Year-End Bird Highlights - Part 1

I've seen a lot of great birds this year and have taken more photos than I'll ever be able to post, but I'll try a series of highlights. I spend a lot of time photographing birds, which means not enough time to actually process the photos. Such is life!

Anhinga: 

Getting flirty! I'm really captivated by these snake birds and love the mechanical sounds they make.

Black-Necked Stilt:

With a long pointy bill up front and amazingly long trailing legs, this bird flies like a javelin

Brown Pelican:

This individual was terrorizing everything in a small lake. It methodically scoured the shallows, making dive after dive, circling the lake.

Glossy Ibis:

The vibrant colors of the ibis are really visible in bright sun. 

 

Speaking of dazzling colors...

 

Gray-Headed Swamphen:

I can't believe this bird was named after the dullest part of itself. It's a walking blaze of color.

Here's another colorful gem.

 

Painted Bunting:

Semipalmated Plovers:

These cuties are small but lively. They might be my favorite shorebird.

Hudsonian Godwits:

I'd never seen Hudsonian Godwits before, so it made my day to see these two at Jamaica Bay.

Hermit Thrush:

I saw more Hermit Thrushes this last fall than ever before.

Loggerhead Shrike:

What a fierce little bird. 

Sandhill Crane:

This Sandhill Crane decided to fly in and land very near me. I had to back myself down into a ditch to give it some space as it strutted its stuff along a berm.

 

They're really magnificent in flight. During migration, Audubon's Rowe Sanctuary Crane cam is essential viewing. The cranes gather in one area by the thousands and their fly-ins and fly-outs are spectacular.  

White Ibis:

I haven't yet found anyone who gets as excited to see White Ibises as I do. They are common in their habitat, but uncommon to me.

Swallow-Tailed Kite:

This year was the first time I'd seen a Swallow-Tailed Kite, and then it seemed they were everywhere I went. 

Snowy Egret:

On a trip to Florida, I had a wonderful experience watching herons and egrets fly in to their roosting islands at sunset. That's something I'd like to see again in the coming year.

 

More to come.

 

 

2025 Fall Bird Migration - Part 5

It's almost November, but there are still plenty of migratory birds to be seen as they make their way south through the city on their way to their wintering grounds. I enjoy fall bird migration more than the spring, as it seems to go on much longer and I have more opportunities to see different birds.

Like this cutie, a Ruby-Crowned Kinglet: 

I look forward to seeing these guys every season as they go nuts catching tiny insects. 

As I photographed the Kinglet above, a Nashville Warbler joined it in the same tree. 

This bird showed off its acrobatic skills as it gleaned insects from the bottoms of leaves.

Meanwhile, a Palm Warbler hunted insects in some nearby grass.

This Connecticut Warbler drew a small crowd of admirers as it foraged in the plantings around Trinity Church in lower Manhattan.

These birds often stay in the shadows, so I was happy to see this one when it flew into a tree. Now that I think about it, this may have been the first time I've ever seen one off the ground.

I saw this Sora out at Jamaica Bay, but there was another one that showed up in Midtown Manhattan and stayed in a raised flower bed for a few days. I went to see it, but didn't take any photos as I figured it was in a stressful location. The one below is walking around in a marshy area, which is its natural habitat.

I think Eastern Phoebes may be my favorite flycatchers. They're fun to watch as they catch insects out of the air and on the ground.

This not my best photo of a Purple Finch, but it's the only one I've managed to get so far this season. This female was eating the seeds from this evergreen tree.

My favorite part of fall bird migration is seeing all the different sparrows. The pretty little Clay-Colored Sparrow below was seen at Hudson River Park.  

They are normally found in the middle of the continent but show up here from time to time, which is always a special sight.

Field Sparrows rank high on my Cute Bird list.

This Lincoln's Sparrow gives us some side-eye.

Another Lincoln's cranes its neck to look around before diving back into the bushes. I like the crisp little streaks on its throat that look like they were made with a fine-tipped pen.

Swamp Sparrow nowhere near a swamp:

A male Eastern Towhee:

Cedar Waxwings bring me some frustration as I can hear them very well, but have a hard time seeing them. They tend to stay in the tops of trees and I only catch a glimpse when they fly away. This one obliged me with a brief pose.

Fall bird migration will be winding down soon, but we have raptor season to look forward to next...

 

 

2025 Fall Bird Migration - Part 4

I'm really enjoying this fall bird migration season and hope it continues for a while longer. Below are some highlights from the last few days.

Scarlet Tanager: 

Eating crab apple berries.

This Yellow-Breasted Chat turned up in Times Square. The interesting thing is this is not the first time this bird has been sighted in this particular pocket park just off 42nd Street & 6th Avenue. Could it be the same individual who likes the flower planters there? Who knows...

I thought this was a cute scene of a male Wilson's Warbler and a female Black-Throated Blue Warbler sharing a bird bath.

The aptly named Yellow-Rumped Warbler:

Eastern Phoebe:

Common Yellowthroat:

Nashville Warbler:

I always have to post a photo of my favorite warbler, the Northern Parula:

Prairie Warblers win the award for being the most cooperative this season. I seem to have more photos of them than any other bird.

Eastern Wood-Pewees have also been out in force this fall. I think I've seen more this season than any time in the past. They're doing a good job eating all those little invisible bitey bugs.

The city should stop with the never-ending pesticide spraying and let these little flycatchers do their job!