Author Archives: birdsinmyviewfinder

The Piping Plover is a endangered species that breeds along the Atlantic Coast from North Carolina into the Canadian Maritimes, as well as in the upper Great Plains into Canada and the southern shore of Lake Superior. Their primary wintering sites are along the southern Atlantic and Gulf Coasts. There are breeding colonies on PlumContinue reading “Piping Plover”

This is the time of year when birds are quieter and more, shall I say, discrete? It’s nesting time, territories are established and chicks are being hatched or fledged. Birds seem to be a little more secretive as a result. I will see far less birds in an hour in the field than I didContinue reading “There’s Always Something”

My last post was about the Indigo Bunting. This post is about another bird of the blue persuasion, the Eastern Bluebird. This common bird is not a threatened species at the moment but the numbers are declining due to habitat loss, pesticide use and competition from other species like Starlings. The use of nesting boxesContinue reading “Eastern Bluebird”

Indigo Buntings are sparrow sized birds that breed all over the eastern US and into parts of Colorado, Nevada, Arizona and New Mexico. They migrate to Central America and the Caribbean for the winter months. Their preferred habitat is weedy, brushy fields near wooded areas. I took these photos in just such an environment. MaleContinue reading “Indigo Bunting”

Bobolinks are a member of the Blackbird family. Breeding males are black with a buffy patch on the back of the head and white areas on their backs. Some refer to the pattern as a “reverse tuxedo”. As with their cousins, Redwing Blackbirds, the females look nothing like the males. They are mostly light brownContinue reading “Bobolink”

These are two birds that visit the New England area all the way up into Maine. I took these photographs while on a visit with family in Maine, topped off with lunch at a local brewpub of course! The Snowy Egret is a medium sized wader that is probably the most elegant of the wadingContinue reading “Summering in Maine”

There are a number of birds that nest and forage in and around the reeds that line the waterways here and elsewhere. Some of them can be hard to see since they tend to stay in those reeds. So it is a treat when one of them steps out, even for a quick look. MarshContinue reading “Among the Reeds”

I needed a break from sitting at the computer while working on a couple of projects so I grabbed my backup camera and camping chair. Rather than sitting at a computer, I sat in a semi-concealed spot near the birdfeeders and recorded some of the visitors. A House Finch is looking over the buffet. ThereContinue reading “Backyard Birdwatching Break”

The eastern population of the Willet breeds in the salt marshes along our coast in the summer. It’s a large shorebird with a long bill, long legs and a short tail. Unlike the smaller shorebirds, Willets are often alone when they are hunting for crabs, worms and other prey. They are constantly making their “pill-will-willet”Continue reading “Willet”

These are some photos of migrating Short-billed Dowitchers, along with two traveling companions. Long-billed Dowitchers, which are hard to distinguish from the Short-billed, are not very common here. A smaller Stilt Sandpiper joins the Dowitchers to forage for food. In the next photo, two Dowitchers are resting the background while a Black-bellied Plover does someContinue reading “Dowitchers”