Author Archives: birdsinmyviewfinder

Sanderlings flying with a busy surf in the background. These are the little shorebirds that can be seen running along the very edge of the incoming waves to forage in the sand, just barely staying ahead of the water.

These are photographs of Merlins taken in 2017. (Yes, that is a blood stain on the belly of the first one. Nature is not always pretty.) This small falcon was used by Medieval falconers , particular noblewomen. It was sometimes called the “lady hawk”.

I haven’t posted anything from my folder decluttering project in a while. There are some forgotten favorites buried away and I need to keep digging them out. These are some nice action shots from 2017. A pair of Ravens chased a Red-tailed Hawk out the area where I was photographing. The hawk did not hangContinue reading “Found in the Clutter: Raven vs Hawk”

There was a lot of activity in this small pool in the marsh. There must have been something good on the menu! We have Great Egrets (yellow bills) and Snowy Egrets (smaller with black bills) with a Greater Yellowlegs and a Mallard for good measure.

It’s hawk migration time here in New England. Broad-winged Hawks pass through the area in large numbers as they move from southern Canada and the eastern US to their winter homes in Central America and northern parts of South America. This is an immature Broad-winged Hawk that was perched in a tree overlooking the marsh,Continue reading “Feathered Action: Blue Jay v. Broad-winged Hawk”

Northern Harriers are migrating into my area for the winter. We spotted three in just a few minutes. This one is people watching while we bird watch.

I don’t typically photograph insects. Although I have thought about doing some macro photography. But I will try to photograph butterflies and dragonflies in flight on occasion. It’s a way to challenge my bird-in-flight skills and have a bit of fun. I got a pretty good capture of this dragonfly. I have no idea ofContinue reading “Non-avian Guest: Dragonfly”

The largest gull in the world. Great Black-backed Gulls pretty much rule the shore. This one grabbed a crab from the edge of the water. No pirating this day.

Tree Swallows gather in the 10s of thousands on Plum Island before starting their migration. These photos were taken on the beach on Plum Island Sound on the southern end of the island. Swallows were constantly streaming by me and I was able to capture some of them in flight, like this one. This photoContinue reading “Feathered Action: Tree Swallow”

It looks like this juvenile Herring Gull is joining the family business and has grabbed an egg from someone’s nest. Pirates gonna pirate.