Yellow-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 MoreMale House Finch
Here is a recent photo of a male House Finch (Haemorhous mexicanus) on a snowy afternoon. The beautiful red shades of this guy really stand out against the drab surroundings, and their cheery songs can already be heard here in February on some of the warmer, sunnier days. It is one of the first signs of “spring” as the days began to grow longer. The Purple Finch (Haemorhous purpureus) is a similar species and often confused with the House Finch, especially because both enjoy coming to backyard bird feeders. Roger Tory Peterson described the Purple Finch as having been...
Read MoreGreen-breasted Mangos
Since everyone loves these tails here is another shot of both male and female Green-breasted Mango (Anthracothorax prevostii) hummingbirds all lined up by RTPI Affiliate Sean Graesser. He will definitely be doing more of this photography during his next tropical research trip.
Read MoreGreen-breasted Mangos Feeding
Here is a photo depicting, as RTPI Affiliate Sean Graesser describes it, how crowded it can get around the watering hole, so to speak. With so many Green-breasted Mangos near his research station in Costa Rica it can be a little competitive for feeding sources, especially when you have juvenile males battling it out with adult males with females in the area.
Read MoreMale Black Spiny-tailed Iguana (Ctenosaura similis)
Birds are not the only creatures that RTPI Affiliate Sean Graesser was wrangling during his research trip to Costa Rica. With some help from Addison Keilty, here is a photo of a dinosaur – er, rather, a monster male Black Spiny-tailed Iguana (Ctenosaura similis).
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