Spring in Philadelphia - Heinz NWR

Plenty of signs of Spring at Heinz refuge in Philadelphia in the form of early migrants and early nesting activity.

A particular treat today was the presence of a pair of Blue-winged Teal, which I have found to be uncommon on the mid-Atlantic coast and rare in Vermont.

Blue-winged Teal

Blue-winged Teal - pair

 The eagles appear to be on the nest, but too distant for any photos. In the early migrant category, Eastern Phoebes are "fee - bee - ing", and a flock of Pine Warblers proclaimed their buzzy presence ...

Eastern Phoebe

Pine Warbler

In the early breeding/nesting activity category, there was vigorous singing by cardinals, Song Sparrows, blackbirds, and robins. A mallard hen was on the nest while her mate kept wary watch nearby.

Mallard - hen on nest

American Tree Swallows were staking claim to nest boxes and actively seeking to pair bond.

American Tree Swallows

American Tree Swallow

Carolina Wren males were singing with enthusiasm. I observed several individuals who were giving a buzzy call, were not singing, and who appeared to be in early stages of finding/building nests in hidden places.They were also less richly colored. I suspect these were females.

Carolina Wren (female?)

Carolina Wren (female?)

A good opening chapter to the season of really Good Birding!!

More This & That - 2

A few more "un-themed" birds from Wakodahatchee and Green Cay - all friends who have returned, or will return soon, to my Vermont neighborhood.

Red-winged Blackbird

(Western/Brown) Palm Warbler

Ruby-crowned Kinglet

Blue-headed Vireo

Pine Warbler

Northern Harrier - female

Good Birding ! !

First Day of Spring

Spring arrived a few minutes after 7:00 am, and to say that Spring is welcome is an understatement. The winter has been dreary with few bright days, but this first day of Spring was sunny and bright.

We welcomed Spring with a day trip to Cape May. As we arrived at the state park, a small group of birders was watching 28 Great Blue Herons crossing the Delaware Bay, joining up with those who stayed through the inhospitable winter months.

Great Blue Heron

 In the FOY category (first of year), it was a delight to have the Eastern Phoebe and Pine Warbler ...

Pine Warbler and Eastern Phoebe

Also in the FOY category were Killdeer in several locations, and a very shy Gray Catbird - skulking in tangles and unresponsive to pishing, suggesting that his hormones still haven't kicked into high gear ...

Killdeer

Gray Catbird

Other signs of Spring were seen in a pair of courting Fish Crows. If this gentleman appears miffed, it is probably because my stroll through the conservancy interrupted his wooing ...

Fish Crow

Along the Wissahickon Creek in Philadelphia, Wood Ducks have returned, most apparently having paired during the winter; drake and hen were consistently seen near each other ...

Wood Duck - drake and hen

Good Birding!

Ducklings, Swallows, and more ...

The last two mornings I have visited Heinz NWR in Philadelphia. The early signs of Spring were everywhere.

One surprise was the family of very young Mallard ducklings. Mom got a very early start on the nesting season ...

Mallard ducklings - Mom is close behind

Tree Swallows were abundant over the water and fully engaged in courtship and in staking claim to nesting boxes ...

Tree Swallows

Tree Swallow

A few early Spring migrants were present. Photos ops were provided by a Pine Warbler and Eastern Phoebe ...

Pine Warbler

Eastern Phoebe

Carolina Wrens were all along the trails and in full-throated splendor ...

Carolina Wren

Carolina Wren

When the two mornings finally warmed up, Cabbage Whites flitted over the many wildflowers, and this morning I met a Box Turtle out for a leisurely stroll ...

Cabbage White

Box Turtle

The best thing about this early Spring birding in Philadelphia is that when I go home to Vermont in a couple of days, I will have early Spring birding all over again!

New Photographic Warblers

This has been  a difficult Spring for photographing birds, but given the weather that many in the country have experienced, I have no complaints.

One week ago in southern New Jersey along Jake's Landing Road, there were brief moments when the overcast lightened and I added two warblers to my photographic collection.

First a parenthetical comment. In some birding hotspots around the country, such as southern New Jersey (Cape May) or southeastern Arizona, birding locales are so well known in much of the birding community, that identifying specific places, such as "Jake's Landing Road," provides others with information which may assist them in their birding, confirm what they have seen, help them plan a future trip, or elicit a "Darn, how did I miss that?!"

Blue-winged Warbler ...

Blue-winged Warbler

Blue-winged Warbler

Pine Warbler ...

Pine Warbler

Pine Warbler

Good Birding!

Bohemian Waxwings

I was very excited about two weeks ago when a Bohemian Waxwing showed up in my backyard; the excitement was appropriate.

On Wednesday, Hector Galbraith and I followed a posting on VT Bird list serve of Bohemian Waxwings on the campus of Putney School. The reported 50 BOWAs exceeded all expectations. Hector's count was 250, though a few (but not many) Cedar Waxwings may have been mixed into that count.

What drew us to the campus in particular was the report of a Pine Warbler at the suet feeder outside of a classroom window. It was till present, resting on a window sill under the protective drip edge of a window. Not much of a picture, but another documentation of a bird that has no business trying to cope with a Vermont winter.

Pine Warbler

Good birding!