The Local Sights

The view coming off the bridge into Apalachicola.

A rusted trawler rests in the marshes of the Apalachicola River delta.

Storms roll in over Apalachicola Bay as we cross the bridge onto St. George Island. When a trans-Gulf migrant approaches the coast and encounters stormy weather, they often take aim on the first land they see. Here, that first bit of land is St. George Island.

The view along Gulf Beach Drive, St. George Island. The open areas are utilized by migrant Bobolinks, as well as a host of adaptable residents such as Gray Kingbirds, Northern Mockingbirds, and Common Ground-Doves.

Beyond the rows of beach houses lie remnant tracts of pine flatwoods. It is in these woods that migrating birds congregate. This pond is in the middle of our plot in Unit 4 of the Apalachicola National Estuarine Research Reserve (ANERR). Local Green Herons are often seen along the perimeter, and at dusk begins a ringing chorus of frogs and toads.

The sun sets over Apalachicola Bay and the Bryant Patton Bridge. Numerous migrant shorebirds feed along the bay shore, while terns from nearby breeding colonies hunt overhead. The bay is also a hotbed for oyster harvesting, helping make Apalachicola one of the oyster capitals of the country.

Vireos: It's All In The Eyes

Vireos are a New World family of birds that are characterized by their deliberate feeding methods and hooked bills. Two of the most likely vireo species to be encountered on St. George Island are the White-eyed Vireo (Vireo griseus) and Red-eyed Vireo (Vireo olivaceus).

As you might expect, the eye color is a good clue for identifying these birds. The eye is also a clue for the bird's age, as neither species gains their namesake color until they are nearly a year old.

The Red-eyed Vireo, seen below, is found in almost any sizable patch of broadleaf forest in eastern North America. It's sweet, monotonous "here i am, where are you" song is given throughout the day from high in the canopy, even on the hottest summer afternoons. They winter predominately in South America. Over the past few days we have begun to catch migrating Red-eyes on St. George Island, as well as pick them up on our transects.

The White-eyed Vireo, seen below, breeds at our study site on St. George Island. Throughout their breeding range in the Southeast, they prefer dense, impenetrable thickets. Often the only clue to their presence is their explosive, unmistakable song, "chick, poweeo, chick." We have banded several of the locals, as well as possibly a few migrants returning from Central America.

Boiled Peanuts

 

A dog rests while his owner stops for boiled peanuts in Eastpoint, Florida. We tried a round of cajun boiled peanuts ourselves - the jury is still out.

An Influx of Thrushes

Thrushes of the genus Catharus range throughout the Americas. The genus is characterized by generally cryptic plumage, which they make up for with their ethereal, fluted songs. Crepuscular denizens of the undergrowth, thrushes often go unseen to the casual observer.

Their annual migrations cover up to 6,500 km, traversing between their breeding grounds in North America and their wintering grounds in Central and South America.

As Spring trans-Gulf migrants, thrushes are dependent on finding stopover sites that provide shelter and refueling opportunities as they return to their breeding grounds. Quality stopover sites along the Gulf Coast are of particular importance to three Catharus species: Veery (Catharus fuscescens), Gray-cheeked Thrush (Catharus minimus), and Swainson's Thrush (Catharus ustulatus).

We are in the midst of the peak migration period for these birds here on St. George Island. Over the past few days we have captured our first individuals of each species. Learning to identify these thrushes takes practice, but with care there are certain unique characteristics you can clue in on.

The Veery's preferred breeding habitat is broad-leaf forest, and is best identified by its uniformly reddish coloration.

The Swainson's Thrush is found from coast to coast in North America and shows off distinctive buffy spectacles and upper breast.

The Gray-cheeked Thrush breeds in the boreal forests of Canada and is best identified by its cold, gray coloration and lack of an eye ring.

Brilliance

Birds capture our imagination because they can fly, they can sing, and because they are beautiful. Some birds in particular are capable of reawakening our childlike enthusiasm, leaving us speechless and in awe.

One of these moments happened today, when we were treated with one of the most spectacular of all North American birds, a Scarlet Tanager (Piranga olivacea). Although we had detected this species multiple times on transects through our study site, we had not captured one. Finally, our dreams came true.

This particular bird is a second-year male. If you look closely, you can see the molt-limit on his wing, where the more worn, dull gray primary coverts contrast with the fresher, velvety black of the greater, median, and lesser coverts. Wintering primarily in South America, in summer the Scarlet Tanager brings its tropical brilliance to broadleaf forests across eastern North America. 

Closer inspection revealed that he had burned all of his fat reserves and had begun to catabolize his breast muscle. In order to continue his journey northward and successfully breed, he will have to regain much of what he has lost. Whether he does that here on St. George Island is one of the questions we are here to answer.