The Veery was the bird of the day, or rather evening, when we visited Crex Meadows Wildlife Area (Grantsburg, Wisconsin) on July 25th. Sadly, with my hearing loss, I couldn't hear much of their song, but my partner did. I was thrilled to actually see one on a log under much vegetation--such beautiful colors, and such a cute little bird! And then, as we were driving out at dusk, or actually early darkness, we were puzzled by this nondescript looking, roundish little bird with a great big dark eye that was feeding on the edge of the road. Only later did we realize tha tit was a Veery!
Wow--so your partner heard the song well, you both saw the bird in vegetation, you enjoyed it in the evening, and you saw one on the ground! The trifecta plus one!
We get Veeries not only in the Pennsylvanian Appalachians but in the New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvanian Highlands to the southeast in good numbers in good habitat, which unfortunately is too far and in-between, being extremely fragmented. (Wasn't there recent research showing them to be in three new subspecies in our area? I'm not sure, but something has to keep the systematicists busy.) These are upland, moist woodland with shrub understory birds here as well, a disappearing habitat here marking the disappearing of local Wood Thrush, Kentucky Warblers, and Hooded Warblers. The Scarlet Tanagers, too, though they seem to prefer less of an understory here by my eye.
Your blog, like this edition and the bird and its song, is Veery, Veery sweet, beautiful, and soothing.
I wonder if the taxonomists are using the new data about winter ranges to tease out subspecies relationships? Some of that information is only now coming to light.
The Veery was the bird of the day, or rather evening, when we visited Crex Meadows Wildlife Area (Grantsburg, Wisconsin) on July 25th. Sadly, with my hearing loss, I couldn't hear much of their song, but my partner did. I was thrilled to actually see one on a log under much vegetation--such beautiful colors, and such a cute little bird! And then, as we were driving out at dusk, or actually early darkness, we were puzzled by this nondescript looking, roundish little bird with a great big dark eye that was feeding on the edge of the road. Only later did we realize tha tit was a Veery!
Wow--so your partner heard the song well, you both saw the bird in vegetation, you enjoyed it in the evening, and you saw one on the ground! The trifecta plus one!
We get Veeries not only in the Pennsylvanian Appalachians but in the New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvanian Highlands to the southeast in good numbers in good habitat, which unfortunately is too far and in-between, being extremely fragmented. (Wasn't there recent research showing them to be in three new subspecies in our area? I'm not sure, but something has to keep the systematicists busy.) These are upland, moist woodland with shrub understory birds here as well, a disappearing habitat here marking the disappearing of local Wood Thrush, Kentucky Warblers, and Hooded Warblers. The Scarlet Tanagers, too, though they seem to prefer less of an understory here by my eye.
Your blog, like this edition and the bird and its song, is Veery, Veery sweet, beautiful, and soothing.
I wonder if the taxonomists are using the new data about winter ranges to tease out subspecies relationships? Some of that information is only now coming to light.
Good point. We'll see and keep each other posted. Thanks, Laura. Happy July birding.