Ornithology (Bird) Thread

[Doc B]

Phil...here's a cardinal, at the feeder, I caught on camera, this past weekend chip download...

[Quick Steel]

I've been disappointed not to see any baby Cardinals this year. Come to think of it there has been an absence of even the house sparrow fledglings.

[doglegg]

Ken, Doc, great pics.

[danno50]

Lots of great bird pictures posted by everyone. I like birds, but have a phobia about getting too close to them. My wife has taken and interest in bird watching and photography this summer. These are all her pictures.

She was very pleased to get this shot - a white throated sparrow, heard often but seldom seen for long.

A Bonaparte's gull sitting on the dock.

Common mergansers that crap all over the dock. There doesn't seem to be much I can do about it. Put up a large flag, but it only keeps them away when the wind is blowing.

We believe this is an immature yellow bellied sapsucker?

There are always lots of loons around in front of the cabin.

[doglegg]

Wow Dan, your wife has some great pics. Thanks for her taking them and your sharing them. Excellent!!

[Doc B]

Tell your wife...those are great pictures, Dan!

[danno50]

Thanks doglegg and Doc B, I will tell her. She posts a lot on flickr and is always happy to get positive comments on her photos.
Here are a few more.

Cormorants and a pelican fishing in our back bay. Note the cormorant with the fish on the right.

Not sure if the pelican took that fish away from the cormorant, or if it is a different fish?

Heading from the back bay around to the front.

A red-eyed vireo that much have flown into one of our windows. I almost stepped on him heading into the cabin. Looks like he has a gibbled leg?

Having an unusually strong phobia about being close to birds, it took a lot for me to pick the poor little guy up. I put him safely on a pile of lumber and about 15 minutes later he took off like a shot.

[WillyCamaro]

Oh wow Dan . You sure have some lovely birds, and country up your way. And your wife is an excellent photographer, you let her know i'm really enjoying them.
Still want to take a drive up your way, some time in the future. Just my life is taking up most of my usable time, what with the business, farming, guitar, cycling, knives, ect. ect. Still too much on the plate... And that's after i've downsized this year .

Oh well, maybe Dad and the family will want to take a day off before harvest rolls around. Or maybe swing something after (before winter sets in). I know he was planning on heading up to Saskatoon, to go to the gun show in October (if they wont cancel it last minute ).

Anyway, thanks for sharing Dan.

[Quick Steel]

Dan, several people have used the word "wow". It was the the first word that arrived in my brain when I saw your wife's photos. The quality of the pictures, and of course the variety of species, are superb. I agree with the identification of the sapsucker. Probably only a few months or weeks old. All great stuff.

[Steve Warden]

D) all of the above

Dan, pass along to your wife that those are professional quality shots, to be sure!!
She does great work!!!

[danno50]

Thanks for the comments Willie, Quick Steel and Steve. I have passed them on to my wife.
Willie, fall is better, I don't spend much time at home in the summer. I am mostly at the cabin until near freeze up.

[WillyCamaro]

Sounds good Dan .

[Quick Steel]

Wouldn't you know it? The past day or so I've been complaining about a lack of fledglings this year. Then this afternoon I found the male Cardinal giving food to a young female. Failed to get a photo but if they give a repeat performance I'll try again.

[Dinadan]

Nice photos, Dan.

Things are pretty quiet, birdwise, in my neighborhood. Nobody is singing and not much activity at all. Dog days, I guess.

[danno50]

Thanks Mel.

Need a bit of help with this one. My wife and son-in-law think possibly a color variation of a blackbird? I think a lark bunting, even though the bird book puts their range about 300+ miles south of us? Male and female pictures posted.

[Mumbleypeg]

Great photos! Tell your wife thanks for sharing with us.

Ken

[TPK]

I'm with Ken & the others, great pictures! My compliments to Mrs. Dan!

[danno50]

Thank you Ken and Tom, she does appreciate the compliments.

[Quick Steel]

Dan, the first photo I believe to be a Red-Winged Blackbird. When the bird is at rest you seldom see the red epaulets until it flies. What you will see is the light colored bar at the wing edge looking just as it does in the photo. (I am open to correction.)

[Steve Warden]

Dan, the first photo I believe to be a Red-Winged Blackbird. When the bird is at rest you seldom see the red epaulets until it flies. What you will see is the light colored bar at the wing edge looking just as it does in the photo. (I am open to correction.)

Beat me to it.
I agree - red-winged black bird. Very common around wetlands.

[Dinadan]

I agree with QS and Steve. Female Red-winged Blackbird. Assuming both photos are the same bird, she has unusually prominent white patches on the wing.

[danno50]

Thank you kindly, Quick Steel, Steve and Mel, for the identification.

[WillyCamaro]

Same story here, we get bucket loads of em' every spring out here, they really like to pester me, knowing I can't shoot worth a hoot .



Again, wonderful photos Dan. That bunting pic is book/calendar quality for sure, .

[Mumbleypeg]

Spotted in the pasture.

Ken

[Waukonda]

Indigo Bunting, Prothonatary Warbler and Rufous Sided Towhee