Day 189: Fish Crow

The Fish Crow is an all black bird that can be found in wetland habitats in the eastern and southeastern U.S. This species looks similar to the American Crow, but it is smaller and has a very distinct call, like someone saying "uh uh." This call lends to the saying:

Just ask him if he is an American Crow. If he says "no", he is a Fish Crow.

Day 188: Yellow-throated Warbler

The Yellow-throated Warbler is a common woodland songbird in the southeastern U.S. In the summer, male Yellow-throated Warblers have a bright yellow throat, white underparts, and black and white patterned heads. They are insectivores, but will also eat berries and nectar outside the breeding season.

Day 187: Solitary Sandpiper

The Solitary Sandpiper can be found in the U.S. during migration seasons. This species breeds in the boreal forests of Canada and Alaska and winters in the tropics, from northern Mexico south through much of South America. The species name refers to its solitary migration habits, which contrasts with the flocking behavior of most other migrant sandpipers.

Day 186: Black-throated Blue Warbler

The Black-throated Blue Warbler is one of my favorite birds. When we first moved to Maryland, one landed right on our porch for a few seconds, but flew off before we could grab a camera! The males are really stunning, and unfortunately I don't have a better photo to share. Male birds have white underparts with a black throat and face, and their upperparts are deep blue. During the breeding season, they can be found in deciduous and mixed forests in eastern North America.

Day 185: Least Bittern

Well, it's been a tough couple of days. After losing power late on Friday night, we finally got power restored to our building this afternoon (over 3 1/2 days with no AC)! Though it was very hot, we managed well enough and are glad to have power for tomorrow's holiday.

Today's bird, the Least Bittern, is really cool, because we've been trying to see one for several years now in Maryland. You might not be able to tell from the photos, but this guy really blends in with his surroundings. Had another birder not pointed him out to us, he would have been very difficult to find.

The Least Bittern is one of the smallest herons in the world. They forage for food by walking through marshes, grasping clumps of plants with their long toes and curved claws. They also build small foraging platforms, catching fast-moving prey, mainly small fish and insects, with their small, thin bills. They can be very elusive birds, though they are also quite loud.

Day 184: Common Eider

The Common Eider is the largest duck in the Northern Hemisphere. They are distributed over the northern coasts of Europe, North America, and eastern Siberia. They breed in the Arctic and winter farther south in more temperate areas, and we saw several earlier this year on Maryland's eastern shore.

Common Eiders tend to nest on marine islands and to form large groups in inshore coastal areas during the nonbreeding season. They dive to pick mollusks and crustaceans from the sea bottom.

Day 183: Orchard Oriole

The Orchard Oriole is the smallest oriole in North America. It can be found during breeding season throughout the U.S. and Mexico east of the Rocky Mountains. Adult males have chestnut colored plumage on the underparts, shoulder, and rump, with the rest of the plumage black. Females are olive-green with yellow on the breast and belly.