Off the rails

A rail is a secretive bird that's kind of half-way between a duck and a chicken. It lives in the marshes, and it's seldom seen. The most common of several types of rails in US is a Clapper Rail. Another species is a King Rail - much more rare, and not usually seen this far north.

For the past several years, there has been a King Rail in a nature preserve in Bayonne. Since it's the only one for dozens of miles around, it has a Clapper Rail for a mate. Here they are - the King is on the left, and the Clapper is on the right:


Here is the King Rail again - cleaning its wings:


The Clapper Rail is similar, but lighter in color. It lives exclusively in saltwater marshes.


King Rail normally lives in freshwater marshes. The marsh in Bayonne is brackish - tidal - which makes the appearance of this bird even more unusual.


Clapper Rail:


Close-up of the King Rail:


And now some more pictures from the spring migration:

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher on the nest:


Baltimore Oriole nest - it's always on the edge of a branch, so the squirrels can't get to it.


Bluejay nest in Central Park:


Here, you can even see one of their chicks popping up:


Pheasant in a central NJ state park:




Golden-winged Warbler:


Baltimore Oriole:


Ruby-throated Hummingbird:


Northern Flicker. There are flickers on both sides of US. The ones on the east coast are called yellow-shafted - to understand why, check the color of its under-tail. (The ones on the west coast are red-shafted.)


Chipmunkbird:


Painted turtle in Central Park:


And a bullfrog in Sterling Forest, NY:

May colors

For birders, May means migration. Mostly, it's warbler migration - and North America has got the most colorful warblers in the world.

On one of my birdwatching trips this May, I came across a warbler banding station, and had a chance to see them closer than I've ever seen before. This one is a Canada Warbler:




Wilson's Warbler:


Up close, you realize how small these birds really are!


Scarlet Tanager. Tanagers are generally birds of the tropics. This one has the most northern distribution.




Golden-Winged Warbler. It's becoming very rare, partially during to climate warming, and partially due to hybridizing with Blue-Winged Warbler (see below), which has all the dominant genes.


Hooded Warbler. Seen in an upstate NY forest - he northernmost edge of its habitat.


Chestnut-sided Warbler. This one was in Central Park. One of the few birds for whom the clearing of forests has been beneficial, and they expanded in numbers.


Kentucky Warbler. It took me two trips to an upstate forest to get it. It is rare this far north.


Cape May warbler. Despite its name, has nothing to do with Cape May, which it passes only on migration. It winters in the Caribbean and breeds in the north of Canada.


Common Yellowthroat. It is pretty common, but secretive, and only occurs near the water.


Ovenbird. It's one of the largest warblers, but unlike others it stays on the bottom of the forest.


Blue-Winged Warbler:


Black-throated Blue Warbler:


Baltimore Oriole:


Magnolia Warbler: named by chance, since the first one observed by an ornithologist was in a magnolia tree.


Yellow Warbler. Had it been rare, people would drive for miles to see its brilliant yellow shape. But it is probably our most common warbler - it's found anywhere near water, all over North America.