Seining

 

Smallmouth Flounder

   If you know me then you know that I love being in nature and it is not just birds that gets me excited. I did a blog post (July 2022) about the reptiles and amphibians I had been chasing. While I have spent a good deal of time looking for snakes again this year, I haven't taken any adventures looking for "lifers". Besides seeing birds, fishing, and looking for snakes I've been spending a lot of time trying to catch small fish with a seine. 

   A seine is a long net that you drag along the bottom of either a lake, stream, or the ocean. The object is too catch small animals for closer inspection. I've been using a 20 foot seine. While they make much bigger, the twenty footer is perfect for me and I can maneuver it easily with another person or I can make small circles by attaching one end to a tree in the water.

   I've been a fisherman all of my life so I know most of the "gamefish" in New England in both freshwater and salt. I know much of the predominant bait that those fish eat. However, I have to admit there are a lot of minnows and small fish I had never heard of.  

  One thing I learned quickly, unlike birding, I really am at the mercy of another person to help. In ponds, I can leave one end in a tree at the waters edge and work a small piece of the shoreline. To be effective in saltwater and any large stretch of shoreline, I need help. So I want to thank Allison O'Conner and Louise Ruggeri for being regulars and always willing to help. Also, Sue Palmer, Dick and Marge Bradley, and Jan St. Jean went with me once or twice. As I said, I need help, so much appreciated. 

   An interesting fact is that during the warmer months tropical fish get caught up in the Gulf Stream from Florida and the Caribbean and end up here. These juveniles are too weak to fight the current and can get dragged up the coast and end up in our salt ponds and coves. I am not an expert so every new fish is a learning experience. Usually I have to ask experts what they are. 

   Below are some photos I have taken of fish I have caught seining  this year. Enjoy

Crevalle Jack

Menhaden

I'd say this is the prize of the summer...
Striped Seahorse

Needlefish

My friend Carlos found these guys in Ninigret Pond
so  we caught them. They are Short Bigeyes. The 
adults live at 600 feet on the
Continental Shelf

One of the freshwater fish I 
caught. Common Shiner

This is the smallest
Bluefish I've ever seen. It was
only an inch long

My favorite freshwater catch. An
Eastern Chubsucker and a lifer

The front fish is a Swamp Darter

Sheepshead Minnow

Needlefish

Beautiful Banded Killifish

I worked all summer 
to catch this guy, a Banded Sunfish

One of my favorite 
tropical fish I've held
Pompano

This little fella is a very small
Permit

The Osprey Newsletter - Call for Submissions

The Osprey

Did you know that the Ocean State Bird Club publishes a quarterly newsletter? 

And that it contains original, bird related content submitted by members like you? 

The club has been doing so since 2015, when the very first issue of The Osprey was released, not long after the club was formed. In that issue, founding member and 3-year club board president, Jana Hesser, wrote the following about the newsletter: 

We hope that it will become a resource for members, with articles about birds and birding, club activities and opportunities, and member comments. We invite your contributions and suggestions for content. 

Almost 10 years later, this still holds true, and we hope you’ll consider contributing (or re-contributing, if you’ve done so previously!) to The Osprey. 

I know that each of you have your own unique perspectives on birds and birding, and that you very likely have some wonderful stories and helpful information to share with fellow members. Personally, I would love to read about your birding experiences, no matter what they might be. 

This is your club, and your newsletter, so please don’t be shy. Know that all are welcome to submit, regardless of your writing and/or birding expertise. 

Here are some ideas and guidelines for submitting works of writing, photography, or artwork: 

Writing

We welcome original, bird-related writing. Writings do not have to be specific to Rhode Island. Past content has included: 

• Book reviews

• Focus on specific species or locations

• ID tips

• Trip reports, from close to afar

• Personal essays

• Field Notes

When preparing your piece, make sure to consider the publication date. If writing for the May 1st issue, for instance, a piece about finding spring warblers and summer shorebirds makes sense, since those will be relevant topics until the next issue is published in mid-August. But one about about winter duck IDs might be better for the fall or winter issue. 

In other words, readers will want content that is timely and that helps them know what to look forward to.

You may also include original photos along with your writing. They must be submitted as a separate file, rather than in the body of your written document. 

