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A shorebird you can see without going to the beach, Killdeer are graceful plovers common to lawns, golf courses, athletic fields, and parking lots. This time the killdeer is behaving like a typical Shorebird, searching the mud flats.
I am honored that this capture has won the second place in the November 2021 Photo Contest in Flickrology.
Some days are like this! A Bald Eagle with an attitude!! As the weather gets colder up North the migrating eagles have been spending some time with us. Always exciting when they arrive.
Okay...so yesterday was my first day birding for a couple of months. Although, sciatica remains to be a pain in the arse (literally), it was so good to drive out to the Salisbury Plain to look for some migrating whinchats. The trip was a success! Plenty of stonechat about also!!
Thank you for taking a look at my images.
We knew it was time to go to Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge as the birds are in the middle of migrating. We realized we were not the only ones with this thought as the Auto Tour had more cars than normal, and it was a weekday. There were thousands of snow geese everywhere in the preserve. So we concentrated on getting just the right picture at just the right time.
Greenfinch - Chloris chloris
The European greenfinch, or just greenfinch (Chloris chloris), is a small passerine bird in the finch family Fringillidae.
This bird is widespread throughout Europe, north Africa and south west Asia. It is mainly resident, but some northernmost populations migrate further south. The greenfinch has also been introduced into both Australia and New Zealand. In Malta, it is considered a prestigious song bird, and it has been trapped for many years. It has been domesticated, and many Maltese people breed them.
Woodland edges, farmland hedges and gardens with relatively thick vegetation are favoured for breeding. It nests in trees or bushes, laying 3 to 6 Eggs.
This species can form large flocks outside the breeding season, sometimes mixing with other finches and buntings. They feed largely on seeds, but also take berries.
The protozoal parasite Trichomonas gallinae was known to infect pigeons and raptors but beginning in Britain in 2005, carcases of dead European greenfinches and common chaffinches were found to be infected with the parasite. The disease spread and in 2008 infected carcases were found in Norway, Sweden and Finland and a year later in Germany. The spread of the disease is believed to have been mediated by chaffinches as large numbers of the birds breed in northern Europe and winter in Britain. In Britain the number of infected carcases recovered each year declined after a peak in 2006. There was a reduction in the number of greenfinches from around 4.3 million to around 2.8 million but no significant decline in the overall number of chaffinches. A similar pattern occurred in Finland where, after the arrival of the disease in 2008, there was a reduction in the number of greenfinches but only a small change in the number of chaffinches.
Greenfinch populations declined during the late 1970s and early 1980s, but increased dramatically during the 1990s. A recent decline in numbers has been linked to an outbreak of trichomonosis, a parasite-induced disease which prevents the birds from feeding properly.
Population:
UK breeding:
1,700,000 pairs
The Lapwing is the most widespread of our breeding waders and a species associated with a wide range of open country habitats. These familiar birds mark the changing of the seasons; the arrival of migrating flocks signal the onset of cold winter weather and the tumbling display flight and ‘peewit’ call note the arrival of spring.
Lapwings from the western part of continental Europe make migratory movements in early winter, with birds moving west and south to reach areas with a mild, maritime climate. Many of these birds reach Britain and Ireland from late September through into November. Some of the earliest individuals to reach our shores will carry out their annual moult here but most moult before they cross the North Sea. The flocks wintering here may number many hundreds or even thousands of birds, the numbers influenced by weather conditions on the Continent. In fact, further waves of birds may reach us if the winter weather is particularly cruel.
Cold weather, and frosty conditions in particular, see birds relocate from farmland and onto estuarine sites, where food remains accessible. Birds may also leave Britain and Ireland altogether if things get really bad, to seek out better conditions in western France and Spain.
Taken @ Kidwelly
Press L for larger view
Some migrating warblers were feeding in the dense shrubs along the creek and I was trying to catch them in good poses. Finally this one flew up close to me and I got an unobstructed shot.
Located in the foothills of the Santa Ana Mountains, Lake Mathews is surrounded with the 13,000 acre Lake Mathews Estell Mountain reserve. Home to migrating Birds, Mountain Lion, Coyote and Bald Eagle.
