Rustys and Woodies

I've been remiss about keeping my birding activities up-to-date. I blame it on life. Much of September was spent at Putney Mountain Hawkwatch, and I'll try soon to get some photos posted. (Some hawk photos are on my Facebook Page.)

But I'm in Philly now, and have had a few delightful days of birding in the city. Heinz NRW is a go-to place in late Fall (and again in March) for Rusty Blackbirds, and who knows what else in the middle of the city.

Rusty Blackbird

House Finch (female)

Great Blue Heron

White-tailed Deer

Golden-crowned Kinglet

Canada Geese

Also in late Fall, the Wissahickon at Valley Green is the go-to place for Wood Ducks.

Wood Duck (hen)

Wood Duck (drake)

Wissahickon Creek

Wissahickon Creek

Mountain Top to Valley Marsh

Started yesterday very early with a drive to the top of Okemo and the mountain top boreal forest. Target for the camera was the Bicknell's Thrush. Gorgeous morning, especially after the several days of rain we've had, but chilly - in the upper 30s. Few birds were singing in the cool morning, except for the Winter Wren.

I never did hear the Bicknell's sing, but one did flash across the trail with all the characteristics of a thrush.

Once it warmed into the upper 40s, other birds began singing, including Swainson's Thrush. One even paused for the camera ...
 

Swainson's Thrush

Magnolia Warblers were common along the roadway, providing me with my first good opportunity to capture a breeding male after several seasons of trying.

Magnolia Warbler

Magnolia Warbler

 The chick-a-dee-dee end to a buzzy song alerted me to Golden-crowned Kinglet. When I see these little guys post breeding in October or November, they are quiet and sweet little things. But not now. This guy was revved up, and his orange crown was not a barely visible stripe, but an excitedly raised crown. He was a bundle of excitement.

Golden-crowned Kinglet

Golden-crowned Kinglet

  From Okemo, we drove to the Rutland marsh, near West Rutland. After picking tips from a group of birders, our first stop produced a clear view of this Virginia Rail, as he raced among the reeds and across a mud flat before flying off in pursuit of a lady love.

Virginia Rail

Virginia Rail

And then, while creeping along the road, this Least Bittern flew into the reeds and stayed still, watching us watching him.

Least Bittern

Least Bittern

Not a bad day ! ! Good Birding ! !

Random Images from a Hawk Watch

When the Broad-winged Hawk migration over Putney Mountain concludes, somewhere around the September 20-23, there is usually a lull until other species begin moving seriously around October 1. But there are always a few stalwart watches who make sure that those slow days are covered, and the few birds counted, and  just in case ....

But most of the action takes places other than in the skies overhead. Here are a few random images from Putney Mountain during the last few days ...

Hermit Thrush

Whittling away the watch hours

Migrating Blue Jays often pass overhead in significant numbers

School groups visit Putney Mountain, and sometimes serenade the watchers

Northern Flicker migration has begun

Golden-crowned Kinglet

Good Birding - wherever you may be!

Kinglet and Creeper

My recent visit to Heinz NWR at Tinicum in Philadelphia was notable for owls (see previous post) and delighted by kinglets and creepers.

In the Vermont forests where I usually wander, kinglets and creepers are typically elusive; satisfying views are difficult to attain. So when I came upon them working the trees along the trail, I lingered.

As I brought up my camera, this male Golden-crowned Kinglet broke off a piece from the icicle hanging along the tree trunk ...

Golden-crowned Kinglet (male) - Heinz NWR

Kinglet with piece of icicle

 Apparently, the piece was too big to handle/chew. He dropped it, but then returned to the frozen drinking fountain and broke off a smaller piece.

Ahhh ... that hits the spot.

Nearby, a Brown Creeper worked the bottom of branches and crept up the trunk ...

Brown Creepet

... finding something tasty, or at least marginally edible and nutritious, tucked into bark crevices ...

Good birding!

Visit to Hawk Banding Station

I spent several hours today with a friend who was banding hawks in a hawk banding station. Cold and brisk, but several hatch year birds were hungry enough, and inexperienced enough, to come in on the lure birds.

First, is a hatch year female Cooper's Hawk ...

Cooper's Hawk (hatch year) sporting its new jewlery

Cooper's Hawk released after being banded

Several Red-tailed Hawks were caught and received a free metal bracelet. Here a young "Tail" is on the lure ...

Hatch year Red-tailed Hawk

While the hawk was on the lure bird momentarily (the spring-trap net was sprung moments after the photo) the lure bird was carefully examined and found unharmed ...

Red-tailed Hawk

After being measured, weighed, and fitted with a band, the young bird is released ...

Red-tailed Hawk (hatch year) released after being banded

Flying free ...

Red-tailed Hawk

Along the coast there were sizeable flocks of shorebirds, including a few Ruddy Turnstones ...

Ruddy Turnstone

... and elsewhere, Golden-crowned Kinglets continue to provide wonderful photo ops ...

Golden-crowned Kinglet

Good Birding!!

Wood Ducks, Kinglets

A Friday afternoon walk along Philadelphia's Wissahickon River provided great opportunities for Wood Duck photography.

The Wood Ducks were also a case study in birdwatching irony - at home in my Vermont neighborhoods where wild beaver ponds and wetlands provide nesting habitat, it would require exceptional effort and good luck to get photographs like these. On the other hand, an urban park within the city limits of Philadelphia provides daily opportunities to stand in awe of these beautiful birds.

Wood Duck

Wood Duck

Wood Duck

Sunday at Heinz NWR (in the shadow of Philadelphia airport), waterfowl still populated the lake, including several Greater Scaup (no photos), while Yellow-rumped Warblers, Ruby-crowned Kinglets, Golden-crowned Kinglets, Eastern Phoebes, and many sparrows worked the trees, understory, and weedy edges ...

Northern Shoveler

Eastern Phoebe

Ruby-crowned Kinglet

Golden-crowned Kinglet

 Good Birding!