Birders' Nest

[Elgarian Redux]

Ah, yes indeed! And such a warm, benign glow to them. (A helpless anthropomorphist I be ..)

We haven't seen Mr Pheasantosaurus for a while, but he's clearly been busy arranging his new Spring outfit, because today he marched in and positively paraded about the garden, showing off his finery.

[Iota]

We haven't seen Mr Pheasantosaurus for a while, but he's clearly been busy arranging his new Spring outfit, because today he marched in and positively paraded about the garden, showing off his finery.

Haha, yes. Not hard to imagine him piping up with a song in the Flanders & Swann mode .. 'What a very pleasant pheasant I am' .. etc., etc

[owlice]

We haven't seen Mr Pheasantosaurus for a while, but he's clearly been busy arranging his new Spring outfit, because today he marched in and positively paraded about the garden, showing off his finery.

WOW!! What a bird!!!! His middle name must be Gorgeous, and his first name Mighty!!

[owlice]

I have a few birds from recent excursions...

First up, this pretty little Western Flycatcher:


And this American Avocet, who was quite far away so looks rather painterly when embiggened:


Here's a Northern Mockingbird wondering why he didn't change his shoes before he left the house:


I passed this Red-shouldered Hawk hanging out on a lamppost on my walk up a ginormous hill to get to a workshop I was attending:


And finally, in the plays-well-together category, these goldfinches that had shared a local watering hole:
Lesser Goldfinch


American Goldfinch


Lawrence's Goldfinch

[Elgarian Redux]

WOW!! What a bird!!!! His middle name must be Gorgeous, and his first name Mighty!!

Documents show that he signs himself 'M.G. Pheasantosaurus', so you may well be right.

We have a problem here - I don't know how widespread it is. The bird flu epidemic is so severe that the RSPB has issued emergency guidelines, which include suggesting that most bird feeders should be removed from gardens, from the beginning of May onwards. Naturally we'll do this, but it's a very sad business. Apparently finches are especially vulnerable, so the thought of our lovely goldfinches, reed buntings, and siskins being at risk is awful.

[Elgarian Redux]

I have a few birds from recent excursions...

First up, this pretty little Western Flycatcher:

Exquisite.

And this American Avocet, who was quite far away so looks rather painterly when embiggened:

Superb - especially for a long distance shot.

Here's a Northern Mockingbird wondering why he didn't change his shoes before he left the house:

"Can someone down below help me get off this cactus!?"

I passed this Red-shouldered Hawk hanging out on a lamppost on my walk up a ginormous hill to get to a workshop I was attending:

Sinister!

And finally, in the plays-well-together category, these goldfinches that had shared a local watering hole:
Lesser Goldfinch


American Goldfinch


Lawrence's Goldfinch

Those first two look remarkably like siskins at first sight, don't they? A second look shows they aren't, but it's easy to imagine a sort of continuous goldfinch spectrum, with your American goldfinch and our siskin located at different points, not so very far apart.

[Szykneij]

My wife bought me a camera-birdfeeder that takes videos of any birds that visit. I have multiple feeders elsewhere on the property, but put this one in a different location that's more suitable to songbirds and away from the hoards of house sparrows and starlings that descend upon the others. The birds it captured so far are way more common than some of the magnificent examples posted here, but I just put it up and hope to see a lot more varieties as time goes on.

[Iota]

All marvellous pics, owlice, so great to see! And I agree with all Elgarian's comments above. Have singled a few out.

First up, this pretty little Western Flycatcher:

I find the plumage of this as you say (exceedingly) pretty little Flycatcher, set against the blurred yellowy and greeny background, incredibly lovely!

Here's a Northern Mockingbird wondering why he didn't change his shoes before he left the house:

.

Lawrence's Goldfinch

And this Goldfinch set amongst the thorny branches is such a great, striking shot, really grabs the attention!

"Can someone down below help me get off this cactus!?"

.

[Elgarian Redux]

My wife bought me a camera-birdfeeder that takes videos of any birds that visit. I have multiple feeders elsewhere on the property, but put this one in a different location that's more suitable to songbirds and away from the hoards of house sparrows and starlings that descend upon the others. The birds it captured so far are way more common than some of the magnificent examples posted here, but I just put it up and hope to see a lot more varieties as time goes on.

Common in your world, maybe - but a sighting of any one of these would be a most startling event here in the uk! (Though I might be deluded into thinking your chicadee was a coal tit.)
Congratulations. It seems to work, doesn't it!

[Iota]

We have a problem here - I don't know how widespread it is. The bird flu epidemic is so severe that the RSPB has issued emergency guidelines, which include suggesting that most bird feeders should be removed from gardens, from the beginning of May onwards. Naturally we'll do this, but it's a very sad business. Apparently finches are especially vulnerable, so the thought of our lovely goldfinches, reed buntings, and siskins being at risk is awful.

