Birds!

Post Reply New Topic

Well yes, obviously - but that doesn't mean reading about an extinction occuring now is any less shocking.

I rarely hear or see crows where I live except in the fall, when flocks come through calling. At the coast, there is a fish crow which is somewhat smaller; it is always hanging around the docks.

I had always heard that Woody Woodpecker was based on the Pileated Woodpecker, but having watch this short video if the Imperial Woodpecker, I am not so sure. At one point, the video clearly shows the crest with a top knot. I don't think pileateds have that floppy top knot.

Woody Woodpecker

Here is a link to a short video of the Imperial Woodpecker from 1956, which was only recently re-discovered.
https://www.allaboutbirds.org/news/see- ... ker-video/
It shows the distinct floppy top knot.

With the birds I'll share this lonely view.

With the birds I'll share this lonely view.

With the birds I'll share this lonely view.

That’s sad to see that last footage of that woodpecker.
It’s fall migration time so need to get my binoculars out on the porch for quick access.

Have you ever trained your binocs on a full moon and watch the geese fly across it? I did that when I was much younger. I was amazed.

My eyes are no longer good enough to use binocs. I keep looking for some kind of electronic thing that would show me a screen, instead of having to look through the eye pieces.

I work mostly by sound these days. Or sometimes by flight pattern. And the big ones of course, sandhill cranes, herons, woodpeckers, vultures, eagles, etc.

That would be something to see.Once I was watching a v of snow geese and the setting sun’s rays hit them just right and they looked like they were on fire.I love to hear them passing over.

I've barely left the house in two weeks. Today I made it as far as the tiny local nature reserve, where I saw a small group of dunnocks sneak across the path at roughly ankle altitude. Not a flashy bird, but rather endearing.

Sounds darling ....... used to have these Gambels Quail that hung around the base of our feeder to feed. When it was spring you would see them move about with their babies 6or 7 or 8 of these miniature puff balls huddling around the mothers feet as she move . It was like a blob of little fluffy things moving with no distinct shape flowing around her bottom as she moved. Unbelievably little tiny birdlets . Could not make out a head or a tail of these balls of fluff . The males would stand on anything tall and cry out these sounds .loud and then graduating to soft . As they observed the area for threats .

There's a picnic bench at work where as soon as you sit down, a robin arrives and stands there waiting to be fed. It gets very close. I feel a bit guilty when I don't have any food.

Continuing on the theme of Australian birds. A number of ornithologists were struck how similar new world birds (passerines) were to old world birds in the UK.

One group in particular warblers are almost identical.

Here's the British Willow warbler



Here's the Australian version called a reed warbler



What's remarkable is that they are structurally similar but have similar plumage. Example of convergent evolution

have enjoyed this thread Very much.

There are red-breasted songbirds known as "robins" in Europe, the Americas, and Australasia. The three groups are not closely related- they're from three different families.

Robins are amazing little birds.

I was talking to someone outside my garage door and a robin landed on the fence nearby. There was something about the way it tilted its head and looked at me, so I held out my hand towards it - when he flew over and landed on it.
I felt like a complete cheat because after a quick check of my empty hand he flew off.

Some years earlier one had flown into the kitchen so I caught it and with it held inside my cupped hands, went outside to a quiet corner of the garden and opened my hands.
Instead of flying away he hopped up onto my thumb and calmly started tidying his feathers. He was so unconcerned I was able to closely watch and scratch the back of his head. This went on for about a minute - he had the most incredible large, very black, and very beautiful eyes.
After a while he flew off: no fuss, no urgency - just "Ok I'm done now, 'bye".

This was last Spring; I heard loud, rustling of leaves in the woods behind the house. I went to investigate and saw it was 15-20 baby turkeys; I guess trying to find grubs. They were being watched over by 4 or five hens. I guess this was something like "turkey daycare".

For years now, the wild turkeys have shunned our property. Just a day ago, I heard a flock of hens clucking away. I was so pleased.

I’ve never had a wild bird sit on my hand or approach or stay near me voluntarily. What a treat

I was actually looking for a different post of mine here, one, I cant remember which thread posted it in.

I made it look like I was thinking somebody contributed to the theft of my bike, when I had just gone apeshit over loss of loved bike and wasnt caring much what people thought.

The shelters bs is so bs-ie that I really have no bad blood for whoever actually stole it, or whoever may have bought it.

I still may not follow through on reporting it, and only did report it when I realised the bank was only investigating me.

As for the Bum Philosopher, sure, he gets under my skin, but I dont [and never did] plan on going fully apeshit over it.

Sure he is distasteful to me, but a love of something else is another key motivator.

"What is done out of love always takes place beyond good and evil."

they say this is the Grunge Stairway to Heaven, but I detect a little Free Bird too.



ok if grunge is even a genre, the above song is not it, so heres one more that just popped up.








,