Great Blue Herons

It is hard to know how many Great Blue Herons are hanging out at Heinz NWR, but in the course of my bike ride and walk on Sunday, I counted over 30.

Many were feeding close to the refuge road. A few images ...

Great Blue Heron

Great Blue Heron

Great Blue Heron

Great Blue Heron

Great Blue Heron

Great Blue Heron

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Great Blue Heron

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Great Blue Heron

Heinz NWR - Sunday

Sunday was a gorgeous day for a bike ride and walk at Heinz NWR in Philadelphia.

Warbler Woods at Heinz (absent the warblers)

The dabbler numbers were significantly increased from my last visit a week ago.

Northern Shoveler with Gadwalls

Northern Shoveler

Northern Shovelers

 We were having a leisurely look when they all suddenly took flight. The passing eagle quickly explained their sudden panic.

Bald Eagle

There were still a few Cabbage Whites, and sulphurs (probably Clouded Sulphurs) on the wing, and around the impoundment pixie-like Autumn Meadowhawks were flying, and occasionally pausing briefly.

Autumn Meadowhawk

Wintering gull numbers are on the increase. Gulls are not a favorite of many, but I like them. Ring-bills were unusually close to the boardwalk.

Ring-billed Gull

Ring-billed Gull

Ring-billed Gull

 Several dozen Great Blue Herons were in and around the impoundment - they'll be my next post.

Good Birding!!

Brigantine (Forsyth NWR)

I did a morning trip to Brigantine on Monday. Good numbers of dabblers, otherwise fairly quiet. Even so, a few hours of meditative birding always leaves me feeling fresh and renewed. Some samples from the day:

Plenty of dabblers in the canals and ponds, including American Black Ducks and Northern Shovelers ...

Northern Shoveler (hen)

American Black Duck and Northern Shoveler (hen)

American Black Duck

Northern Shoveler (hen)

 I enjoyed watching this Herring Gull repeatedly dropping this mollusk in an effort to break it open.

Herring Gull

Herring Gull dropping the mollusk

Herring Gull

Brant

Dunlin

Good Birding!!

Mallard Hen with Bouffant

I saw this Mallard hen with the bouffant hairdo in the Wissahickon Creek near Valley Green a few days ago. Probably an anomaly in her moulting, but I won't rule out the possibility of a new fashion trend.

Greater Yellowlegs

Greater Yellowlegs were common on Tuesday at Heinz NWR - busy, active, and noisy.

Greater Yellowlegs

 

Good Birding!

November birding - sunny, 70s, beautiful

November - sunny, 70s, beautiful. Seems like an oxymoron, but that was yesterday. I made a late morning trip to Heinz NWR. Songbirds were quiet and resting. Most waterfowl were sleeping or preening. Only the Greater Yellowlegs were noisy and busy (next post will be GRYE).

But a very pleasant day for a walk. A sampling of the morning.

Ducks in the impoundment were all dabblers. The numbers were modest, but a few were fairly close to the pond edges.

Northern Shoveler

Northern Shoveler

Green-winged Teal

Green-winged Teal

Autumn Meadowhawks were flying all along the trails. They are so small that often they seem like a figment of the imagination, especially the females whose orange-brown color camouflages them among the brown and yellow leaves. The occasional male perched for me, and a pair flew locked in the copulatory circle.

Autumn Meadowhawk (male)

Autumn Meadowhawk (male and female)

 Only a few butterflies were still about. This Eastern Comma was a particular treat.

 

Eastern Comma

 Most sparrows were deep in the thickets, while robins were moving about, but rarely pausing for more than a few moments.

White-throated Sparrow

American Robin

 Good Birding!!

Birding Cape May

After the frantic activity of late September and most of October, a day of birding and photography in Cape May was a day of refreshment. I found no need to rush after this and that. Rather I just enjoyed what came.

There's always a highlight to a day of birding, though the highlight may often be a butterfly, a dragonfly, a blossom, or an encounter with a friend. On this day, the highlight was a bird - Eurasian Widgeon - 2 drakes in fact, though only one provided a reasonable photo op.

Eurasian Widgeon

Predominant among the songbirds was the Yellow-rumped Warbler. Common everywhere. Other which allowed their photos to be taken were Savannah Sparrow and Ruby-crowned Kinglet.

Yellow-rumped Warbler

Ruby-crowned Kinglet

Savannah Sparrow

One of my favorite winter birds is the Carolina Wren. This tiny bundle of energy will sing on almost any day of the year.

Carolina Wren

And finally ... an exotic. In the pond in front of the Hawk Watch platform, a Black Swan has been present for a couple of months. A native of Australia (and virtually a non-migrant) this bird is certainly an escapee from some zoo or private collection. Regardless, it was interesting to see, and a beautiful bird. The swan even has its own Facebook page: Black Swan of Cape May.

Black Swan of Cape May

Good Birding!!