Birders Watch Peregrine Falcon at Empire State Building Watching Migrants

Dr. Robert "Birding Bob" DeCandido leads birding tours around New York City. Usually he takes people to see owls in Central Park, which he helped reintroduce. This week he lead a tour of the Empire State Building at night to see birds migrating by--and the peregrine falcons who want to eat them. Here's his report to his followers this week. Not from this trip, but here's a picture of a peregrine seen from the Empire State Building.
Photo here courtesy of Mike Zienowicz
Hello All,

Sunday Evening, 30 August (Night Migration at the Empire State Building) - as I stood outside the Empire State Building (ESB) at 6:25pm, I cursed the weatherman, the wind direction and life in general. The forecast was for westerly winds by 7pm or so, but the few scattered clouds above us sure looked like they were coming up from the southwest. Such winds would insure we would see no migrants. As the hopeful gathered, I offered the option of just canning the trip up to the top - we could use the tickets any time in the next two years. However, there were no takers - people had psyched themselves into going up there, and many had not made a trip in several years (decades). One of us (a native New Yorker) had never been up there yet...

So up we went - along the way, I met Security Guards who remembered me ("hey birdman") and we exchanged smiles and hugs - they telling me excitedly of Peregrine Falcon encounters they had seen "up there" and nights with lots and lots of birds. I was still miserable - I was leading all these hopeful people to a night of nothingness. When we arrived on the 86th floor, the first thing I noticed was the wind - it had switched to more westerly and would actually become northwest by 9pm or so. Everyone noticed how windy it was - about 15-20mph, and the immediate cold. It is really very different at 1080 feet above street level in Manhattan - always be prepared for the cold.

While we were all dealing with the wind, and the abundance of tourists all trying to snap sunset photos, we collectively gasped as an adult Peregrine Falcon flew right past the metal fence - no more than 20 feet from us - the Peregrine was huge. It reminded me of watching the Sharks in the Brooklyn Aquarium that cruise right past the glass where I always press my nose. Anyway, it was the first of a few Peregrine passes that night, and though we did not see any hunting activity, it helped make the wind bearable, and gave a sense of hope that something else might happen tonight.

It sure did - at about 8:15pm, with a little light still remaining in the western sky, a lone bird migrant flapped madly past us. By 8:35pm (Nautical Twilight), the migration began just as I had hoped. First slowly, a single migrant here and there, and then after 9pm, "loose associations" of up to eight migrants at a time were flapping madly past the building, trying to head south while not allowing strange air currents near the building to carry them where they did not want to go. (My guess is that about 500 or so migrants would have been tallied for the night if I had my clicker and remained until midnight.) We tried identifying some of the migrants - best we could do was to conclude they were warblers. However, Ben Goloff did find an orange bird with a black head - yes indeed an adult male Baltimore Oriole.

By 9:45pm, with howling winds and dropping temps - we had had enough. We were all looking rather windblown, parched and shivering with goose bumps...but altogether a happier team I cannot picture. People came to see migration and they saw it - little birds struggling to head south just a few feet away in Manhattan - how amazing is that? They learned to distinguish between the numerous moths and the few bats that flew like falcons through the aerial plankton. Most of all, migration became a real experience to them - not something to read about in books...but to enjoy. No birds collided with the building tonight; rather people will remember the fun they had, and what they learned. There are ways to study the environment in NYC that cannot be done elsewhere - just like the soft flight calls ("tseet-tseet-tseet") that can be heard at 1080 feet - but you must be ready and willing to hear!


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Good! Here are the bird walks for this week ($5):

1. Friday, September 4th: $5. Central Park - Meet at THE DOCK on TURTLE POND at 9am.

x. Saturday, September 5th: No BIRD WALK
3. Sunday, September 6th: 9:00 am - Central Park - Meet at the usual location: the Dock on Turtle Pond at 9 am. $5.

