Wednesday, May 23, 2012

Warbler Migration Time

Magnolia Warbler

Joan and I enjoy spring.  It is a refreshing time and it is also a time when new life comes to the fields and woods. We look forward to little outings to listen to, view and photograph the warblers.  We had a great week in the Pine Creek Valley of North Central PA last week.  We enjoyed birding, kayaking and fishing and we were also treated to the annual insurgence of yellow swallowtail butterflies. 

The Magnolia Warbler pictured above likes marshy areas and seems to like coniferous trees.

We always enjoy hearing the Black Throated Blue Warblers along the rim of the Pa Grand Canyon. This tiny bird is hard to spot but sure has a hearty song.
Black Throated Blue Warbler

The bushes along hedgerows and the shrubs and bushes along Pine Creek and the Pine Creek Trail seems to be filled with the Common Yellow Throat and the Yellow Warbler. 
Common Yellow Throat

Yellow Warbler

The young sycamore trees along the Pine Creek Rail Trail at Rattlesnake Rock abounds with American Redstarts.  Below is a female American redstart.

Female American Redstart

The Northern Mocking bird is a sassy bird and it carries on forever with its mimicking songs
Northern Mockingbird

The little Black ad white warbler is a joy to listen as well as watch go up and down trees-it was once known as the Black and White Creeper. 
Black and White Warbler

The butterflies are always a joy to watch flit from flower to flower.  It is often hard to get images of them that are large enough to print as large prints.  Using a 600 F4 lens with three extensions tubes on it allows to stay back far enough not to scare them-yet close focuses so that a sharp image can be achieved. 

yellow swallowtail



Until next Time


Jim Borden







Saturday, May 5, 2012

Spring Warbler Migration


It is that time of year again that many of us look forward to.  The songs of birds filling the air and the springing of vegetation.  The spring warbler migration has begun in outs area.  Over past two days we have seen many White Crowned sparrows, song sparrows, chirping sparrows, Baltimore Orioles, Indigo Buntings, Brown Thrashers, Bluebirds, Tree Swallows, Barn Swallows and Carolina Wrens.  We will be working hard this week so that we can take off the week of May 13 for sping birding

Enjoy

Jim Borden

Tuesday, May 1, 2012

Loon and Mergansers


Joan and I spent this past weekend in the Pennsylvania Pine creek Valley.  WE had a good time as always.  We saw 6 different eagles, lots of geese and new born goslings as well as numerous mergansers. Hills Creek State Park Lake had 4 Common Loons on it.  Two had breeding plumage and two were still in winter plumage.  We were also fortunate enough to see two Green Herons but they evaded picture taking.

The unique experience we had was witnessing a female Merganser swallowing about a 12 inch trout.  I knew that mergansers were known to be avid fishermen-but had not realized how large a fish they would swallow.

Until next time

Jim Borden

For more critters and landscapes click here