The thread for birds and birding

[Proud2baLaker]

Friday bird post!

Today: American Dipper

This is North America's only truly aquatic songbird. The dipper will move along throughout creeks walking underneath the water in search of food. They use their wings to help negotiate any current while searching for aquatic insects/larvae. To help them survive in the cold waters of winter, the have a low metabolic rate, a higher than normal oxygen-carrying capacity in their blood, and extra thick coat/layer of feathers that includes even feathered eyelids. They also have a unique habit (among songbirds at least) of molting all of their flight feathers at the same time in late summer (similar to ducks) which will render them flightless during this time. Due to the nature of their feeding, you will almost always see them close to a river/stream. These birds are native to the Western US from the Rockies westward, mostly in mountainous areas, up through British Columbia and into almost all of Alaska.

These two pictures came on the southern end of their Idaho range along a small river I was fly fishing in the Pioneer Mountains. Given that he was pretty much constantly moving and the light wasn't the best, good pics were hard to come by. These were the best two. It was difficult to maneuver around to try to get better lighting.

 

[The Sicatoka]

A bald eagle took a strafing run down the river last night looking for dinner.
A couple folks with me had never seen a bald eagle, much less one at flight speed about 150-200 feet way.

They had to go and wipe. ;-)

 

[dxmnkd316]

Had an oriole stop by the hummingbird feeder this weekend. Was kinda surprised because normally if you don't attract them early in the year, they don't come back.

 

[leswp1]

I have a pair of orioles- they are skittish and complain a lot. They do not drink the nectar but LOVE grape jelly. Unfortunately the squirrels have started to raid the nectar feeders. So aggravating!

 

[Proud2baLaker]

I have yet to see any orioles use any of my nectar feedings. Both in the Midwest (Illinois/Indiana) and out west (Idaho). But I have had a downy woodpecker use my nectar feeder once. That was cool.

 

[dxmnkd316]

I have yet to see any orioles use any of my nectar feedings. Both in the Midwest (Illinois/Indiana) and out west (Idaho). But I have had a downy woodpecker use my nectar feeder once. That was cool.

From what I've read, nectar feeders are great for early in the season and late in the season. But during the summer you're best served by grape jelly and meal worms.

 

[dxmnkd316]

I have a pair of orioles- they are skittish and complain a lot. They do not drink the nectar but LOVE grape jelly. Unfortunately the squirrels have started to raid the nectar feeders. So aggravating!

Interesting. Our squirrels have left the nectar alone. It's the GD raccoons that drink it like it's going out of style.

 

[Proud2baLaker]

Since we talked orioles: Today let's look at the Bullock's Oriole

The Bullock's is the oriole of the west. Breeding range is from from mid-Texas up to eastern Montana and over to the Pacific in California. They winter in central and southern Mexico. There is some overlap in range with the Baltimore oriole in the plains states and they will hybridize. The two used to be clumped into one species, the Northern oriole, but after genetic testing, were separated into the two species as they were not very closely related. Like many orioles, they weave hanging nest. They too enjoy sweets during the migration periods but will focus mostly on insects during the rest of the year. Though open woodlands are listed as their prime habitat, I almost always find them in riparian areas.

The first photo below is of a male Bullock's. Taken one of my first outings with my camera. The 2nd is also a male and came from the same outing. Doesn't show as much of the bird but I like it because you can see that it has found a large grub type thing.

 

[leswp1]

These pics are gold

 

[Proud2baLaker]

Thank you!

For today to finish out the week: The Violet-green Swallow

Like many of the birds I post, this swallow is native west of the Rockies up into interior Alaska (breeding range only) and winters in Mexico and parts of Central America. You'll find these acrobats flying over/near lakes and streams picking off insects as they make tight turns and twists. They are quite fast, clocking in at up to 28 mph. In the right light, you can see where their name comes from as the feathers on the backs and head become vivid and iridescent.

One of the interesting facts I recently learned, is that at one time, a pair of these swallows was observed assisting a pair of Western Bluebirds in raising their young. The swallows would guard the nest and tend to the nestlings. After the bluebirds fledged, the swallows then used the nest to raise their own young. Whether this is a common thing or a one-off I am not certain. But based on what I could find it is not common but still could happen obviously.

