On the Road is a weekday feature spotlighting reader photo submissions.
From the exotic to the familiar, whether you’re traveling or in your own backyard, we would love to see the world through your eyes.
All singles this week!
I have a crush on the flycatcher that’s the last image in this post.
Albatrossity
Spring moved slowly into Flyover Country this year, but move it did, and the birds followed.
Last week’s batch included a shot of a Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) sitting on a nest, along with a story of loss and persistence, since the last two nests built by this pair met with tragic ends. Some commenters wanted to get an update on that nest, so I moseyed up there and found these guys. Two strapping young Bald Eagles, just about old enough to fledge, one imperious and the other skeptical. Persistence pays off. Click here for larger image.
One of the expected sights (and sounds) of early spring here is the appearance of Common Loons (Gavia immer), usually in full breeding plumage and often practicing their yodels One of our local fishing lakes is quite deep and is often a good place to see these guys. That was the case this year. These are quite handsome birds, and I wish they would stay for the summer, but I’ll settle for a look at them every spring and fall. Click here for larger image.
There is a good reason this deep-water fishing lake is popular with loons, grebes, and diving ducks. The fishing is pretty good, it seems. Click here for larger image.
Merlins (Falco columbarius) are regular and visible winter visitors, but usually are gone by mid-March. This one lingered, and was so intent on plucking a small bird that I could get this shot of the feathers flying before it even saw me. Click here for larger image.
But once he did see me, he took his starling breakfast away to a more private dining spot. Click here for larger image.
One of the more elegant of our native ducks, the Northern Pintail (Anas acuta) is alleged to also be the tastiest. I cannot confirm that, but this handsome couple made my day anyway. Click here for larger image.
Early spring is also the prairie burning season here. Residents with asthma or other breathing issues do not appreciate the smoke, but regular burning is necessary to maintain a healthy prairie ecosystem. Cessation of regular prescribed burns results in a “green glacier”, a phenomenon that threatens both the native ecosystem and the tax base, a rare coincidence. Click here for larger image.
Black-capped Chickadees (Poecile atricapillus) are not colorful birds, so they look good with a colorful blooming redbud backdrop. Click here for larger image.
Early March brings the first of the returning warblers, the Louisiana Waterthrush (Parkesia motacilla). Their cheery song can usually be heard along many a prairie stream, and as a hint of warblers yet to arrive, they are welcomed back enthusiastically. Click here for larger image.
The first of the flycatchers, Eastern Phoebes (Sayornis phoebe) appear about the same time as the waterthrush. In recent years these have become more common in the winter in southern Kansas, so the day may come when we have them year-round here. Flying insects would have to be here year-round as well, so maybe that is not such a good deal. Click here for larger image.
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donatellonerd
thank for the especially heartwarming set of spring, especially with the almost fledged eaglets and also the northern pintail mom and duckling. the starling, otoh … anyway thanks. your Monday OTR is what gets me through Monday mornings.
🐾BillinGlendaleCA
OT, a note to WaterGirl…
I’m having issues with OTR submissions, I finished a submission this morning, clicked submit, it thought about it and then displayed the submission page. This is the second time it ate my submission, I had to do my last submission twice.
Wanderer
Happy to see those healthy eaglets.
J.
I so want to make a crack about Common Loons, but I’ll restrain myself. Happy to see that young Bald Eagle. Great shot. And also love that second photo of the Merlin — wow — and the pic of the Black-Capped Chickadee. Great composition.
Trivia Man
The Green glacier read was very interesting. Our local marsh (“The Everglades Of The North”!!!) does small burns on an annual schedule. I guess cattails cant hold their own.
SteveinPHX
Thank you for the photos. Spring and early summer are great times of the year.
karensky
Thanks for checking on the eagle family. What a terrific photo of the young one. And all of the the other but especially the phoebe.
MCat
Thanks so much for your photos. Such a great way to start the week.
ETtheLibrarian
Pretty bird.
Pretty bird.
kindness
I’ve noticed a white parakeet has taken up with the sparrows around my house. I had heard it’s chattering for a few days before seeing it. Thought I was going nuts but no, it’s there. It isn’t tame if it ever was. I started rotating in parakeet feed in the bird feeder.
Dmkingto
Great shots! Love the 2nd eagle peeking out from behind the trunk – I didn’t even see him until after I read the caption. Hilarious!
Avalune
Loons are so pretty. I was finally able to spot one of the grey catbirds I always hear but had never spotted. He was trying to hit my bird feeder but it’s meant for smaller birds so there was a lot of winged pinwheeling for balance.
Bill Hicks
I also enjoyed the link about the “Green Glacier”. Eastern Red “Cedar” can be a pain in the ass in its native range too, more fire would help. It is also an example of a crappy common name. It is a juniper as its scientific name indicates: Juniperus virginianus, a specific epithet which gets immature folks like myself giggling every time. Western juniper has become a pest in the west in sagebrush ecosystems in part due to suppression of fire. Fun fact, the female fleshy cones of juniper are used to flavor gin and wild game.
StringOnAStick
Thanks for the green glacier article link, it was very informative.
The loon looks erudite and professorial!
stinger
Primo set of photos and informative green glacier link. Thanks!
Chris T.
Those loon shots … the bird looks so perfect that it must be a fake bird!
(Not that I think it is fake, it’s just so immaculate and symmetrical, a Movie Star among birds!)