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Posts categorized Mariton Wildlife Sanctuary.

May 16, 2012

Mariton: Bluebird Fledglings

by Tim Burris, Preserve Manager

One of Mariton’s nest boxes has 4 Bluebirds that should fledge in the coming week.  Another pair has recently started a nest with 4 eggs. 

Chickadees have four nests going with various results.  One nest has 7 young that are doing well.  There are two other Chickadee nests.  One has 2 young and 5 eggs; the other has 1 baby and 6 eggs.  At this point, I don’t think the remaining eggs will hatch.  The chicks are feathered, and the parents are working full time to feed them.  The last nest has 6 eggs, but I think they have been there too long to hatch at this point. 

I have one Tree Swallow that is sitting on eggs.   A Tufted Titmouse is also sitting on 6 eggs.  I am crossing my fingers for the Titmouse, as they have never fledged out our boxes.

May 14, 2012

Mariton: Bird Census Results

by Tim Burris, Preserve Manager

(Scarlet Tanager by Carole Mebus)

We had a great morning for the Migratory Count.  We ended the morning with 51 species and 281 individual birds.  Plus there were two or three warblers that we heard, but just could not identify.  We must be pretty close to the peak in migration, because we had good numbers of several species, and we found some unusual things also.

One of the more unusual sightings was a Swainson’s Thrush.  This is not the first time they have been recorded at Mariton.  In 1999, we recorded 3 during the Migration Census.  Still, it is not something you see every day.  The fact that it perched out in the open for so long, made identification easier.

While Wood Thrush numbers were down compared to past years, many species were much more abundant this year.  (Another indicator that we were very close to the peak of migration.)  We counted 20 Red-eyed Vireos (14 last year), 17 Ovenbirds, and 15 Scarlet Tanagers. 

Counting the Ovenbirds, we had 10 different warbler species:  Black and White, Worm-eating, Parula, Black-throated Blue, Yellow-rumped, Black-throated Green, Yellow-throated, Ovenbird, Redstart, and Common Yellowthroat.

My sincere thanks to the dedicated birders who got up early to count birds.

May 10, 2012

Mariton: Bird Census

by Tim Burris, Preserve Manager

This Saturday, Mariton will hold its Migratory Bird Census from 7:30 a.m. to noon.  This is an annual event going back almost 20 years.  We will hear, and hopefully see, several species of migrants that briefly pass through the area on their way to breeding grounds further north.  We will also see lots of neo-tropical species that will spend the summer at Mariton.  It is a good intro to bird songs, because a lot of the tally is audible.  There has been a lot of interesting activity recently, so I expect a good day on Saturday.  On average we tally around 45 – 50 species in one morning.

 

It is very likely that we will see a Worm-eating Warlber like the one pictured above.  (Photo by Carole Mebus)

May 9, 2012

Mariton: Birding at Giving Pond

by Tim Burris, Preserve Manger

Yellow Warbler by Carole Mebus

While the forecast wasn’t promising for the bird walk at Giving Pond, the rain held off and we had a great morning.  If you want to see and hear Yellow Warblers this a good place to go.  They don’t sit still for very long, but everyone got to see them.  The Warbling Vireo is another species that is very abundant here. 

We also saw Baltimore Orioles, Orchard Orioles, and Common Yellowthroats.   One of the Ospreys that we saw flew over with a large fish in its talons.  We saw both mature and immature Bald Eagles.  A good morning to disregard the weather forcasters.

May 9, 2012

Mariton: Garlic Mustard Update

by Tim Burris, Preserve Manager

If you walk the trails at Mariton, you will be hard pressed to find much Garlic Mustard.  Yes, there are a couple plants here and there along the trails.  Mostly these strays sprang up after the trail was treated.  There are a few big patches off the trail that we probably won’t be able to get to this year.  My hope is that with all the plants pulled this year, we will reduce the amount of work needed next year.  That will give us time to address those patches next year. 

Volunteers have been a great help this year.  We would still have several areas, if it hadn’t been for volunteers taking on sections of trails.  Kevin Mault, the Stewardship Assistant, deserves a huge amount of credit.  He has spent several days working alone in some of the areas where the Garlic Mustard had spread off of the trails and into the woods.  There is still time for pulling Garlic Mustard, but I need Kevin doing other jobs when he works at Mariton. 

