Northern-nesting hummingbirds are migrating now, including Ruby-throated, Rufous, Broad-tailed, and Caliope Hummingbirds. These tiny birds are flying hundreds of miles and more, before arriving and spending time preparing for the next leg of their migration flights farther north – or possibly establishing nesting territories near you. Because flowering plants are at a minimum as northern temperatures warm and plants revive, the center stage for many migrating hummingbirds is our nectar feeders and potted flowering plants as they provide important food, and our landscaping provides resting areas and shelter.
For the first time during spring migration, BirdCast's live migration map showed an enormous record-breaking cross-country flight that reached more than 857 million birds on Sunday May 4th! The fact that this number is closing in on 1 Billion birds during a single spring migration night across the Lower 48 States is most impressive. Conditions were exceptional, with the intersection of a peak spring migration period in many areas of continental America paired with some rather intense, bird-concentrating weather. And it was all documented live and recorded on BirdCast by using the US weather surveillance radar network.
Celebrate the arrival of your favorite birds this spring and learn answers to common questions about how they make the migration from wintering areas to your neighborhood tomorrow, May 14th, presented by ornithologists from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. This is a reminder to register for this informative presentation that emphasizes that bird migration isn't just a continental phenomenon, it is also super-local, and it is happening all around you now. Mid-May is prime time to enjoy the spring migration spectacle! Some of the new birds you see are just passing through during a short migration stopover, while others will be with you through the summer.
It was definitely one of my best local experiences among warblers! The best single-species warbler observation period I've witnessed, just for sheer numbers, but also for the fast-passed surround-vision that the warblers. Easily more than 200 Yellow-rumped Warblers were lining the west and north sides of the Old Schoolhouse Grove, plus the interior trees and surrounding cattail stands and small willows lining the 3 adjacent wetlands. The numbers were one thing, but once I stood in position, I was immediately surrounded by warblers, perched, flying out to catch newly hatched insects, mostly low to the ground; with warblers flying at my feet, my knees, within a foot of me.
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Keep your optics safe and handy when traveling on airlines or in your personal vehicle with the Tenba Skyline Shoulder Bag. This Tenba provides comfortable secure storage for your birding binoculars and a variety of photo equipment. Protect your valuable birding optics inside this black Tenba Shoulder Bag, optics that may include a camera body and 3 lenses, plus your binoculars. Durable and weather resistant, the Tenba Skyline is made with water-repellant 300D fabric and has YKK zippers, plus reinforced stitching to ensure long-term durability.
Consider adding an elegant-looking Emerald Lagoon Birdbath that stands 28 inches high. Available from BestNest, from its 14-inch base to the 20-inch outer diameter of its basin, this birdbath's green-blue and black finish creates the appearance of a natural patina for a distinguished look in your yard or garden. The basin's 15-inch inner diameter and 2-inch depth allow birds to drink while perching on the rim, and bathe inside the basin. The sturdy base is decorated with broad curlicue designs and there are 3 metal ground stakes provided to stabilize the Emerald Lagoon Birdbath.
Living in the Northern Great Plains, in the midst of one of the most attractive wetlands and prairie regions in America, I’m lucky to have a relative abundance of large sandpipers in my local area. With such exciting birds as Marbled Godwits, Willets, and American Avocets nesting here, along with rarer Hudsonian Godwits migrating through during spring, these impressive birds provide occasional photo opportunities, and that was clearly the case during recent days. These big shorebirds are truly graceful, and being much larger than the mostly minute sandpipers, they emphasize that grace in their movements and their flights.
This series of photographs begins with a portrait of a Marbled Godwit after it settled into position after being chased twice by an aggressive American Avocet. Below, the series shows the godwit as it approached the shore to land – thereby providing a chance to take a fast-paced photo series (430mm zoomed lens, f-11 aperture, 1/1600 shutter speed, 800 ISO). What luck to have the godwit fly toward my position with the evening sun at my back!
