Blue-winged Warbler
This is another photo that I captured yesterday morning with a semi-friendly Blue-winged Warbler (Vermivora cyanoptera) taking a glance at me before he moved on. Can you identify the bird in the background? I intentionally did not crop this photo very much because I liked seeing the adult male Orchard Oriole (Icterus spurius) chowing down not much further up the trail from the warbler. I saw plenty of both Orchard and Baltimore Orioles yesterday, but none of them were very friendly for the camera. I’ll get you, orioles… Scott Kruitbosch Conservation & Outreach...
Read MoreScarlet Tanager
Even the branches of this willow could not block the glow from the fiery feathers of a male Scarlet Tanager (Piranga olivacea). I photographed this bird yesterday as it was staying near eye-level, though it was wary of me and preferred to remain “hidden” like this from afar. These canopy dwellers are so vibrant that even the sharpest lens perfectly locked on and focused always make them look just slightly blurry. They are a flame in the forest. Scott Kruitbosch Conservation & Outreach Coordinator
Read MoreCape May Warblers
Today I had the best views of Cape May Warblers ever during easily the best day of spring migration so far this year. Birds that had been trapped in the Mid-Atlantic for a week or 10 days finally moved north with heavy migration occurring on southerly winds. New England and northern New York had poor migratory conditions still, stopping a lot of birds when they arrived, and some areas of fog and/or rain also helped locally. I thought these couple of shots were the best I would get, and I was happy enough… But they decided to stick around after the clouds cleared and show off, feeding...
Read MoreMale Yellow Warbler
The boys have been staying away from me so far this spring, but at least I got a decent photo of and look at this male Yellow Warbler (Setophaga petechia). Go out and find some birds this weekend! Even if you hear more than you see at least you will be outside enjoying spring wildlife, and you might come across a song you have never heard before. Scott Kruitbosch Conservation & Outreach Coordinator
Read MoreAmerican Redstart
This is as good of a photo that I could get this morning of the adult male American Redstart (Setophaga ruticilla) seen below, and clearly I need to do better! The conditions were brutal with continued rain and some fog moving in on a very dark day, making the bird stand out even more against the drab surroundings. It was foraging and catching quite a bit while showing those bright wings and that flashy tail to help scare up insects. The weather has been uncooperative for birds as the first few days of the May migratory flight has been difficult with variable winds and precipitation making...
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