Monthly Archives: November 2025

Noted for it’s bi-colored bill and single chest spot, the American Tree Sparrow is a hardy little bird. They spend the summer in Alaska and northernmost Canada and winter in the northern US. Their winter range doesn’t include the Pacific Coast, US Southwest or states along the Gulf of Mexico. Definitely not a “Snowbird” likeContinue reading “Snapshot: American Tree Sparrow”

A rather large flock of Hooded Mergansers were actively pursuing a school of small fish along the edge of a pond. Swimming rapidly back and forth as a group, they continually dove for their prey as they herded the fish. The activity attracted the attention of a Great Egret. This was an unusual sighting sinceContinue reading “Hooded Mergansers”

I was just about to pack up my gear when a Red-tailed Hawk made a close flyby.

Two Common Loons photographed on the coast of Maine. The one in the foreground still has its breeding plumage.

Another look at gulls being gulls. I am not sure if a robbery attempt or a theft recovery attempt is underway. But the adult Herring Gull chased the juvenile back and forth for quite a while. They finally disappeared behind a stand of trees before the final outcome, so I am not aware of whichContinue reading “Feathered Action: Herring Gull”

Harlequins, three males and a female, in flight. They are found in East Asia, North America and Greenland. Ducks that breed in eastern Canada and Greenland visit our New England coast each winter.

Wood Ducks are nearly hidden in the plants and the sticks of a muskrat lodge. Taken while experimenting with a little used lens.

Sanderlings are one of the few shorebirds that can be found on the Atlantic coast of New England in the winter. These shorebirds are almost always spotted on sandy beaches where they run along the very edge of incoming waves, dodging them to grab bits of food from the sand. Once in a while theyContinue reading “Snapshot: Sanderling”

A pair of Mallards making their final landing approach.

One of our favorite winter visitors, the Snow Bunting, has arrived. This female was with a small flock searching for bits of food on the beach. Snow Buntings breed in the arctic and winter in southern Canada and the northern US. They are distributed throughout the northern hemisphere and are also found in Europe, RussiaContinue reading “Snapshot: Snow Bunting”