Was up in Maine a few weeks ago and was happy to cross common eiders off the life list. I was also in awe of the greater black-backeds up there. Just an unbelievably impressive bird.
Eiders are cool, so pretty in summer. We have a bunch that winter here on rocky beaches, not as pretty as in summer, but they have funky heads. Oddly shaped duck. Every once in a while (last one was 2022 for me) get a king eider. yeah great blacked backs have really exploded in the last few decades, they are indeed massive, biggest gull on earth, in fact anyway, got a state bird today. An anhinga in fucking New Jersey! My first one ever here. I didn’t find it, my friend did. i’m not sure why I can’t post the picture, but it was kind of funny. I took a picture with my cell phone and as soon as I put my camera out, thing was gone! edit, yeah, that worked! nice pics Jorts. Double clutch I’m guessing at this point? Baby birds are truly kinda of ugly, and I love birds. They grow up to be so beautiful! I hope this finds you all well
Found these in the yard and thought they looked cool as hell. Anybody know what they are? Cooper's Hawk tailfeather?
Was at San Diego Zoo today. I wouldn't usually rush to post photos of birds in captivity, but the aviaries there are fucking cool. The African one was especially ridiculous. Taveta Golden Weaver Southern Carmine Bee-eater African Firefinch European Bee-eater Andean Cock-of-the-rock. What a name. Yellow-crowned Bishop
Hi nerds brown trembler Scaly-naped pigeon bananaquit Zenaida dove no zoo(was a joke, awesome pics as always), more to follow. Got no good pics, did a St Lucia trip. Got four of the five endemics. The St Lucia parrot, the black finch, the oriole, and the warbler. Drove all through the island, on the left side. Ask me anything. Was awesome. Stuck in Miami, worth it. As always, my pictures suck, but I have to sort through. I have some good ones.
Ok I give up, anyway. I guess not having a computer is compromising,I had a badass trip to St Lucia, drove everywhere. Place is incredible. 18 lifers, had a lady friend that was less than bemused by “our” adventures. I’ve also been stuck in Miami for 18 hours. Was cool, place is incredible. People too. Bucket list seeing that parrot. And I did! It’s really interesting when you think about South Florida actually being a part of Caribbean. So many things that are so hard to find in the US are just like -whatever birds. Black-whiskered vireo, gray kingbird, mangrove cuckoo. And if anyone can help me on how I can post my bird pictures thank you in advance. I was also not kidding. I do not have computer, just a phone an an iPad.
I think that last one was the female bullfinch? More you know the less you know. that’s a black-whiskered vireo. as to my previous statements almost almost impossible to find in the US, but actually quite common and the Caribbean. clearly with my multiple posts, I’m not looking for likes. I just hope you love birds like I do because they’re awesome! Love
Wife is out of town this weekend… I think I might swing by the Jax Zoo & dial in the new camera specs
It's funny to read the earlier pages of this thread. I had limited birding experience and was just enamored with all the crazy birds surrounding the mountain cabin I was living at. That camera bug hit me hard from the get-go. I love this thread for all the ID help, and other people's photos.
Wow, I didn’t realize you recently started. Your pictures ar GREAT! Keep up the good work. I’ve always wanted to go to the Salton sea, such a weird place!
I couldn’t read that, paywall. But the taiga is 1/5 of the forest on earth. Never been, been fortunate to have seen/been to the boreal forest in Canada. One day I’d like to see that forest in Russia. I will say that coniferous forests are kind of devoid of birds. Nothing like the neo-tropics, nothing. It’s kind of funny that you have these beautiful places in the western US and Canada. Beautiful. There are way more birds in New Jersey or Ohio, then like Utah? The landscape is nicer, but not the birds
I’m a fucking moron, I know you are in Jacksonville. Disregard my idiotic statement about california. Also that was a grey trembler, not a brown trembler. Fall migration ramping up. It’s weird that there are more birds in fall than spring? There are, most passerine birds don’t make it longer than on year. They just don’t sing and are stealthy post sex. Look crazy different too, Fall chestnut-sided warblers are handsome little creatures. Had some good ones yesterday morning. BTB blue, BTG, magnolia. Like all of you -I’m waiting for sunrise. Still basking in the glow of that trip, was so cool. That’s me and my dude asa that showed me the parrot. I’m the very tall white guy, not the tall Rasta with the beard.
I guess that last pic never worked. Not much to report here, fall migration -especially the shorebirds starting moving. Did the ogligatory end of summer “shore” thing. Mostly swimming and hanging, took a few bad pics. Snowy Egret Semipalmated Plover Female boat-tailed grackle. Way far north for it edit. Now that I look at it, female or young female/hatch year male
Down at Cape May for 8 days, been great so far. Had one big warbler fallout day, some rarities, and all the marsh stuff. Not much to look at, but the rare Philadelphia Vireo Yellow billed cuckoo A seriously lost purple gallinule, maybe get one or two a decade in NJ Green heron Super hard to get(not on the open ocean). My second ones on the mainland here. The swimming shorebird, a red-necked phalarope
my wife recently took up birding and ive been casually following along - this barred owl swooped down about 5 yards from the back porch and found a snack
Do yall fuck with the Merlin ID app? I’ve got a group chat with a number of buddies and we update each other with birds we’ve snapped on our iPhones. Very much amateurs, but we love it. Edit: nvm. Just searched the thread and see it’s been talked about a ton in here. Moving on.
