June 2025

Hot Birds: June 2025

Sun, 01 Jun 2025 00:00:14 GMT

Bonnie and Bob Buxton drew a crowd to their yard in Merrimac when a Western Tanager visited their bird feeder on January 8. It continued visiting through March 15. The photograph is by James Teitgen.

Berkshire County has a few decades-old sight records of Pacific Loon, but none with objective documentation until Kyron Hanson photographed one on Pontoosuc Lake, Pittsfield, on May 9. It was a one-day wonder, unlike the state’s typical coastal records of the species this spring: one on Great Pond, Eastham, from March 15 to April 30, and at least three individuals at Race Point through April 26. The photograph is by Kyron Hanson.

A sight record of a Swallow-tailed Kite over Granby on April 17 was much farther inland than most sightings of this species in Massachusetts. Cape Cod, where birders have accumulated most of our state’s records, hosted an early kite in Brewster on March 22, and another near Mashpee from April 25 to May 4. The photograph is by Mary Keleher.

About Books: Birds and "Nature's Soft Nurse"

Sun, 01 Jun 2025 00:00:06 GMT

Birds at Rest: The Behavior and Ecology of Avian Sleep. Roger F. Pasquier. 2025. Princeton University Press. Princeton, New Jersey.

“O sleep, O gentle sleep, Nature’s soft nurse” (William Shakespeare Henry IV Part 2, Act 3, Scene 1)

One of the enjoyable aspects of birding is watching birds behave. More than any other group of vertebrates, birds often allow us to watch them as they seek mates, build nests, search for food, compete for territory, and migrate. Mammals are often nocturnal and very wary of human presence. I’m usually happy just to catch a glimpse of a skunk or deer. I have a lifelong interest in snakes, but I rarely see them nowadays. Populations of certain species have seriously declined in many areas of New England, and most of their lives are lived out of human view. Certain species of turtles do sun and are easily seen but quickly head for the water as humans approach. The one exception is coming across a pair of large snapping turtles mating, rolling over and over in the murky water like a pair of dinosaurs in battle. It is something you will not forget. But how often have you seen that? We do hear frogs and toads in spring and summer, and sometimes you can see them mate, but most of their lives are lived away from our casual gaze. Furthermore, reptiles and amphibians brumate in New England and are totally absent in late fall through spring. But bird species are around us throughout the year and, if you take the time to watch, allow us to look into their world. Some of the most spectacular bird behavior is concerned with large flocks heading to roost in winter or during migration. Some species, including starlings or crows, stage dramatic and complex roosting behaviors that can be enjoyed if you know where to look. But one bird behavior is still little known to most birders. That is: how do birds sleep?

Birds at Rest is a welcome compendium and summary of what is known today about how birds sleep, how birds rest, and how birds gather to go to roost. Roger F. Pasquier is a lifelong birder and worked at BirdLife International, The World Wildlife Fund, and the Environmental Defense Fund. He is currently an associate in the Department of Ornithology at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City. His previous book, Birds in Winter: Surviving the Most Challenging Season, published in 2019, was a similar scholarly overview of what is known about bird behavior in the coldest months. Both books take an international view and represent yearslong work. His new book combines the results of laboratory research with field observations.

At a Glance: June 2025

Sun, 01 Jun 2025 00:00:02 GMT

To view the rest of the article you'll need to subscribe. Bird Observer publishes original articles on birding locations, on avian populations and natural history, on regional rarities, field notes, field records, photographs, and art work.

Advertisers 53-3

Sun, 01 Jun 2025 00:00:01 GMT