My likely last visit to Harns Marsh Preserve in Lehigh Acres, Florida, occurred in late October when I met up with Canadian wildlife photographer Frank Constantin. The weather was favorable with the grass well groomed and 39 species of bird observed in the ensuing two hours after sunrise during our stay. A good number of […]
Tag: grackle
Feature: Sawgrass Lake Park Pt. I
It required a single visit to Sawgrass Lake Park in Pinellas County to consider it one of my favorite wildlife venues in Florida. Sawgrass Lake Park, north of downtown St. Petersburg and southwest of Tampa, was created primarily to manage stormwater flooding in the adjacent city of Pinellas Park. A small waterfall in fact could […]
A Bird Sanctuary In Killingworth, CT Pt. III
The transition from one season to the next at the Bird Sanctuary in Killingworth, Connecticut, might be as evident due to changes in the weather as to changes in wildlife seen and its behavior. The calls of peepers are a distant memory as a very infrequent croaking of a frog is heard in the early […]
Harns Marsh Preserve Summer Activity
The water level at Harns Marsh Preserve during a 19 July visit was very high, but did not deter a large number of waders from finding the habitat suitable. Bud Tom Obrock and I made a drive over to the preserve in Lehigh Acres which also hosted a very good number of Purple Gallinule and […]
Grackle Pros and Cons
Common grackles stay in New York year round. I saw one the other day, striding around on its long legs and looking cocky. Whenever I see one I take a moment to admire its glossy colors. I usually see a single bird in a park, or just a few at a time — they look […]
Common Grackle
The common grackle looks uniformly black from a distance, but when you get closer, and especially in the sunlight, you can see its glossy purple head and iridescent bronze back. Grackles are common in New York City. Grackles forage in low bushes or on the ground for insects, seeds, and fruit. They sometimes show up […]
Who Are You Calling a Bird Brain?
Bird brain was considered an insult until a recent discovery that bird brains have a similar structure to that of the mammalian neocortex (the cognitive processing center). Researchers have begun looking for, and finding, avian intelligence in the large-brained species: crows use tools, rooks cooperate to get food, and western scrub-jays plan for the future. […]
New arrivals…
Like every year this time is very thrilling. Each day brings its surprises and there are plenty of new birds throughout and also a growing number of birders aretravellingaround and bring more updates from the field. Last weekend, the IBRCE ringing station has started its season operation and we have 2 new volunteers – Markus […]
