Leucistic Red-tailed Hawk - Hamilton, MA - Oct. 28, 2011

I went out this morning hoping for a Screech Owl or two roosting in the sun after last nights rain and snow, well that didn't happen, not an owl to be found but on my way to the bank I came across a large white bird flying over Rte 1A in Hamilton, MA. I quickly turned around and found a partially albino or leucistic Red-tailed hawk perched in a Pine Tree a fair distance from the road.

Quite a beautiful Hawk!

A brief video of it perched in another tree nearby.

Several more shots showing the yellow feet and mostly white wings.

Another showing several red tail feathers making this an adult and most likely the same Hawk I saw back on March 12, 2011 along the Hamilton / Ipswich line just a few miles from today's location.

A shot of it facing me.

and a few more as it flew towards me heading north along Rte 1A & Rock Maple Ave. in Hamilton

As I said this is the 2nd time this year I've come across this bird. The 1st was back on March 12 a few miles north of today's sighting on the Hamilton / Ipswich line. Here's a few images from that encounter.

Yellow-billed Cuckoo - Parker River NWR - Oct. 24, 2011

I had the great pleasure of stumbling on a small group of people that were watching this Yellow-billed Cuckoo as it rested and foraged along the edge of the North Pool on the Parker River NWR.

A brief video showing just how much work goes into eating a caterpillar which is a large part of the Cuckoos diet.

There's no mistaking how this bird acquired it's name. This is one of the brighter Cuckoos I've seen.

The Caterpillar loses it's bristles before the Cuckoo tosses it down the hatch.

Another bug the Cuckoo quickly found and ate.

and lastly a close up of the bill and that very yellow eye-ring.

Parker River NWR - Shorebirds ++ - Oct. 23, 2011

Seen prior to my visit to Plum Island, this Eastern Screech Owl has just started to use the hole in this tree to roost as the leaves come off the trees.

A visit to the Parker River NWR never disappoints and this past Sunday was no exception. The young Common Tern below was roosting at Sandy Point with a couple dozen Forester's Terns.

A young Bonaparte's Gull, one of several dozen that were roosting in the area,

The salt pans just before parking lot #3 held a few hundred American Wigeon and two drake Eurasian Wigeon with one seen below on the left.

The shoreline just north of Emerson Rocks, parking lot #7, is currently alive with shorebirds on a falling tide as they feed on all sorts of goodies just below the surface. Hudsonian Godwits, as seen in the next two images, are always a treat to see.

Sandy Point, the state park at the southern tip of the Parker River NWR,  also held a nice collection of shorebirds that were roosting, preening and feeding as the tide began to fall. A Red Knot in winter plumage roosting on one leg.

A Sanderling doing the same.

A Semipalmated Plover.

and a White-rumped Sandpiper.

Another White-rumped Sandpiper along the wrack line in very fresh and bright juvenile plumage.

I'm already looking forward to next weekends visit for my next shorebird fix before they head south, leaving the beaches to the Sanderling and Dunlin.

Sparrow Identification - Chipping / Clay-colored - Oct. '11

The recent, very informative sparrow identification discussion on MassBird , Chipping Sparrow vs Clay-colored Sparrow,  led me to put together a few images of the two to illustrate the differences in the eye-ring that David Sibley pointed out in his post to MassBird on Oct. 20, 2011

Prominent white eye arcs, broken by the dark line through the eye on the Chipping Sparrow on the left

and the "open faced" look on the Clay-colored Sparrow from the lack of the eye arcs and dark eye line on the right.

"Click" on any image for a larger photo..

I've always had a hard time with Chipping Sparrows that are a bit paler than the norm but this field mark should help with that! Thanks very much for pointing it out David!

Here's both birds as seen in the field. Chipping Sparrow, Salisbury Beach SR - Oct. 17, 2011

Clay-colored Sparrow - Wardens, Parker River NWR - May 14, 2011

As other have stated, MassBird with all of the folks that continually contribute is a fabulous resource that I and thousands of others greatly enjoy and appreciate on a daily basis.

Gloucester Peregrines - Oct. 16, 2011

A pair of adult Peregrine Falcons are back on the Gloucester City Hall clock tower. Hopefully they stick around and entertain us through the winter months, though I'm certain the Pigeon population would rather they winter in sunny Florida!

The male with breakfast.

and the female with her full crop from eating a bit earlier in the morning.

A brief video of the two with several gulls and crows harassing the female from a distance.

A stop at Salisbury Beach State Reservation on Monday, Oct. 17 found a Blue-headed Vireo foraging along the sunny edge of the pine grove.

and a Double-crested Cormorant preening at the boat ramp

The Parker River NWR had many roosting shorebirds at various stops along the beach like the pair of Dunlin below.

Along with many dozens of Northern Gannet foraging just off shore.

With the one captured below just prior to entering the water with its wings folded back. I'd hate to be the fish that sees that coming!

Least Flycatcher - Parker River NWR - Oct. 18, 2011

Least Flycatcher is the general consensus on this late empidonax flycatcher that's currently calling lot #1 home. Thanks for the help with the id to all that responded from MassBird!

The flycatcher found by Jonathan Center across from parking lot #1 on the Parker River NWR on Sunday, October 16, 2011 was seen again this morning hunting from low perches along the road in the same general area. The low light, overcast & early, made for tough conditions for photos at 700mm but here's a few.

"Click" on any image for a 1440 x 900 photo.

A brief video (included only for the call) taken just after dawn when the flycatcher was 

calling continuously, it was distant so turn your speakers up.

Lark Bunting and Other Great Birds - Oct. 10, 2011

A bird I saw hundreds of in Arizona made it's way to the coast here in Massachusetts recently and is still being seen at Good Harbor Beach in Gloucester, MA. Brian Harris found this Lark Bunting foraging at the edge of the parking lot on Oct. 8 and the bird has been entertaining birders since.

A brief video of the Bunting.

Other birds seen in the area included this Lapland Longspur feeding in the short grass.

and several Palm Warblers that came to close to focus on in the small dump at the end of the parking lot.