People visiting Mariton might not notice the difference.  Because it is missing from the landscape, you don’t realize it isn’t there.  So, take a look at the photos below:  a before and after taken at the Volunteer Work Day.

Before:

After:

May 5, 2012

Mariton: Butterflies

by Tim Burris, Preserve Manager

(Red Admiral by Carole Mebus)

There has been a lot of butterfly activity.  On a recent walk (without binoculars or a field guide) I saw several species.  Red Admirals, American Ladies, Spicebush Swallowtails, Mourning Cloaks, Sulphurs, and a (Northern?) Cloudywing were some of the butterflies I could identify.

May 4, 2012

Mariton: New Babies

By Tim Burris, Preserve Manager

Bluebirds have hatched!  Four babies, with mouths open, greeted me when I opened one of the boxes.  Unfortunately, in the other nest I found 4 dead babies.  This week’s cold rainy weather was too much for those little guys.  Fortunately, the parents have already started a new nest in a nearby box.  So, a new brood will be started soon,  and hopefully have better weather.

I believe Tufted Titmice are building a nest in one of the boxes.  It has been a few years since Titmice have used the boxes, so I will have to watch this one another week to be sure.  Chickadees should be hatching next week.

May 2, 2012

Mariton: Wildflower Walk

by Tim Burris, Preserve Manager

White Baneberry by Carole Mebus

Mariton will have a spring wildflower this Saturday.  Based on what we saw on the Bird Walk, participants should see quite a few things.  The Perfoliated Bellwort is everywhere, so everyone should be able to learn how to identify this wildflower.  Mayapples, Jack-in-the-Pulpit and Solomon Seal are also common.  Many people want to see the Showy Orchis, and they are still looking nice. 

The walk is scheduled for 9 a.m. – noon.  If you would like to join the walk, contact me at 610-258-6574.

May 1, 2012

Mariton: Tuesday Birds

by Tim Burris, Preserve Manager

The rain ended just in time for our bird walk on Tuesday.  It wasn’t a spectacular birding morning, but it was a good chance to hear some of the bird songs that we haven’t heard for a few months.  Cardinals, Catbirds and Red-bellied Woodpeckers were in the background most of the morning.

The Wood Thrushes were singing loudly, which made the walk worthwhile.  The Ovenbirds were the most vocal that I have heard this spring.  Scarlet Tanagers and Rose-breasted Grosbeaks were also singing during a lot of the walk. 

We heard Black and White Warblers most of the morning.  We also heard a Worm-eating Warbler along the Main Trail.  When we got to the meadows we heard Common Yellowthroats and a Blue-winged Warbler.  We also heard the Great-crested Flycatcher, the first of the season for me.  The Eastern Towhees were singing around the meadow.  A male bluebird was also in the meadow perched on a box. 

At the end of the walk we heard a Yellow-throated Vireo and saw an Eastern Phoebe.  Mornings like this really emphasize why learning bird songs is helpful.  The mist and fog made finding birds very difficult.  Next week, we will be headed to Giving Pond.  This is a great bird destination with lots of variety.  We will meet at the Nature Center at 7:30 a.m. and car pool, or you can meet us at the location around 8:00 a.m.

April 30, 2012

Mariton: Tuesday Bird Walks!

by Tim Burris, Preserve Manager

Beginning this week (May 1), Mariton will be leading bird walks on Tuesday mornings until the end of the month.  We will start at Mariton this Tuesday, and then visit different natural areas in the following weeks.  There are a number of spring migrants returning.  This week will be a tune up for our ears (as we listen to bird songs) and our necks (as we look up into the tree tops).  Bring binoculars, or borrow a pair of ours. 

This Tuesday, we will start at the Nature Center at 8:00 a.m.  On following weeks, we will meet at 7:30 a.m. here, and then carpool to the different locations.  We welcome all levels of birders.  While we love to bird, this group also stops to smell the flowers (literally).  We are often distracted by wildflowers, butterflies, fungi and other wonders of nature.  Please contact me if you plan to attend, so we can plan the carpools.

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