Let the house before 6 this AM. Drove about 70 miles west to a park where I heard a bunch of sand hill cranes are roosting. In a week or so they’ll be out of my area. Pulled up to the parking a little bit before sunrise. 25 degrees, 20 mph winds with gusts of 30+ and all I can hear are crane calls. At sunrise I stopped counting around 70. So damn cool. Now I have an excuse to look into buying a camera with changeable lenses.
Nothing really. I’m loading up in the car right now. I’ll have to check the SD card when I get back home. Spent most of my time using the binos.
A new pandemic is killing hundreds of millions of birds, and some species may be completely lost The flu virus can infect practically every species of mammal. It’s also capable of infecting birds. For a disease to readily infect two groups whose last common ancestor lived somewhere between 320 and 340 million years ago is pretty unusual, but far from unheard of. After all, there are good half a dozen bacterial diseases that you can get from handling a turtle. Even so, flu is extraordinary in how it has adapted to such a variety of hosts. So far, the 2022 flu season among humans has been running well above the average. More than 25,000 patients have been hospitalized with what was thought to be the flu in just the last week, and seasonal influenza remains high across the entire nation. Part of the reason for this is that people are being hit with the H3N2 strain of Influenza A, a variant that hasn’t been around in some time, reducing the level of innate resistance. Another part is that rates of vaccination are down, following years of anti-vax propaganda and lies about the COVID-19 vaccine. But there’s a second flu epidemic going on in 2022, one that is not only infecting, but killing victims by the millions. It’s the avian flu, and its unusually broad reach is particularly hard on ducks, geese, shorebirds, and domestic poultry all over the world. If you noticed an increase in prices for turkeys or chickens over the holiday, that’s not all because of inflation. It’s because some farms have simply been wiped out, with thousands of birds dying at a single location. The closely packed conditions of birds used in much of domestic poultry can make it almost impossible to stop flu from spreadly rapidly across an operation. That close interaction with people and large numbers of infected birds also offers all too great a possibility for this highly pathogenic virus to make the leap from birds to humans. The form of the flu virus that’s cutting a swatch through the feathered populace is the H5N1 virus. Infected birds spread this flu in their saliva, by contact, and in their droppings. When a person gets enough droplets of this flu—often by getting it on their hands and spreading it to their mouth or eyes—it can readily infect them with the strain that’s moving around in birds. A number of people have been infected this year through that bird-to-human route. At the moment, fortunately, there is no version of the current strain of avian flu that has been known to be spreading person-to-person. However, it’s entirely possible for this to happen should the virus pick up necessary mutations, as happened with both the SARS and SARS-CoV-2 viruses in moving from animal hosts. Limiting the possibility of a human-to-human version of the current avian flu, which could possibly set off yet another pandemic, is best achieved by limiting the number of humans infected by the bird-to-human route. And that’s best achieved by avoiding contact with infected birds. Which birds might be infected? Any of them, though the course of the disease in birds is generally so rapid that the period of time in which domestic fowl are infected, but not showing obvious symptoms (like dying) is brief. In any case, any interaction with a number of wild or domestic birds at this time should be treated as if entering a “hot zone,” complete with mask, gloves, and post-contact clean-up procedures. While the “hot house” conditions of caged poultry weaken those animals and make them highly susceptible to any infection, farms that are attempting to be better stewards of their animals are also at risk. Chickens, turkeys, and ducks allowed to wander in “free range” operations have been wiped out when flocks of wild geese flew in to share in their food or water. Some people have become so concerned about the possibility of avian flu that they’ve taken down their bird feeders. However, for the most part, songbirds, woodpeckers, and other birds that frequent feeders are considered of low concern. It’s mostly waterfowl and shorebirds that are considered to be likely carriers. That said, wash your hands after handling a feeder or other surfaces frequented by wild birds. Mother Jones has a heartbreaking article up at the moment looking at how this flu can affect birds of all types. In