Ornithology (Bird) Thread

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Mumbleypeg
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Re: Ornithology (Bird) Thread

Post by Mumbleypeg »

Thanks y'all. Roadrunners are not uncommon here but they are difficult to photograph without a telephoto lens. They're also very well camouflaged so even if you can get a picture they're not usually clear. We typically have at least two pairs here on the ranch year around so we get to observe them occasionally.

Although we typically think of them being constantly on the move, when hunting they often stand totally still for several minutes at a time, watching (and I assume listening) for movements by their prey. After which they either quickly pounce on some victim, or quickly move about 10-20 feet to a new location and start over. But it's near impossible to get within 150 feet of them if they see you. Interesting birds for sure.

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Re: Ornithology (Bird) Thread

Post by doglegg »

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Don't think I've posted this little hummer before.
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Dinadan
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Re: Ornithology (Bird) Thread

Post by Dinadan »

I like those roadrunner photos, Ken!

Nice hummer, Doglegg. The hummers are starting to show up in my backyard: saw the first one in a few weeks today.
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Re: Ornithology (Bird) Thread

Post by doglegg »

Thanks Mel ::handshake::
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Re: Ornithology (Bird) Thread

Post by bighomer »

They are eating me out of house and home.
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Re: Ornithology (Bird) Thread

Post by doglegg »

Wow BH, you have an infestation! Never have more than a couple here so far. Love to watch them. ::nod:: ::nod:: ::tu::
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Re: Ornithology (Bird) Thread

Post by RobesonsRme.com »

The hummers at my house never permit another bird on the feeder they are using.

Selfish little birds, they are.

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Re: Ornithology (Bird) Thread

Post by doglegg »

We have a bully that hangs around our as well. ::nod::
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Re: Ornithology (Bird) Thread

Post by cudgee »

Mumbleypeg wrote:Great picture of the ducks. ::tu:: FWIW chicks often perch, and ride, on the mother hen's back also, especially during their first couple of weeks after hatching.

I was out for a walk down to the mailbox this afternoon and spotted a Roadrunner, about the same time it spotted me. It tried to run and hide behind a Crepe Myrtle. Then it jumped up onto the fence and as I was trying to get a picture it jumped down and scampered across the pasture and into the brush along the creek.

I looked around, but Wiley Coyote was nowhere to be seen! :lol:

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Why are they called roadrunners? ::suspense::
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Quick Steel
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Re: Ornithology (Bird) Thread

Post by Quick Steel »

Their flights tend to be short. They prefer to run quickly over the ground. They have excellent speed tho not quite as fast as illustrated in the popular cartoons.
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Re: Ornithology (Bird) Thread

Post by cudgee »

Thanks ::tu::
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Re: Ornithology (Bird) Thread

Post by cudgee »

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These are a couple of pics of our Kookaburra's. Very proficient Snake killers.
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Re: Ornithology (Bird) Thread

Post by doglegg »

Cool pic's Cudgee. I didn't know they kill snakes. ::tu::
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Re: Ornithology (Bird) Thread

Post by cudgee »

Yes mate. And they are VERY good at it. I saw one take on a six foot tiger snake once, i thought the snake would get the bird or escape. It tried to escape, but Kooka was having none of that. It took a while but the kookaburra eventually tired the snake out, and won the battle. They have no problems with small snakes, they take them to a perch, then flick them to break the snakes back. ::tu::
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Re: Ornithology (Bird) Thread

Post by cudgee »

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Just been feeding the Magpie. { do not tell anyone, against the law over here}This one is "mum". Dad is minding the nest, he will come over later. Mum will take food from my hand, Dad is more hesitant, usually the other way around. They are very aggressive and vicious during nesting season, which is late winter early spring. But they have the best facial recognition of any Australian bird, and once they know you are not a threat and are their friend, they leave you alone. I can see their nest from back decking, so i keep a look out for them. Beautiful birds, everyone has their own character, This one comes up and taps at the window, she can see me from her nest. Hope you like the photo's. And hope you all have a great weekend. :)
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Quick Steel
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Re: Ornithology (Bird) Thread

