More photos leftover from 2016: Male and female downies

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Photo by Chris Bosak A male Downy Woodpecker eats from a homemade platform feeder in Danbury, Conn., fall 2016.

Photo by Chris Bosak
A male Downy Woodpecker eats from a homemade platform feeder in Danbury, Conn., fall 2016.

Here are a few more photos that I took in 2016 that never saw the light of day. These photos are good for showing the difference between male and female Downy Woodpeckers. With many woodpeckers, the male shows more red than the female. In the case of the downy (and hairy), the female lack red altogether.

Photo by Chris Bosak A female Downy Woodpecker eats from a homemade platform feeder in Danbury, Conn., fall 2016.

Photo by Chris Bosak
A female Downy Woodpecker eats from a homemade platform feeder in Danbury, Conn., fall 2016.

Another leftover shot from 2016

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Photo by Chris Bosak A Great Blue Heron hunts in a pond in Danbury, Conn., September 2016.

Photo by Chris Bosak
A Great Blue Heron hunts in a pond in Danbury, Conn., September 2016.

Here’s another shot I took last year that never made it to the site … until now.

Some leftover photos from 2016

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Photo by Chris Bosak A Pied-billed Grebe catches a fish in a pond in Danbury, Conn., November 2016.

Photo by Chris Bosak
A Pied-billed Grebe catches a fish in a pond in Danbury, Conn., November 2016.

It’s officially 2017. Happy New Year to all Birds of New England readers! As I did last year, I’m going to use the first few days of the new year to publish a few photos left over from the previous year that never saw the light of day, for whatever reason. Enjoy and I wish you all a great year of birding in 2017.

The above photo is another shot of the Pied-billed Grebe I saw a month or so ago in Danbury, Conn., eating a fish. Below is the original shot I published back in November.

Photo by Chris Bosak A Pied-billed Grebe catches a fish in a pond in Danbury, Conn., November 2016.

Photo by Chris Bosak
A Pied-billed Grebe catches a fish in a pond in Danbury, Conn., November 2016.

A few hoodies to end the year

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Photo by Chris Bosak A Hooded Merganser swims in a pond in Danbury, Conn., Dec. 2016.

Photo by Chris Bosak
A Hooded Merganser swims in a pond in Danbury, Conn., Dec. 2016.

Here’s a nice male Hooded Merganser I spotted at a pond in Danbury, Conn., on the second-to-last day of 2016. Goodbye 2016. Let’s see what 2017 brings us.

Happy New Year and thanks for supporting http://www.BirdsofNewEngland.com in 2016.

Photo by Chris Bosak A Hooded Merganser swims in a pond in Danbury, Conn., Dec. 2016.

Photo by Chris Bosak
A Hooded Merganser swims in a pond in Danbury, Conn., Dec. 2016.

Gardening: Bring in the birds this winter

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Photo credit – Gardener’s Supply Company

Photo credit – Gardener’s Supply Company

By Melinda Myers

Brighten your winter days by inviting birds into your landscape. Their beauty and motion help enliven the garden and lighten your spirit. Not only do they provide entertainment, but also an opportunity for all ages to stay involved with nature year-round.

Increase the number of visitors to your yard by including all the essentials these winged visitors need; food, shelter and water.

Plants are the easiest way to bring birds into your landscape. These natural feeders provide seasonal food and shelter for the birds. Take a walk through your yard and look for trees, shrubs and perennials that provide food and evergreens that provide year-round shelter.  Plan on adding a few of their favorites that provide food and shelter and seasonal beauty you can enjoy. Continue reading →

Latest For the Birds column: Another Christmas Bird Count in the books

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Photo by Chris Bosak A large flock of Brant at Calf Pasture Beach, April 2015.

Photo by Chris Bosak
Brant were once again numerous at Calf Pasture Beach in Norwalk, Conn., during the 2016 Christmas Bird Count.

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

…

Buffleheads were everywhere. Not in great numbers, particularly, but they were everywhere we looked.

