Matt Perry’s Nature

One Warbler’s Journey to Recovery story & photos by matt perry

The birds that have intrigued me most over the years and were largely responsible for my entry into the naturalist field have been the neo-tropical songbirds; those species which breed in North America’s northern forests and spend their winters in the tropical climes of Central and South America. Of these beautiful, feathered creatures, it has been the warblers that I spent the most time seeking out and learning about their behavior. In the 1990s, I made a considerable effort in making audio recordings of warbler song variations. In five years, I tracked and made recordings of close to thirty warbler species that breed in and/or migrate through Central and Northern New York State. The conservation status of these warblers has altered much during the last two decades and the breeding ranges of many have retracted substantially. One would be hard-pressed to find some of these species even in the most appropriate habitat our region has to offer. The plight of the neo-tropicals stems from a changing climate, habitat destruction, and increasing collisions with man-made structures during their migration flights.

Among the species I eagerly await in the spring is the Blackpoll Warbler. The adult male of the species, when in breeding plumage, somewhat resembles a Black-capped Chickadee. He has a black cap and a matching chin patch. He has a light underside, but unlike the chickadee, he shows dark streaking on his flanks. Also, unlike the Chickadee, the Blackpoll’s back is olive-colored and shows dark, dashlike streaks. He has white spots on his tail which are visible when he flits around on tree branches. In the fall, when he molts into more drab plumage, his orange legs and feet help to distinguish him from similarly clad species. The Blackpoll Warbler is a denizen of the boreal forest. They breed in conifers at the tops of mountains in the Adirondacks and Canada. I have visited Blackpoll nesting grounds a few times but never The immature Blackpoll kept one eye closed

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actually found a nest; I only heard males singing on their territories amid the stunted Red Spruce and Balsam Fir trees that populate alpine regions. Back at our nature sanctuary in Clinton, I used to eagerly await the Blackpoll’s arrival from the south during spring migration. As far as warblers go, they are late spring arrivals, showing up in the latter half of May and, more typically, during the month’s final week. The last stragglers come through our region during the first week of June.

Formerly in spring, migrant Blackpoll Warblers favored the nature sanctuary’s American Elm trees. Back then I was able to find as many as a dozen in one morning as they fed together on insect larvae in the lofty branches of the elms. As the Blackpolls flitted and foraged amongst the trees’ newly emerging foliage, they sang their immensely high-pitched songs. The song of the Blackpoll sounds something like, “ti-ti-ti-ti-ti-ti-ti”. I liken the sound to that which might be produced by a miniature set of sleighbells. In more recent years, spring migrant Blackpolls have been difficult to find. The grove of elms where they once congregated was decimated by Dutch Elm disease and the supply of Blackpolls (as well as many other warbler species) returning from the south has greatly diminished. I am now lucky to encounter a half-dozen of them in an entire spring season.

Watching the behavior of Blackpolls or any warblers has always been fascinating to me. Breeding behavior, foraging behavior, and their interactions with other species are all worthy of study and there are always opportunities to learn something new. About a decade ago, a Blackpoll Warbler was brought to a rehabilitator I know in the Downstate Region. The partially stunned and flightless bird had been picked up from the ground next to a tall building in an urban center. The person who found it was holding the bird in her hand when my friend, Natasha, came to pick it up. Natasha was a songbird rehabilitator but, at that point in time, had never worked with warblers and sent me a photo of it for identification. “What was it doing in the city? Aren’t Blackpolls forest-living birds?” Natasha inquired later. It was late September, and from late August The Blackpoll is named “Satterfield” Adult Blackpoll Warbler

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through early October, Blackpoll Warblers, along with all other warbler species, are engaged in fall migration. Warblers are nocturnal migrants. Their flights bring them over mountains, lakes, and cities alike. Every year, many of these migrants (not just warblers) are killed or injured by impacting against towers, buildings, and other high structures that occur along their flight paths. Annual impact fatalities among neotropical migrants are said to number in the millions and represent a leading cause of their mortality. The one that Natasha received was one of the lucky ones. It wasn’t killed outright and now it had a chance to recover.

It was obvious the bird was lethargic. When rescued, it put up no resistance to being picked up and carried in someone’s hand. It was clear the bird couldn’t fly, and it kept closing its right eye. Most probably the warbler had struck a building, which resulted in head trauma and a broken or sprained wing. After about an hour of confinement at Natasha’s house, the warbler exhibited a noticeable wing droop, which is consistent with a sprained or broken wing. When the injuries and the behavior of the patient were described to me, I doubted the bird would survive the night. However, when offered food in its enclosure (a glass-sided turtle tank), the warbler rallied. It hunted down a dozen or so crickets set on the floor of the tank and readily ate them. That was certainly a good sign. A few hours later, the Blackpoll took a dozen mealworms. These he plucked directly out of Natasha’s hand. As the evening wore on, he became more boisterous in the tank. He was hopping around on the wooden perches and excitedly seeking a way out. However, he still was not even trying to fly. Although his left wing extended out when he jumped, his right wing always stayed closed and tight against his body. At dusk, the warbler became even more animated and jumped up against the southeastern side of the glass tank. Was he trying to migrate? Blackpolls, along with many other neotropical songbirds, usually begin migrating just after dusk. Was this warbler jumping in the direction his brain told him to fly?

When the Blackpoll finally decided to go to sleep, he simply grasped his perch, turned his head onto his shoulder, and tucked his beak into his plum-

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age. The next morning, the warbler (now dubbed Satterfield after the building he allegedly rammed into) was more energetic. He exhibited more typical warbler-type foraging behavior, albeit he was doing most of it from the floor of a glass tank and on branches propped between the walls. Natasha hand fed him mealworms which he snatched one by one from between her fingers. More than half of the worms he took were unceremoniously flung into his water dish. What was initially taken for an accident, we later believed was intentional. He was using the water to dispatch his prey (and possibly to hydrate them). He would let a mealworm stay in the water for about a minute before retrieving it and swallowing it whole. About as often, he would give his victim a few vigorous shakes to immobilize them before eating.

On September 28th, two days after his rescue, Satterfield’s eye was back to normal, but his right wing remained unused. It was also determined his wing was sprained and not broken, which meant we might expect a full recovery. His foraging behavior in the tank was getting increasingly fast and warbler-like, but he still wasn’t flying. The next day when he was out of his tank, he fell off his perch. He half-fluttered four feet to the floor without attempting to open his bad wing. Natasha lowered a branch to the floor. He jumped up onto it and was returned to his tank where he proceeded to hunt down a new batch of crickets. Satterfield was now vocalizing. He gave light “chip” begging calls when Natasha offered him mealworms. He had an excellent appetite, which doubtlessly reflected his instinctual need to fatten up before resuming his migration. This time of year, long-distance migrants become obsessed with increasing their bodies’ fat reserves to power their southward journeys.

The migration window was quickly closing for Satterfield. Most Blackpoll Warblers migrate through New York State in September. Only a very few stragglers will pass through after that. Ziggy the Parakeet Would Satterfield recover in time to join his compatriots? Or would he need to be held over until late May when he would join the ranks of those bound for breeding grounds in the northern mountains? Only time would tell. The last day of September was a big day for Satterfield. Natasha began doing physical therapy with him. She gently opened his wings and massaged his flight muscles. She then had him jump between branches she held in her hands. He happi- Natasha’s Parakeet, Ziggy. At the time, I ly complied and hopped from one to the thought this a controversial step. Why alother again and again. While rotating the low a native songbird to interact with a dobranches, Natasha gradually increased the mestic species and one that originated from distance between them. Satterfield wasn’t another continent (Australia)? I wondered flying but he was showing good coordina- how this could possibly help him. Even tion and balance. It was amazing how far though Natasha had no experience with he could jump. It made me re-evaluate pre- warblers, she instinctively knew how imcisely how warblers get around on branch- portant it was to continue to challenge Sates in the forest canopy – how much jump- terfield; to keep him interested in life and ing they do in relation to how much flying. working towards his recovery. She thought

Hearing about and seeing for myself Ziggy could help him by providing him an how a Blackpoll Warbler reacted to captiv- incentive to interact and allow him to grow ity was a revelation to me. He proved to his skillset. He made the first move towards be extremely adaptable – far more than I Ziggy and she reacted by flying to Natasha would have expected from a small insec- and landing on her arm. She mock-preened tivore species. After all, he belonged to Natasha’s arm for a moment before trotting the warbler clan, which is not a family of up onto her shoulder. Satterfield watched species famous for living harmoniously in from his perch the entire time. A little later, domestic situations. As part of Satterfield’s the Blackpoll was returned to his tank to recovery process, Natasha moved him out partake of his lunch of mealworms. When of his tank and into an aviary room rigged he was finished eating, he jumped up onto with tree branches. Here he would have the rim of the tank and from there hopped much more space to exercise. He would onto Natasha’s arm. He then ran up to her also be able to interact (if he chose to) with shoulder just like Ziggy had done earlier.

