Category Archives: Uncategorized

This is a Long-tailed Duck on its takeoff run. They are fast flyers once they get airborne.

American Kestrels are a small falcon that hunt for insects and small animals by hovering, or kiting, over an open area to look for a target. Then they dive onto it. This photo shows the Kestrel using its tail and wings to help keep hovering in one spot.

One of our summer residents is the Baltimore Oriole who nests here. And nesting means territorial conflict. This first Oriole below was on the ground beneath the tree he had claimed when another male flew in. The second one did not get a chance to land before he was threatened. He flew off to findContinue reading “Feathered Action: Baltimore Oriole”

Common Terns shake off excess water while in flight after a dive. Sort of a dog with wings.

This appears to be the advances of a male Chipping Sparrow being rejected. This small sparrow with a rufous cap is found all over the US and Canada in the summer. It is a year round resident of Florida, southern Texas and southern California.

Double-crested Cormorants eat 1-1.5 pounds (.45-.68kg) of fish per day and can swallow fish up to 6 inches (15 cm) long. Some meals of even larger sizes have been reported. This one had grabbed a good sized fish and spent a couple of minutes tossing it around to get it oriented head first in orderContinue reading “Feathered Action: Double-crested Cormorant”

I thought I had taken a picture of a Bumblebee (first photo). Fortunately I did a little research on them before doing this guest post. It seems that this individual is really a Carpenter Bee. The smooth black abdomen is the identifying characteristic. I went back into the field and got a photo of aContinue reading “Non-Avian Guests: Bees”

Purple Martins, our largest swallows, have arrived for the summer after spending the winter in South America. The males have a very dark blue-purple body with black wings. They look all black unless highlighted by the sun. They nest in colonies and will happily utilize nest boxes made for multiple pairs. This male is partContinue reading “Snapshot: Purple Martin”

Warblers are beginning to migrate into and through New England. Blue-winged Warblers will stay here after migrating from the Caribbean while many others continue further north. I spotted this one before I heard him singing his “bee-buzzzz” song.

These two closely related shorebirds are hard to distinguish when seen separately. Sometimes the call is the only way to be sure. Identification is not a problem when they are together. Greater Yellowlegs are larger with a longer bill in relation to head size in comparison with the Lesser Yellowlegs. The bill differences can beContinue reading “Snapshot: Yellowlegs”