Any birdwatchers?

[SimonDoom]

Oh, I love birds. I don't trust them. But I love them.

I don't blame you for not trusting them.

They're rather . . . flighty.

 

[Britva415]

When you snigger behind your hand at whoever made the "Northern Bluebird" meme.

 

[CuriousJInLA]

Amateur birder here. Only ~200 on my life list but it’s so enjoyable

 

[liqueur]

I still have that burning question, is it true that Loons call out in significant numbers when someone dies? I swear, I read that someplace

If by “someone,” you mean another loon, I've never heard this, but it seems quite possible. If you mean “a person”— no. Loons don't give a hoot about people.

 

[liqueur]

View attachment 2580751

I don't know where this weirdly upside-down ageist belief comes from. I've loved and fed and been fascinated with birds my entire life. The only thing that's changed with age is having more time to devote to them.

 

[Jackie.Hikaru]

I don't know where this weirdly upside-down ageist belief comes from. I've loved and fed and been fascinated with birds my entire life. The only thing that's changed with age is having more time to devote to them.

How exactly does it represent an ageist belief? It’s a belief I completely relate to, hence why I shared it.

 

[liqueur]

How exactly does it represent an ageist belief? It’s a belief I completely relate to, hence why I shared it.

When I say “weirdly ageist," I mean that it's not necessarily so in the sense of discrimination, but is, in the thinking that a particular activity is exclusive to a certain age. As I said, I've always had a deep interest in birds (from age 8, at least— maybe earlier), and I know from my interactions with other bird people that I'm far from alone in that. So to me, it seems like a silly stereotype.

 

[Five_Inch_Heels]

Is we pickin' fightz in here now too?

 

[Britva415]

I don't know where this weirdly upside-down ageist belief comes from. I've loved and fed and been fascinated with birds my entire life. The only thing that's changed with age is having more time to devote to them.

It's obviously about people who have a different experience from you.

It doesn't invalidate your experience, so, you don't have to invalidate the experience represented there.

And it's only ageist in, as you said, a weirdly upside-down way. How did you get that way?

 

[Dodola]

Plenty of species in my back yard and the meadow and trees beyond.
I'm particularly fond of the cardinal families, and the crazy hummingbirds that visit my feeders.
I also see owls frequently, mostly at dusk, and there's a few red-tailed hawks that I love, but also get mildly anxious for the little bunnies, when the hawks are hunting.

The hummingbirds are like cartoon characters, and they only visit my area from April through about September. I usually name each one of them every year, just for fun.

There's also usually a few buzzards or vultures circling high in the sky. I wonder if they do it all night. I also see deer, coyotes, raccoons, possums.

I have to clean up my outdoor grills and smoker the same day I use them, or I'll get furry visitors in the night, drawn by the scent.

 

[Britva415]

There's also usually a few buzzards or vultures circling high in the sky. I wonder if they do it all night.

Almost certainly not. Some scavengers locate their food by smell, and that can work at night, but the vultures in North America find it by sight. Also, the updrafts they use to gain altitude and circle aren’t active at night, so, it would cost them energy to stay aloft in the dark.

 

[SimonDoom]

Depending on where you live, winter can be a great time for birdwatching. It is where I live, although you have to know where the best locations are. I haven't gone on my winter birdwatching foray yet, but I probably will soon.

 

[SirCharles01]

We get painted both M and F of...
Painted Buntings, Yellow Orioles and Cardinals this time of year.

 

[SimonDoom]

Almost certainly not. Some scavengers locate their food by smell, and that can work at night, but the vultures in North America find it by sight. Also, the updrafts they use to gain altitude and circle aren’t active at night, so, it would cost them energy to stay aloft in the dark.

We have plenty of vultures in these parts, and I've never seen them fly at night, almost certainly for both of the reasons you cite.

 

[Wonderer67]

I saw the reddest cardinal I’ve ever seen yesterday morning before work. He flew into some naked forsythia bushes where you could really see the contrast. I wish I had a good camera.

He flew closer to our house and a bunch of forsythia there where he and his mate probably nest. They typically mate for life and we have been watching them for four or five years. I’m not sure if it’s the same birds or not or they’re offspring but we seen them have many many children.

Female cardinal 2021.

 

[Dodola]

Almost certainly not. Some scavengers locate their food by smell, and that can work at night, but the vultures in North America find it by sight. Also, the updrafts they use to gain altitude and circle aren’t active at night, so, it would cost them energy to stay aloft in the dark.

That makes sense. They're such a constant fixture during daylight hours that I wondered.

 

[Dodola]

Depending on where you live, winter can be a great time for birdwatching. It is where I live, although you have to know where the best locations are. I haven't gone on my winter birdwatching foray yet, but I probably will soon.

I've got a YouTube video playing on the TV while I work, that's soft instrumental christmas music, with different birds in snowy scenes

 

[Jeb56]

Been photographing birds for a few years, here’s a white-breasted nuthatch, midwest USA.

 

[old_prof]

We decided we've had enough snow by last weekend that the bears should be denned up and we put a feeder back up on the back deck. Only the woodpeckers have noticed it yet.

 

[liqueur]

a few buzzards or vultures circling high in the sky. I wonder if they do it all night.

They don't. I've been quite close to turkey vultures when they were settling down for the night— up on high, rocky ridges, preferably with dead trees. They roost in groups, and they make soft, cuddly noises as they settle in. Yes, really.

I also had the privilege of spending a few hours with a vulture in a rehab center (it was a permanent resident, due to a bad injury). It was very intelligent, curious, and playful. It loved to untie my shoelaces. And although I wasn't with it long enough to experience it myself, I gather it was also very affectionate with its regular people.

 

[liqueur]

I saw the reddest cardinal I’ve ever seen yesterday morning before work. He flew into some naked forsythia bushes where you could really see the contrast. I wish I had a good camera.

He flew closer to our house and a bunch of forsythia there where he and his mate probably nest. They typically mate for life and we have been watching them for four or five years. I’m not sure if it’s the same birds or not or they’re offspring but we seen them have many many children.

Female cardinal 2021.
View attachment 2584681

This is wonderful.

 

[liqueur]

View attachment 2584690

Been photographing birds for a few years, here’s a white-breasted nuthatch, midwest USA.

A fine photo, and such a very characteristic pose.

 

[old_prof]

I also had the privilege of spending a few hours with a vulture in a rehab center (it was a permanent resident, due to a bad injury). It was very intelligent, curious, and playful. It loved to untie my shoelaces. And although I wasn't with it long enough to experience it myself, I gather it was also very affectionate with its regular people.

My wife and son used to do regular work for a rehabber who had a turkey vulture, among other regulars. The vulture thought he was mated to the rehabber, but still considered my wife as part of his flock. He liked people, but somewhat viewed us as great big squeak toys. One time he didn't want to do something when my wife was caring for him and he climbed up on her back. He was not intending harm, but his talons sank into the flesh of her back before she convinced him to get off. She still has a bit of a scar from it.

My wife felt comfortable to take him to a few educational shows on her own (with my son as well, but he was like twelve, so not reliable help).

 

[Five_Inch_Heels]

Why do we pay so much to feed these flying feathered fecal factories? Seems like I spend more on food for them than me.

 

[yowser]

Saw this horde (of cockatoos?) destroying a hillside at the Melbourne Botanical Garden. I couldn't have done as much damage if I'd had a pickaxe. A passerby saw my camera and gave me a look like I was taking photos of pigeons in New York's Central Park.