Bird Watching!

[stig]

I'm pretty sure they are juvenile Oregon Juncos, but I'll wait to hear what the natives have to say.
It has been a couple of years since I last did any birdwatching in the PNW, but that is my impression from just looking at them.

 

[rbtree]

`Actually, they're juvenile or female red winged blackbirds. Their parents, now that I know, were flying around in the reeds last night. I find it amazing and interesting how different the plumage of some birds can be from young to mature.

Conversely, I stopped by the Kenmore Heron Rookery today, home of about 85 nests. and spotted some young. They look much like their parents already... as will the ospreys when they hatch in a month or so. Just got home from work, bidding, and an hour's worth of shooting.. now there's another 200 images to edit......

 

[FireFighterZero]

Ducks always look happy.

 

[Cobleskill]

Barn Swallows always look and sound like they could not be happier, except when they are tweet tweeting you to chase you off their babies. They will dive you coming up from behind and tweet tweet as they are passing over. I have been known to toss my cap overhead if they are persistent enough to ruffle my feathers.

 

[rbtree]

Speaking of swallows:

This tree swallow graced me with a stop atop this dead ash branch. I was ready and was able to capture one in focus shot, which is very rare with such a bird which flies about in such an erratic fashion.

This heron family has the prime spot, the highest nest in this Oregon white ash.

I'm quite sure that many of the eggs have not hatched yet, or at least the young are very young or not very active. Not much sqauwking was heard today, May 27.

Male and female red wing blackbird:

Ribbit!!

 

[pantheraba]

Good, good stuff, Roger. Nice frog.

 

[FireFighterZero]

i have seen that swallow in my bird guide but never in the wild. Great pics!

 

[Burnham]

We saw several of these fellows in Zion NP. Beautiful.

Got this off the web...bump the setting to 360p, and give a look and listen.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/EI3pZ3t2i4E" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

 

[Bodean]

Beauty colors.

Here is a great horned owl abandoned an egg. I was sent to confirm it. No nest construction at all. Crazy birds.

And a , I think, Lesser goldfinch nest I uncovered removing a hanger. Cut some dead brush and politely capped the nest as it was.

 

[pantheraba]

Good picts, Deva...I really like those eucs.

 

[Bodean]

This is a E. Ficafolia.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using Tapatalk

 

[rbtree]

Stopped by Pilling's Pond (google it) and Dave brought out this awesome little fella...a 4 day old Mandarin duckling. Last shot is what it will become...could be one of its parents..

Here's my album https://www.flickr.com/photos/rbtree/sets/72157626081375678/

 

[Steve Mack]

We have a few, the Koel migrates down from Indonesia about spring. You know it's spring when you get woken about 1 or 2am to this, only a bit louder. I don't mind it but a lot of people don't.

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The male looks pretty good if you can get to see one, they like courting at night and sure get around. They like my mulberry tree but I've never been able to get a good picture of one.

Didn't think he was going to turn up this year but he just did, 11.45pm.

Seems to get later every year, used to be August once.

 

[pantheraba]

I love that call...would be glad to hear that at my house.

 

[Steve Mack]

He's been at it all night and most of today, can't be any girls in town. Still there when I got home and he just left about 6pm but I can still hear him.

Hard to get a picture but he's right in the center.

 

[pantheraba]

hahaha...your new best buddy! Cool.

 

[treetx]

Cool, an oak in Australia!

 

[Steve Mack]

I planted that Pin Oak in March '91 to stop the morning sun, and a few other trees for the afternoon. It's nice on a hot day when I get home.

There's a mulberry tree behind it that's why he comes, free food and shade.

 

[treetx]

I'll post up a pic of the euc here in my back yard in Texas. Whatever it is, it isn't cold hardy. About ever 5 years, temps plunge and it freezes to the ground. It is about 30ft tall now!

I'll make sure I have a pic of a bird in said tree of course!!

 

[Steve Mack]

I'd like to see it. I could shop a magpie pic in for you maybe, there's a couple of baby ones hanging around. The parents live here most of the time, been here for years.

 

[FireFighterZero]

Saw one of these guys today. Snowy owl.

Not my picture.

 

[Jake Andrews]

Eucalypt or Corymbia ficifolia

 

[stig]

That is great, Jim.
I've never seen a snowy owl, even though I've spent lots of time looking for them in northern Norway.
They don't come to Denmark except once in 10 years, maybe.
Fantastic birds.

 

[FireFighterZero]

The map on Wikipedia indicates that I am at the extreme southern end of the bird's range. Lucky I guess.

 

[Steve Mack]

There's a Powerful Owl that hangs around here, been here for years but I've only seen him once. He calls at night a fair bit, comes and goes for weeks.

Not my picture either. Sounds like this.http://www.birdsinbackyards.net/sit....net/files/factsheets/audio/ninox-strenua.mp3