Hooded Merganser

I've finally been able to get out for some birding and photography, plus some "serious" research in the back yard.

I'll begin with a trip to Wilson Wetlands in Putney, and the pair of Hooded Mergansers - plus a Spotted Sandpiper in fresh, spotted, breeding plumage ...

Good Birding!!

Potpouri of Things with Wings

From the last few weeks, a miscellany of winged things that have crossed my path here and there.

The Common Loons on Sunset Lake seem to be on the way to successfully raising a chick, the first in a couple of years of failures (mainly from predators and competing loons).

Common Loon - Sunset Lake, Vermont

Young Wood Duck on the Wissahickon River, Philadelphia ...

Wood Duck - Wissahickon River, Philadelphia

Wood Duck - Wissahickon River, Philadelphia

Young Hooded Merganser, Wilson Wetlands, Putney, VT

Hooded Merganser, Wilson Wetlands, Putney, VT

From various places in Windham County, Vermont

Eastern Comma

Meadowhawk species

One of the smallest dragonflies, Eastern Amberwing, barely an inch in length - easily missed except for the golden glister of the wings  ...

Eastern Amberwing

Finally, from my backyard ...

Great Spangled Fritillary

Blue Jay- youngster who has figured out how to feed himself

Pearl Crescent

American Lady

Late November at Heinz

Winter is beginning to settle onto Heinz NWR. A skim of ice covered the impoundment, providing roosting for gulls, but there were enough open patches to provide forage for at least two dozen herons. Waterfowl moved to protected pools and the tidal Darby Creek. A few images from the brisk day ...

Heinz NWR continues to be the most dependable place in my birding circuit to tick off Rusty Blackbird on my year list (in November and March)

Rusty Blackbird

Green-winged Teal along Darby Creek

Downy Woodpecker

Center city skyline from Heinz

Northern Shoveler

Hooded Merganser

A drake Hoodie in pursuit of his harem??

Hooded Mergansers

Good Birding!!

Brigantine Today

After two months in Philadelphia, we finally got a good day for driving to, and birding, some of the prime nearby place. We made an early morning drive to Forsyth NWR, Brigantine unit. Good birding, and a few decent photographic opportunities.

Highlight undoubtedly was the number of Osprey setting up housekeeping for another summer. I never remember to begin an actual count until I am well along, so I have to estimate that we saw at least 15-20 Osprey ...

Osprey

Male Osprey off to forage and prove he can provide for her chicks.

Tree Swallows return early, but Barn Swallows were also present today, and Purple Martins were staking claim to nesting sites ...

Purple Martin

 The large wintering flocks of waterfowl have, for the most part, gone north, but there were still good numbers present. A sampling ...

Hooded Mergansers - female

Brandt

Green-winged Teal

Among the returning songbirds, I was most delighted by the Black-and-White Warbler, a forerunner of the warblers that make our eastern states the envy of the world ...

Black-and-White Warbler

And finally, closer to our Philadelphia home in the last week, highlights include Rusty Blackbird at Heinz NRW ...

Rusty Blackbird

... and up to 25 Wood Ducks along the Wissahickon Creek.

Wood Duck

Wood Duck

Good Birding!!

Heinz NWR redux

Last Sunday I returned to Heinz NWR in Philadelphia for another delightful morning walk. Still no sighting of the Northern Shrike that has been reported, but there were sights and sounds which provided evidence that Spring-time thoughts are in the minds of some birds, in spite of the recent winter storm.

For example, along Darby Creek, this Hooded Merganser had his crest up as he proclaimed his handsomeness to the nearby hen ...

Hooded Merganser - drake displaying

Many songbirds were trying out their territorial / attract a mate songs including White-throated and Song Sparrows ...

White-throated Sparrow - "pooor sam peabody peabody peabody"

Song Sparrow

Along Darby Creek, this Belted Kingfisher gave me an opportunity that the residents along the Rock River behind my Vermont home have not given me - a reasonable photo opportunity as it flew up and down the creek ...

Belted Kingfisher

Several minutes of entertainment were provided by the White-breasted Nuthatch displaying its acrobatic foraging techniques. The following photo does not conveys something of that acrobaticism. I include it because in this case I especially like the photo's composition, the texture of the branch, and the wispy details hanging from the branch. Deep in the rotting crevices, it found tasty morsels ...

White-breasted Nuthatch

And ... in the same tangled mass of bittersweet, the Northern Saw-whet Owl was once again roosting. Its position was just slightly different from my previous sighting, giving a better opportunity for a photograph ...

Northern Saw-whet Owl

Good birding!

A Photo Review of 2012

Sometimes it is good to look back, and a New Year provides a good opportunity/excuse to do so. Here are a few of the Birding/Photography images which stand out for me during 2012.

"Morning Flight" - Sandhill Cranes, Bosque del Apache, NM, 02/02/12

"Why Is It Called Ring-necked?" - Ring-necked Duck, Forsyth NWR, NJ, 03/07/12

"Alone" - Solitary Sandpiper, Herricks Cove, VT, 05/05/12

"Untitled" - Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Herricks Cover, VT, 05/06/12

"What's Up" - Chestnut-sided Warbler, Brookline, VT, 05/27/12

"Kids!" - Hooded Merganser, Putney Wetlands, VT, 05/27/12

"Leap" - Spotted Sandpiper, South Newfane, VT 08/02/12

"Yellow Blossom" - Ruby-throated Hummingbird, South Newfane, VT, 08/17/12

"Untitled" - American Oystercatcher, Cape May, NJ, 08/29/12

"On Your Way" - Red-tailed Hawk, Cape May, NJ, 08/29/12

"The Stoop" - Merlin, Putney Mountain, VT, 09/14/12

"Ignore Him!" - Red Crossbills, Salisbury Beach, NH, 12/06/12

"Friends" - Sanderling & Dunlin, Parker River NWR, MA, 12/06/12

May your birding be good in 2013!