Ornithamateurs - The Birding Thread

[La damnee elle la licorne]

 

[AbsintheFather]

Blue jay?

( not a fan of watching sports and no base ball that I know of in Europe ...though I'd still be lost if there were.....I don't know which is the local football ( soccer) team either. I do know the local rugby team though...

I love the raccoon picture too.

The only picture I can think I have of wildlife is a duckling picture I sent to Vollar ages ago, but it doesn't count...G was holding it.

Haha - yes I should have said Bluejay

Here's one more I had and thanks for all the nice comments.

https://41.media.tumblr.com/466126023b96dc48a0585b52eae176d0/tumblr_o4rn9zlvjE1s754npo3_1280.jpg

 

[ValeriioN]

Cool thread

This was a really good idea. We have hawks and turkey vultures in our area.

 

[jm1993]

There's a birding thread!!! Sweet mother of God! I love my feathered friends. I'm an environmental biology major with a goal of specializing in bird conservation.

 

[jm1993]

https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1681/26008320400_0c8caa240e_b.jpg12509746_1195242050489521_2309470230460130388_n by A J, on Flickr

Let's see if this dandy works. I'm not used to uploading via Flickr.

Ok. So this is a Tropical Kingbird. Mississippi's second recorded sighting ever. Last year we assume it was this same individual who came to the same location near the coast. It's a gorgeous bird and I love the Flycatcher family.

 

[La damnee elle la licorne]

 

[La damnee elle la licorne]

 

[jm1993]

I'm not a birder at all, but this thread reminded me of a pic I took years ago.

Is the bird dead or sleeping?

It stayed in that position long enough that J and I got bored and left, so I never found out which it was.

If a bird is dead, it'd likely be on the ground. Speaking of which, I saw a gull hanging in mid air once and I thought it was odd.. And then I looked through my binoculars and realized it had hung itself with fishing line. :/

These birds certainly look like their sleeping. Different birds have different sleeping positions. Ducks tuck their head under their wings. These look like rock doves to me and I'm assuming that's their sleeping posture

 

[jm1993]

https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1682/25690244683_c4e02a006a_c.jpg12116000_1148075638539496_925540839750467518_n by A J, on Flickr

A Scissor-Tailed Flycatcher. One of my favorite species.

 

[jm1993]

https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1531/26200551992_6e9a8e53f2_c.jpg12096096_1148075341872859_2229657313169863291_n by A J, on Flickr


American Oystercatchers

 

[jm1993]

https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1621/25688129594_9561b43943_c.jpg12088058_1148076588539401_1415206557744915730_n by A J, on Flickr

A Clapper Rail in a marsh in SE Louisiana

 

[jm1993]

I'm still a couple weeks away from the return of the Orioles. They usually show up around the first week of May. I've got a special feeder for them. Grape jelly gives them sugar to recharge after their long migration.

https://40.media.tumblr.com/892d9a093c4ae7f283d27e5b3da80d1a/tumblr_o4rncyzKKA1s754npo9_1280.jpg

https://40.media.tumblr.com/de9c59abbf56497c5ccb87a88763a0d3/tumblr_o4rncyzKKA1s754npo8_1280.jpg

Beautiful pictures. I just saw my 'lifer' oriole the other day. A Male Orchard Oriole feeding on a hummingbird feeder. But I believe we also get Baltimore Orioles migrating through here. With a possibility of Bullock's. Although that'd be unlikely according to the range map.

 

[jm1993]

love those oystercatchers!!!
some of my favorite birds

Do y'all get Black Oystercatchers out there? I've seen pictures and they look lovely.

 

[jm1993]

yes. in the wilder coastal areas. Often see them when I am paddling.
they have a very distinctive call too.

What about dippers? I'd love to see a dipper.