My favourite shot a Vireo from earlier this spring. This shot was taken through some low vegetation which is why parts of the bird are slightly blurred, I love the colours and level of detail in this shot!
i got an "ear-full" and ran with the telephoto, i managed to catch a "museum" of waxwings through the trees, they have been passing through our garden for a few weeks now .
happy sliderssunday!
enjoy your week!
♥
Was a scramble taking off the ND filter and changing settings to take this capture of the geese ... but was able to do so before they were out of the frame :)
Unlike the orange-crowned warbler that can easily hide its orange crown, the golden-crowned kinglet's golden crown is always on full display. This golden-crowned kinglet is catching gnats and no-see-ums in the wooded grove that acts like a little oasis for migrating songbirds in the open prairie habitat around here. After spending the summer in Canada's vast boreal forest, these hardy golden-crowned kinglets sometimes winter right here in Winneshiek County since they can survive temperatures to -40 F even though they are barely bigger than a hummingbird.
I don't have a dedicated macro lens at this point (and it shows), so it's the cheaper route for now. But I've enjoyed and been inspired by so much of Peter Miles' work (www.flickr.com/photos/forumcz) that I still want to try my hand and just experiment a bit nonetheless. Here we have a small colored glass figurine from my china cabinet, with a fiery border to punch the orange and red tones.
Created for KP April 2019 Contest 71.
BiG THANKS to EVERYONE for your personal comments and also your support from selected groups.
Awards are always encouraging and especially appreciated from those add my work to their collection of 'faves'.
Cheerz G
Snow Bunting - Plectrophenax Nivalis
Snow buntings are large buntings, with striking 'snowy' plumages. Males in summer have all white heads and underparts contrasting with a black mantle and wing tips. Females are a more mottled above. In autumn and winter birds develop a sandy/buff wash to their plumage and males have more mottled upperparts.
Globally, they breed around the arctic from Scandinavia to Alaska, Canada and Greenland and migrate south in winter. They are a scarce breeding species in the UK, in Scotland, making them an Amber List species. They are more widespread in winter in the north and east when residents are joined by continental birds.
They are listed under Schedule 1 of the Wildlife & Countryside Act.
The snow bunting lives in very high latitudes in the Arctic tundra. There is no apparent limit to its northern range, while the southern range is limited by the duration of daylight, which influences their reproductive activity. This species is found in the high Arctic tundra of North America, Ellesmere Island, Iceland, higher mountains of Scotland, Norway, Russia, North Greenland, Siberia, Novaya Zemlya, and Franz Josef Land. During the winter, this bird migrates to the circumglobal northern temperate zone including the south of Canada, north of the United States, north of Germany, Poland, Ukraine, and east to central Asia. During the last ice age, the snow bunting was widespread throughout continental Europe.
During the breeding period the snow bunting looks for rocky habitats in the Arctic Since the vegetation in the tundra is low growing, this bird and its nestlings are exposed to predators, and in order to ensure the survival of its offspring, the snow bunting nests in cavities in order to protect the nestlings from any threat. During this period, buntings also look for a habitat rich in vegetation such as wet sedge meadows and areas rich in dryas and lichens. In the winter, they look for open habitats such as farms and fields where they feed on seeds in the ground.
Population:
UK breeding:
60 pairs
UK wintering:
10,000-15,000 birds
The bar-headed goose (Anser indicus) is a goose that breeds in Central Asia in colonies of thousands near mountain lakes and winters in South Asia, as far south as peninsular India. It lays three to eight eggs at a time in a ground nest. It is known for the extreme altitudes it reaches when migrating across the Himalayas.
What it is doing in the central belt of Scotland is unknown
Six inches of wet snow fell the morning where we went looking for waterfowl and Sandhill Cranes. This couple was strutting a pure white field in the marsh. Made for a great high key scene with the natural minimalism landscape.
Yes - I nearly got stuck - but experienced in driving in snow.
“Black-headed Grosbeak parents fly south with worn feathers after breeding season. Their molting locations had been a mystery. The California scientists solved it with relatively inexpensive Global Positioning System (GPS) receiving devices.
They attached the 1-gm electronic devices to a leg of each grosbeak. The devices wake up every 2-6 weeks, record the GPS position and switch off. The GPS device, leg harness and leg bands weigh less than 2 g, or the equivalent of a long-distance runner carrying a laptop in a backpack. Each bird must be recaptured to download the data.” Topbirdingtours.com
She sat on the limb; so timid and watched all alone as the other birds were eating. I saw her sitting there and jumped up and found some fresh sunflower seeds and filled up the feeder to give them all easy access. I was sitting in my chair watching and soon she was right there on the feeder with the home birds eating happily. That was two days ago. I haven't seen her since. Happy Travels little bird.
