Many birders are familiar with this small migratory shorebird and some know of its endangered status. Not to mention the fact that they’re adorable. But there’s a lot more about Piping Plovers (PIPL) than their good looks. There are two subspecies in three distinct populations of Piping Plovers. The Atlantic coast has its own subspecies (Charadrius melodus melodus) while the internal … Read More
Things That Look Like Snowy Owls
With an apparent Snowy Owl invasion upon us this winter, the excitement over viewing such a majestic creature cannot be overstated. Snowy Owls are truly one of the natural world’s most awesome birds, and no one can fault you for being ecstatic about finding one in the Northeast, Midwest, or anywhere! Yet, regardless of location, weather conditions, or birding experience, … Read More
MacGillivray’s Warbler – Highspire, Pennsylvania
After close observation between yesterday afternoon and this morning, as well as consulting with warbler experts, it seems the tricky Geothlypis warbler found yesterday by Sue Hannon at Highspire Rreservoir Park is the 2nd PA state record of MacGillivray’s Warbler! This morning, the bird was mostly seen along the boardwalk on the the north side of the lake, foraging low … Read More
Tricky Geothlypis Warbler – Harrisburg, PA
Check out these photos taken by Sue Hannon of a Geothlypis warbler found today in Highspire Park near Harrisburg, PA. The bird is absolutely a Mourning OR MacGillivray’s Warbler, but which one? The eyering is thicker on the top of the eye and below the eye, but there is a narrow line connecting them behind the eye. The white-ish throat, blue … Read More
ANSWERS–Grab Bag Bird ID Quiz
Here are the much anticipated results for the most recent bird id quiz. They are in the same order as the quiz photos. If you haven’t tried your luck with the ID quiz, read no further and go test your skills on the 5 tricky photos. Then you can come back to see how you did.
A Grab Bag Bird ID Quiz
With fall migration and field seasons wrapping up, why not test those skills you honed during the season with an id quiz? So try to identify the following birds! There’s several taxa presented from a variety of locations. Put your answers in the comment section. They will be kept hidden from public view until the answers are announced. Good luck! … Read More
Lincoln’s Sparrow vs. Song Sparrow – PSU Fall Banding
Overcast skies and a nice breeze made for a more relaxed morning of bird banding, but the flocks of White-throated Sparrows moving through kept us busy. In total we banded 2 Eastern Phoebes, 1 Blue-headed Vireo, 3 Gray Catbirds, 1 Eastern Towhee, 2 Song Sparrows, 1 Lincoln’s Sparrow, 38 White-throated Sparrows, 5 Northern Cardinals. We also had a number of … Read More
Thrush Comparison – PSU Fall Banding
Yesterday morning we captured and banded 71 individual birds. Forty-nine of those were White-throated Sparrows. The remaining 22 birds consisted of 4 Black-capped Chickadees, a recapture Tufted Titmouse from 8/27/2010, 4 Ruby-crowned Kinglets, 2 Gray Catbirds, 1 Eastern Towhee, 2 Song Sparrows, 6 Northern Cardinals, 1 Swainson’s Thrush, and 1 Hermit Thrush. We have caught very few thrushes this season, … Read More
Black-capped Petrel – Variation in Plumage
One of the most iconic birds of summertime in the Gulf Stream is the Black-capped Petrel (Pterodroma hasitata), and with two days aboard the Stormy Petrel II off the coast of Hatteras with Brian Patteson, we had ample time to photograph and study them. On August 12th, we saw 56 Black-capped Petrels and on August 13th, we had an incredible … Read More
Pale Western Willet at Chincoteague NWR, Virginia
Ed note: Tom Johnson helpfully pointed out that this bird is not leucistic, but rather has dilute plumage. Leucism would leave the bird with white patches of feathers rather than the fading this bird shows. Article has been updated to reflect this. On August 6th, I covered the Chincoteague NWR’s biweekly shorebird survey for Clyde Morris and Joelle Buffa since … Read More