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Was he emulating the Parakeet’s behavior?

By October 1st, Satterfield had become tired of his tank and didn’t appreciate being confined there. He now had free-range of the aviary room for much of the day and only returned to the tank at feeding time and at night. The rest of the day it was he and Ziggy making use of the network of tree branches in their shared space. Suddenly, seeing him in this context, flitting about in high branches, his movements seemed far more warbler-like. His preferred resting perch was at the very top of the branch structure, right up against the ceiling. It seemed he enjoyed being higher than Ziggy – in elevation if not in status. He wasn’t afraid of Ziggy. In the wild, particularly during migration, warblers join together in mixed-species foraging flocks. It is normal to see them traveling through branches together with woodpeckers, nuthatches, chickadees, and titmice. Rubbing shoulders with a diverse range of species fosters interspecies cooperation and communication. Satterfield was not out of his comfort zone and, for that matter, neither was Ziggy.

An afternoon of jumping from branch to branch would tire Satterfield out and by evening his right wing would begin to droop. Importantly, he had been using both wings during some of his longer hopflights. The next day, Satterfield discovered Ziggy’s cage and while she was busy in the branches of the aviary, he explored her favorite perches and even looked into her little mirror. Why a bird that loathed his own tank would want to hang around in another bird’s cage is anyone’s guess. Ziggy’s response to the invasion of her space was to hang upside-down over the cage and call disapprovingly. Satterfield’s dish of mealworms was now being placed on the cover of his tank and when it was replenished, he would come down from the branches and retrieve them one at a time. He would carry one back into the branchZiggy & Satterfield

bats of the first order. While flitting among the branches in the aviary he would momentarily hang upside-down. This is something Ziggy didn’t need to teach him but is firmly in the bag of tricks of all warblers. Yes, he was steadily improving, but would he be fit enough to resume migration? Being able to fly for ten minutes is good, but would he be able to fly thousands of miles over land and ocean? Probably not. In terms of Blackpoll migration, the window was rapidly closing. Precious few warblers linger in New York State beyond early October. That deadline had already arrived. If he missed his migration window he would need to remain in the aviary until late May Giorgio joins Ziggy and that would mean being in captivity for nearly 8 months, which is a significant period in a songbird’s lifespan es and, after shaking it vigorously, would (about 5 years). Regardless, waiting was swallow it whole. He began to anticipate the only option for the convalescing bird. his feeding time. When he saw Natasha Over the next several days Satterfield come into the room, he became visibly ex- began seriously protesting having to go cited. He would come closer to his dish and back into his tank. When nightfall came, give light begging calls. he flew around the aviary in full escape

On October 4th, we saw some major mode. Natasha pursued him with a net, progress with Satterfield. He was starting but it often took a dozen tries to nab him. to really fly, and not only between branches The bird was hardly terrorized by this acbut all the way around the aviary. He still tivity and seemed to view it as more of a drooped his right wing after exerting it, game, and one that Ziggy also took part in. but the droop was not as pronounced as it She started refusing to be put in her cage had been. Importantly, after each flight, he for the night. The two birds would dash was recovering faster. He also began balk- around the room. During these ridiculous ing at going back into his tank. Gone were chases, Satterfield began exhibiting more the days in which he would intentionally advanced flight skills. He showed how he perch on Natasha’s arm and let her put him could instantaneously change direction to bed. He was getting increasingly inde- 180 degrees in mid-flight. He also showed pendent and didn’t want to get too close to that he could hover. One day he hovered people. However, Parakeets were still OK, over his food dish and slowly lowered and he continued interacting with Ziggy. himself down, not unlike a hummingbird.

