Birders' Nest

[Elgarian Redux]

I'd have believed you if you'd said yes! Gullible... so gullible...

'Where did you get that black eye, Jimmy?'
'I had a run-in with a coal tit, Mum'.
Brrr-brrr. Brrr-brrr. [Mum phoning police.]

I once saw an American Robin (a thrush, considerably larger than a Coal Tit, and not usually aggressive) harassing a Red-tailed Hawk, who could easily have dispatched the Robin and still have room for lunch, dinner, and a late-night snack. The hawk was perched in a tree (near the Einstein Memorial on the grounds of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences); looked like he was minding his own business, just hanging out, enjoying the weather, and that robin was having none of it -- he wanted that hawk gone. I suspect the robin had a nest nearby. The robin was successful in getting the hawk to move, but that didn't stop the robin's harassment: he followed the hawk and dive-bombed him a few times for extra credit.

Excellent tale! David and Goliath!

Hahahahaha!! Nope!! You know what tune was on the radio in my head when I woke up this morning?
"is a leopard, a leopard, a leopard, oh yeah!"

On repeat.

Sticky tune, it is, it is. You did that!

Indeed. One of my proudest moments. Of course most of the kudos must go to the lyricist. The lyrics lift it close to greatness.

hahahahahahaha!!! That should be a real thing!! It's another opportunity for us to make millions!! Millions, I tell you!!!

I am already at work in my laboratory. Yes, yes. The spring goes here. The sound amplification system goes there. Dance routine programmed in. Long bill nicely painted red. Recording of 'Eye of the Tiger' is in place. Just press the 'on' switch ....

Oh.

I'll just press it again.....

 
Could have been millions ...

[Elgarian Redux]

The same thing you're doing: choosing the easy shots!! Or the easiest one possible, anyway.

Hey what do you know? My (1) and (2) are the same!

Time for thread tax.... hmmmm... maybe these will do... 


Carolina Wren (Maryland)
These are incredibly loud for their (tiny!) size.

Looks gorgeous. I'm looking at the delicate curvature of the beak.

Boat-billed Heron (Costa Rica)
These look impossible.

They are impossible, surely?.

Purple Grenadier (Kenya)
This one's expression... where I have seen that expression before....? Let me think, let me think...

Another of those wannabee highwaymen. Crikey, the colours. Gosh.

[Elgarian Redux]

And now, enough nonsense. Let's get some serious birding done. Here is:

A blue tit!

A scrappy, messy composition, but they won't stay still, so beggars can't be choosers. Not today, anyway.

[JBS]

And now, enough nonsense. Let's get some serious birding done. Here is:

A blue tit!

A scrappy, messy composition, but they won't stay still, so beggars can't be choosers. Not today, anyway.

Looks well-composed to me.
I suppose you could have asked him to move a bit to his left, so the flowers would show in full, but if he did, you'd have that twig in the way. And you could always come back for a shot of the flowers later.

So well done.

[Elgarian Redux]

Looks well-composed to me.
I suppose you could have asked him to move a bit to his left, so the flowers would show in full, but if he did, you'd have that twig in the way. And you could always come back for a shot of the flowers later.

So well done.

Hey Jeffrey! How are you?

Two things bother me about it:
1. The ugly bird feeder intrudes on the left. I'd like to keep the feeder out of the shot if I can, but with blue tits it's nearly impossible because that's where they are nearly all the time!
2. The red flowers in the background aren't right, as you observed - they confuse the outline of the bird.

There's no shortage of blue tits here, but this is the only photo I've managed to take that isn't a blue-grey blurry blob!

[owlice]

'Where did you get that black eye, Jimmy?'
'I had a run-in with a coal tit, Mum'.
Brrr-brrr. Brrr-brrr. [Mum phoning police.]

hahahahaha!

I am already at work in my laboratory. Yes, yes. The spring goes here. The sound amplification system goes there. Dance routine programmed in. Long bill nicely painted red. Recording of 'Eye of the Tiger' is in place. Just press the 'on' switch ....

Oh.

