Gino Farina of Jaffrey Center, NH, caught these wild turkeys at the right moment, spring 2019.
I’ve never happened across copulating turkeys and until this spring I had never been sent photos of turkeys copulating. That changed earlier this month when, in the span of a few days, I received two such photos. Thanks to Wayne Snelley of Pepperell, Massachusetts, and Gino Farina of Jeffrey Center, N.H., for taking these excellent shots and sending them to me.
The future of turkeys seems safe for now. (NSFW means Not Safe For Work for those not fluent in Internet speak.)
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Wayne Snelley got this shot of copulating wild turkeys in his yard in Pepperell, Massachusetts.
Summer doesn’t officially start for about three more weeks, but it unofficially starts this weekend. What better way to kick off the summer than with a good, old-fashioned bird ID quiz from Birds of New England.com? I’m not giving you much to go on here, but it should be more than enough. A great summer bird for New England.
Photo by Chris Bosak Young Canada geese walk along a road in Danbury, CT, May 2019.
Songbirds are still passing through on their northward migration and new birds that will nest in the area are arriving every day. For instance, I saw my first-of-the-year house wren and eastern wood pewee last week. But some bird species get an earlier jump on the breeding season. Owls started months ago, many robins have nests with babies now and Continue reading →
I’m a little late with this posting but better late than never. A few Saturdays ago I led a bird walk at Oak Hills Park in Norwalk. I was honored to be invited by the park’s Nature Advisory Committee to be the bird guide. Of course, I accepted because I love spreading the good word about birds and I have a soft spot for any volunteer organization that promotes nature appreciation and saves land.
As a bit of background, Oak Hills Park is mainly a golf course and the nature trails are on land that was once targeted to be cleared for a driving range. The Nature Advisory Committee now stewards that part of the property, which is valuable for birds and other animals — and plants for that matter. Case in point, during the walk we came across a box turtle in the woods. The box turtle is one of many animal species in decline because of loss of habitat.
The walk drew a large crowd and we saw many exciting birds. The highlight for many, myself included, was a very cooperative scarlet tanager, one of the most colorful and brightest birds we see in New England during migration. The red-bodied and black-winged bird flitted around and rested at eye level not far from the gathered crowd. I also pointed out over and over the sound of the Continue reading →
Photo by Chris Bosak
A ruby-throated hummingbird visits fuscia blooms in Danbury, Conn., May 2019.
The ruby-throated hummingbirds came back a bit late this year, to my yard anyway. Last year it was late April. This year it was early May. Regardless, they are back and buzzing around like they own the place.
Photo by Chris Bosak A rose-breasted grosbeak eats safflower seeds from a feeder in Danbury, Conn., May 2019.
Now that Warbler Week has passed and the spring migration is on a downward trend (but far from over), I’ll take the next few weeks to share photos of some yard visitors I’ve had this spring. As always, feel free to contact me with what birds you’ve been seeing. Send to chrisbosak26@gmail.com. Be sure to include the town and state in which the sighting was made. Thanks!
Photo by Chris Bosak A black-and-white warbler seen in Ridgefield, Conn., May 2019.
The black-and-white warbler is another common warbler in New England. Black-and-white warblers are one of the few warblers often seen on tree trunks. According to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, they have an extra hind claw that helps them cling to trunks. They are also often heard and not spotted, especially when the leaves are fully out in our New England woods. Listen for the high-pitched squeaky wheel song. Some song descriptions are of little help, but this warbler sounds exactly like a squeaky wheel. The black-and-white warbler is not a colorful warbler (obviously) but it’s a striking bird regardless with its striped plumage.
Birds of New England.com 