Peregrine Falcon Resting
One of the most exciting aspects to fall birding is the surge of raptors that push through much of the U.S. on their way south. Some of these species may be moving a few hundred miles, getting to a more temperate region or dispersing from the nest to find their own place, while others will travel thousands of miles and leave the continent. These predators face many of the same perils as songbirds during migration, but they are also flying at the same time as these passerines, making their own journey easier as they can hunt at the same stopover sites for weakened, confused, and fatigued...
Read MoreYellow-crowned Night-Heron
The Yellow-crowned Night-Heron (Nyctanassa violacea) is an odd-looking creature, especially when you watch one creeping slowly through the salt marsh or perched high up in a tree. I do not want to add the demonic or monstrous label to them because they are lovable in their own way, but it feels like an appropriately strange species to highlight as we near Halloween. They can be found active throughout the day, but their somewhat secretive crepuscular and nocturnal feeding habits add to that feeling. I took these photos of a bird at a nest site earlier this spring. It was still working on...
Read MoreAutumn Meadowhawk
Here is that other fall dragonfly I was talking about earlier this week – the Autumn Meadowhawk (Sympetrum vicinum). Their common name certainly reflects when they are sighted, and fiery red males like this one add a little pop to the decaying leaves as they devour the last of the flying insects, from moths to mosquitoes. Scott Kruitbosch Conservation & Outreach Coordinator
Read MoreShadow Darner
This Shadow Darner (Aeshna umbrosa) dragonfly was a great surprise to find last week on a warm autumn afternoon. The number of dragonflies in the air is certainly decreasing along with the rest of the insects, but there were several Shadows in the grasslands and woodland edges near a pond. Do you know what the dragonfly we most often see late in the fall season is? I saw one of those on the same day, and I will post that later this week. Scott Kruitbosch Conservation & Outreach Coordinator
Read MorePeregrine Falcon
Sometimes inclement weather conditions can create challenging or unique photographic ones, as was the case with this Peregrine Falcon. The bird flew over me unexpectedly, and I was certainly not at all ready with my camera as I had been shooting stationary sparrows in the dark brush – far different than a raptor soaring by in a turbulent, pale sky. Nevertheless, the gray conditions made it easier for me to swing up and hit it with a couple of shots, leaving me one decent photo. It looked rather bland so I turned it into a more striking black and white shot for the fastest animal on the...
Read More
