At the foot of a bell tower on the campus of UC Berkeley, bouquets of flowers, written eulogies and framed photos have piled up as residents mourn the death of a beloved celebrity. But not just any celebrity – a peregrine falcon named Grinnell, whose live-streamed exploits with his partner Annie captured the hearts of […]
Tag: Mourning Dove
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 […]
A Bird Sanctuary In Killingworth, CT Pt. I
The creation of a sanctuary for birds with a few feeders offering a variety of food to sustain them in the winter months was actually an afterthought. The Eastern Bluebird above (image 3) was photographed at Casa Almeida in January 2017. The Brown Creeper above (image 1) was photographed at […]
More sun – more food – more birds
We had a winter warm-up this week with temperatures exceeding 60 degrees. Most of the snow melted and the birds were loving it. I’ve seen Mourning Doves basking in the sun. American Robins have already started their switch from a winter-berry diet to picking out meaty morsels as the surface of the soil begins to […]
Early Migration At The Everglades Ag Area
A spectacular destination for the observation of migrating shorebirds is within the Everglades Agricultural Area adjacent to Belle Glade, Florida. The Everglades agricultural fields encompass about 700,000 acres which are predominately planted with sugarcane. Preceding crop rotation the fields are flooded to control pests, with rice typically grown offering a conditioning of the soil as […]
Are mockingbirds life-long learners?
Ornithologists have long maintained that Northern Mockingbirds are continual learners, adding new imitations to their songs year after year. The assumption has been that imitations of different sounds indicate the breadth of experiences a male has lived through, and that female mockingbirds are drawn to the most experienced males. The American Ornithologists’ Union and Cornell […]
Summer Florida Birding Beach Tour: Part I
A very rare setting full strawberry moon was observed on the summer solstice this week with the occasion not to return again until June 2062. The moonset above (image 1) was photographed at Siesta Key Beach in June 2016. Celebrating the occasion was my birding expedition to Access #5 at Siesta […]