Author Archives: Chris Bosak

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About Chris Bosak

Bird columnist and nature photographer based in New England.

Impressive wingspan on Great Blue Heron

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Photo by Chris Bosak A Great Blue Heron comes in for a landing at a pond in New England, March 2016.

Photo by Chris Bosak
A Great Blue Heron comes in for a landing at a pond in New England, March 2016.

Not the best photo, but gives you a good idea of just how big Great Blue Herons are — especially with wings outstretched.

They are tall and skinny when standing but have a wingspan of about 6 feet. That is about the same as a Bald Eagle (although some female Bald Eagles get even bigger.)

Great Blue Herons rank high on my “favorite bird” list. I have tons of photos to prove it. Below are a few more I’ve taken over the years.

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Just some other birds I saw that day

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https://birdsofnewengland.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/killdeer.jpg

Photo by Chris Bosak
A Killdeer walks along the ground at Spring Grove Cemetery in Darien, Conn., March 2016.

Last week I posted about the Green-winged Teal I saw at a small pond at a cemetery Darien. I’m a big duck person so I get a little excited when I see a duck I don’t often see.

But the teal wasn’t the only good bird I saw that day. Here are a few more. (Above) Killdeer nest in the cemetery every year, so it’s good to know they are back. (Spring is close.) Last year I was lucky enough to capture the copulation of the pair. Click here for that link. Below, I can’t resist photographing a Great Blue Heron when the opportunity presents itself, regardless of how many Great Blue Heron photos I have already.

https://birdsofnewengland.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/great-blue-heron.jpg

Photo by Chris Bosak
A Great Blue Heron looks for food at Spring Grove Cemetery in Darien, Conn., March 2016.

A bunch of Downy Woodpeckers

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Photo by Chris Bosak Four Downy Woodpeckers gather around a suet feeder attached to an oak tree in Danbury, Conn, Feb. 2016.

Photo by Chris Bosak
Four Downy Woodpeckers gather around a suet feeder attached to an oak tree in Danbury, Conn, Feb. 2016.

OK, a group of Downy Woodpeckers is probably not called a “bunch,” but at any rate, here’s a photo I took a few days ago of four of them around a single suet feeder. This is the same feeder/tree that attracted two Brown Creepers a few weeks ago. Interestingly enough, the Downys all seem to be female. (Where was that bar when I was in my 20s? Ha.)

I’ve seen Downys come and go at a suet cake and perch nearby, but never 4 in one tree.

Not the best quality photo, but a pretty neat sighting.

Thanks, as always, for checking out http://www.birdsofnewengland.com

 

Next up, the Green-winged Teal

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Photo by Chris Bosak A Green-winged Teal drake swims in a pond at a cemetery in Darien, Conn, March 2016.

Photo by Chris Bosak
A Green-winged Teal drake swims in a pond in a cemetery in Darien, Conn, March 2016.

Just like I was lucky to find a Northern Pintail a few weeks ago, I was lucky earlier today to find a Green-winged Teal drake. It was hanging out with a small flock of Mallards at the pond at Spring Grove Cemetery in Darien, Conn.

I’m loving this winter seeing all these not-too-frequently seen ducks.

The photos did not turn out as well as the pintail photos, but they are acceptable, I suppose. The teal was not as close as the pintail and Green-winged Teal are much smaller than pintails. In fact, Green-winged Teal are among the smallest duck we have in New England. Just like the pintail, Green-winged Teal are not frequent sightings throughout much of New England. They certainly aren’t rare sightings, but are not seen as much as species like Mallards, Hooded Mergansers or Wood Ducks.

It’s a beautiful, little duck, though. I love the shade of green on a Green-winged Teal. I also like the hint of green they show on their speculum (wing) when sitting on a pond. In flight, the speculum is fully exposed.

The bottom photo shows the size comparison with a Mallard. Notice how much larger the Mallards is.

Photo by Chris Bosak A Green-winged Teal drake swims in a pond at a cemetery in Darien, Conn, March 2016.

Photo by Chris Bosak
A Green-winged Teal drake swims in a pond at a cemetery in Darien, Conn, March 2016.

Photo by Chris Bosak A Mallard and Green-winged Teal swim in a pond at a cemetery in Darien, Conn., March 2016.