Photography & Artwork

The Osprey occasionally has a “Photographer’s Corner” and a “Spotlight on Artists” feature. If you’d like to showcase your work in one of these sections, we suggest you submit a short written piece about yourself, along with a few photos  You might include details such as your favorite photography equipment or art supplies, species, locations, etc.  

Submission Schedule 

Issue	Submission Deadline	Publication Date
Winter	January 15th	February 15th
Spring	April 1st	May 1st
Summer	July 15th	August 15th
Fall	October 15th	November 15th

For more ideas for submissions, you can check out past issues of The Osprey here: 

https://www.oceanstatebirdclub.org/osbc-newsletters.html

For more specific details about submissions, or if you have any questions please feel free to email: 

OspreyNewsOSBC@gmail.com and/or Louisamaerugg@gmail.com 

We look forward to hearing from you! 

-Louise Ruggeri, Board Member

Black Birders Week 2024

 Black Birders Week 2024

     by Louise Ruggeri

If you’re looking for a way to recover from May warbler neck, but still want some bird-related fun and education, I recommend checking out Black Birders Week from May 26 — June 1. 

If you’ve never heard of it, Black Birders Week is a series of online and in-person events that highlight and celebrate Black birders, while also advocating for “diversity, equity and inclusion in the birding community” according to their website. 

It was conceived in 2020, in direct response to the May 25th “Central Park birding incident” involving Christian Cooper. I think we birders all remember this, but in case you don’t: this was when a white woman was charged with filing a false police report because she claimed that Cooper, a well known NYC birder and author, was “threatening” her life. In reality — which is clear in the footage he took with his phone — he only asked her to leash her dog in an area where off-leash dogs are not permitted. As Cooper himself put it, her behavior towards him was “unmistakably racist.” 

Troubled by this incident, an existing collective of Black STEM professionals, called BlackAFinStem, decided to take action. Just 4 days later, one of their members, Corina Newsome, officially introduced Black Birders week on Twitter, saying: 

For far too long, Black people in the United States have been shown that outdoor exploration activities, such as birding, are not for us. Whether it be because of the way the media chooses to present “who” is the outdoorsy type; or the racism experienced by Black people when we do explore the outdoors — as we saw recently in Central Park — we’ve decided to change that narrative.

That first year, I watched nearly every presentation and panel discussion, while also following the hashtags and posts on social media. I learned a lot from the participants, who openly shared their experiences of feeling vulnerable or targeted while birding because of their skin color. Also discussed was the lack of representation of Black nature enthusiasts in the media and in advertising. And there were a lot of calls to action to local and national birding organizations to make birding more inclusive and accessible.  

But it wasn’t all about this — there was also a real feeling of celebration. And, of course, as you usually get with a group of birders, there was a lot of discussions and geeking out over birds and bird sightings, as well as all the inevitable bird-nerd jokes that only bird-nerds get.

One of the things I was unaware of before that first Black Birders Week in 2020 was just how big the community of Black nature enthusiasts really is. Even the organizers were surprised by this. Corina Newsome said, in an interview on the ABA podcast that year, said that she cried when she saw the volume of posts on social media during the event because she had “never seen that many Black people…doing the thing that I love doing…”

New connections were made that first year too. When the week was over, people were encouraged to use the hashtag #becauseofblackbirdersweek on social media, to share how the event impacted them. The resounding sentiment was that people felt less alone, and more supported because of the event. My favorite post was from a woman who discovered that she was not the only Black hijabi birder here in the states. Another favorite was a post where someone wrote that “in 40 years of birding, I never thought I would see the day when I wasn’t the only black birder I knew.”

Each year’s events are loosely based around a theme. 2023 was centered around creativity and had fun programs, like the “takeover” they did of BirdNote Radio. 2021 celebrated Black birders around the world. Each day in the week also has its own theme and hashtag too, to encourage engagement online.

This year’s theme is “Wings of Justice: Soaring for Change” — which is a sort of throw back to the origins of the event. The week will start with master falconer Rodney Stots as a special guest speaker. You can keep up to date on the programming via the BlackAFinStem.com website & social media sites.  They’ve also partnered with Cornell, the National Audubon Society, the Smithsonian Institute — so keep an eye out for announcements from them as well.

