MA - five more minutes 05/03

Another five minute spell of watching and photographing in the yard, this time through the living room window with Matan after school. It was surprisingly lively for late afternoon.

All images taken using a Canon Powershot G10 in our yard in Gill, Franklin Co., MA.

May 3rd 2013 from 17:10hrs;

 

 

 



Red-bellied Woodpecker - male puncturing a hole in my nyger seed bag. One of five species of woodpecker present in the yard at the moment, at least three of which are nesting. In addition, Pileated Woodpecker is often heard/seen from the yard sometimes giving us six species of woodpecker in a day - not too shabby!

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MA - spring arrivals slowing down a bit

In my most recent local post I may have been a bit hasty in describing new spring arrivals in Gill as occurring "everyday". The impetus of migration certainly seems to have slowed down since making that comment, especially over the last couple of days. Aside from a couple of notables such as an Ovenbird heard from our yard on the 2nd, and a Ruby-crowned Kinglet in the yard on the 3rd, I haven't noted any new species for the year in the last two days. It has to be said that the weather has been glorious this week (nearly windless with comfortably warm, sunny days and cool nights). Perhaps it's been a little too nice with no obvious weather pattern to affect or disrupt bird migration ans stir things up a little. So, at the moment, things remain pretty stable in Gill though I do expect some new migrants to appear any day now, namely Baltimore Orioles and Indigo Buntings.

In the mean time, I had ten minutes playing with the camera (Canon Powershot G10) in the yard this morning between 10:45 and 10:55hrs. Here's a selection of images from those ten minutes, all taken on May 3rd, 2013;

American Goldfinch - male

 

American Robin

 

Blue Jay

 

Chipping Sparrow

 

Eastern Bluebird - male

 

Eastern Chipmunk

 

Chipping Sparrow (left) and House Finches

 

Mourning Dove

 

Northern Flicker

Red-winged Blackbird

 

 

 Tree Swallow



TX - a little more from Texas in April

 



Greater Roadrunner - Neals Lodges, TX. April 19th, 2013. Taken through the vehicle windscreen.

An incredibly bold bird that ran straight towards the bus with an unidentfied lizard in its bill.

Just a random selection of images from our highly successful tour of Texas in April.
The group tallied an impressive 309 species with a few 'leader only' sightings eluding the overall list.

Altimira Oriole - Estero Llano Grande, TX. April 14th, 2013.

 

Black-capped Vireo - female, Kerr WMA, TX. April 18th, 2013.

 

Golden-cheeked Warbler - male, Kerr WMA, TX. April 18th, 2013.

 

Green Parakeets - Weslaco, TX. April 15th, 2013.

 

'Raining' Indigo Buntings - South Padre Island, TX. April 13th, 2013.

 

 

Mississippi Kites - in migration, Salineno, TX. April 16th, 2013.

 

Gray-cheeked Thrush - Sabine Woods, TX. April 23rd, 2013.

 

 

 

White-collared Seedeater - male, San Ygnacio, TX. April 16th, 2013.

Yellow-throated Warbler - male, Neals Lodges, TX. April 19th, 2013.

Yellow-throated Warbler - male, Neals Lodges, TX. April 19th, 2013.



MA - late April arrivals in Gill

Apologies for neglecting my posts lately. Texas became increasingly intense towards the end of the trip and since returning home it's been the usual cycle of settling into the daily rigors of 'normal' life, preparing for the next tour (Ohio and Michigan) whilst trying to put away the last tour (Texas).

But, as always, late April proved to be an exciting time in Gill, especially within the immediate vicinity of our house on Main Road. Within a two mile radius of the homestead we recorded many new species for the year with fresh birds arriving every single day. Here's a short list of some of the notables;

April 25th: Louisiana Waterthrush - singles singing on the brook behind our house and another behind Gill Fire Station. Widespread after this date with many small streams around Gill hosting singing males.

April 26th: Black-and-White Warbler - one singing in our yard. Eastern Towhee near intersection of Mountain and Main Roads. First Barn Swallows and House Wrens appear.

April 27th: Blue-headed Vireo - several singing along Main Road along with a Yellow Warbler. A single Blue-gray Gnatcatcher in our yard plus another along Main Road. Broad-winged Hawk gliding low over Main Road, probably a local breeder. Yellow-rumped and Pine Warblers already widespread. An especially bold House Wren singing at Giving Tree School off Main Road.

Close encounter of the Red-tail kind - extra-ordinarily approachable first-summer Red-tailed Hawk.

Turner's Falls bike path, Franklin Co., MA. April 27th, 2013. Scroll down for more shots of this very tame bird.

