The Nature of Framingham

Elegant Trogon! The Rarest Bird in America?

2012-01-29T16:06:00.000-05:00

I tend to exaggerate, BUT . . . there are reason to at least consider that this might be one of the rarest bird species in Arizona - in December, anyway. These stunning birds are tropical, for one thing, Some 50 plus spend summers in Arizona, but they winter south of the U.S. Except for one or two that stick around, feeding on insects and fruit. Occasionally you can find one that winters in Madera Canyon, AZ - and we did!

We were on a quest to find the Elegant Trogon, but neither Tom or I believed we'd see him. We never get that lucky. But with the aid of yet another of my son's detailed maps, we were willing to give it a try.

We followed the map to the most beautiful canyon on earth, and immediately saw a plethora of new and marvelous species. (More on those birds in a later post; I can't possibly refrain from finally showing off my Trogon!) Pete's instructions said to 'turn completely around and search the trees for the Elegant Trogon. If you are patient and willing to sit still for an hour or so, you might just see him.'

So I dutifully turned around - and there he was! Posing as if he wanted to be featured in a New Englander's Bird Blog. Tom and I both got excellent views of this spectacular tropical species in all his colorful glory. We both managed a few good shots, as well!

Peregrine Falcon in Tucson Park!

2012-01-27T22:41:00.000-05:00

Look at this beauty! Tom captured this gorgeous Peregrine Falcon at Christopher Columbus Park in Tucson, Arizona.

Isn't he spectacular! This park is close to Sweetwater Wetlands, deep in the heart of Tucson. We saw this rare specimen on the same day as the Snow Goose and our first Shovelers!

We also got some up-close-and-personal shots of this Great Egret. Unfortunately, the reason he was so tame was a little unsettling to me. It turns out the local fishermen around the pond were feeding this fellow, so he had no fear of humans!

They tossed him this fish and he caught it in mid-air!

Then everyone watched him struggle to get that big fish down that long, skinny throat. He managed just fine - eventually!

I think this Great Blue Heron was tame for the same reason: easy pickings!

Warblers and Woodpeckers Out West

2012-01-22T21:43:00.001-05:00

Life-lister! Sweetwater Wetlands in Tucson, Arizona added more than a few new species to my life list. This was my very first Ladderbacked Woodpecker, for instance.

This shot of the Ladderbacked is admittedly a bit fuzzy, but is is a good depiction of the bird's unique markings. You can see why I didn't need any help with identifying this species!

I'm notoriously weak at identifying warblers, but my son tells me this is an Orange-crowned Warbler. The orange crown is rarely ever seen in real life, of course. This is one of many avian species named after generally invisible features, which adds to one's frustration when trying to establish a species ID.

This is a Yellow-rumped Warbler, or so I'm told. If it looks a bit different than the Yellow-rumped Warblers you are used to seeing in the Northeast, it is because there are two distinct subspecies of this bird (another cosmic joke intended to confuse novice birders!) This is an Audubon's Yellow-rumped Warbler as opposed to a Myrtle's Yellow-rumped Warbler. The chin and throat of the Audubon's Yellow-rumped Warbler is much yellower than the chin of the Myrtle's Yellow-rumped Warbler.

This is probably an Audubon's Yellow-rumped Warbler, too. It looks different than the one above because it is displaying it's "mostly concealed and sometimes lacking" crown patch (description from Peterson's A Field Guide to Warblers of North America). Does anyone else find all this a bit confusing? The worst part is that these are supposedly easy-to-identify warblers. There were probably a bunch of other warblers at Sweetwater Wetlands, but all I know is that we saw a lot of little birds bopping around the place!

Here's a more familiar bird to someone from the Northeast - except maybe not so familiar? It looks almost like the Northern Flickers I've seen, but where is the red patch on the nape of his neck? And shouldn't this guy have a black mustache instead of a red one? The reason this bird looks a bit different than the Flickers I'm used to seeing in Massachusetts is because this is a Red-shafted Northern Flicker instead of a Yellow-shafted Northern Flicker. When he is flying, you can see that the underside of this bird's wings and tail are red rather than yellow.

This Flicker doesn't look exactly right to me, and I think there is just the slimmest of chances that this could be a different species altogether. The Gilded Flicker has more of a cinnamon crown, and maybe that's why this bird looks slightly different. I'm not sure I know what kind of Flicker we have here! Any ideas?

I'm also not sure what kind of hawk this is! I think my brain is overloaded with the huge variety of new species I saw on this trip west - and by the unexpected fact that some familiar species look a lot different out there than they do here. Some Red-tailed Hawks in Arizona and California have much darker faces than I'm used to, for instance. So feel free to let me know what species of hawk we have here - because I give up!

Sweet Sweetwater Waterfowl

2012-01-21T09:37:00.000-05:00

Sweetwater Wetlands is a marvelous birding hotspot that is right in the city of Tucson itself. In addition to hundreds of Northern Shovelers, we saw Pintails, Mallards, Wigeons, and plenty of other waterfowl. I thought that Tom got a great shot of the handsome Green-winged Teal shown above.

Of course, there were plenty of American Coots in residence. This is a rather funny shot of a coot that just crash landed in the water.

There were also a few Common Moorhen mixed in with the coots. I first saw a Common Moorhen in California a few months back, but since I never added it to my lifelist, seeing this one sort of counts as adding a lifelister!

The diminutive Ruddy Duck will always be one of my personal favorites.

We also saw Gadwalls and we even saw (but I failed to photograph) a Cinnamon Teal.

We were especially lucky to see a rare winter visitor to Sweetwater: a juvenile Snow Goose! We were on the lookout for the Snow Goose because my son told me it had been seen in the area, but I doubt I would have located him had I not seen him coming in for a landing. He settled into one of the rear ponds, so we couldn't get close enough for a very good shot. I got a good enough look to positively ID the little guy, but he wasn't in the mood to pose for pictures!

Sweetwater Shovelers

2012-01-18T15:59:00.000-05:00

One of birds I most wanted to see in Arizona was a Northern Shoveler. I've been looking for a Northern Shoveler for years. That's not an exaggeration, either. I just had to see one, and I was thrilled to learn that Shovelers are among the most common ducks in southeast Arizona. We got up bright and early on our first full day in in Tucson, and headed out to Sweetwater where my son had assured me I would get my fill of Shovelers.

Minutes after our arrival I was jumping up and down with excitement. There they were! Northern Shovelers! Lots of them! Tom and I were clicking away like crazy, and we got some damn good pictures.

The Shoveler’s incredibly long bill was as fantastic as I had imagined. These ducks look nothing like any other species I've come across. I was surprised by how tiny they were, though. They're much smaller than mallards, for instance.

Other than size, and if you exclude that great big black bill, there are a lot of similarities between Mallards and Northern Shovelers. Perhaps too many similarities!

It didn't take long for me to notice that there were more hybrids paddling around than any one single species. It was patently obvious that Mallards, Wigeons, Shovelers, and God knows what else were interbreeding like crazy. The family group pictured above is a good example of what I'm talking about!

In all honesty, my love affair with shovelers was somewhat short-lived. Not that I dislike them, mind you. I'm just not head over heels any longer. Who could resist a photo op like this one. though?

Arizona Sonoran Desert Flora and Fauna

2012-01-16T22:53:00.002-05:00

Our first day in Arizona made us fall in love with the whole state. The Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum makes it impossible not to fall in love with the place!

This is a female Phainopepla, a species that mostly survives on the desert mistletoe plant. It eats the mistletoe berries, and the seeds are spread throughout the desert in the birds droppings as a result. The Phainopepla provides the food for future generations of it's species!

The museum also has wild animal exhibits, such as the pair of Mountain Lions in the picture above. These guys are very large and some kind of scary, let me tell you!

The Black Bear (which sometimes looks brown!) is not very cuddly looking, either!

This is an endangered Mexican wolf , a species who once inhabited mountainous areas, woodlands, and riparian habitats of the southwestern United States

The Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum is one of the most beautiful places on earth. Never before have I seen the 'Purple Mountain's Majesty' seem so gloriously majestic!

Curve-billed Thrashers in Arizona

2012-01-15T01:52:00.001-05:00

Before we even left the parking lot at the Arizona-Sonora Museum, we saw yet another new bird; the Curve-billed Thrasher. We would end up seeing quite a few of these odd looking birds before we left for home, but the first one was really a thrill since I had always wanted to see one.

My husband, Tom, captured this guy about 10 miles east of Tucson, but you can find Curved-billed Thrashers throughout the Sonora Desert region. Interestingly, these thrashers are related to our Northern Mockingbirds - and I can see a definite familial resemblance!

This Curved-billed Thrasher was right in a city park in Tuscon. Pretty much wherever you find cholla cacti (including landscaped areas of the city) you will find a Curved-billed Thrasher or two.

As you can see, they are not a bit shy, and they have made themselves right at home among human populations.

Arizona's Heavenly Gila Woodpecker

2012-01-14T04:31:00.002-05:00

We saw50 new species of birds during our two week trip to Arizona and California. Amazingly, we saw the first eight new species within three hours of arriving in Tucson! .One truly enchanting bird species we discovered was the Gila (Pronounced 'heela') Woodpecker shown above.

According to the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum factsheet, Gila Woodpeckers are permanent Sonoran Desert dwellers and are found in all of its habitats. This woodpecker can be found in southeast California, southwest Nevada, southern Arizona, southwest New Mexico and south into central Mexico.

Woodpeckers nest in cavities that they excavate with their long beak. In the Sonoran Desert they often make these cavities in saguaro cactus. The inside of a cactus provides a safe, cool place for the woodpeckers to raise their young. The excavated cavity is called a "boot".

