The quirky Ovenbird pays a visit

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Photo by Chris Bosak An Ovenbird stands on a railing in Danbury, Conn., April 2016.

Photo by Chris Bosak
An Ovenbird stands on a railing in Danbury, Conn., April 2016.

The Ovenbird is an odd little warbler. It looks more like a thrush with its light brown plumage and spotted breast, but it is a warbler — a warbler that prefers to walk along the ground instead of fly among the treetops.

It is perhaps most known for its song — the ubiquitous “teacher-teacher-teacher” that rings out from the woods throughout May and June in New England. But just because their song is loud and proud, that doesn’t mean they are easy to find. They lurk among the leaf-strewn forest floor, blending in with their surroundings.

I’ve been lucky enough to have one (or more?) visit my yard over the last few days. I’ve enjoyed the visit, but know it won’t last long. Soon, perhaps it’s even left already, it will head farther north.

Photo by Chris Bosak An Ovenbird perches on a branch in Danbury, Conn., April 2016.

Photo by Chris Bosak
An Ovenbird perches on a branch in Danbury, Conn., April 2016.

Photo by Chris Bosak An Ovenbird stands on a log in Danbury, Conn., April 2016.

Photo by Chris Bosak
An Ovenbird stands on a log in Danbury, Conn., April 2016.

 

Chipping Sparrow visits homemade feeder

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Photo by Chris Bosak A Chipping Sparrow visits a homemade birdfeeder in Danbury, Conn., April 2016.

Photo by Chris Bosak
A Chipping Sparrow visits a homemade birdfeeder in Danbury, Conn., April 2016.

With all the talk of warblers lately it’s easy to overlook the other birds visiting us this time of year. One such non-warbler that has been around in large numbers is the Chipping Sparrow. It’s a handsome, small sparrow and nests throughout New England. It will visit feeders to eat seeds. I’ve had at least four visiting regularly over the last week or so.

The above photo shows a Chipping Sparrow visiting one of the platform birdfeeders I made in the backyard.

Enjoy the spring migration and let me know what you’re seeing out there.

Photo by Chris Bosak A Chipping Sparrow visits a homemade birdfeeder in Danbury, Conn., April 2016.

Photo by Chris Bosak
A Chipping Sparrow visits a homemade birdfeeder in Danbury, Conn., April 2016.

Photo by Chris Bosak A Chipping Sparrow visits a homemade birdfeeder in Danbury, Conn., April 2016.

Photo by Chris Bosak
A Chipping Sparrow visits a homemade birdfeeder in Danbury, Conn., April 2016.

One more of the Palm Warbler

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Photo by Chris Bosak A Palm Warbler perches among pussy willows at Selleck's Woods in Darien, Conn., April 2016.

Photo by Chris Bosak
A Palm Warbler perches among pussy willows at Selleck’s Woods in Darien, Conn., April 2016.

Here’s one more photo of the Palm Warbler, which was the subject of my longer post yesterday.

He strikes an interesting pose here. Any help with the caption?

Thanks for supporting http://www.BirdsofNewEngland.com

Palm Warblers passing through

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Photo by Chris Bosak A Palm Warbler perches among pussy willows at Selleck's Woods in Darien, Conn., April 2016.

Photo by Chris Bosak
A Palm Warbler perches among pussy willows at Selleck’s Woods in Darien, Conn., April 2016.

Palm Warblers are one of the earlier warblers to show up during the spring migration. You’ll know the Palm Warbler by its rusty cap and brown and yellow plumage. Palm Warblers also pump their tails, somewhat distinctive among warblers. I found this guy the other day in Selleck’s Woods in Darien. We’re heading full steam into the spring warbler season!

Here are some more shots of the Palm Warbler.

Photo by Chris Bosak A Palm Warbler perches among pussy willows at Selleck's Woods in Darien, Conn., April 2016.

Photo by Chris Bosak
A Palm Warbler perches among pussy willows at Selleck’s Woods in Darien, Conn., April 2016.

Photo by Chris Bosak A Palm Warbler perches among pussy willows at Selleck's Woods in Darien, Conn., April 2016.

Photo by Chris Bosak
A Palm Warbler perches among pussy willows at Selleck’s Woods in Darien, Conn., April 2016.

Photo by Chris Bosak A Palm Warbler perches on a branch near a pool of water in Selleck's Woods in Darien, Conn., April 2016.

Photo by Chris Bosak
A Palm Warbler perches on a branch near a pool of water in Selleck’s Woods in Darien, Conn., April 2016.

Walking into work today: Great Egret

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Photo by Chris Bosak A Great Egret stands on a deck railing overlooking the Norwalk River in Norwalk, Conn., April 2016.

Photo by Chris Bosak
A Great Egret stands on a deck railing overlooking the Norwalk River in Norwalk, Conn., April 2016.

