For the Birds: Towhee saves the quest

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Photo by Chris Bosak – An eastern towhee perches on a tree branch in New England, August 2026.

I got home at 6 o’clock in the evening and had two hours of daylight left.

Did I have enough time to change and get to the park for a bird walk? Or should I sit around the house and do nothing?

I wouldn’t be writing a bird column about that evening if I chose the latter, so yes, I decided I did have enough time to look for some birds before it got dark.

It had been a long time since I had taken a decent bird photo, so my goal was to get one on this walk despite not having a lot of time. I didn’t care what bird it was, I just wanted to capture a good image. 

As I pulled into the parking lot, I started making odds in my head about what bird would present itself for a good photo opportunity first. I was about 90 percent sure it would be a catbird. They are reliable sightings all throughout the summer and often are not shy about being seen. If not a catbird, I thought, perhaps a song sparrow, mourning dove or cardinal. But catbird was definitely my best shot, I figured.

The walk started out rather slowly. The first bird I heard in the brush was a Baltimore oriole chattering away. It was clearly very close, and I thought it would pop out of the brush and give me a chance at a decent photo. So much for a catbird, I thought, an oriole will be my first subject. No such luck, however, as the oriole never showed itself and stopped chattering as I continued along the trail.

I heard cardinals calling to each other with their high-pitched chip notes but never spotted one as they remained well hidden in the thick brush. A little further along the trail I heard a northern house wren uttering its aggressive chatter call. (Remember, they aren’t just house wrens any longer.) This will be it for sure, I thought, as this northern house wren will certainly come out of hiding and defend its territory. Again nothing. 

I was about halfway through my walk, and I had heard but a few different species. The only views I got were birds ducking into the brush or flying overhead. 

Finally, I saw my first catbirds. The quest is over, I was quite certain. But even this wasn’t to be. Two catbirds teased me as they flitted among the branches of a tree already darkened by the shadows. In a rarity for catbirds, neither one of them came out into the open, not even for a moment. 

Things were looking bleak, and it seemed like I may fail in my quest to get a decent bird photo as I turned the corner to enter the field. Other than a few brushy patches and tall trees, the field was the last stretch before getting back to the parking lot. I did have a brief moment of hope when I spotted a female common yellowthroat in a bush, but like all the other birds before on this evening, she stayed well within the confines of the thick branches and leaves.

When I came to the first brushy area in the field, I heard an eastern towhee singing its “drink your tea” song. I was surprised to hear it singing, as I figured by this time of year it would only be using its call notes. 

As I got closer, I spotted the towhee dart out of the brush and land in a tree about 20 feet above my head. It immediately started to sing again. That was my big break, and I took advantage. They weren’t prize-winning photos by any stretch, but they were good enough to satisfy my evening quest. I never would have guessed eastern towhee would be the first bird I got.

As I continued through the field, I spooked a flock of about 30 American goldfinches that were eating seeds among the tall grasses. How could I have not seen 30 goldfinches as I approached, I thought. Then, they all landed a few dozen yards away and disappeared again. None of the birds were eating the seeds from the tops of the tall grasses and weeds, but rather the lower plants, making them invisible to passersby.

It was dusk by the time I got home. It had been a very satisfying past two hours. I’m quite sure much more so than if I had decided to stay home and do nothing. 

For the Birds: Female birds have a more subtle beauty

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Photo by Chris Bosak
A female bobolink perches in a field in Brookfield, Connecticut, summer 2026.

Every spring I head out to the same field to photograph bobolinks.

I know the hotspots to find them and wait patiently on the trails that cut through the fields for one to perch within reach of my zoom lens.

Even as I write this, several months after my latest adventure, I am picturing a male bobolink with its amazing black and white plumage accented by a large yellow patch on the back of his head. New England boasts many colorful birds, especially in the spring, and bobolinks certainly fit that bill.

