Least Sandpiper ...
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| Least Sandpiper |
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| Semipalmated Plover |
Short-billed Dowitcher ...
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| Short-billed Dowitcher |
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| Willet |
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| Horseshoe Crabs mating |
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| Dunlin |
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| Red Knot |
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| Short-billed Dowitcher |
Wednesday, May 29, 2013
South Jersey Shorebirds
A miscellany of shorebirds along the Delaware Bay:
Least Sandpiper ...
Semipalmated Plover ...
Willet ...
Horseshoe Crabs mating ...
Dunlin ...
Red Knot ...
Short-billed Dowitcher ...
Good Birding!!
Least Sandpiper ...
Sunday, May 26, 2013
Turning Stones and Forster"s courting
My recent trip to southern New Jersey was a little early for shorebirds, but most species were present in modest numbers.
At Forsyth NWR, Ruddy Turnstones were actively "turning stones" ...
Forster's Terns were in hyper-active courtship mode, with the ladies calling for food ...
... and the gentlemen doing their best to accommodate, though coming up from a dive empty was not unusual, as seen here ...
On his way with a gift for his lady ...
Good Birding!!
At Forsyth NWR, Ruddy Turnstones were actively "turning stones" ...
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| Ruddy Turnstone |
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| Ruddy Turnstone |
The bird with the turnstone in the preceding photos was capitalizing on the sand being churned to forage. When it finally presented its profile, it gave itself away as a Sanderling in glorious breeding plumage. I am accustomed to seeing the Sanderling as the wave-chasing white sandpiper ...
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| Sanderling (foreground) |
One more Ruddy Turnstone, just because I like the pose ...
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| Ruddy Turnstone |
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| Forster's Turn |
... and the gentlemen doing their best to accommodate, though coming up from a dive empty was not unusual, as seen here ...
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| Forster's Tern |
On his way with a gift for his lady ...
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| Forster's Tern |
Thursday, May 23, 2013
Worm-eating & Prothonotary
From last week's birding in southern New Jersey, a few additional images ...
Worm-eating Warbler, Bellplaine State Forest ...
Prothonotary Warbler, Beaver Swamp WMA ...
Common Baskettail ...
Eastern Tailed-Blue ...
And ... some of the younger of this year's crop of Canada Goose goslings ...
More images soon.
Good birding!!
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| Worm-eating Warbler |
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| Worm-eating Warbler |
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| Prothonotary Warbler |
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| Prothonotary Warbler |
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| Common Baskettail |
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| Eastern Tailed-Blue |
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| Canada Goose - goslings |
Good birding!!
Friday, May 17, 2013
Snowy Egret - Plumes in the Breeze
A gentle breeze stirred the nuptial plumage of the Snowy Egrets; I nearly swooned.
A hundred years ago, those delicate plumes nearly led to the extinction of this small white egret as market hunters fed the demand of the millinery trade. (See post of column on October 29, 2011, "When Feathers were More Valuable Than Gold.")
The Snowy Egret has made a tremendous recovery. At Forsyth NWR, they were in all their splendid finery. A sampling ...
Good Birding!!
A hundred years ago, those delicate plumes nearly led to the extinction of this small white egret as market hunters fed the demand of the millinery trade. (See post of column on October 29, 2011, "When Feathers were More Valuable Than Gold.")
The Snowy Egret has made a tremendous recovery. At Forsyth NWR, they were in all their splendid finery. A sampling ...
Good Birding!!
Wednesday, May 15, 2013
Fledgling Great Horned, et alia
When you are in a birding hotspot and see people lined up and staring intently in one direction, you know there is something noteworthy
In this case, at Heinz NWR in Philadelphia, it was a pair of fledgling Great Horned Owls, just two days out of the nest.
For all of the downy cuteness which these young birds exhibit, it is well to remember that if they succeed in "growing up" and making it as adult birds, they will be formidable predators. (See the posting of my column on April 1: "The Winged Tiger in our Woods."
There is a section of Heinz NWR known as "warbler woods." On Sunday, the trees were filled with warblers. They were high in the branches and quickly led to severe "warbler neck." As a result, the warblers yielded no photographs, but there were sufficient other opportunities. A sampling ...
In this case, at Heinz NWR in Philadelphia, it was a pair of fledgling Great Horned Owls, just two days out of the nest.
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| Great Horned Owls - fledglings |
For all of the downy cuteness which these young birds exhibit, it is well to remember that if they succeed in "growing up" and making it as adult birds, they will be formidable predators. (See the posting of my column on April 1: "The Winged Tiger in our Woods."
