Tuesday, May 12, 2015

Spring discoveries

If you can call it spring... I went looking for migrating warblers in 30 degree (Fahrenheit) weather, geared in clothing more suited to winter trips. The warblers, not having a winter clothing budget, were slow in showing up. Nonetheless, a few birds did pop up on sunny mornings:

Northern Flickers are normally shy, but not this one. The flickers we have in the East are called "Yellow-shafted" because their tails are yellow on the underneath. (In the West, they are red.)
_MG_4843

Interesting fact: even though flickers are woodpeckers, they often forage on the ground.
_MG_4855

White-Throated Sparrow standing watch. This is their last hurrah in our area - they are getting ready to migrate to Canada for the summer.
_MG_4841

The is the first true warbler of the year - a Prairie Warbler. These guys show up early (and apparently in any weather) and try to beat all the other migrants to the nesting areas.
_MG_5066

_MG_5077

"Hmm, that cloud is sure shaped like a peregrine falcon..." Piping Plover, a state-endangered shorebird, one of the very few that nest in NJ and NY areas.
_MG_5014

As the white-throated sparrows migrate north, Chipping Sparrows arrive to take their place. This is the smallest of our sparrows. Its bright rufous head turns dull gray for the winter.
_MG_4917

Woodpecker plunge... I think this one was a Downy Woodpecker.
_MG_4933

American Robins predict spring better than groundhogs. Normally, they are here by late February. This year, they did not show up until the middle of March.
_MG_4960

Another White-Throated Sparrow...
_MG_4938

"Is it Thanksgiving already?" Wild Turkey. (BTW, this bird's name is a good example of retronym.)
_MG_5038

This Great Egret has the freshest sushi in town...
IMG_1086

... but then again, since it came out of Brooklyn's Gravesend Bay, maybe not.
IMG_1090

Parting shot - Song Sparrow looking forlorn after several mating songs went unanswered...
IMG_1175