Turkey Vulture Soaring
It is going to be a great weekend to get on the move under the bright spring sun in clear, deep blue skies. Birds like this Turkey Vulture will be soaring over the lands of the Chautauqua-Allegheny region and more songbirds will be heading back to their breeding grounds. Go out and see what’s up!
Read MoreCooper’s Hawk
I completely forgot to post these two photos of a young Cooper’s Hawk from last month, so here they are now. This individual was going after a Song Sparrow that had taken cover in a brush pile. It really seemed as if more accipiters remained in the Northeast during the extreme December record heat with more prey to find than usual in very cooperative weather conditions. What do you think is harder – hunting on a 60 degree sunny day with a light southerly breeze, or finding a meal when several inches of snow is falling in 20 degree temperatures with a bitter northerly flow? I...
Read MoreRuby-crowned Kinglet
This friendly little Ruby-crowned Kinglet finally let me see why they are so named after I spent so much of the fall seeing “incorrectly” labeled birds. Thanks, man! You can usually see the crown exposed when a bird is agitated or singing, dealing with a potentially dangerous situation or engaged in courtship or territoriality. In this case I was simply lucky to be in a good position with an extra-tame individual. These autumn gems are still passing through as we enter the final week of October. Enjoy some birding before we get to trick-or-treating. Scott Kruitbosch Conservation...
Read MoreRuby-crowned Kinglet
It is the peak time to see the Ruby-crowned Kinglet (Regulus calendula) migrating through the Northeast, frantically flitting about the lower levels of trees and shrublands, eagerly calling out and sometimes singing a bit here in the autumn. Even when you cannot capture that brilliant crown they are still such a pretty little bird. They are also rather tame and friendly, and our lucky friends in the southern half of the United States and Central America get to enjoy them all winter. See how many you can spot today on what should be another sensational day for migrant songbirds and...
Read MoreCooper’s Hawk
I have been posting many photos of migrant songbirds lately, and here is one of their predators – the Cooper’s Hawk (Accipiter cooperii). This raptor of the forest is an extremely agile and talented flier, able to navigate through thick woodlands in pursuit of prey. You may recognize them from your yard as they are frequent bird feeder guests, targeting hungry passerines. They seem to be less adept at capturing prey in open areas like this one, unable to fully utilize their maneuverability and relative speed as they do in more dense habitat to surprise and outwit songbirds. This...
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