Photo by Chris Bosak
A Mallard and Green-winged Teal swim in a pond at a cemetery in Darien, Conn., March 2016.

And the answer is … (Well, most of you knew it anyway)

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Photo by Chris Bosak Two Brown Creepers cling to the bottom of an oak tree in Danbury, Conn., Feb. 2016.

Photo by Chris Bosak
Two Brown Creepers cling to the bottom of an oak tree in Danbury, Conn., Feb. 2016.

Here’s the photo again with arrows pointing to the birds. Most of you were able to pick out the two birds and, yes, as many of you also suggested, it is two Brown Creepers. It’s a fairly unusual sight to see one Brown Creeper, but two on the same tree is very unusual. I guess it helps that there was a suet feeder above dropping crumbs onto the base of the tree. It also helped that it was about 0 degrees that day and birds were on the lookout for whatever food they could find.

This wasn’t a particularly challenging quiz as the birds stuck out more than usual as their white bellies were exposed. Below is another photo of a Brown Creeper, showing just how well these brown birds blend in with their surroundings. Good camo, for sure.

Thanks again for playing along.

Photo by Chris Bosak A Brown Creeper clings to an oak tree in Danbury, Conn., Feb. 2016

Photo by Chris Bosak
A Brown Creeper clings to an oak tree in Danbury, Conn., Feb. 2016

 

Birding quiz: What do you see here?

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Photo by Chris Bosak

Photo by Chris Bosak

Some birds are experts when it comes to camouflage. Is that the case here or are there no actual birds in the photo? Leave a comment with what you see and how many (if any)?

I’ll post the answer in the next day or two. Thanks for playing along.

Bluebirds in a New England winter — not that uncommon

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Photo by Chris Bosak An Eastern Bluebird perches near a lake in Danbury, Conn., Feb. 2016.

Photo by Chris Bosak
An Eastern Bluebird perches near a lake in Danbury, Conn., Feb. 2016.

Eastern Bluebirds, similar to American Robins, are thought of as mostly a spring and summer bird in New England. I love finding an active bluebird box in April or May and watching the parents go back and forth feeding the youngsters hidden inside the box.

But Eastern Bluebirds are also commonly found in New England during the winter. I love seeing them after a snowfall; how their bright blue and orange seem even brighter against the white backdrop. Bluebird Continue reading →

Happy bird-related snow photo as another storm bears down on New England

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https://birdsofnewengland.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/birdhouse-snow.jpg

Photo by Chris Bosak
Snow covers a birdhouse the day after a storm hit New England during January 2016, Danbury, Conn.

With rain and snow due to hit New England at any moment (I’m writing this on Tuesday ((Feb. 23)) morning) here’s a happy little bird-related snow photo to lift your spirits. Spring is on its way. The birds are proving that with cardinals singing more and more and species such as Red-winged Blackbirds already migrating to the area

Spring is on its way … the birds are proving that with cardinals singing more and more and species such as Red-winged Blackbirds already migrating to the area. Until then, though, we have some more winter — and all its unpredictability — to get through. But that’s fine. Winter brings its own birding joys.

(By the way, my 12-year-old son did the painting of the house.)

American Goldfinch at window feeder

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American Goldfinch at window feeder.

American Goldfinch at window feeder.

99.9 percent of the birds that visit the window feeder right over
my desk are either titmice or chickadees. 
I love seeing them, but a little variety would be nice. 
So it was a nice surprise to see these American Goldfinches pay a 
visit the other day. 
Photo taken with iPhone.

More photos of the Yellow-bellied Sapsucker

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Photo by Chris Bosak A Yellow-bellied Sapsucker clings to a tree during a cold snap in Danbury, Conn., Feb. 2016.

Photo by Chris Bosak
A Yellow-bellied Sapsucker clings to a tree during a cold snap in Danbury, Conn., Feb. 2016.

Yes, the Yellow-bellied Sapsucker is a real bird. And I had one on my suet feeder this weekend during the cold snap in New England.

It was the first time I had ever had a sapsucker on a feeder of mine in about 20 years of birdfeeding. Plenty of other woodpeckers, but never a sapsucker before. I have, however, seen plenty of them in the woods among my wanderings, but never on a feeder before. Here are a few more photos of my visitor, none of Continue reading →