the summer of 2022, gannets and skuas on Scotland’s remote isles started behaving oddly. They walked in circles as if intoxicated. Their heads swelled. They dragged their limp wings at their sides, feathers grazing the ground. At a time when they should have been breeding and raising new life, they were dying. Scientists and birdwatchers had a front-row seat to an ecological disaster. More than two-thirds of the world’s gannets and great skuas—birds that migrate across the Atlantic Ocean from eastern North America to western Europe—are feared to have been lost. That’s two-thirds of some ecologically vital and aesthetically majestic species lost this last year to a single disease. Just as the virus can make the jump from domestic birds to humans, it can also make the jump between infected wild birds and the species that prey on them. That doesn’t just include birds like eagles and hawks, but mammals like foxes. Other species, such as pelicans and seals, who live in the areas where these sea birds gather in large numbers, have also become infected. All of this is tragic, but it’s also highly unusual. Flu is endemic among birds. It generally only makes them mildly ill. That’s true of the H5N1 strain as well as other forms of Influenza A. One of the big reasons that the term “bird flu” seems to pop up as a concern every few years is that birds don’t die from a flu infection. Instead, they get the bird equivalent of a snotty nose, then hang around, forming a reservoir of potential infection that can make that jump to humans. Only this time, this particular variant of H5N1 (H5N1-HPAI-clade 2.3.4.4b) is proving to be incredibly deadly to birds of all types. According to the department of agriculture, over 50 million domestic birds have been killed so far this year by the avian flu. That’s everything from chickens to emus [Note: The woman in that emu story is highly problematic for a number of reasons, the emu in the story turned out to not have avian flu, and sleeping with a bird you think does have avian flu is a colossally bad idea]. France has euthanized another 10 million in an effort to control the disease there. Similar culls of birds are going in many nations, but so far, the disease rages on. The tally among wild birds is unknown. So far, the 2022 flu season among birds has been spectacularly awful. This isn’t the avian equivalent of COVID-19. For many species, this is the Black Death. Why is it so awful? In part, because it’s bouncing back and forth between the wild and domestic populations. Wild populations provide free transport. Meanwhile, when one group of birds is wiped out by disease, what do farmers do? They bring in thousands of more birds that are more or less genetically identical to the ones that just died, ensuring a new and susceptible population is ready to gestate more viruses. Then there’s one other factor: By infecting migratory seabirds at the right time and in the right place, clade 2.3.4.4b was able to make a journey no HPAI we know of has made before: crossing the Atlantic Ocean. Historically, HPAI influenzas in North America have either emerged locally or crossed the Pacific. Yet in December 2021, the virus was found in domestic birds in St. John’s in Newfoundland and Labrador, likely caught from infected seabirds that flew over through Iceland, Greenland, and the Canadian high Arctic. The latest data from the US Department of Agriculture shows the clade has since spread across the United States up to Alaska’s western coast. With flocks moving up and down the Atlantic Flyway, the invisible highway that birds use to migrate from North America to the Caribbean, Central America, and South America, the virus has already migrated far south. Late in November 2022, roughly 14,000 seabirds, including pelicans and blue-footed boobies, died along the coast of Peru. Each body was disposed of in a black bin bag. In recent decades, bird populations have already been under enormous pressure from pollution, hunting, and habitat loss. For some bird species, 2022 is going to take on special significance because it’s going to be their last year on earth.
Doing the CBC with my usual group on Saturday. Nothing too crazy reported on eBird in our area in the last month, but I’d like to see a few of these that have popped up here and there: American black duck, red-breasted nuthatch, winter wren, fox sparrow, rusty blackbird, pine siskin, horned grebe, and blue-headed vireo.
Also doing a CBC on Sat. Target bird is a Canyon Wren, which has eluded me so far. Hoping to see some Cedar Waxwings too.
I hate privet with a passion, but having it around my house means a steady supply of waxwings through winter.
No Canyon Wren today. Saw like 1000 Ruby-crowned Kinglets and Acorn Woodpeckers. Did see a California Thrasher up high singing which is unusual for winter, but that was about it for rarities.
