computer model predictions based on a hypothesis of global warming/climate-change effects, according to the authors’ contention.

To read more about this report, see: www.birdsandclimate.audubon.org

Warbler Guy: We've missed you since your 11/7 post? What's up? When will you return? Inquiring warbler fans wish to know (!)

OK, OK, I'm guilty as charged.

My college class that I'm teaching ("Ornithology") has been my child to babysit for lately -- and I'm not complaining.

The field trips are fun as a complement to the Powerpoint slide shows I present during class (Merritt College).

BUT I'm on my next article that you'll soon see here:

How the Old World warblers (the Sylvids) have been split and re-organized.

It's an interesting development.

Yet it also requires a reading length almost equal to scanning every name in the NY City phone book.

In other words, it's a time drag and, tongue in cheek intended, a near Master's Degree in descriptive research to learn about the Old World Warbler taxonomy changes.

I'll be back at you soon.....and, meanwhile, enjoy the birding and our wood-warbler friends.

Regards, Daniel

Warbler Guy, which warblers are the most common to see at the upcoming Christmas Bird Count (CBC) events?

Oh, “yes,” Floyd D. in Davenport, IA. . . Wood-warblers are often detected in non-warm weather areas where the 2009-2010 CBC events will soon happen. (Given Floyd also wonders if "seeing warblers during a northern USA CBC is even possible?" I'll answer that phase, too, below.)

Before I mention the highest wood-warbler species totals for the most recent (2008) CBCs, consider how cold weather-challenged states such as Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, New York, and others routinely report Yellow-Rumped Warbler for selected CBCs.

As you may already know, upon moving south from the aforementioned states, it’s increasingly likely that your CBC experience will include sightings of winter-challenged-weather songbirds such as wood-warblers.

As a result, CBCs occurring in, for example, southeastern USA states typically document more total Yellow-Rumped individuals (i.e, Yellow-Rumped Warbler may and can be found annually during CBC viewing periods (mid-Dec.-early Jan.) in almost every eastern state east of the Mississipi River except for Minnesota and some to many New England states.

Other COMMONLY detected wood-warbler species seen during CBCs include Orange-Crowned, Yellow-Breasted Chat, Palm, Northern Waterthrush, Northern Parula, Yellow-Throated, Black-and-White, and Ovenbird.

Now, Warbler Guy presents a strange brew of wood-warbler totals from the 2008 CBC season and for various North American “Tally Rally” totals:

- 17 Painted Redstart (Arizona’s Green Valley-Madera Canyon CBC);
- 15 American Redstart (Florida’s Coot Bay-Everglades CBC);
- 70 Black-and-White (Florida’s Coot Bay-Everglades)
- 524 Common Yellowthroat (Texas’ Guadulupe River Delta-McFaddin Family Ranches CBC)
- 17 Wilson’s Warbler at the coastal Orange Co., CA CBC

Three Brief Warbler Questions......(BELOW)

(Drawing of Bachman's Warbler, left*)

(* = My monologue and one-liners about Bachman's Warbler and other topics follow.)

Here’s three brief questions that I’ve received recently. My humble apologies, but I’m hyper-uber busy with deadlines this week for field survey/biological work and teaching (i.e., I’m preparing to teach an Ornithology class at Merritt College that begins soon), so I’ve got a monologue of “one-liners” for answers, below.

1. Warbler Guy: How many wood-warbler (Parulidae Family) members are there within the A.O.U. checklist area (A.O.U = American Ornithological Union)?

Answer: 78 species, including some of the coolest names that even the best namers of cars would likely not have the ingenuity to produce: Fan-tailed Warbler, Buff-rumped Warbler, and Elfin-woods Warbler.

2. Why is Bachman’s Warbler still featured in some field guides (see nearby drawing)?

Answer: I don’t know and I remain puzzled – given that the most recent specimen was collected in 1949 in Mississippi and the last probable breeding pair was seen that same year in South Carolina. Note the last confirmed sightings were near Charleston, South Carolina from 1958 to 1961.

Therefore, if you wish to enliven a boring dinner cocktail party's conversation, then speak louder than normal while mentioning your sighting of this wood-warbler....(smile).

3. Warbler Guy, I know the “Old World” warblers are classified into the family Sylviidae, a different one (among 228 worldwide) than the “New World” wood-warblers family (Parulidae). Given the Sylviidae members primarily occur in a different hemisphere (e.g., where Europe is located), do some ALSO live in the “New World” (North, Central, South America)?

Answer: Yes, the A.O.U. checklist area (see #1 question, above)
includes 12 species, with your best chance for viewing a Sylvid member in Alaska during the summer when the Arctic Warbler is present (Note: A vagrant sighting of Dusky Warbler, a Sylviidae family member, occurred recently in the Santa Cruz, CA area.

Otherwise, good luck finding "Old World" warblers in the lower 48.

No worries, however. Most of our 114 or so wood-warblers in the Americas are prettier than their Old World classmates. We got lucky on the avian spin of the dice there. To wit, you don't hear about too many birders going to see warblers in Europe, correct? On the other hand, wood-warbler watching in the USA is peaking with the piqued interest of millions. Go to Point Pelee or Magee Marsh in the Midwest during the initial two weeks of May and you'll get my drift.