Midweek Ospreys

Ospreys are making their way north from their southern wintering grounds and I've seen a few in our area over the last several days. They are often seen soaring overhead as they hunt for fish, and are one of my favorite raptors to photograph because they often check out the camera. 

This one carries a giant stick back to its nest.

Another one carries smaller nesting material.

Here is an example of an Osprey hovering just before it dives into the water.

Giving me a stern look...

I love watching them soar with their long lanky wings.

This one was taking a break from nest-building near a beach.

In happy Osprey news, Iris, one of the oldest known Opsreys in the world, returned to her nest in Montana on April 6th. I eagerly await her arrival each year, and am overjoyed that she is with us for another season. She's around 30 years old and you can tune in to her activities on Cornell's Hellgate Osprey cam.

 

 

A few early springtime birds

Flowers and trees are blooming, and it's really starting to feel like Spring. Bird migration has begun and you can follow along by checking out the Birdcast migration tool.

One sure sign of Spring is when American Woodcocks show up in Bryant Park, NYC. This year, it seems they are getting a lot of attention as people from all over are flocking to see them.

The attention is well-deserved. Just look at this guy! 

The photos below are from some early spring birding trips I took. As spring bird migration picks up, we should start to see some new characters in our region.

 

Eastern Meadowlark: 

Painted Bunting (male):

Pileated Woodpecker (female):

Northern Cardinal (male):

Rufous Hummingbird:

Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher:

Brown Thrasher:

Common Loon transitioning into breeding plumage:

Yellow-Crowned Night Heron:

Downy Woodpecker (female):

More to come.

Friday Pelicans

Today feels like a pelican kind of day.

I spent some time this last February hanging out with Brown Pelicans on the Gulf Coast. They're fascinating and watching them go about their day was a great way to de-stress.

They're so cool when they dive. I'll do a dedicated diving post at some point in the future. Every evening, they gathered in one particular area to go fishing.

I think one thing I love about pelicans is they're so big. Their wingspan is around 7 feet.

I watched a pair gathering nesting material from post-storm debris on some rocks.

They flew their sticks to an island nearby where many pelicans, egrets, and herons were also busy building nests.

 

This one found some nice greenery. 

This is an immature pelican toying with a cluster of leaves among a group of adults.

Here comes the squadron, on their way to their roosting island at sunset.

The photos above all show Brown Pelicans. I also spent a lot of time with American White Pelicans, which I will be posting about soon. 

 

Soaring birds

I can never pass up photographing a soaring bird. With their wings stretched out, you get an almost complete view of them, and can see feather details that are hidden when they are perched or on the ground. Below are some recent highlights of some of these high-fliers.

Roseate Spoonbills led by a White Ibis: 

Magnificent Frigatebird (female):

Great Egret:

Anhinga (female):

Male:

Little Blue Heron (adult):

Juvenile:

Snowy Egret:

Black Vulture:

Tricolored Heron:

Sandhill Cranes:

Swallow-Tailed Kite: