High Country Life

Even the most beautiful birds can be overshadowed by distracting background elements, but using the rule of thirds to compose your image can eliminate such distractions and allow your subject to shine through.

Make an image that shows your bird engaged in some activity, like socializing with other birds or foraging for food. This will add dimension and depth to the image.

1. Black-throated Blue Warbler

Black-throated Blue is a medium warbler that stands out as more plump than most members of its genus, featuring olive-green above and white below. Larger than Blue-gray Gnatcatcher but smaller than Hermit Thrush, this warbler typically spends its breeding season in woodlands or shade-coffee plantations with dense shrub understory, before migrating north in winter for dense tropical forests or second growth areas with woody trees as its wintering grounds.

Male birds of prey are fascinating to observe and photograph; their aggressive defenders of breeding territories make an entertaining sight to witness and photograph. Incubation lasts 12-13 days, and females usually lay two clutches per year.

At present there are two subspecies of this bird; one species breeds exclusively in the Appalachian Mountains and nests exclusively among mountain laurel and rhododendron thickets; while the other stretches across both eastern United States and Canada with males sporting distinct black streaks on their backs that set it apart from its solid blue cousin.

2. Yellow-throated Vireo

This small heavyset songbird looks as though they’re wearing yellow spectacles as it moves slowly through the forest gathering insects off branches and twigs before laying three to five eggs at once.

As with its close relative, the White-eyed Vireo, this bird prefers quiet woodland habitats and seldom displays open or boisterous displays of singing like its gayer sibling does. Townsend noted in 1926: it never sings in an open and exuberant fashion like its gayer brother does”.

The Pine Warbler can be found throughout deciduous and coniferous forests as well as woodland areas in human settlements such as parks or towns with many trees, such as parks. Its song closely resembles that of Blue-headed Vireos and may even hybridize with them occasionally; its upperparts are olive with gray rump and two white wing bars, similar to its congener, the Pine Warbler; however it differs in having brighter yellow on throat and breast without dusky streaking dusky streaking;

3. White-throated Sparrow

White-throated Sparrows are among the most widespread winter birds found here, often found around woodland edges or brush piles in county or state parks or wooded suburbs, often taking advantage of backyard bird feeders to feed themselves. While breeding occurs primarily in Canada and northeastern United States, some populations also remain year-round residents in New England.

Keep an eye out for them during migration in areas affected by forest fires, at pond and bog edges, city parks and neighborhoods with wooded areas, as well as at pond and bog edges. Look for them hopping along the ground while searching for seeds and insects; their distinctive pure whistled song can easily be recognized. You may see two color variations (called morphs), one with white stripes on its head while the other sporting tan coloring; both types behave the same.

4. Red-breasted Nuthatch

The Red-breasted Nuthatch may go unnoticed, but it is an unexpected winter visitor – staging massive southward migrations when poor conifer crops force them to seek alternate food sources. It forages on tree trunks and large branches before diving head first down trunks or branches searching for food in cracks and crevices.

Mated pairs often create their own nest cavities rather than using existing ones, with both members working together to excavate a hole and line it with bark strips and fine grasses. Furthermore, they collect sticky pine resin that they apply around its entrance in order to deter potential predators.

At feeders, they feed on peanuts, sunflower seeds, suet and even safflower. When feeding themselves from this source they frequently place pieces of food between bark crevices before using their bill to open them with repeated blows from its bill. Black-capped Chickadees and Titmices can often be seen coming to hand feed at Black-capped Chickadee and Titmice feeders if given the chance!

5. Blue Jay

Blue Jays, like other members of the corvid family, are highly curious birds. They love playingfully snatching bottle caps, aluminum foil and newspaper strips with their beaks to playfully nibble at for hours on end before using these papers to open cages and doors.

Blue jays are moderately slow fliers that fly with their bodies leveled and slow wing beats, easily visible and often heard announcing themselves in the forest with high-pitched whistles or squeaks.

Ken started bird photography seven years ago after visiting Alaska and has donated many photos towards Sage Grouse conservation efforts as well as doing hands-on work in eastern Idaho’s sagebrush country. Ken says that mastering bird photography requires patience, practice and a willingness to lie down or crawl around on the ground to capture each move by fast-moving birds; learning this requires lieing low or crawling through bushes at times to gain different angles on his subjects.

6. White-throated Sparrow

White-throated Sparrows’ clear song heralds springtime arrival with delight, often being found singing their beautiful tune in wooded county or state parks and thickets throughout wintertime.

Find it after forest fires, along pond and bog edges, shrubby areas and thickets; it may even visit feeders!

This bird breeds across Canada and winters here from late fall to mid spring. It can easily be identified by its distinct facial markings: yellow lores, black eyestripe and striped crown. Differentiating between its two color variants (called “morphs”) can be tricky; those with bold white stripes on their heads belong to one group while those without do not belong to another (tan-striped form vs white-striped form) doesn’t correspond with gender differences as seen with many species of birds.

7. Red-bellied Woodpecker

This opportunistic feeder prefers wooded areas such as forests, farmlands and suburban yards; it often shows up at backyard feeders where they feed on sunflower seeds and suet pellets. They typically lay 3-8 eggs that both parents incubate.

As with many members of its genus, this animal stores food for lean times using existing crevices instead of digging storage holes. With its barbed tongue tip it can reach out and retrieve food even from hard-to-reach places like tree stumps. Males typically possess wider tongue tips than females to enable foraging in different microhabitats.

Like its counterparts, this species of woodpecker often prys open tree bark for insects and seeds. It can be found both coniferous and deciduous woodlands, forest edges, groves, towns and gardens; its call is a loud repeated churrr-chuck. Furthermore, its distinctive wing and head patterns distinguish this woodpecker species from others in its family.

8. Yellow-bellied Woodpecker

Something about the sound emitted by Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers perched atop tree trunks or other surfaces draws people in for closer inspection. These birds drill rows of shallow holes known as sap wells to access tree sap before sucking it up for consumption.

This bird is easily identified, as its rhythmic drumming against trees and objects such as metal street signs or chimney flashing is a signature sound in forests across North America. Furthermore, as it’s unique among woodpecker species in creating horizontal rows of holes for nesting purposes it stands out among them all as an easily spotted species.

This species, relatively new to our region, primarily inhabits mixed evergreen and deciduous forests located at high elevations. Although summer residents here, these birds migrate across northern America during winter for warmer conditions – and may appear at suet feeders!

9. Blue Jay

Blue Jays are beloved backyard birds. Recognizable by their perky crest and striking blue, white, black, and gray plumage, these familiar backyard sights often gather at bird feeders to feed. A slow flyer, they frequently scream when threatened by predatory birds such as hawks or owls or when other birds steal food from them.

Though sometimes aggressive in behavior, Blue Jays have the ability to be much tamer than some other corvids and have developed specific calls such as mimicking the sound of an old, rusty pump squeak to communicate with each other nearby.

Photographer Julie Dier of Nova Scotia captured this striking photo of a prancing jay against the vibrant reds and oranges of fall foliage. For more of Julie Dier’s breathtaking pictures on Instagram follow her here.

10. Yellow-throated Vireo

This songbird stands out from other vireos with its yellow wash across its head and breast, along with its characteristic yellow “spectacles.” Found throughout open deciduous forests during spring and summer migration periods before migrating south towards Central America or northern South America for wintering purposes.

Yellow-throated Vireos have similar songs to other vireos, yet with lower pitch and more husky qualities. You may spot one hopping slowly between branches in a forest canopy.

They need large patches of intact forest to reproduce successfully, although in the northwestern United States their numbers have been diminishing due to insecticide spraying of elms for Dutch Elm disease control. When migrating they join mixed species foraging flocks; and on wintering grounds they inhabit tropical forests ranging from dry forests to lowland rainforests.