Great Crested Flycatcher Bird – Passerines – 5/14/2012

The Great Crested Flycatcher was photographed at the Wehr Nature Center in Whitnall Park in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Select this link to see photos or a slideshow of the Great Crested Flycatcher

The Great Crested Flycatcher is a large sized flycatcher with cinnamon wings and tail, a gray breast, and a yellow belly and with a black beak, eyes, and legs. It is more easily heard than seen, but is impressive when seen. It has a range of South Canada, and eastern and central United States. It feeds on a wide variety of insects.

 

Snow Goose (White) Bird – Swimmers – 11/6/2015

The adult Snow (White ) Goose was photographed at a pond in an Industrial Park in Franklin, Wisconsin.

The juvenile Snow Goose and the adults were mostly photographed together.

Select this link to see photos or a slideshow of the Snow (White) Goose  

The Snow (White) Goose is a white goose with black primaries, and with pink feet and wedged shaped bill. It is often rust-stained on the head around the bill. The juvenile is pale gray with a dark bill. It has a range of Artic America and Northeast Siberia. It has a habitat of tundra (summer), marshes, grain fields, ponds, and bays. It is typically seen in large numbers or not at all. The diet is almost entirely of plant material and seeds.

 

 

Swainson’s Thrush Bird – Passerines – 10/14/2010 to 5/15/2015

The Swainson’s Thrush was photographed at the Wehr nature Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin during the May migration.

Select this link to see photos or a slideshow of the Swainson’s Thrush

The Swainson’s Thrush is rustic or gray-brown in color with buff eye-ring and spotted breast, white belly, olive or brown on the flanks, and pink legs. The juvenile tends to be spotted or streaked on the back. It has a range of Alaska, Canada, and west and northeast United States. It has a habitat of Spruce forests and dense streamside woods. They tend to stay out of site. It feeds mostly on insects and berries.

 

 

Prothonotary Warbler Bird – Passerines – 5/18/2014

The male Prothonotary Warbler was photographed at Wehr Nature Center in Franklin, Wisconsin.

The female Prothonotary Warbler is duller than the male and has a lighter bill, and more white below.

Select this link to see photos or a slideshow of the Prothonotary Warbler

The male Prothonotary Warbler has a bright yellow head and breast with blue gray wings without bars, and a dark bill. The female Prothonotary Warbler is duller in coloring and a lighter bill. It can be difficult to tell from the female. It has a range from the Great Lakes Area to the southeast United States and Gulf Area. It has a habitat in wooded swamp areas. It has a diet of insects and snails. It nests in holes in trees and sometimes in birdhouses.

 

 

Olive Sided Flycatcher Bird – Passerines – 5/10/2012

The Olive-Sided Flycatcher was photographed at the Wehr Nature Center in Franklin, Wisconsin.

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The Olive-Sided Flycatcher is a large gray flycatcher with a large head and bill, and with a white throat and breast with contrasting light gray flanks separated by a white strip. It has a range of Alaska, Canada, and western and northeaster United States. It has a habitat of conifer forests, and burned out, and cleared areas. It feeds almost entirely on flying insects, and likes to view them from treetops.

 

Common Grackle Bird – Passerines – 5/9/2011-2015

The male Common Grackle was photographed at Wehr Nature Center in Franklin, Wisconsin

The female Common Grackle was photographed in Milwaukee, Wisconsin

The juvenile Common Grackle was photographed at Myrtle Beach, in South Carolina

Select this link to see photos or a slideshow of the Common Grackle

The Common Grackle is an iridescent blackbird larger than a Robin with a long wedge-shaped tail and a long heavy bill. The male has an iridescent purple head and a deep bronze or dull purple on the back. The female Common Grackle has a duller purple head and a browner, less iridescent on the back. The juvenile Common Grackle is a dull brown with various spotting depending on whether it is male or female. Depending on how the light hits the bird it may look almost black. It has a range of Canada and the United States east of the Rockies. It has a habitat of farmland, towns, groves, and streamsides. It feeds on insects of all types, worms, crayfish, other birds, and vegetable matter, such as berries and seeds. They are often seen nesting in small colonies and perching together in treetops.

 

Veery Bird – Passerines – 5/12/2012-15

The Veery was photographed at Wehr Nature Center in Franklin, Wisconsin during bird migration.

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The Veery is a uniform brown or tawny cast above with no strong eye ring and few or indistinct spots on the breast. It has grayish tones on the flanks. It has a range of southern Canada, and north and central United States. It has a habitat of damp and deciduous woods. It concentrates in woods with leafy understory and streams. It feeds on mostly insects and berries.

 

Spotted Sandpiper Bird – Small Waders – 5/17/2012

The Spotted Sandpiper was photographed at the Wehr Nature Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

During fall and winter, and when not breeding, the Spotted Sandpiper does not have spots on the breast.

 

Select this link to see photos or a slideshow of the Spotted Sandpiper

The Spotted Sandpiper is olive-brown above with a spotted white breast, a white line above the eye with a white ring, and a white wedge shape near the shoulder. It has pale fleshy legs. As it walks on shores of streams, ponds, and marshes, it bobs the rear half of its body up and down in an odd teetering motion. It has a range from Alaska, Canada, to the central United States, and along, and along the coasts. It has a diet of insects, crustaceans, small fish, and other invertebrates.

 

Ruby Crowned Kinglet Bird – Passerines – 4/16/2013

This Ruby-Crowned Kinglet was photographed at the Wehr Nature Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin

The female Ruby-Crowned Kinglet is similar to the male except for the missing scarlet crown patch

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The male Ruby Crowned Kinglet is a tiny stub-tailed birdlet with olive-gray color above, strong wing bars, a broken white eye-ring, and a scarlet crown patch. The female is similar to the male except for the scarlet crown patch missing. The male scarlet crown patch may usually be concealed, but is erect when excited. They have small slender bills. They have a range from southern Alaska, Canada, United States, to Guatemala. The habitat is mostly at conifer trees, but during migration they are found in other dense deciduous trees. The diet is mostly tiny insects. They are difficult to photograph as they are constantly flicking their wings and flittering about within dense surroundings.

 

Great Horned Owl Bird – Birds of Prey – 5/1/2010

This Great Horned Owl was photographed at Wehr Nature Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin

This Great Horned Owl was photographed with a VHS video in Muskego, Wisconsin in 1988.

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The Great Horned Owl is either red-brown or gray in color with large tufts. It varies regionally from very dark to very pale and has a white throat bib. It habitats in North America in forests, mixed woodlands, streamsides, open country, shady suburbs, and city parks. It roosts during the day in high perches, and is active at night. It has no regular migration but may wander long distances in fall and winter. It’s diet is varied, mostly mammals and birds. May begin nesting very early in the North-late winter.