Monthly Archives: November 2023

This is a duck that can easily be identified by silhouette alone. The bill of the Northern Shoveler is unmistakable They use that large namesake bill to filter food out of the water by sweeping it back and forth. One source noted that they carry their tails high. It’s only a coincidence but it isContinue reading “Northern Shoveler”

The Black-crested Titmouse inhabits eastern Mexico and central Texas. It’s closely related to the very common Tufted Titmouse of the eastern US. Like all Titmice, it is a very active little bird that often frequents bird feeders. Some descriptions refer to this bird as “jaunty” and the prominent crest certainly adds to its appearance. AContinue reading “Found in the Clutter – Black-crested Titmouse”

I was having a mostly birdless morning but a pair of Harlequin Ducks swam close by to make my day a little brighter. As is common in birds, the male is the showier gender.

Found in a folder from 2019. It’s not a bird but who can pass up that face. This Harp Seal was resting on a public beach with a human attendant on hand to assure its comfort. The human was from an agency that assists marine mammals and was there to remind people to give theContinue reading “Found in the Clutter – Harp Seal”

Black Guillemots are an alcid, a group that includes murres and puffins. They are a winter visitor on our coast here in New England. Guillemots are about the size of a crow, 12 inches (32 cm). This one has lost most of its black breeding plumage now that it is winter. They eat fish andContinue reading “Snapshot – Black Guillemot”

All good stories involve pirates so here we go. This is a female Bufflehead, a small duck that winters in ponds and shallow saltwater environments. They dive for crustaceans and mollusks. Suddenly, a large pirate (gull) swoops in to try to steal the little duck’s catch. Things look grim for the Bufflehead as she takesContinue reading “A Pirate Adventure”

This was in an old folder from December 2019. Juvenile Bald Eagles do not have the well-known solid dark brown body with a bright white head and tail. They are a mottled brown and white until they reach maturity at five years. They do sport the powerful beak and talons though. This second or thirdContinue reading “Found in the Clutter – Bald Eagle”

I came across this while rummaging through folders from a Texas trip. The Groove-billed Ani is a member of the cuckoo family. It’s all black and a bit scruffy looking and has a large bill with grooves, hence the name. It is a ground forager and moves around a little erratically in the undergrowth. That’sContinue reading “Found in the Clutter – Ani”

Sanderlings are the little shorebirds that are usually seen “wave chasing” on a sandy beach. They run along the very edge of the surf line, dodging incoming waves as they probe the sand for food. There aren’t many sandy beaches along the rocky shore of Maine but they can use the same technique on theContinue reading “Snapshot – Sanderling”

Our winter ducks are moving in. All three Scoter species flew by me while I was on the shore at Cape Ann, Massachusetts. These diving sea ducks breed in the far north of Europe, Asia and North America, then move further south for the winter. The species, from top to bottom, are Surf Scoter, White-wingedContinue reading “Winter Ducks Arriving”