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

On May 30, I posted a photo of a redstart female building her nest. I returned to the location at the Hinsdale setbacks last Thursday. Although I knew "almost exactly" where that nest was being built, I could not find it, which I am sure is what the birds would want.

So I had to settle for a male redstart further down the bike trail, still protecting his territory with song. American Redstarts have been especially common this year (as opposed to Chestnut-sided and Black-throated Green Warblers which have been hard to find, even by voice, let along see them)

American Redstart

An amusing observation was a passing Great Blue Heron being angrily and aggressively escorted out of the territory of a Red-winged Blackbird.

Red-winged Blackbird and Great Blue Heron

At Wilson Wetlands in Putney, a Wood Duck hen led her two (surviving?) ducklings across open water and quickly disappeared in the willow thicket ...

Wood Duck hen with ducklings

Good Birding!!

Wood Ducks on the Wissahickon Creek

Wissahickon Creek near Valley Green Inn - part of Fairmount Park, Philadelphia - probably the best place anywhere to see Wood Ducks.

These gorgeous ducks are secretive, wary, and often elusive when they are in the north and on their breeding grounds. But along the Wissahickon in March (and again in November) they are close, and visible, though still quite wary.

This time of year they are also active as the drakes compete with one another for the attentions of the hens.

Here are few samples from today, a delightful Spring day, made the more so by the entertainment provided by the Woodies.

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!

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

Veerys on the the Wissahickon

A bike ride along Wissahickon Creek was not only delightful, but surprising - surprising but the number of Veerys out in the open and unafraid. Clearly, they were not quite into breeding mode, but probably needed to refuel before beginning that arduous task. Other years I have heard them singing, but most sightings were limited to brief fly-bys.

Veery

Veery

Veery

The Wissahickon Creek is far and away the best place I know of to see and photograph Wood Ducks. Here is looks like she is inviting him ! ...

Wood Ducks

Swallows were feeding along the river - Tree, Bank, and a few very cooperative Northern Rough-winged Swallows ...

Northern Rough-winged Swallow

Good Birding!!

And by the way, Check out my other photo blog, Exploring Philadelphia. It should be more active now that I am back in the city for a while.

Did you know that Philadelphia is the only major city in the United States that has a covered bridge within its city limits?

Thomas Mill Bridge

 Good Birding !!