Tag Archives: Boat-tailed Grackle
January 1, 2023 started out as a VERY foggy morning. A bit risky on the roads for driving, but just wonderful for a walk in the wetlands. Sunlight gradually began to filter through the trees and lighten up the boardwalks. Slowly but surely, the skies brightened and the colors of the marsh were shining through […]
Boat-tailed Grackles are among the most commonly seen birds in the wetlands, but the lovely brown females are very often overlooked, while their flashy (and boisterous!) male counterparts demand our attention. The hardworking female Grackle builds her nest by herself in the low recesses of the grassy marsh plants, and she does a great job […]
While watching some of my fine-looking bird friends just before a rain shower the other evening, I got to wondering about the origin of the expression “fine feathered friends”. As a child, I learned from my father that we “look it up” if we want to find out about something. I recall running often to the bookshelf […]
It’s interesting to observe how the colors of the late day sun affect a bird’s appearance. The Red-Bellied Woodpecker above that I spied on a recent early evening walk, certainly looked like he was enjoying the last rays of sun. We usually see the Boat-tailed Grackle above in his brilliant, shimmering blue feathers in the daytime sun. […]
Every morning there is something new and beautiful to see on my walk. This view of the sunrise above was the first sight to greet me as I stepped on to the boardwalk this morning at 7:30 am. What a glorious way to begin the day!! A few steps along the boardwalk, this big ol’ […]
This past week, there was so much activity in our local wetland preserves that I decided to share just a few of my favorites. One highlight was the funny little Great Blue Heron chick featured above, one of several who have not yet fledged. The nesting Great Egrets that I posted about a few days […]
In this week’s Torah portion, we read the story of the Jewish people crossing the Red Sea, following the Exodus from Egypt. After the splitting of the Sea and their miraculous rescue across on dry land, the people sang a beautiful song of thanks and praise to G-d, the Song of the Sea, when they reached the opposite […]
Birds are found everywhere in Torah!! This past week’s Torah reading includes important references to birds, including the name of Zipporah (which means ‘bird‘, in Hebrew), who is the wife of the great leader Moshe (Moses). There are numerous references to Zipporah’s swift actions, comparing her behavior to the swiftness of a little bird. This week marked […]
Once again there are some fascinating connections between the weekly Torah reading and birds. Just last week, we read of Joseph, the son of Jacob who was perhaps best remembered for his dream interpretations (and his “Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat”!). Joseph interprets the dreams of both his fellow inmates in Pharoah’s prison, the wine steward […]
Birder's Journey 