Category Archives: Random photos

Sanderlings and more Sanderlings

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Photo by Chris Bosak A Sanderling runs along with food on the shore of Long Beach in Stratford, CT, Jan. 2014.

Photo by Chris Bosak
A Sanderling runs along with food on the shore of Long Beach in Stratford, CT, Jan. 2014.

Photo by Chris Bosak Sanderlings on the shore of Long Beach in Stratford, CT, Jan. 2014.

Photo by Chris Bosak
Sanderlings and Dunlins on the shore of Long Beach in Stratford, CT, Jan. 2014.

A recent trip to Long Beach in Stratford, CT, yielded one Snowy Owl sighting _ it was far in the distance, but still nice to see, of course. It also yielded more close-up views of Sanderlings, another bird that breeds in the Arctic. Sanderlings are small and common shorebirds that are seen along New England coastal areas from fall through spring, and even in summer at times. Sanderlings are the shorebirds you see chasing the fading waves looking for food and running away from the incoming waves. So much fun to watch.

They also make for good photographic subjects. So with that said, here are several Sanderling photos I took earlier this week. Click on “continue reading” for lots more photos. Continue reading →

Happy birding in 2014

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Photo by Chris Bosak A Carolina Wren visits a feeder during a snow storm in New England, winter 2013-14.

Photo by Chris Bosak
A Carolina Wren visits a feeder during a snow storm in New England, winter 2013-14.

A new year is upon us and let’s hope it’s one that is full of birds.

Please feel free to share your 2014 bird sightings and photos by either commenting on a link, or sending me an email to bozclark@earthlink.net. I’ll post the photos on my “reader submitted photos” page, which can be found in the menu at the top of this page.

I look forward to sharing more bird stories and photos with you in the new year. My next column, by the way, will be a look back at my personal birding highlights of 2013. That will be posted shortly. In the meantime: happy new year; send me your comments, stories and photos; and thanks for checking out http://www.birdsofnewengland.com

Snowy Owls in New England (I’m in, finally)

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Photo by Chris Bosak A Snowy Owl perches on a roof top at Sherwood Island State Park in Westport on Monday, Dec. 23, 2013.

Photo by Chris Bosak
A Snowy Owl perches on a roof top at Sherwood Island State Park in Westport on Monday, Dec. 23, 2013.

So I finally got into all this Snowy Owl action.

Snowy Owls are being seen in larger-than-usual numbers along the East Coast this fall and winter. Snowy Owls breed in the Arctic and typically spend their winters well north of New England.

On Monday, a Snowy Owl was spotted at Sherwood Island State Park in Westport. The large birds of prey have been seen up and down the Connecticut coast since early November. 

I found the owl quickly and took a few photos out the passenger’s side window, but a passerby flushed the large bird. (Remember to give them a wide berth if you see one.) I found the bird about half an hour later and snapped a few photos from a sidewalk that dog walkers were using. The owl just watched everybody walk by.

Oh, and the weather was foggy with a steady rain falling. (My excuse for the photos not being so great.)

Experts believe this year’s irruption is due to either a lack of lemmings, their main food source in the Arctic, or a particularly good breeding year for Snowy Owls, or a combination of those factors.

Snowy Owls hunt during the day, unlike many owl species. They are large owls, measuring 24 inches tall.

Photo by Chris Bosak A Snowy Owl perches on a fence post at Sherwood Island State Park in Westport on Monday, Dec. 23, 2013.

Photo by Chris Bosak
A Snowy Owl perches on a fence post at Sherwood Island State Park in Westport on Monday, Dec. 23, 2013.

Photo by Chris Bosak A Snowy Owl perches on a fence post at Sherwood Island State Park in Westport on Monday, Dec. 23, 2013.

Photo by Chris Bosak
A Snowy Owl perches on a fence post at Sherwood Island State Park in Westport on Monday, Dec. 23, 2013.

 

Downy Woodpeckers in the snow

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Photo by Chris Bosak A female downy woodpecker perches on a birdfeeder stand before heading to the suet feeder during the Dec. 14, 2013, snow fall.

Photo by Chris Bosak
A female downy woodpecker perches on a birdfeeder stand before heading to the suet feeder during the Dec. 14, 2013, snow fall.

The snow always brings a lot of birds to the feeders. The Dec. 14, 2013, snowfall was no exception. Here are a few shots of Downy Woodpeckers in the snow. Juncos, White-throated Sparrows, Mourning Doves and Northern Cardinals ate seeds on the ground below. The Downy Woodpeckers owned the suet cake, other than when a much larger female Hairy Woodpecker swooped in to take over.
Send me your snow bird photos at bozclark@earthlink.net and I’ll post them on my “reader submitted” photo page.

Photo by Chris Bosak A male downy woodpecker perches on a birdfeeder stand before heading to the suet feeder during the Dec. 14, 2013, snow fall.

Photo by Chris Bosak
A male downy woodpecker perches on a birdfeeder stand before heading to the suet feeder during the Dec. 14, 2013, snow fall.

Young Peregrines gotta eat, too

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Photo by Chris Bosak An immature Peregrine Falcon sits on prey at Veterans Park in Norwalk, CT, Dec. 2013.

Photo by Chris Bosak
An immature Peregrine Falcon sits on prey at Veterans Park in Norwalk, CT, Dec. 2013.

Here’s a young Peregrine Falcon eating something or other in the field at Veterans Park in Norwalk, Conn., on Wednesday, Dec. 18. A pair of adult Peregrines and a young one “hang out” near where I work up the river a mile or so. I wonder if this is the same young falcon. At any rate, I didn’t want to close the distance for this photo too much. Young birds — and big ones, too, for that matter — need all the nutrition they can get, especially in winter.

Photo by Chris Bosak An immature Peregrine Falcon sits on prey at Veterans Park in Norwalk, CT, Dec. 2013.

Photo by Chris Bosak
An immature Peregrine Falcon sits on prey at Veterans Park in Norwalk, CT, Dec. 2013.

Eurasian Wigeon video

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Here’s a short video of a Eurasian Wigeon I saw at the Mill Pond in East Norwalk, Conn., on Sunday, Dec. 8, 2013.

Eurasian Wigeon, as the name suggests, are not native to the U.S., but they occasionally show up in flocks of American Wigeon, as was the case here.

Thanks for visiting http://www.birdsofnewengland.com

Nothing like a Peregrine Falcon …

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There’s nothing like a Peregrine Falcon flying past your window at work and landing on a sailboat mast to brighten a drizzly, gray day. I love these little surprises nature throws at us every once in a while. (Photo taken along Norwalk River, Dec. 6, 2013)

Photo by Chris Bosak A Peregrine Falcon rests on a sailboat mast in Norwalk, Conn., Dec. 2013.

Photo by Chris Bosak
A Peregrine Falcon rests on a sailboat mast in Norwalk, Conn., Dec. 2013.

Fall colors for a rainy day

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Photo by Chris Bosak Fall colors abound at a cemetery in Darien, CT, Nov. 2013.

Photo by Chris Bosak
Fall colors abound at a cemetery in Darien, CT, Nov. 2013.

Why we love New England …

With today’s gray, cold weather, I figured I’d lighten up things with a photo I took a mere few weeks ago when the New England landscape was alive with its famous autumn color. Now the trees are bare and the grass is brown. Things change fast in New England. That’s why we love it so much.

Send me your bird and wildlife photos and I’ll put them on my “reader submitted” page.