Norwalk Harbor, Norwalk River, Long Island Sound off Calf Pasture and Cedar Point Yacht Club, the small pond at Taylor Farm … it seemed the bufflehead was the duck of the day for the most recent Christmas Bird Count. As I have for the past 16 years or so, I participated in the Westport Circle count and covered East Norwalk with Frank Mantlik.

The Christmas Bird Count is the world’s largest citizen science program, with data going back to 1900. The data helps scientists track bird populations and is valuable in determining what steps, if any, need to be taken to help certain species.

Frank and I found a total of 53 species, which is about typical for us. The weather was wet and gray, so that may account for the slightly lower total. I can’t complain, though; Continue reading →

Merry Christmas from BirdsofNewEngland.com

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Photo by Chris Bosak A Red-tailed Hawk perches in an evergreen in Brookfield, Conn., winter 2016.

Photo by Chris Bosak
A Red-tailed Hawk perches in an evergreen in Brookfield, Conn., winter 2016.

I know it’s not your traditional Christmas greeting photo with a Northern Cardinal sitting on an evergreen bough as snow covers the background. But whoever said I follow the rules all the time?

I got these photos the other day while driving through Brookfield, Conn., as the sun was rising for the day. The scene was awash in the golden light of the dawn and the Red-tailed Hawk stood out clear as day on the dark green evergreen.

Merry Christmas and happy holiday to those who view and enjoy http://www.BirdsofNewEngland.com. Thanks for your support!

Photo by Chris Bosak A Red-tailed Hawk perches in an evergreen in Brookfield, Conn., winter 2016.

Photo by Chris Bosak
A Red-tailed Hawk perches in an evergreen in Brookfield, Conn., winter 2016.

The fox and the mouse (guess who wins)

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Photo by Chris Bosak A Red Fox finds a mouse on a driveway in Brookfield, Conn., winter 2016.

Photo by Chris Bosak
A Red Fox finds a mouse on a driveway in Brookfield, Conn., winter 2016.

Photo by Chris Bosak A Red Fox eats a mouse on a driveway in Brookfield, Conn., winter 2016.

Photo by Chris Bosak
A Red Fox eats a mouse on a driveway in Brookfield, Conn., winter 2016.

I was driving around this morning looking for a photo to take for work. When I found the perfect subject – just a sign in a yard to illustrate a story I’m working on – a Red Fox scampered through the scene and crossed right in front of the sign I was photographing anyway.

As the fox continued across the property it paused on the driveway to eat a mouse. I’m not sure if the fox caught the mouse right then and there, or if the mouse was already dead on the driveway and therefore an easy meal. My guess is that the mouse was already dead, perhaps getting run over by the property owner earlier that morning.

At any rate, the fox paused just long enough to pick up the mouse with its jaws, take three or four bites to position the mouse just right and gulped it down.

That is usually the type of thing I see when I don’t have my camera handy. I was lucky this time.

Don’t worry, I’ll have a more pleasant post for Christmas!

Red-breasted Nuthatch poses for close-up

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Photo by Chris Bosak A Red-breasted Nuthatch grabs a sunflower seed from a feeder in Danbury, Conn., in Dec. 2016.

Photo by Chris Bosak
A Red-breasted Nuthatch grabs a sunflower seed from a feeder in Danbury, Conn., in Dec. 2016.

It’s been a good year for Red-breasted Nuthatches in southern New England. Here’s another one that visited my feeder this winter (even though winter hasn’t officially started yet.)

Living in the woods

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It’s been about a year and a half since I bought a house in the woods. It’s not exactly isolated like Thoreau’s cabin on Walden Pond, but it is in the woods nonetheless. Every once in a while a scene catches my eye and I need to grab a photo of it, even with my iPhone.

If it doesn’t include a bird in the photo, I typically do not post it to this site. With this photo I will start posting them more often. Otherwise the photos never see the light of day. The woods are just too cool not to share.

Below is the color version. Which one do you like better?

ax-snow