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”
Author Archives: birdsinmyviewfinder
Snapshot: Field Sparrow
Recognizable by its pink beak and bouncy call.
Snapshot: Barn Swallow
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”
Snapshot: Common Tern
“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.
Snapshot: Eastern Bluebird
No color adjustments were made to this shot of an Eastern Bluebird. The blue just popped out due to the lighting.
Feathered Action: Common Tern
This is a skilled fisherman…two fish at once.
Snapshot: Black-crowned Night Heron
This wading bird has a wide distribution in the Americas, Eurasia and Africa. It is a summer resident in my part of the world.
Snapshot: Willet
This is what happens when a Willet wanders too close to another’s nesting territory. These large shorebirds nest in our saltmarshes.
Snapshot: Orchard Oriole
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.
Snapshot: Smokey Least Tern
I took this photo of a Least Tern coming out of the water after a dive under unusual light conditions. Our skies have a large amount of smoke from large wildfires burning in the upper midwestern US and south-central Canada. This was shot when there was sun filtering through high thin clouds with a lotContinue reading “Snapshot: Smokey Least Tern”