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.
Happy Monday!
Rumination from Albatrossity, and Mayan Ruins from lashonharangue!
(click on the schedule for a bigger, non-blurry version)
Albatrossity
The pace of migration quickens in April here, and although the crescendo is not reached until May, there are plenty of species coming and going every week in April. And the local non-avian fellow-travelers start making their appearance as well.
This Woodchuck (aka Groundhog, Marmota monax) has been a presence at one of my local birding spots for several years now. It is still not a fan of humans, but it was curious enough about me to poke its head out of the burrow long enough to give me a chance to photograph it. Iâve seen them there, and 25 or so miles west of here, but this is getting close to the western limits of this rodent’s range. Click here for larger image.
Another local that spends the winter sleeping, this Pond Slider (Trachemys scripta) somehow clambered up on that drowned stump to catch some warming rays. I have no idea how it got there, but my respect for the athletic abilities of turtles was greatly enhanced by this sight. Click here for larger image.
Ubiquitous in springtime across the continent, Red-winged Blackbirds (Agelaius phoeniceus) fill the marshes with song and color every spring. Acrobatic wing- and tail-spreading antics accompany each âkonk-a-reeeeeeâ. Click here for larger image.
The arrival of Swainsonâs Hawks (Buteo swainsoni) here in Flyover Country is always a welcome event, since these long-winged buteos have to travel a long way to get here. Wintering on the pampas of Argentina and Uruguay, they arrive here just as the prairies are greening up, and rodent populations are beginning to expand. Most of the ones I see are still heading north, to grasslands in the northern Great Plains of the US and Canada. Click here for larger image.
Another northern prairie denizen, Clay-colored Sparrows (Spizella pallida) migrate through here in April, and they are usually heard before it is seen. I may have shared this story before, but one of my daughters described their song as âa grasshopper farting in a tin canâ. Works for me. Click here for larger image.
The slim and elegant Lincolnâs Sparrows (Melospiza lincolnii) who have been here through the winter start to move north in April. Silent all winter, sometimes they treat us to a song before they leave, and it is always a treat to hear. Â Click here for larger image.
Warblers are not a major migrant group in my patch of Flyover Country, but we do get a few, and among the most abundant in April are the Orange-crowned Warblers (Leiothlypis celata). If you look closely at this image, you can see the eponymous orange crown, which is not usually visible, in my experience. They are not as flashy as some of the other warblers, but they make up for it with their abundance! Â Click here for larger image.
Some warbler migrants get here and do not continue north, and this Northern Parula (Setophaga americana) is one of those. Tiny and prone to hang out in the treetops, they are not obvious to non-birders, but they are quite common here, and easy to find once you know their buzzy song. Click here for larger image.
The final warbler in this weekâs batch, the Yellow-rumped Warbler (Setophage coronata) overwinters here, but after molting into their summer gorgeousness, head north in April. The locals are joined by migrants from the south, making this the most abundant warbler species here in April. Click here for larger image.
The largest woodpecker in North America, Pileated Woodpecker (Dryocopus pileatus) is also, at least in my experience, one of the hardest to photograph. Some of that is because they are still not very common here, but also because they tend to hang out high in trees, often behind large limbs. So I was very happy to see this one perched in a position where I could get off a few shots before he winged off into less photographer-friendly territory. Click here for larger image.
Rusty
Thank you for additional non- bird pictures. The woodpecker is stunning and I love the sparrow pics.
JeanneT
Nice. I don’t get this big a variety of birds in my backyard, so it’s nice to see closeups of all these critters!
Geo Wilcox
The call black bird males make always sounds to me like ” Look at MEEEEEE!”.
SteveinPHX
The woodchuck looks suspicious, and I’ve never seen a turtle perched that high. Love the bird photos, especially the Pileated! Thank you!
Spanky
I just came to this post after having been schooled on the subtle song differences between a chipping sparrow and a worm eating warbler.
I say I was schooled, but I doubt I can really tell the difference now.
Another Scott
The woodpecker shot is amazing. The Downey and Red Bellied ones I see at the feeder here in NoVA are incredibly skittish and always try to hide so I can’t get a decent look at them.
You would think that they would be incredibly tasty to predators or something. ;-)
Thanks.
Cheers,
Scott.
pieceofpeace
Woodpeckers used to be a regular ‘sound’ and I miss that! Â The hawk is a beauty.
Overall, I’ve learned about birds from your columns. Â Thank you.
mvr
It is hard to pick a favorite photo today. They’re all pretty stunning.
But the turtle gets a prize for effort.
Thanks!
Eyeroller
In my heavily wooded neighborhood, pileateds are often on the ground poking at downed snags, since they are particularly fond of ants and termites. Probably find plenty of wood roaches and such as well.
Eyeroller
@pieceofpeace: âI grew up in the general region of Albatrossity (though considerably to the east) and pileated woodpeckers were rare, so as a child I had no idea that Woody the cartoon woodpecker was a pileated. The animator claimed it was based on an acorn woodpecker but those barely resemble pileateds, and there were other inconsistencies in his story.
J.
Great bird photos, as usual. But I just love that woodchuck!
stinger
Slowly.
StringOnAStick
I thought we were seeing the fabled Post Turtle, but if he got up there himself, well, I guess he’s in control of the situation.
We might finally get our last hard freeze of the season Wednesday morning; the east side of the Oregon Cascades has continually gotten pounded by snow for over a week now, a new winter storm warning posted every time I open the weather app. Today is no exception. I’m covering my fruit trees again tonight and tomorrow.
StringOnAStick
There’s a tall cliff here in town that is protected by a covering of boulder riprap, and behind those boulders lives a colony of what are locally called Rock Chucks, a kind of marmot. You can tell spring is near when a warm day sees them gamboling on the strip of lawn at the base of the wall; they’re pretty popular here due to the cuteness factor.
Another Scott
@stinger:Â @StringOnAStick:
Made me look…
Turtle climbing a wall.
Pretty good climbing!
Cheers,
Scott.
OzarkHillbilly
I looked early this AM. Thanx A.
Wanderer
Always enjoy your posts. Â Thank you for the beautiful photography.