Author Archives: birdsinmyviewfinder

I like to go to the shore, get close to the water, and then just let the birds do the work. There can be quite of variety of subjects that swim, float or fly by. These photographs are from Halibut Point in Rockport, Massachusetts. You need to pick a spot that is just beyond whereContinue reading “View from the Rocks”

These are some photos of a female White-winged Scoter feasting on crabs. She caught quite a few while I watched. This was the last one I saw her catch. It took her a while to get it positioned so that she could swallow it. Quite a meal! Yes, she swallowed the entire crab. Scoters canContinue reading “Crab Lunch”

My last post showed Harlequin Ducks in a heavy surf close to shore. Lots of other ducks weren’t deterred by large swells and choppy water. They just stayed further away from the rocks than the crazier Harlequins. Black Scoters flew into the rough waters and rode the waves several yards from shore. I also spottedContinue reading “More Surf Action”

Harlequin Ducks are noted for the male’s colorful plumage. But they are also well-known rough water lovers. They feed close to rocky shores in heavy surf in the winter and in turbulent streams and rivers in the summer. Broken bones are quite common among these ducks. This is a male I photographed riding heavy swellsContinue reading “Surf’s Up”

It was a cold morning at the beach. Not nearly as cold as the recent arctic front though. There were ducks, gulls and loons in the distance. But a few birds came close enough for photographs. First, a Horned Grebe was swimming and diving just past the surf line. Three Razorbills swam past a bitContinue reading “Cold Morning at the Beach”

This is the first of two posts with photos from a cold February morning. I am processing the photos as we hunker down for a 2 day deep freeze with wind chills well below 0F. Luckily it is a very short term arctic blast and we can get back out again soon. This a collectionContinue reading “Winter Visitor – White-winged Scoter”

There were pictures of Ring-necked Ducks in my last post and they have been in previous posts as well. I often note that they should be called Ring-billed Ducks since the rings on their bills are so obvious. So why “Ring-necked”? I can’t quote a source so this is my opinion. Many birds were originallyContinue reading “Ring-necked Duck”

I went to the Merrimack River for a walk and photographed some of the ducks enjoying the ice-free waters. Buffleheads seem to be found where there is open water and today was no exception. The males appear to be black and white but there are hints of iridescent color on their heads in the rightContinue reading “Down by the River”

More ducks that visit me in the winter. These were photographed the same morning as those in the previous post. These are two the three types of Scoters, a type of sea duck, that winter on our shores. First is a pair of White-winged Scoters. The adult male has the brighter beak and white markContinue reading “Winter Ducks II”

A visit to Gloucester Massachusetts was rewarded by sightings of several of our winter ducks. Many types of ducks breed further north and then winter along the coast where there is less ice to deal with. It is easy to see where the Common Goldeneye gets its name. We spotted them close to shore andContinue reading “Winter Ducks I”