Both male and female Gila woodpeckers have a brown face, black and white zebra striped back, and white wing patches that are visible during flight. Adult males have a red cap of feathers on the top of their head. They look a bit like Flickers, actually.

Arizona Sonora Desert Museum

2012-01-08T23:58:00.000-05:00

Look at this glorious scenery! This is the Arizona Sonora Desert Museum, right outside Tuscon. In my opinion, this is one of the most gorgeous places on earth!

The sunsets are as lovely as anything I've seen on either coast.

Of course, what was most exciting to me was seeing 4 life-listers before I left the parking lot! This was my first glimpse of a Cactus Wren.

Familiar shape and very wren-like poses, but oh so different from any wren I've ever seen! How about those spots on him! So perfectly symmetrical!

In the desert, comfortable perches are in short supply, evidently!

How exquisite are these many varieties of cacti, though? Worth some minor discomfort for locals and visitors alike. My advice? Don't miss this indoor/outdoor museum if you're within 500 miles of it. Spend a few days exploring every nook and cranny. I guarantee you will be delighted with everything you see! I have more images from the Sonora Desert Museum to show you next time. I promise you will be absolutely astounded!

California Stilts and Avocets!

2012-01-08T15:58:00.001-05:00

I would not blame you for doubting that I saw 40 new species on my latest trip out west. It will take me a while to prove my claim at this rate, anyway! But I couldn't resist showing off some of my all time favorite (yet never before seen) species - especially since the photos came out pretty good. This is a bird I love more now than I did before: a Black-necked Stilt!

How about Stilts and Avocets together? How about a dream come true!

I'm in love. Aren't you? That image defines sheer avian perfection in my book!

Not such a perfect image, but a stunningly beautiful bird, wouldn't you agree! And I have so much more to show! I'm sure you are all perched on the very edge of your seats . . . with good reason! Don't worry - you won't have too long to wait!

The State of Nebraska

2011-12-07T02:17:00.001-05:00

For me, driving across country didn't feel really strange until we reached Nebraska. I'm not saying anything negative about the state of Nebraska; in fact it was beautiful. But for two girls from New England, it was in Nebraska that things suddenly seemed very very foreign. For one thing, they aren't joking about the big sky country. It's hard to capture in photos taken through a car window on an iPhone, but the sky really is enormous!

And from Route 80, at least, it appears that nothing but corn is grown in Nebraska. I could elaborate on what effect all that corn has on the environment, but I wont. Suffice it to say that if Nebraska is part of the breadbasket of this country, then all we should expect is corn bread!

Actually, there are quite a few cows in Nebraska, as well. Meghan and I decided these were Black Angus cattle because they were black and we started to see them around Omaha.

The wind really goes whipping across those plains, too! It took us all day to drive across Nebraska, and the wind never stopped blowing the car off the road! It also never ceased to increase in elevation across the state. We began at about 1200 feet above sea level, and ended at about 5000 feel elevation. I drove for about seven hours that day, and then I fell apart with the strain of trying to keep the car on the road while the wind and the trucks conspired to blow us away. Oh, and the NEVER ENDING construction on the interstate didn't help me relax at all!

By the time these pictures were taken, however, Meg was driving and I was enjoying the scenery. We followed the North Platte River for endless miles, and it was not only beautiful, but I think I saw two flocks of Sandhill Cranes in flight. Seeing Sandhill Cranes would have been a big thrill, but Meg was not even close to being enthused enough to stop the car. Despite the fact that I missed out on a lifetime bird, I found the state of Nebraska both beautiful and exotic - and so did my daughter. If you've never been there, you really should visit!

Framingham Foliage 2011

2011-12-05T21:06:00.001-05:00

One of only two fall foliage images taken in Framingham this year. The trip to California intefered a bit!

My second Framingham foliage picture.

California Gulls

2011-12-04T03:08:00.001-05:00

I'm not even going to try to identify all the gulls we saw in California. It took me years to be comfortable with our Massachusetts gulls, and I don't have years to learn all these other ones!

These handsome fellows were everywhere. I particularly like the eyeliner look.

They look like they're waiting for a bus!

As you can see, there were plenty of gulls everywhere. My daughter took this photo at a little pond just south of San Francisco.

Meghan also captured this unusual view of a juvenile gull of some sort. She also took the next picture, which is my favorite gull photo of the trip.

I love how she captured the young gull through the tall reeds. The photo was so interesting that I was inspired to use a few photoshop filters to make it even more 'artisitic'. It is beginning to seem as if everyone in my family is talented at bird photography!

Koi in California

2011-12-02T16:11:00.001-05:00

My daughter, Meghan, took these beautiful photos of a Koi pond in a Japanese Garden near San Francisco.

These fish are astonishingly gorgeous! They are also incredibly huge!

Koi are actually domesticated carp that are bred specifically for their spectacular colors. Koi ponds are more prevalent in warmer climates than they are in places with long, cold winters such as we have here in New England. If you want a Koi pond around here, it has to be much deeper than the one pictured here.

These lovely fish are easy prey for herons and egrets, so no matter where you live, your Koi pond will be koi-less unless you find a way to keep herons away!

California Grebe-ing

2011-11-29T23:21:00.001-05:00

This Pied-billed Grebe was one of at least four grebe species I saw in California. I believe this was the only Grebe species that was NOT a new addition to the life-list!

All I can say for sure is that I no longer know which Grebe is my favorite. These guys are just too cute,

I think this is a family photo!

But this grebe is also irresistible. I think it is an Eared Grebe, but I wouldn't bet the farm on my ID. It could be a Horned Grebe, although I don't think it is.

Here's another shot of the tentatively identified Eared Grebe. Expert opinions welcomed here!

This isn't a great photo, but you get a good idea of the size of this grebe compared to a Ruddy Duck.

And who could forget my famous Western Grebe family? Bottom line; I loved them all!

Those Cute Western Blackbirds

2011-11-16T06:31:00.001-05:00

One of the cutest birds I saw on our trip across country was the very common (there) and very uncommon (here) Brewer's Blackbird. IMO, he is a very stylish and very handsome bird.

Besides the shocking bright yellow eyes, there is a lot to like about these birds. The way they strut around would look appropriate if you added a top hat and tails!

And a head on shot adds an interesting effect to this normally svelte blackbird.

The female of the species is less dramatic, but you would know they were related simply by the similar body movements and behavior.

Actually, I'm not entirely sure if we are looking at a juvenile male or a female Brewer's Blackbird!

Western Grebe and Screeching Baby!

2011-11-14T23:18:00.001-05:00

This Western Grebe was a new addition to my life list! Check out those crimson eyes!

The grebe was not alone, either. She (or he) was accompanied by a very demanding youngster. The baby was fluffy looking and adorable, but it NEVER stopped crying to be fed.

I don't know if a grebe of this age should have been able to feed himself, but this one didn't even try.

The baby expended tons of energy following his parent around while endlessly screeching for food!

When he was actually eating, the baby Western Grebe gobbled his food as if he were starving.

There was one quiet moment on the pond when the little one finished eating.

But his incessant and loud cries filled the air within minutes, and soon I was flooded with pity for the poor parent of this annoying child.

Sea Otters in Carmel, CA

2011-11-12T22:08:00.001-05:00

This was the first thing I saw at the beach in Carmel-by-the-Sea, California. Ok, so it isn't exactly a new or exotic species, but since it is my very favorite bird, seeing a Great Blue Heron on the beach was a grand omen of good things to come!

It was indeed a good omen since the very next thing I noticed was some kind of creature floating in the seaweed. I hoped it was the creature I had come to see, the animal I was hoping would delight my son and daughter on their first trip to Carmel. Of course, it did turn out to be what I had hoped: a sea otter relaxing in a bed of kelp.

The fact that we were looking at an otter and not at a seal seems perfectly obvious in these photos. But it was less than obvious when looking with the naked eye or even with binoculars. There were a lot of mammals swimming about in the kelpy waters, and some of them appeared to be seals.

I mean, tell me this doesn't look like a sleek seal's head! But I can guarantee you this is a sea otter with his face slick with sea water.

This seal-like sea otter has managed to catch himself a tasty crab meat treat. . .

which he proceeded to enjoy with unabashed enthusiasm!

Although we stayed only a few minutes, Carmel-by-the-Sea was a cornucopia of new and wonderful sights!

Common Murres, uncommonly large Cormorants, Common Loons and even what I think must have been a Pacific Loon were among the wondrous sights we enjoyed in Carmel.

I'm not betting the farm on this being a Pacific Loon, but it very well could be one. I think. In any case, go to Carmel, CA if ever you get the chance to do so. It is a truly magical place!

Break for Backyard Beauties

2011-11-09T13:33:00.000-05:00

I still have dozens of stories and photos of our trip out west, but I had to take a break to show off some of our local cuties. This Downy Woodpecker caught in the act of taking flight, for example, is simply irresistible!

And what could be cuter than this sideways Red-bellied Woodpecker enjoyed his suet breakfast?

The House Finches are back with a vengeance, I've noticed. This little guy is a colorful charmer.

I could stop snapping photos of all his curious facial expressions.

This is one eccentric looking Great Blue Heron. He was one of about five that I saw around the Sudbury River yesterday.

A Whole Different Deer !

2011-11-08T10:47:00.000-05:00

This is not a Mule Deer like the ones we saw in Nevada. This is not a White-tailed Deer like we are used to seeing all over New England, either. For a frustratingly long time, I had no clue what this animal was - but I knew what it wasn't!