How to bird Swan Point

 Swan Point Cemetery is unquestionably the best warbler location in northern Rhode Island. It has a large following and every single day in May there will be a group of people birding there. But if you are a new birder or want to make a trip from a different part of the state where to begin can be intimidating.

   First off, it is good to know that staff opens the pedestrian gate to birders at 7 am in May. This has been a very nice gesture for years and when I go, I always make sure to say thank you. Since only the pedestrian gate is open, you can't drive your car into the cemetery. You can park along Blackstone Blvd. Parking is on the right hand side and free. Obviously, you can drive your car in after gates open for normal visiting hours. If you arrive before 7 am there will be birders waiting at the gate and you may be able to tag along with them and make the entire rest of this article pointless.

   Next for the purpose of this article, you need to know directions. When you walk through the gate, if you were to walk straight down the road you are on, that is east. If you take a left at the first intersection that is north, and a right would be south. If you were to walk in a straight line as you walk into the cemetery you would come to the Seekonk River which does run north and south.

   The first place I usually go is the North Woods. To get there, take that first left and walk past the main building (it will be on your right). As you walk, you will see the woods on your left. Keep walking and you will see a couple of paths. The easiest of which to follow is at the extreme northwest corner of the cemetery. There are two parking places and directly in front of them is a path. If both parking places are taken, not to worry, you can park along any road, just pull off to the side.

   Before you enter the woods look up at the huge oaks. These oaks get hit with light early in the morning. This gets bug activity going which gets the birds feeding. I've seen many warblers up high in these trees including Blackburnian and Bay Breasted.

   The paths in the north woods aren't too complicated and you really can't get lost. After you walk down the path in front of the two parking spots, if you take the left path, you'll eventually end up back on the road you came down. If you take the paths on the right, they will take you through the woods to the right. At no point will you lose your sense of direction and the worst case scenario is you end up walking five minutes back to your car. All of these paths are good and I can't tell you where the rarity will be because it could be anywhere. Two years ago on different days, there was a Wilson's Warbler on a left path, and a Summer Tanager on the right. Take your time and follow Matt Schenck's advice and "bird every bird".

   If you take a right after entering the cemetery and follow the road on the right you will come to the Mausoleum. On your way there, you will see flowering trees. This is a very reliable spot for Orchard Oriole. Right before you get to the Mausoleum you will see a wide path going into the woods to your right. It is made of wood chips and I've heard it called the Wood Chip Path. Again, just pull off to the side if driving. Before you enter the woods, look at the trees on the other side of the street, Baltimore Orioles frequently are seen in them.

  The Wood Chip Path is short. Maybe fifty yards. The trees are tall and if you hit it right, full of singing warblers. Unfortunately, this is the prime example of "Warbler Neck". The birds are usually high up in these seventy foot oaks. Along the floor are some muddy areas on both sides. Keep an eye out for Northern Waterthrush. At the end of the path, if you take a left there are mulch corrals. To the right you will head out to the flowering trees in the cemetery that can have Orchard Orioles. Keep an eye out on this path for Swainson's Thrush.

   After you get back to the beginning of the Wood Chip Path, walk towards the Mausoleum with the woods on your right. This area is good for Yellow Warblers and the water can have Northern Waterthrush.

    Two other areas I'd like to quickly mention are the Seekonk River and the pond. To reach the river take a left at that first intersection and go all the way to the northwest corner. Now take a right and follow this road to the water. There will be a steep hill and a turn around at the bottom. You can park there. Walk down to the water and you may see Bald Eagles, Osprey, and I've seen a Peregrine on the chimney across the river. Check the gulls and ducks that are in the water. Near the end of the month, this area is great for Spotted Sandpiper at low tide. There is a trail off to the right that follows the water but be forewarned it is muddy. I've seen perched Eagles and many warbler species on this trail.

   The pond is in the middle of the cemetery. It is called Rock Pond and it would be impossible to describe the directions but you can easily see it and follow the directions if you Google "Swan Point Interactive map". Once you find it, just like everywhere else, park along the side. This little pond is cool. It has frogs, Red Eared Sliders, and goldfish. Around the pond I've seen many cool birds including Ruby Crowned Kinglets. Pine Siskins were hanging out at the birches one year. I always walk around this pond twice. Even if I don't see a good bird, I like that there is always something to look at.