Quick, unsolicited tip to improve your pics, so you get more keepers - knowing that even getting birds on frame & in focus at all is quite the achievement, with how quickly they move. Try to get their eye in focus, as the focal point & then adjust aperture accordingly to try to get as much of the rest in focus as possible. I generally shoot in Aperture priority mode, when birding so I'm merely adjusting depth of field & the camera aiding with ISO/shutter speed. All easier suggested than implemented though... keep it up!
Jorts thanks! I truly appreciate the input. Your pictures are so great As I have stated, I’m really new to taking photos, lifelong birder. I’m also rocking a cheap bridge camera. You and Popovio ’s pictures are awesome! So great. I held out ever even having a camera, because I didn’t want to be distracted in the field. But, it’s a new challenge and I’ve found it makes me more patient on the more commonwhen I’m solo. It’s also hard when you are trying to put someone “on a bird” when leading to snap pictures But back to the birding, had a great week in cape may. Truly a special place. Always great, but last Tuesday had strong SW winds. Epic fallout, every branch had a warbler in it. Hundreds, literally hundreds of redstarts. Had a good week, 137 species. If you bird curious folks ever get a chance, go to Cape May in may(the month)or September October. I’m biased, but that place is magic.
Female eagle, big girl Osprey, defying the mantra don’t shit where you eat. Chowing on a fish and projectile shitting Bb plover, strangely still in breeding plumage Solitary sandpiper sorry if I’m spamming the thread that only a few read!
Yeah, I assumed you're mostly birding & not focused on the photography aspect... Wasn't a criticism, so hope it wasn't taken that way. Really just passing on advice I've received that I found most helpful. I stared with a low-end, 10+ year old camera - My improvements have been trial & error, taking a million pics... plus the recent upgrade to a pro-level camera body with autofocus capable of targeting songbird eyes. New camera is basically a cheat code for bird pics & even then bird pics are a massive challenge. Birding & photography seem to go hand in hand... keep it up!
I love the input, no no offense taken at all! I got the camera more for documentation. Actually got the camera over a nerd kerfuffle, friendly one . About a white faced ibis. I was right, btw. Red eye. Hatch year green heron, cool weird molt feathers whimbrel, stealthy thing. Taking pictures in a kayak is also challenging
Huh, having photos is very helpful? I wouldn’t have felt confident. I’m now 1000% sure. That was a lesser-blacked backed gull, really cool, they colonized eastern North America from Europe. Seeing them more often now. Sanderling. also had a big group of pectoral sandpipers, which I’m not gonna post the pictures of because they were horrible,
Jorts Owsley TAS? Maybe, you are Texas? Methinks? Planning a next spring trip, High Island in Texas, but I’m more interested in Dauphin island. I’m not asking for restaurant recs, maybe places to stay? More how to bird that place? Looks like it’s small, probably could figure it out. Never birded Alabama, ever. The only stay outside of Idaho that I haven’t birded. That was not a flex- but if anyone wants to tell me how to bird Idaho, also down. I am truly a newbie to that area. I’ve been to Fla a ton of times, but not in the panhandle. Pictures not included, my shitty fall warblers. They are super annoying. Roger Tory Peterson didn’t call them confusing fall warblers, for nothing. But if y’all want to trade notes, I’m here for it. I’m pretty solid, and would welcome a TMB friend in the Midwest/mid-Atlantic. With open arms.
I'm a hour from High Island, can definitely give you a rundown (based on 2 recent trips). Shoot me a DM if you'd like more info
Connecticut Warbler today, boom. No pics included. if you don’t know, that’s worthy of a stupid post.
Finally went out birding again. White-faced Ibis Belted Kingfisher Common Yellowthroat Got my target bird. Northern Red Bishop Snowy Egret Red-tailed Hawk
Had a Parasitic Jeager on Tuesday, wild. At a hawk watch probably 60 miles from the ocean. I did spot it, but did not take a picture, young kid Andre got one. Not my photo, but my photo of his camera. I had to wait until I didn’t get called out for misidentifying it as a Pomarine. Definitely not a long-tailed.Very cool! Edit, for edification. it’s a pretty obscure one. https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Parasitic_Jaeger/id
Just started using it on my archery deer hunt sits. Very entertaining. Last night I picked up an eastern screech owl then heard some rabbit squeals and wings flapping
I saw some stuff this weekend. Merlin eating another bird at dawn. California Quail Northern Red-Bishop Cooper's Hawk And this crazy Blue Grosbeak sighting. In November. Will probably get on the rare bird report for L.A County.
My proudest birding moment was sitting out in a field in south Texas with some friends and our favorite guide, and being the first to spot and ID a merlin and a vermillion flycatcher, without ever seeing either one before.
Wife got me some badass Nikon binoculars, for our walks… gonna get the cops called on me no doubt. Merlin ID will be my alibi
If you're like me, you will be able to play the last 45 minutes of your conversation that the sound ID recorded after you forgot about it What pair did you get?