Birding Octorara Lake
written by Drew Weber
Octorara Lake in southern Lancaster County is an excellent spot for birding any time of the year, but the really great birding is the spring and fall migration of shorebirds and passerines, late summer for dispersing egrets and herons as well as the winter for ducks and loons.
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Occasionally, Chester County Water Authority does some work on the dam and lowers the water level which expands the mud flats off of Bluegill Rd. When this happens, or if it has been exceptionally dry recently, conditions are optimal to see lots of shorebirds.
During spring shorebird migration, the area along Mt. Eden Rd can be productive if the water level is low and the vegetation is still thin. Fall shorebird migration is best observed at Bluegill Rd. At times there can be several hundred birds foraging in the shallow water and along the shore. Often birds will fly in and out from unviewable areas so if no birds are visible when you first arrive, it is worth waiting around.
Bluegill Rd is also probably the best place to check for late summer dispersing herons and egrets. While Great Blue Herons and Great Egrets are the most common, Little Blue Herons and Snowy Egrets can both be almost expected if you can make several visits. Perhaps the most exciting heron seen here has been a small white egret with dark lores- resembling a Little Egret.
Spring passerine migration is probably best along Mt. Eden Rd and Tick Hill Rd but I have not spent much time at Octorara Lake at this time of the year.
Late fall and winter are the times to check for ducks and geese. I have seen Long-tailed Duck, Cackling Geese and a Ross' Goose at Octorara. In the surrounding fields there are often huge flocks of blackbirds that can include Brewer's and Yellow-headed Blackbirds.
The Octorara Lake area is definitely a place to check out year round. There is even a boat launch (for a small fee) and boat rentals along Spruce Grove Rd.
Western vs Semipalmated Sandpiper
written by Drew Weber
Much has been written about the identification of Semipalmated and Western Sandpipers. Most of it focuses on minutia, those little differences in plumage that are indeed very helpful in distinguishing these very similar species. The problem is, in order to use all those fine plumage details successfully, a good understanding of how to age shorebirds is required. Rather than rehashing ageing criteria and plumage details, this article will focus on the basics: the more fundamental differences between Semi and Western that should be the foundation upon which any plumage-based identification is made.
So starts Michael O'Brien's article at birdcapemay.org. With several recent Western Sandpipers being found in Lancaster County at Octorara Lake among flocks of Semipalmated Sandpipers, this is a skill that is very timely to pick up. While reading the rest of the article by following the link above will be the most valuable I will summarize below.
Western Sandpiper (WESA) is slightly larger than Semipalmated Sandpiper (SESA) but the difference is small enough that you would have to see the two of them next to each other to discern the difference.
The bill length difference that is often touted as a identification feature (WESA longer than SESA) can be tricky to see because male WESA and female SESA overlap in bill length.
In overall proportions, WESA tend to look front heavy, with a bigger chest, larger head and thicker neck. This causes them to stand more upright when at rest to balance.
Check out the full birdcapemay.org article for the entire thing as well as some excellent photographs.
Glossy Ibis band update
written by Drew Weber
Looking through about 30 pictures of the Glossy Ibis allowed me to piece together the band number- 116-50010. I submitted this info to the Bird Banding Lab. Unfortunately the bander hasn't submitted their banding data yet but hopefully I will hear back soon.
Banded Glossy Ibis
written by Drew Weber
At Conejohela Flats today, a young Glossy Ibis was hanging out on Avocet Point. Ignoring the seven birders walking around the flats, it foraged non-stop in shallow water from the time I arrived at 8:30am until I left at 12:30 pm.
The most interesting thing about this bird was that it was not only banded on one leg with a U.S. Fish and Wildlife band, but the left leg also had a band. Since the left band had only three numbers, it was much easier to read. 011.
This Glossy Ibis was banded by New York Audubon, which is trying to study the behaviour of herons that roost near Staten Island. They have banded several ibises, as well as Great Egrets and Double-crested Cormorants to see where they are dispersing. Check the Meadowlands blog for more info on this.
I'll post more details on the origin of the bird when I get them.
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