   Other than Rock Pond, you may have noticed that all of the good birding is in the woods, along the edge of the woods, or the river. While these are the most popular spots, there can be birds in the cemetery. The size of the cemetery makes walking all the roads looking for birds impractical. If you drive around, you may find many warblers. Just last year a Yellow Throated Warbler was hanging around the east side of the cemetery. It had a favorite tree that it would fly into for a couple of days. I hope this helps anyone wanting to go to Swan Point but didn't know where to start. Good Luck and Good Birding!

Big Nights

 

   This is the time of year when our local amphibians go about the business of making more amphibians. Last night I went out because it was a "Big Night". Big nights are when we get a warm rainy night in March after the ground has thawed. The salamanders and frogs make their way to vernal pools and look for a mate. While Wood Frogs might be in pools for a couple of weeks, some species like Spotted Salamanders find love and then go back to their lives of hiding in the woods all in one night.

   I have always wanted to do a Big Night but honestly, I had gotten lazy. It takes a little bit of determination to motivate myself to leave the house on a rainy night. So for years, I've wanted to check the vernal pools only to lazy out. One thing I just learned at forty nine years old is that there is more than one Big Night. I was always under the impression that if I missed that first warm, rainy, March night I'd have to wait until next year. It turns out that not all amphibians will be out that one night and I have a good chance of seeing more throughout the spring. They really should be called Big Nights 

   Knowing that Saturday looked good, I knew I had to put myself in the frame of mind to get wet. Since I actually planned on going out for a few days I was looking forward to it. Unlike previous years, I was motivated and excited. I went to local conservation area in Norton, MA just a mile from my bed. I had walked this area many times and I knew there was a vernal pool within a five minute walk from the road. 

   After a few minutes down the muddy wet trail I came to my vernal pool. It took a few more minutes but I saw my first amphibian, it was a Spotted Salamander. It was in the pool and came up for air. In disbelief that I actually saw one, I thought it might have been a mirage. When I went to look for it underwater with my flashlight I saw many branches with lichen that easily could pass for a salamander with spots. Luckily a few minutes later I saw another and I knew I wasn't crazy. I watched it go back down to the leaf litter not to far from shore. I tried to catch it with my hand but despite standing on a log it was just out of reach.

   Down the trail I saw another one underwater right near the shoreline. I easily put my hand in the water and picked it up. I took a couple photos and put it back. I had only seen two Spotted Salamanders in my life so I had already more than doubled my total. A few minutes later I saw FIVE right next to each other. It was awesome. 

 

  I stayed out roughly an hour and fifteen minutes. I enjoyed seeing the Spotted Salamanders very much. However, I got to hold one and had great looks at others and I figured it was time to leave them alone. I didn't see any other frogs, toads, or salamander species. 

   Now that I know there will be other Big Nights I will be out again. For anyone that would also go looking for amphibians, as of this writing, Tuesday (March 5) might be good and Wednesday (March 6) looks very warm and wet.  I'm sure almost every birder reading this has come across a vernal pool near their local birding patch. I know of many in Rhode Island, but I had the one right down the street. Go out to it at dark and see what is out there. I'm sure the vernal pool I went to will have more species next time I go. Like I said, I didn't see any Wood Frogs, but I was really excited to see Spotted Salamanders.

   There are also three vernal pools at another conservation area in Norton. They are a long walk from the car but might be worth checking out. Going out after dark and seeing these animals has opened up a new world for me. I'm looking forward to doing it again. 

  If you go looking for amphibians at vernal pools...

     Obviously a good flashlight with strong batteries is a must. This might be one time where a flashlight is better than a head lamp.

   I bought an umbrella to help stay dry but it was pretty much useless around all of the trees and brush around the pool.

   I forgot my rain pants. If you have them wear them. A good raincoat is a must. 

   If you take a camera or use your phone for pics keep it dry.

    Waterproof boots or hip boots. 

   Most importantly, if you miss a warm rainy night, try to get out on the next one. 