These large sandpipers are also very animated and sometimes loudly vocal as they protect feeding areas and nesting territories, sometimes in very aggressive ways that may result in one-on-one avian showdowns. These interactions are often not limited to single-species bouts, but may include a couple species of big sandpipers. That was the case when I observed and photographed an especially belligerent American Avocet that made concerted efforts to confront and chase a number of Marbled Godwits, Willets, and other avocets, which led to a series of photographs of a godwit landing after being displaced by the aggressive avocet. The resulting photos clearly show the elegance and grace of the big sandpipers of the northern prairie marshes.
Even in a simple portrait photo, this pair of American Avocets reflects their beauty and elegance, but moments later the male took flight to chase the above godwit, which provided an opportunity to photograph its take-off and the ensuing interactions with the godwit (600mm zoom lens, f-11 aperture, 1/1250 shutter speed).
Of course, the word elegant lends itself well to American Avocets, and their cinnamon-colored neck plumage and pale blue legs make them an obvious winner for beauty along the shallows and shores of this region and far beyond. They are also very animated, not only during territorial aggressions, but during this period of spring they are also involved in a variety of mating behaviors, which seem to be more pronounced in this species, especially during pre-copulation. The interest and intent is quite obvious and involved as the male performs a series of actions while walking in half-circles behind and to the sides of the soliciting female. An interesting part of this sequence is when the male splashes water with its long, thin bill beside the female.
Another example of being prepared and ready for the unexpected, while photographing individuals in a flock of Long-billed Dowitchers, a closer pair of American Avocets suddenly began to perform pre-mating displays that re-focused my attention on their interesting behavioral activities (500mm telephoto lens, f-7 aperture, 1/4000 shutter speed, 800 ISO).
And back to godwits, my enhanced interest in Hudsonian Godwits goes back to 2017, when I had a chance to observe and photograph Hudsonians for the first time during 2 mornings while they foraged in a shallow marsh about 8 miles south of home. Finding these Arctic-nesting godwits during one of their brief migration stopovers between wintering areas in Argentina and nesting sites in tundra regions of northern Canada or Alaska is not an annual opportunity, but last year I enjoyed a few photo ops with multiple birds just 2 miles north of my office at Bobby’s Bay. I also found a few about 24 miles northwest on the shallow shore of a large lake, and so far this year I have observed groups of 2 and 3 Hudsonian Godwits at 2 favorite shorebird sites – Bobby’s Bay and Charo Marsh.
During brief migration stopovers, Hudsonian Godwits don’t offer many action photo opportunities, but when that’s the case you can concentrate on taking classic portrait photos that are representative of the species to show variations in plumage and molt while being prepared for any new action that may transpire (600mm zoom lens, f-10 aperture, 1/800 shutter speed, 800 ISO).
That brings up the point that you never know what triggers your interest and attraction to certain birds, but there is no question that certain birds excite me more than others, and Hudsonian Godwits are one of those species. And when you find one or a flock of these special species, it’s invariable that you will want to take photos of them, starting with documentary photos and portraits, then trying to add photos of any actions or behaviors that warrant something beyond documenting them – adding a bit more of an artistic flare to your composition or capturing key moments during a preening episode, such as when a bird flaps its wings. Perhaps you can photograph them during an interaction with another bird, or maybe during a repositioning flight.
Looking very godwit-like, this mini-godwit is actually a Long-billed Dowitcher, a rather mid-sized sandpiper. Often found in small flocks of 10 to 50 during migration stops, the dowitcher was in the company of a variety of shorebirds and ducks, gulls and terns, that exemplify the chances we have to photograph a variety of birds in shallow marsh habitats (600mm zoom lens, f-9 aperture, 1/1600 shutter speed, 800 ISO).
The big shorebirds provide great examples of the kinds of birds that can attract a lot of attention and offer some excellent opportunities for portraits and action photos. And that can be extended to the smaller sandpipers and plovers, along with wading birds like egrets, herons, and ibis, as well as waterbirds, waterfowl, songbirds, and any birds you encounter. In the moment, take advantage of all the photo opportunities that present themselves, provided by migrating birds and local nesting species alike. Even if a given photo op only provides a chance to practice using your camera and making a few adjustments to the aperture, give your camera a workout. Take a few test photos to check on lighting or shadows, every bird you encounter with your camera provides a new opportunity to get a representative photo of a species, an ultimate image, or a pleasing representative photo – it all adds to the thrill of photographing birds. Good Luck!
