Monthly Archives: September 2025

This long distance migrant stops in our area as it moves from breeding grounds along Hudson Bay and the Arctic Ocean in Canada and Alaska to its winter home along the east and west coasts of the southern US, Mexico and Central America.

These are the two most common egrets that visit our area each summer. It’s easy to tell them apart when they are standing next to each other as the Great Egret towers over the smaller Snowy Egret. When they aren’t standing together, the beaks and feet are used to identify them. Heavy yellow beak andContinue reading “Snapshot: Egrets”

This is a much longer post than usual but I like the action sequence. Hopefully it will be worth your scrolling. A Double-crested Cormorant caught an eel and had a quite a time getting it subdued. It struggled for a few minutes to get its catch in the proper position to swallow it. The eelContinue reading “Feathered Action: Cormorant vs Eel”

Remembered these photos while looking through some old folders. According to the Cornell Lab, the total population of Whooping Cranes is 600. There were only 21 in 1941. This adult (right) and juvenile were photographed in the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge near Corpus Christi, Texas. This is only self-sustaining population of Whooping Cranes in existenceContinue reading “Found in the Clutter: Whooping Crane”

A Tricolored Heron is a fairly uncommon sight near me. They first appeared to extend their breeding range up the Atlantic Coast into Massachusetts in the 1960s but are still relatively few in number. This individual has been residing at the Parker River NWR all summer. Here it is stalking and catching small fish, neckContinue reading “Tricolored Heron”

This is a young Eastern Bluebird. It has almost attained the adult blue, chestnut and white plumage, but it still has some juvenile spotting. Bluebirds are a member of the Thrush family, most of whom have abundant spotting on their fronts. Bluebirds and another Thrush family member, the American Robin, only have spots when theyContinue reading “Snapshot: Eastern Bluebird”

People who have been on my site before may not notice the new photograph on my home page. It is from the series of photos that included my previous post of the Northern Harrier. I thought I would share it here so you don’t miss it!

Northern Harriers breed a bit further north than my location but they begin to return to the marshes to hunt voles and mice as the summer ends. They hunt by flying low over the marsh while watching and listening for their prey.

Mallards, like all ducks, are meticulous in taking care of their feathers. The female in these photos is using her head and bill to spread the oil from glands near her tail that provides waterproofing and insulation. Both are vital for survival in the cold waters of winter. Fluffing everything up at the end.

Champion fisherman.