So my bucket list consist of two places, Papau New Guinea and Madagascar. I’ve had a blessed life, been to Africa five times, couple trips to SE Asia.I’ve only paid to do a trip once(to the dry tortugas in Florida Jorts, was spectacular- do it). Long and hard thinking about this trip. Thinking of pulling the trigger, the highest rate of endemic birds on earth. Four FAMILIES, not species- that are endemic https://ventbird.com/tour-details/8370F142-5943-ED11-8102-00155D027A4B/Madagascar-Highlights it’s definitely not free, and a fool and his money are soon parted. And I’m not a fool, maybe. But I don’t think I could go without a guide? And I hitchiked through west Africa, so I’m not saying that lightly.
Wait, I just thought twice. Was that today Jorts That’s crazy late for a palm. That is a palm right? If you have one mid may in Jacksonville, you should report that.
gray-cheeked thrush this morning. That’s a hard ass bird to get wannabe nerds❤️. Might have been a bicknell’s, but without singing that impossible to know. Those things are so incredibly rare(bicknell’s) going to default to the also, rare gray-cheeked. Pictures not attached. I have a picture of an out of focus leaf I could share? I do have a bicknell’s on my life list, but on territory. It’s a slog, tops of the New England mountains. I think it’s the second rarest breeding songbird in North America, after the kirtland’s warbler, which I also have seen. Look at me, look at me. That was douchey. Feel like I’m winning this thread. Kidding, love to all(but I might be).
Oh nice! That a good birdbath bird! Great pics! A adult female, the males have that red malar stripe, below the lower manible. Great pics, one of my favorites. been laying low for a bit on the thread, headed out to the Oregon coast for 10 days soon, I’ll send pics(if I get any). live look at my living room, love pileateds. Top ten for me. (its a reprint, not an original)
very cool, great backyard bird. Super cool pictures too! also, with huge territories might not be close to you. But on territory. Pileateds have oblong nest holes, not round like all the others here.
Ok, I’ll keep it short. Always, always with nature. The more you know, the less you know. Always. That looks like a hatch year male, the bird on the left is definitely a male. Red malar stripe, as I previously nerded. Shaggy crest, I’d guess it’s a young bird but that “begging behavior” and feeding behavior is usually male to female bird. But adults of both species will do that. So, that’s likely a young male bird being fed, but-trust me- you never know. the really cool part of Jorts picture is how woodpeckers can use their stiff tail feathers “to prop them up”. Look at that awesome picture again. If you are reading this. Woopeckers also have zygodactyl feet. Meaning, almost all birds have a three forward, one back “toes” situation going on. They have two forward and two backwards, like parrots and owls. And osprey, but they can switch, and that another conversation
Any tips for befriending crows? Been putting some peanuts out but only a Jay or two so far. Same family I know.
Yeah peanuts. Unless you want to feed them baby birds or eggs. Corvids don’t care much for feeding stations, they are doing their thing. They’ll eat anything they don’t need to depend on a bird feeding station. they don’t give two fucks. anthropomorphizing -but it’s true edit. If they’re hungry, they might come to your feeders, but they’re usually not. Mostly they’re just gonna do their own thing.
Have a few that have been hitting my feeders in the back yard, near our bird boxes… until the bluebird pair dive bomb them & drive them away. Been unable to get that on frame, unfortunately
My Scrub Jays love my peanuts but the crows don't seem to care and would prefer anything over peanuts including human vomit.
Recently split the scrub jays. Cool birds. Edit- also laughed, headed to Oregon tomorrow at 5AM. I’ll send a bad pic or two. Love to all
At work there's a lot of homeless/druggies in the area, they spend most mornings vomiting and the crows can't seem to get enough. I can distract them long enough to eat some crushed up granola bars but they don't seem to care about the Jays peanuts I put out.
Spent a few days at June Lake in the Sierras. Not really a birding trip, but I still saw some cool stuff. Western Wood Pee-Wee Clark's Nutcrackers. Brewer's Blackbird Brewer's Blackbird (female) The view from my campsite. Best one in recent memory. Bonus photo of a Chuckwalla that we saw on our way up. These guys are freaking massive, picture doesn't really show it.
Finally made it out to Oregon. Crazy cancellations and delays, ended up being a 22 hour day. F American Airlines, ha! Been coming here from a long time, can be pretty foggy and rainy. Have a condo here. As usual my pictures suck, but will add it was crazy weather. I think the what i next couple days are going to be sunny and nice which is rare for here! I’ll check back in. Some cool stuff black oystercatcher, brandts and pelagic cormorants, murre, other stuff. once the weather gets better Pretty cool wet eagles, usually just scavenge and eat fish. This pair killed a cormorant- which was cool spotted towhee, cool for an east coast birder Not a bird Waxwing, not a west coast thing, not a good pic. But cool, can see why it’s called a waxwing Could be worse, it’s pretty great. Weather looks good the next few days!