4. Empire State Building Trip for Night Migrants - stay tuned for another trip there - possibly. We need a few days of rain followed by a night with northwest winds. Looking at the forecast for the coming days, we are not going to see that weather pattern. So perhaps next week = Sept. 9-13, but we cannot promise or say anything right now - weather forecasts are not accurate that far out. To get a sense of what you missed, see the summary of the Sunday night, August 30th trip to the 86th floor. Amazing really.
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For the next few weeks, until the tree removal work is completed at the north end of Central Park, we will meet at the Dock on Turtle Pond. "It looks and sounds like a logging operation at the north end," someone said recently.

As of 13 September 2009, we will be raising our Sunday morning bird walk fees to $10 per adult per walk ($5 for kids) for the months of March through December. We wish we did not have to do so, and we apologize. We have not raised the rate on our walks since we began doing them in March 2002. (From 1994 through February 2002, our walks were free.) We are amenable to other arrangements so see/talk to us if the new rate is a problem. Weekday walks will remain the same = $5.
Remember, the funds you contribute support our NYC Research including the American Kestrel Nest Survey on Manhattan Island, the flora of NYC project as well as foreign research including raptor migration studies in Thailand - a site of global significance. Published papers and popular articles are available on most of these topics. (The kestrel research is so new that we are in the process of collecting data to write up for publication.)

Owl Lands on Central Park Birders

Notes from Robert DeCandido (PhD), who gives tours in Central Park as Birding Bob.

We have again added two Eastern Screech-owl walks in Central Park this week. Both walks will meet at the North End, since we had very good luck there with owls and bats. In fact, in one unbelievable moment, the most amazing thing, ever (ever) happened on a Bob owl walk:

I couldn't believe my eyes. I was playing the owl tape via the Ipod for a few people when an owl swooped in and landed on Tom Walsh's hand. His son Jack was finally impressed - and I am finally absolved of running the most boring bird (and owl) walks of all time!

Further details about the owls we saw last week (including Great Horned Owls) are provided below. We also include a New York Times article from June 1934 about a "savage" screech-owl that was attacking people in Douglaston, Queens - and an excerpt from Sam Yeaton about screech-owls in Queens covering the 1919-1945 time frame.

Bird Walk Info
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Bird walks for this week ($5):

1. Thursday 7:30, Aug. 13: Owls and Bats of Central Park (The North Woods) - meet at 5th Ave and 106th street
2. Friday, Aug. 14: Conservatory Garden (105th street and 5th Ave.) at 9am.
3. Sunday, Aug. 16: 9:00 am - Turtle Pond Dock.
4. Sunday 7:30 pm, Aug. 16 $5. Owls and Bats of Central Park (The North Woods)

In the last week of August, we will add some trips to the Empire State Building at night. Why? We just received this report from Sandra Critelli: (night of August 11th) - Hi Bob! I wanted to tell you that last night I went to the Empire SB to take my friend from Italy and it was a good night for birds, at least the little time I was there. I counted 29 birds flying mostly low, a little higher than the deck, small to medium (robin) sized birds. All between 8.30pm and 9.25pm when I had to leave unfortunately (I was enjoying the birds). And at 8.50 I saw a flock of approximately 25 little birds flying south and at eye level. And numerous moths low and high. And too many Italian tourists out there!!! Goodnight Sandra
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Here is what we saw last week (selected highlights) with some anecdotal notes and observations. Not all species we saw are reported here - we list the best:

Owl and Bat Walks (three walks) Summary - the burning question of the week was, "Where is David Mills?" David, who is back in England with his lovely wife Geraldine, took control of the bat portion of our walks last year with the aplomb of a general. In a recent email, he wrote, "Education, education! Far more people die of bee stings or dog rabies (or get struck by lightening) in the US every year then get bat rabies, so people should not worry too much. More people get dog rabies in a year than they do in 10 years with bats but do people go "all protective" and scared when seeing dogs in Central Park?
In comparison with most people's views about bats, they should!! Bats do not make nests, or enlarge holes, or chew wires etc in houses as they just hang up etc in caves, trees, bridges & houses. Do let me know if you have any questions on bats or pass my email (see above) to anyone with a question to answer that you can't. And tell them to raise a glass to bats when they enjoy a margarita as "no bats - no tequila" (only bats pollinate the Blue Agave plant)."
OK we had great luck with Red Bats on both walks in Central Park - the north woods were filled with them hunting along the paved path and making us duck as they swooped in and about our heads. As for owls - in the north woods we brought in two Eastern Screech-owls (email me if you want info about their history in Central Park and NYC), but had no luck with owls on the Ramble night walk. (So this week we are only doing North End owl/bat walks.) And in the Bronx (Pelham Bay Park) at the Bartow-Pell Mansion after a NYC owl slide talk, we went outside and called in not one, but two! Great Horned Owls. Bob was even impressed.