I too read about this earlier in the week and immediately thought about you. It is indeed very sad. I very much hope the situation can resolve itself at some point.

[Szykneij]

Common in your world, maybe - but a sighting of any one of these would be a most startling event here in the uk! (Though I might be deluded into thinking your chicadee was a coal tit.)
Congratulations. It seems to work, doesn't it!

Yes, works well and I'm having a great time with it! I live 5 miles as the birds fly from downtown Boston, but just a mile away from an extremely large urban forest covering parts of 5 cities. As a result, we're visited by the usual city birds (pigeons in particular) as well as birds usually associated with more rural areas.

[Kalevala]

Saw this little fellow scavenging the fallen seeds below the feeders this morning. I think he's a field mouse (and not surprising - after all, our garden is on the edge of a big field). Should we be concerned? Discourage him from visiting maybe? But how?

Cute!  But what will it do to your garden and/or house?

K

[Elgarian Redux]

Cute!  But what will it do to your garden and/or house?

K

Well yes - that's the question I'm asking. But as far as I'm aware (which isn't far), field mice are not normally a pest. And the imminent removal of our feeders, sadly, will  discourage his visits anyway.

[Kalevala]

Common in your world, maybe - but a sighting of any one of these would be a most startling event here in the uk! (Though I might be deluded into thinking your chicadee was a coal tit.)
Congratulations. It seems to work, doesn't it!

A common sound that you'll hear from a chickadee is "Chick a dee dee dee".

I bought this print (It's a lithograph) some years ago which I love:



It's by Stow Wengenroth of four black-capped chickadees.

K

[owlice]

Elgarian!!

"Can someone down below help me get off this cactus!?"

That made me bust out laughing!!

In the spirit of our imaginings of the thoughts of animals, please (anyone who'd like) offer your take on what the following creatures -- those staring directly into the camera -- are thinking. (These are mostly from yesterday; the exception is the warbler, who is from Saturday. I'm sorry I missed photos of the rattlesnake yesterday; my camera was off when I spotted him, darn it!)



Black Oystercatcher



Somekinda Lizard Maybe a Common Side-blotched Lizard and maybe not



Harbor Seal



Tricolored Heron



Wood Ducks



Orange-crowned Warbler

[Kalevala]

Re:  the lizard..."You lookin' at me?!"

K

[Elgarian Redux]

Elgarian!! That made me bust out laughing!!

Then my work here today is done.

In the spirit of our imaginings of the thoughts of animals, please (anyone who'd like) offer your take on what the following creatures -- those staring directly into the camera -- are thinking. (These are mostly from yesterday; the exception is the warbler, who is from Saturday. I'm sorry I missed photos of the rattlesnake yesterday; my camera was off when I spotted him, darn it!)



Black Oystercatcher

"Come now, be reasonable. I'm sure we can see eye to eye on this."

Somekinda Lizard Maybe a Common Side-blotched Lizard and maybe not

"Come a little closer so I can see you properly... [he said to the fly]"

Harbor Seal

"D'ya fancy a roll in the mud, Darlin'?"

Wood Ducks

'Another entrant for the Dancing Queen competition practises her moves.'

(Best I can do for now - I used up all my joke juice on the mockingbird.)

[Elgarian Redux]

Out on the jetty at Morecambe this morning, we saw some ducks far out at sea. White body with black sides. Black cap. Didn't know what they were. No binoculars. No camera. No bird guide book.

Turns out they were eider ducks. Oddly enough, I've never seen one before. At least I think I haven't (I don't keep a list these days).

Pity about not having the camera though. I get so forgetful as I age.

[LKB]

My wife bought me a camera-birdfeeder that takes videos of any birds that visit. I have multiple feeders elsewhere on the property, but put this one in a different location that's more suitable to songbirds and away from the hoards of house sparrows and starlings that descend upon the others. The birds it captured so far are way more common than some of the magnificent examples posted here, but I just put it up and hope to see a lot more varieties as time goes on.

The call of the Northern Cardinal is quite distinctive. l heard it for the very first time during my recent trip to Kansas, and it really caught my attention.

[Szykneij]

The call of the Northern Cardinal is quite distinctive. l heard it for the very first time during my recent trip to Kansas, and it really caught my attention.

That's very true, especially at this time of year.

I've had several well-built and properly situated bird houses around the property for years and no birds have paid any attention to them. Ironically, a metal birdhouse hanging from our deck with a northern exposure hung purely for decorative purposes is now home to a mother Carolina Wren who appears to be sitting on a nest of eggs.