Author Archives: Laura Meyers

American Black Duck

American Black Duck on Snow

American Black Duck on Snow

American Black Duck

American Black Ducks look like female Mallards except with an olive-yellow bill. Look for American Black Ducks in both fresh and saltwater in eastern North America. This American Black Duck was photographed at Stuyvesant Cove which is a small park area on the East River in lower Manhattan.

Gadwall

Gadwall

Gadwall

Gadwall

Gadwall Duck Male photographed at Stuyvesant Cove which is on the East River in lower Manhattan. Gadwall’s mainly eat Aquatic vegetation. As a result, Gadwalls are often found feeding far from the shoreline, in deeper water than most other dabbling ducks.

Northern Cardinal Male

Northern Cardinal Male

Northern Cardinal Male

Northern Cardinal

The Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) is a North American bird in the genus Cardinalis; it is also known colloquially as the redbird or common cardinal. A perennial favorite among people, the Northern Cardinal is the state bird of seven states. Northern Cardinals don’t migrate and they don’t molt into a dull plumage, so they’re still breathtaking in winter’s snowy backyards.

White-throated Sparrow Holding Toe

White-throated Sparrow Holding Toe

White-throated Sparrow Holding Toe

White-throated Sparrow Holding Toe

There are two adult plumage variations for the White-throated Sparrow which are the tan-striped and white-striped forms.The photograph above is the tan form, the crown is dark brown with a tan central stripe. The two color morphs of the White-throated Sparrows occur in approximately equal numbers. Both male and female white-striped birds are more aggressive than tan-striped birds during the breeding season.

Long-tailed Duck

Long-tailed Duck

Long-tailed Duck

Long-tailed Duck Adult Non-breeding Male

The photograph of this adult non-breeding Long-tailed Duck was taken at the Coast Guard Station at Jones Beach in Nassau County, New York. I used the Canon 5D Mark III with the Canon 100-400mm lens to photograph this beautiful Long-tailed Duck. The Long-tailed Duck is one of the deepest diving ducks, and can dive as deep as 60 meters (200 feet) to forage.

Great Blue Heron

Great Blue Heron

Great Blue Heron

Great Blue Heron

The picture of this Great Blue Heron was taken at the Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge in Oceanville, New Jersey. This photo was taken with the Canon 5D Mark III with the Canon 100-400mm lens during a recent winter visit to the Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge. This Great Blue Heron was in hunting mode standing statue-like, stalking fish and other prey in shallow water.

Savannah Sparrow

Savannah Sparrow

Savannah Sparrow

Savannah Sparrow at Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge

The picture of this lovely Savannah Sparrow was taken at the Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge during the winter months. I used the Canon 5D Mark III Camera with the Canon 100-400mm lens for this photograph. The Savannah Sparrow has a small head, and telltale yellow spot before the eye. Savannah Sparrows are one of the most numerous songbirds in North America.

Northern Pintail

Male and female Northern Pintail Duck

Male and female Northern Pintail Duck

Northern Pintail Couple

Slim and long-necked, the Northern Pintail has a distinctive silhouette. The male is easy to identify by his striking markings and long tail, but even the female can be recognized by her graceful, long-necked shape. The pintail gets its name from its pointed tail feathers.

Snow Goose

Snow Goose

Snow Goose

Snow Goose

Adult white morph Snow Geese are completely white except for gray primary-coverts and black primaries. Snow Geese occasionally have rusty-orange staining on head and upper neck as a result of digging or grubbing in sediment or mud containing iron oxides. Snow Geese are probably the noisiest of all waterfowl. Vocalizations are considered calls, not songs.

Rusty Blackbird Female

Rusty Blackbird Female

Rusty Blackbird Female

Rusty Blackbird Female

Rusty Blackbird is one of North America’s most rapidly declining species. The population has plunged an estimated 85-99 percent over the past forty years and scientists are completely puzzled as to what is the cause. The picture of this female Rusty Blackbird was taken in the Bronx, New York.

Brant Eating Grass

Brant Eating Grass

Brant Eating Grass

Brant Eating Grass

Atlantic Brant leave breeding grounds in the eastern low arctic, in early Sep and assemble in large concentrations in James Bay, where they remain for several weeks building up fat reserves. They depart overland, most flying nonstop to Jamaica Bay and the other nearby estuaries of the greater New York City Area and New Jersey where they arrive late Oct/early Nov.