Ornithology (Bird) Thread

[Steve Warden]

Did you say read tails...... or red tails. Seems to show a little red on the tail.

A play on words.
"I have read tales of red tails."

Yes, that is, in my opinion, a photo of a red tail hawk.
I guess my funny wasn't funny. Oh, well.

I'm just glad I'm not a foreigner trying to learn the English language.
Even the word "read" has two pronunciations, depending on the tense.

[WAYNED]

I HAVE TO AGREE..TRYING TO LEARN OUR LANGUAGE IS A SUPER DIFFICULT TASK.
It took forever but I did learn this much about our language. Sugar is the only
SU word in the English vocabulary that has the SH sound and I am sure of that..

[doglegg]

Did you say read tails...... or red tails. Seems to show a little red on the tail.

A play on words.
"I have read tales of red tails."

Yes, that is, in my opinion, a photo of a red tail hawk.
I guess my funny wasn't funny. Oh, well.

I'm just glad I'm not a foreigner trying to learn the English language.
Even the word "read" has two pronunciations, depending on the tense.


I thought your funny was funny. Love puns.

[Waukonda]

Good one, Steve!

I HAVE TO AGREE..TRYING TO LEARN OUR LANGUAGE IS A SUPER DIFFICULT TASK.
It took forever but I did learn this much about our language. Sugar is the only
SU word in the English vocabulary that has the SH sound and I am sure of that..

I haven't posted any yard birds lately, (no, not chickens), here are a couple of pics. I am saying that I had my first Purple Finches today, unless, someone tells me different?

[Steve Warden]

Furple Pinches!

Sorry, an Archie Cambell moment
[youtube]www.youtube.com/watch?v=D0tz98kt-f0[/youtube]

hmmm...Jerry, what'd I do wrong with the link? It works, just doesn't show the pic of the video.

[Waukonda]

Yellowhammers hanging around today.

[Waukonda]

Check out the color variation on this Cardinal that just showed up for a snack. A quick bit of research tells me that it is leucistic, not a full blown albino but a partial lack of color pigment.

[Quick Steel]

Excellent catch!

[doglegg]

Ike that is indeed a rare bird. Wow, how fortunate to see it , to get a pic and how fortunate for us that you shared it. Wow!!!

[Paladin]

That is a WOW!

Ray

[Waukonda]

Thanks, QS, Floyd, and Ray! Glad you found it interesting, I certainly did.

Just took a few more pics as I was driving home. This is the time of year when the Snows and Specks pile in by the thousands.

[Dinadan]

Very cool photos, Ike. Your last photos reminded me of something I saw about a decade ago at this time of year. Sometimes, here along the Gulf Coast, Tree Swallows congregate into huge flocks. Usually in marshes. A half dozen times I have been privileged to see those flocks. Once when they were all in the air they actually noticeably dimmed the sun. Like I have read about the Passenger Pigeons doing. This flock was hanging around in an area where dredge mud is dumped.

[Waukonda]

Very cool photos, Ike. Your last photos reminded me of something I saw about a decade ago at this time of year. Sometimes, here along the Gulf Coast, Tree Swallows congregate into huge flocks. Usually in marshes. A half dozen times I have been privileged to see those flocks. Once when they were all in the air they actually noticeably dimmed the sun. Like I have read about the Passenger Pigeons doing. This flock was hanging around in an area where dredge mud is dumped.

Thanks, Mel. Those are very cool pictures, I have never seen large flocks of Swallows. Good to see some pics from you!

[Quick Steel]

Great photos Ike and Mel. In an ideal world I would living in southern Illinois.

[Waukonda]

The Red Tailed Hawk photo that I posted a while back was from a trailcam. Here is another from that camera, different subjects.

[bighomer]

Great photos Ike I'm seeing red wing blackbirds, crackles and cowbirds, even saw a couple Robin's last Saturday . Seems a little ealy for them to be returning.

[doglegg]

Ike you are sharing some really cool pics. Thanks .

[Dinadan]

Ike, that shot of the Turkeys is very interesting. I wonder what made them scatter like that.

My feeder has been pretty busy over the last couple of weeks with all the normal birds.

Some like feeding on the ground under the feeder, like these fellows.

Cardinal

White-winged Dove

Blue Jay

The smaller birds prefer the feeder itself.

House Finch and Carolina Wren

Goldfinch

So far this year I have not seen a hawk swoop on my feeder. Most years I see a Cooper's or Sharp-shinned make a couple of passes at the feeder birds. Not much raptor activity at all in my neighborhood.

[philco]

You guys have posted some fantastic photos here of late. Thanks for sharing them with all of us.

[doglegg]

Great pics Mel. The Carolina Wren that frequents my back yard would never go to the feeder but only on the ground and usually away from the other birds.

[Quick Steel]

Trying to get a shot of what appears to be a female House Sparrow but with a white tail.

[Waukonda]

Trying to get a shot of what appears to be a female House Sparrow but with a white tail.

I take it, she eluded you?

I was glad to see Whiteface show up again this morning, 1st time since original sighting.

[Quick Steel]

The sparrows are the most skitish of the birds. No matter how careful I am, in moving just slightly closer to the window they blast off into the trees. Anyway I have decided that the white tail is probably the result of her parents having eaten genetically modified seeds.

[Steve Warden]

Trying to get a shot of what appears to be a female House Sparrow but with a white tail.

I take it, she eluded you?

I was glad to see Whiteface show up again this morning, 1st time since original sighting.

I know cardinals are territorial.
Maybe he'll take up permanent residence and you'll have him around on a regular basis.

[Mumbleypeg]

Beautiful bird pictures. Just the usual activities here lately, Cardinals, gold finches, titmouses (is it titmice? ), juncos. Watched a robin pick and eat berries off a possumhaw in the church garden yesterday but I didn’t get a picture. When I tried to take its picture it flew away.

Ken