Book Studies Nests & Eggs: Flycatcher 9 Feb 202228 Jun 2022 Plate 50: Black-Crested Flycatcher Phainopepla nitens Silky, black bird of the Southwest easiest to find in winter. This peculiar crested species is wholly shining blue black except for a patch…
Book Studies Nests & Eggs: Merganser 2 Feb 202228 Jun 2022 Plate 49: Hooded Sheldrake (Merganser) Lophodytes cucullatus Common on small ponds and rivers, their crests make them easy to spot. The male Hooded Merganser is one of our most striking…
Book Studies Nests & Eggs: Turkey Vulture 26 Jan 202228 Jun 2022 Plate 48: Turkey Buzzard (Vulture) Cathartes aura Commonly found in North America serving a useful purpose. Vultures play an unusual part in nature’s drama. They, along with Sexton Beetles, other…
Book Studies Nests & Eggs: American Oystercatcher 19 Jan 202228 Jun 2022 Plate 47: American Oystercatcher Haematopus palliatus Shorebirds that can be heard from far away by their shrill and loud call. Where the summer holidays are spent by the sea—in places…
Book Studies Nests & Eggs: Yellow-Breasted Chat 12 Jan 202228 Jun 2022 Plate 46: Yellow-Breasted Chat Icteria virens Though he prefers to hide in thickets and shrubs, his loud voice gives him away. The Yellow-breasted Chat is not only the largest, but…
Book Studies Nests & Eggs: Yellow-Billed Cuckoo 5 Jan 202228 Jun 2022 Plate 45: Yellow-Billed Cuckoo Coccyzus americanus Shy, solitary birds better known by their note than by sight. This slim, long-tailed bird is far more common than people suspect for he…
Book Studies Nests & Eggs: Marsh Wren 15 Dec 202128 Jun 2022 Plate 44: Long-Billed Marsh Wren Cistothorus palustris Nervous, active little bird with short wings that hides in long grasses. Crown brown, bordered on sides with black; white line over eye;…
Book Studies Nests & Eggs: Blue Jay 9 Dec 202128 Jun 2022 Plate 43: Blue Jay Cyanocitta cristata Dashing and impudent, this brilliant blue bird of the crow family is hard to miss. You may admire him greatly or hate him intensely.…
Book Studies Nests & Eggs: Green Heron 1 Dec 202128 Jun 2022 Plate 42: Green Heron Butorides virescens Found at the edges of ponds and creeks crouching in wait for food. Anyone who spends time near a lake, pond or stream will…
Book Studies Nests & Eggs: Goldfinch 17 Nov 202128 Jun 2022 Plate 41: American Goldfinch Spinus tristis Small, twittering bird with a fondness for thistle seeds. The American or Common Goldfinch often is called “wild canary.” Altho he is not a…
Book Studies Nests & Eggs: Grackle 10 Nov 202128 Jun 2022 Plate 40: Purple Grackle Quiscalus quiscula Member of the blackbird family that follows the plow in search of grubs and worms. Almost everyone who lives or has traveled any place…
Book Studies Nests & Eggs: Killdeer 3 Nov 202128 Jun 2022 Plate 39: Killdeer Charadrius vociferus Named for their call, these plovers fake a broken wing to distract predators from their young. The killdeer is the common plover which we see…
Book Studies Nests & Eggs: Chimney Swift 27 Oct 202128 Jun 2022 Plate 38: Chimney Swift Chaetura pelagica High-pitched chatterers that prefer nesting in the eaves of buildings or your chimney. Unlike swallows which bend their wings, this bird holds his wings…
Book Studies Nests & Eggs: Wild Turkey 20 Oct 202128 Jun 2022 Plate 37: Wild Turkey Meleagris gallopavo Widely associated with Thanksgiving, these common birds are seen all year round. The sight of a flock of Wild Turkeys coasting on their strong…
Book Studies Nests & Eggs: Nuthatch 13 Oct 202128 Jun 2022 Plate 36: White-bellied (white-breasted) Nuthatch Sitta carolinensis Active and agile little birds known for their habit of descending trees. Nuthatches are one of the few “upside-down” birds. Chickadees and titmice…
Book Studies Nests & Eggs: Yellowthroat 6 Oct 202128 Jun 2022 Plate 35: Maryland (Common) Yell0wthroat Geothlypis trichas Beautifully colored summer songbird found in thickets near roads and streams. The adult male of this species wears a black mask over his…
Book Studies Nests & Eggs: Virginia Rail 29 Sep 202128 Jun 2022 Plate 34: Virginia Rail Rallus limicola Marsh bird that is "seldom seen but often heard." The pig-like grunts and squawks of a pair of Virginia Rails may bewilder the casual…
Book Studies Nests & Eggs: Eastern Screech Owl 22 Sep 202128 Jun 2022 Plate 33: Mottled Owl (Eastern Screech Owl) Megascops asio Small night bird known by its distinct and spooky call. The Screech Owl is the smallest of the eared owls, about…
Book Studies Nests & Eggs: American Redstart 15 Sep 202128 Jun 2022 Plate 32: American Redstart Setophaga ruticilla One of the most beautiful and conspicuous of the warblers. Here is a bird well worth finding. It is common and confiding, but its…
Book Studies Nests & Eggs: Eastern Bluebird 8 Sep 202128 Jun 2022 Plate 31: Eastern Bluebird Sialia sialis Found perching on fence posts or telephone wires, these bright blue harbingers of spring are easy to spot. This small thrush, only slightly larger…
Book Studies Nests & Eggs: Least Tern 1 Sep 202128 Jun 2022 Plate 30: Least Tern Sternula antillarum Smallest of the tern family found in coastal waters or along inland rivers. The black tern is more commonly seen in North America. Black…
Book Studies Nests & Eggs: Ruffed Grouse 25 Aug 202128 Jun 2022 Plate 29: Ruffed Grouse Bonasa umbellus Mistaken for partridge or pheasant, it is a bird of the woods that nests on the ground and makes a drumming sound that may…
Book Studies Nests & Eggs: Belted Kingfisher 18 Aug 202128 Jun 2022 Plate 28: Belted Kingfisher Megaceryle alcyon Energetic patroller of shores and streams well known for its piercing, loud, and harsh cry. Rarely in the bird world, is the female more…
Book Studies Nests & Eggs: Painted Bunting 11 Aug 202128 Jun 2022 Plate 27: Painted Bunting Passerina ciris One of the most brilliantly colored birds in the United States. The painted bunting is not only distinguished in appearance, but also is one…
Book Studies Nests & Eggs: Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 4 Aug 202128 Jun 2022 Plate 26: Blue-gray gnatcatcher Polioptila caerulea Tiny bird found in treetops where it makes itself known by its sweet song. This tiny bird, smaller than a chickadee, never seems to…
Book Studies Nests & Eggs: Red-throated Diver (Loon) 28 Jul 202128 Jun 2022 Plate 25: Red-throated Diver Gavia stellata Graceful fish-hunter found along larger lakes and waterways. The Loon is at perfect ease in the water; on land it shuffles along, using its…
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