As I was walking out of the field, I noticed a female bobolink perched among the tall grasses. I stopped in my tracks and snapped several photos of the willing subject. She didn’t have the striking colors or patterns of the male, but she had a subtle, understated beauty nonetheless. 

The Cornell Lab of Ornithology describes the female bobolink as “warm buffy brown, streaked with dark brown on the back and flanks, and bold brown stripes on the crown.” That sounds about right. It must be a tough job having to write descriptions of brownish birds and capturing the subtle beauty they each possess.

The bobolink is another example of a dimorphic bird species in which the male grabs most of the attention. Dimorphism is when male and female birds of the same species have different appearances. Monomorphism is when they look the same. 

Males get the attention for good reason, and it’s the way nature intended. Males are flashy so they can attract mates, intimidate rivals, and draw the attention of predators that may be lurking around a nest. Females are more drably plumaged to remain hidden during the nesting season. 

Females of dimorphic species rarely make magazine covers or calendars. That doesn’t mean they aren’t beautiful. Sometimes, though, it takes a closer look to appreciate the intricate patterns and subdued but visually appealing colors.

I don’t think I’m going out on a limb when I say that the scarlet tanager, rose-breasted grosbeak, indigo bunting and Baltimore oriole are four of the birds that cause the most excitement in New England because of the brilliant plumages of the males. The females are much more subtly colored, particularly the bunting. Female orioles and tanagers, however, feature colorful plumage but pale in comparison to striking males. 

Interestingly, male bobolinks, tanagers and grosbeaks in nonbreeding plumage very closely resemble females and look vastly different during fall migration. 

Fully appreciating female birds is like appreciating sparrows. They are largely devoid of bright colors, so much so that they are often lumped together as LBJs, or little brown jobs. But closer inspection of these birds, especially the native sparrows, yields a beauty that is easy to appreciate. They can be tricky to identify for beginning and even intermediate birders until one learns to recognize and truly appreciate the intricacies of their plumage.

When I got home from my bobolink adventure and looked at the photos, it was the ones of the female that pleased me the most. I’m glad I took the time to stop and appreciate the bird rather than writing her off as just another boring brown bird. 

For the Birds: Turnstones and plovers add excitement to fishing trip

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Photo by Chris Bosak
A ruddy turnstone looks for food at Milford Point, Connecticut, summer 2026.

My son Andrew and I moved quickly along the beach to the fishing spot several hundred yards away. He lugged the heavy bag with a cooler, fishing supplies, and snacks. I carried the rods and chairs.

We passed dozens of shorebirds on the way to our spot at the mouth of a river that feeds into Long Island Sound. I noted mostly piping plovers, but there were also ruddy turnstones and a few American oystercatchers.

Normally, I would drop everything and obsess over trying to get photos of the birds, but we had this day planned for a while, and I didn’t want my hobby to take over the father-son time. Maybe I’ll stop for a few photos on the way back, I thought.

As we walked farther along the beach, least terns became the dominant bird species. There is a sizable colony of the small terns with yellow bills that nest there. Least terns nest a little later than the shorebirds that raise young there.

My guess is that the piping plovers I saw were a mix of adult birds that nest there, along with their first-year birds, as well as some early fall migrants that nested farther north. Piping plovers breed as far north as Newfoundland.

It seems funny to refer to fall migration in July, but many shorebirds start their southward journey by the middle of summer. Meanwhile, American goldfinches are just getting around to nesting.

The ruddy turnstones were almost certainly migrants, unless they were nonbreeding birds and never made it all the way north. They breed in the Arctic and, unlike a lot of shorebirds that stick mainly to coastal areas during migration, can be fairly widespread on their migratory journeys.

I watched one turnstone working the water’s edge looking for food. Even from casual observation, it’s easy to see where they got their name.