The next day (October 5th) the warbler Those advanced flying abilities coupled took a few more steps towards recovery. He with his ever-increasing stamina provided was energetically hop-flying and sprint-fly- the best indication yet that his right wing ing for extended periods. Up to ten min- had healed. utes! His stamina was clearly improving, Finally, on the afternoon of October and he was showing little sign of fatigue. 11th, unprompted, the Blackpoll flew He was also becoming more acrobatic. around the perimeter of the aviary a dozWarblers are, by definition, arboreal acro- en times. He was indeed ready for release. The weather had become mild on October 13th and the forecast promised a few more mild days as we entered the middle of the month. Natasha borrowed Ziggy’s cage, put Satterfield into it, and brought him into the backyard. He was left outside in the closed cage for about an hour so he could get used to the sights and sounds of the wooded yard. Finally, the cage door was opened. The Blackpoll hesitated for only a moment before flying out to freedom. His flight took him upwards fifty feet into the crown of a Sassafras tree. Natasha lost sight of him shortly after that and he was not seen again. Ziggy’s cage, with a dish of mealworms inside, remained on the deck. The food would be available for him if he needed it. As it happened, he didn’t. Presumably, he was back to feeding on foliage-eating insect larvae in the tree canopy and did not need handouts. His main objective would be to increase his body’s fat reserves as fast as possible and head south or southeast to the Atlantic Ocean or the Gulf of Mexico. He then needed to fly to Central or South America. It was an ambitious goal and he seemed to be up for the challenge.

Would we ever see Satterfield again? Probably not. And if we did, he would be in adult plumage and look nothing like the little warbler that flitted around the aviary and made friends with a Parakeet. Natasha said that she and her family missed him. They missed his little form darting over their heads and his knack of perching in the most unlikely places. They missed his adaptability and his intrepid nature. He was more than eager to take each new step which led to his recovery. Most of all they would miss his unlikely friendship with Ziggy. For Ziggy’s part, she became noticeably despondent with the loss of her companion. She stopped going up into the tree branches in the aviary above her cage. Soon she was not willing to come out of her cage at all. After a week went by with no change in the Parakeet’s demeanor, she was brought to a local Parakeet Rescue and allowed to pick out her own companion. That she did and now lives happily with a blue male that is completely devoted to her. •

Matt Perry is Conservation Director and resident naturalist at Spring Farm CARES in Clinton. He manages a 260 acre nature preserve which is open for tours by appointment. Matt is also regional editor of “The Kingbird”, which is a quarterly publication put out by the New York State Ornithological Association. Matt’s short nature videos can be viewed on the web. Look for Spring Farm CARES Nature Sanctuary on Facebook.

sweet potatoes in the MV

by Denise A. Szarek

Sweet potatoes are being grown successfully here in the Mohawk Valley. And if you frequent any of our local farmers markets in the area, they are getting easier to find. They’re delicious, packed with nutrients, attract attention at farmers’ markets, and can be stored up to a year or even longer.

Sweet potatoes (Ipomea batatas) are from the morning glory family. They are not related to the Irish potato, which is in the nightshade (Solanaceae) family. While potatoes are tubers (swollen underground stems), sweet potatoes are roots.

GROWING

A sweet potato crop requires 90-150 days of frost-free weather. They are tropical plants that are sensitive to the cold and grow best if they are planted after the soil temperature has reached 65 degrees F before planting. They are best planted from June 9 to June 22 and harvest dates from September 27 to October 10.

They prefer well-drained loam that is not too fertile and has a pH of 6.5 to 6.8. Over-fertilization causes vigorous leaf growth and long skinny roots. In heavy clay soils, roots may be small and misshapen and will be hard to dig.

Sweet potatoes are started from “slips” (rooted stems). Growers can purchase slips from The Maine Potato Lady, Johnny’s Selected Seeds, and Southern Exposure Seed Exchange. When purchasing slips make sure your ship date is after June 1 for our area.

MULCH & ROW COVERS

Sweet potatoes do well planted under black plastic mulch. The slips are planted into holes cut in the plastic which should be pinned close against the soil. Warming the soil prior to planting is also beneficial to getting your slips off to a good start. This can be achieved by laying clear plastic over the entire bed to help warm the soil.

PESTS

Deer will nibble sweet potato foliage to the ground! They won’t kill the plant but will reduce yield significantly. Since deer have plenty of other food sources in midsummer, a lightweight, two-strand electric fence should deter them.

