Birders' Nest

[Kalevala]

Orderly queues! Orderly queues?!

They usually don't squabble, but they are definitely not orderly!
Except maybe for the window feeder, where they often do queue up on the flowering currant, waiting for their turn at the window.

Birds and squirrels don't normally play nicely as far as feeders are concerned; the bigger birds (from what I've seen anyway) tend to muzzle their way in and scare off the smaller birds [not to mention if a raptor is nearby and decides to check out the scene].  *Squirrels will go to amazing efforts to get to food (as I'm sure that you all know).  Watch the feeding station on Cornell's website if in doubt or if you just want to see some cool-looking birds (and squirrels) show up.  Fun to watch and see who all shows up at the feeders (refilled daily).

*And God forbid if a bear or another animal (raccoon?) comes around.  But that's Mother Nature.

And saw a wild turkey today whilst out with a friend.  We were stopped at a stoplight and I was hoping that it wouldn't wander out into the road (multiple lanes there, etc.).

K

[Iota]

Orderly queues! Orderly queues?!

They usually don't squabble, but they are definitely not orderly!
Except maybe for the window feeder, where they often do queue up on the flowering currant, waiting for their turn at the window.

Oops yes, sorry, I should have specified it was the window feeder ..  
I got such a nice image of that situation when you described it, and then along comes a photo from owlice that fits it perfectly  ... Is there any angle of bird life her pics don't cover!? 

[Kalevala]

As I have in the past, I offered use of my spare camera to my safari guide. He accepted the offer on the condition that I teach him how to use it, as, other than his cell phone camera, he'd never used a camera before. Just as previous guides have done, he learned quickly and well, and after a few days' use of the camera, started posting some of his pics to WhatsApp; the feedback he got was very positive, with his friends asking how such pictures were possible. ("Did you get a new phone?? Which one???" and so on.)

He continued to improve throughout our travels and now has a nice portfolio of animal photos to show for his efforts. I've set up a website for him to use if he chooses to share any of his photos online, and if he does and allows it, I will share some of his efforts here (appropriately credited, of course).

That was really nice of you to share your camera!  Well done you! 

K

[Iota]

Birds and squirrels don't normally play nicely as far as feeders are concerned; the bigger birds (from what I've seen anyway) tend to muzzle their way in and scare off the smaller birds [not to mention if a raptor is nearby and decides to check out the scene].  *Squirrels will go to amazing efforts to get to food (as I'm sure that you all know).  Watch the feeding station on Cornell's website if in doubt or if you just want to see some cool-looking birds (and squirrels) show up.  Fun to watch and see who all shows up at the feeders (refilled daily).

*And God forbid if a bear or another animal (raccoon?) comes around.  But that's Mother Nature.

And saw a wild turkey today whilst out with a friend.  We were stopped at a stoplight and I was hoping that it wouldn't wander out into the road (multiple lanes there, etc.).

K

My brother who has just retired fully, has moved permanently into their place in a heavily wooded part of Connecticut where they regularly get black bears passing through their garden. They once made the mistake of leaving the bird feeder within reach of said bears ... a trashed and emptied feeder promptly resulted .. 

[Kalevala]

My brother who has just retired fully, has moved permanently into their place in a heavily wooded part of Connecticut where they regularly get black bears passing through their garden. They once made the mistake of leaving the bird feeder within reach of said bears ... a trashed and emptied feeder promptly resulted .. 

Yes, bears will do nasty things to feeders; it's very important to not leave them up past hibernating season.  Bears will remember for four years where they have found food--even if it's no longer there; they will still come back.

K

[JBS]

I found this at Barnes and Noble.


A sort of beginner's guide to birdsong and how to identify them.
The linked website is here

https://birdsongforthecurious.com/

The idea is that one can listen to the recorded birdsong linked to the paragraph or so devoted to each species. All the birds covered are in North America.

[Elgarian Redux]

I found this at Barnes and Noble.

A sort of beginner's guide to birdsong and how to identify them.
The linked website is here

https://birdsongforthecurious.com/

The idea is that one can listen to the recorded birdsong linked to the paragraph or so devoted to each species. All the birds covered are in North America.

A brilliant idea, but one which reminds me that I don't actually hear as much birdsong as I used to.  My ears are fading out.

Also of course I don't live in America, but ...


I move onto to today's adventure which involved a return to the spot where we saw the starlings mini-murmurating a couple of days ago. But this time, #Owlice ...

I had my camera.

And here is the quiz:
Complete the following: The number of starlings seen today was
A. Fifty billion
B. Five billion
C. None.
(Winners to be announced at an indeterminate future time in a very obscure place.)

Driving back, we suddenly saw three sparrowhawks zoom up from the side of the road, very near. Spectacular. For a few moments the air seemed full of sparrowhawks.

'Where's your camera?' asked my wife.
'In the boot,' I said.

[Elgarian Redux]

Oops yes, sorry, I should have specified it was the window feeder ..  
I got such a nice image of that situation when you described it, and then along comes a photo from owlice that fits it perfectly  ... Is there any angle of bird life her pics don't cover!? 

And I am also forgetting the times when a gang of pigeons or starlings arrives. Then it can be mayhem. But normally it's probably accurate to say that we run a relatively quiet and sedate set of bird feeders, much as you imagined.

[owlice]

A brilliant idea, but one which reminds me that I don't actually hear as much birdsong as I used to.  My ears are fading out.

