Life Bird #255: Le Conte's Sparrow

Thanks to Pete Gilmore's report I had the opportunity to see my first Le Conte's Sparrow.
Typically found in the Gulf Coast region this time of year, this guy is way off course. He was feeding on Shadyside Ave in Concord in the small mud/grass median along  plowed up during the Blizzard last weekend. Occasionally mixing with Tree Sparrows and Song Sparrows(who often chased him off) he foraged for what looked like grass seeds.

This bird was unbelievably tame allowing for some fairly decent shots, even with my less than great 55-250mm lens. So tame in fact it was easy to get within 10ft. Good for photos but scary when cars came along. At least 3 came within inches without spooking him.

Great patterning on this little bird and as I've said before, a little flash of yellow this time of year really grabs your attention.

Redhead. For Real This Time

OK. So I think that yesterday I succumbed to the dreaded "see what you're told will be there syndrome." I think what I actually saw at Jamaica Pond yesterday was a female Mallard with some plumage variation from the typical. Note the lack of white bars and blue. Hmm...perhaps a female Pintail?? See photo below:

The deceased bird Travis later ID'd as a Redhead may remain a mystery.
Here is another photo of that bird. Note the bill:

Thanks to Karsten Hartel for posting the Redhead sighting at Leverett Pond. I went down this morning and got a clear look at the Redhead along with the immature male Northern Shoveler:

A shot of the Redhead and a Northern Pintail both females:

Another shot of the Pintail

1/26 Summary -UPDATED

Today I did a little whirl-wind birding expedition. I started at Jamaica Pond to see the Redhead and the Northern Shoveler. Saw the Shoveler but missed the Redhead On my way to Deer Island I stopped in the Fenway area to see the Red-headed Woodpecker. What a great bird and unbelievably easy to find(as described by everyone). He was caching acorns in the oaks around the MFA.

Deer Island was quiet on land but the sea was busy. The highlight was the Barrows Goldeneye on the north side near the yellow hydrochloric acid tanks.

I drove up Revere Beach on the way home to look for the Ruddy Turnstone and Purple Sandpiper that had been reported. No luck with those but I was surprised to find three Sanderlings. Strange to see them here in January, no?

Checklist Here

Redhead Pintail- Jamaica Pond

Sanderling

End of the Redhead - CORRECTION

Thanks to Paul Peterson for reviewing these photos. He pointed out that this was likely not the Redhead in question as it was seen at Leverett Pond a short distance away. I guess this is a great example of "seeing what you expect to see." Looking again at my photos I think it was a female Pintail.

Thanks for all the feedback folks!

I was lucky enough to see the Redhead this morning around 7:00 at Jamaica Pond. It was alive and well in a mixed flock of Mallards, Ruddys, Hooded Mergansers, and a lone Northern Shoveler.

Travis Mazerall called to report that he arrived at Jamaica Pond around 10:00 and that the Redhead was dead on the ice. Apparently she had been killed by this Bald Eagle. He killed and ate a Ruddy Duck and then returned for the carcass of the Redhead.

Insert cliche circle of life comment here.

Bald Eagle Feeding (Photo Courtesy of Travis Mazerall)

Redhead Carcass (Photo Courtesy of Travis Mazerall)

Target Birds 1/26/13

Headed to the North Shore Saturday morning to checklist some of the winter sea-birds I've yet to see this year. I'm still struggling with gulls and hoping to be able to pick out something other than the usual cast to characters(RBG, Herrings, GBBG, etc.)

Here's a list of my target birds for Saturday 1/25/13 in the Nahant/Lynn area:

Brant
Common Eider
Surf Scoter
White-winged Scoter
Black Scoter
Long-tailed duck
Bufflehead
Common Goldeneye
Red-breasted Merganser
Common Loon
Horned Grebe
Mew Gull - **Lifer
Snow Bunting

I also plan to swing by Jamaica Pond to check the Redheads for 2013 and am hoping to see the Red-headed Woodpecker ** at Fenway.

Anyone who'll be in these areas please feel free to email me and we can join forces.

Life Bird 252: Bullock's Oriole; Ellington, CT

Thanks to the help of Debbie I was able to locate the Bullock's Oriole today in Ellington, CT. I was on my way from NY back to Boston and the Bullock's has been seen not far off an exit on I-84. Its been frequenting a feeder at Debbie's house and she says he prefers the meal worms.

He's a first year male so he wasn't very brilliant but any flash of yellow this time of year catches your eye. Glad to mark this one as a "rare" and "lifer."


Checklist here

Bullock's Oriole (1st Year Male)

Bullock's Oriole Range

An Interesting Influx

As of late we Mass-Birders have seen an influx of Scaups and Canvasbacks. Seems like there are Canvasbacks showing up everyday on the Rare Bird Alert. I've heard this is due to southern winds. It doesn't seem to me like we're having a mild winter although we sure haven't had a lot of snow.

Found 3 Canvasbacks, 1 Great Scaup, and 5 Lesser Scaups at Fresh Pond IBA this afternoon.
Checklist here

Lesser Scaup (Female)

Greater Scaup (Male)