Birds - Post 'em up

[hjames]

It was reasonably warm at 71 today, but overcast. So, while feeding the fish, we spotted the first goldfinch of the season. Landed in the azaleas across the pond from us, across the path from the creek, we could tell it just wanted a drink. Its full zoom on my iPhone - sorry, best I could do at the distance.


Kid flash dropped onto the creekside briefly as I was lowering the phone - then behind a holly shrub & streaked away moments later.


But we do have a backyard full of yellow blooms, from the daffodils to the fading beauty of the forsythias, which won't be around much longer ...


Some mild sprinkles today, not the rain we need, but any rain is a plus.

 

[alohabob]

I was watching early morning video of the pond and I spotted a red blur. Downloaded the video and ran through it frame by frame ... a wingless red & grey rocket!
I'm not sure its a cardinal - Emma thinks its a parrot. These are the best VLC screen caps I could get from the PondCam.

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Just before the blur flew by, there was a pretty-sure Cardinal arcing through the side of the screen towards the creek.
Cardinals are pretty competitive and territorial - very fussy when another enters what they think is their space.

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All these are screen captures from the motion-capture video our reolink camera sees.
They're not photos from my iPhone 13 Pro or more ancient Pentax K-x DSLR

Cardinal for sure. Prob a young'un

 

[alohabob]

Brown Throated Sunbird

 

[GuyK]

I ran across a Pie-billed grebe eating something Monday afternoon, but for the life of me I cannot figure out what. I see no anal fin, no dorsal fin, the caudal looks to be distinct. I think there's a photo that shows both pelvic and pectoral fins, but can't be certain. And I did not get a good look at the head. It almost makes me think it's an eel, but according to WA Dept of Fish and Wildlife we don't have them in this state. And the spots don't look right to me. Any wildlife biologists out there?

 

[GuyK]

Here are the rest of the images.

 

[GuyK]

Decent viewing early this morning, even if no great pics. The usual suspects at the parks (I visited 2 this morning). Pie Billed grebe, Red Wing blackbird, Gr. Blue heron, and first of year nestlings. It's dunkling season again. I was watching the heron through binos when it decided to fly right at me... from all the way across the pond to within about 50 feet of me. They look like pteranodons when they fly, and through binos when that close it's a little creepy.

 

[onepixel]

ʻApapane



'I'iwi, juvenile

 

[JDub]

A good morning down at the swamp today, the highlight being these White-faced Ibis, who are a long ways from home.


Lots of other shore birds:

Yellowlegs, lesser (above) and greater (below along with a Long-billed Dowitcher)

Also this Wilson's Phalarope:

And several Sora:

 

[slater529]

Juvenile Bald Eagle

 

[krautmaster]

Sandhill Cranes at the Bosque Del Apache NWR:


Sandhill Cranes in the water, Snow Geese in the air:

 

[Redikilowatt]

Backyard yesterday: Red-shouldered Hawk

 

[TPettenati]

Pond near my house.

 

[JDub]

Back to the swamp yesterday. Not a wading bird to be seen this time, but the good news is the Yellow-headed Blackbirds have arrived!
Male:

Female:

And keeping the yellow & black color scheme, this Common Yellowthroat:

 

[GuyK]

It's nestling season now. There's a second behind the adult, just out of view. Pie billed grebes.

 

[GuyK]

A few weeks back I saw a Northern Flicker poking her head out of a hole in a snag, then didn't see anything after that. She was obviously incubating eggs, though, and the other day I observed success. But damn, are the hatchlings ever ugly! I saw three for certain; there could be more.

 

[Shominy]

Kodachrome 64.

 

[GuyK]

What a difference a week makes! This is the same family of Flickers, 7 days later. The young ones look much more attractive. And a young Pie Billed Grebe eating a Dojo Loach nearly as big as itself.

 

[GuyK]

I was out of town for some of my dearest friends' daughter's wedding, and with a few hours to kill before the ceremony, decided to visit the nearby McNary Nat. Wildlife Refuge near the confluence of the Snake and Columbia rivers. Got to photograph Barn Swallow, Yellow Headed and Red Winged Blackbirds (the RWBB pictured has a band), Eastern Kingbird, Mourning Dove, Ruddy Ducks, White Pelicans and California Quail. I also saw but did not get good photos of Caspian Tern, Osprey, and American Coots and their odd red-headed nestlings. This was at the peak of summer (Friday was the Solstice), so maybe a trip back during the winter is in order.

 

[TPettenati]

Looks like a miniature humming bird in flight, that was my first thought.

But it is actually called a Humming-bird Hawk-moth
Photos were taken in Germany.

 

[Redikilowatt]

Nice, we have a similar one that has a reddish color