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 MoreAmerican Goldfinch
This American Goldfinch (Spinus tristis) is still molting into its wintering look while enjoying the pine cones on this black pine tree. Though not native, black pines are a huge fall magnet for birds, and this one tree alone also had Black-capped Chickadee, Song Sparrow, Dark-eyed Junco, and White-throated Sparrow in it. Will we be seeing conifers filled with White-winged and Red Crossbills soon? Or at least more Pine Siskins and Common Redpolls in the area? Perhaps so judging by how many American Goldfinch seem to have moved recently, and the reports of other finches to our north.
Read MoreDunlin (Calidris alpina)
The Dunlin (Calidris alpina) are really starting to molt into their breeding plumage now, with birds like this one at Stratford Point in Stratford, Connecticut coming along nicely. Once it wraps up changing into its summer suit it will be on its way to the tundra. You can see so many shorebirds in May, and just in the last couple days at this one site there were also Semipalmated Plovers, Semipalmated Sandpipers, Sanderling, Short-billed Dowitchers, Black-bellied Plovers, Piping Plovers, American Oystercatchers, Lesser Yellowlegs, Killdeer and Least Sandpipers, all being recorded by us in...
Read MoreJuvenile male Green-breasted Mangos (Anthracothorax prevostii)
Here we have some juvenile male Green-breasted Mangos (Anthracothorax prevostii) as taken last week in Costa Rica by RTPI Affiliate Sean Graesser. You can see their progress in becoming full adults as their feathers fill in to more brilliant shades. Remember, birds are always usually active in either migrating, breeding, or molting, and it is molting season for many species across our quarter of the world right now.
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