It doesn't have the rope-like, black-tipped tail of a Mule Deer. It does have sort of blackish ears, though. Actually, it has sort of a Mule Deer face, but the ears are too small.

Mule deers have that black forehead, and the antlers are much more like Mule deer antlers than they are like White-tailed deer antlers. Mule deer's antlers keep branching off the same stems, unlike the multiple stems of a White-tailed deer. And that face is not like any White-tailed deer I've ever seen!

There are not supposed to be a significant population of White-tailed deer in California, anyway. Even if there were White-tailed deers on the California coast, this is definitely not one. I think this is a species known as the Black-tailed Deer. According to a site called Western Hunter, "The black-tailed deer obviously gets its name from its black tail. They are also characterized as the smallest and darkest deer of the three deer species." This guy was small and he was dark, with a very obvious black tail.

Unfortunately, I think he was also hurt. One antler appears to be about to fall off, and one ear is severely notched. I think he may have been the loser in a very viscous fight. Being injured would also explain why he was out on a well traveled trail in the middle of the day. Poor guy. I hope he recovers, and I really think he will. I've seen deer with far worse injuries in my own backyard, after all!

East Coast AND West Coast Birds

2011-11-06T22:06:00.005-05:00

Not every bird I saw out west was exotic. Quite a few were old familiar friends, actually. This American Coot is often seen on the East Coast.

Double-crested cormorants are abundant even in Framingham, Massachusetts. They've practically taken over the Heron Rookery in the Foss Reservoir!

Snowy Egrets are almost always seen during the summer months in New England.

My first Ruddy Duck was diving in the Foss Reservoir, too!

Ruddy Ducks still have a special place in my heart!

The three female Common Mergansers we saw enjoying the salmon spawn at Lake Tahoe look exactly like the Common Mergansers on the Sudbury River. It's actually pretty cool to see where some of our birds end up when they leave us!

Deer Pack Hunting Coyotes in Nevada

2011-11-05T18:33:00.001-04:00

One of the most amazing sights of our entire trip happened near Lake Washoe, Nevada. That is where we encountered Mule Deer; a species you definitely don't see in New England. Mule Deer are related to our familiar White-tailed Deer, but they are larger, have black tipped ears and and rope-like, black-tipped tails, and a bouncy gait when running. Probably the most noticeable difference in the two species are the huge ears on the Mule Deer, which is where the species got it's name in the first place.

The herd of deer impressed us much more than it did our friends from Nevada, who see them practically every day. And unlike us, our local friends were not at all surprised to see a coyote sharing the same field as the deer.

What transpired next was a phenomenon that shocked even the locals, however. As we were watching, the coyote started to drift closer and closer to the herd of deer. When he got a little too close for comfort, all of the deer suddenly became alert. They stopped grazing and turned to watch the coyote intently.

Suddenly the herd of Mule Deer started running toward the coyote - and the coyote started running away!

The chase was no game, either. The deer were out for blood and the coyote was running for his life!

The coyote had good reason to fear. Those large, hoofed animals could easily tear that puny canine to shreds when hunting as a pack. Of course, who knew they ever hunted as a pack?

Eventually, the coyote disappeared into the underbrush, never to appear again. Even more amazing than the sight of a coyote being hunted down by a pack of deer was the fact that it happened again just moments later! A second coyote was chased into the underbrush, too. A week or two later, we learned that our friends had witnessed this heretofore unprecedented scenario yet again on the day after we left Nevada! Evidently, the big Mule Deer out west have learned the coyote's own strategy of hunting in packs - and they've learned it very well, indeed!

Wondrous Wild West Birds!

2011-10-29T18:10:00.001-04:00

This is a bird that I've always wanted to see! It's a Magpie! The Black-billed Magpie is so common in Nevada that my friends couldn't believe I would bother to take it's picture. Are they kidding? These are Corvids, which means they are very smart birds like their relatives the jays and the crows. Magpies are also gorgeous at rest and in flight. There were half a dozen magpies hanging around a flock of mule deer. It possible they were with the deer because they like to eat ticks off of livestock and other large animals. Wouldn't that be a nice species to have around here in Lyme disease country?

The Common Raven is a corvid, also. Ravens are few and far between in Framingham, but they are everywhere out west! You hear their loud croaking wherever you go! This magnificent fellow and his mate were cleaning up a picnic area in Yosemite National Park. Ravens are the very smartest birds found on planet Earth. They solve multi-step problems and even enjoy puzzles and games. And they are simply MASSIVE, which is something you can't tell from a picture. An all around cool bird!

Here's something you definitely won't see in Massachusetts: a California Quail. Actually, we saw these birds in Nevada rather than in California, but they are all over the west coast. This photo was taken in my friend's backyard! Wouldn't you like to see that when you glanced out the window of your house?

These male and female California Quails were walking down the side of the street like they owned it. In fact, these photos were taken from inside of a car. I think they are tremendously regal-looking with their fancy headdresses and all.

Believe it or not, I think this rather plain little bird was the highlight of the trip for Pete. It's a Black Phoebe, and my son was a bit disappointed when I failed to become feverishly exited upon seeing him. It's a life-lister for me, but my true passion is for big and dramatic birds. We saw an Anna's Hummingbird in Pacifica, California that was simply breathtaking (and way too fast to capture with a camera.) Yet even that glorious little bird didn't excite me as much as the pelicans did. Sad, but true!

I've barely made a dent in the list of western species that we saw on our trip, so I'll have to finish up in a later post. In the meantime, I'll put together a list of birds that are equally at home on either coast - and that is a long list, too!

Pelicans or Pterodactyls?

2011-10-28T17:05:00.001-04:00

Pelicans are really common birds in many parts of the country, but to a New Englander they are extremely exotic! I lived in Southern California years ago, but I was still in awe of these strangely prehistoric looking birds.

In the United States, there are both Brown Pelicans and White Pelicans. Despite his white head feathers, the pelican directly overhead is a Brown Pelican. Brown Pelicans are the only US pelican that dives headfirst into the water to catch fish - which we watched this bird do over and over again!

Also, Brown Pelicans are rarely if ever found far from the coast. White Pelicans are often seen in inland waters, where they hunt communally by standing in shallow water and herding the fish into their bills. White pelicans are larger, but I think these Brown Pelicans are magnificent!

Their aerial antics are a wonder to behold - espescially when they fly in formation (see below).

We even saw a whole group of migrating pelicans flying in a V formation - right from our hotel window! That was simply unbelievable!

We saw the larger American White pelicans in Nevada, but I was too far away to capture good images. One reason they were staying well away from humans was the fact that hunting season had started the very day we arrived. We were birding to the sound of rifle retorts, which explains why we didn't get many waterfowl images up close and personal!

Bird in Distress in Carmel, CA

2011-10-27T08:47:00.000-04:00

I honestly thought I was seeing a penguin for a second or two. Then I realized that was absurd, but I still had no idea what I was looking at. If my son, Pete, wasn't there I might have said I saw a Puffin! What we actually saw was a fairly rare and almost endangered Common Murre.

Even if I knew what a Murre was supposed to look like, it would still be tough to ID this fellow when he was standing up. In this pose his unique markings are more recognizable

If the brown spotty patch on his chest throws you off, it should. It's not his natural coloring. Murres are threatened by oil spills and other pollutants, and It looks like this little guy has managed to get himself oiled up somehow.

It seems his wings are affected as well. What a disaster! It is very difficult for these birds to swim with oil soaked feathers.

It's no wonder this guy cannot keep his eyes open for more than a few seconds! He is too tired to do anything but sleep, even if sleeping out in the open puts him in danger. The poor thing! I can't stand it! If only I had recognized his problem before it was too late to call someone for help!

Gull Swallows Salmon!

2011-10-26T19:13:00.004-04:00

What does this gull have in it's mouth? A really large salmon, that's what. Furthermore, he is going to choke that big fish down in about two seconds. It was a sight to see, I'll tell you!

We were lucky enough to arrive at Lake Tahoe (at the border of Nevada and California) right when the salmon were running upstream. A hotel employee said that people were seeing bears eating the salmon, so our Nevada friends met us at the mouth of the stream to see them. As it turned out, there weren't any bears that day, but it was an amazing experience nonetheless.

One of the most incredible sights was a gull chowing down on a salmon as large as he was - maybe larger. It seemed a physical impossibility for the bird to make that fish a meal.

One should never underestimate a hungry gull, however. They can consume unimaginable things!

At this point, he has swallowed most of the fish. He's eaten so much that he is actually sitting lower in the water because of the added weight!

He's got all but the tail of the fish inside of him, but look at the size of his neck! Surely he can't survive with that massive thing inside him! He looks as if he will explode any second!

A moment later he has consumed the whole fish, and even his neck is somewhat smaller than it had been seconds earlier. Yet it still seems to me as if he couldn't possibly fly with that huge wriggling fish inside him. Even if the fish is now dead, surely it is too much 'deadwieght' for the gull to get airborne. Once again, though, this plucky gull will prove me wrong. I turn away for just a moment, and when I look back the bird has flown - salmon and all!

Wildlife in Nevada and California

2011-10-25T23:02:00.002-04:00

I spent the last few weeks driving across the country with my daughter. Driving from coast to coast is a marvelous adventure that I would recommend to everyone. Since we were on a pretty tight schedule, I didn't take out my camera until we met up with my son in Nevada. (My daughter captured some lovely landscapes along the way, though. Thank goodness for that!) In Nevada and California I managed to see quite a few examples of western wildlife, such as the Brown Pelican pictured above. I'll go into more detail later, but this post is just a quick taste of the exiting sights out in the wild west.

