Monthly Archives: May 2026

This rather primitive looking guy is a Common Snapping Turtle. It’s a relatively small one and eyed me a bit warily. They may look a little dangerous but my research into their behavior indicates that they are quite timid in the water. They can get aggressive on land though. It may not be able toContinue reading “Non-Avian Guest: Snapping Turtle”

A male Wood Duck in flight.

Scarlet Tanagers are definitely scarlet. These two males were easy to spot high up in the trees. Males are bright red with black wings and tail. A nearby female was almost invisible. She, like most female birds, has a much more subdued coloration. It doesn’t pay to be conspicuous when sitting on a nest.

It takes a Bald Eagle a few seasons to take on the iconic look of white head and tail with a dark brown body. This two year old eagle has the heavily mottled appearance for that age. Photographed at the Missisquoi NWR in northern Vermont. This is a good site to spot Bald Eagles sinceContinue reading “Snapshot: Bald Eagle”

Once in a while a non-feathered subject appears on my site. This is a Gray Tree Frog resting in a bush in front of my house. These small amphibians are nocturnal and this little fellow decided to nap here. He really needs to keep a low profile since he is only a bit over anContinue reading “Non-Avian Guest: Gray Tree Frog”

A lot of the warblers we see in southern New England during May are just stopping to rest and refuel on their way to nesting areas further north. Yellow Warblers are one species that stays for the summer. They are quite photogenic with an overall yellow body and a bright little black eye. The malesContinue reading “Yellow Warbler”

The lighting really enhanced the blue on this bird.

Blue-headed Vireos are “snowbirds”. Like human snowbirds, they winter in the south and summer in the north. Their range is the eastern half of North America. They are a forest dweller and constantly search the tree canopy for insects and larvae.

This is one three species of warbler that I photographed recently. It is easy to see where the Black-throated Green gets its name. This particular individual has a nickname: Stubby. Yes, he is missing his tail feathers as is really obvious in the next picture. Research says the most likely cause is a close encounterContinue reading “Snapshot: Black-throated Green Warbler”

This warbler is stopping for a caterpillar snack as it migrates to northern New England or Canada.