Another starling, but in different light. Compared to #20, this really shows the iridescence.
2021-04-06 NIH field, Bethesda, MD
Here comes Dad!* Maybe he's going to feed us!
2021-06-26 NIH field, Bethesda, MD
* Males are slightly darker coloured, slightly larger and have longer tail forks. Since I don't have the other sex for comparison he might be a she.
I’m not seeing any food…
Hey! Where is he going? We're starving!
This domestic scene was recorded in less than a second using the continuous drive mode on the camera. Of course, there was a fair amount of waiting around for the right second and many many tossed photos.
More hungry mouths. These young barn swallows are waiting mouths agape for mom or dad to swoop in and drop some food into their mouths. They are old enough to fly (they are nowhere near their nest), but swooping over the fields at speeds of 25 mph to catch insects is much harder.
Wind tunnel data for a pair of adults: https://cob.silverchair-cdn.com/cob/content_public/journal/jeb/204/15/10.1242_jeb.204.15.2741/1/2741.pdf
From the blooper reel. No way this photo is going to make it to the cover of Audubon. Sometimes you have an itch that you've got to scratch.
2021-06-27 Bethesda, MD
Feed me! Feed me! It doesn't matter which mom or dad comes to land, all the little mouths open wide hoping for a tasty bug.
2021-06-26 NIH pond, Bethesda, MD
One of a dozen flycatcher species in the area, which is not nearly enough given the number of flies.
2021-06-24 NIH field, Bethesda, MD
A song sparrow in the morning sun.
2021-06-23 Bethesda, MD
The same barn swallow from two days ago just before banking into the curve. The dark blue and gray on the back and wings are quite a contrast from the beige belly.
2021-06-21 NIH field, Bethesda, MD
Going back to tree swallows, we've seen babies (#11) and daddies (#12), so here's a mommy to complete the collection.
2021-03-29 NIH pond, Bethesda, MD
A barn swallow banking into a curve. They spend the morning and evening swooping over the fields snatching up insects. They are fast moving but they are circling the field, so even after the 15th lap I still get another try. Three hundred photos later I hope there is at least one in focus!
Probably female since she has pale underparts, but not definitive.
2021-06-21 NIH field, Bethesda, MD
The adult starlings look very different from the juveniles. Although mostly black, the lighting on the feathers can make them shimmer with greens and purples.
2021-03-20 NIH pond, Bethesda, MD
Student driver not quite steady on their new wings, this young starling righted itself after almost falling out of the nest.
2021-06-12 NIH field, Bethesda, MD
These birds drill a line of holes in a living tree to get the sap to run and then eat the sap. This one is not from Northampton (though I did snap one in Childs Park), but rather from the spruce tree in our back yard. A bit worrisome since this can seriously damage some trees.
2021-03-09 Bethesda, MD
A pair of hairy woodpeckers on the oak on Prospect St. Males have a red patch on the back of the head.
2021-06-01 Prospect St., Northampton, MA
Back to Northampton, a common yellowthroat sitting on an alder in the Barrett Street marsh one morning.
2021-06-01 Barrett St. Marsh, Northampton, MA
These are the loud one outside your window waking you up in the morning. Such a big sound from such a little bird. They put their whole body into it!
2021-03-23 Bethesda, MD
A bird unafraid to be free range (so not a chicken?), she was wandering the unfenced yard of a house in Northampton. I didn't warn her about the foxes.
2021-05-30 Jackson St., Northampton, MA
A bit of a morning snuggle from back in March. I have no idea where they built their nest.
2021-03-04 Bethesda, MD
The father of yesterday's teenagers. Males are solid blue on top while females usually have a brownish tinge though not always.
2021-05-19 NIH Pond, Bethesda, MD
A pair of tree swallow babies waiting for food. Both mom and dad are active parents, regularly at the nest. I can believe that it takes two: they spend hours skimming the water in search of insects.
2021-06-10 NIH Pond, Bethesda, MD
A red-winged blackbird calling into the void. They do that a lot.
Unlike yesterday's female, this guy is black with red on the wings (hence the name). You can hear the songs and calls at All About Birds
https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Red-winged_Blackbird/sounds
2021-03-25 NIH Pond, Bethesda, MD
Mom is bringing back something yummy from her grocery trip. You can tell she is female since she is neither red-winged nor black.
2021-06-03 NIH Pond, Bethesda, MD
Taking a dust bath in the early morning before a fine breakfast of crunchy cicadas.
2021-06-06 Bethesda, MD
A blue jay helping in the garden. How nice of him/her.
2021-05-27 Bethesda, MD
A chipping sparrow from Childs Park in Northampton. I don't see many on my walks in Bethesda, but they seem to be regulars in Childs Park.
2021-06-02 Childs Park, Northampton, MA
Fellow visitor to Mass MoCA.
2021-05-30 Mass MoCA, North Adams, MA
Canada geese are family oriented. These three came into the little bay with both parents, climbed up on the causeway and proceeded to snack and rest. This put them between me and the trail, but I was able to sneak by with only a few threatening hisses.
2021-06-01 Barrett St. Marsh, Northampton, MA
I was chasing down a tufted titmouse when I saw this guy zip across and land in a tree. The triangular shaped beak is good for catching flies (swallows also have them). It looks like he's spotted the gnat just below his/her tail.
2021-06-01 Childs park, Northampton, MA
Robin in residence on Prospect St.
This rather bold robin has set up a nest just above eye level beside the porch, and has been returning every year. She makes it kind of easy to take pictures!
2021-06-01 Prospect St., Northampton, MA
The height of chivalry in the world of the yellow warbler is to have the gentleman bring his lady an insect treat. While sitting on the boardwalk this morning listening to the dawn chorus I saw this guy make a few trips to the forest floor to fetch a new tidbit and feed it to his girl.
2021-06-01 Barrett St. Marsh, Northampton, MA