This coyote is not much different than the ones we are used to seeing, but wait until you hear the story behind this image. It will amaze you, I'm quite sure about that!

I thought this little bird was a miniature Eastern Towhee or something. In reality, this is an Oregon Junco. It's the size of a junco, all right, but I would never have guessed his species by his coloring!

The sea otters in Carmel, CA were just adorable. We saw other amazing sights in Carmel that I'll post about very soon.

There were literally thousands of Brewer's Blackbirds everywhere we went. Prior to this trip, I had seen exactly one!

Of the four or five species of grebes we saw, the Western Grebe was by far the most exotic. But all the Grebes were life-listers for me, so I couldn't be happier about seeing them.

Guinea Hens and Guinea Fowls

2011-10-04T03:07:00.000-04:00

This is how Guinea Fowl look when bug hunting. More or less like cute brownish blobs!

I still don't know if it's male or female, but check out that horn!

Although it's hard to tell from the photos, the horns are different shapes, too. What exactly are these guys?

Cock a Doodle Doo !!!

2011-10-03T02:44:00.002-04:00

There were also chickens (and Roosters) at the farm. Isn't he a beauty? Rhode Island Red, maybe?

All the Roosters were handsome. Many, many colors and sizes, All of them crowing to beat the band, too

The smaller ones crowed with a higher pitch than the big guys.

Check out this guy high stepping it!

Honestly? I like the bigger ones better. Not too much into the 'cute' thing, I guess!

Something Completely Different and Crazy Looking!

2011-09-26T17:48:00.001-04:00

Do you know what this is? I didn't have a clue what I was looking at when I saw a bunch of these birds at a farm this weekend. This is a Guinea Fowl. Isn't it the coolest and strangest looking thing? Guinea Fowl are originally from Africa, but they have been introduced to other ecosystems all over the world centuries ago. They are in the same family as Chickens and Turkeys, but less domesticated. The absolutely coolest thing about Guinea Fowl is that they eat DEER TICKS!

This is the other full grown adult in the bunch. Which is the male and which the hen? I haven't a clue. There are many varieties of Guinea Fowl, and from what I have been able to figure out, the males and females of each variety are supposed to be identical. That's why I think this pair is a mixed marriage, so to speak. I thought this bird was the female, but in retrospect I don't know why I thought that.

This family has 14 youngsters, which are pretty damned cute themselves! I swear, I could spend hours watching these guys - which is probably why they are often bought as more or less pets. They aren't friendly towards humans, so they really don't make good pets - but they make great pest eaters! They eat all sorts of nasty bugs and things. They also make for good eating, or so I'm told. They are sometimes known as the 'poor man's pheasant'.

Here is a shot of Mom and Dad with some of their offspring. If anyone knows who is the Dad in this picture, please let me know!

I'll leave you with another shot of a baby Guinea, also known as a keet because of the cute little noise they make. I'll have more images and more information about Guinea Fowl to share with you later on this week, but at this point don't you just want some of your own? I know I do!

Ospreys in Detail

2011-09-24T01:31:00.000-04:00

I never believed that I could have too many Osprey photos - but I do!

This must have been a banner year for Osprey. I have dozens of shots of an Osprey right overhead, and Tom captured twice as many as I did!

This one is starting the typical 'Osprey Dance' that signifies that the hunt is on.

When it looks like they are dancing on air, they are actually searching for prey and getting ready to dive in and snatch it up..

Sometimes they dance for so long I give up on ever seeing a dive, which is what happened here!

Black, Green, and Gold: American Black Ducks in the Summer Sun

2011-09-23T03:20:00.001-04:00

After a morning watching Eiders at our beach, these ducks were initially confusing - but lovely!

They may not be flashy or exotic, but the American Black duck is far from dull.

When you hit it right, the water in the marsh is like glass. If it weren't for the deer flies and ticks, it would be heavenly!

When they spied us, they both turned and headed deeper into the marsh. It looked like they were entering Never-Never Land!

Even watching them fly away was a pleasure!

Cape Cod Cormorant

2011-09-21T17:41:00.000-04:00

Cormorant om the rocks

This cormorants fluffed up and fancy

Here he is with two friends.

Here he is stretching the heck out of his neck

A strikingly handsome fellow, despite being somewhat troublesome at times.

Herring Gull Captures Conch!

2011-09-20T16:15:00.001-04:00

I saw a Herring Gull circling overhead with something in his mouth that didn't look much like a clam shell.

I realized it was a little conch seconds before the gull dropped it on the beach to break open the shell.

The gull dropped down nearby, looking pleased as punch with himself.

He then proceeded to unceremoniously tear that little animal out of it's shell . . .

. . . and eat it up!

Dancing Double-crested Cormorant

2011-09-16T14:22:00.000-04:00

A blue eyed Double-crested Cormorant shaking off his water-drenched feathers.

Unfortunately, it's hard to tell from the images that this guy was really quite vigorously thrashing about in the water.

He looked like he was frantically dancing to some wild and crazy beat.

Not that shaking along is sufficient for a cormorant's feathers to dry out. They stand around in the sun for a thorough drying off.

Killer Eider gets Common Crab!

2011-09-14T04:19:00.000-04:00

My husband, Tom, managed to capture these actions shots of an Common Eider catching a crab near the beach of vacation rental house in Pocasset, Cape Cod. The funniest shot of this series has to be when the eider throws the crab up in the air. I think she is trying to kill it by drowning it! Of course, another explanation would be that the crab pinched her, and she tossed it away instinctively!

She immediately grabbed it out of the water, though. Then she proceeded to shake it vigorously for over five minutes.

The crab was tough to kill, if that's what she was trying to do. I saw a Herring Gull tear a crab to pieces and eat it alive this weekend, but I imagine that is pretty tough to do while swimming.

The Common Eider shook the crab for quite a while, and then she tossed it down whole. Catching and eating these good sized crabs was a fairly common practice for ducks, gulls, and osprey this year. Evidently it is a very good year for crabs!

Gull and Blue Crab on Cape Cod!

2011-09-13T01:03:00.002-04:00

Since I didn't see the beginning of this drama, I'm not entirely sure this particular gull was responsible for catching the crab in the water or not! What I found most interesting was the color of the crab. Unless it was a trick of the light, I was sure the crab was BLUE.

Like every other gull, duck, and osprey I saw on vacation, this young gull knows that crabs make for good eating, no matter what color they are! He isn't about to let a meal like this one walk or float away from him.

Dragging the crab up onto the beach is not an inconsequential task. It take quite a few tries before the gull makes any headway at all.

When he pulls the crab from the water, it becomes apparent that this is indeed a blue crab. I had to google this phenomenon to verify that there were blue crabs on Cape Cod in the first place.

According to an article by Dana Eldridge in the Cape Codder, blue crabs are only an occasional visitor on the cape. These lovely colored fellows are more likely to be found in Chesapeake Bay than in Cape Cod Bay. Occasionally they get carried up here by the tide, however. When this occurs, it is good news for birds, people, and many other predators because evidently blue crabs are a tasty little treat for all!

Great Egrets Flying (and Dancing!)

2011-09-12T02:14:00.002-04:00

A Great Egret. You can almost always count on seeing Great Egrets at Leary's Conservation area in Bourne, Massachusetts.

This Great Egret was simply too close to miss! He basically flew right over my head.

Seeing such a spectacular bird on a regular basis doesn't make the sight of a massive Great Egret flying above any less awe-inspiring!

Tom captured this magical shot of a Great Egret touching down (very lightly!) to land in the shallow water.

Tom also captured quite a few outstanding shots of an egret hunting in Monks Cove, which is near the Pocasset River on upper Cape Cod.

Green Heron on Dock

2011-09-07T19:01:00.001-04:00

Green Heron from about 10 feet away.He was standing on the dock next to the Lobster Trap restaurant. I almost always see Green Herons here.Going into hunting mode here. I don't know what he thought he was going to hunt from the dock, though.Stalking Mode. Check out the size of those feet!He did eventually catch a little minnow, and Tom captured him with the fish in his mouth. If you look closely, it almost seems like the fish is smiling! Unlikely, I know!

Osprey Catching a Huge Fish Offshore

2011-09-04T09:51:00.000-04:00

Osprey after a dive. That's our little catamaran in the photo

Rising from the deep with a really large fish!

So heavy he almost drops it. . .

But he manages to get a grip.

Then he is off for a long spiral flight back home with his prize.

Believe me, every beat of his wings takes a tremendous effort!

It is not the most graceful Osprey flight you'll ever see!

Red, White, and Black Birds?

2011-07-05T06:58:00.000-04:00

His ruby red eye glittering in the sun, the Red-bellied Woodpecker is forced to put up the annoyance of a sparrow sharing his suet. The masses of newly fledged birds is overwhelming the food supply lately. The suet is supposed to be for the woodpeckers, but nowadays its every bird for himself.

This male Red-bellied Woodpecker has already fought off a series of sparrows when he hears another whir of approaching wings.

I know I shouldn't assign human emotions to non-human species, but the male woodpecker appears to look indignant at the audacity of the intruder.

Sharing a meal with a sparrow must be somewhat humiliating for such a noble species. It is pointless to waste energy fighting off hordes of hungry house sparrows, however!

Even the breathtakingly beautiful Red-bellied Woodpecker (who does have a red belly, BTW) has to put up with some minor annoyances in this life. Sharing suet with a sparrow is just of many little irritations interrupting his day. The ceaseless clicking of a camera shutter is yet another cross he has to bear!

