Winter Wren and others

One of the most difficult forest song birds to get a good sighting of is the Winter Wren, at least until last week when this gentleman, in the throes of his surging testosterone, proclaimed his immense qualities as a mate ...

Winter Wren

 I was mightily impressed with his ability to spill forth an almost endless stream of notes. It left me breathless, but was merely what is expected by the discriminatingh ladies of his species.

Winter Wren

A late, but always welcome, arrival in the alder swamps is the Alder Flycatcher. I've never quite understood some of the guidebooks as they offer confusing mnemonics of his call/song. Quite clearly I hear him saying - "Free beer!" - an offer which brings the girls rushing, and maybe a few old frat boys ...

Alder Flycatcher

Alder Flycatcher

The Blue-headed Vireo has given me any number of photo opportunities over the years, but few have yielded satisfying result ... until this gentleman hurried over to investigate by "phish" and posed as nicely as any photographer could wish.

Blue-headed Vireo

Blue-headed Vireo

And finally, the Eastern Phoebe is incessant with his "phoe-be" in my neighborhood, but it was also gratifying to see him check me out in an edge thicket somewhere in Dover ...

Eastern Phoebe

Good Birding!