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According to the Baltimore Sun, snowy owls, normally found in the Arctic, have expanded their range this winter and have been sighted in decidedly un-Arctic places, including Frederick, Havre de Grace, Gibson Island and Middle River. The birding website eBird has logged sightings along the Northeastern United States, Canada, in the Great Lakes region and even one in Bermuda.While the phenomenon has excited birders, it has downsides.Scientists say factors including changes in food supply and habitat may have prompted more frequent southerly migrations. And at least five of the owls have struck planes at New York City airports, according to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. Officials at the Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport are preparing for the birds’ possible arrival there.The snowy owl — which has gained some fame as Harry Potter’s pet, Hedwig — is as large as a great horned owl but strikingly white, with markings on the chest. When there’s no snow, the owl is easy to spot, often sitting in fields or along sandy beaches.“It’s kind of one of those once-in-a-lifetime opportunities you get,” Dave Brinker, a regional ecologist for the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, said of spying a snowy owl. Anyone who spots a dead snowy owl should contact the state Department of Natural Resources, he said, so scientists can collect and study the bird. And anyone who spots a live snowy owl should respectfully enjoy it from a distance, Brinker said.Snowy owls are not endangered, but are protected from hunting under the federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act, which makes it illegal to possess, transport or sell the bird, its nests or eggs without a permit.Snowy owls are occasional visitors to places like Maryland in the winter because they are looking for food, specifically small mammals and waterfowl. This year, an unusually high number of snowy owls have migrated here. The scientific term for the population boom is “irruption.”Brinker grew up in Wisconsin and frequently saw snowy owls in the winter. But in three decades in Maryland, he’s never seen this many. “It may be the largest irruption that I’ll ever see,” he said.Department of Natural Resources officials have heard reports of five owls at Hart-Miller Island near Essex, three on Assateague Island and others in

Frederick, Harford County, Calvert County and around Annapolis.“This is the kind of thing, for the average person who doesn’t spend all

their time bird watching, it’s the best opportunity to see a snowy owl.” Brinker adds.

the Backyard Bird CenterSTORIES • SPECIALS • EVENTS & MORE TO HELP YOUR FAMILY ENJOY BIRDING

Rommel’s ACE of Salisbury, Perry Hall, Severna Park, Exmore & Seaford | The Backyard Bird Center Newsletter | WINTER 2016

Articles...

1 | SNOWY OWL MIGRATION

2 | BIRD IDENTIFICATION SKILLS

2 | BACKYARD BIRD QUIZ

3 | WINTER AT THE WARD MUSEUM

3 | ABOUT eBIRD

4 | DID YOU KNOW?

8337214, 8337222

SALISBURY, PERRY HALL, SEVERNA PARK, EXMORE & SEAFORDWinter 2016

Snowy Owls Grace Our Shores

SALE

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BIRD IDENTIFICATION SKILLS4 Keys to Bird Identification

With more than 800 species of birds in the U.S. and Canada, it’s easy for a beginning bird watcher to feel overwhelmed by possibilities. Field guides seem crammed with similar-looking birds arranged in seemingly haphazard order. We can help you figure out where to begin.

First off: where not to start. Many ID tips focus on very specific details of plumage called field marks—the eyering of a Ruby-crowned Kinglet; the double breast band of a Killdeer. While these tips are useful, they assume you’ve already narrowed down your search to just a few similar species.

So start by learning to quickly recognize what group a mystery bird belongs to. You do this in two ways: by becoming familiar with the general shape, color, and behavior of birds, and by keeping a running tally in your head of what kinds of birds are most likely to be seen in your location and time of year.

Of course you’ll need to look at field marks—a wingbar here, an eyering there—to clinch some IDs. But these four keys will quickly get you to the right group of species, so you’ll know exactly which field marks to look for.

Put the 4 keys into practiceBird watchers can identify many species from just a quick look. They’re using the four keys to visual identification: Size & Shape, Color Pattern, Behavior, and Habitat. Practice with these common birds to see how the 4 keys work together:

Black-Capped ChickadeeSize & Shape: Tiny bird with large head, plump body, narrow tail, and short bill

Color Pattern: Shiny black cap and throat against white cheeks. Buffy sides; wings and back soft gray

Behavior: Busy, acrobatic, and often in feeding flocks of several species

Habitat: Forests, woodlots, backyards, and shrubby areas; in the West, associated with deciduous trees

Cedar WaxwingSize & Shape: A sleek songbird with a swept-back crest, plump body and square-tipped tail

Color Pattern: Silky gray-brown, with yellow belly and red and yellow accents on wings and tail

Behavior: Often in large flocks, eating berries or catching insects over open water, giving high trilling call

Habitat: Woodlands, orchards, parks, and treed suburbs

With practice, you’ll become an expert birder! - All About Birds

BACKYARD BIRD QUIZ

Test your knowledge & have fun doing it.

