A Few Small Birds that Held Still

Small birds are tough to photograph. You have to find them, get them to hold still, and hope they are in reasonable light. From my Cape May trip, here are a few which cooperated. I also got lots of photos of leaves, branches, and blurs.

Blue Grosbeak in a field at Higbee Beach WMA - a very cooperative first year male. Occasionally he would sing briefly. This is not a bird which makes it as far north as Vermont, so it is always a target on my spring trips. I have seen a first year American Redstart singing, and apparently breeding. Also a year old Orchard Oriole. So perhaps this young gentleman has a chance of attracting a mate.



Another species which doesn't make it to the Vermont north (though I have seen it in late Fall near the Massachusetts coast) is the White-eyed Vireo. They were singing everywhere, but it took three days before I finally had one that would stay in the open for a few seconds, as this one did in a brushy edge field along the road to Jake's Landing.


When I lived in Delaware Water Gap, the trail allowed me to look into the canopy and see these birds. Another "southern" species, I have usually been able to see them at the crossroads in Belleplain State Forest - and almost always hear them - Worm-eating Warbler ....

Once the Magnolia Warbler reaches my neighborhood, it typically disappears into the thick branches of the spruce and other favored nest areas. At Higbee Beach WMA, they were singing, and even showed themselves.

At Thompson's Beach, Barn Swallows were busy building their mud nests beneath the board walk, and putting on a magnificent display for the few people who ventured there. The Clapper Rails were also going wild, chasing one another in the open and vocalizing loudly, but never holding still in the open for anything but a brief look.

Obviously this is no rarity, but I love watching the Red-winged Blackbird displaying his epaulets as he makes his harsh courtship calls, which they were doing everywhere. This one just happened to be near the walk at the Nature Conservancy.

Good birding!