I'll just press it again.....

Could have been millions ...

Could have been millions!!

You and @Iota have forever changed my view of the Hornbill and the Sentinel Lark, respectively. Cuddly toy rocking Eye of the Tiger, and Jimmy Page air guitar... !!!

They are impossible, surely?.

Gotta be possible; the camera does a lot of things, but capturing the impossible is not one of them!

Crikey, the colours. Gosh.

Yes! So intense!

I was just reading more about this bird, and see it's an Estrildid finch; I hadn't realized it was in the same family as waxbills and firefinches (such as the incandescent one posted earlier). So many cute birds in that family!!!

Two years ago, I was birding in Kenya; on the third or fourth day of my trip, my camera -- my faithful P900 -- went blind. Everything worked perfectly well on it except the shutter, which, I later learned, I'd worn out.^* And I saw the cutest little birds, oh, so sweet!, on the mountain! So I took a few photos of them with my atrociously bad cell phone. Here's the best of the cell phone pics:

Aren't those birds adorable??

Wait.. you don't see them? Can't see how cute they are??

Yeah, me either.

I rarely seek a specific bird, but last year, I returned to that mountain -- it was sort of on the way to a meeting I was attending, I swear! -- with the hope of seeing that cute little bird again. And I did!! And though I didn't get a great shot of it, I think you might agree that it is better than the previous year's:

Yellow-bellied Waxbill

Such a pretty birb!! Well worth a second trip to the mountain! I did see other things there, and elsewhere, too; it wasn't just for this one bird -- it was also for all the others I'd missed due to the unfortunate camera outage.


^*The tour company asked me for a list of acceptable replacement cameras, bought one of them in Nairobi the next morning, and drove it [hours] out to meet my driver and me at our lunch spot, as we'd left the mountain that morning to move to our next stop. And that is why I have a P950, too, and now travel with two cameras, the P900 having been repaired at Nikon once I got home. Rumors that I kissed the P900 when it was returned to me are true; I was elated to have it back!

[owlice]

And now, enough nonsense. Let's get some serious birding done. Here is:

A blue tit!

A scrappy, messy composition, but they won't stay still, so beggars can't be choosers. Not today, anyway.

What a beautiful, and very serious-looking, bird!! I agree with @JBS -- well done!! It's a lovely shot; the bird is sharp. Look at the detail of the feathers over the bird's shoulders;  gorgeous!

And look at his talons, and that one little stray feather on the back of his head! Also, look closely at the line of the bird's chest and tum; the flowers behind are behind, making the bird close and giving a strong sense of 3, rather than 2, dimensions. You can see that all along the edges of the bird, in fact, and that gives the photo depth.

Well done, indeed!

Especially that it's a Blue Tit and it's sitting still!! 

[Wendell_E]

Checking Merlin after my morning walk, it had somehow got changed to a language I didn't recognize, which turned out to be IsiZulu, a Nguni Bantu language indigenous to Southern Africa. It turns out there are two language setting in Merlin "Settings". "Common name language" and "App language". The latter was the problem, and it took a while to figure out, since "App language" was translated into IsiZulu.

[Elgarian Redux]

Way back in August we discovered a new path along one of our favourite birding walks and followed it a little way. See #706

Today we pushed a bit further along the new path, down into the valley, where the stream disappears into a dark copse of trees [no. 1, below]. We ventured down, under the canopy of trees [no. 2]. A little further under the trees, the stream became a series of rapids [no.4], gathering momentum as it approached a waterfall [no.5].

Then it disappeared over the edge, into darkness. We couldn't see the main waterfall itself, but only hear its roar. So it was a bit disappointing because we couldn't get at the main waterfall, but the whole place was mysterious and very beautiful. Three things of note:

1. Not a single bird was seen or heard during the expedition.
2. I got a spider on my shoulder but was far more scared of my precarious balance on the rocks than I was of it.
3. This expedition was the biggest reminder to me yet of the limitations of ageing. The scrambling and climbing stretched me further than I can now sensibly go, and forced upon me the recognition that at the age of 78, one simply cannot do the things that were straightforward at 75. At one point I was seriously worried about whether I'd be able to get back. Just so tired and faint. (My wife, sensibly, was less ambitious, and so did not experience these limitations.)

