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.

Greater Yellowlegs

Greater Yellowlegs were common on Tuesday at Heinz NWR - busy, active, and noisy.

Greater Yellowlegs

 

Good Birding!

November birding - sunny, 70s, beautiful

November - sunny, 70s, beautiful. Seems like an oxymoron, but that was yesterday. I made a late morning trip to Heinz NWR. Songbirds were quiet and resting. Most waterfowl were sleeping or preening. Only the Greater Yellowlegs were noisy and busy (next post will be GRYE).

But a very pleasant day for a walk. A sampling of the morning.

Ducks in the impoundment were all dabblers. The numbers were modest, but a few were fairly close to the pond edges.

Northern Shoveler

Northern Shoveler

Green-winged Teal

Green-winged Teal

Autumn Meadowhawks were flying all along the trails. They are so small that often they seem like a figment of the imagination, especially the females whose orange-brown color camouflages them among the brown and yellow leaves. The occasional male perched for me, and a pair flew locked in the copulatory circle.

Autumn Meadowhawk (male)

Autumn Meadowhawk (male and female)

 Only a few butterflies were still about. This Eastern Comma was a particular treat.

 

Eastern Comma

 Most sparrows were deep in the thickets, while robins were moving about, but rarely pausing for more than a few moments.

White-throated Sparrow

American Robin

 Good Birding!!

Birding Cape May

After the frantic activity of late September and most of October, a day of birding and photography in Cape May was a day of refreshment. I found no need to rush after this and that. Rather I just enjoyed what came.

There's always a highlight to a day of birding, though the highlight may often be a butterfly, a dragonfly, a blossom, or an encounter with a friend. On this day, the highlight was a bird - Eurasian Widgeon - 2 drakes in fact, though only one provided a reasonable photo op.

Eurasian Widgeon

Predominant among the songbirds was the Yellow-rumped Warbler. Common everywhere. Other which allowed their photos to be taken were Savannah Sparrow and Ruby-crowned Kinglet.

Yellow-rumped Warbler

Ruby-crowned Kinglet

Savannah Sparrow

One of my favorite winter birds is the Carolina Wren. This tiny bundle of energy will sing on almost any day of the year.

Carolina Wren

And finally ... an exotic. In the pond in front of the Hawk Watch platform, a Black Swan has been present for a couple of months. A native of Australia (and virtually a non-migrant) this bird is certainly an escapee from some zoo or private collection. Regardless, it was interesting to see, and a beautiful bird. The swan even has its own Facebook page: Black Swan of Cape May.

Black Swan of Cape May

Good Birding!!

Cape May Hawk Watch

We did a day trip to Cape May, which of course includes a stop at the Hawk Watch. It is never a long wait for a passing raptor. During my brief stay, my passing overhead or nearby were Red-tailed, Broad-winged, Sharp-shinned, Cooper's, Peregrine, Harrier, Turkey and Black Vulture.

A few even permitted some photos.

Notice the full crop on this juvenile Sharp-shinned Hawk. A good omen for its survival ... it has learned to hunt on its own.

Sharp-shinned Hawk

Bald Eagle - hatch year bird.

Bald Eagle - 1st year

 This Red-tailed Hawk put on a flying display directly over the Hawk Watch platform.

Red-tailed Hawk

Bald Eagle. 

Bald Eagle

 So many hawks migrate through Cape May, that it is common to have two or more species in the glass at one time. Next photo is the same Bald Eagle, but notice the size difference of the Sharp-shinned Hawk in the bottom right corner.

It's always good birding. In Cape May, it is almost always excellent birding.

Putney Mountain Hawkwatch - October

Continuing my update on the hawkwatch for October.

October in Vermont, always colorful, was especially so this year, and no where better than on the mountain ...

October was an especially good month this year for migrating Turkey Vultures ...

Turkey Vulture

The owl decoy attracted attention from accipiters and  falcons ...

Sharp-shinned Hawk attacking the owl decoy

Sharpie

Sharpie

Cooper's Hawk

American Kestrel

American Kestrel

Good Birding!!

Putney Mountain Hawkwatch - September

There were plenty of Broad-winged Hawks during September, and lots of hawk nerds to watch them. Photo ops of the hawks were limited, so the watchers filled the photo role ...

... beginning with our "Leader" - leader to the degree that the odd group can be led anywhere on anything ...

Plenty to watch when the hawks are not flying ... such as these Cedar Waxwings. The top of the pine was surrounded by swarms of insects. The waxwings perched on the branches and plucked the insects out of the air ...

Cedar Waxwings

Olive-sided Flycatcher

Broad-winged Hawk

Watermelon Day

Broad-winged Hawk kettle

Good Birding!