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Posts Tagged "farm"

Ipswich Savannah Sparrow

Posted on Jan 29, 2017

Ipswich Savannah Sparrow

The Savannah Sparrow is a familiar bird to many of us, abundant in our farmlands, fields, grasslands, shrublands, shores, roadsides, and other open habitats. You can find them  across the northern U.S. and Canada during the nesting and migration seasons, and you’ll spot them overwintering in the southern U.S. or Mexico. This particular individual looks a little different than your average Savannah Sparrow – notice anything unusual? It is somewhat larger and heavier that a typical Savannah Sparrow, and its brown shades and yellow eye spot are considerably paler. This is an...

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Fall Bobolink

Posted on Oct 2, 2016

Fall Bobolink

This Bobolink (Dolichonyx oryzivorus) was a beautiful sight for the first day of October as it fed on seeds with sparrows, especially once it allowed this great a look. Keep an eye on your fields, grasslands, gardens and farms for more birds like this one still heading out and other new migrant species – like the Vesper Sparrow – arriving soon.

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Western Sandpiper (Calidris mauri)

Posted on Sep 6, 2016

Western Sandpiper (Calidris mauri)

Fall shorebirding can be very rewarding in a number of diverse habitats including farm fields, parking lots with pools of water, muddy pastures, grasslands, beaches, and rocky shorelines. Whether they are foraging, preening, or roosting there are always good chances to examine shorebirds for prolonged periods. That does not mean the task of identifying them will be easy! For every readily identifiable bird like the American Oystercatcher there seem to be a few difficult to discern species. The juvenile Western Sandpiper (Calidris mauri), as seen below and photographed in late August, can be...

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Bobolink

Posted on May 19, 2016

Bobolink

The Bobolinks (Dolichonyx oryzivorus) are back! This bird of the grasslands is returning to those habitats and fields or farms across the region. This is a good time to find males like this one perched on tall grass or hedgerows, fluttering and calling out with their bubbly, rich song. You may find migrant flocks with a bunch of them all quite conspicuous – at least for now, before nesting season begins. This individual perched on a white pine along with a few others while overlooking a grassland. There is no better reason than hosting some families of Bobolinks to let your grassland,...

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Prairie Warbler

Posted on May 11, 2016

Prairie Warbler

This male Prairie Warbler (Setophaga discolor) put on a sensational display for us last Sunday all while singing away and finding plenty to eat after his journey the previous night. It took a few hours to finally see the bird after hearing the rising, buzzy song repeatedly in the morning. The sun was shining brightly high in the sky by the time he came out into the open, giving the yellow warbler an even brighter glow while foraging in these willows. The Prairie Warbler is one of those species that perplexes me in the Chautauqua-Allegheny region. I feel like there should be more of them in...

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