On the Road is a weekday feature spotlighting reader photo submissions.
From the exotic to the familiar, whether youâre traveling or in your own backyard, we would love to see the world through your eyes.
Good Morning All,
On The Road and In Your Backyard is a weekday feature spotlighting reader submissions. From the exotic to the familiar, please share your part of the world, whether you’re traveling or just in your locality. Share some photos and a narrative, let us see through your pictures and words. We’re so lucky each and every day to see and appreciate the world around us!
Submissions from commenters are welcome at tools.balloon-juice.com
Have a wonderful day, and enjoy the pictures!
Today, pictures from valued commenter Albatrossity.
On the Road and In Your Backyard describes quite a few birds that I have seen lately; they are definitely passing through my backyard on their way to and from some distant places. So here are a few spring migrant birds seen recently in or near my backyard in Manhattan KS.
Taken on 2019-05-09 00:00:00
Manhattan, KS
The Lesser Yellowlegs is a medium-sized shorebird that spends winters in Texas and points south, and summers in spruce bogs in Canada and Alaska. It is also the subject of a wonderful book by my friend John Janovy Jr, entitled simply “Yellowlegs”. If you need a good read that has nothing to do with the current political climate, check it out.
Taken on 2019-05-07 00:00:00
Manhattan, KS
The Blackpoll Warbler is the migratory king of the North American wood warblers. It has one of the most unusual migratory routes of any species, warbler or not. It winters in the Greater Antilles and northern South America. In spring it migrates across much of North America to the breeding range in the boreal forests of Canada and Alaska. In the fall all of those birds, even the ones that breed in Alaska, migrate to the Atlantic coast (Nova Scotia to North Carolina) where it commences a non-stop overwater flight to the Caribbean and South America. This flight can be up to 2100 miles long and may take 88 hours of non-stop flapping. For a bird that weighs 10-12 grams (you could mail two of them for the price of one first-class stamp), this is an amazing physiological feat. It has been calculated, converting fat calories to gasoline calories) that this translates to a fuel efficiency of 720,000 miles per gallon!
Taken on 2019-05-02 00:00:00
Manhattan, KS
The Franklin’s Gull is another long-distance migrant. It winters south of the equator along the west coast of South America, and migrates mostly through the center of the North American continent in spring to reach the breeding grounds in the prairie potholes of the Dakotas and the Canadian Prairie Provinces. It is an unusual gull in that it is primarily insectivorous. Fall migration back through the center of the continent can result in flocks of 600,000-800,000 birds on my local reservoir.
Taken on 2019-05-06 00:00:00
Manhattan, KS
The Yellow-throated Vireo is a rather uncommon migrant here; it is much more common further east. It winters in Central and South America and breeds in deciduous forest throughout much of eastern North America.
Taken on 2019-04-30 00:00:00
Manhattan, KS
The Harris’s Sparrow is a large and very handsome sparrow that winters right here in Kansas and Oklahoma; it is often a target species for visiting birders from east and west, since it does not occur regularly outside of the center of the North American continent. It breeds in far northern Canada in places so remote that it was one of the last North American species to have it’s nest discovered and described. Right now they are singing their querulous song and getting ready to head north in a few days.
Thank you so much Albatrossity, do send us more when you can.
Travel safely everybody, and do share some stories in the comments, even if you’re joining the conversation late. Many folks confide that they go back and read old threads, one reason these are available on the Quick Links menu.
One again, to submit pictures: Use the Form or Send an Email
JPL
The Harris sparrow appears to be wearing a mask. Quite an interesting specimen and I can understand why birders would want to see him.
Mohagan
Wonderful pictures!
satby
Not just beautiful pictures but fascinating information on these birds.
Thank you Albatrossity!
p.a.
+++
Mary G
Albatrossity Mondays rock, and the information about migration is fascinating, particularly the tiny but mighty Blackpoll Warbler.
It seems like we have many fewer birds here in my own neighborhood. They used to make such a ruckus in the morning it would wake me up. Now I hardly hear any. It could be because buildings are still being thrown up everywhere they can be squished in, or the drought.
Pelicans have made a big comeback, though. In the 70s it was a big deal to see one, but banning DDT did wonders and we see them divebombing for fish off the beach, and there are hundreds waiting on the jetty when the fishing boats come in.
I was wondering if you have been birding for a long time and if you’ve seen any losses. It seems like birds like these are very vulnerable relying on so many different places for their needs.
eclare
What amazing birds! Glad you provide a nice “rest stop”.
Rob
The perfect thing to read this morning!
Wag
Excellent photos, and even better migratory information. Thank you!
And for all who love birds, but havenât read it, I would highly recommend âThe Big Yearâ by Mark Obsmasik. It is a great non-fiction read about obsessive birders who travel North America in an annual quest to see the most different species of birds in a calendar year. It was made in to a feature film starring Steve Martin, Owen Wilson, and Jack Black that is also worth a view.
OzarkHillbilly
I think I love the knowledge imparted even more than the pics. Thanx Albatrossity.
rikyrah
Beautiful pictures??
debbie
I saw a flash of yellow while out walking last week. I wasn’t fast enough to see it clearly, but I’m sure it was a Wilson’s Warbler. Psych!
Mike S (Now with a Democratic Congressperson!)
Great, bird pics! Thanks!
arrieve
A wonderful way to start the day. A lot of migrants stop in Central Park for a day or two to rest and see the sights, but I’ve never seen any of these birds. Thank you Albatrossity!
Neldob
What lovely photos! and inspiring birds! What amazing creatures they are. I found a tiny duckling in my yard the other day, probably dropped by a crow, and still feel it’s enlivening. They had a small flock of them at the Wildlife rescue.
Eunicecycle
@Wag: one of the birders in the book, Greg Miller (Jack Black character in the movie) worked with my husband. He had no idea until the movie came out and there was some local publicity.
Albatrossity
@Wag: That is a good book, and a good movie, for sure. And Mark has a new book out (which was recently featured on 60 Minutes) that is also a good read, even though it is not about birds at all. Check it out here
http://www.markobmascik.com
sherparick1
Amazing birds. We maintain feeders in our back yard/woods and see an amazing number of birds, this weekend I think I saw a female Northern Flicker (as opposed to the strangely named red-bellied woodpeckers). Spots on chest and belly are the way you tell the difference. A great app for bird watching is. https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Northern_Flicker/id
TaMara (HFG)
Thank you. I miss having a bird feeder in the yard. But we cannot risk them infecting our sweet fowl. Although, I’m having a difficult time convincing the crow family (nesting in the tree in my yard) that the duck feeders are not an all-you-can-eat buffet.
Wag
@Albatrossity:
His bookâHalfway To Heavenâ is an excellent account of his quest to climb all 56 of the 14,000+ ft tall peaks in Colorado.
stinger
Gorgeous. I love the expression on the Harris’s face.
I was thrilled the other day when two orioles flew the length of my porch. This morning I saw another of my local faves, an indigo bunting. I usually only see either bird this time of year, when they are nesting.