Upcoming Goings-on

 

Northern Rough Winged Swallow for no other
reason than it is adorable

I think this is going to be an exciting year for the bird club. It is winter and we already have some really cool events lined up. I don't really like sitting in the house during these really cold days but it does give me an excuse to send emails and texts asking people if they'd be interested in leading an adventure for the club. Some of the stuff we either have on the books or we are working on are the following- 

January 27 Dan Berard is doing a presentation about the Pantanal. The Pantanal is the largest wetlands in the world. It is located in Brazil and is larger than England. Dan will be discussing his trip there, what he saw and what to expect. I'm looking forward to seeing his photos. This presentation will be in-person.

February- Library Book Sale Subcommittee The last two years the OSBC has donated binoculars and field guides to local children's outdoor organizations. We probably have pushed the limit on having our members donate field guides from their bookshelves. However, many of our members love to read and use libraries. Each spring and fall most libraries have book sales. I've been to many book sales where I bought old field guides.  So in February as we get closer to spring, we will send an email to members asking them if they want to be on a Library Book Sale Subcommittee. To be on the subcommittee all you have to do is make it to one town library book sale or more and if you find any field guides buy them and set up a time with me to pick them up from you. You will be reimbursed the cost you paid ( please ask for a receipt when you buy a book)

February 24 Going on our theme of a Winter Travel Series Barbara Seith will be doing a presentation about her trip to South Africa. Barbara did a two week (roughly) birding tour across all of South Africa. She saw hundreds of birds,  and of course, the African wildlife. Not only will she have fantastic photos but will discuss travel, lodging, and what the overall experience was like. This will be in-person. Free

March 16 The RI Cup!   Last year we had our first annual Rhode Island Cup. This one day contest sees who can find the most bird species across the state. Teams consist of three members. Each bird  has a point value. The common birds worth one point and the mega-rarities worth five points. Teams will meet at the end of the day to have their points tallied. The winner receives an actual cup for the year (think Lord Stanley's cup but the size of a pint glass.) There is an entrance fee. There is a discount for club members but all may enter.

April (date not set yet) Whale Watch We had such a great response last year when we planned a whale watch that we plan on having multiple outings this year. Unfortunately, we got weathered out last fall but hopefully the weather will be in our favor this time. We are scheduling an April trip specifically because I want to see Right Whales. They are in Cape Cod Bay in April. Another positive is the water will still be cold so we would have a very good chance of seeing wintering birds and migrant pelagic birds heading back north. The trip is out of Plymouth on Captain John Boats. They are great and give groups a large discount.

April Annual Meeting (date not set) This is the tenth year of the OSBC and we hope to celebrate it at our annual meeting. We will have refreshments for everyone to enjoy. At the annual meeting we vote on new board members and thank the ones stepping down for their service. We always have a speaker and I have never seen one that disappointed!

Oct24-Nov 3 and Nov 3-8 Panama Trip- The OSBC has teamed up with Sunrise Birding to offer these international trips. The trips are only open to OSBC members so you will be with people you know (or will know). The trips are lead by Dan Berard who knows Panama birds and knows many of you. This is an exciting opportunity to bird with fellow Rhode Islanders

Other things we are working on...

   If things work out, we will have a Zoom presentation about one of the more popular birding spots in northern RI in mid-February. The talk will be by the property manager.

   No date set but we will have a Duck Observation at Easton's Pond. The walk leader just needs to see what day her co-leader is available. I will know by Thursday.

   I am hoping an old friend of the club that moved away does a Zoom presentation for us ( I only asked today and he is probably cross-country skiing right now)

   I'm going to do an early migrant walk at Great Swamp at the end of March

   We will be starting Birds and Beer again in April. 

   Hopefully in May we have a lot of walks but I already have two Chuck Will's Parties scheduled. For those that don't know, a Chuck Will's Widow is a Nightjar and one has shown up for the last ten years or so. We will hopefully hear it but if we do not we always hear Woodcocks, Whip-poor-wills, and usually an owl.

*** Dan Berard and I are working on a calendar for the year where we fill in days with walks. We will send these walks out to potential walk leaders. Hopefully, someone will pick them up and lead a walk on that date. Some are obvious such as Great Swamp in late March or April (see above) others may be places that could be birdy that you (or I) have never been. These are all  hypothetical walks (except those listed above) we will be putting on the calendar. We really need walk leaders to contribute.

