Author Archives: birdsinmyviewfinder

This is a second post featuring a young Forster’s Tern. It shows the rusty brown coloration that is darker and more evident in juvenile birds but has begun to fade in this individual. This seems to be a youngster partially transitioned to a more adult pattern that has no brown at all. This photograph alsoContinue reading “Snapshot: Forster’s Tern (II)”

Forster’s Terns are not a common tern species on the Massachusetts north shore but are often seen in the late summer. Adults have a prominent eye patch in their non-breeding plumage and that makes them easy to spot. This one has a hint of rust coloration on its back. Young birds have rusty brown shoulders,Continue reading “Snapshot: Forster’s Tern”

Recognizable by its pink beak and bouncy call.

These two Barn Swallows flying around the nest under the eave in the background display the markings for this colorful bird. They have a deep blue back and tawny underside with a rusty throat and forehead. The tail is deeply forked with a thick white band near the end. The color of the underside canContinue reading “Snapshot: Barn Swallow”

“Mom! Mom! Mom!” This is the time of year when we see newly fledged birds like this Common Tern continue to beg for food from adults. This parent appears to have decided that the time has come for the youngster to start fending for itself.

No color adjustments were made to this shot of an Eastern Bluebird. The blue just popped out due to the lighting.

This is a skilled fisherman…two fish at once.

This wading bird has a wide distribution in the Americas, Eurasia and Africa. It is a summer resident in my part of the world.

This is what happens when a Willet wanders too close to another’s nesting territory. These large shorebirds nest in our saltmarshes.

Young birds are appearing as we move into the summer. This is a juvenile Orchard Oriole. It already has a band on its left leg.