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This photo of a Black Guillemot was “lost” among photographs taken during paleontology field work in Nova Scotia in 2018. It was one of the few bird photos I took since we were busy with our fossil recovery work. It had a nest in the cliffs right over our heads and was bringing back aContinue reading “Found in the Clutter: Black Guillemot”

A Common Loon swimming at the edge of some sea smoke in front of the jetty at the mouth of the Merrimack River in Massachusetts. Sea smoke forms when frigid air meets relatively warmer water and there is little to no wind. It was about 9F (-13C) when I took this photo. It’s December. ThatContinue reading “Snapshot: Cold Morning”

The male in this photo has whiter sides than those in my previous post. It looks like he has his breeding plumage. These ducks do have a barely visible narrow ring around their neck. But the more prominent ring on their bill would seem to be a better source for their name. The name “Ringed-necked”Continue reading “Feathered Action: Ring-necked Duck”

Ring-necked Ducks that stopped to visit on their way south from Canada.

Noted for it’s bi-colored bill and single chest spot, the American Tree Sparrow is a hardy little bird. They spend the summer in Alaska and northernmost Canada and winter in the northern US. Their winter range doesn’t include the Pacific Coast, US Southwest or states along the Gulf of Mexico. Definitely not a “Snowbird” likeContinue reading “Snapshot: American Tree Sparrow”

A rather large flock of Hooded Mergansers were actively pursuing a school of small fish along the edge of a pond. Swimming rapidly back and forth as a group, they continually dove for their prey as they herded the fish. The activity attracted the attention of a Great Egret. This was an unusual sighting sinceContinue reading “Hooded Mergansers”

I was just about to pack up my gear when a Red-tailed Hawk made a close flyby.

Two Common Loons photographed on the coast of Maine. The one in the foreground still has its breeding plumage.

Another look at gulls being gulls. I am not sure if a robbery attempt or a theft recovery attempt is underway. But the adult Herring Gull chased the juvenile back and forth for quite a while. They finally disappeared behind a stand of trees before the final outcome, so I am not aware of whichContinue reading “Feathered Action: Herring Gull”

Harlequins, three males and a female, in flight. They are found in East Asia, North America and Greenland. Ducks that breed in eastern Canada and Greenland visit our New England coast each winter.