The Mysterious Golden Dove

2011-07-04T00:20:00.000-04:00

When I looked out the window and saw this bird at the feeder, I honestly thought it was some rare or hybrid species of dove and not a Mourning Dove. It was the coloring that threw me off. It was about 10 shades paler than any Mourning Dove I'd ever seen. I would have described it as a pale yellow color with an almost golden tint.

I have seen more than my share of Mourning Doves, and in fact there were three others in the yard when I saw this one. The others were of various ages and ages, but none were pale yellow with an sheen of glimmering gold. Patches of iridescence on fully grown male birds is common, but this one appeared to be yellow all over. The eyering wasn't even blue!

This young bird was on the ground just a few feet away from the golden yellow dove. A brown bird heavily spotted with black is what I'd expect to see from an immature Mourning Dove. Raggedy white tipped feathers can cause young Mourning Doves to look scaly and patchy.

After taking about 50 shots of the pale dove in the feeder, I caught a glimpse of a familiar blue color when the bird closed it's eye for a second. That was my first clue that I was indeed looking at a Mourning Dove. Maybe a simple pigmentation abnormality caused the pale yellow color I was seeing. A single glance at the Mourning Dove page of my new Crossley ID Guide (more about the giant picture book in a future post) was all it took for me to realize I was mistaken. This was a juvenile Mourning Dove, all right. It was almost identical to the juvenile Mourning Dove pictured in the book right in front of me. There was no mention of an iridescent golden glow, however.

A VERY close look at the bird showed white fringed feathers that made it appear scaly, but no yellow or gold colors at all. The golden glow was an illusion created by reflected yellow sunlight hitting the white fringes at just the right angle. Perhaps the effect was intensified by the yellow siding on the house and the yellow leaves of water starved grass below. I don't know. All I can say for sure is that my eyes deceived me when I was blinded by the light. :)!

Wonderful Wild Woodpeckers!

2011-07-02T22:03:00.000-04:00

The male and female Red-bellied Woodpeckers are very busy at the suet feeders. I am thrilled to have them around so often!

Talk about spectacular coloring! I love seeing these guys up close. I have glimpsed at least one of their offspring, but he is very clumsy and cannot seem to land on the feeder (or anywhere else!

From this vantage point, you can see a very red head, red face, and red eyes - but there's no sign of his red belly!

The female Red-bellied Woodpecker could have been called a 'red-back-of-the-head woodpecker', I suppose. On the other hand, what species of woodpecker doesn't have some red on the back of their the heads? It is often only the males that show red, although not in this case.

In the case of Red-bellied Woodpeckers, red eyes are very cool looking. You would think they might seem scary, but absolutely not - in fact, their eyes remind me of rubies. They're beautiful!

An Extraordinary Ordinary Bird

2011-06-30T17:28:00.002-04:00

Isn't he a handsome little devil? This photo of an Mourning Dove just reinforces my oft-repeated assertion that 'common' everyday birds are often startlingly beautiful. Perhaps in this case, he is more startling than beautiful!

Mourning Doves are "common' and familiar birds in the US. Nonetheless, they really are a rather uncommon looking bird. This one's puffed up feathers make this Mourning Dove appear twice as large as she really is.

This proud papa is so tired from the burdens of parenthood that he is about to doze off in the sun. Mourning Doves have multiple broods each year, so they are always busy hatching eggs or feeding and caring for their young. Don't you love the amazing blue eyelids?

A male Mourning Dove sitting on the roof. Male Mourning Dove's are pinker and brighter than females, but he is far too pink even for a male. What is the cause of this rosy glow when I didn't mess around with the color processing? I have concluded that he looks pink from a combination of morning sunlight and the reflected light from the roofing material.

Mourning Doves, Like their cousins the Pigeons, like to sit on wires. They are such an ordinary sight that we hardly notice them. A closer look at their bright red feet, their polka dots and stripes, their startling eye-rings , and their spherical shapes, however, will reveal a rather extraordinary ordinary bird!

My Baby Rose-Breasted Grosbeak

2011-06-29T00:05:00.000-04:00

The fledgling Rose-Breasted Grosbeak perched on a wire. He appears to have been at the suet feeder, or maybe he has found some juicy berries somewhere.

Seeing this little guy up close was one of the high points of my birthday!

He seems too young and vulnerable to be on his own, but I've seen no evidence of other Rose-breasted Grosbeaks around.

Rose-breasted Grosbeaks fledge 9 to 12 days after they hatch. That seems a very short childhood to me!

This fledgling Rose-Breasted Grosbeak seems quite healthy and well, although a bit lonely. At least he's been successful at finding food!

Backyard Blackbirds

2011-06-27T23:49:00.000-04:00

I don't see many Red-winged Blackbirds in my yard. I hear them around, but they aren't really bird feeder aficionados.

Still, it was fun to get close enough to take photos of a Red-winged Blackbird.

They weren't very shy, as it turned out. Two RWBs hung around for a bit, checking out the other birds and basically ignoring me.

He might have been looking at the chipmunks bouncing all around the yard. They are pretty comical to watch.

Maybe they just stopped by for a little rest and relaxation.

Juvenile (Baby) Rose-breasted Grosbeak

2011-06-25T00:25:00.002-04:00

I finally captured him! My male juvenile Rose-breasted Grosbeak, looking a little more mottled and worse for wear than last weekend.

Who could not be enchanted by his baby-face. And he was calling so piteously for someone to feed him. He's not ready to go it alone!

He seems a bit put off by he uninvited company!

On top pf the unfamiliar stripes ans spotted appearance, this species could not be confused with another.

I feel privileged to even have seen one!

Baby Woodpecker

2011-06-22T13:56:00.000-04:00

The baby Downy Woodpeckers are too adorable for words. (Sorry about the sentimentality!)

The freshly fledged Downys are tiny, which is apparent if you can reference them compared to an object with known dimensions, like this suet feeder.

Even these tender babes are forced to fight off the sparrows if they want to eat, however.

At first she was taken aback by the arrival of company at the suet feeder. Then she was attacked.

When the young woodpecker fought back, the sparrows retreated. She was able to get a few bites of food, anyway.

Something Never Seen Before!

2011-06-21T12:48:00.000-04:00

Here's something I'll bet you've never seen before! I know I haven't, and there's been a bird feeder in my various back yards for 50 years! On the other hand, pigeons are really quite extraordinary looking birds when you see them as individuals.

Yes, I'm paying good money to feed Grackles, House Sparrows, and Pigeons (aka Rock Doves). I also provide food for squirrels and chipmunks (albeit unintentionally!)

These guys are HUGE! The sparrow in the photo is a good indicator of their size.

These pigeons didn't actually eat anything. They evidently don't care for shelled seed, and they couldn't use the suet feeder.

They emptied the feeder onto the ground while looking for the occasional unshelled sunflower seed. All the ground critters were grateful for the unexpected treat. The grackle eventually chased them away, by the way.

So Many Baby Birds, But . . .

2011-06-20T10:03:00.001-04:00

I saw SO MANY baby birds yesterday! I Spent 8 hours in a tent in my back yard trying to get a photo of the baby Red-breasted Grosbeak we saw early in the morning. But I never caught a glimpse of him again. For one thing, there are TOO MANY SPARROWS in my yard!

I'm not kidding. We have WAY TOO MANY sparrows right now. Either House Sparrows have giant broods or there were thousands of them to start with.

It's like being overrun with rodents (which are also in far too plentiful a supply!)

But as much as they aggravate me, I can't hate them. It's not their fault they were introduced to an environment where they thrive much more than native species.

They can also be very cute. The females always look so happy - and how can you resist a daddy sparrow helping his offspring learn how to survive!

Excitement across the street!

2011-06-19T00:56:00.000-04:00

I'm overwhelmed with sparrows! So overwhelmed that I don't even know what this guy is. I'm going with an immature something!

This bird is eating the bug, worms, or caterpillars that are eating my neighbors new tree. This tree also provides a lot of cover, so it's a bird hot-spot!

But by far the strangest thing I saw across the street was the bird using the telephone and electric wires as a playground!

This female sparrow was even swinging on an electric wire!

And having a grand old time doing it, if her delighted singing is any indication!

Laughing Gull Love

2011-06-16T21:04:00.000-04:00

Laughing Gulls evidently pair up in May also, and they seem to have courtship rituals that closely resemble the terns. Arching one's neck is one move that always impresses the female Laughing Gulls.

Loud calls appeared to play a role in Laughing Gull courtships, just as they did in the courtship rituals of Common Terns.

Like the Common Terns, Male Laughing Gulls will bring gifts of food to potential mates.

There was a whole lot of pairing up going on when we visited Pymouth Beach in May, 2011.

There was a whole lot of mating going on, too. This 'piggy-back' position is really an introduction to intercourse for the gulls.

Terns in Love

2011-06-15T00:30:00.000-04:00

We definitely saw a lot of courtship and even mating behavior among the terns and gulls at Plymouth Beach last month.

It was fellow blogger Hilke Breder, the brilliant author of One Jackdaw Birding, who noticed the courtship behavior displayed in this photo when I first posted it a few weeks ago.

There is evidently quite a bit of ritualized behavior involved in the courtship of Common Terns.

Along with head tossing, loud calls, and very dignified dancing, there was also what we would consider more romantic behavior. The males often bring a gift of food to their potential mate, for instance.

At first, I thought this 'piggyback' behavior was nothing more than a game. There is no potential for consummation of a sexual act in this position, after all!

But this how sex starts for terns and for other species such as Laughing Gulls. After a little twisting and 'terning', the female will probably walk away with a fertilized egg!

Beautiful Buzzards!

