Author Archives: birdsinmyviewfinder

Palm Warblers migrate through our area in May as they head to their breeding grounds in Canada that stretch from Alberta to the Maritimes. They only breed in the northern portion of Maine and the southern shore of Lake Superior in the US. They winter along the US coast from North Carolina to Texas, theContinue reading “Migrant – Palm Warbler”

Is the bark on that tree moving? Brown Creepers can be hard to spot sometimes and only their motion can give them away. They are the only North American treecreeper and are year-round residents in the northeastern US, Canada and the western US Mountain States. Some do migrate into the central and southern US inContinue reading “Brown Creeper”

I just had my first sighting for the season of a Ruby-throated Hummingbird at my feeder. It’s a female, so no ruby throat. I will try to catch a male in viewfinder. It is nice to have them staying with me for the summer again.

Migration is starting to pick up. One migrant that has been around for a few weeks is the Ruby-crowned Kinglet. They winter in the southern US and breed in Canada, northern New England and the northern portion of the western US mountains. It is a tiny bird, just a bit over 4 inches (11 cm)Continue reading “Migrant – Ruby-crowned Kinglet”

Brant are small, compact geese with a relatively short neck and stubby bill. One of the three subspecies winters on the US east coast from North Carolina to Massachusetts. This same subspecies winters in Ireland, England and the northeast coast of Europe. The black Pacific subspecies winters along the western coast of North America downContinue reading “Brant”

I spotted a duck flying across a pond and began photographing it as it flew toward and past me. I could see in the viewfinder that it had something large in its bill as I was tracking it. I was surprised by what I was seeing when I checked the photographs on my camera display.Continue reading “Puzzling Photos”

The Red-tailed Hawk is a large buteo that is common in the United States and Mexico where it is a permanent resident. It expands into Canada during the summer as well. Buteos are robust soaring hawks with broad wings and relatively short tails. They will prey on any small animal but they prefer mammals likeContinue reading “Red-tailed Hawk”

The American Kestrel is a fairly common falcon in North and South America. It is also our smallest falcon, measuring 9-12 inches (22-31 cm). For comparison, the ubiquitous Rock Pigeon found in cities all over the world measures 12-14 inches (30-36 cm). They are found near open areas where they hunt grasshoppers, cicadas, beetles, andContinue reading “American Kestrel”

The weather was exceptionally nice for an early spring day at the coast on an Audubon group walk. The wind was nearly dead calm and that is a very rare situation when less than 400 meters of trees and dunes is between you and the Atlantic Ocean. The salt pannes were as smooth as glassContinue reading “Shorebird Mix”

The Cooper’s Hawk is a fast and agile bird hunting raptor. They are common woodland hawks in the United States and are year round residents in most states. Some will only spend the summer along in the northernmost part of the US and the southern part of the western Canadian provinces. Some will migrate intoContinue reading “Cooper’s Hawk”