Grifftopia's Birds

I walked the place with a birder last evening, so I think I'll start posting the different birds I see or hear. Scarlet Tananger

Towhee

I love birds. May I?
Saw one of these beauties on the river the other day. It was hunting for fish, then took off in flight and skimmed the water. The sun was setting and it was gorgeous!

I love, love, love birdsong in the morning!

Sure!
We've got Blue Heron's here as well. I always think teradactyl when I see them.

This guy is giving me hell right now. House Wren song

My older brother, the enigma, was a bio major as an undergrad. He also played football and rugby, and was a grad assistant coach in football as he got his masters degree. Why am I telling you this? His specialty was ornithology, and he knows so much about birds. I always think of him vs. Jane from Beverly Hillbillies. Rugby player vs. birdwatcher in the funny shorts, hat, and giant camera.

I want to save up for a nice camera so I can get some good pics of the wildlife I see on the river I live beside.

My, I'm chatty today. :o

the train i take in the morning passes through the meadowlands and i always enjoy watching the local egrets.

I saw this bird on the way in this morning. I think its the seldom-seen meatball-headed wise guy bird.

He was on his way to swim with the fishes, or is it sleep with the fishes?

Shawnee123;349574 wrote:

He was on his way to swim with the fishes, or is it sleep with the fishes?

I think he was sizing me up for some concrete shoes and trying to decide which pier was closest. :eek:

I know I've mentioned the Muscovy duck that hung out with the white ducks when I first moved to the river. One day last winter, he just wasn't there anymore. I was talking to an old fellow who told me he had been there for years. I said I was sad he was gone, to which the sweet old man said "yep, he was a good ole duck." I miss my Willie Muscovy.

There are 5 white ducks who used to hang out in two groups of three and two. They didn't mingle, so I named them the Aflacs and the McCoys. Now, sometimes I see 4 together, then just three again...etc. They're pretty tame, though, and when I walk by they don't even move, just quack and "quack" me up.

Those are all very nice, but I admit I was wondering if it was "birds" in the colloquial British sense of the word.

An altogether different kind of bird (nsfw)





sorry, griff

Why why why do I follow these links?

It's a rare hooded twitmouse!

look again... no hood

Hey, you're right. It's not even a bird! I should have paid attention in bio, or at least in Anatomy and Physiology. :redface:

cock

Beestie;349573 wrote:

I saw this bird on the way in this morning. I think its the seldom-seen meatball-headed wise guy bird.

That's "The Guy From Boston". Someone just emailed me a clip of him giving his views on global warming. It's sort of a several minute version of that picture.

to go with your current user title:

I thought that guy was in the Sopranos? The car guy, not the roadrunner guy.

Might be the same.

I don't know about "The Guy from Boston", but he is definitely Vito the gay mobster from "The Sopranos".

Not that there's anything wrong with that.

I think that this is a Broad-tailed Hummingbird. The males' wings make a very metalic sound when they fly.

Saw this guy last week in the yard. It's a Cedar Waxwing...a beauty!

Had one of these bad boys early spring. Anyone like to take a guess what it is and what is unique about this bird?

We have these every morning and evening: Painted Bunting

We also have these daily: Blue Heron


as well as a host of other coastal sea birds.

yznhymr...what is unique about that bird? What kind is it? I have a bird book on loan from the library at home, will go look it up.

Yznhymr;349888 wrote:

Had one of these bad boys early spring. Anyone like to take a guess what it is and what is unique about this bird?

After 1/2 hour of searching I can't find one with a red head but I am taking a wild guess.

move cursor over for answer >[COLOR=White]raven[/COLOR]<

Are you referring to this?

Yznhymr;349888 wrote:

Had one of these bad boys early spring. Anyone like to take a guess what it is and what is unique about this bird?

Its a cowbird, they lay their eggs in other birds nests and pass off parenting...

Griff;350101 wrote:

Its a cowbird, they lay their eggs in other birds nests and pass off parenting...

Ding Ding Ding - Griff wins! And what does he get today Jerry? Well, Griff is wins a free life time supply of oxygen <crowd goes wild> and not only that, but if Griff is willing to relocate (at own expense) to Sao Paulo Brazil, Griff can stay in a lean to along side the scenic sewer running through downtown Sao Paulo! <crown going absolutely nuts> Congratulations Griff!

Yes, it's a brown headed cowbird. The only brood parasitic bird common across NA and can lay up to 36 eggs in one season! It doesn't build it's own nest, but lays an egg in up to 100 other variety of bird's nests. Cool stuff.

richlevy;350097 wrote:

After 1/2 hour of searching I can't find one with a red head but I am taking a wild guess.

move cursor over for answer >[COLOR=white]raven[/COLOR]<

Are you referring to this?

richlevy...oh so close. Further down the link the bird was listed!!!

Yznhymr;350110 wrote:

Ding Ding Ding - Griff wins! And what does he get today Jerry? Well, Griff is wins a free life time supply of oxygen <crowd goes wild> and not only that, but if Griff is willing to relocate (at own expense) to Sao Paulo Brazil, Griff can stay in a lean to along side the scenic sewer running through downtown Sao Paulo! <crown going absolutely nuts> Congratulations Griff!

Yes, it's a brown headed cowbird. The only brood parasitic bird common across NA and can lay up to 36 eggs in one season! It doesn't build it's own nest, but lays an egg in up to 100 other variety of bird's nests. Cool stuff.

Those things are a pain in the butt. We have flocks of them come through every year.

I cheated and described the bird to my ornithologist brother, and he said it was a cowbird. I looked it up in the book and indeed they lay their eggs in other bird's nests so the other birds will raise them. Sounds like some people I know.

Some Cuckoos do the same thing, but the book alluded that the difference is that cowbirds don't care much what the other kind of bird is; any nest will do.

Cowbird is the only one in North America that's brood parasitic.

Ah, yes. The book was a bit unclear; it was saying some species of Cuckoos. I see now that those do not live in North America, yet the book was National Geo North American Birds.

BTW, saw a great big turtle come from the river on Saturday. He was right next to the road and as I was chatting to the neighbor lady that thing skedaddled back to the river fast. So much for the tortoise and the hare, that thing was moving!