Voles love sweet potatoes, let me say that again, voles love sweet potatoes! Some farmers have had an entire harvest decimated. Scurf is a soil-borne fungus that covers the skin of the root with rough black patches but does not harm the root. Wireworms (click beetle larvae) can be a problem following sod. Japanese beetles and tortoise beetles eat the foliage but don’t seem to be serious pests.

HARVESTING & STORING

Sweet potatoes should be dug as late as possible in the fall but before a hard freeze; they will tolerate a light frost. Harvest before the soil temperature is below 60 degrees F. Mowing and removing vines before digging may provide easier access to the roots.

Harvested sweet potatoes should be cured with adequate ventilation at 80 to 90 degrees F. and at 85 – 90% relative humidity for 5 to 10 days to heal wounds on their skin, starting on harvest day. During this time, the sweet potato will grow a second skin, which is an incredibly effective seal. After curing, you can leave a sweet potato on the counter for several months without noticeable moisture loss. Without curing, the sweet potato will only last a month or two in storage. Curing also initiates flavor development.

A newly dug sweet potato is virtually tasteless – it’s definitely not a treat! A sweet potato doesn’t reach its flavor potential until it has been cured and then stored a few months.

Providing proper curing conditions for 5 days may require some planning in advance. Think creatively about available spaces – a large closet with a 100 watt light bulb, a bathroom with an independent thermostat, or even a spare bedroom with a small electric heater. Keep your curing space at 80-90 % humidity for best results. Sweet potatoes are alive and they breathe. Never store them in a sealed plastic bag – the gases from their respiration will build up and the potatoes will eventually die. Paper bags or boxes are good for storage or throw plastic tarps over your crates of sweet potatoes. And store them at about 60 degrees F., you don’t need to cover your sweet potatoes at all unless rodents could access them.

Do not toss or drop sweet potatoes into storage containers. When you dig them, they’ll be firm and appear indestructible – they’re not! A drop that is sufficient to crack an egg is sufficient to produce a tiny bruise on a sweet

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potato. After a few months in storage, that tiny bruise can turn into a large, rotten spot, which often ruins the entire potato.

Sweet potatoes are tropical plants and the storage roots start to “shiver” at 50 degrees. Your refrigerator is probably set to a few degrees above freezing, which is a good temperature for carrots, apples, and juices, but not so good for tomatoes, bananas, and especially sweet potatoes. At the cool temperature of your fridge, in less than a day, the once-living, breathing, healthy sweet potato will turn into a corpse. It will remain a good-looking corpse for a few days, but will then develop pockmarks and a hard core. The official name for this cause of death is “chilling injury.”

VARIETIES

Flavor depends much more on curing, storage, and method of cooking than on the variety you grow.

‘Beauregard,’ the main commercial, is a good producer, has good flavor, stores well, has compact vines, and its tubers tend to grow close to the stem. This would be my suggestion for a beginning sweet potato gardener.

Now let’s get cooking! As a kid, candied sweet potatoes were always on the Thanksgiving and Christmas table, and they were always my favorite! •

MVL RECIPES Candied Sweet Potatoes By Anne Tucker

5-6 medium sweet potatoes ½ tsp salt ½ c unsalted butter (we suggest Kriemhild Dairy Meadow Butter) 3 T water 1 C packed dark brown sugar ¼ C pure maple syrup (We suggest Shaw’s Maple Syrup) ¾ tsp ground cinnamon ½ tsp ground nutmeg ½ tsp ground ginger (We suggest Szarek Farms baby ginger) 2 tsp pure vanilla extract Garnish: sprinkle of course salt (we suggest Syracuse Salt)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F Peel and slice sweet potatoes into ½ inch thick slices. Place in a greased 9 x 3 inch or other 3-quart baking dish. Sprinkle salt on top and toss to coat. Make the Sauce: Combine butter, water, maple syrup, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger into a medium saucepan over medium heat. Cook and stir and bring to a gentle boil. Boil for 2 minutes without stirring. Remove sauce from heat and stir in vanilla extract. Pour sauce over potatoes and toss well to coat. Bake for an hour, stopping and stirring every 20 minutes. After the first 20 minutes, I cover the baking dish with foil so the potatoes bake evenly. Remove from the oven, sprinkle with salt and fresh rosemary, then cool uncovered for 10 minutes before serving. The sauce is thin right out of the oven but thickens as it cools. Enjoy! And from my family to yours, we wish you a blessed Holiday Season and a much needed Happy New Year!

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