BIRDS Too Anyone ?

Discussion in 'Celebrate Biodiversity' started by Dana09, Dec 26, 2009.

  1. Liz

    Liz Well-Known Member 10 Years

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    Our Hawthorns are prolific with berries in autumn. (old 100+ yr) hedges. They become parrot food for some quiet rare ones called Gang Gangs. They spend hours quietly denuding the berries and spitting the chips.

    Beautiful pics of yr winter birds. Have put one on screen to remind me there is cool weather somewhere in the world. 43 C today
    Liz
     
  2. Michael F

    Michael F Paragon of Plants Forums Moderator 10 Years

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    Have some more! You're welcome to the lot of it!
     

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  3. Dana09

    Dana09 Active Member

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    Nice deciduous tree shapes, something that says right away that's not around here as on the west coast of Canada evergreens predominate though we do plant everything else wherever we live and in our parks.
    I've been wondering how you are all doing over there lately, having a winter like the one we had last year.

    D
     
  4. togata57

    togata57 Generous Contributor 10 Years

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  5. Daniel Mosquin

    Daniel Mosquin Paragon of Plants UBC Botanical Garden Forums Administrator Forums Moderator 10 Years

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    Back to the topic of birds...
     
  6. togata57

    togata57 Generous Contributor 10 Years

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    What birds have you in your backyard, Daniel?
     
  7. Daniel Mosquin

    Daniel Mosquin Paragon of Plants UBC Botanical Garden Forums Administrator Forums Moderator 10 Years

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    Unfortunately, I don't have a backyard. Wish I did.

    Here's one from southeast Oregon in early July, Gallinago gallinago, aka the common snipe.
     

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  8. Liz

    Liz Well-Known Member 10 Years

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    Thanks for the photo of the day now on my front screen to remind me there is winter. Just had the hottest Jan. night recorded. 32C It was a stinker. One of this morning's chores is to make sure wild birds and animals have access to water along with my domestic mob. At least it is still green so they have food. We have been promised rain after another burst of 40C before cool change.
    Liz (keep warm)
     
  9. Daniel Mosquin

    Daniel Mosquin Paragon of Plants UBC Botanical Garden Forums Administrator Forums Moderator 10 Years

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    Liz, I understand it's important to keep your feet cool at those temperatures. These guys have the right idea (sorry, I don't know what kind of gull they are).
     

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  10. Michael F

    Michael F Paragon of Plants Forums Moderator 10 Years

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    In Oregon (or anywhere in N America), now classified as Wilson's Snipe Gallinago delicata, recently split from Common Snipe (which is restricted to Europe & Asia).

    Glaucous-winged Gull Larus glaucescens.
     
  11. Dana09

    Dana09 Active Member

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    Beautiful thrush eating the dogwood berries.
    I only get them here rarely, when we get snow storms mostly.

    In our beach-side park the crows have been out in huge murders lately, poking into the soil making us all wonder what it is that is hatching in the fields and the starlings doing the same on home lawns now too. (when they're not busy raiding the suet)

    This week I spotted a flicker on my back lawn poking around and when I checked the film later, found that it was 'quaking' the earth so that a grub came poking out of the soil for the flicker to grab and poke at to lick it up or take little pieces as I did not see it grabbed and swallowed. The grub was grabbed as it emerged and laid on top of the soil, then stabbed repeatedly it seemed.
    This was a paler grub than that of the crane fly, though as large as one and perhaps a little longer. I have been poking around at the lawn next door lately when the ground is not too wet or frozen and noticed that there are indeed those fat, segmented, many legged grubs in the soil now. And this is what it looked like to me in the film tho it is too far to be any good.

    In each pic the white right at the beak tip is the grub.
     

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    Last edited: Jan 17, 2010
  12. JanR

    JanR Active Member

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    Hi Lorax


    Great pictures Lorax! I believe your snowy egret is actually a Great Egret, going by the all black legs and feet and the yellow bill. It also looks very large, though there is really nothing to compare it with. A Great Egret is 39 inches and a Snowy is 24 inches.
     
  13. lorax

    lorax Rising Contributor 10 Years

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    I am often wrong! This must be one of those times. He was about as tall as a small child.
     
  14. JanR

    JanR Active Member

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    As long as the child was around 3 feet tall, that would make it a Great Egret. :) Bird Identification is often difficult and I am far from an expert. I had to look it up to be sure. LOL
     
  15. lorax

    lorax Rising Contributor 10 Years

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    3 feet is a small child in that city - people get really tall there. Must be the good salt air and seafood diet.
     
  16. Michael F

    Michael F Paragon of Plants Forums Moderator 10 Years

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    I'd agree with Great Egret; Snowy has a black bill with just a yellow spot at the base.
     

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