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!

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!

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

Common Redpolls – Finally!

Common Redpolls are nomadic, and their numbers vary from year to year…here where I live they only show up once every few years…this winter happens to be one of those years that they are around, and they finally started coming to my feeders.  I didn’t see any last year, so it was exciting to get some new visitors this year. Redpolls are a small finch with a bright red cap and a small yellow beak.  I got some snaps of one of the more rosy-colored males despite the dim, drizzly weather…

Tufted Duck – Very Rare Visitor

This week, a male Tufted Duck has been seen among a raft of Scaup on a pond in my neighborhood.  These ducks are Eurasian, and only show up in the U.S. when single individuals get blown across the ocean by the weather…it is a pretty rare event.  A rare bird like this draws a lot of attention from birders, and many people travel hours just to get a glimpse of it.  Although the duck spends a lot of time sleeping with its head tucked away, I was able to get a distant snap of the duck that clearly shows the “tuft” on its head.  Other than the tuft, the main features that separates this duck from the rest of the Scaup are the black back and the sharp white flanks.  Fortunately, this pond is 5 minutes from my house, so I did not have to travel far to get a look!

Hooded Mergansers – Breeding Displays

Some video I took recently of Hooded Mergansers doing mating rituals…the males enthusiastically chase the females and bob their heads up and down in an attempt to impress a mate.

Golden-Crowned Kinglet – Best Shot Yet

Last week I posted a blog about how difficult kinglets are to photograph…I was pretty happy with the photo I had, but this one from the other day is definitely my best one yet.  The biggest challenge is to get a clear photo of the bird that also displays the golden crown.  Kinglets are so quick and restless, it is almost impossible to get them to sit still…I am glad I caught this guy with his crown exposed.

Red-Tailed Hawk Destroys Mourning Dove

This immature Red-tailed Hawk completely thrashed an unsuspecting Mourning Dove in my front yard.  I was watching the birds forage for fallen feeder seeds when BAM!…out of nowhere the stealthy Hawk swooped in an flattened the Dove under its talons.  I have seen this same scene play out before, but this was only a few feet away, so I had a front row seat for the action.  The Hawk devoured its meal in just a few bites…it swallowed half the bird in one gulp, bones and all! Here is a quick video I took of this awesome raptor feasting on the Dove…

Fox Sparrow – New Yard Bird

Fox Sparrows are one of the largest of the sparrows…they are even sometimes called “the king of the sparrows.” They also happen to be very nice to look at…while most sparrows are boring brown/gray birds, Fox sparrows come in a warm shade of red, and have a lovely pattern of arrow shapes on their breasts…their vocalizations are also quite enjoyable to listen to.  In my area, Fox Sparrows are a winter bird…we only see them from November to March.  Most of my encounters with Fox Sparrows have been in rural areas, so I was pleasantly surprised to see this one foraging beneath one of the feeders in my front yard.  I had to take this snap through a window pane, so the conditions weren’t ideal, but I am always glad to add another yard bird to my list!