Migration is happening. It is an exciting time for birds. And bird photography.
For something different, I present the birds I have photographed in the Upper Valley of VT and NH during the past three weeks in order by weight. The weight comes from David Sibley’s book.
Ruby-crowned Kinglet (0.23 oz)
Small, cute, and very fast moving, kinglets are a challenge to photograph. These birds rarely sit still. I was able to photograph them in Norwich, VT and Etna, NH. Here is a slide show of eight photos.
Palm Warbler (0.36 oz)
The Palm Warbler needs to be seen in early spring before it moves through to its breeding locations a bit to our north. Just like the kinglets, I found those shown below in Norwich and Etna.
Larry emailed me about a mini-fallout of warblers and kinglets on Moose Mountain in Etna. I hurried there and was not disappointed. In addition to Ruby-crowned Kinglets and Palm Warblers, Yellow-rumped Warblers were plentiful. I have returned to that spot near Mill Pond several times, but it has been very quiet since that first day.
Pine Warbler (0.42 oz)
The Pine Warbler is one of the earliest warblers to arrive in spring. I photographed this species in only one town, Lyme, NH.
Yellow-rumped Warbler (0.43 oz)
Norwich and Etna again for Yellow-rumped Warblers. There were many in both spots — for a day in Etna and several days at Kendall Station in Norwich. Here is a long slide show of these charming birds that will feed at times in the air like flycatchers.
Swamp Sparrow (0.6 oz)
This one photo of a Swamp Sparrow comes from a short stop at Zebedee Wetlands in Thetford, VT.
Eastern Phoebe (0.7 oz)
I photographed Eastern Phoebes in Norwich and Etna. Is there a trend here? Actually the Etna phoebe photo came from our yard. We seem to have a pair each year.
Northern Mockingbird (1.7 oz)
I photographed Northern Mockingbirds at Kilowatt South Park in Wilder, VT. You might be able to tell it was raining when I took the top photo.
Red-winged Blackbird (1.8 oz)
Here are three Red-winged Blackbirds from Norwich and Lyme.
Evening Grosbeak (2.1 oz)
A flock of Evening Grosbeaks flew in when I was in Lyme. I only took a few photos since they were high in a tree in poor light.
Common Grackle (4 oz)
I found Common Grackles in New London and Enfield, NH and in Wilder, VT. Here are five photos of these surprisingly colorful “black” birds.
American Kestrel (4.1 oz)
I have been fortunate to photograph three avian copulations this spring. Earlier they were Common Goldeneyes from Wilder and Wood Ducks in Hanover, both in the Connecticut River. This April 27 in Thetford, VT, I caught a pair of American Kestrels mating. They were at a considerable distance, so the photos are cropped quite a bit.
Here I show just a small part of the 14-photo sequence that I put on a page that you can view if you CLICK HERE.
I also photographed our smallest falcon, the American Kestrel, in Thetford, VT and Sunapee, NH. The first three that follow are from Trask Brook Road in Sunapee and the last is from Stevens Road in Thetford.
Sharp-shinned Hawk (5 oz)
Only one not-too-sharp photo of a Sharp-shinned Hawk that flew over Norwich, VT while I was trying to photograph yellow-rumps. This is a species I have rarely been able to photograph.
Belted Kingfisher (5 oz)
In Lyme, I spotted a Belted Kingfisher on a powerline and managed to get a series of photos as he dove into a small stream.
Green Heron (7 oz)
In a small pond off Kendall Station in Norwich I surprisingly found a Green Heron. I saw movement and aimed my lens at very active phoebes. Then I noticed the Green Heron. This species does not move much and seems quite happy standing on one leg.
Bufflehead (13 oz)
I found a pair of Buffleheads in Beaver Pond at Esther Currier WMA in New London. In poor light the male looks black and white. But in the right light, his colors really shine.
Broad-winged Hawk (14 oz)
Heading up Moose Mountain Road to the warbler and kinglet bonanza, I paused to photograph a Broad-winged Hawk.
Hooded Merganser (1.4 lb)
I photographed a pair of Hooded Merganser in Main Street Pond in Enfield and a single male two different days in the Ompompanoosuc River in Norwich.
Mallard (2.4 lb)
Mallards are common but still beautiful. Here is one from Esther Currier WMA in New London.
Red-tailed Hawk (2.4 lb)
Near the boat launch in Orford, NH, I spotted a pair of Red-tailed Hawks in a distant tree. I photographed them out my car window. I parked hoping to be able to walk closer, but they were gone.
Common Merganser (3.4 lb)
I almost witnessed a fourth avian copulation this spring. The female Common Merganser spread flat in the Ompompanoosuc River indicating she was receptive. But the male was not in the mood and just turned around and swam past. Here is the sequence.
Also in the Ompompanoosuc River a different day, a female Common Merganser swam in nice reflections with water dripping from her bill.
Osprey (3.5 lb)
A pair of Ospreys is building a nest at Kilowatt South Park in Wilder, VT, but they don’t seem serious about raising young this season. They are quite talented at catching fish. Here are photos from two different days in April.
Double-crested Cormorant (3.7 lb)
Among other surprises, I discovered that Double-crested Cormorants weigh a bit more then Osprey. They both seem to like to fish in the Connecticut River near Kilowatt South Park.
Turkey Vulture (4 lb)
Diving from Thetford to Lyme, something one cannot do easily for the next 18 months, I spotted a pair of Turkey Vultures sitting on adjacent power poles along East Thetford Road in Lyme. Perhaps they were a male and female, but it is impossible to tell from a photo. Presumably they can.
Common Loon (9 lb)
A heavyweight among duck-like birds, the Common Loon is fun to photograph from a kayak. But these three weeks I had to settle for a quick, distant fly-over.
Bald Eagle (9.5 lb)
The heavyweight of this spring was the Bald Eagle. I photographed a juvenile flying over Lyme.
A pair of juvenile Bald Eagles put on quite a show high in the sky above Kilowatt South Park in Wilder, VT. Here are eight of the many photos I took. They are highly cropped. No way could I move closer.
Across the river in NH, I photographed a number of adult Bald Eagles. I end this longish blog post with a longish slide show of these magnificent birds.
In the photos with the wings spread wide, notice how long they are compared with the head. Their wingspan is 6 to 8 feet. Female eagles are about 25 percent larger than male eagles.
