Belated May Photographs

I’ve had a lull in field work so I went back and got some photographs I took in May but never posted. They didn’t have a theme until now.

First up are two Vireos. Vireos are woodland songbirds that winter in Central and South America and breed in the US and Canada. They are exclusively New World birds with the exception of the occasional vagrant that ends up on the east side of the Atlantic. They are insectivores but will eat fruit. They are very vocal and are usually located by ear. These are a Red-eyed Vireo (top) and Yellow-throated Vireo (bottom).

The Eastern Towhee is a large and colorful member of the Sparrow family. They live in the eastern half of the US, seasonally migrating between the northern and southern states. Most of the time they are rummaging around on the forest floor or in the underbrush.

Solitary Sandpipers are not very common since they migrate through our area without sticking around for very long. One key identification mark is the bold eye ring. This individual was searching for food in a wet area close to where we were standing and we got a very good view of it.

I saved the best for last. This is a Yellow-breasted Chat. It is rare in New England and this one spent several days in one small area where birders from all over the area came to see it. Their breeding range in the northeastern US only goes as far north as Pennsylvania and Ohio with a small enclave in west-central New York. They are very secretive but males will come out to vocalize during breeding season.