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The eastbound Zephyr slows to a stop on the main at Fraser for its scheduled station stop. The Zephyr often will hold here for 10-15 minutes to give passengers a chance to stretch their legs. However, running a bit behind schedule, the train will keep its stop to just five minutes this evening.
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Taken on Sunday evening in a wood in Livingston.
The common chaffinch or simply the chaffinch (Fringilla coelebs) is a common and widespread small passerine bird in the finch family. The male is brightly coloured with a blue-grey cap and rust-red underparts. The female is more subdued in colouring, but both sexes have two contrasting white wing bars and white sides to the tail. The male bird has a strong voice and sings from exposed perches to attract a mate.
The chaffinch breeds in much of Europe, across the Palearctic to Siberia and in northwestern Africa. The female builds a nest with a deep cup in the fork of a tree. The clutch is typically four or five eggs, which hatch in about 13 days. The chicks fledge in around 14 days, but are fed by both adults for several weeks after leaving the nest. Outside the breeding season, chaffinches form flocks in open countryside and forage for seeds on the ground. During the breeding season, they forage on trees for invertebrates, especially caterpillars, and feed these to their young. They are partial migrants; birds breeding in warmer regions are sedentary, while those breeding in the colder northern areas of their range winter further south.
The eggs and nestlings of the chaffinch are taken by a variety of mammalian and avian predators. Its large numbers and huge range mean that chaffinches are classed as of least concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
Life bird. Female. Hartwick Pines State Park. Near Grayling Michigan.
5/16/2015.
A story of the chase (sorry it is long-winded, but it is as much for my future remembrance as anything else):
After achieving my primary goal for Michigan in getting my lifer K1rtland's warbler, and also getting Nashv1lle warbler on territory, I turned my attention the afternoon of the 16th to attempting to get my lifer Evening Grosbeak. My first stop in this quest was a stop not far from the area I was which was a private residence with recent regular reports of Evening Grosbeaks coming to their feeders in good numbers. The wonderful host(s) informed me that they last had these birds some 5 days prior, and they suspected the birds had left to go breed further north. Bummer. I next considered my plan B. However before making a good hour's drive north to Hartwick Pines State Park I called them. I was told they had the birds at the feeders, but having learned to question a little more closely I asked if the party had personal knowledge of this for this day. The party said they would transfer me to the visitor center where the feeders were. Now I was thinking I may be saving myself two hours of driving for naught. No one answered there but I left a message of inquiry, and decided to start an hour East to Tawas Point State Park where they were having a great day with migrants, rather than go north to uncertainty. Not 5 minutes later I got that somewhat unexpected call back with confirmation that the birds had been gorging themselves at the feeders all day. Direction changed and North I go. When I get there around 230 PM there are 5 or 6 Rose-breasted Grosbeaks coming to the feeders but no signs of Evening Grosbeaks. Then the very nice lady who runs the visitor center on weekends, and who called me back on the phone, refilled the feeders. Almost immediately, as if the dinner bell had rang, a sole female Evening Grosbeak came in to feed. Quickly she was off, and I waited and waited and waited. Then there comes a time when you have to make a deal with yourself. Mine went like this. If no Evening Grosbeaks (I really wanted to see a male too) come to the feeders by 5 PM I am calling it a day. It was about 15 minutes to 5PM, and I heard an unfamiliar call in the tall trees approaching the feeders. I spotted a female then a male Evening Grosbeak. They both came not to the feeders but to the water feature below to drink. In less than a minute they were off. An image of the male is below in comments.
It was a memorable day. Next an hour's drive back South to my hotel in West Branch, an early dinner, and an early to bed, to get up early on the 17th to go to Tawas Point State Park, and hope the 17th there would rival the reports of the 16th.
Class 29000 diesel railcar set No. 29008 departs from Rosslare Europort with the 18:05 service to Dublin Connolly on Saturday 7th September 2024.
I didn't think I was going to see any trains on my September 2024 visit to Ireland so this was a bonus. It would have been nice to have got the whole train in shot but this was the best viewpoint I could find in the time available.
Taken from inside my car while traffic passed. All the colours are as recorded by the camera. I was surprised how closely the blues were to the shot below which I modified a few days earlier. Strange coincidence.
A student pilot with Training Wing 1 lands his T-45C Goshawk at NAF El Centro after an early evening training flight.
Weird stones bathing in gorgeous summer evening. Weather was warm, yet calm and top of all, mosquitos are still missing.
Temora Air Force Centenary Showcase, North American AT-6G Texan, Military Serial 51-15202, VH-YVI Taxiing for Friday Evening Practice
Evening roost around 7:30 pm, prior to the main roosting after dark. David Blais said that they start in this area but move to where the group was waiting for the final evening roost. From last year's observation at the roost after sunset, I notice that the birds are behaving the same here as as they do when they put up in the final roost at night: flying in and out after periods of perching, preening a lot, calling all the time, and many birds flying in. The advantage is that there was enough light to take photos while If you go under the trees after dark, it is too dense and dark. There were several hundred Purple Martins in these few trees. Buenavista Beach, Saskatchewan, Canada. 14 August 2016.
2025-26: Crowd 1st out of 585 in Photocrowd 'Manmade Birdhouses Outdoors' in May 2026
2023-24: Crowd 12th out of 554 entries in Photocrowd 'Manmade Birdhouses' competition in January 2024
2020-21: Scored 33rd and apparently won Crowd favorite out of 382 entries in Photocrowd's "Bird Houses" competition in May 2021.
This female evening grosbeak is not quite striking as her male counterpart but she still cuts a fine figure on a chilly morning in rural New Brunswick.