Bird Photos and their Stories
I caught this photo at the end of Jetty Road near Moss Landing, California. That’s quite a mouthful of a very active Sea star! National Geographic says that their tough exterior discourages predation, and average life expectancy is 35 years! Also, Beyond their distinctive shape, sea stars are famous for their ability to regenerate […]
Like the Shearwaters, Albatrosses spend their entire lives at sea except when nesting. Their huge size, large bills, and long, slender wings set them apart from other sea birds. They have an incredible sense of smell which helps them find food across vast ocean areas. They feed on squid, octopus, flying fish and their […]
Screaming gulls and other seabirds followed our boat to compete for the frozen squid that we were chumming. Popcorn was also thrown over in handfuls, and a slow stream of fish oil was released into the water by a string hanging from a plastic container. We were warned multiple times not to lean up against […]
Four species of Shearwaters were seen on our Pelagic Trip out of Monterey Harbor: Sooty, Pink-footed, Flesh-footed, and Buller’s. Some of the leaders also saw Short-tailed Shearwaters. I was not confident in distinguishing them from Sootys, so I did not count this species. If you missed Part […]
Something I’ve been putting off for some time because I’m prone to terrible seasickness, is a pelagic trip to see seabirds. It’s a great way to add new species to your life list, which you’ll understand if you’ve ever seen the movie, The Big Year. In fact, this very boat and its owner, Debi […]
Here are a few more pictures from our trip to Cape May in late September. Again, I included some interesting poses that show feather patterns not normally seen. The previous blog is here: Gorgeous Fall Warblers from Cape May trip–Part I. Enjoy!
It’s putting it mildly to say that identifying fall warblers is difficult, since many of them look very different from their breeding plumage. Add to that the fact that warblers don’t hold still for more than a nanosecond, especially for a photo-op. Then while you’re watching for movement, the leaves are also falling off […]
In Central PA, the beautiful fall warblers have all but made their way South, but the sparrows are coming through now. One of the gems that moves through our region is the handsome Lincoln’s Sparrow. The Audubon app says, “Although not uncommon during migration, Lincoln’s Sparrow is seldom noticed because of its shyness and its […]
Early this morning I heard a gang of Blue jays carrying on right outside the back of the house. It only lasted a minute, and then the Bluebirds and Nuthatches took over, making alarm calls like I’ve never heard before. We have 4 Screech Owl boxes put up around our house in the woods. The […]
My “how to” title may sound facetious, as I am no expert by any means, and coming across one of these babies is at least half luck! But everybody likes a good “how to” once in a while! Connecticut Warblers may be scarce as hen’s teeth in Central PA, but there are more reports […]