Feeling thankful for these little beauties

I was drawn by the lilting song of this sweet Eastern Meadowlark while out walking in Wellington Preserve, on Sunday of Thanksgiving weekend. So irresistible ~ Have a listen.And, right across the road ….a handsome Loggerhead Shrike was posing in a low tree. What a blessing to have these delightful birds in our midst.

Coming in for a landing . . .

The Osprey‘s powerful curved talons come in handy when landing in a tall, bare tree.Unlike other birds of prey, the Osprey‘s talons are “nearly cylindrical, rounded on the top and bottom . . .” (The Scottish Wildlife Trust), and “their toes are lined with short, stiff spikes for extra grip” (Audubon.org) as they catch and carry large […]

Double-crested Cormorant

The Double-crested Cormorant is the most common Cormorant in North America (Audubon). So where are their double crests, you ask?? Oddly enough, the bird is so named because of two tiny, barely noticeable, tufts of black feathers that appear on its head ONLY during breeding season. Speaking of ‘tufts’, this fellow (not in breeding plumage) appears […]

Little Blue Heron

An hour before sunset, while everyone was eagerly watching the skies for other more showy birds flying in to roost, I spotted this lovely adult Little Blue Heron hiding in the marsh. How do I know this blue-gray bird is an adult? Because, curiously, Little Blue Herons are completely white when young. The white juvenile Little Blues are often mistaken […]