As we walked a couple of miles alongside the reservoir, there was a quite a mix of birds. Here are more — some of the images are poor because of the grey skies. The first was this American Kestrel which we flushed walking in but was perched again of the same branch an hour later.
This Red-breasted Merganser was moving away from us.
My “helper” who like me, enjoys our birding outings.
When I visit my daughter in Massachusetts, I often try to go birding with Ginger at Cherry Hill Reservoir. We spent a few good hours on a chilly morning last Thursday. Here are a few of the waterfowl we saw.
There were also a number of Scaup – I’m calling them Lesser due to the rounded head.
Ruddy Ducks are often here, in large rafts, resting. They are delightful to watch as they dive and re-appear, usually farther away.
We had a great hike and saw 33 species. I’ll include more in the next post. Happy migration birding.
A lot of birds arrived during our trip to North Carolina. On the first morning back, I had a wonderful outing.
Many birds were singing including warblers (Yellow, Black & White, Chestnut-sided, Yellow-rumped, and Common Yellowthroat) and at the end of the walk, this American Robin was singing its heart out. So it made it into the photos.
We still have some fruit left on trees around town and in the last few weeks, large flocks of birds have hit them. Perhaps the best are the Cedar Waxwings, which are beautiful, if not noisy with the high-pitched calls.
American Robins come and go and join in the feasting.
The other day, I heard lots of bird song coming out of a large bush downtown and knew that I’d find House Sparrows.
I’m still looking for Bohemian Waxwings, Grosbeaks, Redpolls, and other potential visitors but these guys were fun to encounter.
The last few days, Ginger and I have been exploring the trails along Wrightsville Reservoir. Today the rain stopped early and a beautiful Fall morning ensued.
The usually suspects were there: crows, geese, chickadees, blue jays, and goldfinches but then we came upon this Northern Shrike, a bird I only see once or twice a year.
Over the years, I’ve owned a number of small planes and spent a lot of time around airports. Our local airfield is a great place to find some birds and exercise the dog when not much is going on aviation-wise. This summer, Ginger and I have had some nice morning sessions. Here’s one:
And here’s my birding buddy, returning down the taxiway without the tennis ball I threw. I think it’s still there in the tall grass.
Enjoy the rest of these summer days. Before long, we’ll be up there looking for Snowy Owls.
Early June is a great time to be outside in Vermont – birds are still singing, young ones are clamoring for food, and everything is lush and green – but ticks abound.
Just up the trail, these three gals watched us with great interest. Ginger, on her leash, likewise was ready to play but we moved on.
There is a medley of bird songs in the early hours these days and here are a few of the chorus members.
Just down the road, these Yellow Warblers were singing, flirting, and just jumping around. They are easy to see but tough to photograph.
Driving Vermont backroads, some early mornings you see more birds than vehicles. It reminds me of the neat bumper sticker, “Caution, I brake for birds.”
One of the toughest birds for me to photograph is the Common Yellowthroat. They are everywhere with their “witchety-witchety-witchety” call but usually buried in bushes and always on the move. Here’s one recent shot I got:
While checking out the airport this morning, I saw a large bird dive into the underbrush up ahead. Parking and searching with the binoculars, I found this young turkey.
As I scanned, I came across this guy, a Wilson’s Snipe, hiding in the grass. You never know what you’ll find when you just slow down and look.
