Snipe!

Today was another walk with AMNH, and it was pretty special!  It could have been the day of the kinglet - there were certainly plenty of them around.  It could have been the day of the hermit thrush - they were just about everywhere we looked!  But it turned into the day of the snipe!

On my way to meeting the group I ran into a friendly group of kinglets, who were not shy but were very quick.

ruby-crowned kinglet

 And this sapsucker trying to convince me that its belly is yellow.

yellow-bellied sapsucker

 At the group meeting spot this phoebe came over briefly, before a bunch of kinglets chased it away.  What a great way to start!

eastern phoebe

 We saw many hermit thrushes, this one was the best poser.

hermit thrush

 This Blackpoll warbler was a terrible poser.

Blackpoll warbler

Just one golden-crowned kinglet, who was much prettier in person!

golden-crowned kinglet

 Then we got news of a snipe and went on the best snipe hunt ever.  On the way we saw this hawk.

red-tailed hawk

 And there was the snipe!  Kind of far away and in the shadow, but still - look at that ridiculous beak!  Hahahahaha, I love snipes!

Wilson's snipe

 Eventually we left, because the snipe was after all just sitting there.  It didn't move at all during the time we were there.  Over to maintenance meadow, full of sparrows, and this teasing brown thrasher.

brown thrasher

 Most of the group took off but a few of us went up to the castle to see if the shovelers were still there, and they were.  Not in their finery yet, but still showing off their shoveler beaks.

northern shovelers

 On my way home I went by the upper lobe again and there were mallards diving for food, which I don't see very often.  They dove completely under the water, swam for a few seconds, and came up with a snack.  I took a video, I'll try to figure out how to post it.

mallards