Day 38: Field Sparrow

We've seen several Field Sparrows during our adventures this winter. They can be found year-round here in Maryland and throughout much of the eastern U.S.

The first thing I notice when I spot a Field Sparrow is that it's a rather light colored sparrow, compared to many others that we see. It has a white/gray unstreaked breast and belly and a rusty brown back and head. It also has a distinctive pink bill.

I don't recall hearing it, but evidently during the summer Field Sparrows have a well recognized song. I will have to listen more closely the next few months!

Day 37: Redhead

The Redhead is a beautiful and appropriately named diving duck.

Adult male Redheads have a blue bill, a red head and neck, a black breast, yellow eyes and a grey back. In a big group of ducks, males really stand out and are easy to spot. Adult females aren't so pretty; they have a brown head and body, standard for most female duck species.

 There are several species of duck in this photo. Can you pick out the male Redheads?

Redheads breed in marshes and prairie potholes in western North America. After the breeding season, male Redheads go through a molt that leaves them flightless for almost a month. During the winter, Redheads migrate and can be found throughout much of the U.S. They tend to concentrate in coastal areas along the Gulf of Mexico, with hundreds of thousands of birds found in the Padre Island area of Texas (that would be a sight to see!).

Day 36: Mourning Dove

Oh, do I have some stories about Mourning Doves. Growing up in Texas, they were one of the first birds that I grew to recognize and to loathe at the same time. Every spring of my childhood, my mom would grow hanging plants and flowers on our porch. And, every spring, the Mourning Doves would move in to make crappy little nests in the plants. Many a quiet morning was broken by the sound of my mom screaming as she tried to water the hanging plants, doves flying out in her face or pooping on her head.

Later, as I was beginning to drive, Mourning Doves were the "stupid" birds in the road that waited until the last possible second to fly off before they squished under my tires, no matter how much I swerved to avoid them. My deep-seeded resentment of Mourning Doves (and let's be honest, doves in general) lasted until graduate school, when I met Jared and shared my convictions. Ever since then, he's tried to convince me to give doves another chance. I suppose I owe them that much, since I haven't been home to hear my mom's tortured yells in many years.

So, Mourning Doves.You've all seen them, since they live year-round throughout most of the United States. They're generally light grey and brown in color, and are appropriately name for their distinct, mournful sounding call, woo-OO-oo-oo-oo. I also have always associated them with a strange whistling sound that can be heard when they fly off or land (pay attention next time, you'll notice it). I didn't realize until now, but this sound is made by their wings.

Fun fact: The Mourning Dove is the leading gamebird in North America in terms of total harvest and the widespread distribution of hunting effort. Approximately one million hunters annually harvest more than 20 million birds.

Day 35: Long-tailed Duck

The last time we went to Ocean City, we saw beautiful Long-tailed Ducks at the inlet. They are common sea ducks in Maryland during the winter, and we saw several large flocks fly through. Luckily, a few birds floated fairly close to the jetty we were standing on.

Long-tailed Ducks form large flocks in winter and during migration. They feed by diving for food, and although they usually feed close to the surface, they are capable of diving up to 200 feet! This is deeper than most other sea ducks can go.

As you can see in the photos, male Long-tailed Ducks have a long pointed tail. In the winter, males have a dark cheek patch and a white head and neck. Until recently, the name for this bird in North America was the Oldsquaw (strange name, I know), though it has always been called the Long-tailed Duck in Europe. Now, though, they are officially called Long-tailed Ducks.

Day 34: Great Blue Heron

The Great Blue Heron is a common wading bird found throughout most of North America, Central America, and down to parts of South America. They can be found in both coastal and fresh water habitats.

Although they primarily eat fish, Great Blue Herons will also hunt for rodents and other animals, especially in the winter.

Great Blue Herons are large birds, with slate blue flight feathers, a gray neck, and a nearly white face. They have a pair of black feathers above the eye to the back of the head.

Day 33: Red-throated Loon

Last weekend, there were several Red-throated Loons at the Ocean City inlet. Some of them got quite close to the shore, and I was able to get some great photos.

During the winter, when loons have migrated to the Maryland area, adults have dull plumage with a white face and foreneck, a grey head, and a dark body with white speckles. Adults are really beautiful during the breeding season, with a distinctive red throat patch. Unfortunately, Red-throated Loons breed far north in the Arctic, so we won't get to see them then.

Red-throated Loons are the smallest and the lightest of the world's species of loons. They primarily eat fish, diving underwater and using their feet for propulsion.

 

Fun fact: Because its feet are located so far back on its body, the Red-throated Loon can't actually walk on land! However, it can use its feet to shove itself forward on its breast, which I'm guessing is a pretty awkward way to get around.
 

Day 32: American White Pelican

Hooray for one month down of blogging! I have to admit, I initially wasn't sure I could keep it up every single day. It hasn't always been easy, but I've grown to love it and hope I can get enough pictures to make it the full year.

Last weekend on our trip to the eastern shore of Maryland, our last stop before heading home was at the Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge. This is a wonderful place to see all different kinds of marsh and woodland birds. This is always the place where we've gotten our best views of Bald Eagles.

Our main reason for stopping at Blackwater was to look for American White Pelicans. These birds live mainly in the western and southern parts of North America. They typically breed as far north as western Canada. Maryland is not in the usual range of American White Pelicans, but a group has been wintering at Blackwater for the past several years.

Jared was the first to spot the pelicans, which looked like big white blobs a distance off in the water. Luckily, the road took us a little closer to the group of birds, but we still weren't able to get close enough for great pictures.

The American White Pelican is a big bird: its wingspan is nine feet! Unlike Brown Pelicans, they don't dive, but they fish, bobbing to the surface of the water to capture small fish in their large bills. American White Pelicans often work together, beating their wings on the water to drive small fish into shallow waters.

Here's a good, close photo of an American White Pelican (not our photo):

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