A tree swallow (Tachycineta bicolor) in Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge. Note the visible brood patch in the center of his chest. In preparation for incubating eggs birds will sometimes pluck some of their feathers so they can better transmit their body heat to their eggs.

#treeswallows #swallows #TachycinetaBicolor #nature #wildlife #birds #birding #birdwatching #jamaicabay #wildliferefuge #nps #canonphotography #luminarneo

A house wren (Troglodytes aedon) hunting in Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge in late May. These make their nests in holes, like those left in trees by woodpecker nests. They breed in the northern half of the US, and winter in Mexico. They're also present in Central and South America year round.

#housewren #wrens #TroglodytesAedon #birds #birding #birdwatching #nature #wildlife #jamaicabay #wildliferefuge #canonphotography #luminarneo

This is a zabulon skipper (Lon zabulon) at Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge in late May. There haven't been as many butterflies this year in New York.

#zabulonskipper #LonZabulon #insects #entomology #bugs #butterflies #skippers #jamaicabay #wildliferefuge #nps #canonphotography #luminarneo

I think this is a tern with its head stuck in some algae after a dive. It was able to free itself. This was taken in late May at the East Pond of Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge.

#terns #birds #birding #birdwatching #nature #wildlife #jamaicabay #wildliferefuge #nps #canonphotography #luminarneo

This is a common snapping turtle (Chelydra serpentina). They are the state reptile of New York, and this one was chomping through reeds. It was about the size of a large pizza.

#commonsnappingturtle #ChelydraSerpentina #turtle #statereptile #nys #jamaicabay #wildliferefuge #nps #nature #wildlife #canonphotography #luminarneo

An eastern wood pewee (Contopus virens) in Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge in late May. These breed in the eastern part of the continental US. They hunt flies by flying out and grabbing them out of the air, then returning to the same spot.

#easternwoodpewee #ContopusVirens #flycatchers #tyrantflycatchers #birds #birding #birdwatching #nature #wildlife #canonphotography #luminarneo #jamaicabay #wildliferefuge #nps

A ruddy turnstone (Arenaria interpres) on a rock in the water at Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge in late May. As the name implies, they hunt by turning over small stones on the shore. Their non-breeding territory are coastal areas all over the world, and they breed along the coast in the arctic.

#ruddyturnstone #turnstone #ArenariaInterpres #birds #birding #birdwatching #nature #wildlife #jamaicabay #wildliferefuge #nps #canonphotography #luminarneo

A semipalmated sandpiper (Calidris pusilla) at Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge in late May. These are another shore bird which breeds in northern Canada and Alaska.

#semipalmatedsandpiper #CalidrisPusilla #sandpipers #birds #birding #birdwatching #nature #wildlife #jamaicabay #wildliferefuge #nps #canonphotography #luminarneo

A semipalmated plover (Charadrius semipalmatus) in late May. These winter all over the US and southern Canada, and breed in Alaska and Northern Canada. Like many other plovers they rely on beaches and other shore areas to feed and make new plovers.

#semipalmatedplover #plovers #birds #birding #birdwatching #nature #wildlife #CharadriusSemipalmatus #jamaicabay #wildliferefuge #canonphotography #luminarneo #nps

A yellow warbler (Setophaga petechia) checking me out in Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge (late May). These are small, greenish-gold birds with red stripes on their breast. Looks a bit too tropical for NYC? They winter Central America and the Caribbean, and migrate to the northern half of North America to breed (pretty much all the way up to the arctic circle.

#yellowsunbird #yellowwarbler #SetophagaPetechia #birds #birding #birdwatching #warblers #nature #wildlife #jamaicabay

A backlit photo of a brown thrasher (Toxostoma rufum) in Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge. These are relatively common, but very shy birds. I often seen 6-10 of them on trips to JBWR, but they usually fly into the bushes as soon as they can see a human.

#brownthrasher #ToxostomaRufum #nature #wildlife #birds #birding #birdwatching #jamaicabay #wildliferefuge #nps #canonphotography #luminarneo

A willow flycatcher (Empidonax traillii) in Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge in late May. These little flycatchers breed in New York and pretty much all of the northern United States and southern Canada.

#willowflycatcher #flycatcher #birds #birding #birdwatching #nature #wildlife #jamaicabay #wildliferefuge #nps #canonphotography #luminarneo

Horseshoe crabs at high tide! #jamaicabay #brooklyn #nyc

A male carpenter bee flying in Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge.

#carpenterbee #bees #insects #nature #wildlife #jamaicabay #wildliferefuge #nps #canonphotography #luminarneo

A northern parula in maximum fluff mode.

#northernparula #parula #warblers #nature #wildlife #canonphotography #luminarneo #birds #birding #birdwatching #jamaicabay #wildliferefuge #nps

A yellow warbler hunting in the brush near the trail in Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge.

#yellowwarbler #warblers #birds #birding #birdwatching #nature #wildlife #jamaicabay #wildliferefuge #nps #canonphotography #luminarneo

A house wren singing at Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge.

#housewren #wrens #birds #birding #birdwatching #songbirds #nature #wildlife #jamaicabay #nps #canonphotography #luminarneo

Tree swallows resting in Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge.

#treeswallows #swallows #jamaicabay #wildliferefuge #nps #nature #wildlife #canonphotography #luminarneo #birds #birding #birdwatching