Some photos from this weekend. Did see a Golden-crowned Sparrow. West Coast specialty that I don't see all that often. Spoiler Golden-crowned Sparrow (Immature) Red-tailed Hawks. Male and female pair. Allen's Hummingbird Black Phoebe Acorn Woodpecker White-crowned Sparrow
This + the 2x teleconverter will allow me to tote the camera without breaking my back/shoulders. Pretty excited
That's my inclination, based on behavior (lurking around feeders). The juvenile are so similar & we have both in the area. The tail feathers, from below, are what have me confused... as they seem to have the red shouldered pattern.
There's a Snowy Owl in Southern California right now, in some random neighborhood. There are like 50-100 birders a day with their giant camera setups just hanging out on the sidewalk. I bet the neighbors are like wtf. First Snowy Owl sighting in SoCal since 1913 apparently.
Today was a good day. Saw some rare-ish stuff. Spoiler Immature Cooper's Hawk Ash-throated Flycatcher with a bug. Rare for L.A at this time of year. I don't recall ever seeing them this close to the coast. Mountain Bluebird. Also not very common in L.A Anna's Hummingbird Cedar Waxwings Cassin's Kingbird
Have seen it around the house, in the trees, for the last few days & finally captured with the camera to identify. Nothing too exciting & a terrible shot, but still a first timer for me. Spoiler Hairy Woodpecker
Flock of Cedar Waxwings were foraging berries off our Holly bushes. Surprised the hell out of me, as there were 5 of them at eye-line 2 feet away from my face, on the power line. Scarred the shit outta them & they flew back up to the tree tops. Spoiler Z7ii 70-200 2.8, just cropped It’s too dark & overcast for my 150-600mm lens to get anything without significant post-processing. Spoiler d500 w/ sigma 150-600 - post processed to hell **Grabbed the 2x teleconverter for the z7ii & new lens to get closer.
Hmmm... interesting. I need you to post in here more frequently. From earlier this morning... Looks like a juvenile. Think you are right Spoiler
Yeah, sapsucker for sure. One of my favorite eastern woodpeckers, and migratory which is really cool.
Pine warblers are so underrated. Love having mixed flocks of them, orange-crowned, myrtles, and kinglets around the feeders right now.
My feeders are insane right now. So much activity flock of Baltimore Orioles just stay at a distance, as they are so skittish, waiting their turn that rarely comes. Spoiler
I’ve got a coworker in Gainesville who said the orioles have been out in full force recently. And that makes me very jealous.
Better crop of the Ruby Crowned Kinglet, to do it justice… I absolutely love these little guys Spoiler
Saw some good stuff yesterday. Spoiler Red-winged Blackbird Western Bluebird Lark Sparrow Northern Flicker (Red-shafted)
It was a close-up kind of day. Saw a Vermillion Flycatcher, couldn't snag a photo though. Spoiler Allen's Hummingbird Great Blue Heron Turkey Vulture. First one I've ever seen that was just hanging out. Great Egret Snowy Egret Northern Flicker
Not yet. Since I'm in L.A I've been searching the used market for mirrorless because there is so much camera turnover out here. Maybe I can snag a deal.
You going to stick with Nikon? If so, might want to postpone a few more months, as the z8 and/or z6iii & z7iii should be releasing. I rolled with the z7ii last year, as I planned to use it for landscape & street photography. I wanted the extra MP. The crop factor comes in handy, but I think I'd trade that for the z6ii being 4 FFS faster when birding... plus the z6ii is 2/3rd the cost new. Z mirrorless glass, especially the S-Line stuff is amazing
Little guy came through the dryer vent and got stuck in our laundry room. Opened the door and couldn’t get him out on his own at all. Didn’t know how long he’d been trapped and worried about stress so I was finally able to towel him and release outside. Made sure to refill the mealworm feeder up hopefully provide a little boost.
Feel like you should have let the mealworms feed on some apple slices for a bit, so they're extra plump for the little guy