Ornithology (Bird) Thread

[Mumbleypeg]

Thanks to all who replied - good guesses by everyone but I doubt we’ll never know for sure. I’ve been watching the past two days for a re-appearance but I guess it was a transient. It was persistent that day, kept returning to that same area. I didn’t hear any vocalization. But haven’t seen it since.

Ken

[steve99f]

A question for those folks who carry binos into the field to watch birds: what are your thoughts on the optimal magnification for a pair of binocs you will carry all day? I thought maybe 8X but I don't know anything about bird watching.

[Steve Warden]

A question for those folks who carry binos into the field to watch birds: what are your thoughts on the optimal magnification for a pair of binocs you will carry all day? I thought maybe 8X but I don't know anything about bird watching.

Here's a guide from the Audubon site ---> https://www.audubon.org/gear/binocular-guide
My pair is a Vortex Crossfire 8x42. It was a pair recommended on a long forgotten bird watching site. I'm happy with them. I've used higher power binoculars and I've found that unless you have a VERY steady hand, they get very shaky very quick.

[doglegg]

Mine are 8 as well.

[steve99f]

Thanks for the link Steve as well as your input too doglegg. I'm thinking of gifting my sister a pair of binocs for her bird watching. I use a Minox 6.5X for hunting here in PA but hunting and birdwatching have different needs.

[Quick Steel]

I use 8x42 Leupold myself, but I can tell you that many professional ornithologists prefer 7x35 because this gives them a wider field of view which makes searching for small birds up in the trees considerably easier. Whatever power is selected, the objective lens should be at least 5x the power in order to bring in as much light as possible.

[Quick Steel]

Although roof prism binoculars with the barrels close together are popular, I prefer the older style Porro prism style. I find these easier and more natural to hold.

[WillyCamaro]

When it comes to the world of bino's, you have a world of options to choose from .
Vortexes are excellent, I personally feel Hawke Optics are a little better. Take the cheap prices of scorpion, add the to the quality of vortex, and bam, perfect pair for the money. There scopes are especially nice for the price. Right now I rock an older pair of high end Bell Howell 8x40's, that I got mint at a public auction for 25 bucks. And boy, is that older Japanese glass some good stuff! Bro cant stand them because they hurt his eyes, but for me just perfect.
So you got to shop around, tally up your choices, and go from there.
And not to forget to show the first good bird to show up in fibro farm this year, a great horned owl made his perch 100 yards from my door. Beautiful evening, and beautiful bird .
Taken with a Nikon Coolpix 4.3-21.5mm superzoom, so I apologize for the far away shots. Camera works great for close-ups/knives, but not so great maxed out. Least there clear, not bad for shaky me free hand .
Willy

[Steve Warden]

Cool pic Willy. An owl of any type is still on my "haven't seen yet" list

[Waukonda]

Cool pic Willy. An owl of any type is still on my "haven't seen yet" list

Steve, if you are ever out on a "woods walk" and happen to hear a group of crows making an incessant racket, zero in on that area. Crows and Owls hate each other and a group of Crows will heckle any Owl they run across. I have seen many Owls this way in the daytime, I got a really good look at a Barred Owl just 4 or 5 days ago by checking the trees around a group of noisy Crows. Otherwise, unless you happen to see one silhouetted against the sky before the trees leaf out, (like Willy's pic), you can easily walk right past one.

[Steve Warden]

Thanks for the tip Ike.
We have an area, Palmyra Cove Nature Park, very wooded, lots of trails. They have a photo album with pics taken in the park of the wildlife. Several pics of owls, so they are there. Now we're just waiting for New Jersey to lift the ALL CLOSED - NO ADMITTANCE rules on the parks and nature centers.

[Quick Steel]

Perhaps the single most dramatic birding encounter I ever had was with a long-eared owl. We were each at eye level, about 4 feet apart. Wish I could go into all the details but this would consume too much space and time. It happened in sothern Arizona within the Cochise stronghold.

[Quick Steel]

Ike, your tip is fundamental. The first hawk I ever saw, a Broad-Winged, was the result of Blue Jays screaming at and chasing it out of a tree. Listening to the alarmists of the bird world, crows and jays, often leads to some good observations.

[FRJ]

a group of noisy Crows.

