Mountain Bluebird / Sialia currucoides, male, 20 April 2018
This Bluebird arrived in Alberta back in 2018 before the snow had all melted. He probably wished he'd waited a bit longer to travel.
Continuing to post photos from my archives until I finally manage to get out for a drive. The last time I was able to go anywhere was 19 October 2023. Our weather has been mixed recently, cold with overcast days and others with some sunshine. Our snow has been melting nicely.
If I wrote a description under any previously-posted photos that were taken on the same outings as these 'new' photos posted today, I will add it under today's photos.
"Actually, these gorgeous Mountain Bluebirds have been back for a while already. Each spring, it is such a joy to see the very first splash of blue after a long, cold winter. This photo was taken on 20 April 2018, SW of the city.
In Bluebirds, the blue colour is produced by the structure of the feather - there is no blue pigment. "Tiny air pockets in the barbs of feathers can scatter incoming light, resulting in a specific, non-iridescent color. Blue colors in feathers are almost always produced in this manner. Examples include the blue feathers of Bluebirds, Indigo Buntings, Blue Jay's and Steller's Jays."
www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Mountain_Bluebird/id
www.jstor.org/discover/pgs/index?id=10.2307/4077277&i...
"A female Mountain Bluebird pays more attention to good nest sites than to attractive males. She chooses her mate solely on the basis of the location and quality of the nesting cavity he offers her—disregarding his attributes as a singer, a flier, or a looker.
A male Mountain Bluebird frequently feeds his mate while she is incubating and brooding. As the male approaches with food, the female may beg fledgling-style—with open beak, quivering wings, and begging calls. More often, she waits until her mate perches nearby, then silently flicks the wing farthest from him—a signal that usually sends him off to find her a snack.
The oldest recorded Mountain Bluebird was a female, and at least 9 years old when she was recaptured and rereleased during banding operations in Alberta in 2005. She had been banded in the same province in 1997." From AllAboutBirds.
www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Mountain_Bluebird/
On 20 April 2018, I had no choice but to go out somewhere to test a Nikon Coolpix B700. So, I took my usual short drive SW of the city to find some things that I could photograph. Not a whole lot to be found, but a group of three competing American Robins made my first stop. Later, three distant Mountain Bluebirds were in fighting mode and two of them were down on the ground in quite a vicious attack. Too far away for more than snapshots. I also stopped to watch three distant Hawks that were competing. You know what they say : "Two's company, three's a crowd".
A very cooperative American Kestrel gave me a good chance to try out the camera at different zoom distances. Cars were a different thing - and I was not on the best road for stopping, so I ended up driving the same stretch of road several times. These birds are so beautiful. I knew that this one caught something to eat, but it was timed just when another car came down the road and I needed to move on. Of course, an old barn is always a bonus, too.
The sun was shining for most of my drive, with cloud moving in towards the time I needed to leave. A stop to pick up some delicious chili was the final stop of the afternoon."
Mountain Bluebird / Sialia currucoides, male, 20 April 2018
This Bluebird arrived in Alberta back in 2018 before the snow had all melted. He probably wished he'd waited a bit longer to travel.
Continuing to post photos from my archives until I finally manage to get out for a drive. The last time I was able to go anywhere was 19 October 2023. Our weather has been mixed recently, cold with overcast days and others with some sunshine. Our snow has been melting nicely.
If I wrote a description under any previously-posted photos that were taken on the same outings as these 'new' photos posted today, I will add it under today's photos.
"Actually, these gorgeous Mountain Bluebirds have been back for a while already. Each spring, it is such a joy to see the very first splash of blue after a long, cold winter. This photo was taken on 20 April 2018, SW of the city.
In Bluebirds, the blue colour is produced by the structure of the feather - there is no blue pigment. "Tiny air pockets in the barbs of feathers can scatter incoming light, resulting in a specific, non-iridescent color. Blue colors in feathers are almost always produced in this manner. Examples include the blue feathers of Bluebirds, Indigo Buntings, Blue Jay's and Steller's Jays."
www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Mountain_Bluebird/id
www.jstor.org/discover/pgs/index?id=10.2307/4077277&i...
"A female Mountain Bluebird pays more attention to good nest sites than to attractive males. She chooses her mate solely on the basis of the location and quality of the nesting cavity he offers her—disregarding his attributes as a singer, a flier, or a looker.
A male Mountain Bluebird frequently feeds his mate while she is incubating and brooding. As the male approaches with food, the female may beg fledgling-style—with open beak, quivering wings, and begging calls. More often, she waits until her mate perches nearby, then silently flicks the wing farthest from him—a signal that usually sends him off to find her a snack.
The oldest recorded Mountain Bluebird was a female, and at least 9 years old when she was recaptured and rereleased during banding operations in Alberta in 2005. She had been banded in the same province in 1997." From AllAboutBirds.
www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Mountain_Bluebird/
On 20 April 2018, I had no choice but to go out somewhere to test a Nikon Coolpix B700. So, I took my usual short drive SW of the city to find some things that I could photograph. Not a whole lot to be found, but a group of three competing American Robins made my first stop. Later, three distant Mountain Bluebirds were in fighting mode and two of them were down on the ground in quite a vicious attack. Too far away for more than snapshots. I also stopped to watch three distant Hawks that were competing. You know what they say : "Two's company, three's a crowd".
A very cooperative American Kestrel gave me a good chance to try out the camera at different zoom distances. Cars were a different thing - and I was not on the best road for stopping, so I ended up driving the same stretch of road several times. These birds are so beautiful. I knew that this one caught something to eat, but it was timed just when another car came down the road and I needed to move on. Of course, an old barn is always a bonus, too.
The sun was shining for most of my drive, with cloud moving in towards the time I needed to leave. A stop to pick up some delicious chili was the final stop of the afternoon."