Bird Island: 3-27-20

Turkey Vulture

A widespread bird

Up close and personal

Roseate Spoonbill

Coming in for a landing

Snowy Egret

Great Egret

Tri-colored Herons on Bird island: 3-27-20

The white plumes on the back of the head are prominent in their breeding plumage.

Sacramento NWR, CA: Feb 2020

Dunlin

Dunlin are an abundant species that nests around the world’s arctic regions. They winter in large flocks along bays, estuaries, and coastlines. They have notably long, curved bills but they don’t probe deeply into mud; instead they tend to feed on invertebrates just barely below the surface.

Western Meadowlark
The western meadowlark is the state bird of six states: Montana, Kansas, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oregon, and Wyoming. The northern cardinal, which represents seven states, is the only bird to hold the status of state bird in more states.

Snow Geese

Northern Harrier on the hunt

Duck potpourri

Pair of Gadwalls in the rear (male on the left)

Pair of Northern Shovelers in the middle (male on the right)

Male American Wigeon in the foreground

Bald Eagle 

Blue Jay preening at one of our ponds

Des Lacs NWR, ND: 7-20

Greater Yellowlegs

Often a slight upturn in the bill helps distinguish The Greater from the Lesser Yellowlegs

Least Flycatcher

Pied-billed Grebe with its chick

• Pied-billed Grebe chicks typically leave the nest the first day after hatching and spend much of their first week riding around on a parent’s back. They usually spend most of their first 3 weeks on or near the nest platform.

Deck shots

Bathing male House Sparrow

Very handsome birds but they, along with European Starlings are non-native exotics and if they disturb our martin colony they can and will be dealt with.

Audio of a Blue Jay and a Fish Crow in our oak

Royal Tern flyby