 

[AbsintheFather]

https://41.media.tumblr.com/9201a09e676310559d57ce1e2c939ad0/tumblr_o1a5jeGSIf1u5lg1do1_500.jpg

I like this little fellow a lot

 

[AbsintheFather]

Blue Heron in my pond

https://36.media.tumblr.com/56ebb4ea4730777e59349999e31e782c/tumblr_o4tiyiu0BL1s754npo2_540.jpg

https://36.media.tumblr.com/c7e5a4ebc9e63dbdc7c05db3702c5720/tumblr_o4tiyiu0BL1s754npo1_540.jpg

 

[jm1993]

Well I've been out birding most of the morning here in the south. Migrants are beginning to move through and one never knows when he might run across a new bird headed north to the breeding grounds. Not much luck in that regard today but it's beautiful weather.

 

[desertslave]

I'm not a birder at all, but this thread reminded me of a pic I took years ago.

Is the bird dead or sleeping?

It stayed in that position long enough that J and I got bored and left, so I never found out which it was.

Playing catch-up here...Yup they are definitely asleep. I see doves roosting like that all the time on our back wall. One did fall off one day, shook itself and flew back up to the wall again.

We have a deceased grackle out in the parkway beyond our house. It makes me sad to see him there. If a predator doesn't deal with it by tomorrow, I'm going to scoop him up and take him across the street to the alfalfa field where his decomp will do some good.

 

[Collar_N_Cuffs]

Beautiful pictures. I just saw my 'lifer' oriole the other day. A Male Orchard Oriole feeding on a hummingbird feeder. But I believe we also get Baltimore Orioles migrating through here. With a possibility of Bullock's. Although that'd be unlikely according to the range map.

In regards to the range maps... I just wonder how often they are updated. I have seen newly released editions of birding books, but they always seem to have the same old range maps. Weather patterns change, and I know I have seen some birds out of their stated ranges. I have wondered about this in the past.

 

[jm1993]

In regards to the range maps... I just wonder how often they are updated. I have seen newly released editions of birding books, but they always seem to have the same old range maps. Weather patterns change, and I know I have seen some birds out of their stated ranges. I have wondered about this in the past.

Oh absolutely. For example, the Tropical Kingbird's range is in the southern tip of Texas and Mexico. Having one in MS was completely unexpected. Weather patterns change, storms blow birds inland, and on a biological POV we've discussed in one of my classes where some birds that have different subspecies that intermingle have different migratory paths than their parents.

So for an imaginary example: Let's say that Mourning Doves (Zenaida macroura) only bred in the far east and the far western USA. And they're subspecies. So to make it simple, Z. m. westerni (ooh fancy suffix) and Z. m. easternus. The westerni population migrate south to mexico down the western coast. the eastern population migrates down to mexico via the east coast. That route is ingrained in their memories and DNA. They're programmed to go that route unless nature blows them elsewhere.

What happens if their range expands and they begin intermingling. Well in some of these studies where these geographical subspecies bred together, their migratory paths were different. Some went left, some went right, and some said fuck it and went straight down the center. What happens is birds ending up in states and regions that they've never been before. Fascinating stuff isn't it?

 

[tolyk]

Subscribed, will catch up soon, and maybe add some shots...

 

[Collar_N_Cuffs]

Subscribed, will catch up soon, and maybe add some shots...

Excellent, and welcome!
To everyone enjoying this thread, so glad you are here

 

[kismet999]

Yellow-crowned Night-heron

https://www.***********/s/rab94n41yayhv7f/Yellow-crowned Night-heron.JPG?dl=0

 

[Collar_N_Cuffs]

Yellow-crowned Night-heron

https://www.***********/s/rab94n41yayhv7f/Yellow-crowned Night-heron.JPG?dl=0

Wow... extremely different from the black-crowned night herons I usually see when visiting the third coast. I shall keep my eyes peeled

 

[Collar_N_Cuffs]

Off the endangered species list now for the better part of a decade, and one of my favourite birds to watch fish, the brown pelican.

http://voices.nationalgeographic.com/files/2009/11/brown-pelican-picture-6.jpg