Black-throated Blue Warbler
I finally took a good photo of a male Black-throated Blue Warbler (Setophaga caerulescens) earlier this week! However, it was not without tremendous persistence and many failed attempts, as is the beauty of digital photography. What you cannot see is that I edited out the black-legged or deer tick attached to this poor guy’s face. The tick was engorged just in front of his eye, a precarious place to scratch. Please keep ticks in mind as you go outdoors this season as many people still neglect to take any precautions or check themselves after being outdoors. Some doctors are still...
Read MoreYellow-headed Blackbird
Here is a bird you do not see too often around these parts – the Yellow-headed Blackbird! This immature male, found a few weeks ago by Stefan Martin, should ordinarily not be farther east than Illinois or Wisconsin. However, it took a wrong turn during migration and ended up all the way on the Atlantic Coast with us at Stratford Point, CT. He has been hanging out with Common Grackles, Red-winged Blackbirds, and Brown-headed Cowbirds while feeding on seed we put out plus whatever insects it can find. The bird has started singing, too, perching on various trees, snags, wires, and shrubs...
Read MoreBlue-headed Vireo
A quick hello from this Blue-headed Vireo! What spring migrants are you seeing now?
Read MoreFox Sparrow
Any time we see snowfall from mid-March on, we might notice an increase in the number and species diversity of birds at our backyard feeders. Those who pay close attention might also have the opportunity to view more elusive birds – those that would otherwise just be passing through or returning to the area relatively unnoticed – that are driven out of their preferred habitats by the extreme conditions in search of food. One such bird that can seem to appear out of nowhere is the Fox Sparrow (Passerella iliaca). These large sparrows really enjoy scratching at the ground with both...
Read MoreGolden-winged Warbler
Without a doubt, one of the highlights of our recent work in Costa Rica was the recapture of this Golden-winged Warbler, which was banded last year in the same area it was caught this year, near Rara Avis Rainforest Lodge. Since we last saw it in March of 2016, it undoubtedly traveled back to its breeding grounds somewhere in North America and hopefully managed to find a mate of its own species. Golden-winged Warblers are suffering from dramatic declines throughout their range, and are increasingly hybridizing with closely-related Blue-winged Warblers. As a result, this species is at serious...
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