Also of course I don't live in America, but ...


I move onto to today's adventure which involved a return to the spot where we saw the starlings mini-murmurating a couple of days ago. But this time, #Owlice ...

I had my camera.

SO PROUD OF YOU!!!

And here is the quiz:
Complete the following: The number of starlings seen today was
A. Fifty billion
B. Five billion
C. None.
(Winners to be announced at an indeterminate future time in a very obscure place.)

Surely, and sadly, the answer is C.
But I trust that this is a momentary lapse in bird sightings, and that as the birds become more familiar with you carrying your camera, they will be less shy about appearing!!

Driving back, we suddenly saw three sparrowhawks zoom up from the side of the road, very near. Spectacular. For a few moments the air seemed full of sparrowhawks.

'Where's your camera?' asked my wife.
'In the boot,' I said.

🤦

[owlice]

Do they, in fact, whistle?

Yes, they do! You can listen to one calling here: https://ebird.org/species/wfwduc1

Scroll down a bit (if you need to) and click the green Listen button on the right side of the screen.

Ohh, pachydermosaurs! Did you actually get to see them in flight?

Pachydermosaurs.... !! lol!!

No, but I did hear them disagreeing with one another, sometimes in the middle of the night. (SO LOUD!!)

[Elgarian Redux]

SO PROUD OF YOU!!!
Surely, and sadly, the answer is C.
But I trust that this is a momentary lapse in bird sightings, and that as the birds become more familiar with you carrying your camera, they will be less shy about appearing!!
🤦

There is a good deal of human life in this interchange - understanding, pathos, humour, you name it - and your conclusion of it all with that perfect little image is one of the funniest things I've seen in quite a while.

[Elgarian Redux]

Yes, they do! You can listen to one calling here: https://ebird.org/species/wfwduc1

Scroll down a bit (if you need to) and click the green Listen button on the right side of the screen.

Thank you! Hey yes, they really do whistle. You'd never think that was a duck, just listening to it, would you? (Well, you might because you're a widely experienced birdologiser, but I wouldn't..)

Pachydermosaurs.... !! lol!!

No, but I did hear them disagreeing with one another, sometimes in the middle of the night. (SO LOUD!!)

Yes, but they must be very frustrated, flapping their ear-wings like crazy, but never getting off the ground, so they're bound to get grumpy.

[Elgarian Redux]

Surely, and sadly, the answer is C.

I forgot to mention that yes, you are correct! Congratulations! You win the prize!

I wonder what on earth it could possibly be?

[Iota]

Yes, but they must be very frustrated, flapping their ear-wings like crazy, but never getting off the ground, so they're bound to get grumpy.

.

[owlice]

Is there any angle of bird life her pics don't cover!? 

Yes!! Oh, soooo many! Successful hunting by fish eagles, for example, or even kingfishers (and other birds), flying ("BIF" -- birds in flight; I can occasionally get such pics, but mostly not. So not!), hatching, parents feeding baby birds, and so on.

I am super good at shots showing where a bird just was, however! Also at butt shots, not just for birds but for pretty much any wildlife. It's uncanny the number of times an animal turns around just in time for me to photograph their southern end rather than their front.

[owlice]

I found this at Barnes and Noble.


A sort of beginner's guide to birdsong and how to identify them.
The linked website is here

https://birdsongforthecurious.com/

The idea is that one can listen to the recorded birdsong linked to the paragraph or so devoted to each species. All the birds covered are in North America.

Excellent! Thank you for sharing!!

A lot of (real) birders bird by ear. It's a great skill to have.

I say I'm a bird-watcher rather than birder. I say this because birders be crazy. 

[Elgarian Redux]

A lot of (real) birders bird by ear. It's a great skill to have.

I was only ever able to acquire that skill in a mere handful of instances: willow warbler, chiffchaff, bittern .... there might be one or two more but I can't remember. What I do remember, frequently, is hearing something in a tree and thinking 'Wow! What's that?' And then I'd finally get a sight of it and discover it was a robin; or a blackbird - at any rate, a bird I knew well. Birds like robins have such a wide variety of calls and songs (or so it seemed to me, listening to recordings) that I found it impossible to establish any kind of recognisable pattern.

I say I'm a bird-watcher rather than birder. I say this because birders be crazy. 

How about a birdwatchographologophile? That would be a snappy title, and might touch all the bases?

[owlice]

How about a birdwatchographologophile? That would be a snappy title, and might touch all the bases?

hahahahahahaha!!! I'm not sure the title is snappy, exactly, but it is definitely something!!!

A few things for your possible amusement... payin' the thread tax (mostly)

Northern Wheatear bird-watching

With the OED as its source, Wikipedia says: "Its English name has nothing to do with wheat or with ear, but is an altered ... form of white-arse, which refers to its prominent white rump."

Green-winged Pytilia

Serious bird being serious

Lesser Kudu

Posting because he's such a beauty

Vulturine Guineafowl

Hear one here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LGxLWqWdxl0 Might make a good ringtone or alarm, hmmm?

Vervet Monkey

Posting because he's such a cutie

[owlice]

I forgot to mention that yes, you are correct! Congratulations! You win the prize!

I wonder what on earth it could possibly be?

YAY!!!

I can't wait to find out!!

[Elgarian Redux]

YAY!!!

I can't wait to find out!!

Neither can I.