Author Archives: birdsinmyviewfinder

Male Least Terns will offer a fish to a female in hopes of attracting her attentions. It’s the Tern equivalent of flowers, candy, jewelry. This poor guy apparently struck out. That’s okay. There’s more than one Tern on the beach!

A flock of Ruddy Turnstones flying along the shore of Plum Island Sound, Massachusetts.

A female American Kestrel at the entrance to her nest as she brings home a fresh kill. The nest is in an old woodpecker hole in a very tall electrical utility pole.

Three Purple Martins perched on the empty frames while waiting for the nest boxes to be installed. Volunteers install groups of gourd style nest boxes on two poles for a Purple Martin colony that returns each year to the main parking area on the Parking River National Wildlife Refuge. These “early birds” arrived a fewContinue reading “Snapshot – Purple Martin”

A handsome bird that always makes for a nice photograph.

My main focus is birds but I occasionally post about a non-feathered subject. Turtles are a favorite of mine and I have even done some work with turtle paleontology. And this Common Snapping Turtle sure looks like it stepped out of the Cretaceous! But I spotted her more recently as she was apparently returning toContinue reading “Non-Avian Guest – Snapping Turtle”

The Common Gallinule is a member of the rail family. It has the look of a chicken despite its aquatic lifestyle. It’s original name, the Common Moorhen, recalled that resemblance. It is a close relative of the moorhens of Europe, Asia and Africa, but this North American species was renamed in 2011 to distinguish them.Continue reading “Snapshots – Common Gallinule”

I have a pair of Cooper’s Hawks nesting about 100 feet (30 m) from my house. They are accipiters and prey on other birds. Medium sized birds such as Doves, Robins, Blue Jays and others are conspicuously absent from around my home and smaller birds are pretty wary. This is mom on the nest. Cooper’sContinue reading “Neighbor – Cooper’s Hawk”

This little half ounce (13 gram) bird is an athlete par excellence. Blackpoll Warblers hold the record for the longest non-stop migration flight by a songbird. They winter in northern South America and breed in northern Canada. They have flown non-stop for 3 days to cover 1800 miles over the Atlantic Ocean. They double theirContinue reading “Blackpoll Warbler”

Killdeer are a member of the shorebird family but aren’t usually found at the shore. They are more often seen at inland sites including open agricultural fields, golf courses, athletic fields and other places with short vegetation. They live in both wet and dry environments. This Killdeer chick may only be a day or twoContinue reading “Killdeer Family”