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| Great Horned Owl - fledgling |
There is a section of Heinz NWR known as "warbler woods." On Sunday, the trees were filled with warblers. They were high in the branches and quickly led to severe "warbler neck." As a result, the warblers yielded no photographs, but there were sufficient other opportunities. A sampling ...
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| Baltimore Oriole - female |
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| Barn Swallow |
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| Swainson's Thrush |
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| Veery |
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| Veery |
Good Birding!
Monday, May 13, 2013
Samples from Cape May
Clapper Rail is easy to hear in the New Jersey salt marshes, but a sighting is often a matter of luck, or long patience waiting for one to walk into the open. But it is Spring, they have just arrived, the hormones are surging, and they are hyper. At Jake's landing I kept seeing the birds pop out of the marsh grasses, fly a short distance, then disappear into the grasses again. But I was patient and tried to be alert. The payoff:
Wrens are compact bundles of energy and irrepressible song. Higbee's Beach WMA teemed with Carolina Wrens; Jake's Landing hosted vocal duels from Marsh Wrens, and in various places House Wrens let their song tumble forth. It was a particular treat to see the House Wrens in a "natural" setting, rather than a backyard setting ...
The Red-winged Blackbird is rightly appreciated for the bright red epaulets which he flashes to intimidate rivals and attract females. The female is usually passed over as a rather dull, medium-sized, brown bird, but the one below demonstrated an often overlooked and under appreciated variety and beauty ...
Courtship season is going full tilt. Forster's Terns used the same land posting at Jake's Landing that I have seen them use in previous years. The gentleman on the right did not bring the lady a fish, and after a few moments she flew off in an apparent huff ...
... and across the marsh, the Willet winged back and forth with their "pee-will-willet pee-will-will-it" ...
And finally, the Seaside Sparrow is not much to look at, and nor is his song much to listen to, unless you happen to be another Seaside Sparrow in the throes of the breeding season ...
Good birding!
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| Clapper Rail |
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| Clapper Rail |
Wrens are compact bundles of energy and irrepressible song. Higbee's Beach WMA teemed with Carolina Wrens; Jake's Landing hosted vocal duels from Marsh Wrens, and in various places House Wrens let their song tumble forth. It was a particular treat to see the House Wrens in a "natural" setting, rather than a backyard setting ...
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| Carolina Wren |
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| House Wren |
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| Marsh Wren |
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| Red-winged Blackbirds - female |
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| Red-winged Blackbird - female |
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| Red-winged Blackbird - male displaying |
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| Forster's Terns |
... and across the marsh, the Willet winged back and forth with their "pee-will-willet pee-will-will-it" ...
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| Willet |
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| Seaside Sparrow |
Saturday, May 11, 2013
Warblers on the Way
Spring migration has been slow in Vermont, but the warblers are on the way.
I spent yesterday in Cape May for the first full day of birding/photography which I have had in many months. Yesterday was the day when the migrants arrived in Cape May, and it was a great day for the many birders flocking to Cape May for the World Series of Birding and the Cape May Spring Bird Festival.
Warblers - those coveted little bundles of color and energy - were everywhere, and my camera was busy. The breath-taking male Magnolia Warbler continued to play hard to get, and others like the Chestnut-sided, Blackburnian, Blackpoll, and Prairie were also elusive. But many others were at least semi-cooperative. Choosing photos has been tough ... here are a few:
I spent yesterday in Cape May for the first full day of birding/photography which I have had in many months. Yesterday was the day when the migrants arrived in Cape May, and it was a great day for the many birders flocking to Cape May for the World Series of Birding and the Cape May Spring Bird Festival.
Warblers - those coveted little bundles of color and energy - were everywhere, and my camera was busy. The breath-taking male Magnolia Warbler continued to play hard to get, and others like the Chestnut-sided, Blackburnian, Blackpoll, and Prairie were also elusive. But many others were at least semi-cooperative. Choosing photos has been tough ... here are a few:
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| Northern Waterthrush (along Wissahickon Creek, Philadelphia) |
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| American Redstart - first year male |
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| Common Yellowthroat - male |
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| Yellow-breasted Chat - male |
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| Yellow Warbler - female |
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| Yellow-rumped Warbler - female |
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| Northern Parula - female |
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| Black-and-White Warbler - male |
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| Black-throated Green Warbler - female |
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| Black-throated Blue Warbler - male |
Good Birding!