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Queens Vigilantes Hunt Savage Bird(New York Times 18 June 1934; Page 19)

Patrol Douglaston with Rakes and Clubs for Creature that Attacked Passerby

Woman's Face is Gashed

Five Other Victims Reported - Dr. Blair Suspects Screech-owl is 'Protecting' Nest

A vigilante committee formed to hunt down a savage night bird that had attacked at least five persons along 241st Street Douglaston [Queens], within the last five nights [June 1934], patrolled the vicinity for at least five hours last night without catching a glimpse of the marauder.

Just before the vigilantes turned out, the mysterious bird - which is believed to be a screech-owl - chalked up his sixth victim. He was Charles Taylor, a student at New York University. Taylor reported that the bird struck him while he was crossing the lawn to his home. He ducked and the bird skimmed past his head.

The bird's other victims, all neighbors on 241st street in the Douglaston Park sector, were Arthur L. Stemler of Bancamerica Blair; Russell cardigan, a stock broker; Mrs. Earl R. Evans, 23 year-old housewife; Peggy Noone, 13 year-old daughter of John B. Noone, assistant treasurer of Standard Brands; and William MacDonald.

The Vigilantes Set Out
The vigilantes, about twenty strong, assembled at Mr. Cardigan's home before nightfall. They were armed with lawn rakes, rug beaters, tennis racquets, an assortment of clubs, and even one bayonet and one rusty machete, souvenir of the Cuban insurrection. Henry M. Ferguson, a bank engineer, wore a Prussian helmet. Earl Trangmar, director of marketing research for Metropolitan Life, had another steel hat and carried the machete.

Up and down the street they marched, using unarmed decoys to lead the way, while the rake or strong-armed men carried up the rear. Joseph Spiro, owner of Douglaston's taxi fleet, hooted at intervals. Once, his imitation was so realistic that a vigilante swatted him with a tennis racquet.

Mosquitos came and went, leaving their mark on the vigilantes. A group of youngsters strolled by chanting, "Who's afraid of the big bad bird?" Wives hooted from suburban doorways. Patrolman George Ludwig was summoned by a grouchy neighbor to drive the rowdies away. And there wasn't a chip out of the man-eating bird, not a single hoot, even of derision.

Finally the vigilantes broke up. Their wives and unsympathetic friends saw that they got their bird - but not the one they were seeking. Their initial defeat did not, however, change their stories of the savagery of the feathered attacker.

All six attacks were on Snell Boulevard and Rushmore Avenue. The heavy foliage of the Maple trees on both sides of the street hides the marauder by day, and at night serves as a leafy ambuscade, whence at any moment, a winged fury with blazing eyes and nerve-shattering screech may drop upon an unprotected head.

Mr. Stemler was the first to have an encounter with the "Douglaston Devil." The next victim was Mr. Cardigan. When he told his story the next day to commuters, they joked about it so mercilessly that he determined to capture the bird. He is the organizer of the vigilantes.

Mrs. Evans was attacked shortly before midnight, Saturday. She and her brother, Mr. Tyrell, had gone for a walk. Hardly had they left their home at 46-54 241st Street, when the bird flew down. They beat it of but it returned to the attack. It flew at them five times and then disappeared.

What the Bird is Like
"I could not see the bird clearly at all," Mrs. Evans said. "It seemed dark and had a wingspan of about sixteen inches. It kept flapping its wings in my face and shrieking and trying to get at my eyes."

