A few late warbler photos: redstart and yellowthroat

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Photo by Chris Bosak An American Redstart sings from a perch in Selleck's and Dunlap Woods in Darien, Conn., May 2015.

Photo by Chris Bosak
An American Redstart sings from a perch in Selleck’s and Dunlap Woods in Darien, Conn., May 2015.

Here are a few photos of some late migrating warblers I took Monday at Selleck’s and Dunlap Woods in Darien, Conn. The warbler migration still has some strong days ahead, but don’t wait too long if you haven’t been out there looking for them yet. The warbler migration in New England winds down as the month of May winds down. Let me know what you’re seeing out there.

Photo by Chris Bosak A Common Yellowthroat perches on a broken stalk at Selleck's and Dunlap Woods in May 2015.

Photo by Chris Bosak
A Common Yellowthroat perches on a broken stalk at Selleck’s and Dunlap Woods in May 2015.

What’s your funny caption?

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Photo by Chris Bosak An Eastern Bluebird stretches a wing as it rests on a birdhouse at Mather Meadows in Darien, Conn., April 2015.

Photo by Chris Bosak
An Eastern Bluebird stretches a wing as it rests on a birdhouse at Mather Meadows in Darien, Conn., April 2015.

I posted this photo the other week as part of a story about the Eastern Bluebirds being back at Mather Meadows in Darien, Conn.

It occurred to me that the photo has the potential for a funny caption. I’ll leave that part up to you _ post a comment, or send me an email at bozclark@earthlink.net

What is this bird?

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mystery bird

I was walking through Selleck’s and Dunlap Woods when this bird popped out of a slow-moving stream and jumped up (really flew) onto a nearby branch. The sun was behind the bird so all I got was its silhouette. It doesn’t make for a nice photo, but it gave me an idea for my next “birding quiz.” I haven’t done a birding quiz in a while so here you go …. what is this bird?

Here are some choices:

 

 

A photo for Mother’s Day

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Photo by Chris Bosak A baby mallard stays dry during a rainfall by huddling under its mother's wing.

Photo by Chris Bosak
A baby mallard stays dry during a rainfall by huddling under its mother’s wing.

Here’s a tribute to all moms as Mother’s Day 2015 heads into the evening. This photo pretty much sums up a mother’s love: Take care of the children with no regard for yourself. It was raining on this day and about five little chicks all huddled under the mother Mallard’s wing for shelter. The mother coped with the rain, but the little ones were nice and dry.

If this photo makes you think of your mom, share it with her.

Thanks to all moms!

(Yes, I used this photo for an Easter posting last year, but I like it better as a Mother’s Day “card.”)

A “colorful” little warbler

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Photo by Chris Bosak A Black-and-White Warbler looks throughout an evergreen for food at Selleck's Woods in Darien, Conn., 2015.

Photo by Chris Bosak
A Black-and-White Warbler looks throughout an evergreen for food at Selleck’s Woods in Darien, Conn., 2015.

I saw plenty of warblers on my latest bird walk. Most of them were Yellow-rumped Warblers. I was hoping for more variety, but I’ll take a bunch of Yellow-rumped Warblers any day. There were also Prairie Warblers, Northern Parula, Magnolia Warbler and Chestnut-sided Warbler.

The second-most abundant warbler was the Black-and-White Warbler. True to its name, this warbler has no flashy colors to make it stand out among the leaves. Which is fine because this warbler is usually found on the trunks and lower branches of trees anyway. It’s one of the few warblers that does most of its hunting on the trunks of trees. It will often hunt low in trees, making it one of the easiest warblers to find on a bird walk. Many warblers hunt almost exclusively among the leafy tops of trees, making them very difficult to find.

It may lack the color of other warblers, but it’s still a striking little bird with its streaked plumage.

So what’s your warbler story? Feel free to comment or send me an email.

It’s that time of year again. Warblers abound.

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Photo by Chris Bosak A Prairie Warbler perches in a tree at Selleck's/Dunlap Woods on May 5, 2014.

Photo by Chris Bosak
A Prairie Warbler perches in a tree at Selleck’s/Dunlap Woods on May 5, 2014.

I took a quick walk before work this morning. As usual, I was running behind getting my third-grader to school, so I had only about 15 minutes for this walk. But it was enough to know that we are in what many birders consider the most exciting two weeks of the year. The warbler migration started with a trickle a few weeks ago in New England. Based on what I saw on my quick walk this morning, the warbler season is picking up fast. A Prairie Warbler was the first bird I saw — not a bad start to a walk. A few Yellow Warblers darted here and there, too. Yellow Warblers nest at Selleck’s Woods, so hopefully they are looking to set up shop for the summer.

The walk included a few other warbler species as well as the sounds of other colorful songbirds, such as Baltimore Orioles and Blue-gray Gnatcatchers. It’s a great time to be out there. Let me know what you are seeing.

Here’s a post from last year featuring some of the warblers you may see out there this time of year. Click here.

A few more Osprey photos

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Photo by Chrisi Bosak An Osprey flies into its nest with nesting material at Veterans Park in Norwalk, Conn., April 29, 2015.

Photo by Chrisi Bosak
An Osprey flies into its nest with nesting material at Veterans Park in Norwalk, Conn., April 29, 2015.

Here are a few more photos of the new Osprey nest at Veterans Park in Norwalk, Conn. See previous post for more information about the nest and its Continue reading →

The new Osprey nest in photos

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Photo by Chris Bosak An Osprey adjusts a stick in its nest at Veterans Park in Norwalk, Conn., April 29, 2015.

Photo by Chris Bosak
An Osprey adjusts a stick in its nest at Veterans Park in Norwalk, Conn., April 29, 2015.

Photo by Chris Bosak A male Osprey flies into a nest occupied by its mate at Veterans Park in Norwalk, Conn., April 29, 2015.

Photo by Chris Bosak
A male Osprey flies into a nest occupied by its mate at Veterans Park in Norwalk, Conn., April 29, 2015.

There’s a new Osprey nest in town. Big deal, you may be thinking, Osprey are everywhere these days. Well, that’s true and, of course, that’s a good thing.

This particular Osprey nest is in Veterans Park in Norwalk, Conn., a coastal town in southern New England along the Long Island Sound. What makes this Osprey nest special is its accessibility for people to see. Hopefully when the busy s Continue reading →

Bluebirds are back at Mather Meadows

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Photo by Chris Bosak An Eastern Bluebird stretches a wing as it rests on a birdhouse at Mather Meadows in Darien, Conn., April 2015.

Photo by Chris Bosak
An Eastern Bluebird stretches a wing as it rests on a birdhouse at Mather Meadows in Darien, Conn., April 2015.

Last spring I had a post on this site featuring a pair of Eastern Bluebirds at Mather Meadow, a property of the Darien Land Trust. This weekend I paid a visit to the property again and, sure enough, the bluebirds are back. I checked quickly and noted four blue eggs in the house. It’s so good to see them nesting there year after year. It wouldn’t have been possible without the hard work and determination of so many people at the Darien Land Trust. If the property (which is largely critical meadow property)  Continue reading →