A Rare Conglomeration of Geese

2 Greater White-fronted Geese, 2 Snow Geese, and 2 Canada Geese all foraging together on a local ballfield. Both Greater White-fronted Geese and Snow Geese are rarities here on Cape Cod, so to get such an unusual conglomeration of all 3 Goose species was quite the treat the other morning. Canada Geese are common year-round birds here…Snow Geese, while unusual on Cape Cod, are not completely unheard of…White-fronted Geese, however, are very rare for this area. I didn’t approach the Geese too closely, because I didn’t wan’t to scare them away, so photographs were distant…but this rare grouping of birds was still fun to capture.

Life Bird #400: Canada Warbler

This lovely Canada Warbler had the lucky distinction of being my 400th life bird! I was lucky to get some looks at this awesome bird the other morning…he was one of the last few warblers I hadn’t seen yet.  I’m not sure how long it will take before I reach 500, but this milestone feels great…I can’t wait to see more!

Life Bird #399 – Blackburnian Warbler

This beautiful male Blackburnian Warbler was a very special life bird #399 for me and my wife this morning.  They are very tough to come by on Cape Cod, so we were very lucky to get a glimpse of this little gem.  It wasn’t an amazing photo opportunity, but I was still able to snag a pic before he flew away.  This bird was definitely on my target list, and I was super happy to check him off, finally!

Black-and-white Warbler Up Close

The spring warblers are coming through and this black-and-white was eager to show himself off. I got a terrific photo opportunity with this beautiful warbler in some great morning light, and it was happy to pose for me. I wish every bird confrontation were this ideal!

Tricolored Heron In Falmouth

In their normal range, Tricolored Herons aren’t all that uncommon, but here in Massachusetts, they are tough to come by…there may be one, or two appearances a year during migration season. I have seen Tricolored Herons before in Florida, so this wasn’t a life bird, but it was a new state bird for me. As their name suggests, Tricolored Herons are multicolored in shades of blue, white, and red. Fortunately, this heron decided to make a stop in a marsh very close to where I live, so I didn’t have to go far to catch a glimpse and get some pictures!

Woodcocks at Walmart

American Woodcocks are strange, secretive birds. The males come out at dusk in springtime to sing and dance for the ladies..They bob up and down, fly around, and make loud, nasal “peeent!” noises. I photographed this one at the edge of the local Walmart parking lot of all places. It’s an odd location to see such an interesting bird, but it lies adjacent to their preferred wet, swampy habitat. The ambient light from the parking lot let me get close enough to get a snap of this one.

Peregrine Falcon At The MBL In Woods Hole

Peregrine Falcons are the fastest birds in the world…they have been clocked at 175 mph! This Peregrine Falcon has been hanging out on the MBL Lille Building in Woods Hole. Tall buildings are perfect artificial cliff faces for Falcons to dive from, so they often set up shop on these high ledges. In serendipitous fashion, this building is right across the street from a statue dedicated to Rachel Carson, the woman responsible for helping to ban DDT…the pesticide which put Peregrine Falcon’s on the endangered species list. Perhaps this Falcon wishes to give thanks to Carson for saving its life! Maybe it wants to learn some science at the MBL…or maybe this is just an awesome spot from which to hunt!

Red-Crested Cardinal – Hawaiian Highlight

We saw many new birds during our 2 day layover in Hawaii. A highlight for me was the Red-crested Cardinal…similar in shape and size to other Cardinals, but colored with a much brighter shade of red. What a beauty!

New Zealand’s Birds of Prey

The Morepork, also known as the Tasmanian Spotted Owl, Boobook, or ruru, is the only remaining native owl species in New Zealand.

The Swamp Harrier, also known as the Australasian harrier, or kāhu, is the only native hawk species in New Zealand.

The New Zealand falcon, also known as kārearea, is the only remaining bird of prey endemic to New Zealand.

Adventure on Tiritiri Matangi Island in Auckland New Zealand

My wife and I just got back from New Zealand, where I was able to pick up almost a hundred life birds! We stayed overnight on an island bird sanctuary near Auckland called Tiritiri Matangi…there are several critically endangered species kept on the island, and we were even able to see a Little Spotted Kiwi at night! Many New Zealanders haven’t even seen a Kiwi in the wild, so that was a special treat for us.  Here are some photos of the many species we encountered during our stay on Tiritiri…

The critically endangered Takahe (pronounced TAH-KAH-HAY) was once thought to be extinct, but after a few were found 50 years ago, their numbers have grown to a couple hundred…efforts to breed them in captivity have been difficult.  Tiritiri is one of the only places you can still see this species. Large, and flightless, the Takahe is probably the closest thing you can see to a living Moa…

Brown Quail:  A cute, stout little bird that can be seen waddling on the ground in small groups…

Another critically endangered bird found on Tiritiri is the Brown Teal…once common in New Zealand, their numbers have plummeted due to hunting and habitat loss, and now they are fighting for survival…

A common, well-known, and respected bird in New Zealand is the Pukeko (Purple Swamphen)…They are related to the Takahe, but are smaller and more slender overall. Pukeko can be seen in most areas, and many are domesticated, often approaching people and stealing their lunches…

One of New Zealand’s most famous songsters is the Tui…

Red-crowned Parakeet:

One of our favorite birds we spotted on the island was the Spotless Crake…a small rail-type bird, Crakes are very secretive in their wetland habitat, and can be very tough to spot…we sat patiently for 20 minutes to get a good look at this one…

Whiteheads are common on the island, but are threatened on the mainland…

New Zealand Robins are curious birds that will come right up to you in hopes of finding stirred-up insects where you have recently trodden…

New Zealand Bellbirds got their name from the chiming chorus of their dawn-song…

The Stitchbird, or “Hihi” is an endangered bird that is being studied on the island…they were also once common, but have fallen on hard times…

The only native species of Kingfisher in New Zealand is the Sacred Kingfisher…

Another endangered bird being protected on the island is the Kokako…their populations have been decimated by invasive mammals like stoats, and possums…many people miss seeing a Kokako on Tiritiri, but this was one of three we were able to spot!…

Common on Tiritiri, but endangered in the rest of New Zealand, the Saddleback is related to the Kokako, and has had similar troubles with non-native predators…their name obviously comes from the saddle-like coloration on their back…

Fernbird: Another threatened species…

The New Zealand Pigeon is an enormous, and coloful pigeon with an impressive wingspan…

The Variable Oystercatcher is often seen on New Zealand’s coastlines, but is also a threatened bird…

White-faced Herons are common in New Zealand…

A Little Pied Shag is one of the New Zealand versions of what we call Cormorants in America…

The New Zealand Fantail is a friendly little bird that loves attention, and will fan its tail feathers and put on a great show for you…

At night we went on a bush-walk and heard some Moreporks (Owls) calling, and we also saw a Little Spotted Kiwi…unfortunately we weren’t able to photograph the Kiwi, but it was an awesome treat nonetheless! Among the other birds we spotted on the island: Swamp Harrier, Eastern Rosella, Rifleman, Little Blue Penguin, Pied Shag, Spotted Shag, Fluttering Shearwater, Australasian Gannet, Yellowhammer, Silvereye, Grey Warbler, Red-billed Gull, Black-billed Gull, and Kelp Gull