Post by Quick Steel »

Lovely birds and very interesting about their facial recognition abilities. Studies have been made over here with crows. Terrific ability to recognize and remember individuals. And intelligent. Saw a video of a crow given a tipped over a bottle and a thin piece of metal, like a straightened paper clip. He figured out how to bend the metal into a hook on the end, then used it to reach into the bottle and draw out the food inside. It was the first time he had been given this problem.
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Re: Ornithology (Bird) Thread

Post by cudgee »

Quick Steel wrote:Lovely birds and very interesting about their facial recognition abilities. Studies have been made over here with crows. Terrific ability to recognize and remember individuals. And intelligent. Saw a video of a crow given a tipped over a bottle and a thin piece of metal, like a straightened paper clip. He figured out how to bend the metal into a hook on the end, then used it to reach into the bottle and draw out the food inside. It was the first time he had been given this problem.
Dad just came over, they are very good parents, he got a beak full of food to take back to the chicks, then came back for his feed. Crows and Magpies are natural enemies in breeding season, the crows try to take the eggs, or will attack the young, either in the nest or when they start to leave the nest. But the magpies are to smart for the crows and in a fight to protect their young the magpies will win every time. I saw a magpie dive bomb a crow that was trying to attack it's young, feathers went every where and the crow left soundly defeated.
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Re: Ornithology (Bird) Thread

Post by Steve Warden »

Very cool, cudgee!
And yes, love the pics!
Take care and God bless,

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Re: Ornithology (Bird) Thread

Post by bighomer »

Wow, beautiful birds cudgee,those kookaburas would be handy to have around to take care of your bada$$ snakes.
I've watched them on the wildlife shows killing snakes. We don't have magpies in Tn. but we have plenty crows. Here's a couple of snapshots I took with my phone this morning, out of focus and into the morning sun, but a hummer with a gold finch in the back ground and a crow coming to get some bacon trimings and a couple of fighters got in the photo, and a more sedate photo of hummers feeding.
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Re: Ornithology (Bird) Thread

Post by philco »

On a recent visit to Navajo Lake in north west New Mexico I saw these nests. One is an eagle nest and the other is an osprey nest. There were three birds on the osprey nest when I first saw it but it was empty when I returned ready to take a photo. :(
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Re: Ornithology (Bird) Thread

Post by cudgee »

Follow up to my post yesterday. Just got back from my morning walk and found a dead magpie chick out the front. Somehow something has been able to get to it in the nest, my money is on a crow. It is sad, because magpies are beautiful birds, and crows are scavengers over here. It is lambing season over here and crows are the scourge of sheep farmers. They will peck out the eyes of new born lambs and leave them to die a slow painful death. :(
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Re: Ornithology (Bird) Thread

Post by bighomer »

They are scavengers over here too, and will eat anything they they can get beaks on, but I do enjoy watching the silly things. ::uc::
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Re: Ornithology (Bird) Thread

Post by Dinadan »

Very cool kookaburra and magpie photos, Cudgee. I have have found kookaburras fascinating in the videos I have seen of them.

Phil, I have a whole bunch of photos of places where the bird was about one second before I pressed the camera button! I have never been to Navajo lake - looks like interesting terrain.

We have lots of hummers here, now that the fall migration is in full swing.
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Re: Ornithology (Bird) Thread

Post by doglegg »

BH, Phil, Mel, I am enjoying your photo's. ::nod::
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Re: Ornithology (Bird) Thread

Post by OLDE CUTLER »

This afternoon the local mowing service was mowing an empty lot across the the street from my house when I happened to look out and saw that the mower operator had stopped his machine and was standing on the mower taking pictures with his cellphone. I looked and saw that he was watching a hawk that had something of interest in his talons. I grabbed my Canon DSLR with 300mm lens and went out to see that the bird had captured a garter snake, and was looking it over and manipulating it with his beak.I believe this may have been a juvenile redtail hawk. After he flew away, I went over and talked to the mower operator and asked if he had mowed over the snake. He replied that the snake was in an area that he had not mowed yet and was running away from the area when the hawks eye caught movement and swooped in.
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