Ornithamateurs - The Birding Thread

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Not great but..

.... what is it?

Strange colours for this shape of garden bird

 

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Two from the garden

Tree creeper is a little blurred


Blue tit a little better!

 

[Collar_N_Cuffs]

Very nice, SS!

 

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Very nice, SS!

Why thank you, kind Collar

How's things with you? I hope life is good for you

 

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Disturbing a herd of turkeys

 

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And they all flew off, except this genius

 

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And they all flew off, except this genius

Nice work to capture them, thanks, but bigger than my garden birds!

 

[Collar_N_Cuffs]

Nice work to capture them, thanks, but bigger than my garden birds!

Tastier, too!

 

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Tastier, too!

Yeukh! You been eating garden birds as well whilst you were away

 

[Collar_N_Cuffs]

Yeukh! You been eating garden birds as well whilst you were away

Only the slow ones!

 

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Only the slow ones!

Slow ones indeed, how could you try out our little robins and chaffinches, Christmas cards will never look the same for me now! :-(

How's you today? Hope your are feeling good, I have a couple more pics in mind for here when I get to a proper PC at the weekend, got to keep us all going!

 

[Collar_N_Cuffs]

Slow ones indeed, how could you try out our little robins and chaffinches, Christmas cards will never look the same for me now! :-(

How's you today? Hope your are feeling good, I have a couple more pics in mind for here when I get to a proper PC at the weekend, got to keep us all going!

Hot! Hot, exhausted, hungry.
Birdies beware
Pics always make me feel better

 

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Hot! Hot, exhausted, hungry.
Birdies beware
Pics always make me feel better

Why so hot and hungry? Exhausted? Travelling?

Poor birdies, wish I could be there to help them! Take you out for a cooling drink and meal of no bird related food!!

 

[Collar_N_Cuffs]

Why so hot and hungry? Exhausted? Travelling?

Poor birdies, wish I could be there to help them! Take you out for a cooling drink and meal of no bird related food!!

Awwww

 

[HomewardBound41]

Was so excited to see several Rufus hummingbirds flitting around my blackberries this afternoon. They're too quick for me to catch with my camera, but they sure are beautiful little creatures.

 

[Collar_N_Cuffs]

Was so excited to see several Rufus hummingbirds flitting around my blackberries this afternoon. They're too quick for me to catch with my camera, but they sure are beautiful little creatures.

Hummingbirds are seriously territorial and scrappy for the size of them... I love watching hummingbirds!

 

[HomewardBound41]

Hummingbirds are seriously territorial and scrappy for the size of them... I love watching hummingbirds!

Oh, yes! We have nests in several of our trees, and watched them have all out wars. They can actually be pretty vicious. I love the different varieties we have out here, but you know what? We have no cardinals! I guess those are strictly East coast.

 

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Oh, yes! We have nests in several of our trees, and watched them have all out wars. They can actually be pretty vicious. I love the different varieties we have out here, but you know what? We have no cardinals! I guess those are strictly East coast.

One of the birds of a recent trip to Vancouver Island was the hummingbird, not a lot of them around in Yorkshire! Not chance of a pic, way too fast, never saw the territorial stuff but was not there too long, must get back, amazing wildlife generally!

 

[Collar_N_Cuffs]

Oh, yes! We have nests in several of our trees, and watched them have all out wars. They can actually be pretty vicious. I love the different varieties we have out here, but you know what? We have no cardinals! I guess those are strictly East coast.

Well, not strictly East Coast.
We have them in Texas as well

 

[HomewardBound41]

Well, not strictly East Coast.
We have them in Texas as well

You're so fortunate! That's one of the things about moving to the West coast I didn't anticipate - no cardinals - I do miss the pair that used to come to my feeder in the winter. The male was always on the lookout while the female ate, and after she was done and safely in the higher branches he would have at the feeder in sort of a rush. They were so sweet!

 

[Collar_N_Cuffs]

You're so fortunate! That's one of the things about moving to the West coast I didn't anticipate - no cardinals - I do miss the pair that used to come to my feeder in the winter. The male was always on the lookout while the female ate, and after she was done and safely in the higher branches he would have at the feeder in sort of a rush. They were so sweet!

I love spotting the juveniles. Tiny little cardinals. So cute!

 

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I love spotting the juveniles. Tiny little cardinals. So cute!

Just watching the sparrows, finches and starlings raising the feeder, quite a dull looking lot this morning, juveniles just a paler version of the adults. Only the goldfinch does colour here, occasional spotted woodpecker.

Must visit the antipodes again, Oz has some outstanding birds!

 

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Rainbow lorikeets

A while back, but lovely all the same!

 

[Collar_N_Cuffs]

A while back, but lovely all the same!

That lorikeet looks downright mean! I can see they are a lovely sight at the feeder, though Exotic.

In Texas we have the grackle - are you familiar with it? I would be surprised if you were. I don't know how widespread their territory is, but they don't migrate that I know of, and they aren't in the north here. They are considered a pest in Texas, but I find them quite exotic indeed. Their call always transports me to some tropical jungle, and they are that iridescent blue black colour that just shines in the sun. Their courtship displays are a total pleasure to watch, wings spread, feathers shaking a mile a minute, and they either chase a female like that or dance in a circle if they already have one's attention.

They are a highly opportunistic bird, omnivorous (I have seen them eat fruits, bugs, and even dog or cat food). They hang out in car parks and pick the bugs out of the front grill of your car I am fascinated with them for some reason, I have spent a lot of time observing them. They are aggressive (I was attacked once when I got too close to a baby that had fallen out if it's nest), not afraid to attack humans, dogs, cats, other birds, anything they see as a threat to their young. I also once saw a pack of them kill a young pigeon

Anyway, I know you can barely tell I am totally fascinated by them I will look for a pic, though I have none of my own. If I can find a recording of some of their calls I will post that as well.

/EndFanaticBabble

Pic:

And here is a link to a YouTube video. A lady did a pretty good job of recording my favourite call odd theirs, as they make several different sounds.

Grackle song.

 

[La damnee elle la licorne]