Kingfisher - Alcedo Atthis
The common kingfisher (Alcedo atthis) also known as the Eurasian kingfisher, and river kingfisher, is a small kingfisher with seven subspecies recognized within its wide distribution across Eurasia and North Africa. It is resident in much of its range, but migrates from areas where rivers freeze in winter.
This sparrow-sized bird has the typical short-tailed, large-headed kingfisher profile; it has blue upperparts, orange underparts and a long bill. It feeds mainly on fish, caught by diving, and has special visual adaptations to enable it to see prey under water. The glossy white eggs are laid in a nest at the end of a burrow in a riverbank.
The female is identical in appearance to the male except that her lower mandible is orange-red with a black tip. The juvenile is similar to the adult, but with duller and greener upperparts and paler underparts. Its bill is black, and the legs are also initially black. Feathers are moulted gradually between July and November with the main flight feathers taking 90–100 days to moult and regrow. Some that moult late may suspend their moult during cold winter weather.
The flight of the kingfisher is fast, direct and usually low over water. The short rounded wings whirr rapidly, and a bird flying away shows an electric-blue "flash" down its back.
The common kingfisher is widely distributed over Europe, Asia, and North Africa, mainly south of 60°N. It is a common breeding species over much of its vast Eurasian range, but in North Africa it is mainly a winter visitor, although it is a scarce breeding resident in coastal Morocco and Tunisia. In temperate regions, this kingfisher inhabits clear, slow-flowing streams and rivers, and lakes with well-vegetated banks. It frequents scrubs and bushes with overhanging branches close to shallow open water in which it hunts. In winter it is more coastal, often feeding in estuaries or harbours and along rocky seashores. Tropical populations are found by slow-flowing rivers, in mangrove creeks and in swamps.
Like all kingfishers, the common kingfisher is highly territorial; since it must eat around 60% of its body weight each day, it is essential to have control of a suitable stretch of river. It is solitary for most of the year, roosting alone in heavy cover. If another kingfisher enters its territory, both birds display from perches, and fights may occur, in which a bird will grab the other's beak and try to hold it under water. Pairs form in the autumn but each bird retains a separate territory, generally at least 1 km (0.62 mi) long, but up to 3.5 km (2.2 mi) and territories are not merged until the spring.
Very few birds live longer than one breeding season. The oldest bird on record was 21 years.
They are also listed as a Schedule 1 species under the Wildlife and Countryside Act offering them additional protection.
Population:
UK breeding:
3,800-6,400 pairs
Several of them paused on their way down to SW Mexico for a couple of days, feeding at a large butterfly bush in the yard. I spent some time with them in the dappled light. A morning glory vine made itself a happy home in this bush over the summer... thus the flower mixture in this shot :)
2,500 - 3,000 miles they travel between southern Canada/northern US down to the forests of Mexico. Ponder that for such a delicate creature!
We get large flocks of three kind of migrants this time of year, red-winged blackbirds, grackles and starlings. These are the grackles.
Wikipedia: The red-wattled lapwing (Vanellus indicus) is an Asian lapwing or large plover, a wader in the family Charadriidae. Like other lapwings they are ground birds that are incapable of perching. It breeds from West Asia (Iraq, SW Iran, Persian Gulf) eastwards across South Asia (Baluchistan, Sri Lanka,Afghanistan, Pakistan, the entire Indian subcontinent up to Kanyakumari and up to 1800m in Kashmir/Nepal), with another sub-species further east in Southeast Asia. May migrate altitudinally in spring and autumn (e.g. in N. Baluchistan or NW Pakistan), and spreads out widely in the monsoons on creation of requisite habitats, but by and large the populations are resident.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red-wattled_lapwing
Conservation status: Least Concern
La Ceja, Colombia; Central Andes; 2.300 meters above sea level.
A young male in transitional plumage to adult. Young males acquiring adult plumage are patched with red and yellow.
