Bird of the Week: Blue-winged Warbler

Earlier this week I spent some time in Sterling Forest State Park in Orange county, NY to try to photograph some Golden-winged Warblers.  Although I was able to get brief glimpses of one and heard another, the photo opportunities were completely lacking.  But among the 16 species of Warblers I detected in the park (also including Worm-eating, Cerulean, Hooded, Prairie, American Redstart, and Louisiana Waterthrush) my only really good photos came from a very cooperative Blue-winged Warbler along the power line cut at the end of Ironwood Drive.  I also found a color-banded individual.  I hope you enjoy the photos.

This one has color bands.

Photo Study of Semipalmated Sandpipers at Kimble's Beach, NJ

By Luke Musher

As you may know we've been banding lots of Semipalmated Sandpipers, so naturally I've had a lot of opportunities to photograph them.  Here are some recent photos I took at Kimble's Beach in Cape May county, while banding some Semis caught in cannon nets by the international shorebird team earlier this week.

With a Ruddy Turnstone.

Eating tasty horseshoe crab eggs

The word semipalmated means partially webbed.  Here you can see the webbing in between their toes.

Caspian Terns of the Salton Sea: A Photographic Study

500 Caspian Terns nest off of the Rock Hill Trail in the Salton Sea of California.  I stood in one place as bird after bird flew past.  Here are a few photos.

All photos © Lukas Musher