Other persons in the neighborhood could add little to that description except that the bird seemed soft and furry.

Dr. W. Reid Blair, curator of the Bronx Zoo, said he believed the nightbird would prove to be a screech-owl with a nest in the vicinity.
============================"The common nester in our streets and backyards was the [eastern] screech-owl. In 1919, people in Flushing [Queens] were familiar with owls (Barn, Long-eared, and Screech), and no one disturbed the screech-owls. For example, there was one in a hole in a maple about twelve feet above the ground on the corner of Sanford Avenue and Kissena Boulevard in front of St. Joseph’s Home, and a sign nailed to the tree called it to the attention of all passersby and said, “Please do not disturb this owl.” Squirrels on the other hand were rare. A friend of mine, seeing a squirrel in his neighborhood, made a house and nailed it to a tree in his backyard. Immediately, he got a screech-owl that lived there for many years. A screech-owl also lays four eggs in a well-protected hollow tree and usually fledges all four, much less subject to predation than baby Robins.... However in 1919, screech-owls, while perhaps not abundant, were actually plentiful. And this was for many years. I remember one Christmas Count after World War II when Frank and Norton Smithe counted 13 screech-owls in Douglaston alone. There were many more red-morph than gray-morph owls, but both were present. I have a photo I took in 1924 of Harrison Skeuse holding a gray-morph screech-owl, but both were present. These were taken out of two holes in two adjacent apple trees at the south end of the gully at Oakland Lake." Sam Yeaton (1988). Early Northeastern Queens. Reprinted from the Queens County Bird Club publication “News & Notes” for the years 1990–91.
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Tips from a World Series of Birding Champion

Every year birders from around the country to compete in the World Series of Birding, a 24-hour all-out push to see as many species as possible in the state of New Jersey. This year a local club, Delaware Valley Ornithological Club (DVOC) Lagerhead Shrikes, came in first with 229 species.

One of the remarkable things about the contest is that nearly every year since it started in 1984 the winning teams come up with somewhere in that neighborhood of 200-230 species. That shows it's a fair competition to measure skill and knowledge. There are always species that non-winnning teams spotted that the winners didn't. That shows there's a chance for the moderately skilled to make a spectacular play. Through all the teams in 26 years, the contest has accumulated 328 sightings. Though, it actually may be more species than that. The rules of the contest only allow each team to count one species that isn't on the official list. And birds recently reintroduced don't count, either. So there may have been some oddballs that were amazing finds, but that didn't make the cut.

But I got to email with Bert Filemyr from the Lagerhead Shrikes and he says seeking out the freakish rarities is not a sound strategy. "Each species counts the same," he says. "Seeking out rare species does not do any good. Getting all the common species is enough to ensure success. We do see Piping Plover that while endangered is possible to find in the right location and habitat." So, it's kind of like the strategy for playing Monopoly: just buy everything, don't hold out for Park Place.

Over the years they've noticed some birds getting harder to find. "Gold-winged Warblers are pretty much gone from the areas we cover," Filemyr says. "Bobwhite are getting harder to locate each year."

The date of the World Series is chosen to maximize the potential number of migrants found. The Summer Tanager, Kentucky Warbler, Cerulean Warbler and some others breed in New Jersey. Shorebirds pass through. And ducks are among those who winter in the Garden State.

Their team of four stays up then entire 24 hours, he says. "There are not sleep or rest periods. When we are driving significant distances between stops, some members will doze but sleep is hard to come by considering the circumstances."

The team scouts out where to see certain birds ahead of time and changes their route accordingly from year to year. In addition to Cape May, where the event is based, they "usually go to Great Swamp NWR, Stokes State Forest, High Point State Park, Brigantine NWR and many areas in Sussex, Cumberland and Salem Counties."

So far the World Series has raised $8 million for various conservation causes. And afterwards, the Shrikes got to celebrate--a little. "We got together in a motel room with all the team, some spouses and some friends. Beers were consumed and stories were told. Lots of laughs and a very good time." he says. "The awards brunch was at 9 am the next morning so we had to get some sleep."