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This is the second of the three species of Scoter that winter in New England that I recently photographed. My last post showcased the Black Scoter. This is the White-winged Scoter. They have a prominent white patch on their wings that is highly visible when they are flying. Male White-winged Scoter photographed at Cape Neddick,Continue reading “Snapshot – White-winged Scoter”

Three of the world’s six Scoter species winter off our coast. These stocky sea ducks dive for crustaceans and mollusks. I had a chance to get some fairly close looks at all three recently. This is a male Black Scoter photographed at Cape Neddick, Maine.

These photographs of a Red-breasted Merganser taking flight were taken from a different perspective than usual. I was standing on the rocks overlooking the narrow channel between the mainland and the little island with the Nubble Light in York, Maine. The Merganser took off as I was photographing it from above and I captured severalContinue reading “Different Perspective”

I am posting a lot of duck photos, but ducks are prominent winter visitors along the New England coast. There are a lot of photo-ops as a result. Long-tailed Ducks are one the common ducks that we see and they make good subjects. This is a male in non-breeding plumage. The females are in non-breedingContinue reading “Long-tailed Ducks”

A Red-breasted Merganser flying over an icy Merrimack River on a gray New England winter morning.

A Common Loon was riding the current downstream and diving for prey until it got close to mouth of the river. Then it returned upstream to start the process again. But instead of flying, it “ran” back up the river using the same action that it would use in order to take flight. I’m notContinue reading “Snapshot – Common Loon”

The Atlantic can get pretty rough during and after one of our nor’easters. I took these photos recently after such a storm. Sea ducks like these Long-tailed Ducks just ride the surf and continue diving for prey. A Herring Gull skims the surf with the small crab he found or likely stole from a duck.Continue reading “Ocean Views”

I spotted a female Hooded Merganser in a small vernal pool in the woods and snapped this photo. The light peeking through the trees made for a nice portrait. Not my typical photo style since I usually try to capture activity. I filed this shot away last spring with the intention of processing it atContinue reading “Found in the Clutter – Hooded Merganser”

I was with a group of birdwatchers who witnessed an intense skirmish between a Northern Harrier and a Red-tailed Hawk recently. The action lasted for more than 30 minutes as the harrier harassed the hawk while leaving the scene periodically and returning to continue the battle. It was a battle of agility versus size. ItContinue reading “Raptor Battle”

Long-billed Dowitcher photographed at San Carlos Bay, Florida. These stocky, long billed shorebirds summer on the northern coasts of Alaska and Siberia. They spend the winter on the southern edge of the US and in Mexico.