Ruddy, of course, comes from the rusty-red color on their backs and wings in breeding plumage. Turnstone comes from their foraging method of using their bills to flip over rocks to search for morsels. The turnstone I watched made it look so easy and barely broke its momentum as it turned over rocks while walking along the shoreline.

I’ve always liked ruddy turnstones. They are more prominently patterned and slightly larger than many shorebirds and therefore easier to identify. Many shorebirds get lumped into the category of “peeps,” which is another way of saying “I know it’s a shorebird, but I’m not sure which one.” Birds such as least sandpiper, western sandpiper, and semipalmated sandpiper fit into that category. It often takes an expert to identify exactly which one is being seen. Sanderlings are slightly different but also often lumped in as peeps.

Ruddy turnstones, however, are easy to separate from the rest of the shorebirds, particularly in breeding plumage. Turnstones have black and white heads, chests and bellies, rusty-red backs, black bills and bright orange legs.

Sure enough, I snapped a few photos on the long walk back to the parking lot. I didn’t linger and obsess over the shots. In fact, I didn’t even drop the rods and chairs but rather switched them to my left hand and used the camera with my right. It proved to be difficult to maneuver a camera with a long, heavy lens and hold it still with one hand. Thank goodness for autofocus, which made the photographs at least serviceable.

The birds made the long walk over rocks and sand go quickly. It’s always fun to see shorebirds now and then, as coastal areas are not a habitat I visit frequently.

As for the fishing, let’s just say the weight of our catch did not slow us down.

For the Birds: Warbler distribution in New England is interesting

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Photo by Chris Bosak
A blackburnian warbler in Pittsburg, NH, summer 2026.

The birding action was relatively slow as we tromped along a skid trail used recently by loggers in the wilds of northern New Hampshire. 

It was mid-afternoon in July, so the lack of birds was not a surprise. Merlin, the app that identifies bird sounds, picked up the calls of a magnolia warbler and a golden-crowned kinglet, and we found both of them with little effort. 

Another bird, not detected by Merlin, flitted among the top of a spruce. Before lifting the binoculars, I would have guessed it was a magnolia warbler because I noted some yellow in the plumage, and magnolias had been plentiful the entire trip.

Through the binoculars, it was evident the bird in question was a blackburnian warbler. It lacked the brilliant fiery color of a breeding male, so it was either a female, first-year bird, or male transitioning to non-breeding plumage. Such is the challenge (and frustration) of summer and fall warbler identification.

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For the Birds: Loons and eagles highlight trip up north

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Photo by Chris Bosak
A common loon rests on a pond in northern New Hampshire, summer 2026.

It was a scene you might see in the opening frames of a movie.

The mist was thick coming off the water, and the sunrise peaking over the distant mountain painted the eastern sky a brilliant orange. Tall pines marked the edge of the pond, and a pair of loons silently floated on the mirror-like water.

Heather and I slowly paddled toward the loons but kept a respectable distance so as to not disturb their morning routine, which seemed to be not much more than sitting still on the water. Neither one of the loons made any of their iconic sounds, but the scene was still quintessential New England regardless.

As we paddled east toward the rising and slowly brightening sun, belted kingfishers on either side of the pond rattled simultaneously, creating a stereo effect among the din of birdsong that filled the morning air. Based on what we heard, common yellowthroats, Swainson’s thrushes, red-winged blackbirds and red-breasted nuthatches were the dominant songbirds hiding in the thick woods.

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For the Birds: Rain or not, birds have to eat

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Photo by Chris Bosak
A soggy blue jay visits a feeder during a heavy rain in New England.

A major storm blew through New England the evening of the Fourth of July, but it was the weather event that happened two days later that caught my attention.

It was a work-from-home day, so I had a front-row seat to the feeders all day. I thought it was going to be a slow day as it rained heavily all day. And the action was slow, at first.

After a few hours of relentless teeming rain, the birds started coming again. Not surprisingly, the first birds to show up in the rain were cardinals. They are usually the first to show up in the morning and the last ones left as darkness settles in, so it was only fitting that they would appear first on this wet, soggy day.

