Semi-palmated Plover

 A plover showing the physical feature that gave the bird its name, i.e., the partial webbing between its toes.

Juvenile Male Wood Duck

 The water levels in some of the ponds are extremely low this year.  Today, at a time of the year when a local pond might be full of Wood Ducks, I saw none.  In their place were a few shorebirds feeding on the exposed earth in the middle of the pond.  These shots are from last year at the same location. when there was considerably higher water levels.

Green-winged Teals

 The teals tend to gather in large numbers this time of year leading up to the duck hunting season when numbers will tend to dwindle.  They like to feed in the river estuaries when the tide is low and often congregate in fresh water ponds at high tide to rest and preen.

Juvenile Great Blue Heron

 This wasn't the bird I went looking for but I was happy to be able to photograph it when it showed up unexpectedly.

Wood Duck Love

 From this Spring, a pair of Wood Ducks in an amorous mood. There are still a few juvenile Wood Ducks in the area but I haven't been able to get out to check other locations. Now that the travel ban on woods travel has been lifted maybe I'll get a chance to get out and take some new photos.

Burrowing Owl - September 13, 2024

 As the title suggests these photos were taken a year ago today at Blanche Point,  Shelburne County NS.  At the time it was probably the most photographed owl in Nova Scotia being the rarity that it was.  I had some time alone with it, only going on a chance conversation that it was still there.  Often I get disappointed when chasing rare birds so don't often bother.  This was an exception and the owl wasn't hard to find.

White-rumped Sandpiper

 Named for its white rump, obviously.  Where many sandpipers have a dark dividing patch in the middle of that area, this species along with a few others has an all white rump. Generally this feature isn't seen unless the bird is in flight.

Spotted Sandpiper

 Generally when Spotted Sandpipers are vocal and approachable they have young ones somewhere nearby. I believe that was the case in this instance.

Short-billed Dowitchers

 Dowitchers are known for their sewing-machine like feeding habit as their bills probe the soft mud and sand in the areas they habituate.  Apparently the name comes from an Iroquois word although another explanation has it that it may be a corruption of a word used by immigrant German hunters on Long Island -  deutscher referring to it as German Snipe to distinguish it from the English (Common) Snipe.

We Got Worms

 The plovers and yellowlegs were having a good day locating and pulling worms from the marsh mud.

Juvenile Piping Plovwe

 

Common Terns

 I haven't spent enough time at the lake this year to know but I've heard there are fewer terns there this year.  I did see quite a few fishing off the beach one day and there have been adults feeding young ones so it seems they are still nesting somewhere close by.

Baird's Sandpiper

 This is not a species I see very often.  I have mixed feelings about seeing them,  they are interesting little birds, usually only found individually on this coast and mixing with the other peep which are a little smaller in comparison except for the White-rumped which are similar in size.  The longer primary feathers which extend beyond the tail is one good field mark although shared by the White-rumped.  The Baird's being browner in colour.  This is probably a juvenile bird.  My mixed feelings stem from the fact that I destroyed a previous favourite camera trying to photograph one. 

Tree Swallow and Spider Web

 

Ruddy Turnstones

 Last time I was at the beach there were lots of Turnstones there as well as many of the usual suspects.  I need to get back there for another photo session soon while the weather is still favourable.

Lesser Yellowlegs

 Yellowlegs seem to be equally at home whether it's at the beach or in a brackish pond as these two photos seem to indicate.

Sanderling

 There are a lot of shorebirds currently in the area, on their way south to their wintering grounds. The adults generally arrive first followed later by the juveniles - this seasons offspring. This is an adult Sanderling, the young ones lack any hint of breeding plumage and their feathers won't look as worn as the adults.

Green-winged Teal - Hen

 I have to assume that the Green-winged Teals have nested near the local pond again this year.  Although I haven't seen any young ones yet,  the fact that the adult female has been overly curious about my presence there makes me feel there are ducklings hiding somewhere in the surrounding foliage or if a late nesting then eggs still being incubated. My best guess would be the former.

Update: A few days after posting this I discovered 4 or 5 young Teal in the pond, almost if not fully fledged.

Whimbrels

 The Whimbrels usually arrive back here in early July.  Crowberries are their preferred food this time of year and there seems to be a pretty good crop available for them this year.