View allAll Photos Tagged Opportunists
EXTREMELY VOCAL, a squeaky conversational kittle-te-ker chatter delivered, found in almost every aquatic habitat. An opportunist fish feeder, diving conventionally from a perch, from the Kotu bridge in the Gambian, you would be very unlucky not to see three or four at any given time. Just love them to bits.
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THANK YOU for your visit and kind comments, the weekend is coming on strong, enjoy, but stay well and safe, God bless you..........................................Tomx
GAMBIA FEB 2019
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OPPORTUNIST feeder, diving conventionally from perch, or plunging for prey from hover, has been known to hunt shallow marine surf along sandy beaches. Found at almost every aquatic habitat, extremely vocal, a squeaky conversational kittle-te-ker delivered, you also get a lot of squabbling about the best position, and hotly contested chases over a caught fish. Love watching them, and the Kotu bridge would not be the same without them. Zoom in for more detail.
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THANK YOU for being a friend, please leave a comment, a fave and run is no good to anybody. Stay Well and Safe, God bless........................................Tomx
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JESUS LOVES YOU ! "Ask him into your life today!"
Common Buzzard - Buteo Buteo
The common buzzard (Buteo buteo) is a medium-to-large bird of prey whose range covers most of Europe and extends into Asia. Over much of its range, it is resident year-round, but birds from the colder parts of the Northern Hemisphere typically migrate south (some well into the Southern Hemisphere) for the northern winter.
This broad-winged raptor has a wide variety of plumages, and in Europe can be confused with the similar rough-legged buzzard (Buteo lagopus) and the distantly related European honey buzzard (Pernis apivorus), which mimics the common buzzard's plumage for a degree of protection from northern goshawks. The plumage can vary in Britain from almost pure white to black, but is usually shades of brown, with a pale 'necklace' of feathers.
Of the two eastern subspecies, B. b. vulpinus breeds from east Europe eastward to the Far East (including Eastern China and South Asia), excluding Japan, while B. b. menetriesi breeds in the Southern Crimea and Caucasus to northern Iran. B. b. vulpinus is a long-distance migrant, excepting some north Himalayan birds, and winters in Africa, India and southeastern Asia. In the open country favoured on the wintering grounds, steppe buzzards are often seen perched on roadside telephone poles.
The common buzzard breeds in woodlands, usually on the fringes, but favours hunting over open land. It eats mainly small mammals, and will come to carrion. A great opportunist, it adapts well to a varied diet of pheasant, rabbit, other small mammals to medium mammals, snakes and lizards, and can often be seen walking over recently ploughed fields looking for worms and insects.[citation needed] When available, common buzzards feed on their preferred prey species, field voles Microtus agrestis, in relation to their abundance. When the abundance of field voles decline, common buzzards switch to foraging on a diversity of prey items typical of farmland habitats.
Population:
UK breeding:
57,000-79,000 pairs
Ever the agile opportunist......and with the evil eye too!
On the feeders outside Titchwell reserve visitors centre.
Common Buzzard - Buteo Buteo
The common buzzard (Buteo buteo) is a medium-to-large bird of prey whose range covers most of Europe and extends into Asia. Over much of its range, it is resident year-round, but birds from the colder parts of the Northern Hemisphere typically migrate south (some well into the Southern Hemisphere) for the northern winter.
This broad-winged raptor has a wide variety of plumages, and in Europe can be confused with the similar rough-legged buzzard (Buteo lagopus) and the distantly related European honey buzzard (Pernis apivorus), which mimics the common buzzard's plumage for a degree of protection from northern goshawks. The plumage can vary in Britain from almost pure white to black, but is usually shades of brown, with a pale 'necklace' of feathers.
Of the two eastern subspecies, B. b. vulpinus breeds from east Europe eastward to the Far East (including Eastern China and South Asia), excluding Japan, while B. b. menetriesi breeds in the Southern Crimea and Caucasus to northern Iran. B. b. vulpinus is a long-distance migrant, excepting some north Himalayan birds, and winters in Africa, India and southeastern Asia. In the open country favoured on the wintering grounds, steppe buzzards are often seen perched on roadside telephone poles.
The common buzzard breeds in woodlands, usually on the fringes, but favours hunting over open land. It eats mainly small mammals, and will come to carrion. A great opportunist, it adapts well to a varied diet of pheasant, rabbit, other small mammals to medium mammals, snakes and lizards, and can often be seen walking over recently ploughed fields looking for worms and insects.[citation needed] When available, common buzzards feed on their preferred prey species, field voles Microtus agrestis, in relation to their abundance. When the abundance of field voles decline, common buzzards switch to foraging on a diversity of prey items typical of farmland habitats.