My advice, therefore,  to any spritely young 60-year old, is simply this. Don't go rushing ahead. Stay the age you are!

[Elgarian Redux]

hahahahaha!
Could have been millions!!

I know. I know. Never mind. I'll build a new lab in the ruins of the old one, and try again.

Gotta be possible; the camera does a lot of things, but capturing the impossible is not one of them!

Then clearly, it must be an alien bird from another planet. Right? What other choice can there be?

I was just reading more about this bird, and see it's an Estrildid finch; I hadn't realized it was in the same family as waxbills and firefinches (such as the incandescent one posted earlier). So many cute birds in that family!!!

And they get the kudos of having invented Batman before humans did.

Two years ago, I was birding in Kenya; on the third or fourth day of my trip, my camera -- my faithful P900 -- went blind. Everything worked perfectly well on it except the shutter, which, I later learned, I'd worn out.^* And I saw the cutest little birds, oh, so sweet!, on the mountain! So I took a few photos of them with my atrociously bad cell phone. Here's the best of the cell phone pics:

Aren't those birds adorable??

Wait.. you don't see them? Can't see how cute they are??

Yeah, me either.

Phew. You had me worried for a minute.

I rarely seek a specific bird, but last year, I returned to that mountain -- it was sort of on the way to a meeting I was attending, I swear! -- with the hope of seeing that cute little bird again. And I did!! And though I didn't get a great shot of it, I think you might agree that it is better than the previous year's:

Yellow-bellied Waxbill

He is fabulous. And his name is Bobbly Bob the Bubbly Birb.

Such a pretty birb!! Well worth a second trip to the mountain! I did see other things there, and elsewhere, too; it wasn't just for this one bird -- it was also for all the others I'd missed due to the unfortunate camera outage.


^*The tour company asked me for a list of acceptable replacement cameras, bought one of them in Nairobi the next morning, and drove it [hours] out to meet my driver and me at our lunch spot, as we'd left the mountain that morning to move to our next stop. And that is why I have a P950, too, and now travel with two cameras, the P900 having been repaired at Nikon once I got home. Rumors that I kissed the P900 when it was returned to me are true; I was elated to have it back!

And I am elated to read this story, at last, solving the mystery of how you came to own two similar cameras!

[owlice]

Checking Merlin after my morning walk, it had somehow got changed to a language I didn't recognize, which turned out to be IsiZulu, a Nguni Bantu language indigenous to Southern Africa. It turns out there are two language setting in Merlin "Settings". "Common name language" and "App language". The latter was the problem, and it took a while to figure out, since "App language" was translated into IsiZulu.

How bizarre! I'm glad you figured out what was wrong.

I've had Merlin unable or unwilling to adjust to my (actual) location, but I don't think I've had it switch languages on me.

(Google, on the other hand, often assumes incorrectly and irrationally that I am a polyglot.)

Do you happen to know whether there's a way to turn off the Your bird of the day "feature"? I poked around some in settings but couldn't find it; I will poke more!

[owlice]

Duty now; more later.... meeting calls...


Great Tit (Switzerland)
September, 2024; yes, it was snowing. Snowing!

[Elgarian Redux]

Duty now; more later.... meeting calls...


Great Tit (Switzerland)
September, 2024; yes, it was snowing. Snowing!

Oh well done. Our great tits are nearly as ne'er-stay-still as the blue tits. I've yet to get any photo at all of anything recognisably great-tit-ish.

[owlice]

Oh well done. Our great tits are nearly as ne'er-stay-still as the blue tits. I've yet to get any photo at all of anything recognisably great-tit-ish.

Are you referring to the one on the string? Because the one not on a string was still for just a fraction of a second; he waited for no camera, and was gone the next moment!
(This photo is in the "Lucky Shot" category; it's not the winner of that category, but does have a pretty high ranking in it. If one takes 32K photos in a year, stats almost ensure at least a few lucky shots must be among them.)