 

Wood Frog

 This blog- I plan on updating this blog more often. When there is a nature event going on I plan on reporting on it. For example, when vernal ponds are full of Wood Frogs I'll post about it. These may be short posts and not necessarily about birds but at least you will know when Nighthawks are migrating, shorebirds are filling up the mudflats, and snakes are on the move. Unlike a "Nature Almanac which tells you what to look for at the beginning of each month I'll report on what I saw that day. 

   I am really excited about this upcoming year. It is still the first month of the year and we have a lot on the schedule. You may have noticed either the date or location on most of the above walks and talks were not listed. The outings are for members only. 

   Our past president Tom always said he wanted the joining fee to be the best money spent all year. we hope to make that a reality for our members. The cost to join the bird club is $18. That is for the entire household. The savings on the cost of just one adult whale watch ticket is thirty dollars (multiply that by a family of four). On a club whale watch you'll have leaders and experienced members pointing out Shearwaters and Storm Petrels!

   All of our bird walks are free to members. Members are encouraged to lead walks. The more member participation we have the more walks we can offer. If each household would volunteer their time and lead one walk a year we could offer over ten walks a month! ?Hope to see you at one of our events this year!!!

Lastly, I Googled the phrase "Going's-on" it turns out the plural is also "Going's on" 

Who knew?

Thank you Tom

   

Tom on the left, his birding buddy Dave C
on the right

   For the past couple of years the president of the Ocean State Bird Club has been Tom Younkin. Tom moved to the Chicago area a couple of months ago and decided to step down. He has been back and forth to the Rhode Island area a few times the last few months so he has been around. He has run board meeting remotely. Despite doing a very good job, even from across the country, he decided the right thing to do was step down. He sent a resignation email to the members last week.

   Tom will be very much missed and it is all of our loss that he is leaving us. Tom was only a board member for one year when he became president. No one else really wanted the job and he stepped up. During the year that he was a board member, we were still experiencing COVID. So there really wasn't much to do. When he became president, he did not have the luxury of seeing how the club ran during normal times. He really went in cold. I remember thinking it would be really hard for him to attempt to run the club without the benefit of seeing how a president would run it had it been pre=COVID.

    Well, it turned out, better him than me. From our very first meeting putting our agenda together he nailed it. He was a leader right from the beginning. Without any real experience he took charge and as things started going back to normal so did the club.

   It is actually very easy to sit hear and write down Tom's list of accomplishments and contributions to not only the club but also to the Rhode Island birding community. From the beginning Tom wanted to give back. He lead a binocular drive. We passed the word and ended up having about forty binoculars donated, some new, that went to kids in urban communities. While the club got the credit for this, this project was Tom's baby from the beginning and he deserves all the credit in the world.

   The next year, we followed up the binocular drive with a field book drive. Though I don't know the exact number, we collected a large amount of field guides and they were donated to youth also. Like the binoculars, these field guides were donated to individual kids. They were not donated to classrooms where they would collect dust fifty one weeks a year. Instead they are in the hands of kids that can use them everyday. Who knows, one or more of those kids will grow up to become Rhode Island's next great birder.

    Tom was instrumental in getting Noah Stryker as a guest speaker in 2022. Tom did all of the hands on work. He contacted Noah, handled the behind the scenes planning, and even had Noah stay at his place. The day was a success. Noah went birding with twenty members in the morning then did an excellent presentation at RIC where over seventy members came to see him.

   His other grandiose plan that he made happen was the RI Cup. The RI Cup is a one day big day competition. Each species is awarded a point value, common birds are a one and mega-rarities are a five. At the end of the day teams meet to have their score tallied. Tom had wanted to have a competition like this for a while. He had the trophy made. This time he did have a committee to help him, but he was the committee chair and did the most work. 

   These are just some of the things that Tom has done that both bird club members and community members have  benefited from. Behind the scenes there has been that much more. Tom's enthusiasm has been infectious. He is always trying to grow the club. He always wants to get the word out about us. His motto is he wants the cost of membership to be the best money you spend all year. On top of everything else, Tom has lead many member only walks.

   Tom did such a great job that none of us would have challenged him to be the next president. He had our full support. While it is a huge loss for the club that Tom has stepped down, we are very lucky to have had him run the club the last couple of years. His accomplishments such as starting the RI Cup will be felt by members for years to come. Thank you Tom!