Category Archives: Uncategorized

Red-shouldered Hawks are medium sized hawks that are permanent residents of the eastern US up to southern New England. Some will migrate a bit more north during breeding season. They are also found along the California coast. Juvenile. Photographed in Homestead, Florida in January 2020.

Razorbills are alcids that reside primarily around the Canadian Maritimes and Gulf of Saint Lawrence. They live at sea except for the short time when they nest in cliffs along the shore. We often see them here in New England just off our shores during the winter as they follow their prey fish. They canContinue reading “Snapshot – Razorbill”

This is is a photograph of a duck with an odd name that I came across in a folder of photos from an Audubon trip to Florida. The name is apropos since they have a black belly and they have a whistling call. Black-bellied Whistling Ducks were normally only found in Mexico, Central America andContinue reading “Found in the Clutter – Black-bellied Whistling Duck”

Northern Harriers glide and hover over open fields to hunt for small mammals and songbirds. They migrate to our saltwater marshes in the winter since they tend to be more open with less snow cover than inland fields. This Harrier passed over a salt panne as it was hunting. The panne was full of ducksContinue reading “Harrier and Teals”

The Greater Roadrunner is the state bird of New Mexico and is one of the things that come to mind when you think about the desert Southwest in the US. They can fly but typically run unless forced into the air. They hunt a large variety of prey from insects to rattlesnakes. The Coyote canContinue reading “Found in the Clutter – Greater Roadrunner”

Long-tailed Ducks are a winter visitor here after they migrate from the Arctic coast. They are strong swimmers and great divers that can go quite deep to feed on crustaceans, mussels and small fish. This is a female. The males are in their non-breeding, or eclipse, plumage. The white and black areas on the head,Continue reading “Long-tailed Ducks”

The Phainopepla is the only member of the silky flycatcher family found in North America. They reside in Mexico and the southern part of US states adjacent to Mexico: California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas. The rest of the members of the family are native to Central America. The name comes from the Greek forContinue reading “Found in the Clutter – Phainopepla”

This is a duck that can easily be identified by silhouette alone. The bill of the Northern Shoveler is unmistakable They use that large namesake bill to filter food out of the water by sweeping it back and forth. One source noted that they carry their tails high. It’s only a coincidence but it isContinue reading “Northern Shoveler”

The Black-crested Titmouse inhabits eastern Mexico and central Texas. It’s closely related to the very common Tufted Titmouse of the eastern US. Like all Titmice, it is a very active little bird that often frequents bird feeders. Some descriptions refer to this bird as “jaunty” and the prominent crest certainly adds to its appearance. AContinue reading “Found in the Clutter – Black-crested Titmouse”

I was having a mostly birdless morning but a pair of Harlequin Ducks swam close by to make my day a little brighter. As is common in birds, the male is the showier gender.