Author Archives: Chris Bosak

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About Chris Bosak

Bird columnist and nature photographer based in New England.

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 →

More Brown Creeper photos from #GBBC

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Photo by Chris Bosak A Brown Creeper finds food at the base of a tree during a cold snap in February 2016, Danbury, Connecticut.

Photo by Chris Bosak
A Brown Creeper finds food at the base of a tree during a cold snap in February 2016, Danbury, Connecticut.

Here are some more shots of the Brown Creeper that visited my yard during the cold snap experienced in New England over the weekend. With temperatures at or even below zero for much of the weekend, it wasn’t easy snapping photos of birds in the yard, but the thrill of seeing these energetic, albeit rather nondescript, birds made me forget about the cold for the time being.

Brown Creepers may not be much to look at with their small size and white and brown coloring, they are a thrill to see nonetheless. They are rather common in New England, but it’s not a bird you see every day, or in great n Continue reading →

Brown Creeper and Yellow-bellied Sapsucker pay a visit

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Photo by Chris Bosak Brown Creeper at base of tree.

Photo by Chris Bosak
Brown Creeper at base of tree.

At one point today a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker was on the suet feeder and a Brown Creeper crept along the base of an adjacent tree. Neither are earth-shattering sightings, but both are rather unusual in my part of New England at Merganser Lake. In fact, it was the first time I had ever seen a sapsucker at one of my feeders. I even managed to get a decent photograph of the Brown Creeper, a species that can be tricky to shoot.

The photos accompanying this post, admittedly, don’t look that great. They are merely photos I took with my iPhone of the display screen of my camera. When I have more time I’ll get to a computer and download the photos, but for now the mediocre iPhone will have to do. Thanks for your patience. I wanted to post this as soon as possible as this is Great Backyard Bird Count weekend. It runs through Monday, so maybe this posting will inspire others to participate. For more information, click here.

Photo by Chris Bosak Yellow-bellied Sapsucker on suet feeder.

Photo by Chris Bosak
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker on suet feeder.

For the Birds column: Snow is no problem for birds

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Photo by Chris Bosak A Tufted Titmouse and White-breasted Nuthatch share a feeder during a snowstorm in Danbury, Conn., Jan. 23, 2016.

Photo by Chris Bosak
A Tufted Titmouse and White-breasted Nuthatch share a feeder during a snowstorm in Danbury, Conn., Jan. 23, 2016.

Here’s the latest For the Birds column, which runs weekly in The Hour (Norwalk, Conn.) and Keene (NH) Sentinel:

…

One of my favorite times to watch birds is when the snow is falling. Not a driving snow with icy temperatures and high winds, but an otherwise rather pleasant day with frozen crystals falling from the sky and covering everything with a fresh coat of white.

I do not shy away from taking walks to look for birds when the snow is actively falling, in fact I thoroughly enjoy walks at such times. But I also enjoy very much watching the activity at the feeders during snow falls.

As long as the snow is not falling at too fast a rate, the birds will continue coming to feeders. Indeed, during light and moderate snow falls the birds may be seen at higher-than-usual …

Click here for the rest

 

More shots of that Northern Pintail drake

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Photo by Chris Bosak A Northern Pintail swims in a small pond in Danbury, Conn., Jan. 2016.

Photo by Chris Bosak
A Northern Pintail swims in a small pond in Danbury, Conn., Jan. 2016.

Here are some more shots of the cooperative Northern Pintail I spotted in a small roadside pond in Danbury, Conn., the other week. It’s a beautiful bird and this was the first time I’ve ever seen one so close. Enjoy the photos and thanks for your support of http://www.birdsofnewengland.com

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