Occasional Birdy Thread

Picture ^ | Mar 5, 2016 | Me and you

[Islander7]

Here are few pictures from my walk along Lake Jackson today. Hope you enjoy.

Sand hill crane on her nest.

Pine warbler (I think)

Purple grackle

Cat bird

[Engraved-on-His-hands]

Niiiiiice!!

[ek_hornbeck]

I was surprised to learn the other day that caracaras are big falcons rather than a hawk or small eagle.

I've always loved watching birds of prey, especially owls when I'm lucky enough to see them. One time while driving on a dirt road in Arizona, I saw a great horned swoop down and grab a cottontail rabbit about 20 yards in front of me. If only I had a (video) camera handy.

[Rebelbase]

“Shot about a dozen of those damn starlings yesterday and today............ “

There’s a big fat rabbit living on the property that I’m tempted to dispatch for the purpose of not having follow the dog-rabbit chase into the briar patch that seems to happen at least once a year.

[Ditter]

I watched a Redtailed Hawk swoop down and pick up a squirrel in the middle of my back yard. About 20 feet up in the air the squirrel wiggled free and fell to the ground. He staggered off and the hawk did not come back to get him.

[azishot]

LOL! If I squint I think I can see the outline ;-)

We see quite few roadrunners. Today I saw one run across the driveway carrying a snake. Well, not this one but you get the idea.

[Engraved-on-His-hands]

Swamp Sparrow


Cooper's Hawk (visiting bird feeder area, and not for bird seed)


Bald Eagle


Horned Grebe


Mallard


Ring-billed Gull (immature)

[goodnesswins]

The Goldfinches are heading our way :&}

[goodnesswins]

Please add me to your ping list....love your posts

[Ditter]

We have been wondering how far the Goldfinches travel. They are such tiny birds, do they really fly all the way from the Gulf Coast to Oregon?

[goodnesswins]

Yup...we get them in flocks...maybe in April sometime

[Engraved-on-His-hands]

Please add me, too. Thanks!

[goodnesswins]

Also...pelicans showed up in Prince Albert SK when we lived there

[Ditter]

I saw some Goldfinches on Cape Cod one summer. They appeared larger than the ones we get here and they were in their yellow plumage. They are a grayish green when they are here, not beautiful but we easily had 100 in our yard this winter.

[Ditter]

Yes we have Pelicans here on the coast, I love those funny looking guys.

[Western Phil]

We had some blue jays nest just outside our kitchen window last year. Learned they line their nests with tree roots which they pull up out of the ground.

[FamiliarFace]

Love the Sandhill shot!! It’s a must share with my sister.

The other photos are also excellent, but I have a particular soft spot for Sandhills. My sister and I call each other when they start migrating, to tell about them, and to be on the lookout, in each direction. I see them in the Midwest, and she has them over winter in Florida.

[FamiliarFace]

Nice variety!

[FamiliarFace]

I always hope that will happen if a hawk gets one of my cats. How much weight can a hawk carry? Anyone know? One cat is 11 pounds, and the other 14.

[Paleo Pete]

Nice shots. Yes the 2nd bird is a Palm Warbler. Female. I looked it up then found out it had already been identified. Pine Warbler has white under the tail and no red spot on the head, streaked yellow breast. I see them here all winter, gone now as far as I can tell. I get several regulars at my feeder, Cardinal, Tufted Titmouse, Carolina Chickadee, Blue Jay, Red Bellied Woodpecker, a couple of sparrows,. White Throated Sparrow for sure and I think Chipping Sparrow. Hard to ID. As for water birds, my favorites, we have Woodducks year round, in winter Mallards come in and Blue wing and Green Wing Teal, American Coot, Pied Billed grebe, Great Blue Heron year round, White Egret and Snowy Egret year round, Little Blue heron now and then, and had a couple of immature Ibis show up last year and a couple of Roseate Spoonbills. Bald Eagles, Red Tailed Hawks and Kestrels are common, and we have a pair of Red Shouldered Hawks nesting near by. Also have plenty Pileated Woodpeckers, Downy Woodpeckers, Northern Flicker, Red Bellied Woodpecker and Yellow Bellied Sapsucker. I've seen one Grey Catbird but didn't get a chance at a picture, a couple of Roadrunners live near here, and I spotted a Hermit Thrush once. Bluebirds and Mockingbirds are in my yard every day, but never visit the feered, Prothonotary Warbler has been nesting in one of my nesting boxes for 2 years. Bluebirds and Carolina Chickadees also nest in boxes I made. In winter we get Pine Warblers, Pine Siskin, Dark Eyed Junco, Ruby Crowned Kinglet and Golden Crowned Kinglet, Blue Grey Gnatcatcher, Goldfinch, some extra ducks and Pelicans, I'm sure I missed a few...oh yeah, waiting for the Hummingbirds to show up... I've been into bird photography for around 10 years or so, tinkered with it for a long time before that. Got into photography in the early 80's with film, now I'm shooting a Pentax K30. I have over 1000 shots posted on Flickr, http://www.flickr.com/photos/paleopete many of them birds. I'll try to post one or two, but don't know if i can get it to work, it's been a while since I tried it. Female Red Bellied Woodpecker, if it doesn't work I'll try another way in a different post.

[Paleo Pete]

OK I figured it out...