Brigantine Today

After two months in Philadelphia, we finally got a good day for driving to, and birding, some of the prime nearby place. We made an early morning drive to Forsyth NWR, Brigantine unit. Good birding, and a few decent photographic opportunities.

Highlight undoubtedly was the number of Osprey setting up housekeeping for another summer. I never remember to begin an actual count until I am well along, so I have to estimate that we saw at least 15-20 Osprey ...

Osprey

Male Osprey off to forage and prove he can provide for her chicks.

Tree Swallows return early, but Barn Swallows were also present today, and Purple Martins were staking claim to nesting sites ...

Purple Martin

 The large wintering flocks of waterfowl have, for the most part, gone north, but there were still good numbers present. A sampling ...

Hooded Mergansers - female

Brandt

Green-winged Teal

Among the returning songbirds, I was most delighted by the Black-and-White Warbler, a forerunner of the warblers that make our eastern states the envy of the world ...

Black-and-White Warbler

And finally, closer to our Philadelphia home in the last week, highlights include Rusty Blackbird at Heinz NRW ...

Rusty Blackbird

... and up to 25 Wood Ducks along the Wissahickon Creek.

Wood Duck

Wood Duck

Good Birding!!

Brigantine on Sunday

I came home from Philadelphia yesterday by way of Forsyth NWR - Brigantine. It was a couple of good hours, with a few new songbirds, but mostly the waterfowl.

First Osprey of the year flew over with a large fish. Several gulls, mostly young ones, tried to harass the Osprey and maybe shake loose the fish, but he was having nothing to do with them. This uncropped, digiscoped photo just picks up one of the gulls - which did a lot of flying about and made a lot of noise, all to no effect. (Atlantic City casinos in background.)

Below are a few photos of waterfowl which were close enough to yield decent pictures.

Small raft of about 30 Canvasbacks was certainly a treat. These are not often seen in New England.

Northern Pintails - the drake is handsome and under-appreciated, although this one appears to be getting the kind of attention a drake likes.


Hundreds (more probably thousands) of Brandt were scattered through the refuge and in the ocean waters. Many were grazing in the grasses along the refuge road.



Good birding!