Monthly Archives: March 2024

One of the favorite birds in my area is the Black-capped Chickadee. It’s a frequent visitor to feeders and is an active little bird with a definite personality. This one is checking out a pine cone for any nice tidbits for breakfast.

The Sharp-shinned Hawk is a small hawk in the accipiter family. The relatively short wings and extra long tail make it fast and highly maneuverable as it chases smaller birds through the woods. Sharp-shinned Hawks look nearly identical to another accipiter, the slightly larger Cooper’s Hawk. The shape of the head is one distinguishing feature.Continue reading “Snapshot – Sharp-shinned Hawk”

This relative of the American Robin is common in Central America but is a scarce resident in southernmost Texas. It is sometimes referred to as the Clay-colored Robin because of the close relationship but neither bird is related to European Robin. This lucky find was photographed at the Santa Ana NWR in Alamo TX inContinue reading “Found in the Clutter – Clay-colored Thrush”

Ruddy Ducks are a small freshwater diving duck with a scoop shaped bill and stiff tail that is often held upright. Males have a bright white cheek patch. They take on a chestnut color in the summer. Only a little bit shows here and there on these photos of males at this time of year.Continue reading “Ruddy Duck”

A pair of Common Goldeneye, male in the lead, flying over the Merrimack River in Massachusetts back in January. This diving duck has started moving back into Canada where it will nest in tree cavities. It is easy to see where they get their name.

Red-tailed Hawks are likely the most common hawk in North America. It is a large raptor with a stocky build. Females can be up to 26 inches (65 cm) long with a wingspan of 52 inches (133 cm). Most are a rich brown on the back with pale undersides that have a specked “cummerbund” patternContinue reading “Dark Morph Red-tailed Hawk”

I found this photograph while looking through some folders from 2019. An Altamira Oriole and a Golden-fronted Woodpecker were peacefully sharing oranges on a feeder station at the Santa Ana NWR in Texas. Luckily there were multiple oranges. Both species are residents of Mexico and Guatemala whose range extends into southern Texas.

Courtship displays by male Buffleheads include a run across the water much like a takeoff run, followed by a low short flight over the female of interest. The splashing is just part of showing off. Photographed at the Parker River NWR, Massachusetts.

Pied-billed Grebes, so named because of the black ring on their bill, are a small, chunky aquatic bird with almost no tail. They have the interesting ability to adjust their buoyancy and sink until only their head appears or even quietly submerge without diving. Photographed at Bosque del Apache, New Mexico.

This photo of a Northern Shoveler preparing to land shows the colorful speculum (secondary wing feathers) that is common in ducks with each species having its own distinctive pattern. The Shoveler has a powder blue, white and green speculum that is quite striking. The photo was taken at Bosque del Apache in New Mexico.