Monthly Archives: January 2024

An American Black Duck landing on the ice and starting a butt slide across to the open water.

Two Gadwalls flying in to join the flock.

A favorite bird to spot and photograph when on the southern US coast is the Roseate Spoonbill. It is the only one of the six species of spoonbills that resides in the Americas. In the US, they live along the Gulf coast of Texas and in the south and southwest of Florida. It’s a large,Continue reading “Roseate Spoonbill”

Eastern Bluebirds rarely visit my feeders. Their nearest normal habitat is a community farm about a mile away. But the deep snow forced them to forage further than usual. Five Bluebirds took over a suet cylinder feeder. One of my resident Carolina Wrens was a bit perplexed. It eventually got a turn on the feederContinue reading “More New Snowfall”

I decided I would quickly do a new post even though I just posted a few hours ago. The first snowstorm of the 2023-24 winter here in Massachusetts was a whopper. After seeing nothing but a few flurries so far this winter, I received 14 inches (36 cm) of snow in 24 hours. Needless toContinue reading “First Snowfall”

We see the Willet here in Massachusetts where it breeds before heading south for the winter. It’s a large shorebird with a long thick bill. They are pretty drab looking, even in breeding season. But they show off a flashy black and white wing pattern in flight.

These two wading birds are quite similar and often seen in the same environment. Depending on lighting and distance, they can be confused with only a quick glance. The first photo is of a Reddish Egret. It has a shaggy, rust colored neck. The robust bill is pinkish with a dark tip. The legs areContinue reading “Egret and Heron”

Continuing through a backlog of recent photographs, this is a male Gadwall showing the intricate color pattern on the breast and the distinctive black butt.

Males showing off and practicing some of their courtship moves. It’s always fun to watch their antics. The females do some displaying as well.

I took this photo when the light was at the right angle to highlight the multiple colors caused by iridescence in the normally black appearing head of the male Bufflehead. There were also small water drops remaining on his head after he returned to the surface after a dive. These small wintering ducks are aContinue reading “Snapshot – Bufflehead”