Author Archives: birdsinmyviewfinder

The Northern Flicker is a year round resident, although some may migrate a bit further south in the winter. They are an unusual woodpecker in that they are often found on the ground where they search for their favorite snack: ants. They have a brown back, light brown and gray head and neck, a blackContinue reading “Northern Flicker”

Sanderlings are those little birds that run along the edge of the water just barely keeping out of the incoming waves. They look like they are having a fun day at the beach as the group zips along. They also look for food in the sand exposed as the tide goes out. These pictures wereContinue reading “Sanderlings Can Be Tough”

Two types of shorebirds that migrate through our area have something in common. Each has two species that are very hard to differentiate in the field. There are two species of Yellowlegs, Greater and Lesser. The Greater is larger and its bill is longer in relation to the head. Size is hard to judge unlessContinue reading “Migrants – Yellowlegs and Dowitchers”

The American Avocet that should be in New Mexico, Colorado or somewhere else on the eastern side of the Rocky Mountains has spent the entire summer at one spot in the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge. It has been mingling with the Yellowlegs for so long that it seems to be part of the flock.Continue reading “Adopted?”

This is a follow up to my previous post about Night Herons and Bitterns. They are quite good at disappearing into the vegetation but they do have to fly to get around. They aren’t so stealthy when they do. This is another juvenile Black-crowned Night Heron. It was hard to miss when it flew acrossContinue reading “Not So Stealthy”

These are two related birds that share a hunting style. They lurk in the reeds and vegetation along the edge of the water and grab almost anything from fish to amphibians, and even small turtles and snakes. They also eat invertebrates and worms. The first is a Least Bittern. They usually stand completely still orContinue reading “Stealthy Hunters”

Common Terns migrate to and from Massachusetts and breed here in the summer. The Black Terns in previous posts are transient migrants who are briefly stopping on their way south. We are now seeing the juvenile terns from this summer’s breeding season. They are full grown and will be going south with the adults thisContinue reading “Migrant – Common Tern”

We always look forward to seeing this migrant as it stops for a rest on its way south. They don’t appear in the same numbers as other migrants like Yellowlegs so it is a treat to spot one. There are four subspecies and only one lives in North America. Like many of our migrants, theyContinue reading “Migrants – Whimbrel”

More Black Terns. These were taken with my usual setup, handheld 450mm zoom. I didn’t see these birds at their usual fishing grounds today so they may have continued on their way to the north shores of South America. Vaya con dios, mis amigos.

I am lucky to live along a major migratory route for birds who breed in Canada and the Arctic but winter in the southern US, Central America and South America. There are chances to see a great variety of birds as they pass through. Shorebirds and other coastal dwellers are the primary migrants at thisContinue reading “Migrants – Black Tern”