This is so true. A real giveaway for some kind of unwanted bird.
I have seen hawks hunkered down, deep in the branches of trees, looking left to right, trying to figure out when to bolt and get out of Dodge. And as they fly off the crows and even other small birds will be dive bombing it to escort it out of the area. Pretty funny.

[bighomer]

[treefarmer]

bighomer, the bird in the back has "much of a beard"! Looks like he might trip on it.
I believe the turkeys have found a "gun free zone" during spring gobbler season.
Treefarmer

[WillyCamaro]

bighomer, the bird in the back has "much of a beard"! Looks like he might trip on it.
I believe the turkeys have found a "gun free zone" during spring gobbler season.
Treefarmer

Philip.
Willy

[WillyCamaro]

Thanks for the tip Ike .
I've seen something like that many times out here, when the blackbirds target the ravens. Pretty hilarious to watch, reminds me of little fighter airplanes going after bombers.
Willy

[Dinadan]

Nice Turkey photos, Homer! Great to see them strutting their stuff.

I like that Great Horned Owl, Willy.

Ike's tip about the Crows is spot on, though Crows can also lead to foxes. Blue Jays creating a fuss are also something I like to check out. I have seen hawks, herons snakes, and owls being harassed by Blue Jays. If there are any Screech Owls in your area, they like an oversize bird house with maybe a 3.5" hole to roost in. I had one of those in my back yard once and it was very cool to see a Screech Owl looking out the hole in the morning. The Blue Jays saw the owl too, and just went crazy screaming at it! I should put up another box like that.

[Doc B]

A couple more turkey pictures, some quail,and morning dove. From the pictures I dowloaded yesterday...

[Waukonda]

Nice pics Doc and BH.

Anyone out there who is interested in migration, should check out the "Birdcast" website and take a look at the live migration map, interesting info there.

[Old Folder]

While visiting our lake/park yesterday morning we came in contact with some of the resident Ducks. There are over 100 of these ducks within the park on a daily basis, not always together however.
My Wife, Anna, aka: (Mrs Dolittle) had her duck food (as always) with her. The ducks recognize us when we arrive and follow us for a yummy handout.

The ducks do not stay at the lake overnight, perhaps because of the other threatening wildlife that comes out in the night. There have been Bears, and Mountain Lions seen and reported in the park many times over the years. I have not witnessed them myself, but I have seen many Coyotes.The Ducks depart just before sunset and return on the following morning. I do not know where the Ducks with their newborns stay at in the park being that the babies can not yet fly. We have seen as many as 8 babies in one family.
We hear them flying overhead from our home every morning on their way to the lake, very excessive quaking. I must add that their flying geometrics is very beautiful and organized, they fly much more gracefully than they walk, perhaps I should say "wobble."
When Anna feeds them, some come within inches of her and will even eat right out of her hand. Others will take a bit more caution and stand back.

The below video shows how protective Daddy duck is for his family. If other ducks get too close, Papa goes in protective mode.
Fortunately, I took my smallest camera with me, an older Canon Power Shot elph HS with 12.1 MP stats. It came with a 4GB SanDisk. I haven't used this camera recently, however it does perform very good for being only 3 & 5/8" wide X 2 & 1/8" tall. It has a 3" video screen.

https://youtu.be/a0Hz2XnpzaI

[PigStikr]

Ducks and geese nest in the tall grass along my creek at night under tag elder...one day you'll count a dozen-week later say half that many... fish feed on the hatchlins more than the birds from what I've noticed over the years...goin home this weekend I'll start posting bird pic's...geese and ducks wake me most mornings sometimes all you hear is them cutting the air coming up the creek.....

[Steve Warden]

... fish feed on the hatchlins more than the birds from what I've noticed over the years...

I'm a big fan of Animal Planet and I've learned that snapping turtles will take their fair share of ducklings, as well.

[PigStikr]

Oh ya can't believe I left them out.....since the TWP. put crushed lime on my street the snappers come up out of the channel cross the road and dig my yard apart in June.. i'll through 4 or more back in the water daily for atleast two weeks every year...they used to lay eggs rite in the middle of street on the dead end it was all sugar sand that drained down the oak ridge during heavy rain....I'll post pics when they start to laying....