Author Archives: birdsinmyviewfinder

The Common Eider is the largest duck in the Northern Hemisphere. It is definitely common since it breeds all along the northern Alaska and Canada coasts, Greenland, Iceland, Scotland, Scandinavia, Russia and Siberia. The don’t migrate very far but they do come as far south as our coast and in good numbers. They are probablyContinue reading “Winter Visitor – Common Eider”

It is Thanksgiving here in the States and turkey is the core of the traditional meal. Turkeys were widespread in colonial times but habitat loss eliminated them from Massachusetts by 1851. A small flock was captured in New York and released into the Berkshire Mountains of western Massachusetts in the 1970s. There are now aboutContinue reading “Wild Turkey”

Long-tailed Ducks breed in Siberia, Greenland, Iceland and in Alaska and Canada along the Arctic Ocean. The Massachusetts coast is among the places that they spend the winter. They winter along the west coast of North America from Washington State up to the south coast of Alaska and the Aleutians. On the east coast, theirContinue reading “Winter Visitor – Long-tailed Duck”

Snow Buntings breed in northern Canada and Alaska and then migrate to southern Canada and the northern US for the winter. They are a handsome bird and we all look forward to seeing them, especially in the dull days of winter. We see them close to the beaches here in Massachusetts since they like openContinue reading “Winter Visitor – Snow Bunting”

Ducks are migrating into and through my area now. The numbers seem a bit lower than usual but it has been an exceptionally warm autumn. Maybe they are in no hurry to travel since nothing has started to freeze yet. These are some photographs of freshwater ducks that I have observed recently. The most numerousContinue reading “Early Season Ducks”

Migration is slowing down but some birds are still making their way through my area. Kinglets have appeared in past post but they are an interesting little bird so I am happy to post about them again. They are very active, tiny birds. They are only about 4 inches (10 cm) long. They hunt forContinue reading “Migrants – Kinglets”

Seeing an Osprey this far north in November is unusual. So is the the temperature today: 75F/24C. The first photograph in this post is not one I would normally post but it is part of a story. I was with a group looking for ducks on a large reservoir when we startled by an unexpectedContinue reading “Late Season Osprey”

The American Bittern is a medium sized heron, 24-33 inches (60-84 cm) in length. This is larger than a Crow but smaller than a Canada Goose. They are stealth hunters that lurk in the reeds and wait for their prey, which includes small fish, amphibians, reptiles, small mammals and insects. They are very hard toContinue reading “American Bittern”

Green-winged Teals are the smallest dabbling ducks in North America. They have small bills and a short neck. This adds to their petite look. Their breeding range is Canada and the very northern US. There is also a small breeding area here in northeastern Massachusetts so we see them in the summer. But they areContinue reading “Migrants – Green-winged Teal”

Many shorebirds migrate through our area. Black-bellied Plovers breed along the Arctic Ocean and then migrate to as far south as the Caribbean and South America. We in Massachusetts live just a bit north of their most northerly wintering area so seeing one after late autumn is a rare sight. This is a young PloverContinue reading “Migrants – Black-bellied Plover”