The only completely red bird in North America, the strawberry-colored male Summer Tanager is an eye-catching sight against the green leaves of the forest canopy. The mustard-yellow female is harder to spot, though both sexes have a very distinctive chuckling call note. Fairly common during the summer, these birds migrate as far as the middle of South America each winter.
Many migrating whales can be seen from this location. It was also the location where captured whales were dragged up the beach to be slaughtered. Thank goodness the whales now attract admirers & not killers.
meeluppark.com/about-the-park/history-culture/european-hi...
旅するチョウ アサギマダラ 浅葱斑
* Japanese name: Asagi madara
・Scientific name: Parantica sita
* Description: Chestnut tigers are large butterflies, with a 43-65 mm wingspan and a striking blue-green marbled pattern on the wings. The body is black with white spots. Butterflies from this family (Danaidae) are also distinctive because their front legs are vestigial -- they are useless for walking. Males have a black mark on their hind wings. They fly lazily, in a laid-back manner, without really moving their wings much. Despite their large size, chestnut tigers are rarely attacked by birds, probably because their bright colors indicate they have tough bodies that taste bad.
* Food: Nectar from flowers, especially from those in the milkweed family.
* Special features: Migration. Despite their apparent laziness, chestnut tigers can fly at great altitudes and can travel huge distances. How can such a small animal travel so far? By drifting along on seasonal winds. The butterflies store fat in their abdomen to see them through the long journey. From April to June, they migrate northwards; from September to November, they return south to lay eggs. Many chestnut tigers travel 1,000 km. In an exceptional case, one marked in Hakuba in Nagano Prefecture was later found 1,784 km away on Miyako Island.
First saw Black-bellied Whistling Ducks in the Rio Grande Valley, at the very south of Texas, three years ago. Today they are in large numbers in many colonies throughout my suburb of Houston, 3.5 degrees farther north in latitude, about 385 kilometers (240 miles). Global warming? This shot was taken on my morning walk about Double Lake, Sugar Land, Texas. Notice an Egyptian Goose in the background, also a new migrant, hanging out with the ducks.
Actually, the scientific name for this Robin is rather interesting:
" Turdus migratorius".............
Regardless, it's nice to see them back here (although many do not migrate!!).
Click to enlarge for even more fun, and details!!
Thanks for looking, etc.:)
La Ceja, Colombia; Central Andes; 2.300 meters above sea level.
Piranga rubra -female- (Summer tanager / Piranga abejera)
The only completely red bird in North America, the strawberry-colored male Summer Tanager is an eye-catching sight against the green leaves of the forest canopy.
The mustard-yellow female is harder to spot, though both sexes have a very distinctive chuckling call note. Fairly common during the summer, these birds migrate as far as the middle of South America each winter.
It would have been impossible to count the number of wildebeests in this line. They were running one at a time across the road, much to the annoyance of the motorists opposite. It was not quite migration time but they were perhaps practising. It was quite a sight. Serengeti
Love the way these vibrant, little Bittersweet berries seem to be flying. Yes, they're invasive but they truly are beautiful in the Fall & Winter landscapes. (Don't you agree, Carol?) :)
Bearded Reedling - Panurus Biarmicus
Norfolk Titchwell
aka Bearded Tit. (M)
A Schedule 1 Bird.
This species is a wetland specialist, breeding colonially in large reed beds by lakes or swamps. It eats reed aphids in summer, and reed seeds in winter, its digestive system changing to cope with the very different seasonal diets.
Often having to take grit in order to help digestion.
The bearded reedling is a species of temperate Europe and Asia. It is resident, and most birds do not migrate other than eruptive or cold weather movements. It is vulnerable to hard winters, which may kill many birds. The English population of about 500 pairs is largely confined to the south and east with a small population in Leighton Moss in north Lancashire. In Ireland a handful of pairs breed in County Wexford. The largest single population in Great Britain is to be found in the reedbeds at the mouth of the River Tay in Perth and Kinross, Scotland, where there may be in excess of 250 pairs.
Other Breeding areas include Norfolk and Somerset and Alkborough Flats, lincolnshire.
Population:
UK breeding:
630 pairs
Europe:
232 - 437,000 birds
No nothing spectacular about this capture except I arrived at the lake thirty minutes before sunrise and everything was still when I started hearing faint noises and low and behold I watched literally thousands of birds far overhead flying North in V formations! It was a steady stream until sunrise. Spring indeed has arrived! ~