ML165447761
Contributor
Date
Location
- Age and sex
- Adult Male - X
Observation details
Returned to suspected EWPW nesting territory. Approached the area where the male bird was previously observed and where the suspected female was heard. Scanned the edge of forest for roosting birds. After about thirty minutes of scanning, I heard muffled “aug-aug-aug” calls and turned to see two EWPW. A male bird was perched on the lowest limb of a small birch tree, near the ground. Less than a meter away, a female was roosting on the ground itself. I started to reach for my camera, but within seconds both birds flushed a short distance to the west. In flight, I could see the contrast between the rectrices (white on the male, buffy on the female). I could briefly hear them vocalize (more “aug” vocalizations) before they went quiet. I backed off and walked the road listening for other species before returning to my car to wait and allow the birds to return. After approximately 30 minutes, I returned to where I initially saw the birds. The male was roosting on stump a few meters from the original roost site. I snapped a few photos before backing off to avoid flushing the birds again. I considered coding these birds as “ON”, however, I believe this would be slightly premature. Before establishing a nest, EWPW pair members will roost together during the day. Once eggs have been laid, incubating birds do not flush easily (usually when an intruder is within 1 meter). I was several meters away when these birds flushed. While this may be the eventual nest site, for now I’ll conservatively consider these birds a roosting pair. Some general notes about habitat: mixed secondary forest with white pine, sugar maple, and lots of herbaceous growth. Soil very sandy and a slow-moving stream nearby.
Technical information
- Model
- NIKON D800
- Lens
- 50.0-500.0 mm f/4.5-6.3
- ISO
- 1250
- Focal length
- 500 mm
- Flash
- Flash did not fire, auto
- f-stop
- f/6.3
- Shutter speed
- 1/80 sec
- Dimensions
- 2415 pixels x 1725 pixels
- Original file size
- 2.81 MB