2011-06-12T04:20:00.000-04:00

Who says turkey vultures are ugly?

turkey vultures are a thing of beauty in flight!

Turkey Vultures are MASSIVE. In many ways they are similar to American Eagles when seen circling high in the sky. Their wings sometimes look as straight and boardlike as an American Eagles', too.

Turkey Vulture's also soar on the winds like American Eagles, so they are sometimes misidentified as eagles. In reality, Turkey Vultures are somewhat smaller than an American Eagle, and their wings are more curved. A significant difference that can be seen even when far away is the slight dihedral shape (V-shape) of the Turkey Vulture's wings when soaring. An Eagle's wings are board straight.

If you are close enough to see the color patterns, there is no mistaking a Turkey Vulture for an Eagle - especially if you glimpse a small red head!

Willets are funny

2011-06-11T03:00:00.000-04:00

Willets are funny. They twist themselves into all kinds of weird shapes.

Willets doze off while standing on one leg.

This was news to me, but Willets hop.

Hopping again!

Tom caught this one near the Falmouth bike path last weekend.

Our Baby Carolina Wrens

2011-06-08T16:08:00.000-04:00

The three tiny wrens have been out of the nest for almost two weeks now, but they still try and get back in almost every night.

It's hard enough to get thrown into the world before you're ready, but how nasty is it to have to fight off a bunch of screaming sparrows just for a morsel of food!

He did manage a few bites between the hungry hordes of House Sparrows that have taken over the entire neighborhood!

This is a different baby, but he's homesick as well. He's in the gutter of the house looking longingly at the tiny nest in the wreath near my bedroom door.

A photo taken in the front yard last week. Carolina Wrens are just too cute for words!

Glorious Great Blue!

2011-06-07T19:08:00.000-04:00

I shot this in a very residential neighborhood about one half mile from route 128. (Thank you, Kellie.) In addition to the GBH flying right over my head, I saw a Turkey Vulture and two Red-tailed hawks within 20 minutes.

I was looking for a leucistic robin, which I missed by seconds on two occasions. I did see some other cute robins, though.

Who could resist this guy?

Not a great shot, but the bird was magnificent!

Blackbirds as Art

2011-06-06T08:58:00.001-04:00

My husband, Tom, took these outstanding Red-winged Blackbird photos in Falmouth yesterday.

I'm sure you will agree that Tom is an outstanding photographer AND that he has an artist's eye!

I love the bokeh on the whole Red-winged Blackbird series.

Who doesn't like seeing Red-winged Blackbirds on the reeds?

When we shot these pics, I told Tom they were Eastern Kingbirds, but it turned out that one was a Tree Swallow!

Mount Auburn Cemetery

2011-06-05T01:52:00.001-04:00

Our trip to Mount Auburn Cemetery went about as expected. No warblers or owls for us. Just normal, everyday-type birds. This hawk clutching a chipmunk was pretty damn cool , though!

A closer view unveils the banded hawk and the chipmunk's manifestations of terror!

Still a magnificent bird, despite the poor creature's fate!

We also saw a few other species. A Baltimore Oriole, for one.

We caught a glimpse of an Eastern Kingbird, too.

Assabet River NWR Crow

2011-05-27T21:27:00.001-04:00

My first visit to the Assabet River National Wildlife Refuge was really no more than a drive through. It was dark, cold, and gray outside, and I wasn't dressed for tick protection. Nonetheless, I managed to get a few shots of a handsome American Crow.

I love corvids of all sorts. I love Blue Jays and Crows and Ravens.

Corvids are the most intelligent birds in existence. To me, they as beautiful as they are smart.

Next time I visit the Assabet River NWR, I will be better prepared, but I did enjoy my time spent with this glorious American Crow.

Unusual Terns and Common Terns in Flight

2011-05-26T01:07:00.000-04:00

Is there anything more beautiful than a tern in flight? Not to me there isn't! Here is a gorgeous Roseate Tern in flight.

I also think the more unusual a tern is, the better I like it. Very shallow, I know! This is an Arctic Tern. Arctic Terns have the distinction of the longest migration of any birds on earth!

This tern is common around here, but its certainly not a Common Tern everywhere!

Another shot of the lovely Roseate Tern in mid air.

Birdathon Break for Beautiful Backyard Birds

2011-05-24T21:22:00.000-04:00

I still have some magnificent Plymouth Becah photod to share, but this stunning set of Red-bellied Woodpecker photos make for a nice break from the shorebirds.

I don't often get a chance to photograph one this close up.

This bird and his mate have been really hungry for suet these past few days. I see them at the feeder three or four times a day. Do you think that means there are babies to feed?

While we are showing off our backyard birds, I can't resist a charming Chickadee shot!

Finally, a shot of a Mourniing Dove in the sunflower seed feeder. It used to be thta the Mourning Doves always ate on the ground, but lately I see them in one of the feeders almost every day.

Best artistic (sort of) shots from Plymouth

2011-05-22T17:16:00.001-04:00

The famous Tern Rock. (see pics from Bird-a-thon 2010!)

Lining up for a bite?

These two Common Terns look as though they are having a tea party!

Gull and tern in flight.

At the beginning and at the end of the day, we were serenaded by the melodious song of a sparrow.

IT ISN'T TOO LATE TO DONATE!

Birdathon Oystercatchers, Roseate Terns, Brants,and more!

2011-05-21T01:04:00.001-04:00

The best surprise of the day was definately this American Oystercatcher. Pete would have loved to see this!

Criss-crossed terns!

Not the best photo for an ID, but this Roseate Tern image was the best quality of the few I managed to take during Birdathon, The swirling fog is simply impossible to deal with.

A better ID pic of the Roseate Tern, although very fuzzy.

Brants are a type of winter geese around here. They are very cute and shy.

IT ISN'T TOO LATE TO DONATE!

A Sampling from Bird-a-thon 2011 at Plymouth Beach

2011-05-20T05:09:00.001-04:00

IT ISN'T TOO LATE TO DONATE!

A beautiful Common Tern battling the breezes.

Three Laughing Gulls that look like they are singing in harmony!

A tiny little Bonaparte's Gull. Named after tiny little Napolean Bonaparte.

One of my very favorite Shorebirds: the Dunlin!

The first sighting of an Arctic Tern in 2011!

Back to the Beach!

2011-05-11T23:08:00.000-04:00

We'll see gulls galore at Plymouth Beach on Saturday.

We won't see a beautiful blue sky, though. If it's too cloudy, we won't good pictures - and if it rains, we are in deep trouble!

It was during last year's birdathon that I saw my first Brant. They are sea-going geese, and very cool.

I am DETERMINED to find Caspian Terns again. Can you see them hiding among the gulls?

Thank you SO MUCH to Karen and Bob, Cheryl and Gene, and Linda and Rob! If you can believe it, all of Tom's sisters have made very generous donations to our Birthathon for Broadmoor team! Sincere thanks to my St. Barts buddy, Maryann, also.

Thank you for donating to Mass Audubon!

Bird-a-thon 2011

2011-05-11T04:12:00.001-04:00

Willet

These are some of the pictures that Pete, Tom, and I took during Birdathon last year.

Piping Plover

Birdathon is a 24 hour race to find as many bird species as possible in Massachusetts. It a big fundraiser for Mass Audubon, but it's also a way to get detailed "state of the birds" data and migration data.

Roseate and Common Terns

Birdathon is also a crazed competition between Mass Audubon sanctuaries. Different teams spread out throughout the state - climbing mountains and wading through swamps - just to find that one rare species that might win the day for their team.

Yellow Warbler

Last year we met up with my cousin Catie in Bridgewater on Friday night. (Catie's BirdingGirl blog inspired me to start blogging two years ago!)

Marbled Godwit

We were up at dawn to try our luck at Plymouth Airport, then Tom, Pete, and I walked all the way out to the very tip of the peninsula at Plymouth Beach and all the way back in.

Canada Goslings

Then Pete dragged us to the Daniel Webster sanctuary to add even more birds to the list!

Laughing Gull

Despite the endless and very tiring walk, Plymouth Beach was a blast - and a birder's delight.

Common Tern

Pete can't be here for Birdathon this year. He started a new job as a Forest Ranger in Oregon yesterday. I still haven't adjusted to not having him around, and I miss him terribly.

Common Tern

Between not having Pete to ID birds and my residual pain and vision problems from breathing in metal dust and glue fumes last winter, I was planning to skip Birdathon this year.

Semipalmated Plover

But at the very last minute I changed my mind! I might not do as well without Pete, but with Tom at my side I'm going to try. I'll probably embarrass myself - but at least it's for a good cause!

Of course, I'm really desperate for donations now because Birdathon is only two days away. If you can spare a few dollars to save The Nature of Massachusetts, I'd be eternally grateful!

Bird on a Wire!

2011-05-09T08:17:00.000-04:00

A Northern Cardinal looking a bit nonplussed due to my invisible presence. He could hear me but he couldn't see me.

Bird on a wire! We had to replace our feeder line after it came down in a snowstorm this winter. The first wire we strung was too thin. All the feeders were shaking all the time.

Bird Balancing Act!

Beautiful and balanced.

Check out how she managed to get the shell off the sunflower seed!

More Rose-breasted Grosbeak photos

2011-05-08T16:49:00.001-04:00

Thanks to Anthony Hill, a member of the MASSBIRD email list and a bird bander(!), I now know that this Rose-breasted Grosbeak was hatched last year and is a second-year male. Anthony could identify the bird's age because "some of the bird's wing feathers are brownish rather than rich black."

