So much of birding is chasing rarities that we often forget that our own native species can be just as beautiful, if not more so, than the extralimital species (animals that appear beyond the known boundaries of their classic ranges) we tend to pursue. The photograph above is of a bird that borders on being extralimital when it appears in Massachusetts, or at least it feels that way. When we check off our list of 28 or so ducks, geese and swans we see in a year in southeastern Massachusetts, oftentimes we are left with about four or five – Redhead, Canvasback, Northern Shoveler, Eurasian Wigeon, etc. – that we have to actively look for. Of course, there are those times, like this day, when we stumble right into them. The birds above are Blue-winged Teals, dabblers that breed north of us and occasionally drop in for refueling along the way.
Speaking of blue, though, is there any greater color blue than that found on a Tree Swallow? These birds have returned to their breeding grounds, open areas from fields to marshes, where they will delight us for the next few months as they dip and dive in search of insects. So, yes, rarities are cool, but our native birds are pretty amazing as well!