Birders' Nest

Pohjolas Daughter · January 16, 2024, 05:35:52 AM

Quote from: steve ridgway on January 16, 2024, 05:30:12 AMOh yes, we have rock pigeons but I believe these were the domestic pigeons descended from those. The next door neighbours have feeders so the smaller birds go there and we look after the larger ones.

Interesting to read (on Cornell's website) that apparently rock pigeons were introduced to North America from Europe in the early 1600's.

PD

steve ridgway · January 16, 2024, 05:36:23 AM

LOL according to the Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior

Pigeons' discrimination of paintings by Monet and Picasso

Abstract

Pigeons successfully learned to discriminate color slides of paintings by Monet and Picasso. Following this training, they discriminated novel paintings by Monet and Picasso that had never been presented during the discrimination training. Furthermore, they showed generalization from Monet's to Cezanne's and Renoir's paintings or from Picasso's to Braque's and Matisse's paintings. These results suggest that pigeons' behavior can be controlled by complex visual stimuli in ways that suggest categorization. Upside-down images of Monet's paintings disrupted the discrimination, whereas inverted images of Picasso's did not. This result may indicate that the pigeons' behavior was controlled by objects depicted in impressionists' paintings but was not controlled by objects in cubists' paintings.

steve ridgway · January 19, 2024, 07:34:06 AM

Snapped this Rose-ringed Parakeet after feeding the crows on our walk this morning.

Pohjolas Daughter · January 19, 2024, 09:00:15 AM

Quote from: steve ridgway on January 19, 2024, 07:34:06 AMSnapped this Rose-ringed Parakeet after feeding the crows on our walk this morning.

Pretty cool! Strange to see it though so far north though!

PD

steve ridgway · January 19, 2024, 08:16:04 PM

Quote from: Pohjolas Daughter on January 19, 2024, 09:00:15 AMPretty cool! Strange to see it though so far north though!

PD

We only started seeing the parakeets here a few years ago but they've been increasing in numbers and spreading further. They're quite easy to spot due to the noise

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Szykneij · February 06, 2024, 09:38:41 AM

Came upon a Blue Heron while walking the pups this morning.

thumbnail (1).jpg

Pohjolas Daughter · February 06, 2024, 11:41:48 AM

Quote from: Szykneij on February 06, 2024, 09:38:41 AMCame upon a Blue Heron while walking the pups this morning.

Excellent! About how far away were you from it and what did you use to take the photo?

PD

p.s. I've given up trying to take photos of birds (I have an old iPhone).

Szykneij · February 06, 2024, 12:12:49 PM

Quote from: Pohjolas Daughter on February 06, 2024, 11:41:48 AMExcellent! About how far away were you from it and what did you use to take the photo?

PD

p.s. I've given up trying to take photos of birds (I have an old iPhone).

I used my iphone and was reasonably close, but up a river bank. Luckily, my dogs were quiet so the heron didn't feel threatened.

Pohjolas Daughter · February 06, 2024, 12:34:30 PM

Quote from: Szykneij on February 06, 2024, 12:12:49 PMI used my iphone and was reasonably close, but up a river bank. Luckily, my dogs were quiet so the heron didn't feel threatened.

Which iPhone version do you have (if I might ask)?

PD

Szykneij · February 06, 2024, 04:43:56 PM

Quote from: Pohjolas Daughter on February 06, 2024, 12:34:30 PMWhich iPhone version do you have (if I might ask)?

PD

My phone is old, too. It's the iphone XR, which I think came out right before the iphone 11.

Pohjolas Daughter · February 06, 2024, 05:00:58 PM

Quote from: Szykneij on February 06, 2024, 04:43:56 PMMy phone is old, too. It's the iphone XR, which I think came out right before the iphone 11.

lol Oh, the joys of technology (pros and cons plus moolah)!

PD

Pohjolas Daughter · May 14, 2024, 02:32:52 PM

This story made me laugh/cry:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BT8P65u1Nvk

[Can't post the video here.]

PD

Pohjolas Daughter · May 23, 2024, 05:15:58 AM

Been checking in on the red-tailed hawks at Cornell. Big Red laid four eggs this year; alas, only two out of the four eggs hatched. Hadn't seen that one happen before. Perhaps it might be due in part to her getting up there in years? She's now about 21 years old.

Happily, though, the two chicks (the "N's" as this round are known) are doing well (knock on wood).

PD