Photographs taken with a bridge camera journaling nature and everyday life in Central Massachusetts and beyond.
Category: Birds of Massachusetts
This stately Ringed-neck Pheasant dramatically paused on a high stone wall for a few moments. His flamboyant red face mask and iridescent blue neck feathers were clasped by a white neck ring. Completing this regal couture was a train of extravagantly long golden brown tail feathers edged with dark brown bars. After posing gracefully over the rocks, he exited with dignity into the nearby meadow.
I hereby name him, “The Posh Prince”.
Canada Geese goslings explore both open water and pond edge environments under the watchful eyes of their parents.
Tree Swallows, with their deep-blue iridescent backs, are the first swallows to return to Massachusetts in the Spring. They compete with Eastern Bluebirds for nest boxes. These swallows were perched on the bluebird boxes at Wachusett Meadow Audubon Sanctuary.
Red-tailed hawks have excellent vision; they can spot a mouse from 100 feet in the air. Hawks can see the colors that most humans can, as well as those in the ultraviolet range that humans cannot see.
Young Red-tailed Hawks, like the one pictured, have pale yellow eyes. The eyes darken to brown as the birds get older.
Spring is in the air!
Pine Grosbeaks usually inhabit Canada or the far West of the United States. However, this was an “irruption year”, when large numbers of the birds flew south in search of more available food. This bird took no notice of me as I walked up close to her to take pictures. Instead, she focused on an easy meal of crabapples ripe for the taking.
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The first Baltimore Oriole of the season cautiously checked in at the feeder in between rain showers today.
The female Northern Cardinal has taken a keen interest in my garden preparations this week.
American Robins were my quiet and watchful yard companions on a cold and drizzly day.
“Hope” is the thing with feathers –
That perches in the soul –
And sings the tune without the words –
And never stops – at all –
-Emily Dickinson
My table top electric “fire” and the flaming red Northern Cardinal just outside my window cheer me on this rainy New England day.
Canada Geese are often seen near beaver lodges in the early Spring. The activity of the beavers leads to earlier thawing of the ice, providing the geese with a welcome habitat and food resources. This is an example of a symbiotic relationship in nature.
-Wachusett Meadow Audubon, Princeton, MA
White-throated Sparrows, Blue Jays, Cardinals and Juncos don’t seem to mind a hop on the crunchy snow, so long as an abundance of seeds fallen from the bird feeders is on offer.
December brought snow, ice and temperature fluctuations, lending itself to a variety of seasonal photo opportunities.
Happy New Year from New England!
This cheerful Gray Catbird, who I have named “Cat Stevens”, has returned for the Summer. His day (and thus mine, as well) starts around 5:00 a.m. with continuous merry outbursts of a variety of songs delivered from a nearby treetop.
Baltimore Orioles visit my backyard for a short time each year in early May. This acrobatic guest made the most of my hummingbird feeder, cleverly swinging and balancing so he could take a drink.
My point-and-shoot camera enables me to see amazing details, even at a great distance. During a recent walk at Mass Audubon Wachusett Meadow, I thought I saw a nest swinging near the top of a tree. Thanks to my camera, I was delighted to discover that it was really this gorgeous Barred Owl!
The cardinal spreads the news: Yet another Winter Storm Warning for Massachusetts.
Jewel-like colors can be found in lively meadow lands as well as quiet cloisters.
(Window photographed at St. Joseph’s Abbey, Spencer, MA.)
This cardinal at the Wachusett Meadow Audubon in Princeton, MA delights in the action “on the ground” as well as in the treetops.
This Northern Cardinal, high above me on his windy perch, spotted me photographing him. With feathers rustling in the wind, his watchful eye followed me attentively. With a sudden flash of brilliant red, he swooped down to command the bird feeders, constantly checking out the action around him. It wasn’t until he was at ground level that he seemed curiously unconcerned with the small mammals hunting for seeds with him.
Winter birds such as the white-crowned sparrows and dark-eyed juncos have been appearing at the Wachusett Meadow Audubon in Princeton, MA. Surprisingly, I spotted an eastern bluebird still hanging around with them. Perhaps he belongs to a group that has wintered here in recent years.
This juvenile red-tailed hawk frequented the Wachusett Meadow Audubon for several days last week during hawk migration time. It perched quietly in trees near the main buildings, watching the comings and goings of nature enthusiasts. I can’t help but wonder if it was gathering strength for the long journey ahead.
A few days ago, I highlighted a beautiful Canada goose I named Nike in honor of its incredible wings. Yesterday, I was able to consider in more depth features of this prevalent New England bird.
Canada geese arrive at this pond at the Wachusett Meadow Audubon Sanctuary in early Spring and raise families before leaving in the Fall. Likeable and easy-going, they are comfortable co-existing with human visitors. I was able to easily photograph their famed “goose necks”, intricate layers of feathers, startling dark eyes, and bills that are perfectly attuned to their habitat. Because of my intimate visits with them, I no longer consider these engaging and attractive birds “just ordinary geese”!
Robert McCloskey’s “Make Way For Ducklings” (1941) is a classic children’s story of a mallard couple who raise a family in a park in Boston, Massachusetts. When I was a primary school teacher, I read this imaginative book dozens of times to my students.
It was wonderful to pass a peaceful hour observing a real mallard couple at the Audubon. Their vibrant colors, patterns and serene presence were delightful. It was easy to understand why McCloskey chose to feature these creatures in his story.
Recently I was thrilled to witness a Canada Goose displaying its wings in a gorgeous and dramatic fashion. It reminded me of Nike, the goddess of Victory, the sister of Kratos (Strength), Bia (Force), and Zelus (Zeal). She was most often portrayed with wings and was known as a divine charioteer who flew over the battlefield bestowing laurels upon the victors. She was one of the most frequently portrayed symbols on Greek coins.
The adaptable Canada Geese are back on the pond, and don’t seem to mind that it is still partly frozen. After a bit of slip-sliding away on the ice, what could be better than a quick “polar dip”?
These eye-catching ducks, decked out with bold stripes and flamboyant head gear, were back on the pond today. They seemed to enjoy swimming beside the just-arrived Canada geese.
The Audubon says:
“Mergansers are our only ducks that specialize in eating fish. The Hooded is the smallest of our three native merganser species, and often seems to be the least numerous, as it tends to live around swamps and wooded ponds where it may be overlooked. A cavity nester along wooded waterways in the temperate parts of North America, it has probably benefitted by taking advantage of nest boxes put out for Wood Ducks.”
These ducks and a swan at Mount Holyoke College seemed equally at home on ice or in the rushing water.
This White-Throated Sparrow watched me warily from a nearby bush on a recent walk. It only visits in Winter, spending the other seasons in more northern woods. I think that its “lore” (the bright yellow spot near its eye) stands out just as much as its white throat. Unfortunately, I did not hear its unusual call: a slow whistle following the cadence “Poor Sam Peabody, Peabody, Peabody”.
..But a beautiful (and friendly) ruffed grouse I met on a recent walk. Happy Holidays!
I was surrounded by a colorful group today as I opted outside for Black Friday. The Summer birds are long gone, but my Winter feathered friends enlivened the landscape with flashes of red, white, gold and blue.
A bonus: it didn’t take me long to find these birds. They all visited the bird feeders within the space of a half an hour as I sat quietly watching.
This young blue jay was shy for quite a while, but the discovery of the birdbath enticed it to visit. Lately, it has been a daily companion. I have been watching his adult feathers emerge these past weeks. This “common” bird has such detailed and delicate markings!
This juvenile cardinal sometimes eyes me warily, but that hasn’t stopped him from enjoying the bird baths.
