Yellow-rumped Warbler Identification

This past weekend it was gorgeous in New England. We had temperatures in the 90s in Bridgewater and I took advantage, doing yard work and going birding on Sunday. I've help out hope for the diversity of birds in the Stiles & Hart conservation area behind our house, and sure enough I saw warblers! And here I thought I had to travel all the way to Boston-area parks in order to see migratory warblers...

I picked up on their call and found a group of 3 or so among saplings and low bushes. The area small trees covered an area passing over a creek connecting two of the ponds in Stiles & Hart. I stopped and watched them for probably a half hour and even saw a Northern Waterthrush walking along and pecking at the edges of the creek but unfortunately didn't get a picture.

It was very difficult photographing them between the emerging leaves, but here are some of the best pictures. I will also point out some tips for male yellow-rumped warbler identification.

First, I notice the black inverted "V" on its breast:

Then I look for the tell-tale "yellow rump" and yellow mark on its crown:

Next I look for the yellow markings on the sides of its breast:

Here are some other great pictures I think help give different perspectives of the bird:

Difference Between Grackles and Starlings

I saw a sad sight today during my lunchtime jog—a dead grackle. Or was it a starling? I'll get to that in a minute. I was making my way down to the trail along the Charles River when I saw what I thought was an injured bird in the middle of the road. It was just sitting there and I figured it was just stunned or maybe had an injured wing. The bird probably didn't have much of a chance, but the least I could move it out of the road. As I got closer to the bird I saw it had its mouth open and then I realized the gruesome truth—it was dead and was frozen in that position. I just got shivers thinking about it. The poor thing. Anyway, so it got me to thinking 'What is the difference between grackles and starlings?' I use the two interchangeably and haven't really made an effort to sort it out. Until now. I like to use All About Birds from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology as an online resource. The site is comprehensive and easy to use. (I also really like the 'Cool ...

Killdeer Chick in Yellowstone National Park

These were taken at West Thumb Geyser Basis, along the beach. It was really cool to get to watch these little chicks up close and personal. I had never seen Killdeer chicks before- only adults. These pictures are from our trip to Montana/Wyoming in July 2012.

Well, Here We Are — Back to Birding Girl After 11 Years

Well, here we are—after an epic 11-year hiatus, I’m sitting back at my Adirondack chair, overlooking the picturesque cranberry bogs we live on now. I've swapped my super strong coffee for a hoppy, locally-brewed IPA to celebrate the end of the work day, and starting work again on my personal project- BirdingGirl. Honestly, it feels a little surreal. If you’re popping in and thinking, “Wait, she’s posting again?”—yep, it’s me! The binoculars are still close by, the dog is snoozing nearby, and yes, the birds have kept me company all along. Life Lately: Birding (Mostly) at Home Let’s get this out of the way—I never stopped birding. Not for a minute! Sure, life looks a bit different now. Marriage and kids will do that to you, right? These days, “getting out in the field” means looking up at the trees lining the trails leading to the cranberry bogs I walk my dog on, listening for great-horned owls and wood thrushes, or watching a flash of yellow as the warblers return each spring. I ...

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