Orchard Oriole
This adult male Orchard Oriole (Icterus spurius) is a Stratford Point resident, deftly avoiding our cameras for the most part while feeding mostly in the canopy. Occasionally he drops down closer to eye level, and he has been seen copulating with our resident female. It is likely that we will once again have a nesting pair on site. The family grows up quickly though, and even by the end of July this guy may be heading back to Central America. When they are not vocalizing they can be surprisingly inconspicuous. This is probably the best time of year to get some good views of them without...
Read MoreWarbler Portraits
After RTPI Affiliate Sean Graesser watched Robin Moore and Clay Bolt utilize this portrait photography technique he thought he’d give it a try with some of our birds in the Northeast U.S. Here we have the first results of his series with a Common Yellowthroat and Yellow Warbler.
Read MoreCommon Yellowthroat (Geothlypis trichas)
Some of our more common breeding songbirds have returned to the Northeast and are already setting up territories. The Common Yellowthroat (Geothlypis trichas) is one such species, and RTPI Affiliate Sean Graesser captured the character of an adult male in this wonderful piece for his Audubon series. Photographed for the Meet Your Neighbours global biodiversity project in Connecticut while on assignment for The Roger Tory Peterson Institute of Natural History.
Read MoreWhite-throated Sparrow
I recently caught this White-throated Sparrow (Zonotrichia albicollis) in the middle of a meal… …which it seemed to try to hide from me until gulping it down. Their whites and yellows are much bolder right now than those that winter with us as they conclude their spring migration. In some cases you may have White-throated Sparrows year-round with some birds that overwinter at your house and head far north into Canada for the breeding season while other individuals move in to our area from even further south and nest relatively close to us in New York, Pennsylvania, and...
Read MoreBrown Thrasher Singing
This Brown Thrasher (Toxostoma rufum) was another recent sighting of mine. It may be in a suitable nesting location – a blueberry patch – and was singing away from multiple perches. Another bird was nearby, and both were active and remaining in the same area. This does not necessarily mean they will make a nest here, but for now it is possible and perhaps probable. Look at that eye… Scott Kruitbosch Conservation & Outreach Coordinator
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