Still Nostalgic

Yes, still remembering the colorful wonder from Spring, 2010.

But be alert ... new images with cure-for-winter will be coming!!

Blackburnian Warbler

Black-throated Green Warbler

Northern Parula

Prothonotary Warbler

Good birding!

from the Boreal Forest

Back home from travels to Quebec City and the Gaspe Peninsula, with return through New Brunswick and a final couple of nights at a favorite inn, Craignair, Clark Island, Maine. Many pictures to sort and process.

This was not primarily a birding trip, but there were a few opportunities to observe and photograph.

The spruce and boreal forests were "full" of kinglets - both Ruby-crowned and Golden-crowned Kinglet. The Golden-crowned Kinglet is our smallest songbird, and perhaps the hardiest, making a year-round living in a climate which most of the year is tough and unforgiving. They deal with their estimated 40% mortality through the winter by raising several large broods during the short summer. They were so busy feeding young that they had little time for my intrusion. In the Gaspesie National Park, Golden-crowned Kinglets gave me a quick once over on several occasions, and a couple of brief opportunities for photographs

Also from the Gaspesie Park is this Blue-headed Vireo ...

A couple of weeks ago, I wrote about the Winter Wren. The only illustrations I had were Audubon's paintings. On Clark Island, Maine, the Winter Wren was singing in the damp spruce forest. A couple of soft pishes brought immediate investigation from the gnome of the dark forest. He paused just long enough for a few quick photos (one of which was reasonably good), then disappeared.  Winter Wren ...

Some weeks ago when I pursued the Northern Parula in the Green Mountains, I managed some reasonable photos, but I did not feel that any captured the wonderful colors of this warbler's neck and breast. On Clark Island, this male Northern Parula was much more accommodating ...

And finally, also from Clark Island, the black-masked rogue investigating a disturbance. Is it food? or danger? or just an annoying bird peeper? The Common Yellowthroat is always a favorite ...

Good birding!

More Riches

Last Friday I spent the morning in the Green Mountains, where patience produced more opportunities to observe closely our summer warblers and vireos.

Blackburnian Warbler ...

Northern Parula ...

Red-eyed Vireo ...

Good birding!

American Wood Warblers - Photo Gallery 2

Continuing with the American Wood Warblers (Parulidae), here are a few more. Some of these photos have appeared in early posts.

Black-throated Green Warbler - first winter female - Putney Mtn, 09/08 ...

Cape May Warbler - Wakodahatchee, FL - 04/08 ...

Northern Parula - Putney Mtn, 09/09 ...

Wilson's Warbler - Putney Mtn, 09/09 ...

Black-throated Blue Warbler - Putney Mtn, 09/09 ...

Palm Warbler - Connecticut River Valley, Brattleboro, 04/10

Good Birding!

I've been away for a few days and am just getting caught up. But today was my day as official counter on Putney Mountain. Last week was great - this week has been dismal, at least in numbers of migrating hawks. Weather was mild, thin cloud cover, no wind ... and no hawks, except for this single Osprey, which flew over the ridge so slow I felt like I could reach out and touch it. Migration will pick up when the front moves through. Late September early October are usually good times for Peregrines, accipters, and the larger buteos. TVs begin moving as well.

The open area along the ridge attracts migrating songbirds - several hundred noisy Blue Jays moved over the clearing today, while smaller birds fueled up on the berries - unfortunately most of the berries are from the invasive buckthorn. This Black-throated Blue Warber was anything but a confusing fall warbler ...

... nor was there any confusion about this Northern Parula ...

Good birding!