Tag Archives: Chris Bosak

BirdsofNewEngland’s random bird thought of the day: Seeing ducks

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Photo by Chris Bosak Female Hooded Merganaser at Holly Pond in Stamford, CT, Nov. 2013.

Photo by Chris Bosak
Female Hooded Merganaser at Holly Pond in Stamford, CT, Nov. 2013.

Our winter ducks will remain with us for only a few more weeks so be sure to check out your local watering holes for these birds before they are gone.
Some ducks, of course, will remain with us all summer and breed locally, but most of the ducks we have on our waters now will head far north of here shortly. Depending on what part of New England we are talking about, Mallards may be the only duck we see in the summer – with perhaps the occasional tucked away pond holding Wood Ducks. The farther north you go in New England the more duck species there will be.
So get out there and enjoy the mergansers, scaup, grebes, teal, Long-tailed Ducks, Buffleheads and Goldeneye while you can. We won’t see them again until the fall.

BirdsofNewEngland’s random bird thought of the day: Osprey coming back

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Photo by Chris Bosak Osprey eats a fish at Norwalk's Calf Pasture Beach, March 26, 2013.

Photo by Chris Bosak
Osprey eats a fish at Norwalk’s Calf Pasture Beach, March 26, 2013.

Here’s another random bird thought for you.

Ospreys that are born in New England fly to their wintering grounds in South America and do not return the next summer. They come back the second summer when they are of breeding age.

New England’s Osprey population has increased tremendously — especially in coastal areas — over the last decade. Good news!

Some Osprey have returned to New England already, but most will return in late March or early April.

Have a question for my “random thoughts?” Send it to bozclark@earthlink.net

BirdsofNewEngland’s random bird thought of the day: Male Red-winged Blackbirds

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Here’s your random bird thought of the day, brought to you by http://www.birdsofnewengland.com

Photo by Chris Bosak Red-winged Blackbird at Cove Island Wildlife Sanctuary in Stamford, Ct. May 2013.

Photo by Chris Bosak
Red-winged Blackbird at Cove Island Wildlife Sanctuary in Stamford, Ct. May 2013.

Have you heard male Red-winged Blackbirds singing yet? I sure have. Did you know that male Red-winged Blackbirds arrive in New England a few weeks before the females? The males arrive earlier to stake out territory for suitable nesting areas. They sing (konk-a-ree!!) to tell other males that this spot is taken already. Soon they’ll be singing to attract females, which will pick a male that has what they deem to be a good spot for raising youngsters.

Another Snowy Owl sighting in this historic year

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Photo by Chris Bosak A Snowy Owl sits on an old telephone pole at The Coastal Center at Milford Point in early March 2014. Smoke stacks in Bridgeport loom in the background.

Photo by Chris Bosak
A Snowy Owl sits on an old telephone pole at The Coastal Center at Milford Point in early March 2014. Smoke stacks in Bridgeport loom in the background.

It’s no secret by now that this is a historic winter for Snowy Owl sightings throughout New England and beyond. Snowy Owls are large owls that breed in the Arctic. The irruption of Snowies has gained the attention of nearly all media outlets — small, medium and large; newspapers, magazines, radio and television.

It’s hard to ignore such an avian happening. A couple Snowy Owl sightings in a New England winter is the norm. This year there have been dozens, perhaps hundreds. The most recent Audubon magazine has a great article by Scott Weidensaul. I highly recommend reading it.

I saw my first Snowy Owl of this winter in December in Westport, Conn. I saw a few more in January and February in Milford and Stratford, Conn.

On March 1 I had perhaps my best Snowy Owl sighting of the year. It was at the Coastal Center at Milford Point in Milford, Conn. The owl was on the beach and, while I photographed it from a distance, other beach walkers flushed the impressive bird on occasion. Because of the owl’s impressive size I was able to relocate it each time. Such an impressive bird.

My hope is that as many of these beautiful birds as possible make it back to the Arctic. Perhaps they’ll visit us again another winter.

Enjoy these photos. I hope to have a short video ready soon.

Photo by Chris Bosak A Snowy Owl flies across the beach at The Coastal Center at Milford Point in early March 2014.

Photo by Chris Bosak
A Snowy Owl flies across the beach at The Coastal Center at Milford Point in early March 2014.

More photos below (click on “continue reading.”)

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Why are birds attacking my windows?

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My latest For the Birds column was prompted by a question I received from a reader. It was a good question and one I’ve received several times in the past. So here’s my attempt at answering the question: “Why are birds attacking my windows?” (By the way, if you have a bird question for me, feel free to send it to bozclark@earthlink.net.)

…

Photo by Chris Bosak A Northern Cardinal eats berries from a cedar tree.

Photo by Chris Bosak
A Northern Cardinal eats berries from a cedar tree.

The good news is that signs of spring are everywhere in the birding world. The bad news is that this winter doesn’t seem to want to loosen its grip.

So for now let’s focus on the signs of spring and think warm thoughts. Not quite bird related, but I’ve noticed several plants poking out of the ground already. A nearby bed of daylilies has produced several of the plants jutting out about an inch already.
In the bird world, yes, American Robins have been seen in large numbers, but they are not necessarily a sign of spring as many robins stick with us throughout winter. To me, a sure sign of spring is hearing cardinals sing for the first time. Cardinals have been “chipping” or calling all winter to keep in contact with each other, but I’ve heard on a few occasions cardinals singing their famous songs. I assume they were male cardinals, but female cardinals also sing. Cardinals also have a variety of loud, whistling songs.

Read the rest of the column by clicking here.

A few of my snow birds

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Photo by Chris Bosak A Carolina Wren holds onto the bottom of a suet cage during the February 13, 2014, snowstorm.

