Tag: birding

Brown Pelicans of Assateague Island

What do people think of when they hear of Assateague Island? Many think of the wild horses and the pony swim from Assateague to Chincoteague Island. The pony swim was yesterday. However, there is much in terms of wildlife to see at Assateague. One bird that is prevalent is the brown pelican.

Breeding Adult Brown Pelicans

Brown Pelicans of Assateague Island

I made a world wind trip to Assateague earlier in the week. I injured my knee a few months ago and only have small windows to make short trips. Brown pelicans like to fly above the surf. I have seen them early in the morning at sunrise and at other times during the day.

Brown Pelicans of Assateague Island

They will fly solo or in small groups.

Brown Pelicans of Assateague Island

Sometimes they gather together in small groups on the beach or out beyond the surf. I was lucky to see the two above on the beach. Maryland and New Jersey are in it’s breeding range.

Juvenile BRown Pelicans

Brown Pelicans of Assateague Island

Juvenile brown pelicans are mostly brown. The adults have more white around their heads. A few juveniles were hanging out with some adults.

Brown Pelicans of Assateague Island

According to all About Birds, “They have thin necks and very long bills with a stretchy throat pouch used for capturing fish.” They scoop them up in their throat pouches, which are expandable. According to the NPS.gov site they also use their neck pouches to cool off on a hot day.

This year was the first trip I have seen the pelicans this close. They flew closer to land at the beach and over land. I have not seen them standing on the beach before on previous trips. Even though I only had a short window it was a great trip.

Are You Lost?

The black-bellied whistling-duck lives along the coasts of Mexico, Central and South America and small slivers of Texas and Arizona. Which location did I see this duck? None of the above. I saw this in New York.

From All About Birds- The shaded areas show where they normally are.

According to All About Birds these are the locations these ducks should be in the shaded areas of the map.

Are You Lost? Black-Bellied Whistling-Duck- They spent a lot of time with their heads under the water. They eat grasses and and a variety of aquatic animals including snails and insects. All About Birds says they typically forage at night. They dabble in ponds or forage in fields.

It is going back and forth between a river and a pond like area. It is not alone but with a few others of its kind. Why is it here? Did a storm blow it all the way up here? Is this a result of a dwindling food in its normal spots? Are birds loosing their directional sense? Do they have wanderlust? Is it getting too hot in the areas they normally are? Did someone capture these or buy them to have in the US and they successfully staged a group escape? It is a mystery.

Are you lost?

If they nest up here, nest predators would be raccoons and rat snakes. Great horned owls could take the adults. There maybe a great horned owl family nearby and I almost stepped on a what looked to be a black rat snake. Being near a river, there are bald eagles close by.

Are you lost?

These pictures were taken from a road with a zoom lens and were cropped. I will not go where I am not supposed to be. I do not go on private land without permission. It was a cloudy, dark day. We have had a lot of those. Maybe in the future if these creatures are still there, I can capture them in better light. Expect the unexpected. Happy Thursday!

Female Northern Harrier

Northern Harriers are one type of hawk native to North America. It is one hawk I mainly see in winter.

Female Northern Harrier

Food

Northern harriers hunt small mammals and birds. They can get rabbits and ducks. During winter, when I see them, they mainly go after voles and mice. This one is carrying grass, but I am not sure if there is a vole or mouse amongst it.

Female Northern Harrier

Hunting behaviour

I have found these birds in grasslands where they fly quite low going often between the grasses. Harriers hunt during the daytime. They can also hover then dive while hunting. Harriers rely on hearing and sight to capture their prey. I have seen them chase after and steal a vole from a short-eared owl in late afternoon.

Nesting Behaviour

Northern harriers will roost in groups on the ground, sometimes with Short-Eared Owls, according to All About Birds. Because they roost on the ground, animals such as coyotes and feral dogs will go after adult northern harriers.

Female Northern Harrier

These are fascinating birds to watch. I love seeing them hover and chase after the short-eared owls. Have a great Wednesday!

Short-Eared Owl in a Tree Jan. 2025

I have been catching every illness it seems coming into work since December. Therefore, I have not made any trips and have stayed close to home. If I can see an owl near a road I drive on, all the better. Luckily I have seen, two since December from a road. This short-eared owl was close to a road.

Short-Eared Owl in a Tree January 2025- sun was behind the clouds

It was near a bird feeder that was active and a lot of small birds were raising cain in the woods around the owl. I was wondering if it would go after birds visiting the bird feeder. Someone has told me they don’t, however by logic it would be a possibility as barred, great horned, and snowies will get a bird. According the the NYSDEC website:

Short-Eared Owl in a Tree January 2025- Looking towards the bird feeder ‘s direction.

Short-eared owls are the most diurnal (active during the day) of all the northeastern owls. They are most often observed in the late afternoon and at dawn or dusk. These birds eat primarily small mammals, but they occasionally take smallbirds, and the young sometimes eat insects. 

If it chooses to land on a tree in good sight of a bird feeder, it is watching the bird feeder, it is probably contemplating a bird for dinner.

You usually do not see the ear tufts on the short-eared owl. I thought it could have been because of the wind, however, according to National Park Service website:

“The ear tufts of the short-eared owl (Asio flammeus, family Strigidae) are inconspicuous until the owl becomes defensive or curious, at which point the whole facial expression changes: feathers around the nose may flatten and eyes narrow slightly.”

