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

Spring Signs - 1

There have been lots of Spring Signs around the Philadelphia area during the last week.

At Heinz NWR the Rusty Blackbirds were back and the boys were singing there thin little blackbird song, while in the air the Tree Swallows were twittering their love songs and looking for territory to claim as their own.

Rusty Blackbird

American Tree Swallow

Not quite so quiet were the Red-winged Blackbirds, the Song Sparrows, and the chickadees (who provided photo ops), along with robins, cardinals, and wrens.

Red-winged Blackbird

Song Sparrow

Carolina Chickadee

Turtles were soaking up the sun, and the first butterfly of the season flittered through the woods, and toads were croaking their love song.

Eastern Comma

Waterfowl are decked in their finest (I never tire of the handsome shovelers or pintails).

Northern Shovelers

Along the Wissachickon Creek Wood Ducks (I counted at least 30) were resplendent.

Wood Duck (drake)

Wood Ducks

Wood Duck (hen)

 Good Birding!! and Happy Spring!

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 Today - Swallows, et alia

The snow this past weekend was Winter's last gasp - or so folks in Philadelphia hope. Remains to be seen what winter may still have in mind in Vermont, but in Philly the snow is gone, the sun in beginning to warm the world, and it feels like Spring.

At Heinz NWR it was the first true Spring day this year. Or at least, the Tree Swallows certainly think it is Spring and time to be about the business of renting accommodations and getting hooked up for the season ...

Tree Swallows

In the process, they provided this pent-up photographer several good photo ops ...

Tree Swallow

Tree Swallow

Spring and Fall, Heinz has been a dependable place for the Rusty Blackbird, a bird whose numbers are in serious decline and one that has most often eluded me in New England ...

Rusty Blackbird

Great Egrets are arriving in greater numbers and in full plumage splendor, although this individual is a bit drawn in on him/herself ...

Great Egret

Additional images from the day, just because ...

Great Blue Heron

And finally, along the Wissahickon Creek, apparently not all Wood Ducks are paired up. These four bachelors were harassing one hen, although it is difficult to know whether she was annoyed by the attention, or relishing in it ...

Wood Ducks - 4 drakes & 1 hen (and one Mallard)

Good Birding!!

Black-throated Green, Rusty, et al - Heinz NWR today

Today was a beautiful, crisp Fall day at John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge at Tinicum in Philadelphia.

It began with a Black-throated Green Warbler, a bird which should be in Belize by now - and if it does not get a move on soon will become a genetic cul-de-sac. Nevertheless, a feast for the eyes, and a cooperative poser for the cameras of several birders.

Black-throated Green Warbler

Black-throated Green Warbler

Black-throated Green Warbler

Black-throated Green Warbler

 Photographic highlights included the elusive elf of the tree trunk - Brown Creeper.

Brown Creeper

Brown Creeper

Waterfowl are still abundant on the impoundment, including the Ruddy Duck ...

Ruddy Duck

 At home in the southeastern corner of Vermont, the Rusty Blackbird has been a hit or miss bird from year to year. But at Heinz NWR has been likely tick on my year list in the Fall and Spring, as it was today ...

Rusty Blackbird

Rusty Blackbird

Good Birding!!