Category Archives: Uncategorized

Ring-necked Duck (left) and Wood Duck swim close together.

Red-winged Blackbirds are a very common bird and they are here in abundance to claim territory and mates. The males stake out a nest site and warn off others by flashing their bright epaulets. Intruders are chased if warnings don’t work. Females, who look like a different species, are spending their time building nests andContinue reading “Snapshots: Red-winged Blackbird”

An American Woodcock mother set up her nest close to a path on the Parker River NWR. It was set in a tangled mass of branches which helped keep her safe and it made for tough photographic conditions. But the many birdwatchers and photographers who stopped to observe her took care to avoid disturbing herContinue reading “Woodcock Family”

I do not know why these ducks are named after a nearly invisible thin ring around their neck instead of the prominent ring on their bill. A little (very little) ornithologist humor?

Geese can be pretty aggressive with each other and with other animals, even humans. Here a Canada Goose chases another goose that dared to land too close to it’s “space”.

This was a tough shot. It was a dark morning with low clouds and mist and the Wood Duck was behind a lot of reeds. You can see the blur caused by some out-of-focus reeds in the foreground. Wood Ducks are easily spooked so the reeds helped screen me as I approached for the photo.

This was taken in 2018 in the Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument, Abo, New Mexico. The Townsend’s Solitaire is the only Solitaire in the continental US. It is relatively uncommon and is related to Thrushes and Bluebirds. The white eye ring and buffy patch along the edge of the wing are key features.

Two very different duck species with a common tail structure. Long-tailed Ducks are sea ducks that dive for invertebrates and small fish. The males have long thin tail feathers. Northern Pintails, on the other hand, are fresh water ducks that dabble for plants, worms, snails, insects and crustaceans. Like the Long-tailed Duck, the males sportContinue reading “Snapshots: Duck Tails”

I saw many Common Gallinules and American Coots on a Florida trip. They always seemed to peacefully coexist except in this case. This Gallinule took exception to the Coot for some reason and the Coot beat a quick retreat.

We do not see Horned Grebes in their breeding plumage here in Massachusetts very often. Those yellow-orange tufts are the source of their name.