It’s mating season for wild turkeys. I’ve seen them several times in various habitats. I got this guy at an interesting location. More on that coming soon.
Turkey mating season
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For the Birds: Patience is key to spring migration
Late March and early April can be a tough time for birdwatchers as we are in the slow build up to spring migration.
The spring migration actually starts sometime in February when the first male red-winged blackbirds arrive. It’s a nice sight (and sound) when they return to our swamps, but it’s pretty much just a tease as we know winter will continue, and it will be several weeks until other birds start to show up.
American woodcocks and eastern phoebes return to New England around the middle of March. A few weeks later, ospreys arrive. The build up can be excruciatingly
Continue readingFor the Birds: March is an interesting time for birdwatchers
March is a crazy and unpredictable month for wildlife watching.
One day you’re completely absorbed by winter. You bundle up, head outdoors and see all the nature that our coldest months have to offer.
The next day it appears as if spring has the upper hand. The winter birds seem to have disappeared and early migrants, such as red-winged blackbirds and eastern phoebes, fill the warm air with breeding and territorial songs. In the evening, the chorus of spring peepers dominates the airwaves.
Continue readingCrocuses are out; could it be spring?
There are many “first signs of spring.” Among them are crocuses, which are in bloom at my place of work in New England. I’ve also seen daffodils and a few other flowers that are beyond my identification skills. I don’t want to jinx it because New England weather can be goofy, but welcome to spring.
Continue readingMore bluebird photos
Here are a few more photos of the eastern bluebirds I saw at the cemetery a few weeks ago. Here’s the original post with story.
For the Birds: Winter of the Bluebird – again
It looks like another Winter of the Bluebird.
In recent years, I have proclaimed our coldest season as the Winter of … whatever bird is being seen in unusually high numbers that winter. I remember the Winter of the Snowy Owl in 2014 and the Winter of the Barred Owl in 2019 (that winter was crazy with all the owls being seen throughout New England.) Juncos and robins have also made the list.
But this year, for the second time in three years, it has to be the Winter of the Bluebird. It is the first repeat selection. I should probably mention here that this is strictly my own proclamation based on my personal experiences and emails received from readers. There is absolutely nothing scientific about this.
I’ve seen bluebirds in a variety of locations this winter. I haven’t been lucky enough to attract them to my house, but I have received several emails from readers who have seen bluebirds in their yards. Many readers have sent along photos, which I appreciate and post to my blog.
Continue readingFor the Birds: March is a good time for ducks
March is a good time to look for ducks, assuming, of course, there is some open water.
I took a short drive the other day to a large reservoir and found that the water was still largely frozen. There were plenty of open spots, however, and one, in particular, caught my attention. I saw mallards from a distance and zeroed in to see if anything else was lurking there.
The mallards I had seen were not mallards at all but a pair of American black ducks. Male and female black ducks resemble female mallards from a distance with their overall bland coloring and similar size and shape. A closer look revealed the black duck’s darker coloration. Male black ducks also have a yellow bill, similar to a male mallard’s bill. The females of both species have duller bills.
Continue readingFor the Birds: Robins are bountiful this winter
It appears to be a good winter for juncos, blue jays and goldfinches, based on feedback from readers. Other than a few reports of pine siskins, it doesn’t seem to be a particularly strong winter for the typical irruptive species as sightings of redpolls, grosbeaks and red-breasted nuthatches have been scarce.
I’ll add American robin to the list of birds that have been seen in abundance this winter. This doesn’t mean that spring is here already, of course. As I write this, a winter storm is predicted for the next day. Several more weeks of winter-like weather are ahead of us, I’m sorry to say.
Continue readingA few more burrowing owls shots
I know it’s out of my turf, but I can’t post just one photo of the burrowing owls I saw during a recent trip to southwestern Florida. So here are a few more. Click here for more photos from Florida.
Redpolls and siskins north of the border
My friend Andrée from Quebec sent me a bunch of photos from her yard this winter. The siskin and redpoll numbers are staggering. The photos speak for themselves … Thanks Andrée.
Birds of New England.com 