The pic below came after a day of scouting a new stream/river to fly fish. I wandered around to see what I could find. I didn't have many photos of swallows of any kind because they always seem to be in flight. And when they were perched, it seemed a bit to far away. I had to use max zoom for this guy. You can just start to see how vibrant the colors could be. The 2nd and 3rd pics came from an outing a few weeks earlier. That 3rd one gives me a little chuckle as its a nice action shot of getting that itch. Again, these next 2 were about at max zoom to get.

 

[The Sicatoka]

But during the summer you're best served by grape jelly ...

... and the cheap low-end stuff (higher sugar content) is what they go through more of at my feeders.

 

[Proud2baLaker]

Looking back a few pages, some of the previous pics aren't showing up anymore. Does anyone know if this is normal? Or why that might be happening?

 

[Kepler]

Looking back a few pages, some of the previous pics aren't showing up anymore. Does anyone know if this is normal? Or why that might be happening?

Several of my recent pics posted here disappeared after a few days. I'm sure there's code that hunts and kills links that fall afoul of some rule, and I'm fine with that, but why not just block the original posting?

 

[Proud2baLaker]

Several of my recent pics posted here disappeared after a few days. I'm sure there's code that hunts and kills links that fall afoul of some rule, and I'm fine with that, but why not just block the original posting?

Looks like anything older than a month is currently gone. I have one from 5/31 still up but not one from 5/20. If that 5/31 disappears in the next few days, there would be the possible pattern I guess.

 

[Deutsche Gopher Fan]

Grape jelly, you said?

dx this you??

https://bringmethenews.com/minnesot...Z6_oCibhcaKuvth80ccZSdiupn802KXvy5g&fs=e&s=cl

 

[dxmnkd316]

Lmao. Ya got me


;-)

 

[Proud2baLaker]

Still bummed pics get removed after a while. Oh well.

Realized its been a long time since I shared some.

Today: The Black-headed Grosbeak. Native from the western plains, through the Rockies and to the Pacific coast during the breeding season and overwintering in Mexico. The striking orange on their bodies is striking against the black of the head. Both male and females will sing and both will also incubate eggs about equally. Traits not terribly common in a lot of song birds. They are one of the few birds that can eat Monarch butterflies. However, they have been observed eating them in roughly 8-day cycles, presumably to prevent and eliminate any potential buildup of toxins. During the migration I managed to finally attract some to my feeders this past spring. They appeared to mainly feed on sunflower but I think some went after the millet/milo seed as well.

This little fact from allaboutbirds.com is neat too:

• The Black-headed Grosbeak's scientific names are both well-suited. Its species name, melanocephalus, means "black-headed.” And its genus name, Pheucticus, refers either to the Greek pheuticus for "shy" or phycticus meaning "painted with cosmetics," fitting for a showy bird that forages in dense foliage.

Here I have two pics. The first is the best pic of one I have. He sat still in pretty good light to give a great view of color. The second was more shy but I got a nice framing effect through the foliage of one munching on some berries. Enjoy.

 

[leswp1]

Wow!

 

[dxmnkd316]

We had a regular oriole visitor today at the oriole feeder we put out this year. So exciting

Such a beautiful song

 

[Proud2baLaker]

If you are even a casual birder, make sure you download the Merlin app (put out by The Cornell Lab). You can upload pictures to help with ID. It also has a really cool feature where you can have it start recording bird songs on your phone and it will identify them as it hears them. Just have to have your location enabled for the app so it can make sure it knows what it should be hearing. It's been awesome and is starting to help me recognize them myself. You can mark birds as you see/hear them and add them to your life list on the app. All around just a great, fun app.

Been a while since I posted any pictures so might as well (even though they eventually disappear). With migration in full swing I have had a small flock of Lazuli Buntings in my yard regularly feeding. I have a few pics of multiple birds but they are skiddish so it has been tough to get a good pic of the flock. I did get a few nice ones last night of this guy who was fairly cooperative and perched in an open area on a tree. Trying to keep the seed they like always present in hopes they stay for a while. Last year they moved on pretty quick but I have had them around longer this year