April 28th: Prairie Warbler - male singing along the power line cut to the east of Main Road, possibly my earliest in Gill. Palm Warblers (yellow, eastern birds) at South Cross Road and one in our yard. First Black-throated Green Warblers appear. Yellow Warbler on territory in our yard.

(Eastern) Palm Warbler - Gill yard, Franklin Co., MA. April 28th, 2013.

April 29th: Many Black-throated Green Warblers in the Hemlocks on the slopes of Darby Hill.

April 30th: First Ovenbird singing from woodland off Main Road. Common Yellowthroat calling (but not singing) near intersection with Mountain and Main Roads. First Warbling Vireos (in our yard and along Main Road).

May 1st - First Blackburnian Warbler and Northern Parula, both along Main Road SW of Gill Fire Station.

In general, Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers seemingly everywhere in Gill, including a pair nesting in our yard. Northern Flicker, Hermit Thrush, Winter Wren, Field Sparrow and Purple Finch all present in good numbers in suitable habitat around Gill in the last week or so.



 

 



 



 



Texas - photo notes to 04/14/13

Birdfinders Texas tour goes extremely well. The days have been long, and full of quality birds. Here's just a few photo-highlights from the last three days;

Crimson-collared Grosbeak - Sabel Palm Audubon Sanctuary, Brownsville, TX. April 13th, 2013.

 

Cerulean Warbler - male, South Padre Island, TX. April 13th, 2013.

 

Common Paraque -Estero Llano Grande SP, near Weslaco, April 14th, 2013.

 

 

Chuck-wills-widow - Estero Llano Grande SP, near Weslaco, April 14th, 2013.

 

Prothonotary Warbler - South Padre Island, TX. April 13th, 2013.

 

Scarlet Tanager - female, South Padre Island, TX. April 13th, 2013.

 

 

Northern Bobwhite - male, Bentsen RGV State Park, TX. April 14th, 2013.

Texas - Day One

Thunderstorms, forty-five degrees, a stiff northern wind and rain came as a shocking start to the beginning of our Birdfinders Texas tour. The weather was bad enough for our Whooping Crane boat tour to be postponed until early afternoon. Thankfully everything worked out. By 1pm the wind had dropped and the temperature had already reached the upper sixties.

The morning could only be decsribed as raw. Clear, cold air moved in behind the rain-bearing front which moved SE across Aransas Bay. As a result, migration filled the air for much of the morning as wave upon wave of Franklin's Gulls moved low and fast into the brisk northerlies. A flock of about 25 Scissor-tailed Flycatchers hunkered low down in the salt marshes waiting for the worst of the weather to pass, and then a stream of 300 Mississippi Kites passed low over the oaks in much the same manner as the Franklin's Gulls had done all morning.

Franklin's Gulls - finding refuge with local Laughing Gulls in a parking lot puddle, Fulton Harbor, TX.

 

 

 

 

Franklin's Gulls - in migration, Fulton,TX.

 



American Golden Plover - Goose Isalnd SP, TX.

 Migrants overhead - Anhinga and Broad-winged Hawk together over Goose Island SP.TX.

 

 Mississippi Kites - small part of a stream of 300 birds, Fulton, TX.

Reddish Egrets - pair of white morphs, Aransas Bay, TX.

 

Swainson's Hawk - light morph, Goose Island, TX.

 

Whooping Crane and Great Egret - Aransas Bay, TX.



Later, raptor migration became even more evident as Swainson's Hawks (50+) and Broad-winged Hawks (1500+) began passing north in significant numbers over Goose Island State Park. A lucky few in our party also spotted a brief Swallow-tailed Kite passing north over the local gas station, a bird sadly missed by most of the group. Surprisingly few landbird migrants seemed to be involved but odds and ends included six American Golden Plovers at Goose Island and a constant stream of Cliff, Cave, Tree, Barn and Northern Rough-winged Swallows that continued for pretty much the whole day.

The afternoon was spent in more relaxed fashion aboard "The Skimmer" with Captain Tommy Moore. Whooping Cranes were the main target and seen well as always. But many others species were seen besides the cranes including White-tailed Hawks, Crested Caracara, Long-billed Curlew, Wilson's and Piping Plovers, Seaside Sparrow and a fantastic array of terns including multiple Gull-billed and Least Terns.

A most interesting first day in Texas, especially after the initial disappointment of being 'weathered out' for the morning boat excursion.

My personal highlight would have to be the fantistic flocks of handsome Franklin's Gulls which seemed to be moving north all day long. We estimated about 1500 birds.