Scenes from a Refuge

Tags

boat-tailed grackle, Edwin B Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge, great egret, greater yellow legs, postaday, snow goose, song sparrow

Following are some scenes from the refuge that I photographed last Friday.

Boat-tailed Grackles.

Snow Geese. It was warm and the main migrating flock was nowhere in sight.

Song Sparrow: “How can I get rid on that feather that is sticking out?”

Greater Yellow Legs.

Greater Yellow Legs, one taking a noisy bath.

Great Egret graceful landing.

Feisty Red-winged Blackbird

Tags

boat-tailed grackle, horseshoe crab, photography, postaday, red-winged blackbird

Red-winged Blackbirds were very active at the beach at Fortescue, NJ while the birds were feasting on Horseshoe Crab eggs. I couldn’t help noticing the following male who seemed quite feisty patrolling the beach close to its territory in the dunes.

Male Red-winged Blackbird.

Male Red-winged Blackbird.

Male Red-winged Blackbird: “You guys keep out of my way!”

When not on the beach, he perched on a nearby tree and belted out his warning calls.

Male Red-winged Blackbird.

Male Red-winged Blackbird.

He was not scared of and studiously ignored a bigger Boat-tailed Grackle that was only a short distance away, singing his own warning calls.

Male Red-winged Blackbird and Boat-tailed Grackle.

Boat-tailed Grackle

Tags

boat-tailed grackle, Edwin B Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge, photography, postaday

Yesterday a band of Boat-tailed Grackle congregated on a section of Wildlife Drive at Edwin B Forsythe NWR. I had seen this bird before, but never in such numbers, or so brazen, posing conspicuously for photographers.

Boat-tailed Grackles. Pointing their bill upward is typical of this type of bird.

Boat-tailed Grackle calling.

Boat-tailed Grackle singing.

Boat-tailed Grackles.

Boat-tailed Grackle foraging. These birds are omnivorous and will steal food from humans.

Their bright yellow eyes make the Boat-tailed Grackle appear fierce. By the way all these photos show male Boat-tailed Grackle and I did not see any female around. The female birds would have been brown. Usually, one male bird would have a cluster of female birds as his harem.

Boat-tailed Grackle.

Boat-tailed Grackle.

Shore Robbery

Tags

assateague island, boat-tailed grackle, photography, postaday, sandpiper

There is highway robbery, and then there is shore robbery. Early one morning two weeks ago, I saw a Sandpiper catching a clam on the seashore of Assateague Island in Maryland.

Sandpiper catching clam.

Sandpiper trying to open clam.

Out of nowhere, a Boat-tailed Grackle swooped in and stole the food.

Boat-tailed Grackle stole the clam.

A dejected Sandpiper left the scene.

I thought that was the end of it, but just as I turned away, another Grackle flew in, snatched the clam, and flew away.

Boat-tailed Grackle watching after another Grackle took the clam away.