The brownish color indicates that my Grosbeak has had the same feathers all winter long, and so they appear worn and somewhat faded.

A first year bird would have had TWO sets of feathers by springtime. The first set gets them "out of the nest as soon as possible, because the nest is a very dangerous place (snakes, chipmunks, squirrels, other birds like jays and crows all like to eat eggs and nestlings). These feathers are less robust than 'adult' feathers and wear faster."

"The young birds don't have time (before migration) to grow a complete new set of feathers like the adults do - the adults are not in the nest and have finished their breeding duties. So in many species, the young birds go through the winter with two generations of feathers whereas the adults have only one generation."

Other birds that can be identified in their second year are Scarlet Tanager males and Indigo Buntings.

Rose-breasted Grosbeak females, "while not as dramatic as the male, also shows the same phenomenon."

All these species belong to the family Cardinalidae. The Cardinalidae (which includes our beloved Northern Cardinal) are large-billed birds that are mostly seed eaters. They are often very colorful birds, like all the species mentioned in this post.

I don't know why Scarlet Tanagers, Indigo Buntings,and Rose-breasted Grosbeaks can be identified as second year birds by their feathers, but Northern Cardinals can't.

My guess? Northern Cardinals are not migratory. They stay put while their feathers grow strong, and molt only once a year. But I'm just hypothesizing about this!

Wet Birds

2011-05-07T18:42:00.000-04:00

These birds are still handsome when wet! I think this American Robin is gorgeous!

A drowned looking house sparrow soaked too the bone.

All the birds look miserable in the drenching rain.

The Blue Jay is wilted from the rain. Of course, I was warm and dry inside the house!

This red, red robin is in no mood for bobbin' along.

Hear a cat? Look for a catbird!

2011-05-06T10:38:00.000-04:00

I love Catbirds. Especially when they pose in a quintessential catbird way, like this one.

In case you ever wondered, they sound remarkably like cats!

Don't their wings look way to small for them to fly?

Like most birds, they look a bit odd straight on.

But they are smart and sweet little fellows, and I'm glad to see them again!

Rose-breasted Grosbeak - Up Close and Personal

2011-05-04T06:38:00.000-04:00

This was a big surprise, believe me! I've never had Rose-breasted Grosbeak at my feeders before!

Isn't he gorgeous! He stayed around all day, eating at both platform feeders and trying a bit of suet.

I took all of these from inside the house, sneaking up on him very slowly. Still, he could hear the camera. He just didn't seem as afraid as most.

The photos I took from outside in the afternoon were just a little too blurry.

I was hoping he would stick around, but I haven't seen him since last week :(

My Carolina Wrens

2011-04-30T09:27:00.000-04:00

One of a pair of California Wrens nesting somewhere near my yard (but not in it!)

I love these guys. I still vividly remember the first time I ever saw one, almost 20 years ago.

I like the light on this one.

I love the facial expression on this guy.

I just love everything about Carolina Wrens!

More Flowers for Karen

2011-04-23T21:49:00.000-04:00

More spring flowers! These are in the exact same location as the crocuses were a few weeks ago!

I think the white one looks pretty decorated with raindrops.

The previous owner is responsible for the almost magical transformation from one type of flower to another.

Windy Spring Day

2011-04-21T20:33:00.001-04:00

Windy Spring afternoon Downy

Windy Spring afternoon Downy 2

Windy Spring afternoon finch

Windy Spring afternoon finch 2

Windy Spring afternoon Starling

The Last Snowstorm of 2011

2011-04-13T17:46:00.001-04:00

Male Cardinal April Framingham Snowstorm

Male Cardinal April Framingham Snowstorm II

Female Cardinal April Framingham Snowstorm

Female Cardinal April Framingham Snowstorm II

Female Sparrow April Framingham Snowstorm

Wordless Wednesday - Waiting for a Bus

2011-04-06T00:22:00.001-04:00

CLICK ON IT!

Great Blue Herons are back!

2011-04-04T19:35:00.000-04:00

Great Blues are back! These photos aren't great, but it was WAY too windy to manage a big lens.

The males are flying back and forth to get nesting materials to repair the used nests from last year.

I predict there will be far fewer Great Blues this year than last (and last year there were less than the year before) Does anybody remember why I have such a gloomy outlook about this?

The birds are constantly flying back and forth over route 9 near the Jefferson Apartments. Check it out!

More Ring-necked Ducks in Framingham!

2011-04-01T19:27:00.034-04:00

A handsome male Ring-necked Duck on the Sudbury River in Framingham. Can you see the ring on his neck?

A slightly smaller Ring-necked Duck. This one didn't get the girl in the end. I noticed that he was more brown than light gray on his sides.

Here is the female Ring-necked Duck. She is very popular and very attractive in her own right. She has a ringed bill and a ringed neck if you really look hard.

The bigger Ring-necked male was swimming so strongly that he made a wake!

Red-tailed Hawks

2011-03-29T22:50:00.001-04:00

Red-tailed Hawks are EVERYWHERE! This one landed right on top of my head on Soldiers Field Road across from the Charles.

He was not a bit afraid of me or the cars or anything. The same day, I saw 14 Red-tails from inside my car. Some were above the highway, while some were in the brush a few feet away from the Sudbury River.

Consider yourself blessed if you get this close to a red-tailed Hawk. These are gorgeous, intelligent, adaptable, and ingenious hunters who can survive anywhere!

This is why its called a Red Tailed hawk!

Red-tailed Hawk carrying his meal. I think it's a mouse!

Peter's Northern Shoveler!

2011-03-22T11:41:00.000-04:00

Photo by Peter Wrublewski

I think this photo of a Northern Shoveler is absolutely incredible. I'm not bragging, because it was taken by my son, but I really wish I could claim it as my own.

Photo by Peter Wrublewski

I've never even seen a Northern Shoveler - although I desperately want to see one. I want to see one this close, too!

Photo by Peter Wrublewski

Here's an interesting angle! A Northern Shoveler coming right at your face!

Photo by Peter Wrublewski

This was taken down the cape somewhere. They stopped the car near the water, and he was just a few feet away from them. I admit to being equally lucky when looking for the Greater White-fronted Goose, but I'd much rather see a Shoveler!

Spring has finally arrived!

2011-03-21T08:01:00.001-04:00

Spring really has Sprung, now!

These crocuses are for Karen, whose bulbs were all eaten by bunnies last year.

More croci from the front yard.

A Robin for my Aunt Ceel, who saw one two weeks or so ago,

Greater White-fronted Goose

2011-03-20T13:19:00.001-04:00

Pete and I took a wrong turn, and before I could turn around I saw a flock of Canada Geese and SOMETHING DIFFERENT swimming in Lake Massapoag! I left the car in the middle of the road - still running, even! - and there he was! We had been back in Sharon for all of five minutes!

A very nice woman let us enter her yard to get these shots.

No one we talked to near Lake Massapoag was even slightly interested in a rare goose. One women said she couldn't care less! Too many oglers maybe?

Our family lived in Sharon for 15 years, so we are almost residents, too.

An hours drive each way, and we might have missed him if I didn't take one wrong turn!

Last Year We Had Flowers!

2011-03-08T14:19:00.000-05:00

This time last year, spring had sprung here in Framingham,MA! Check out my post from March 5, 2010.

If there are crocus now, they are under the snow!

Bluebirds in the Snow

2011-03-07T19:26:00.000-05:00

An Eastern Bluebird in the snow is not as unusual as I once thought. Like the American Robin, bluebirds sometimes winter in Massachusetts. On the other hand. he may have spent the winter in a warmer climate and only recently returned.

My son took this photo, which nicely shows the patterns and colors on the male Eastern Bluebird.

Female Eastern Bluebirds are usually describes as having more muted coloring than the males, but this one didn't look blue at all to me. In fact, initially I denied that it was a bluebird at all!

Eastern Bluebirds like to perch at the tippity-top of branches, poles, etc. as they scan for prey. This habit makes them easier to spot than many small birds.

I returned home to find a more familiar blue bird waiting for me. We have had as many as eight Blue Jays in the back yard at the same time this winter.

Nesting Great Horned Owl!

2011-03-06T00:53:00.000-05:00

A nesting Great Horned Owl! I haven't even seen a Great Horned Owl since I left California 26 years ago - never mind seeing one on a nest. You could kill me now and I would die happy! I should point out that I didn't find the owl myself. This owl was discovered by an amateur naturalist named Lois. This is Lois's nesting Great Horned Owl.

Great Horned Owls were magical to me long before 'Harry Potter.' When I live in California, a Great Horned owl flew right over my head almost every night when I went walking in a wildlife sanctuary. If you are lucky enough to experience the majestic and supernaturally silent flight of a Great Horned Owl even once in your life, you are very lucky. It happened to me hundreds of times, and each time it was sheer magic.

Would you have known this was an owl if you saw it yourself? I wouldn't, and I consciously look for owls almost all the time. If I had been walking through these woods in the snow, though, I wouldn't have noticed it. Congratulations, Lois!

Fantastic Flight Photos!

2011-03-04T16:31:00.000-05:00

My husband took all of these fantastic birds in flight group. He is awesome at the action shots! This is a female mallard coming in for a landing right under the bridge.

Female Mallard after the crash landing.

My husband also captured an incredible series of this mallard in flight with his shadow on the icy water.

Another of the mallard with reflection.

This is a ring-billed duck in flight, taken from an unusual angle. I love that eye!

Common Mergansers: Birds of Prey?

2011-03-03T12:44:00.000-05:00

Yes! Common Mergansers, too! I haven't accomplished much in the way of seeing new species this winter, but at least I got Hooded Mergansers, Red-breasted Mergansers, and now Common Mergansers. Yeah!!! The Common Merganser males are very regal looking.

