Red-winged Blackbird
The picture of this male Red-winged Blackbird was taken at the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge in Queens, New York. I used the Canon EOS 5D Mark III with the Canon 100-400mm lens to photograph this beauty on a really pretty sunny day in early spring.
Tree Swallows on Box
It is wonderful to have the Tree Swallows back inhabiting the air space and nest boxes at the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge. And as you can see, they are being their same chatty selves. Tree Swallows winter farther north than any other American swallows and return to their nesting grounds long before other swallows come back.
To hear the song of the Tree Swallow click on the arrow below
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.
Great Black-backed Gull
The Great Black- backed Gull was actively hunted for eggs and feathers during nineteenth century; now protected from both forms of exploitation. Exploitation all but stopped in U.S. and Canada as result of growth of conservation movement and protection of birds. The Great Black-backed Gull is the one of the largest gulls in the world.
Juvenile Herring Gull in Flight
Herring Gulls are one of the most familiar gulls of the East Coast and many people just call them “seagulls.” In fact, some two dozen different species of gulls live in North America, and they present almost endless opportunities for identification.
Greater Yellowlegs
Greater Yellowlegs is common, tall, long-legged shorebird of freshwater ponds and tidal marshes, the Greater Yellowlegs frequently announces its presence by its piercing alarm calls. The photograph of this Greater Yellowlegs was taken at the newly constructed blind on the East Pond in the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge.
Mute Swan Closeup
The picture of this Mute Swan was photographed from the parking lot just after the Cross Bay Blvd bridge before the entrance to Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge when coming from Manhattan. This is a favorite place of mine to photograph water birds close up.
Yellow-billed Cuckoo
A common, but slow-moving and secretive denizen of woodlands, the Yellow-billed Cuckoo eats large quantities of hairy caterpillars. Its loud call is heard far more frequently than the bird is actually seen.
Click below to hear the sounds of the Yellow-billed Cuckoo
Common Yellowthroat Warbler Immature Male
Common Yellowthroats live in thick, tangled vegetation in a wide range of habitats—from wetlands to prairies to pine forests—across North America.
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Ruby-crowned Kinglets are restless, acrobatic birds that move quickly through foliage, typically at lower and middle levels. They flick their wings almost constantly as they go.
To hear the sound of the Ruby-crowned Kinglet, click below.
Belted Kingfisher
Belted Kingfishers need access to bodies of water for feeding, and vertical earthen banks for nesting. They hunt in unclouded water that allows them to see prey below the surface, with perches nearby but minimal vegetation obstructing the water.
To hear the rattle sound of the Belted Kingfisher click below.
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
The Blue-gray Gnatcatcher is the northernmost-occurring species of gnatcatcher, and the only truly migratory one. Most members of its genus are resident in the Neotropics. The soft, rambling song of the Blue-gray Gnatcatcher usually contains some mimicked songs of other bird species.
Snowy Egrets Sparring
Snowy Egret hostile displays involve crest-raising and rasping calls . Upright posture and moderate plume erection proceeds in low-intensity displays (Snap, Stretch) to full attacks with inclined body and fully erected feathers.
Click below to hear the hostile display sounds of the Snowy Egret
Red-eyed Vireo
Click below to hear the song of the Red-eyed Vireo.
Great Blue Heron
Despite their impressive size, Great Blue Herons weigh only 5 to 6 pounds thanks in part to their hollow bones—a feature all birds share. This picture of the Great Blue Heron coming in for a landing was taken at the East Pond of the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge.