Chirps and Cheeps

Fly-overs at Tifft

Published: August 10, 2012
Tags: Parks and Preserves, Tifft Nature Preserve, Green Heron, Belted Kingfisher, Yellow Warbler, Caspian Tern, Great Blue Heron, Canada Goose, Wild Turkey, Barn Swallow

Last night, when thinking about where to go birding, it dawned on me that I haven't been to Tifft Nature Preserve since early June! Well, that settled it; I've been missing that place and thought I just might be able to beat the rain and get a little birding in.

It was a very pleasant evening - mostly full of fly-overs! I'm surprised the photos I got turned out as well as they did; I don't usually do too well with birds in motion.

One surprise was a life-list addition, a Caspian Tern. I'm sure I've seen these guys before, but last night, I positively identified one and am officially adding him to my list. Did you know the Caspian Tern is the largest tern in the world? The oldest living tern recorded was 26 years old. That's cool!

I also saw some Yellow Warblers and a family of Wild Turkeys.

Caspian Tern - a life list addition

Caspian Tern

A Great Blue Heron flies over

Another Green Heron flies over

A Barn Swallow flies over

Belted Kingfisher aerial acrobatics

And my favorite shot

Canada Geese - and a Green Heron flying on the top right

Wild Turkeys - 3 out of a family of 5

A bonus bunny

And an inquisitive fawn

Reply from: Joel on 8/11/2012 3:35 PM

My sons and I were there on Thursday and saw some of these same birds. I'm glad you clarified that tern -- I thought it was just one of the common terns that fly over the lake. We watched a tern on the pond with the blinds repeatedly glide over the water, see something he liked and divebomb. really cool acrobatics.