Mr. Red Cap - Swamp Sparrow

 This guy is starting to lose his red cap as he begins to moult into his Winter plumage.

Male Northern Harrier - Nesting pair

 As mentioned in the previous post, on the day I discovered these birds were nesting in the area the female as well as the male were not particularly happy at my presence. The male was probably being more aggressive in response to calls from his mate. I didn't spend a lot of time in the area since I was intruding on their territory, just staying long enough to get a few photos.

I did spend a few days in subsequent weeks just monitoring the area hoping they succeeded in raising their young. I did see a couple of juveniles in some of my later visits. I have learned that quite often a male will mate with more than one female and since he is the main food provider it's important to not stress the pair since the male may chose to spend more time providing food to a partner in an undisturbed area.  That may partly explain why it's much more common to see the females since they likely outnumber the males in any given region.

Keeping Watch - Northern Harrier - Female

 The harriers were apparently nesting in this area this Summer. I wasn't aware of that fact until I spotted a perched female who, when spotting me flew, not away from me as I expected she would. but toward me while calling the whole time. The male was also in the area and responded in kind. I will have more on that in a later post. I watched the female also chase off Bald Eagles when they got too close to the nesting site.

Assorted Shorebirds

 One of my first days photographing shorebirds this Summer. On previous occasions I had become distracted by other birds so didn't follow through on my initial plans. This day went mostly as I had planned it.

Spotted Sandpiper

Semipalmated Sandpiper

Semipalmated Plover

Least Sandpiper

Nelson's Sharp-tailed Sparrow

 I don't usually let the Summer go by without photographing these guys. The only thing difficult about these shots is putting up with the mosquitoes that pervade the type of habitats these birds prefer - salt marshes. 

One Heavily Backlit Northern Harrier

 

Not Too Happy Osprey

 This, probably female Osprey, wasn't very happy I was in the area as there was a nest nearby. I was mostly there to photograph Olive-sided Flycatchers but had to pass by the nest, albeit from a few hundred yards to get to the right spot. 

Whimbrels and Crowberries

 The first thing you notice when encountering Whimbrels is often not the bird itself but its flute-like call. Since they are mostly seen in flocks of several birds they can be heard from quite a distance. When they are feeding on the ground they can be difficult to see since the habitat where their favorite food is found is often overgrown with shrubs that are higher than the birds. To photograph them can be a challenge for that reason and until they take flight they are often not visible.

They can be found on the shore feeding with other shorebirds but mostly when they arrive here in early July they are found on headlands where crowberries tend to grow between and over the rocky outcrops. I was mostly ignorant of this until this summer when I started noticing the little blackish berries growing in the ground cover. It's pretty obvious from the birds droppings and the areas they frequent just what they are feeding on. I needed an expert opinion to get a positive ID on the plant. Thank you.

The crowberry crop is mostly gone now and the number of birds has diminished considerably on the latest outings I've been on. There is one bird in these photos whose meal was interrupted but who still holds a berry in its mouth.

 A few remaining crowberries.

Sapsucker Woods

 To get an idea of how Sapsuckers benefit other wildlife in the woods they share with other animals, here are a few pictures. It starts with the male sapsucker creating a new hole which is soon followed by the appearance of Ruby-throated Hummingbirds and Red Squirrels who come to drink the sap. Hopefully without getting stung by wasps in the process.