Monthly Archives: August 2022

These are two related birds that share a hunting style. They lurk in the reeds and vegetation along the edge of the water and grab almost anything from fish to amphibians, and even small turtles and snakes. They also eat invertebrates and worms. The first is a Least Bittern. They usually stand completely still orContinue reading “Stealthy Hunters”

Common Terns migrate to and from Massachusetts and breed here in the summer. The Black Terns in previous posts are transient migrants who are briefly stopping on their way south. We are now seeing the juvenile terns from this summer’s breeding season. They are full grown and will be going south with the adults thisContinue reading “Migrant – Common Tern”

We always look forward to seeing this migrant as it stops for a rest on its way south. They don’t appear in the same numbers as other migrants like Yellowlegs so it is a treat to spot one. There are four subspecies and only one lives in North America. Like many of our migrants, theyContinue reading “Migrants – Whimbrel”

More Black Terns. These were taken with my usual setup, handheld 450mm zoom. I didn’t see these birds at their usual fishing grounds today so they may have continued on their way to the north shores of South America. Vaya con dios, mis amigos.

I am lucky to live along a major migratory route for birds who breed in Canada and the Arctic but winter in the southern US, Central America and South America. There are chances to see a great variety of birds as they pass through. Shorebirds and other coastal dwellers are the primary migrants at thisContinue reading “Migrants – Black Tern”

I have been planning to do a series of posts on the migrants passing through my area in the past few weeks. But I keep getting side-tracked. First the Tree Swallows have been performing their annual display as they prepare to leave us (previous two posts). And now an Osprey provided a bit of aContinue reading “Osprey”

Tree Swallow activity continues to grow. This morning we were driving north from the southern end of the Island when I spotted a large dark area on the road ahead. We pulled over and looked at the 2000+ Tree Swallows sitting in the road with probably as many or even more in the shrubs andContinue reading “More Gathering of the Swallows”

Tree Swallows are gathering by the thousands on Plum Island as they prepare to migrate. We come across tall shrubbery that is sagging under the weight of the birds crowded onto them while roosting. Waves of Swallows will flow like a river over bodies of water as they dip down to catch drink in flightContinue reading “A Gathering of Tree Swallows”

The single American Avocet summering in our area is apparently still enjoying its visit. I did a post on this vagrant previously and we have continued to observe it over the summer. Vagrant, of course, meaning out of place. This bird should be somewhere in New Mexico, Colorado or elsewhere along the eastern side ofContinue reading “American Avocet”

Bird and human activity has been slowed by the ongoing heat and drought in my area. But life continues. These are some of the birds that I have spotted in the past few weeks. I’ll do cute first. These are part of the new generation of Gadwalls. There is a family of flycatchers, Empidonax, thatContinue reading “Some Recent Sightings”