Brown Thrasher - new neighborhood breeding bird

I have had Brown Thrashers make rare and brief appearances in the yard, usually early in the breeding season when they are still moving.

However, for the last several days, Brown Thrashers have been regular, with signs that they are nesting very close by. The one photographed here is a fledgling - rather quiet, but still hopeful of being fed, with occasional attempts at begging from any likely bird in the vicinity.

Early Nesting Activity

In the last week and a half I have seen lots of breeding evidence, with a few opportunities to photograph this activity.

When Vermont did the breeding bird atlas (2003-2007), June 1 was the safe date for many species, particularily for neo-tropical migrants. "Possible" and "Probable" designation were not acceptable. Breeding had to be confirmed. Of course, there were earlier safe dates, depending on the species.Those "safe dates" were pushed earlier for nearly all species during the course of the atlas survey.

Ten years later, I don't remember how that applied to different species, but my sense it that breeding is generally becoming earlier as Spring becomes earlier.

On May 15, I posted a photo of a Baltimore Oriole nest whose construction was nearly complete. The female was working on the nest (but not when I had my camera aimed, alas).

Here are a few more "Confirmed" breeding photos ...

American Redstart, female, May 21, Hinsdale setbacks, checking size, shape, and fit of the nest she was building ...

American Redstart

Eastern Phoebe, May 21, Hinsdale setbacks, carrying food to nest ...

Eastern Phoebe

Brown Thrasher, May 21, Hinsdale setbacks, carrying food to nest ...

Brown Thrasher

Black-throated Blue Warbler, female, May 23, West Dover, gathering nesting material (birch bark) while her mate kept an eye on me ...

Black-throated Blue Warbler, female

Black-throated Blue Warbler

Yellow-rumped Warbler, female, May 21, West Dover, gathering nesting material ...

Yellow-rumped Warbler, female

And finally ... no birds. Just one of the many beaver ponds scattered throughout the Green Mountains and creating open space, edge, wetlands, and assorted nesting places for many species, and a tranquil scene for an early morning wanderer ...

Good birding!!

Hinsdale Setbacks

I made two morning trips to the Hinsdale setbacks south of Brattleboro along the Connecticut River. Highlight was the Red-necked Grebe seen this morning.

Red-necked Grebe

Rec-necked Grebe

 Migrants are still moving through, such as the White-crowned Sparrow seen Thursday, but not on Saturday ...

White-crowned Sparrow

Residents are well into their nesting season with territorial singing and defense, courtship displays, nest building, and even feeding young ...

Common Yellowthroat

American Redstart

House Wren

Warbling Vireo

Baltimore Oriole

Yellow Warbler

Yellow-throated Vireo

Northern Rough-winged Swallow

 As we walked along the old railroad bed, we saw a pair of thrasher in the road and shrubbery. When we reached that point, we lingered to watch an oriole constructing her nest, then realized that the thrasher was waiting for us to move on so it could carry food to its young in the nest. We moved on ...

Brown Thrasher

Baltimore Oriole nest

 By late morning, the sun had warmed the world, and one of the first butterflies I've seen for the season made an appearance, the tiny Eastern Tailed-Blue.

Eastern Tailed-Blue

Good Birding!!

Cape May Autumn Weekend

Cape May Bird Observatory had a stunning weekend for their annual event. I went to Cape May on Sunday, not for CMBO events, but just to enjoy the great weather, location, and birds. There were lots of birders, birding groups, and bird hikes, but also plenty of room to roam away from people and enjoy the opportunities the birds presented to the camera.

New for my photographic archives was a Eurasian Widgeon among a flock of American Widgeons in the state park ...

Eurasian Widgeon with its American cousins

In a year when photography has been frustrated by other demands and an inability to get out where the birds are, the day was refreshing and rejuvenating. A few examples of the wonderful colors and light in which the birds posed ...

Ruby-crowned Kinglet

Song Sparrow

Eastern Phoebe

Brown Thrasher

Yellow-rumped Warbler

Northern Cardinal

Dark-eyed Junco ("Slate-colored" with some "Oregon" hints)

Swamp Sparrow

More soon. Good birding!

The Joy of S*x

Ah yes ... the joy of the Spring activity. A couple of bird walks this weekend yielded many warblers hurrying toward their breeding grounds, feeding frenzily, and singing lustily. Most were high in the canopy, but this Black-throated Green Warbler was closer to lens ...

Black-throated Green Warbler

The walks in the woods are marvelous, but for theatrical entertainment, sitting quietly on the back porch provides front row seats to drama, intrigue, and rivalry.

Five Evening Grosbeak males (perhaps six) are vying for the attention of four (best count) females, so there is sorting, accommodating, and liaisons to figure out. The guys are getting serious, with raised crest, raised tail, and flared wings becoming prevalent and insistent ...

Evening Grosbeak

 Rose-breasted Grosbeaks (we have had five males and a lesser number of females) are gentlemen toward one another, but they have their moments ...

Rose-breasted Grosbeak

For shear truculence, there is nothing that can match the 1 gram package of the Ruby-throated Hummingbird. This guy perched 15 feet in front of us, until an intruder came along. He did his rapid "U" shaped display and totally cowed the poor rival who sped off - tried again - and again - and was driven off each time ...

Ruby-throated Hummingbird

By contrast, the dispute between Northern Cardinal males was almost gentlemanly, but no less serious ...

Northern Cardinals

Two transients made brief stops in the yard - welcome visitors not seen in the yard every year ...

Brown Thrasher ...

Brown Thrasher

Indigo Bunting

Indigo Bunting

Not to be overlooked in the profusion of life bursting forth as the tiny gems at our feet, like the trout lily ...

Trout Lily

... or in the garden, the Crown Imperial ...

Crown Imperial

Listen to the birds ... visually consume the flowers ... celebrate Spring!!

Weekend Highlights

A highlight of the weekend birding was this Hooded Merganser hen leading 10 chicks in the Wilson Wetlands, Putney, Vt.

Hooded Merganser, hen with 3 of the 10 chicks she was leading

In the same vicinity, I captured a Brown Thrasher taking his/her morning bath ...

Brown Thrasher

One of the odder moments was watching this female Red-winged Blackbird as she "danced" along the branch, much the way some tropical mannakin males dance. The female red-wings were busy with nest building. Could this one have completed her nest and was she now sending a signal to the male (males) that she was ready to mate? Perhaps ... but if so, the boys were not paying attention ...

Red-winged Blackbird, female

Additional highlights, photographically, are this Chestnut-sided Warbler ...

Chestnut-sided Warbler

... a Red-eyed Vireo on Black Mountain which sang from the same branch for as long as we were within range, and certainly before and after we were in range, since he was not trying to impress us - although he did ...

Red-eyed Vireo

... and this Black-throated Blue Warbler ...

Black-throated Blue Warbler

Good Birding!!

More from Cape May

This Brown Thrasher posed beautifully for me (Higbee Beach WMA), then added to his esteem when he flew as I was in mid-burst ...

Brown Thrasher

Late October migrants included (as expected) Northern Flicker, Gray Catbird, and Hermit Thrush in considerable numbers ...

Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted)

Gray Catbird

Hermit Thrush

The most common migrant was the Yellow-rumped Warbler ...

Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle)

Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle)

Good Birding!!