Bird Photos and their Stories
Finding a Cackling Goose amidst a flock of Canada’s may be like looking for a needle in a haystack, but when one stands out in front of the others at the edge of the lake, the differences are obvious! According to Cornell’s All About Birds, The Cackling Goose was long considered just a small race […]
The Sunbittern was our target bird in Costa Rica with hopes of being able to photograph it in its spectacular display. When our guide had us pull up to a place on the river and we jumped out, immediately a Sunbittern was spotted flying in to pirate the fish held by an Amazon Kingfisher. The fish was […]
A fascinating food fight took place along the boardwalk at Corkscrew Swamp near Naples, Florida. A variety of wading birds including White Ibis and a few herons were busy feeding. A White Ibis pulled up a Black Racer* from the muddy bottom after punching his long curved bill multiple times into the water. He grabbed […]
Killdeer are shorebirds that have the ability to melt into the landscape when feeding in a mowed field, but when disturbed they show their colors! They have a bright rufous rump and tail, with white racing stripes along the open wing and the corners of the tail. They scream their own name when upset, “Killdeer, […]
The Red-headed Woodpecker is a strikingly handsome bird with an all-red head, neck and throat. It is far scarcer than other woodpeckers in the East, but the stark white belly and and large wing patches along with the red head will get your attention. We have several places in our area where these gorgeous birds […]
The Yellow Warbler is found across the entire United States singing the “Sweet, sweet, sweet; I’m so sweet!” song from the tops of shrubs and small trees. The male is a buttery-yellow color with rufous streaking on the breast. The female and immatures are a duller yellow without streaking. They are easily seen from the […]
The Eastern Meadowlark, a normally secretive bird of the grasslands, will show off its golden-yellow breast and throat, adorned with a black chevron, during breeding season. Males will sing their sweet song from a perch such as a fence post or telephone wire, which sounds something like “Dear sweet Emily…,” in order to attract 2 […]
The White-throated Sparrow is one of the jazziest sparrows at our feeders in winter with its black and white striped crown and yellow lores. In fact, Cornell’s website, All About Birds says, Crisp facial markings make the White-throated Sparrow an attractive bird as well as a hopping, flying anatomy lesson. There’s the black eyestripe, the […]
Bald Eagles have certainly made a come-back recently, and are no longer a rare sight. A pair has been nesting at Montour Preserve near us in Central PA for at least several years. Though they are seen occasionally at their nest tree, the pair is more often seen elsewhere, scoping out a farmer’s field for […]
In the colorless days of winter, an adult male Western Tanager has livened things up by ending up far from its usual warm winter habitat in Central America. This beautiful vagrant is even more striking in breeding plumage, when it sports an orange-red head and bright yellow body. This bird was found in the back […]