Yes, it’s Saturday Shots this week. Tomorrow, very excitingly, I head to Cape Cod to go on a two-day pelagic trip, so I will not be able to post.
As you might expect, locally my focus remains on shorebird migration. After work on Thursday I went out to the black dirt; I found very few shorebirds but I had a nice experience with a Northern Harrier in the beautiful evening light. This morning was a little more successful regarding shorebirds – just as I was leaving the house, Kyle Knapp texted me to let me know he had three American Golden-Plovers in the black dirt. The birds stuck around for my arrival, but unfortunately they were quite distant, so while I enjoyed decent scope views, photos were out of the question.
I also tried 6 1/2 Station Road Sanctuary later in the morning. Conditions are still poor for shorebirds, and probably for waders as well (I had just a handful of Great Blue Herons). My highlight was running into a mixed flock of songbirds on my way back to the car. Birds included: Warbling Vireo, Red-eyed Vireo, Yellow Warbler, Chestnut-sided Warbler, Blackburnian Warbler, Gray Catbirds, and a couple of Black-capped Chickadees.
Beautiful shots! You captured how awesome these creatures are! I feel small (and I am small!)!
Thanks so much Norma! Always good to hear from you. Matt
Good luck with the Pelagic Matt!
Thanks Silas! Matt
Hi Matt – I’m an admirer of your photographs and posts. I’m writing to venture that I’ve never seen a Blackburnian warbler with the intense yellow extending down the breast, belly and flanks of the bird you photographed and am wondering if it might be a vagrant Townsend’s warbler. It looks a lot like those I saw in California a couple of springs ago. Perhaps others of your flock might weigh in.
Thanks for the heads up, Steve. I looked at Townsend’s briefly, but for some reason dismissed it as a possibility. I am going to put some feelers out. Matt