1. Meal worms the primary food for Snowy Owls.True or False?

2. Cedar Waxwings are generally considered to be loners.

True or False?

3. Harry Potter’s pet is a Snowy Owl.True or False?

4. eBird data is available in English, Spanish, and French.

True or False?

5) The Ward Museum has activities for the entire family.

True or False?

2

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If you haven’t discovered eBird yet, you’re in for a treat. Visit the popular birding website: www.ebird.com where you can:

•Record the birds you see•Keep track of your bird lists•Explore dynamic maps and graphs•Share your sightings and join the eBird community•Contribute to science and conservation

A real-time, online checklist program, eBird has revolutionized the way that the birding community reports and accesses information about birds. Launched in 2002 by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and National Audubon Society, eBird provides rich data sources for basic information on bird abundance and distribution at a variety of spatial and temporal scales.

eBird’s goal is to maximize the utility and accessibility of the vast numbers of bird observations made each year by recreational and professional bird watchers. It is amassing one of the largest and fastest growing biodiversity data resources in existence. For example, in May 2015, participants reported more than 9.5 million bird observations across the world!

The observations of each participant join those of others in an international network of eBird users. eBird then shares these observations with a global community of educators, land managers, ornithologists, and conservation biologists. In time these data will become the foundation for a better understanding of bird distribution across the western hemisphere and beyond.

eBird documents the presence or absence of species, as well as bird abundance through checklist data. A simple and intuitive web-interface engages tens of thousands of participants to submit their observations or view results via interactive queries into the eBird database. eBird encourages users to participate by providing Internet tools that maintain their personal bird records and enable them to visualize data with interactive maps, graphs, and bar charts. All these features are available in English, Spanish, and French.

A birder simply enters when, where, and how they went birding, then fills out a checklist of all the birds seen and heard during the outing. eBird provides various options for data gathering including point counts, transects, and area searches. Automated data quality filters developed by regional bird experts review all submissions before they enter the database. Local experts review unusual records that are flagged by the filters.

Feel free to visit the website and learn even more details about data integration and accessibility at www.ebird.org. -eBird

Winter at theWard Museum

Join the education team at the Ward Museum in Salisbury, MD every Wednesday for Nature Tales for Tots and then again on the third Saturdays of each month for Drop in Art. These are fun-filled activities for the whole family. Our latest adventure is eBird Tuesdays on the museum grounds.

Your visit isn’t complete without visiting Treetops. The recently renovated store has great unique gifts and home decor. Know that when you shop Treetops you are supporting a local business, your community and a 501(3)c organization. Give us a call to find out about our latest consignors.

Save the dates, April 22-24, World Championships in Ocean City, MD. The World Championship is an international event where carvers, collectors, and visitors convene and compete for over $60,000 in prize money and awards. In addition, you can shop from a wide variety of vendors for fine art work, home decorating items, folk art, photography, jewelry, sporting goods or carving and art supplies. On Saturday, April 23, partake in the live benefit auction, bid on one-of-a-kind carvings and artwork from renowned wildlife.

Every day shopping can help the Ward Museum. Check out Shopformuseums.com. Every purchase you make thru this site, will put a donation into the Ward Museum account. Find many exclusive sales and discounts you won’t get elsewhere while shopping the most popular stores.

Visit www.wardmuseum.org for more information. 3

About eBirdGlobal tools for birders, critical data for science

DO YOU HAVE A QUESTION?Visit our website for store locations and contact information, and we’ll get you started in the wonderful world of birding and backyard bird care & feeding. www.RommelsAce.com

DID YOU KNOW?


Answers to Bird Quiz:

1 - F2 - F3 - T4 - T5 - T

We admire our beautiful herons and egrits, but did you know that they were once hunted for fashion?

Herons and egrits were once shot by the thousands so that their or-nate feathers could be used to decorate womens’ hats. The shooting of most migratory birds is now illigal and old hat.

- Cool Bird Facts from www.birdwatchersdigest.com

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