September Birding

     I've been looking at birds when I can, my photo game has been weak, so here is a bunch of stuff I, sometimes we, have been seeing. Been birding solo, as a family, or just with the kiddo. Depending on the company I am with, or without really changes up the birding experience. So here is a little bit of everything...

Went with the whole family to Plumb Beach, and we enjoyed some sun, some shells, some fiddler crabs, and some birds, including this young royal tern. And bonus, this was a year bird!

I went to Green-Wood with the (now) toddler and the first bird we spotted was this yellow-bellied flycatcher. The bird was sitting in the middle of the tree, snatching insects that were buzzing about these flowers blooming on this tree.

When I'm out with the kiddo, the bigger birds are much more interesting to her. She waves at them, and "shushes" out loud to make sure we are being quiet. So of course she really enjoyed that the Dell water had this great blue heron and great egret. We also enjoyed doing some pinecone investigations, we met a cicada, and did some walking. She explores things that she finds. And while her behavior is not conducive to birding it's really fun to see that natural world through her eyes.

This is the great egret we spied, and even later caught up with. We loved seeing this bird twice.

Last week there was also an upland sandpiper that showed up in Far Rockaway, so when it was my chance to get out on my own - this was it. Here is my best photo of this typically grassland loving sandpiper. You can see one of its distinguishing features, its very large, prominent eyes. Also, in general, this is a pretty big sandpiper, as far as sandpipers go. Life bird (#420), state bird (#310), and year bird (#230).

I like this semipalmated plover, that was trying to be a coconut.

After the upland, I decided to donate some blood, visiting Floyd Bennett Field. I enjoyed the small puddle in the community garden best, I got nice looks at a Northern water thrush and two solitary sandpipers.

I think solitary sandpipers are very pretty. I think it's those big dark eyes with that white ring. I also like the speckling on their wings.

I went birding solo yesterday at Green-Wood and was treated to this Olive-sided flycatcher, year bird #233.

And it treated itself to some noms!

I'm wondering if this bird caught a spotted lanternfly, especially with those bright hindwings.

What a sharp looking flycatcher, I don't think I ever got such good views of one before.

It was quite warbler-y, which means I got a lot of images like this...

... and this ...

... and this. But sometimes I lucked out and I got some like...

... this. A black-throated-green warbler. Out in the open taking a break from its very busy foraging. Migration is fun because the birds are so busy stopping to eat, eat, and eat so they are fairly active through the day getting as much energy as they can so even if you are not an early riser, yesterday all day, it seemed was very good.

The morning started out cool, so I got this magnolia pausing as it soaked up some warm rays to get charged up for another day as it makes it way southward.

Migrating birds are so laser focused on food, a birder pointed out this Tennessee Warbler (year bird #232) that was foraging within feet of his face, the bird continuously approaching him, capturing insects hiding below and between leaves. Was a pretty little warbler they are, eh?

The chestnut-sided warblers were also being ultra cute, foraging low.

Oddly, one of my favorites I saw yesterday was this northern flicker. Normally these bird lock eyes with you from a mile away an feel threatened and flee. This one foraged within 15 feet of me, looked at me, and kept eating. Either this bird was young or the ants were quite good.

You can really appreciate the details in their plumage when you get to see them without them fleeing.

This is probably my favorite image of the day, and one of the last ones I took, a great crested fly catcher. The sun not in my favor, but it brings out the rich browns in its tail and wings, plus the details in the leaves of the small tree its perched in. I also really love these big flycatchers, they are so beautiful.... and so easy to tell apart from the others!