Author Archives: birdsinmyviewfinder

I went to the Jodrey State Fish Pier while in Gloucester on my recent visit. There were Mergansers and Eiders swimming near the pier. And hundreds of gulls. No surprise there since the pier is home to seafood facilities and fishing boats that deliver fish and pick up fuel and bait. I want to spotlightContinue reading “On the Pier…A Spectator and a Pirate”

I went searching for birds along the coast in Gloucester. These photos are from Eastern Point and Bass Rocks. The stars of the day were the Buffleheads but there were other notable residents. This is a pair of female Common Eider. They have a nice chestnut color that shows nicely on the head of theContinue reading “Gloucester Birding”

Moving from the inland areas to the shore. A few shorebirds stay along the coast all winter here but most migrate through as they head for the southern US, Caribbean or Central and South America. This Black-bellied Plover and these White-rumped Sandpipers are migrants who have lingered a bit. The Dunlin toughs it out withContinue reading “November Sightings, Part 2”

Bird photography has been a bit challenging for me this month. The days I get out with my camera have generally been overcast, foggy or rainy. My low light photography skills need some work so I guess I can’t complain about getting practice. These are some shots that I managed to get in between theContinue reading “November Sightings, Part 1”

The Harlequin is that well-known medieval comic character attired in a brightly colored costume. There is a brightly colored duck named after the Harlequin that winters off the New England coast. And it is a favorite visitor for all duck fans. There were large numbers of Harlequin Ducks at Cape Ann, Massachusetts this week andContinue reading “Harlequins”

Cape Ann on the Massachusetts coast north of Boston attracts a large number of wintering birds, including ducks, loons and grebes. A visit to Rockport last week was rewarded with lots of sightings on an unusually warm November morning. It started off with a pair of Hooded Mergansers in a flooded quarry at Halibut PointContinue reading “Cape Ann Ducks”

We have been experiencing a run of cloudy, foggy, misty, rainy days lately, culminating with about 3 inches of snow. But the camera and I don our raincoats and head out anyway. (My K-70 is weather sealed but I don’t push it when there is a chance of significant rain!) The birds are out thereContinue reading “Gloomy Weather Birding…Better Weather Memories”

There have been some cloudy and rainy days lately, bringing much needed rain but making photography a bit more difficult. But the birds are out and so am I. One nice find was a Bonaparte’s Gull attempting to snatch something from a Herring Gull. The photos in my earlier post (Bonaparte’s Gull) didn’t truly illustrateContinue reading “Mixed Bag of Sightings”

Bonaparte’s Gulls are a small gull that is a common winter visitor in my area. But I have never seen them up close. They don’t hang out on land and they have been well out from shore whenever I spotted them. They are only about half the size of the Herring Gulls that are commonContinue reading “Bonaparte’s Gull”

Gulls seem to be everywhere. And to be honest, birders tend to ignore them unless they are looking for the uncommon migrant or rare visitor. They also have a poor reputation. They are noisy, steal from people and other birds and can cause a mess when they congregate. But they can be interesting to observeContinue reading “Gulls”