Short-Eared Owl in a Tree January 2025- Sun behind the clouds

It seemed to be both curious about the bird feeder and defensive as many little birds nearby were expressing their displeasure at its presence. Have a great week!

Red-Tailed Diva

This hawk wants all the attention. She flies close to people. Sometimes she flies by us with her catch. Sometimes she lands near us to catch vole. Other times she brings her catch to a post or tree close to where people are allowed to stand so we can admire her hunting ability. It is a red-tailed diva.

Red-Tailed Diva Flying from a bird house on the hunt.
Red -Tailed Diva – This time it caught a bird. Goldfinch?

She flew from the top of a bird house to an area with short grasses and had a bird. I did not see her catch it. Not sure if she caught it in mid-air or what. Yes, different kinds of hawks will stalk bird feeders.

Red-Tailed Diva- She flew to a post with her catch faced the photographers and let us get a good view of her catch. This one is facing us.
Red Tailed Diva- Then she posed and gave us a side view.

Do any animals act like divas around you? This one seems to be a diva for camera clicks. Enjoy your weekend.

Icelandic Gull

One very windy Sunday morning I went down to see if I could spot loons wintering near one New England Beach, which they usually do. No luck spotting any, however, I saw this gull which appeared to be picking up a rock, but I am sure it is a shell.

Icelandic Gull

Merlin gives three choices for this gull. The first one is an Icelandic Gull. If I am wrong, let me know. The other two to me do not look that close to this one. It is hard to tell with the early morning light, but it appears to be an immature. The east coast of the northern US is within the range for the non breeding gulls. Only some of the gulls migrate south for the winter. Many stay in the arctic all year.

Icelandic Gull- flying off towards the jetty

The gull appeared to be heading in the direction of the jetty. Possibly it would try to crack the shell open there? Have a great weekend.

Red-Tailed Star 2

The short-eared owls do not always come up during good light. So what do you do? We can watch the accommodating Red-Tailed Hawk.

Red-Tailed Star 2 – landing on a post

This hawk stays close to where the photographers and other visitors are allowed to stand. She goes between a roof, chimney, posts, trees etc. She provides us all ample opportunities to see her. She even lands on the railing of the photography platforms while people are on it.

Red-Tailed Star 2 – with a vole

Sometimes she brings the voles she catches to a post to sit on and eat in full view.

Red-Tailed Star 2 – with a vole- close up

I walk this location in warmer months when all the trails are open. You can stop anywhere on the trails around this place and hear a vole moving around in the grass. I think all the owls and hawks do not have to worry about competition or their food supply.

Red-Tailed Star Two- Flying Up to a Post
Red-Tailed Star 2- Actively Hunting From a Post

Wildlife is fun to watch, especially when they are so accommodating. Have a great rest of your week.

Moorhen

I viewed both moorhens and coots in Royal Parks in London. The moorhen reminds me of another bird, the American Coot. Coots and moorhens are related. How are they alike and different?

Moorhen

To me the major similarity are the legs and feet. I describe them as lizard like. They both are omnivores and eat plants and small animals. In addition they both have a reddish tint to their eyes. Both Moorhens and Coots can be seen in England and parts of the U.S. I have yet to see a moorhen in the US. They are also both known to hang around near ducks.

Moorhen

They do differ in some ways. Coots are more black in plumage while Moorhens have black and brownish colouring. Moorhens have a red face shield and a yellow beak, while coots have a white face shield and beak.

Did you know these birds are also known as swamp chickens? It may be because the body looks like that of a chicken. In old English they were known as morhens. In old English mor means marsh. Do you know any other birds that have interesting nicknames?

Ruby-Crowned Kinglet

This bird was tough to snap a picture of. It seemed to be ADHD. It moved quickly from tree to tree and branch to branch. I believe it is a Ruby-Crowned Kinglet. If I am wrong let me know.

Ruby-Crowned Kinglet

Ruby Crowned Kinglets are said to be hyperactive, which definitely fits this bird. This type of kinglet is said to have an uneven eye ring, which this one does. The Ruby-Crowned Kinglet is said to have brighter greenish edges on the wing and tail feathers, which you can see here.

Ruby-Crowned Kinglet

This bird was in a wooded area right next to the Hudson River in an area with different kinds of birds.

Ruby Crowned Kinglet

According to Merlin, the ruby crown is only on the males and is usually hidden. If it becomes agitated you might see it.

This bird was interesting to observe. The Hudson Valley in Southern NY is actually in its non-breeding range. What birds have you caught during this migration?

Glossy Ibis

This was another first for me. Owls occupy most of my birding. I saw the glossy ibis at a large wildlife refuge in Central New York during a long weekend vacation trip.

Glossy Ibis Central New York

All of these are quite far away taken with a zoom lens and heavily cropped. The first day I was there they mainly stuck to hiding amongst the plants. They were farther away the first day and luckily someone at the refuge with a powerful spotting scope located and let me view them.

Glossy Ibis

They seemed to stick to the island like areas in the wetlands and occasionally on the second day went in the water. They came closer the second day and these images are from then.

Glossy Ibis – Two

There were two of them. Sometimes they were close together and other times they were near to each other, but not that close.

These images are not that great, but I was happy to see them regardless. Maybe sometime in the future I can witness them up closer. Have a great week.