Author Archives: birdsinmyviewfinder

Continuing on with photos from a trip to New Mexico, these shots of an American Kestrel were taken at the Bernardo Wildlife Area in Bosque, south of Albuquerque. The Kestrel is the smallest North American falcon at about 8-12 inches (22-30 cm) in length. They hunt insects and small prey in open fields from aContinue reading “American Kestrel”

A single genetic mutation produces this uncommon color variant in the normally white Snow Goose. Some far more common all white geese are sleeping inn the background. Photograph taken at Bosque Del Apache NWR, New Mexico.

Coots are a plump duck-like bird that feeds on aquatic vegetation. They look more chicken-like when they are on land. They are poor flyers and are require a long running takeoff to get airborne. This one was swimming close to a boardwalk at Bosque del Apache NWR. It was close enough to see the smallContinue reading “Snapshot – American Coot”

This was a nice sight on a very cold day. Golden-crowned Kinglets are a small songbird that have a rounded body, no apparent neck and a tiny beak. The cold makes them fluff their feathers and they look even rounder. They are very active, move erratically and are hard to photograph. But they are funContinue reading “Golden-crowned Kinglet”

What are these two female Long-tailed Ducks up to? It may look like a race but it is apparently a sort of social interaction within a flock. Courtship displays involve a lot of head bobbing and vocalizing, something these ducks were not doing. Was it posturing for pecking order within the flock? Just for fun?Continue reading “Duck Racing”

The Marbled Godwit is a large shorebird with a long, slightly upturned, bicolored bill. It uses its rapier-like bill to probe the sand for invertebrates and plants. They primarily breed in the northern prairies of the US and Canada. There two satellite breeding areas, one in southern Alaska and another at the southern end ofContinue reading “Marbled Godwit”

This is the third of three posts featuring the three species of scoter that winter here in New England. This is an immature male Surf Scoter photographed at Cape Neddick, Maine. As he matures, his beak will become even brighter and he will develop white patches on his forehead and the back of his head.

This is the second of the three species of Scoter that winter in New England that I recently photographed. My last post showcased the Black Scoter. This is the White-winged Scoter. They have a prominent white patch on their wings that is highly visible when they are flying. Male White-winged Scoter photographed at Cape Neddick,Continue reading “Snapshot – White-winged Scoter”

Three of the world’s six Scoter species winter off our coast. These stocky sea ducks dive for crustaceans and mollusks. I had a chance to get some fairly close looks at all three recently. This is a male Black Scoter photographed at Cape Neddick, Maine.

These photographs of a Red-breasted Merganser taking flight were taken from a different perspective than usual. I was standing on the rocks overlooking the narrow channel between the mainland and the little island with the Nubble Light in York, Maine. The Merganser took off as I was photographing it from above and I captured severalContinue reading “Different Perspective”