Another day at the computer, but I added 1 new species to my life list

Sitting in front of my computer on a near-100 degree day, it's hard to believe I just added another species to my life list. But I did, and maybe you did too, without even knowing it and hopefully doing something more life affirming than staring at your computer. Here's how it happens.

The FIFTY-FIRST SUPPLEMENT TO THE AMERICAN ORNITHOLOGISTS’ UNION
CHECK-LIST OF NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS hits the streets this month, and a pdf copy just landed like a sodden copy of The New York Times in my in-box. For the non-bird nerds out there, this is the annual culmination of the work of a lot of pointy headed people who spend significant portions of their lives lumping and splitting. Species, that is. This year there are 12 authors on the paper, and I'd be willing to bet they were all really good in high school debate club and they still like to argue. A lot.

These days, the re-ordering of avian taxonomies is driven largely by genetic analysis. While the details of this type of work are pretty tedious and mostly take place far from actual birds and under fluorescent lighting in windowless rooms, the outcome is often quite interesting. And the AOU supplement spares us most of that back story.

In the latest supplement there is a lot of renaming of Orders, but usually just by a letter or two. There is also the inevitable re-arrangement of Orders and Families, meaning some groups of birds are now recognized as older or younger than previously thought. This ranking determines the arrangement of the content in field guides, so these sorts of changes keep publishers in business and also guarantees that you won't be able to find anything in your next field guide without fanning through pages like an old lady stuck in an un-air conditioned church.

For most of us bird watchers, things get a bit more interesting at the species level. This time around, genetics (and song and lack of inter-breeding) have determined that what used to be the Winter Wren here in Washington is now the Pacific Wren. What used to be the Winter Wren in New England, where I first encountered the species, is still the Winter Wren. Thus the new species on my list and maybe yours too.

Eventually all of this exciting news will be published on the AOU's web site. For now it is in volume 127 of The Auk, which you can find in the library of most universities, should you be near one, or on line, should you wish to pay for the privilege. Or you can relax and just wait for the next edition of Sibley's to come out!

Pearrygin Lake Bird Walk

Nine of us met at the MVSTA parking lot yesterday and car pooled up to Pearrygin State Park. At the parking lot I saw two Pygmy Nuthatches in the pines overlooking the ice rink and a Turkey Vulture roosting across the river. It was comfortably cool but by the time we were were walking at the park, the sun had warmed considerably. Summer is finally, really here. We went into the park at the south entrance and walked toward the south end of the lake which is less developed, having only one group camping site and lots of good trees and shrubs for bird finding. Surprisingly, most of us never go there due to the pressure from all the campers and boaters at Pearrygin. We birded for about 2 1/2 hours with the highlights being a Yellow-headed Blackbird (uncommon in the Methow) and a Yellow-breasted Chat. There were lots of observations of singing Lazuli Buntings and also a few Gray Catbirds. On the lake we saw a group of six Pied-billed Grebes, probably a family group although they were all about the same size. Still lots of wildflowers blooming. Juliet Rhodes photographed this mariposa lily, a flower most of us had never seen in the Methow.

Here is the list of birds we observed for the morning.

Mallard

Pied-billed Grebe
Red-tailed Hawk
American Coot
Unidentified gull
Mourning Dove
Belted Kingfisher
Red-naped Sapsucker
Northern Flicker
Western Wood-Pewee
Eastern Kingbird - at a nest
American Crow
Common Raven
Tree Swallow
Black-capped Chickadee - heard
House Wren
American Robin
Gray Catbird
European Starling
Cedar Waxwing
Yellow Warbler
Yellow-breasted Chat
Spotted Towhee
Song Sparrow
Black-headed Grosbeak
Lazuli Bunting
Red-winged Blackbird
Yellow-headed Blackbird
Brewer's Blackbird
Brown-headed Cowbird
Bullock's Oriole
American Goldfinch

The next Bird Walk in the Methow is August 9th, although I'm up for going anytime. We meet at the MVSTA parking lot next to the fitness center at 7:30 am.

To feed or not to feed?

This is something I think many of us have pondered:  what are the pros and cons of having bird feeders in our yards?
The following post was sent in by one of our board members, Rachel Scown.   I must say I was fascinated to learn that she's observed more activity and diversity since removing the feeders-- I would not have expected that!  She and all of us would love to hear what experiences others have had.  Please post your comments!

Just a note to say that after our Karelian Bear Dog talk (don't feed the birds - ! - because bears are attracted to the calorie-rich feed), we took down our seed feeders.  And now, to our surprise, we are experiencing many more species visiting our yard, and even nesting.  It's the first time we've seen yellow warblers, cedar waxwings, and mountain chickadees nesting here.  And, we still have the regulars (though of course not so many, nor evening grossbeaks at all) - song sparrow, yellow-rumped warbler, kinglet, w tanager, robin, nuthatch, bc chickadee, towhee, etc.  I'd be interested to know if any others of you have had the same experience?

Happy birding!

Rachel

Bird Sighting in Winthrop: ID help?

Thanks to Sarah Knudsen for sending in the following observation.  My guess would be female Belted Kingfisher.  Can anyone else help?  Thanks!

Downtown Winthrop - Sitting on the deck at the Duck for dinner yesterday, we saw a large woodpecker-shaped bird, flying back and forth from the canal area to the river, I assume.  It had a white-banded neck, red breast and dark-colored back and wings.  The only bird fitting that description that I can find is the Ringed Kingfisher, which we shouldn't have around here.  Any thoughts?

Thanks,
Sarah