I parked the car at work, opened the door to get out and noticed a Great Egret standing on the railing of the boardwalk that runs along the Norwalk River. I closed the door, opened the car window, grabbed a few shots of the egret and watched as a guy on his phone completely clueless about his surroundings walked directly toward the impressive bird and chased it away. I was a bit miffed, but then again, let he who has never walked around on the phone completely clueless about his surroundings cast the first stone.

Oh well, not a bad shot anyway, especially with the considerable grayness of the day.

Yellow-rumped Warblers abound so far

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Photo by Chris Bosak A Yellow-rumped Warbler perches on a branch in Selleck's Woods, Darien, Conn., April 2016.

Photo by Chris Bosak
A Yellow-rumped Warbler perches on a branch in Selleck’s Woods, Darien, Conn., April 2016.

So far, early in this warbler season, Yellow-rumped Warblers are by far the most abundant species. That is true pretty much any year, but this year that really seems to be the case. I’ve seen only a handful of the other typical early arrivers — Pine Warblers and Palm Warblers — but dozens of Yellow-rumpeds nearly everywhere I go.

I visited my old favorite spot Selleck’s Woods the other day and Yellow-rumped were everywhere I looked. I also saw a Palm Warbler, two Brown Thrashers and an Eastern Towhee — but Yellow-rumpeds were the dominant species. Not that I’m complaining. How can you complain about such a beautiful bird?

Stay tuned for more warbler photos (I hope so anyway).

Photo by Chris Bosak A Yellow-rumped Warbler perches on a branch in Selleck's Woods, Darien, Conn., April 2016.

Photo by Chris Bosak
A Yellow-rumped Warbler perches on a branch in Selleck’s Woods, Darien, Conn., April 2016.

Another shot of the Saffron Finch (or whatever it is)

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Photo by Chris Bosak
A Saffron Finch (?) lands on the ground to look for food in Brookfield, CT, April 2016.

Here’s one more shot of the Saffron Finch I saw the other day while playing baseball with my son Will. See the previous post for more information. 

At least I think it’s a Saffron Finch. That ID came from a birding expert friend of mine and many agree with him. Some, however, feel it is a finch from Africa. At any rate, it’s likely an escaped pet and not a wild rare bird for New England.

A rarity? Not likely. More like an escapee

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Photo by Chris Bosak An escaped Saffron Finch (?) seen in Brookfield, Conn., April 2016.

Photo by Chris Bosak
An escaped Saffron Finch (?) in Brookfield, Conn,. April 2016.

I thought I had a great bird for the rare bird alert list, but it’s likely just an escaped pet bird. A bright yellow bird flew into a nearby tree as I was practicing baseball with my 9-year-old Will.

I thought it was a Yellow Warbler at first, but rushed for my binoculars for a better view. Yellow Warblers don’t have red heads! I thought it was one of the tanagers, but after consulting with an expert, it is likely a Saffron Finch. These colorful birds are native to South America and are often kept as caged pet birds. That’s likely the case here. Instead of a rarity, I got an escapee.

Thanks Frank for the ID.

Do other experts out there concur?

Photo by Chris Bosak An escaped Saffron Finch (?) seen in Brookfield, Conn., April 2016.

Photo by Chris Bosak
An escaped Saffron Finch (?) in Brookfield, Conn,. April 2016.

Photo by Chris Bosak An escaped Saffron Finch (?) seen in Brookfield, Conn., April 2016.

Photo by Chris Bosak
An escaped Saffron Finch (?) seen in Brookfield, Conn., April 2016.

Photo by Chris Bosak An escaped Saffron Finch (?) in Brookfield, Conn,. April 2016.

Photo by Chris Bosak
An escaped Saffron Finch (?) in Brookfield, Conn,. April 2016.

And the answer is …

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Photo by Chris Bosak A Pied-billed Grebe dips its bill into the water at a pond in Danbury, Conn., April 2016.

Photo by Chris Bosak
A Pied-billed Grebe dips its bill into the water at a pond in Danbury, Conn., April 2016.

Here’s the answer to the latest birding quiz. Thanks for playing along.

The answer is a Pied-billed Grebe. That was the answer that received the most votes, so good job to all my readers!

This one was a bit tricky because one of the most telling field marks of the Pied-Billed Grebe is the dark ring around its bill. In this photo, the portion of the bill with the ring is under water. A full view of the bird is below.

Thanks again for supporting http://www.birdsofnewengland.com

Photo by Chris Bosak A Pied-billed Grebe swims in a pond in Danbury, Conn., April 2016.

Photo by Chris Bosak
A Pied-billed Grebe swims in a pond in Danbury, Conn., April 2016.

New (and more difficult) birding quiz

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Birding quiz

Birding quiz

What exactly are we looking at here? (I know, it’s a little more difficult than my usual quizzes. What the heck, take a stab at it. No penalty for getting it wrong; no prize for getting it right.)

Answer coming up in a day or two.