Population:
UK breeding:
57,000-79,000 pairs
Common Buzzard - Buteo Buteo
The common buzzard (Buteo buteo) is a medium-to-large bird of prey whose range covers most of Europe and extends into Asia. Over much of its range, it is resident year-round, but birds from the colder parts of the Northern Hemisphere typically migrate south (some well into the Southern Hemisphere) for the northern winter.
This broad-winged raptor has a wide variety of plumages, and in Europe can be confused with the similar rough-legged buzzard (Buteo lagopus) and the distantly related European honey buzzard (Pernis apivorus), which mimics the common buzzard's plumage for a degree of protection from northern goshawks. The plumage can vary in Britain from almost pure white to black, but is usually shades of brown, with a pale 'necklace' of feathers.
Of the two eastern subspecies, B. b. vulpinus breeds from east Europe eastward to the Far East (including Eastern China and South Asia), excluding Japan, while B. b. menetriesi breeds in the Southern Crimea and Caucasus to northern Iran. B. b. vulpinus is a long-distance migrant, excepting some north Himalayan birds, and winters in Africa, India and southeastern Asia. In the open country favoured on the wintering grounds, steppe buzzards are often seen perched on roadside telephone poles.
The common buzzard breeds in woodlands, usually on the fringes, but favours hunting over open land. It eats mainly small mammals, and will come to carrion. A great opportunist, it adapts well to a varied diet of pheasant, rabbit, other small mammals to medium mammals, snakes and lizards, and can often be seen walking over recently ploughed fields looking for worms and insects.[citation needed] When available, common buzzards feed on their preferred prey species, field voles Microtus agrestis, in relation to their abundance. When the abundance of field voles decline, common buzzards switch to foraging on a diversity of prey items typical of farmland habitats.
Population:
UK breeding:
57,000-79,000 pairs
Bit of an opportunist shot, split second only, before he dropped down to the ground to feed.
Thanks for vewing and thank you for your faves and comments
Common Buzzard - Buteo Buteo
The common buzzard (Buteo buteo) is a medium-to-large bird of prey whose range covers most of Europe and extends into Asia. Over much of its range, it is resident year-round, but birds from the colder parts of the Northern Hemisphere typically migrate south (some well into the Southern Hemisphere) for the northern winter.
This broad-winged raptor has a wide variety of plumages, and in Europe can be confused with the similar rough-legged buzzard (Buteo lagopus) and the distantly related European honey buzzard (Pernis apivorus), which mimics the common buzzard's plumage for a degree of protection from northern goshawks. The plumage can vary in Britain from almost pure white to black, but is usually shades of brown, with a pale 'necklace' of feathers.
Of the two eastern subspecies, B. b. vulpinus breeds from east Europe eastward to the Far East (including Eastern China and South Asia), excluding Japan, while B. b. menetriesi breeds in the Southern Crimea and Caucasus to northern Iran. B. b. vulpinus is a long-distance migrant, excepting some north Himalayan birds, and winters in Africa, India and southeastern Asia. In the open country favoured on the wintering grounds, steppe buzzards are often seen perched on roadside telephone poles.
The common buzzard breeds in woodlands, usually on the fringes, but favours hunting over open land. It eats mainly small mammals, and will come to carrion. A great opportunist, it adapts well to a varied diet of pheasant, rabbit, other small mammals to medium mammals, snakes and lizards, and can often be seen walking over recently ploughed fields looking for worms and insects.[citation needed] When available, common buzzards feed on their preferred prey species, field voles Microtus agrestis, in relation to their abundance. When the abundance of field voles decline, common buzzards switch to foraging on a diversity of prey items typical of farmland habitats.
Population:
UK breeding:
57,000-79,000 pairs
Common Buzzard - Buteo Buteo
The common buzzard (Buteo buteo) is a medium-to-large bird of prey whose range covers most of Europe and extends into Asia. Over much of its range, it is resident year-round, but birds from the colder parts of the Northern Hemisphere typically migrate south (some well into the Southern Hemisphere) for the northern winter.
This broad-winged raptor has a wide variety of plumages, and in Europe can be confused with the similar rough-legged buzzard (Buteo lagopus) and the distantly related European honey buzzard (Pernis apivorus), which mimics the common buzzard's plumage for a degree of protection from northern goshawks. The plumage can vary in Britain from almost pure white to black, but is usually shades of brown, with a pale 'necklace' of feathers.
