I was lucky to catch a sweet moment between two Cardinals…the male bit the shells off some sunflower seeds and brought the treats to his lady ❤ Love is in the air…its springtime!
Archives
All posts for the month March, 2014
…My last post was about Wood Ducks being a tough duck to get photos of around here…the other day I saw more Wood Ducks and managed some closer photos…and another pair shot…
Another visit to the same spot today and there were 6 Wood Ducks in the same location…the breeding plumage of the males is spectacular.
When spring arrives, birds start chirping again, and animals of all kinds begin their mating rituals. One of the neatest courtship displays is that of the American Woodcock. For most of the year, Woodcocks remain hidden in dense brush, so they aren’t seen very often. But when spring rolls around, male Woodcocks can be seen fluttering around out in the open, hoping to attract a mate. They are only active when light is very low around dawn and dusk, and they make their presence known with distinctive, loud, nasal “PEENT” noises.
Around 7:20 PM last night, at the edge of the parking lot of the local Walmart, we heard some “peenting,” and we were treated to some Woodcock displays. Of all places, Walmart seems the least likely to be a birding hotspot, but the lights from the parking allowed for some great viewing. I was able to snap a picture of one that landed nearby…
The lighting was very tricky, so I will probably return to the Walmart parking lot at dusk soon to attempt some better photos of this awesome bird!
By now, Snowy Owls are front page news in the Northeast…I’ve seen half-a-dozen myself at this point, but this is the first one I have seen in Falmouth. It has been residing in the Salt Pond area of Surf Drive and it has made a couple bold appearances near the road…I snapped this photo from my car…
It could be seen as a bad sign that this bird has grown accustomed to cars, joggers and cyclists passing by, but it is also a good sign to see the bird successfully adapting to its new surroundings. Experts have suggested that this snowy owl phenomenon is a result of a population boom from last year which forced many snowies south in search of wintering territory. Only time will tell how this phenomenon will affect the long-term presence of these magical birds.
I’ve been trying to get photos of all the local male/female duck pairs. Here’s a sample of some of the duck-pair pics I’ve gotten recently. Featured from top left: Red-Breasted Merganser, Canvasback, Lesser Scaup, Ring-Necked Duck, Bufflehead, American Wigeon, American Black Duck, Mallard, Hooded Merganser.
A Snowy Owl on Salt Pond in Falmouth, MA.
I finally got some decent Common Merganser photos including this one of a male taking flight…For a few moments before takeoff, the Common Merganser literally runs on the water.
Yesterday, at South Cape Beach in Mashpee, MA, I found a deceased Barn Owl lying in the marsh. This is an exceptionally rare bird for Cape Cod, so I scooped the specimen up and brought it home to freeze so that it wouldn’t get destroyed.
There have been many Snowy Owls in the area this winter, and I had just finished photographing one nearby, so it would not be surprising to find out that the Barn Owl was a victim of the Snowy. It is a shame for such a rare bird to turn up dead, but it is also exciting to find evidence of one where they were previously undocumented…
The owl was still pretty intact with only one obvious wound in its neck…hopefully when they autopsy this bird they will have some answers as to what caused its demise. The specimen is now wrapped up in my freezer awaiting collection by the curators of the Ornithology Museum at Harvard University.
This is only my second time seeing a Barn Owl…and although this one is dead, it is amazing to see one up close where you can really appreciate the detail in the plumage. A sad story, but a beautiful bird!