Photo by Chris Bosak
A Carolina Wren holds onto the bottom of a suet cage during the February 13, 2014, snowstorm.

Photo by Chris Bosak An American Tree Sparrow perches near a feeding station during the snowstorm of Feb. 13, 2014.

Photo by Chris Bosak
An American Tree Sparrow perches near a feeding station during the snowstorm of Feb. 13, 2014.

It was a busy day at the feeder on Thursday as snow fell hard and steady in the morning and afternoon in New England. It was a beautiful scene and I’m sure it played out at many feeding stations throughout the region.

I had the juncos, White-throated Sparrows, cardinals, and Mourning Doves I expected, but I didn’t see a single chickadee, titmouse or nuthatch. Very odd for winter snow day. Starlings and House Sparrows also paid a visit.

The biggest surprises were a Carolina Wren (actually, not too big of a surprise, but a welcomed sight for sure) and an American Tree Sparrow. Tree Sparrows come down to southern New England in the winter, but they are not often seen at feeders. This guy made a few brief visits, but never got real comfortable and was easily chased away by other feeder birds.

 

Many people are sick of the snow, I’m sure, but I love it when it comes to birding.

All in all, a good day at the feeders. How did you do with your feeders? Post a comment, or better yet, send me a photo to bozclark@earthlink.net and I’ll use it in the “Reader Submitted Photos” page on this site. 

Birds and the cold and snow

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Photo by Chris Bosak Purple Sandpiper on rocky island off the coast of Darien, CT. (Dec. 2013)

Photo by Chris Bosak
Purple Sandpiper on rocky island off the coast of Darien, CT. (Dec. 2013)

Here we go again. Another snowstorm is due to hit New England tonight. That mean’s slippery roads and canceled school (if you’re a pessimist) or sled riding and canceled school (if you’re an optimist or kid).

It also means another tough night for our birds. But don’t fret, the birds will be just fine. They’ve been surviving our winters for years and years and will continue to do so.

Here’s my latest For the Birds column about how birds survive winters such as this:

Granted it’s been only three winters since The Hour has moved its offices to East Norwalk along the Norwalk River, but this is clearly the longest the river has been frozen over in that time. Instead of seeing rippling water and the accompanying ducks, geese and swans I usually see, for the last few weeks I’ve looked out the window and seen only a wide, serpentine-like expanse of white. Yes, this winter has been a tough one in New England. Extended freezing temperatures, short thaws (if any at all) and lots of snow. Humans can simply crank up the heat in their cars and homes if they are cold. But what about the birds? How do they survive tough winters like this? Birds and other animals have been surviving harsh winters for eons. True, a small percentage of birds will perish during the winter. This is particularly true of individual birds of a species that typically heads south for the winter. Most Great Blue Herons move south for the winter. Some stick around New England and brave the cold.

To read the rest, click here.

 

Young Peregrine Falcon picks on the wrong bird

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Photo by Chris Bosak A young Herring Gull chases away a young Peregrine Falcon at Holly Pond in Stamford in Jan. 2014.

Photo by Chris Bosak
A young Herring Gull chases away a young Peregrine Falcon at Holly Pond in Stamford in Jan. 2014.

The distance and quickness of the event yielded an admittedly lousy photo, but it’s good enough to show that this young Peregrine Falcon has a lot to learn about what prey to target.

I was at Holly Pond in Stamford, Ct., trying to get some photos of a Hooded Merganser pair swimming in a small pool of water surrounded by ice. Suddenly the entire huge flock of gulls (Ring-billed, Herring and a few Greater Black-backed) that had been resting peacefully on the ice rose into the air started making a racket. I assumed at first that someone nearby had a bag of bread to offer the birds, but they all stayed above the water.

Then I noticed that a young Peregrine Falcon had swooped in on the flock. At this point the falcon was trying to single out individual gulls to pursue. Each chase was short-lived as the falcon quickly realized it was smaller than the birds it was trying to take down. Birds of Prey taking down larger prey is not unheard of, but this falcon did not yet have the strength or experience to handle a gull. It tried on three or four bird, got scolded and chased away, and eventually gave up and perched in a nearby tree.

Hey, you can’t blame the falcon. It was hungry and tried for a big, fat meal. Besides, if you don’t try, you’ll never succeed. The falcon learned a lesson and gained some experience. That’s always good in life.

What’s a snow day without a new junco photo?

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Photo by Chris Bosak Dark-eyed Junco during Jan. 2014 snowstorm.
Photo by Chris Bosak
Dark-eyed Junco during Jan. 2014 snowstorm.

When the snow flies — as it has done often this winter here in New England — you can be sure the Dark-eyed Juncos will come visit. Normally accompanied by at least a few White-throated Sparrows, juncos are typically found under bird feeders looking for fallen seeds. This snowstorm, however, I had juncos on the suet feeder, on the platform feeder and on the ground. So, of course, I had to break out the camera. What’s a snow day without a new junco photo?

Young Peregrine Falcon in flight

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Photo by Chris Bosak A young Peregrine Falcon flies overhead in Norwalk, CT, Dec. 2013.

Photo by Chris Bosak
A young Peregrine Falcon flies overhead in Norwalk, CT, Dec. 2013.

I spotted this young Peregrine Falcon flying around Veterans Park in East Norwalk a few weeks ago. It had a half-eaten prey (a crow, I think) in an open part of the park about 100 yards away, but kept circling around the parking lot where I was. It even has blood on its hooked bill. As many of you know, I’ve been photographing a few Peregrine Falcons along the Norwalk River where I work. (With limited success, admittedly.) This rare and close opportunity was certainly welcomed considering the distance from which I normally have to try to photograph them. Notice the brown plumage of this youngster, as opposed to the blue-gray of the adult.

I have some more photos of this beauty in flight that I will post later.