Oh, duty calls; more later, again! (I'd say, "Stupid duty," but I did this to myself!)

[Elgarian Redux]

What a beautiful, and very serious-looking, bird!! I agree with @JBS -- well done!! It's a lovely shot; the bird is sharp. Look at the detail of the feathers over the bird's shoulders;  gorgeous!

And look at his talons, and that one little stray feather on the back of his head! Also, look closely at the line of the bird's chest and tum; the flowers behind are behind, making the bird close and giving a strong sense of 3, rather than 2, dimensions. You can see that all along the edges of the bird, in fact, and that gives the photo depth.

Well done, indeed!

Especially that it's a Blue Tit and it's sitting still!! 

Well this is all very kind, and I shall take it to heart. Thank you.

He does seem to be a very thoughtful fellow, doesn't he? As if he's conscious that he's having his photo taken, and is anxious to present his best side.

[owlice]

Way back in August we discovered a new path along one of our favourite birding walks and followed it a little way. See #706

Today we pushed a bit further along the new path, down into the valley, where the stream disappears into a dark copse of trees [no. 1, below]. We ventured down, under the canopy of trees [no. 2]. A little further under the trees, the stream became a series of rapids [no.4], gathering momentum as it approached a waterfall [no.5].

Then it disappeared over the edge, into darkness. We couldn't see the main waterfall itself, but only hear its roar. So it was a bit disappointing because we couldn't get at the main waterfall, but the whole place was mysterious and very beautiful. Three things of note:

1. Not a single bird was seen or heard during the expedition.
2. I got a spider on my shoulder but was far more scared of my precarious balance on the rocks than I was of it.
3. This expedition was the biggest reminder to me yet of the limitations of ageing. The scrambling and climbing stretched me further than I can now sensibly go, and forced upon me the recognition that at the age of 78, one simply cannot do the things that were straightforward at 75. At one point I was seriously worried about whether I'd be able to get back. Just so tired and faint. (My wife, sensibly, was less ambitious, and so did not experience these limitations.)

My advice, therefore,  to any spritely young 60-year old, is simply this. Don't go rushing ahead. Stay the age you are!

I understand why you felt you must explore the path -- all of it is so lovely, and invites continuing on!

But, my dear Elgarian, over-extending yourself ... is worrisome. Please, next time, do not take souvenir boulders home with you; you really (really) should have left these two where they were. It must have taken terrific effort to carry them up the hill; I am surprised you tried it at all and didn't drop the boulders in the attempt.
That said, I'm sure they look lovely in your garden. But enough, man, enough!

[owlice]

No, I meant the painted wooden model on the right hand side.

Only almost?! Dang it! I'll have to ask for my money back.

He does seem to be a very thoughtful fellow, doesn't he? As if he's conscious that he's having his photo taken, and is anxious to present his best side.

And he has done so! A beautiful bird beautifully photographed.

[Elgarian Redux]

Only almost?! Dang it! I'll have to ask for my money back.

My apologies, Owlice! I was trying to add a little extra to the post you were just replying to above, and accidentally deleted the whole post instead. Not sure how.
 

[Elgarian Redux]

I understand why you felt you must explore the path -- all of it is so lovely, and invites continuing on!

But, my dear Elgarian, over-extending yourself ... is worrisome. Please, next time, do not take souvenir boulders home with you; you really (really) should have left these two where they were. It must have taken terrific effort to carry them up the hill; I am surprised you tried it at all and didn't drop the boulders in the attempt.
That said, I'm sure they look lovely in your garden. But enough, man, enough!

They were a present for you, to beautify your yard. Look out for them in the mail.

[owlice]

My apologies, Owlice! I was trying to add a little extra to the post you were just replying to above, and accidentally deleted the whole post instead. Not sure how.

Ghosts. I'm sure it was ghosts. It might even have been ghost birds! (Eek!!)

We should hide under the table, with soft cookies, because crunchy ones would only give us away.