Topic: The Birdwatching Thread

[Railton]

Sitting on the patio after a bike ride, enjoying beer and snacks while watching for birds. Had another yellow-rumped warbler a few minutes ago. Very pretty.

My wife is on the iPad trying to identify a bird call nearby. Hummingbird feeder is on the cherry tree in front of her (none so far today), suet for the woodpecker on the pine to the right, and the sunflower seeds on the next tree to the right.

Hope everyone else is enjoying a nice long-weekend afternoon as well.

Looks Boss!
Us, we're entertaining my Mother for a visit.
Rilton

[Bubba]

Looks Boss!
Us, we're entertaining my Mother for a visit.
Rilton

She's got you so rattled, you can't even spell you name right!

[HeliDriver]

Hummingbirds in the back yard again today. Caught this one napping in a tree after a good feed. We think it’s a rufous hummingbird.

Don’t really have a good camera for this kind of thing, but my wife grabbed our old Pentax DSLR with a crappy, kit zoom lens and got a shot.

[Bubba]

Gray jay to reclaim its Canadian identity with name change

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-gray-jay-to-reclaim-its-canadian-identity-with-name-change/

[PJungnitsch]

Interesting to see where the Whiskey Jack name came from

[Great_Big_Abyss]

This bird stunned itself on my window the other day.  Luckily, he managed to land upright in the bush below.  I was able to get close and snap a couple of pictures.  He later flew off to the nearby lilac bush, so I assume he ended up being okay.

[HeliDriver]

Good shot. You’re in Winnipeg, right? I’ll try to figure out what it is.

[Great_Big_Abyss]

Good shot. You’re in Winnipeg, right? I’ll try to figure out what it is.

Yes, please.

I was amazed he let me get that close.  I figured he had a broken wing and couldn't fly off, but after 5 minutes he recovered and flew off to the nearby lilac bush.  He must've just been stunned.

[rrocket]

Good shot. You’re in Winnipeg, right? I’ll try to figure out what it is.

Yes, please.

I was amazed he let me get that close.  I figured he had a broken wing and couldn't fly off, but after 5 minutes he recovered and flew off to the nearby lilac bush.  He must've just been stunned.

It's some type of warbler I think. Positive ID will come from that stripe through the eye.

Warblers are tricky, as many varieties have different plumage through the year. (Spring or fall plumage)

I'll check my book later. But the eye stripe is key IMO.

[KD]

Today, on the way home from work, and on the highway, an immature bald eagle came flying out of the treeline and looked like he was going to smack right into the side of my truck.  .  It turned away a few feet from the truck and i could see that he was being harassed by a couple of crows.   Such a huge bird, and even bigger in the immature stage. 

[tpl]

Mrs tpl told me that the bird house which had two families of birds last summer has a family of Chickadees this year.

[HeliDriver]

Okay, finally had some time and an internet connection. I dunno, but am thinking maybe GBA’s bird is a Philadelphia vireo?

Seems to have the eye stripe rrocket mentioned, plus the general shape and beak seem similar. Honestly, it was the green wings/back that struck me first, though. Seems to fit, as with the yellowish breast.

[rrocket]

Tennessee warbler....which look very similar to the Vireo?  Here's pics of the Tennessee...notice the differing plumage throughout the year

[HeliDriver]

Yeah, for sure that looks like it too.

Now that I’ve started looking into it, it seems kind of ridiculous how many similar, but slightly different, species of birds there are out there. And then there are apparently hybrids and regional variations that aren’t even officially recognized as species anyway. 

Seems like a guy could drive himself crazy with the minutiae of this whole birding thing. I think I’m just going to be happy with looking at the things and enjoying them, without getting too carried away with figuring out what precisely it is.

Saw what I think was a killdeer in BC last week. Funny little thing the way it ran across the grass with its legs pumping madly and body staying perfectly still.

[KD]

Went kayaking by myself last night for an hour, or so, and the whooshing sound coming off the wings of the ducks as they landed behind me was pretty cool.  Air brakes.

[rrocket]

Saw what I think was a killdeer in BC last week. Funny little thing the way it ran across the grass with its legs pumping madly and body staying perfectly still.

They are fun when they have a nest. As you go near the nest, they pretend they're injured...their wing looks broken, they're writhing, etc. As you move closer to investigate, they move off a bit more and do the same bit again.

Pretty neat to see.

[blur911]

Saw what I think was a killdeer in BC last week. Funny little thing the way it ran across the grass with its legs pumping madly and body staying perfectly still.

They are fun when they have a nest. As you go near the nest, they pretend they're injured...their wing looks broken, they're writhing, etc. As you move closer to investigate, they move off a bit more and do the same bit again.

Pretty neat to see.

They nest at Shannonville Motorsport Park in the spring and when you're marshalling you have to avoid stepping on the nests and little fluffball chicks.  Parents running all over squawking with "broken wings", very cute.

[rrocket]

Saw what I think was a killdeer in BC last week. Funny little thing the way it ran across the grass with its legs pumping madly and body staying perfectly still.

They are fun when they have a nest. As you go near the nest, they pretend they're injured...their wing looks broken, they're writhing, etc. As you move closer to investigate, they move off a bit more and do the same bit again.

Pretty neat to see.

They nest at Shannonville Motorsport Park in the spring and when you're marshalling you have to avoid stepping on the nests and little fluffball chicks.  Parents running all over squawking with "broken wings", very cute.

The little ones are funny looking...little fluff balls with too long legs...and they move surprisingly fast!

[KD]

Saw what I think was a killdeer in BC last week. Funny little thing the way it ran across the grass with its legs pumping madly and body staying perfectly still.

They are fun when they have a nest. As you go near the nest, they pretend they're injured...their wing looks broken, they're writhing, etc. As you move closer to investigate, they move off a bit more and do the same bit again.

Pretty neat to see.

They nest at Shannonville Motorsport Park in the spring and when you're marshalling you have to avoid stepping on the nests and little fluffball chicks.  Parents running all over squawking with "broken wings", very cute.

We get nesting Eagles, Falcons, and Ospreys on our radio towers quite often.  When that happens we are not allowed to disturb them, so whatever work is required has to be put on hold until the chicks leave the nest.  My busiest site is on a rooftop in the city and we have a major upgrade put on hold because of a nesting peregrine falcon.  Work was supposed to completed by now.

[blur911]

There's a Cardinal outside my window right now.