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Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
The Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (Sphyrapicus varius) is another of those unfortunately-named birds, since the yellow belly is really hard to see. The namers were looking at dead specimens. The sapsucking part is accurate, though; these birds will drill horizontal rows of holes in trees to bleed sap, which they will lap up along with the bugs…
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Springtime
On the water, American Black Ducks in action. Considering the brief but un-Disney-like results to follow, best to look away for the moment since this is an all-ages blog.Up above, the work of a Red-bellied Woodpecker, which he will have to defend against:Unless a Cooper’s Hawk intervenes. It could go either way. Meanwhile:The snowbirds, Dark-eyed…
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Sights
Yesterday, in Brooklyn Bridge Park:A lone female Red-breasted Merganser (Mergus serrator).As a Man of Hair, I do appreciate the random crest feathers.Unexpectedly, a Red-necked Grebe (Podiceps grisegena). I last ran into one in February. The red of the neck, breeding plumage, looks like it is just starting to come in. The bird was spending more…
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Last of the Snowy Owls
Wind-swept and plastic-strewn grasslands at the edge of the city. Can you spot the Snowy Owl (Bubo scandiacus)?Not all of the white blobs here are (unfortunately ubiquitous) white plastic bags. This heavily-barred Snowy is one of this winter’s massive influx of the birds from the Arctic. This bird and its cohort will be trying to…
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Eating Crow
I’ve been hearing and/or seeing crows most days lately in my Brooklyn neighborhood. There seems to be a family of three — as highly social birds, they will maintain multi-generational family units — in the area. The other day I saw one with nesting material in bill. Meanwhile, in other counties of New York (outside…
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Harbinger
One of the earliest arriving birds of Spring is the Eastern Phoebe (Sayornis phoebe). I saw one yesterday in Green-Wood. There was much tail-wagging on the part of the bird, a characteristic of the species when it is perched, and rejoicing on mine (also characteristic of the species). The American Woodcock is an even earlier…
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Redheads and Other Excitements
A pair of Redheads (Aythya americana) in Green-Wood. The male, in front, sports that beacon of a head. These two, along with two slightly smaller female Ring-necked Ducks (Aythya collaris), very craftily kept their distance from me as I circled the blob-shaped Valley Water twice, as I aimed for the best distance and light.Here’s the…
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As spring follows winter
From this past September, a flashback to Adalia bipunctata.As I was trying to photograph another, this one found its way onto my arm. It readily adopted to my fingers for some photos.
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Backyard and Beyond 