The blue jays appeared not long after. Then the catbirds, then the chickadees and titmice. At this point, all of the birds appeared at the feeder looking like drowned rats. Remember, this wasn’t a gentle shower where the water would bead up nicely on the birds’ oily feathers and eventually roll away. This was a driving rain that soaked right through the layers of feathers.

So why were the birds out during this rain? Why not remain hunkered down until the rain passed? 

The answer, of course, is that they were hungry. Birds have a high metabolism and need to eat a lot to get through the hours and days. It is estimated that small songbirds eat between 25 and 35 percent of their body weight each day. The rain had been steady for hours and wasn’t going to let up anytime soon. 

Birds face many risk-reward dilemmas in their lifetimes. Migrate and face the inherent dangers of traveling great distances, or remain up north and risk freezing during the winter? Fight, flight, or hide when a predator is near?

In this case, the possibility of starving finally outweighed the potential pitfalls of venturing out in a heavy rain. Other than their ragged appearance, the birds did not appear stressed. It was business as usual.

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For the Birds: Veery takes lead in Bird of the Summer race

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Photo by Chris Bosak
A veery at Huntington State Park in Redding, CT, May 2026.

It’s still too early to declare my Bird of the Summer, but one bird has become the clear favorite.

Of course, catbirds and robins are always common sightings in the summer, and I have certainly seen many of those on my recent walks. But ever since early May, my walks seem to be dominated by veeries.

Veeries are thrushes and indeed closely resemble the more common hermit thrush and wood thrush. There are some obvious differences, however, as veeries are a warmer reddish-brown overall with fewer and lighter spots on their chests.

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For the Birds: Male birds get defensive in the summer

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Photo by Chris Bosak
A rose-breasted grosbeak perches in a bush at Huntington State Park in Redding, Connecticut, summer 2026.

One of the main reasons why male birds are often more colorful than females was on full display during a recent bird walk.

As I noted in a recent column, summer is an ideal time for birdwatching and observing parent birds raising their young. Finding a nest is always exciting, but it isn’t necessary to confirm that birds are busy caring for youngsters nearby.

Father birds were particularly on edge during my recent walk. I got about halfway down the path when a male rose-breasted grosbeak darted across the trail in front of my face and landed in a nearby shrub. It was clearly agitated by my presence as it fluffed its feathers and chirped an alarm call.

I didn’t want to linger and fluster the bird even more, so I kept on my way.

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Stunning owl drawing

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I met a talented young artist/illustrator recently, and, of course, this owl drawing stood out to me when he showed me some of his portfolio. He gave his blessing when I asked if I could post it on my website/blog.

Check out more of his work …

Aiden Bae

https://bashybae.my.canva.site/

https://www.instagram.com/bashybae?igsh=NHZzdzluOTU0YTcw

For the Birds: What’s up with the bald cardinal?

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Photo by Chris Bosak A Northern Cardinal drinks from a bird bath in New England, fall 2015.
Photo by Chris Bosak
A Northern Cardinal drinks from a bird bath in New England.

I’ve seen it dozens of times, but it’s always initially startling when I see a molting cardinal with a bald head.

My home office looks over the side yard where my birdfeeders are located. (No surprise there, I’m sure.) There are tall bushes on either side of the feeders, and most birds perch in one of those before venturing over to the feeders. 

Lately, the action has been predictably a bit slower as the birds are busy raising young. Throughout the day, however, the usual assortment of chickadees, titmice, nuthatches, song sparrows, blue jays, mourning doves, downy woodpeckers and cardinals pay visits. So far this summer, as a pleasant surprise, gray catbirds are my most common visitors as they come to eat mealworms and suet. They are also frequent visitors to the birdbath located a few dozen yards away. I never pinpointed it, but I know the catbirds have a nest in one of the nearby bushes.

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