Audubon Magazine asked for permission to use one of my photographs of the Springfield crow roost for a blog post accompanying a BirdNote podcast: “Where Crows Go at Night” »
Peregrine after sunset in Holyoke
A Peregrine Falcon over Hadley Mill Road in Holyoke, Oct. 25, 2015.
October birds in Heritage State Park
Warblers are still moving through the city. Last Sunday, there were a number of Yellow-rumped Warblers in the pine trees at Heritage State Park, as well as a Blackpoll Warbler hanging out in some of the berry bushes. A few photos of them — and a White-breasted Nuthatch — below.
Urban birding in Manchester, New Hampshire
With a little time to kill while visiting Manchester, New Hampshire, I figured I’d see what birds I could find downtown and in one of the city’s large parks. Along the Merrimack River downtown, a group of Cedar Waxwings were feeding on insects. Over in Livingston Park, the fall warbler migration seemed to be in full swing. A few photos…
Later summer, low water: Shorebirds on the Connecticut River in Holyoke
In late summer the water levels on the Connecticut River in Holyoke drop, creating shallow pools, sandbars and long stretches of usually submerged rocky areas. Like clockwork, it becomes a habitat teeming with birds — some familiar in the city, like Great Blue Herons and Killdeer, and some making cameo appearances, such as sandpipers and other shorebirds. Below, some photos…
So far, so good for Holyoke’s kestrel, hawk fledglings
The fledgling from the Red-tailed Hawk nest continues to fly high in the neighborhood; above, in flight from the Victory Theater to the Holyoke House building this week. And, this morning I discovered that the American Kestrel brood fledged since my last check-in with them. I found four fledglings this morning, flying back and forth from the edge of Pulaski…
Meanwhile, at one of Holyoke’s American Kestrel nests
There’s a brood of at least two at the American Kestrel nest at Open Square on Lyman Street. I still haven’t figured out if the adults are a pair that relocated from a site near Cabot Street, or if this is a new pair in the city; I haven’t seen activity at the Cabot Street nest this year, but I…
Downtown Holyoke’s 2015 Red-tailed Hawk fledgling is flying high
With no one home at the Red-tailed Hawk nest for several days, I went out Monday evening to see if I could find the fledgling somewhere in the neighborhood. To my relief, I eventually spotted it high atop a building on Suffolk Street. From there, it flew — in one continuous flight, more than a full city block — all…
Fledging and Holyoke’s Red-tailed Hawks: Spoke too soon
A check of the nest at High and Dwight streets this evening found that my earlier post was off-base — the young hawk was on the nest, and proceeded to hop up a flight of the fire escape before leaping up to perch on a railing. Both adults made visits to the nest, with one dropping off what appeared to…
Fledging and Holyoke’s Red-tailed Hawks: Blink, and you miss it
[portfolio_slideshow id=1505] I checked the Red-tailed Hawk nest at the corner of High and Dwight streets Friday morning to find this year’s brood-of-one milling about on the fire escape. For most of the spring, the young bird had simply been out of sight, and I’d only caught glimpses of it. Expecting another week or so of jump-flapping and other pre-fledging…