Yellow Warbler
This female Yellow Warbler (Setophaga petechia) was a pleasant sight as she and a male were my first of year for the species today. She hopped out after I surprised her, surprising me right back, as I had my eyes locked on the gentleman feeding and singing a little further away. Kindly she let me snap a couple shots before going back down in the vegetation and foraging along a stream. Have your Yellow Warblers returned? I am hoping to find a pair that nest near me this year, and hoping even more that they can avoid the frequent plight of parasitism from Brown-headed Cowbirds. Scott...
Read MoreEastern Towhee
Have you had an Eastern Towhee in your yard yet this spring? They seem to be here, there and everywhere that they should be – feeding stations to shrubs to forest edges. This male was watching me and occasionally telling me to drink my tea. Scott Kruitbosch Conservation & Outreach Coordinator
Read MoreBrown Thrasher
The Brown Thrasher (Toxostoma rufum) was another photographic target of mine this spring. I typically do get to enjoy the species a bit each April and May, but they are difficult subjects to shoot. Part of the problem is that they have dramatically dropped in abundance since Roger Tory Peterson’s time which makes me appreciate moments like these all the more. For a species that was a tolerably common breeding bird for many people, including Roger’s homes in New York and Connecticut, is now often a ghost in both behavior and population. Habitat loss and degradation, competition with...
Read MoreNorthern Mockingbird
Hey, keep it down over there, will ya?! Northern Mockingbirds will not only sing all day long, they’ll sing all night! Any time you have been startled awake to the sound of a fake car alarm coming out of a bush at 3AM you do not forget it. In this case this bird was rattling off hits like, “Common Tern” to “White-eyed Vireo” while not caring much for what I was up to whatsoever. Scott Kruitbosch Conservation & Outreach Coordinator
Read MoreTree Swallow
Happy Easter! This Tree Swallow is one of many returning individuals migrating north this March, heading back to your yard or patch for the spring nesting season. I thought I would show you this bird from last week instead of showing you some eggs from past years and remind everyone to clean out their boxes now! Birds will be pairing up and starting to build those nests next month. After a cool start to April the long-term forecasts for spring look very warm, and there will be plenty of bugs for these birds to eat. Don’t forget to help them out with the spring cleaning… Scott...
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