A Gardeners Forum Forums General Discussion Hobbies, Crafts and Creativity The Bird Lovers Forum New arrivals 2009 i.e. migratory birds

And the first one is:



1/16/09 An American Robin trying to hide from the camera in my raspberry patch. This was actually the second Robin I'd seen on my property this year. The first was on the 12th, but I was unable to get a photo.

Next:

1/15/09 A Northern Flicker (Yellow-Shafted)

I can't remember ever seeing a Northern Flicker before. Thanks for showing.

Here's a better picture of my first new arrival of the year. I'm still trying for a closeup though.

I gotcher close-up rye cheer, Behbeh!

All I seen was 2 grey tree rats playin in the field.Yukkkkkkkkk

No birds at all//

Those are nice.

Bird week here this weekend thorn.

b

Yep! Great Backyard Bird Count begins Friday at 7:00 AM!

tHAT MAY OF BEEN In our paper yearly and I never knew it before..



Stuck out like a sore thumb..

b

It's a yearly event around Valentine's Day each year and runs for 4 days, 24/7. (Yes, there are people who bird at night.)

Nice Robin pic, Thorny! I totally missed that one till just now.

Here's another new arrival from February 13th. I went on a trip to Delaware and took tons of bird pics on Seagull Island on the CBBT and on Asateague Island (National Seashore). What with all the chores I have I am only now finishing up uploading my pics from the trip, so should be posting them in the near future.


Fox Sparrow

I just saw my 3rd Fox Sparrow of the year. No pic though.
This one's from last Monday.

very nice .

Is it Pine sistin relative?

More closely related to House Sparrows than Pine Siskins, I'd say. Pine Siskins are finches.

Here's some more new arrivals from last Monday. Red-winged Blackbirds.

Thorny, do you think that other bird in the first pic I posted last is a female Red-winged Blackbird or is it a juvenile? I thought the males arrived first and the females followed later. Here's a different pic.

That's a female. I don't know the order they arrive in. We have Redwings all year, here in Nashville. Looks like you are right on the edge of their year-round range, Terry.

cool cat huh

I saw my first Eastern Phoebe of the year this morning, but it flew just before I could take it's picture.

PHOEE-be. phoe-BEEE?

I had my first Common Grackles on the 11th. These pics were taken on the 14th.

I had no idea they were cute..LOL

Very good.

Those are great grackle photos, obywan. What a beautiful bird. Can't remember if you guys have told me this, but do they have a similar call to crows and ravens?





Uuussse the forks, Homer. The forks....

wow! i've never seen them 2 toned like that.

Grackles are not related to Crows and Magpies, though they look like them. They have a squeaky, high-pitched call and a shorter, "CHAK!" call. I saw about 200 across the street from my house just now. They are EXTREMELY common and numerous and are year-round residents where I live. BUT......they are one of my wife's and my favorite birds.

I see. I like the look of them. What's it like with 200 of them all 'Chak'ing at once?

I've always thought of grackles as evil-looking what with their yellow eyes, but they can be quite lovely.

Grackles are iridescent, so their colors change with the light. In low light (i.e. cloudy days), they can appear totally black, or black with bluish heads as I have shown above. (pic enhanced by editing)

On sunny days, depending on the direction of the sun, they are even more colorful. Here's a couple of pics I took last year.

HI all I dont know why I have never posted on here I am such a huge birder and feeder!
I have all kinds of fun birds. since we live on a river and are surrounded my coniferous woods I get it all.
The coolest thing is I have been seeing the eagles. The first sighting was back on November 16th. Right over my garage. I happened to look up and a mature bird just soared over.
Saw another on december 22. Of course I was too slow to grab the digital camera.
WE also have a few pair of great horned owls. They call to each other every night now. Really cool sound. I have caught glimpses at dusk occasionally. MAssive birds, with nearly soundless wing movement. no wonder they are awesome hunters. HAve been seeing and hearing the coopers hawk, and red tailed hawk. The red tails nest near the river. It is very flooded right now and the flood plain on the opposite side of me is a big gathering for canada Geese and wood ducks and mallards. The noise those geese make. Too funny. Every morning and evening its a honking symphony. LOL
Our robins have been back for a few weeks. and yesterday saw and hear REd wing black birds. As soon as I dont see anymore Slate Juncos I am sure spring will stick around. I will have to start posting some pics. My favorite thing of all and what I wait for all winter is the return of my beloved jeweled beauties. My hummers! :ding:

Sounds like the opening of the World Billiards Tournament.

Ditchy, get some pictures of the eagles. We sure don't see many of those around here.

My grackles are plain black and scary looking. I think they look like crows too.

Here is the "CHAK!" call of the Common Grackle.

http://www.mbr-pwrc.usgs.gov/id/htmwav2/h5110so.mp3

Hi obywan, that's impressive! Will have to look into the physics of how the feather design does that. No doubt Thorn will know.

Great shots of grackle.......
Dont know if ours are like that .. DOubt it ..

b

Did Somebody say Grackle? It just so happens one landed on my platform feeder today for some seeds.


COMMON GRACKLE (MALE ?)

Nice one Thorny!

All these great grackle shots made me curious about how they achieve that iridescence. Here is a very useful link about bird colourings in general, including how the iridescence works.

http://www.birdersworld.com/brd/default.aspx?c=a&id=667

Birder's World is my MAIN birding forum. It is the BEST I have ever found. I have been a member and daily contributor there for 4 years. I am one of 5 ADVANCED members on there. The forum has been down for the last 5 days for revamping but will open again in 12 hours.

Cool Stevie!!!

Thorny, this explains my "Orange" scarlet tanager!!

There can be a lot of color variation in colored birds. I have seen an ORANGE House Finch and PINK Cardinals.

Talk about color variations, Wait till you see the visitor I had this winter. I was lucky enough to get shots.Talk about an oddity.. Now to find it in the group of piccies!

It looks good; I will have a closer look at it.

Ditchy, I am looking forward to seeing some of your shots!

I've always had Grackles in the pecan orchard but lately they've been coming to the feeders at my house. I watched today and they chased the other birds off and ate an entire cake of suet and most of the sunflowers in my platform feeder. I finally ran them off. Is there anything I can do about this?

NOPE.