Spring in Philadelphia - Heinz NWR

Plenty of signs of Spring at Heinz refuge in Philadelphia in the form of early migrants and early nesting activity.

A particular treat today was the presence of a pair of Blue-winged Teal, which I have found to be uncommon on the mid-Atlantic coast and rare in Vermont.

Blue-winged Teal

Blue-winged Teal - pair

 The eagles appear to be on the nest, but too distant for any photos. In the early migrant category, Eastern Phoebes are "fee - bee - ing", and a flock of Pine Warblers proclaimed their buzzy presence ...

Eastern Phoebe

Pine Warbler

In the early breeding/nesting activity category, there was vigorous singing by cardinals, Song Sparrows, blackbirds, and robins. A mallard hen was on the nest while her mate kept wary watch nearby.

Mallard - hen on nest

American Tree Swallows were staking claim to nest boxes and actively seeking to pair bond.

American Tree Swallows

American Tree Swallow

Carolina Wren males were singing with enthusiasm. I observed several individuals who were giving a buzzy call, were not singing, and who appeared to be in early stages of finding/building nests in hidden places.They were also less richly colored. I suspect these were females.

Carolina Wren (female?)

Carolina Wren (female?)

A good opening chapter to the season of really Good Birding!!

Waterfowl at Heinz

A few days ago we did the circuit stroll at Heinz NWR in Philadelphia (the first urban wildlife refuge).

The eagles were on or near their nest, and soon will be incubating.

In the impoundment, plenty of waterfowl. A skim of ice on the water did not effect the birds as they landed, although they were clearly cautious as they landed. In preparation for the breeding season, the drakes were in their best attire. A few samples from the day.

Green-winged Teal

Green-winged Teal

Green-winged Teal and Northern Shoveler (hen)

Northern Shoveler

Northern Shoveler (drake and hen)

Canada Geese

Canada Geese

Mallards

Mallards

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.

Diving Dabbler

Some years ago, I watched a Mallard diving in the Connecticut River, a observation which sent me to my library to research dabblers that dive. While not common, it does occur.

This past weekend, I saw dabblers diving again, this time repeatedly. I was along the Wissahickon Creek in Philadelphia. Several hen Mallards repeatedly dove. My vantage point was such that I could also see them swimming beneath the surface. Their surface activity was such, that this may have been part of their "bathing" and "preening" behavior, but the time they spent under water does not rule out the possibility that they were also feeding.

Drake Mallard watches as a hen dives beneath the surface.

Hen Mallard as she begins her dive.

Resurfacing, she shakes the water off her duck's back.

 Wood Ducks along the Wissahickon seem to have moved on, except for the lone male who has not completed his molt. When he stretched his wings, flight feathers on one wing appear to be missing, probably explaining his bachelorhood.

Good birding!!

Water Off a Duck's Back, et al

A sojourn in Philadelphia provided a couple of opportunities for birding: Heinz NWR & Cape May Point State Park. Waterfowl were abundant in both locations, though often at a distance. Most of the two days were overcast, so light was not good for photography. Even so, birding was good. A few samples ...

... Mallard demonstrates the origin of "like water off a duck's back" ...

Mallard

Around the main impoundment at Heinz NWR there were at least ten Great Blue Herons ...

Great Blue Heron

 In both locations, Yellow-rumped Warblers were abundant ...

Yellow-rumped Warbler shows its "butter butt"

The shore at Cape May Point State Park hosted a flock of roosting Black Skimmers ...

Black Skimmer

 Sanderling carries a meal ...

Sanderling

 At the Hawk Watch platform, the heavy skies kept most raptors from taking flight. But good entertainment was provided by this Golden-crowned Kinglet which gleaned bugs from spiders webs along the railings ...

Golden-crowned Kinglet

Any day outdoors with binoculars and a camera is a day of Good Birding!

Marsh Birds - Brigantine

The recent day trip to Brigantine yielded my first photos of the Gull-billed Tern, a regular but uncommon summer resident in Forsythe NWR ...

Gull-billed Tern

Forster's Terns were not very cooperative as they fished the channels, usually choosing to give me backlight or their backside, but this one grabbed a worm out of the mud and I grabbed a photo ...

Forster's Tern

The bubbling energy of wrens always engages me, none more so than the Marsh Wren. Notice that this one is wearing jewelry ...

Marsh Wren

Wrens are "troglodytes" - cave dwellers. There were at least two newly made "caves" in the vicinity of the singing male ...

Marsh Wren nest

I wonder why this hen Mallard had only one duckling following her. Did her eggs not hatch? Had a predator taken eggs? Or had predators taken the young ducklings?

Mallard hen with her lone duckling

Willets are common nesting shorebirds along the coast, their "pee-will-willet" carrying over the marsh grasses ...

Willet

In a post early this spring, I said that one goal for this season was to capture the Red-winged Blackbird showing his epaulets in all their glory. This gentleman cooperated magnificently ...

Red-winged Blackbird

Good birding!!

Ducklings, Swallows, and more ...

The last two mornings I have visited Heinz NWR in Philadelphia. The early signs of Spring were everywhere.

One surprise was the family of very young Mallard ducklings. Mom got a very early start on the nesting season ...

Mallard ducklings - Mom is close behind

Tree Swallows were abundant over the water and fully engaged in courtship and in staking claim to nesting boxes ...

Tree Swallows

Tree Swallow

A few early Spring migrants were present. Photos ops were provided by a Pine Warbler and Eastern Phoebe ...

Pine Warbler

Eastern Phoebe

Carolina Wrens were all along the trails and in full-throated splendor ...

Carolina Wren

Carolina Wren

When the two mornings finally warmed up, Cabbage Whites flitted over the many wildflowers, and this morning I met a Box Turtle out for a leisurely stroll ...

Cabbage White

Box Turtle

The best thing about this early Spring birding in Philadelphia is that when I go home to Vermont in a couple of days, I will have early Spring birding all over again!

Dabblers on the Wing 2

Please see previous post for a few comments about dabblers in flight and photography.

Gadwall (l, male - r, female)

Mallard -females

Northern Pintail - l, 2 females - r, male

Northern Shoveler - (Fall or Young) Male

Good Birding !!