‘Bout to longcat the fuck out of this thread. Was windy as hell went tidepooling and then alcid stuff. The very cool non migratory black oystercatcher, as opposed to the migratory on both coast American oystercatcher. Ranges from Alaska to Baja California, but just on rocky beaches Not much to look at, but probably the rarest thing I saw today. That’s a first cycle glaucous-winged gull. harlequin ducks I lots o’ pelicans
A fuckton of murres nesting Brandt’s cormorants The not a bird part… your annoying internet thread poster can do other animals too, all the animals❤️ seastar and a giant green anemone More sea stars, purple sea urchin, closed giant green anemone
Giant green anemone. That’s an animal, think on that twice! Purple sea urchin The impossibly strange freak show of an animal that is the gumboot chiton aka the wandering meatloaf
Slowish day- had a red crossbill, wrentit, vaux’s swift, pacific and Bewick’s wren. Dropped my friend/client off at Portland airport (five hour round trip). Brutal, not a fun drive. Got a harrier near McMinnvle Oregon. Which was cool, I’ve noticed I say “cool” a lot. So I’ll stop. Briefly caught a marbled murrelet in my scope. Having a good year. Headed to Ohio then Indiana next week. Have a gig in southern Arizona after that. Not doing a big year, per se, but I think I crack 500 all said and done. keep up!love. (you guys don’t know me. I’m never serious. Ever.) I can bird, however, like a motherfucker.. Pigeon guillemot not a bird, sea lion love
The z7ii I’ve been running is amazing landscape/street/travel camera, but AF is inconsistent & particularly struggles with small fast moving songbirds. Initially the z7ii was purchased to complement the d500… as I was adding lenses, realized it made more sense to go all-in on mirrorless & just accumulate Z glass (it’s better & didn’t want to mess with converter). sold the d500 All this to say, the wife got tired of me bitching & ordered a z8. So… if you see anything out of focus going forward, I’m out of excuses. I’m pretty stoked
Did some casual birding at 7800 feet this morning. I saw some things I've never seen, like a Pygmy Nuthatch nest and what I'm thinking is a Western Wood-Peewee nest. Also sweet baby Jesus, a Violet-green Swallow perched in front of me. Western Bluebird over the Mojave. Violet-green Swallow. So hard to catch them when they're perched, because they almost never land. Waiting on ID help, but fuck it let's call this a Peewee. and the nest. Pygymy Nuthatch outside its nest with food for the young. These guys are cool, and you can only really find them at high elevations in the Western U.S.
Was out on Lake Cachuma above Santa Barbara yesterday. Western Grebes and babies everywhere. Some were riding on the backs of the adults. Western Grebe and baby. Obligatory Acorn Woodpecker. This one has a nest with young in this cavity. Lake Cachuma
Beautiful picture of the violet green! Yeah western wood pewee methinks. Flycatchers are tough, but out there I think the other option would be a western flycatcher? You said above the Mojave? Western flycatchers have a much more distinct eye-ring, but hard to say without vocalizing. I guess dusky could be an option also? But the lack of eye Ring and that little yellowish central breast streak, and those “whiskers” pretty confident it’s a pewee. flycatchers are all about the call to be certain.
So kinda a cool thing, I posted way back. Months later, “they” meaning the bird banding labarory just got back to me. Very cool oystercatchers supposedly don’t move north that far(388 miles). Made my day. July is truly the doldrums of birding. Even the breeders stop singing, and no migrants. And it’s hot as fuck. p cool. the suspect So cool, made my day, said it twice. A six year old bird I saw in Virginia!
And ha! So many good pictures in this thread. He is my feeble contribution. Been stalking this barred owl, and it just sits in the most dense, impossible to take pictures of pine thicket. And he(she? Not dimorphic). Can see and hear me from half a mile away? That’s my picture of an ovenbird Haha,Oh well? I’m trying to get better? I definitely saw them. I don’t think my pictures are going to be submitted to National Geographic
Had a Cerrluean, which are becoming increasingly hard. Golden-winged on a power cut(their jam). Praire. I’m waiting for the shorebirds, so I can misidentify all of them!
Going to st Lucia in august .drastic shift in plans. Fuck it, bringing my “friend”. Freebie -want to see that parrot. Never been
Love Merlin. Not perfect but has a bit of told you so. Which I enjoy, sadly. I also enjoy swearing and being obstinate
Trying to find that owl.(found*) He’s clever, shifty. I hate/love him. It’s a him. A worthy adversary. It’s so hot during the day. Pics not included. It’s dark as fuck. missing a long eared on my year list, but that was fun!I found him. Night all assuming all of you go out in the middle of the night and watch owls? It’s just me? shanthi
Second nocturnal post, I’m on that owl. Really hard to find it, I’m kinda patting myself on the back here bird nerds. Brought a young buck to see and I didn’t cheat, my dude has a thermal image thingee. Holy shit. Holy shit. My time is limited as a guide. Wtf. What on earth? That was bonkers. I want one of those things.
Rhode Island in July, not great on birds. But beautiful. I bet that place is awesome for sea ducks in winter. Eiders and Black Scoter in summer. Some mid molt and flightless. Sachuest Point NWR. Worth a walk. That’s my review. Breeding songbirds =almost none. Guessing it could be great in migration
I found that barred owl. Was cool. God damn- those things are stealthy. Self high five. Took me like three weeks of searching.