Author Archives: birdsinmyviewfinder

A friend and I went to what is becoming our winter go-to birdwatching spot. We plant ourselves close to the rocky shore and then watch the action. There weren’t that many birds on the water but the sky was busy. We saw Dovekies, Black Guillemot and Northern Gannet. But the ducks were a treat. TheyContinue reading “Air Traffic”

A Barred Owl decided to roost for the day close to my house. The birds at my nearby feeders were a bit excited for a while but eventually settled down and ignored him or her. The squirrels were much more upset as you might expect. I made two quiet and slow approaches to get aContinue reading “Welcome Visitor”

We haven’t had snow yet but we have had Snow Buntings. And they have been posing for the camera. The Buntings need to be alert for this Peregrine Falcon flying over the marsh but don’t need to worry about the Northern Harrier hovering as she looks for mice. Snowy Owls show up in all sortsContinue reading “Buntings and an Owl at the Shore”

Photos from a trip to the beach…a cold trip to the beach! A Harbor Seal looked at us and seemed to be wondering what we were doing in the cold wind without the benefit of blubber. Humans! And there was a Northern Gannet soaring well offshore. Red-throated Loons are fairly common sights this winter. TheyContinue reading “At the Shore”

I have posted a lot of duck pictures recently. Here are some other birds I have found at the beginning of the winter season. This Snow Bunting was part of small flock on the bank of the Merrimack River. Also on the river was this Common Loon with his crab dinner. And a flock ofContinue reading “Early November Sightings”

We are entering duck season along the Atlantic coast as the sea ducks move in from the north and some fresh water ducks move to coastal ponds and marshes. These are some of my finds in the past week. Of course, Mallards are ubiquitous. We are seeing good numbers of Northern Pintails. The male hasContinue reading “Duck Season”

The Harlequin Ducks (previous post) stole the show at Halibut Point on Cape Ann. But there were other ducks and other kinds of birds to see as well. A few ducks were too far from shore to photograph but these are some that flew or swam nearer to the rocks we were on. A flockContinue reading “More from Cape Ann”

The Harlequin is a comic character in the Italian commedia dell’arte that is known for his colorful costume. One of the ducks that visit us in the winter is named for this character. These photos will show how well that name applies. These are males and they are the inspiration for the name. They areContinue reading “The Harlequin”

I have heard many bird watchers say that most bird behavior can be explained by food or sex. This long post is a collection of some photographs of birds engaged in food acquisition or consumption that I have taken over the years. It’s a post that I have worked on as a side project toContinue reading “Bird Gourmets”

I was with several other people on a platform overlooking the beach at Emerson Rocks on Plum Island. We were observing and photographing hundreds of shorebirds that had gathered on the beach and rocks. The number of birds was gradually declining as the tide came in but there were still several flocks on the beach.Continue reading “Peregrine Falcons”