The Birds of Bermuda

 

I didn’t have to go far to score a lifer bird right away in Bermuda. The Airbnb where we stayed in July had gorgeous Atlantic Ocean views. 

Called Longtails by the locals is a seabird known for its elegant, predominantly white plumage and long white-tail streamers, according to one online description. 

(See my previous posts about our Bermuda trip: "Five Things to Love About Bermuda" and "Bermuda Snorkeling: Swimming with the Fishes.")

All day long these (formal name) White-tailed Tropicbirds flew back and forth near the shoreline. It was a challenge to get quality in-flight images with my Canon SX70 “superzoom” DSLR. 

Occasionally a Longtail would pivot from shore patrol to fly to the limestone cliffs to visit their nests in the many cracks and crevices. Or maybe they are scouting future nest sites. 

These birds rarely stop flying, except to nest and rest, something I never witnessed. For food they will plunge dive into the sea to catch small fish, squids (yuck!) and crustaceans.

Chesapeake Bay Birding (and One Easter Bunny)

Easter time was our first getaway trip since a visit to Hilton Head last summer. It was nice to take in some different scenery (even Pedro at South of the Border!) and great to see family again. The Virginia side of the Chesapeake Bay, where my parents live, is a pretty, quiet place with opportunities to satisfy my inner birder. 

At the folks’ house, I need to go no farther than their backyard to see this Osprey platform. It has been here for years and my father had a hand in getting it erected. During this visit, a family of Osprey was in residence. The parents were still working on the nest. A few times I saw one swoop down to a nearby yard to grab a branch or twig. Pinecones could also be seen on the structure, though as my father noted they wouldn’t be too comfortable as bedding for the big birds. 

It is always challenging to shoot from a great distance and to get good shots of birds in flight. Here are my best  images...

Ravenel Bridge Walk A Christmas Gift Itself!

A Christmas afternoon walk on the Ravenel Bridge was a treat in many ways. The Holy Day was a great day to check out the Holy City and the Cooper River from this perspective. The weather was beautiful, a sunny day with temperatures in the low 60s. Many people had the same idea in mind but it was not too crowded along the bridge's walking lane.

We took our cameras and monopods, including Alesia’s new monopod that was wrapped under the tree for her.

Mystery Birds!

I took this yesterday in my backyard. Note the pink azaleas in the background. 

I took two bird photos recently that I have so far been unable to identify.  So I'm turning to my go-to site for such situations: whatbird.com. The fellow birders who patronize this website are always very helpful, accurate and quick too.

Photographed along a street last weekend in Asheville, N.C.

I will update this post as soon as I have correct identifications.

Here's the verdict. The dark one above is a European Starling, which I suspected.
The other one is a White-throated Sparrow.

Thank you whatbird.com people!  I had one identification and a second confirmation.