We had just taken a nice walk on the beach and decided to have our “car picnic” overlooking the beach at Nauset Light Beach. There were 8 surfers out there trying to find that perfect wave. And then this bird flew in and landed on a small branch in front of our car overlooking the ocean. A perfect photo op!
It was an Eastern Kingbird and the first we have seen this year. What a treat! The Eastern Kingbird is a large flycatcher that is predominantly black and dark grey with white underparts.
Such a beautiful bird, don’t you think? Have you ever seen an Eastern Kingbird?
I’ve seen quite a few Brants along the shores of Cape Cod Bay recently. They are a small goose with a distinctive broken collar pattern on their necks, which makes them easy to identify.
Their diet consists mainly of eel grass found in the tidal flats which is why they usually feed in flocks at low tide when vegetation is accessible.
When doing a bit of research I found an interesting fact: Brants possess a highly developed salt gland which allows them to drink salt water.
The Baltimore Orioles are back on Cape Cod… two days earlier than last year! It seems so sad when we see them leave for migration at the end of August. And then, when April comes, we count the days and even make bets on what day they will arrive back. (Click on blog link for other photo.)
These two Baltimore Orioles came back on Sunday afternoon and it was such a treat to see them. You can see the male in the first photograph and the female in the 2nd. Both are beautiful, but such different coloring.
Gorgeous bird, don’t you think? Have you seen a Baltimore Oriole yet this year? They sure do like our grape jelly!
We’ve seen a few Horned Larks scurrying around on the beaches or in the tall grass by the beaches in the past few days. They are such an unusual bird with two little black “horns” on their head. (Click on blog link for other photo.)
The Horned Lark, with brown upperparts and white underparts, is distinctly known for its yellow face with a black mask which extends down, its two black “horns,” and its black bib.
Beautiful coloring. Have you ever seen a Horned Lark?
We used to see Dark-eyed Juncos all winter long when we lived in Colorado. They were everywhere. We have not many here on the Cape, maybe a couple a year. So it was a big treat to see them in our yard the other day. (Click on blog link for other photo.)
Dark-eyed Juncos are a medium-sized sparrow with dark eyes, a pink bill, white belly and dark centered-tail with white outer feathers.
I loved the stripes on its tail feathers from the back. Have you seen a Dark-eyed Junco this year?
Cape Cod daily articles on the wonderful Cape Cod places to hike, experience and photograph. A Cape Cod Outdoor Adventure Series.
