Power lines and birds
Earlier this week I read a story about a bird rescue by the fire department from my hometown. It seems a gull had gotten tangled in fishing line – an unfortunately common occurrence easily avoided if everyone fishing would clean up after themselves – and then compounded the problem by getting stuck on power lines! I thought to myself, you know what? This must happen on a relatively frequent basis to various birds, especially the large ones that would perch on them. We discuss cats, buildings, pollution, and many other sources of avian mortality, but power systems are everywhere,...
Read MoreCommon Terns feeding young
We are getting to the hungry season with young birds of all sorts begging for food from their busy and tired parents. You have probably seen this happening in your yard for a couple of months. We are now into the season for waterbirds like the Common Tern (Sterna hirundo) to be doing the same. Check out this video of a juvenile Common Tern begging for more even after an adult delivers a sizable meal! The squeaky wheel, it turns out, does indeed get the grease. Or the fish. Here are some photos of the foraging and feeding in action. That hungry little one was unhappy and then happy rather...
Read MoreCommon Terns on Lake Erie
Now that we are a partner in the Audubon Alliance for Coastal Waterbirds I am working every day to coordinate our volunteer and monitoring efforts in conservation and education across Connecticut focusing on Piping Plovers, Least Terns, American Oystercatchers and Common Terns among all other shorebirds, long-legged waders and terns. I was very happy to enjoy one of our target species this past Sunday as I saw at least 85 Common Terns off Dunkirk Harbor here in Western New York. These “Commons”, along with nine or more Caspian Terns, were feeding in Lake Erie and resting on...
Read MoreGizzard Shad feast
It has been very quiet for passerines in most of our (albeit limited) collective time outside, and the big movements and numbers continue to be seen in the waterbirds, especially on Lake Erie. Take a look at these fantastic Bonaparte’s Gull photos Twan took while at Barcelona Harbor as they dove for their meals with easily over 2,000 individuals present. Can you see the prey? All of the photos have some birds feasting on fish but that last photo has a bird with multiple in its bill. Ducks like this Bufflehead and Horned Grebe, respectively, seem to be diving for them as well. They may...
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