Like the other merganser's, Common Merganser females have that crazy 'I Love Lucy' hair. But a careful look reveals that she, too, is a very attractive duck.

You wouldn't believe the size of the fish she swallowed ! It was almost as big as she was. It took a long while to choke it down, too!

I never in my wildest dreams imagined they ate fish this size! After she ate it, you could still see it flopping around inside her neck and belly.

He's eating a frog! Where did he get a frog in the middle of winter? My son said they dig the frogs out of the mud at the river bottom where they are hibernating.

Who knew that Common Mergansers were bloodthirsty predators?

Two Wonderful Wood Ducks!

2011-03-01T00:07:00.000-05:00

There were TWO gorgeous Male Wood Ducks at the Sudbury River on Saturday. This is the larger of the two.

There was quite a significant difference in size between the two males. The smaller one had a rounder, more compact body.

I am still awed by the fact that the most beautiful of all ducks can be found less than a mile from my house! They're all over this town, but most have no idea they even exist.

I wish I could find a female and get a good shot of her. They are beautiful, too.

Ring-necked Ducks with Ringed Necks!

2011-02-27T23:39:00.000-05:00

Usually it is very difficult to see the crimson ring around their necks that gave this species the name Ring-necked Duck. These two were very cooperative, however.

It is much easier to see the ringed bill than the ringed neck - especially from a distance. You can see why they are often erroneously called ring-billed ducks.

The female Ring-necked gave equal time to both her male companions.

The two males have slightly different plumages. I don't know if the one on the far left is still molting or if he's a juvenile.

Ring-necked Duck walking (well, running, actually) on water.

Some Good Health News! (Off my usual topic, but worth reading!)

2011-02-25T22:46:00.001-05:00

I went to a doctor specializing in environmental and occupational health recently because I was exposed to metal dust, solvents, and other such stuff while doing arts and crafts at home. Luckily for me, I found out I was injured by the exposure, but not poisoned. I still need a chest X-ray to be certain, but she thinks the metals that pierced my skin and eyes won't kill me and could leave me no worse off than I am now. Of course, I have to be patient. It could take months before the glue and metal dust and solvents and paper work their way out of my system. And the lung damage - if it occurred - isn't fixable. But I remain hopeful that I'll completely recover. I'm trying to be patient in dealing with the after-effects, but I did manage to ingest and inhale quite a bit of metal, paper, plastic, and glue!

I learned a lot of hard lessons these past 2 months. I learned that every time I cut a piece of metallic paper or ribbon, tiny slivers would break off. I also learned that ionic air cleaners are really electrostatic precipitators that basically magnetize every particulate of smoke or dust in the air. The magnetized molecules stick to the metal collection bars, which cleans the air. These fans are magnetic, too. With four Ionic Breezes running in a small room, the teeny bits of metal would spin around the room, slicing though my eyes and piercing my skin as they went. And since I was breathing the whole time, I inhaled the stuff, too.

This might sound stupid, but I didn't know metallic paper and metallic Mylar and such really stuff contained metal. I was using origami paper, for goodness sakes! Yet all that stuff from the craft store has a Material Safety Data Sheets hidden away somewhere. Almost all the non-toxic products I use tell you to wear masks, goggles, gloves, and protective clothing. Some even say that ingestion, inhalation, and skin contact (!) require a physician's care.

Like many people with ADD, I am drawn to things that shine and shimmer. I love my shiny little boxes, and all the other stuff I make with the same materials. I have been perfecting this technique for about five years now, but I'm done with crafting for the time being. It is not worth the lung pain or the feelings reminiscent of glass splinters. It's not worth the lumps and bumps all over my body, each of which is actually adhesive, paper, or tiny specs of metal dust. It is not worth having my pores clogged with permanent, waterproof adhesive so nothing will come out.

It is (mostly) my own fault for running all those Ionic Breezes while I worked. (Oh, and I also learned that breathing in ozone is bad for humans, at least in large quantities. When I sold Ionic Breezes on eBay in 2001, they were supposed to be good for people with breathing problems. I remember a mom with a severely asthmatic child begging me for a portable one.) Now, four Ionic Breezes in a small, unventilated room produces far more ozone than the government considers safe. But ozone does other things besides damage your lungs. It bonds with molecules in solvents, glues, and metals and can even change non-toxic materials into toxic materials. Evidently everything is hazardous to your health these days!

Gorgeous Wood Ducks in Framingham!

2011-02-24T19:47:00.001-05:00

This was the first day I've been birding on my own in over two months! And what am I lucky enough to see? My favorite duck - the Wood Duck!

Anyway, I just knew I'd find ducks on the Sudbury River today! Why? Because I did a year ago today, of course!

In my opinion, Wood Ducks are not only the most colorful and prettiest ducks we have around here - they are also one of the coolest duck species in existence!

Wood Ducks nest in TREES! They are often found in groups that include Hooded Mergansers (another favorite!), and sometimes lay their eggs in the wrong nest. Why is that cool? Because Woodies and Hoodies simply raise each others babies as their own!

I saw something large slip into the underbrush, which turned out to be a male mallard. He was much more shy than the Wood Duck.

Mischievous Mergansers

2011-02-23T21:11:00.000-05:00

The Red-breasted Mergansers were far more active than the Common Eiders we saw. They were constantly diving for food, but they also seemed to be showing a lot of aggression towards the Eiders - without any obvious provocation.

This merganser was really making himself appear large and intimidating.

For the most part, the Common Eiders just watched dispassionately. They appeared unimpressed.

One eider finally reacted, showing himself to be larger and stronger looking than the merganser who started it all.

In this shot, it looks like he's dancing a ballet!

Loons in Winter

2011-02-17T06:31:00.000-05:00

I love loons. I love loons so much that I took about 20 pictures of this one, not realizing till later that he hadn't moved throughout.

Loons must be pretty mellow. A merganser would have struck 20 poses in the same amount of time.

Loons in winter plumage aren't as gorgeous as when they wear their black and white checkerboard colors, but I still am crazy (as a loon) for loons!

Pete took the last loon photos from the car as we were heading home. In this photo, the loon looks like he's smiling!

He looks pretty cheery here. too - despite the bitter cold.

Cape Cod Common Goldeneyes

2011-02-14T02:42:00.000-05:00

A beautiful look at a Common Goldeneye off the coast of Falmouth. You can see why they are named "Goldeneyes," right?

This was not my first sighting of a Common Goldeneye, but it was the first time I managed to get some acceptable photos.

In the first photo, his head appeared green; in the second it looks black. Here you can see a little bit of the iridescent green sheen on his head.

This is a bad photo of a female Goldeneye. She was nowhere near the male in the photos above. Strangely enough, she looks nothing like the female Goldeneye I saw last year in Framingham (see next pic).

Of course, it was snowing like crazy last year when I shot this picture, and I didn't half a great lens like I have now. The difference in lighting and the different lens must explain why the female appears to be so different in the two photos.

Scaups on Cape Cod

2011-02-13T11:51:00.002-05:00

These are two male Scaups. Greater or Lesser? I don't know. I am pretty sure we saw both, but since these were the very first scaups I ever saw, I can't be sure. Life-lister!

Female scaups have a white ring around their bill. I can't swear that these three are all the same species, though.

I thought this pair were Greater Scaups - but now I realize I was mistaken.

These are male Scaups.

This one is female. More than that I don't know. Someone else will have to tell me if it is a Greater Scaup or a Lesser Scaup! ( Consensus = All Lesser Scaups)

Buffleheads (AKA Buffalo Heads)

2011-02-12T13:49:00.001-05:00

I have trouble photographing Buffleheads and other black and white birds. Is it only me?

Buffleheads are the smallest ducks there are. The males only weigh about 1 pound! Despite the fact that they are teeny, tiny birds . . .

They are called Buffalo Heads (shortened to Buffleheads long ago) because their heads are large in comparison to their bodies. Female Buffleheads weigh even less than males - usually much less than a pound!

My son, Pete Wrublewski, took these photos of female buffleheads in flight. I was amazed that he was able to get the shots because these babies are FAST when flying!

More Buffleheads in flight thanks to photographer Pete Wrublewski.

A White-winged Scoter!

2011-02-10T07:58:00.001-05:00

Seeing a White-winged Scoter was also a treat. I've seen one only once before and was too far away for decent pictures. For my son, this was one for the life-list.

The male White-winged Scoter has has a distinctive comma-shaped white patch around it's eyes. It's eye's are white, as well.

Male White-winged Scoter either preening or scratching an itch.

White-winged scoter at sea.

I believe this Scoter was attempting to nap on the frigid ocean waters until we interrupted him.

Wordless Wednesday Mallard Head

2011-02-09T12:14:00.000-05:00

Not so Common Eiders

2011-02-07T20:30:00.000-05:00

This Common Eider is the same species I nicknamed Ugly Duck this past summer. As you can see, he is clearly NOT an ugly duck now! In fact, I've rarely seen such an unusual and striking looking species in my life!

In this picture, you get a better view of his very unique nose(?)

Three gorgeous males and an attractive female Common Eider.

The very dark colored Common Eider on the far left is a juvenile. He is very similar to our little ugly duck, but much larger. It takes a few years for these ducks to have adult plumage. This is also a species that has an eclipse plumage every fall.

A few Red-breasted Mergansers were hanging with this flock of Common Eiders. The two species didn't appear especially friendly towards each other, but they all stayed pretty close to each other. Safety in numbers, maybe?