American Oystercatcher chicks depend on adults for food for at least 60 days after hatching. Chicks are typically brought food by adults, but may also forage on their own as early as 2–3 weeks after hatching. Adults will excise shellfish from shells, then deliver soft parts to young chicks; older chicks (3+ wk) are often brought unopened shellfish
The Black Swallowtail caterpillar is a common butterfly larvae throughout most of the United States. This species lives and dines on members of the parsley family (including carrots, dill, fennel and parsnips), which is how it got its nickname, Parsley worm.
Silver-spotted Skipper
The Orange Sulphur (Colias eurytheme), also known as the Alfalfa Butterfly and in its larval stage as Alfalfa Caterpillar, is a butterfly of the family Pieridae, where it belongs to the “yellows and sulphurs” subfamily Coliadinae. It is found throughout North America from southern Canada to Mexico, but is absent from the central and southeastern USA.
Cabbage White Butterfly
The Cabbage White butterfly (Pieris rapae), also is so named because the larval stage feeds on members of the cabbage family. Males and females can be told apart by their wing spots. Males only have one spot on each wing, while females have two.
Piping Plovers
The Piping Plover is a threatened and endangered shorebird. Critical nesting habitats are now being protected to help the population during its breeding season. Populations have seen significant increases since the protection programs began, but the species remains in serious danger.
To hear the sounds for the Piping Plover, click on the arrow below.
Common Terns with Egg
A story unfolded as I photographed this pair of Common Terns on the beach. The male flew in with a large fish and the female was not in the least bit interested. He finally ate it himself. After about five minutes, the female got up from the nest, poked her head into the nest and flew off with this broken egg. She flew high into the air and dropped the egg onto the sand in a similar manner to that of a gull dropping a clam shell. Since I captured this whole incident on camera, I could also see the contents of the egg falling out of the broken shell. There were very few Common Tern nests at Nickerson Beach compared to previous years which makes me wonder if Hurricane Sandy created a problem for these nesting birds.
Common Yellowthroat Warbler
The picture of this pretty male Common Yellowthroat Warbler was taken in the Ramble in Central Park during spring migration. The breeding habitats of Common Yellowthroat Warblers are marshes and other wet areas with dense low vegetation, and may also be found in other areas with dense shrub. However, these birds are less common in dry areas. Females appear to prefer males with larger masks. Common Yellowthroats nest in low areas of the vegetation, laying 3–5 eggs in a cup-shaped nest. Both parents feed the young.
To hear the song of the Common Yellowthroat Warbler click the arrow below
Blue Jay with Nesting Materials
Both members of the Blue Jay pair gather material and incorporate into nest, but males appear to do more of the former, and females more of the latter. The outer shell is composed primarily of strong, fresh twigs, sometimes thorny species, but also may include dead twigs. Twigs used in outer shell of the nest is usually taken from live trees, often with great struggle. Size of twigs decreases toward nest cup. The cup usually is lined with tough rootlets; sometimes lined with wet, partially decomposed leaves and mud is often incorporated in nest
I took this picture in the ramble in the Central Park Ramble
Mourning Doves
Allopreening, a form of appeasement behavior, occurs between mates during pair formation and consists of gentle nibbling of feathers in head and neck regions with beak.. Billing usually begins with male offering open beak to female after brief bouts of allopreening and displacement preening.The picture of this lovey doves was taken in the ramble in Central Park.
Baltimore Oriole Male Immature
Young male Baltimore Orioles do not molt into bright-orange adult plumage until the fall of their second year. Still, a few first-year males in drab, female-like plumage succeed in attracting a mate and raising young. The picture of this young male Baltimore Oriole was taken in the Ramble in Central Park.
Click arrow below to hear the typical song of the Baltimore Oriole
Northern Flicker Female Foraging
Although it can climb up the trunks of trees and hammer on wood like other woodpeckers, the Northern Flicker prefers to find food on the ground. Ants are its main food, and the flicker digs in the dirt to find them. It uses its long barbed tongue to lap up the ants.
Click the arrow below to hear the sounds for the Northern Flicker
Wilson’s Warbler Singing
The picture of this beautiful Wilson’s Warbler singing was taken in Central Park at the point during spring migration.
To hear the song of the Wilson’s Warbler click the arrow below
The male Black-throated Green Warbler sings persistently during the breeding season. One individual Black-throated Green Warbler was observed singing 466 songs in one hour.The male Black-throated Green Warbler tends to sing his “zee-zee-zee-zoo-zee” song near the middle of his territory, largely in the beginning of the breeding season to attract females. He sings the “zoo-zee-zoo-zoo-zee” song mostly around the territory’s margins, to deter other males.
Click the arrow below to hear the song of the Black-throated Green Warbler
Magnolia Warbler Male
This little beauty is a male Magnolia Warbler in breeding plumage. I took this picture in the ramble in Central Park yesterday. I have been using the Canon EOS 5D Mark III with the Canon 100-400mm lens with a Canon 600 flash with a better beamer. I find that I need to use a flash in the ramble in Central Park most of the time because the birds are usually in shaded areas. The length of the Magnolia Warbler is 4.3 – 5.1 inches.
Swainson’s Thrush in Prospect Park
The Swaison’s Thrush is a member of Catharus genus and is typical of it in terms of its subdued coloration and beautiful voice. Swainson’s Thrush was named after William Swainson, an English ornithologist.The Swainson’s Thrush is best distinguished from all other North American Catharus thrushes by presence of buffy eye-ring and lores (eye-ring less distinct and dull whitish or largely absent in other Catharus thrushes).
Click the arrow below to hear the song of the Swainson’s Thrush