Author Archives: birdsinmyviewfinder

Sanderlings are the little shorebirds that are usually seen “wave chasing” on a sandy beach. They run along the very edge of the surf line, dodging incoming waves as they probe the sand for food. There aren’t many sandy beaches along the rocky shore of Maine but they can use the same technique on theContinue reading “Snapshot – Sanderling”

Our winter ducks are moving in. All three Scoter species flew by me while I was on the shore at Cape Ann, Massachusetts. These diving sea ducks breed in the far north of Europe, Asia and North America, then move further south for the winter. The species, from top to bottom, are Surf Scoter, White-wingedContinue reading “Winter Ducks Arriving”

This is a juvenile Hudsonian Godwit that I photographed recently. These large shorebirds breed along the Arctic and Hudson Bay shores of Canada and stop here in New England on their way to their winter quarters in the very southern part of South America. Going almost pole to pole requires refueling stops. This one wasContinue reading “Snapshot – Hudsonian Godwit”

Although my blog is devoted to birds, I will post unusual or interesting non-bird photographs. The following photos are of a young Bobcat. Note the short tail with a black tip, the white ears with black edges and the slightly spotted coat. The ear tufts are just beginning to appear. Bobcats are widespread in southernContinue reading “Non-feathered Guest”

Three shorebirds winter along our coast while other species only pass through on their way south to winter in warmer places. One winter visitor is the Dunlin. It’s a bit chunky and has a somewhat long, drooping bill. The smaller birds with shorter bills in these photos are Semipalmated Sandpipers.

My last post had a glaring typo. For some reason I type “Common Loon” instead of “Common Coot”. I am not sure if the edited version got re-sent to people. Apologies for the senior moment!!

Neither of these birds are unusual for this part of the country. But they are not often found in such close proximity. There is a Common Gallinule on the left and a Common Coot (munching on some vegetation) to the right. [Edited the original post to correctly name the bird on the right as aContinue reading “Snapshot – Unusual Pair”

We spotted a Northern Harrier flying low over the marsh as it hunted for small mammals. It dropped down before I could photograph it so we moved past some scrub to see if we could find where it landed. This is what we saw in the distance. The Harrier was in a staring contest withContinue reading “Snapshot – Standoff”

These are some photos I took of a very large flock of Green-winged Teal with a few Northern Pintails mixed in. The flock numbered at least 200 individuals. The entire flock took flight, circled the waterway and landed again twice, giving me an opportunity to catch them in flight. The first photo shows a portionContinue reading “Ducks. Lots of Ducks.”

A Mallard seems to be watching a Great Egret landing with some interest. The duck has to land like a seaplane but the Egret can do it with a little flair.