Of the two eastern subspecies, B. b. vulpinus breeds from east Europe eastward to the Far East (including Eastern China and South Asia), excluding Japan, while B. b. menetriesi breeds in the Southern Crimea and Caucasus to northern Iran. B. b. vulpinus is a long-distance migrant, excepting some north Himalayan birds, and winters in Africa, India and southeastern Asia. In the open country favoured on the wintering grounds, steppe buzzards are often seen perched on roadside telephone poles.
The common buzzard breeds in woodlands, usually on the fringes, but favours hunting over open land. It eats mainly small mammals, and will come to carrion. A great opportunist, it adapts well to a varied diet of pheasant, rabbit, other small mammals to medium mammals, snakes and lizards, and can often be seen walking over recently ploughed fields looking for worms and insects.[citation needed] When available, common buzzards feed on their preferred prey species, field voles Microtus agrestis, in relation to their abundance. When the abundance of field voles decline, common buzzards switch to foraging on a diversity of prey items typical of farmland habitats.
Population:
UK breeding:
57,000-79,000 pairs
It was a beautiful and clear sunny day. It had rained the night before, leaving the ponds full of water. There were many ducks and waterfowl taking advantage of the deep water by fishing. This young Red- Tailed Hawk was eyeing all the commotion waiting for the opportune time to strike.
Common Buzzard - Buteo Buteo
The common buzzard (Buteo buteo) is a medium-to-large bird of prey whose range covers most of Europe and extends into Asia. Over much of its range, it is resident year-round, but birds from the colder parts of the Northern Hemisphere typically migrate south (some well into the Southern Hemisphere) for the northern winter.
This broad-winged raptor has a wide variety of plumages, and in Europe can be confused with the similar rough-legged buzzard (Buteo lagopus) and the distantly related European honey buzzard (Pernis apivorus), which mimics the common buzzard's plumage for a degree of protection from northern goshawks. The plumage can vary in Britain from almost pure white to black, but is usually shades of brown, with a pale 'necklace' of feathers.
Of the two eastern subspecies, B. b. vulpinus breeds from east Europe eastward to the Far East (including Eastern China and South Asia), excluding Japan, while B. b. menetriesi breeds in the Southern Crimea and Caucasus to northern Iran. B. b. vulpinus is a long-distance migrant, excepting some north Himalayan birds, and winters in Africa, India and southeastern Asia. In the open country favoured on the wintering grounds, steppe buzzards are often seen perched on roadside telephone poles.
The common buzzard breeds in woodlands, usually on the fringes, but favours hunting over open land. It eats mainly small mammals, and will come to carrion. A great opportunist, it adapts well to a varied diet of pheasant, rabbit, other small mammals to medium mammals, snakes and lizards, and can often be seen walking over recently ploughed fields looking for worms and insects.[citation needed] When available, common buzzards feed on their preferred prey species, field voles Microtus agrestis, in relation to their abundance. When the abundance of field voles decline, common buzzards switch to foraging on a diversity of prey items typical of farmland habitats.
Population:
UK breeding:
57,000-79,000 pairs
A Superb Starling is seen helping itself to what appears to be a small grasshopper. It's eyesight must be pretty good as we watched to swoop from a nearby bush to collect this meal.
As can be seen this bird is extremely colourful and as its name suggests it has a Superbly bright plumage. They were everywhere on our trip, in villages, at the roadside or like this example deep within the national parks. They occupy a range within a broad band down the east of African from Eritrea to Tanzania and like many starlings are opportunist omnivores that have a diet of seeds, fruits, insects and as seen here crops pests.
A short time near a small woodland shooting over/through a wire fence. As an opportunist, I take what I can get! The fragrance and glow from a carpet of these beauties is stunning!
Buzzard - Buteo Buteo
The common buzzard (Buteo buteo) is a medium-to-large bird of prey whose range covers most of Europe and extends into Asia. Over much of its range, it is resident year-round, but birds from the colder parts of the Northern Hemisphere typically migrate south (some well into the Southern Hemisphere) for the northern winter.
This broad-winged raptor has a wide variety of plumages, and in Europe can be confused with the similar rough-legged buzzard (Buteo lagopus) and the distantly related European honey buzzard (Pernis apivorus), which mimics the common buzzard's plumage for a degree of protection from northern goshawks. The plumage can vary in Britain from almost pure white to black, but is usually shades of brown, with a pale 'necklace' of feathers.
Of the two eastern subspecies, B. b. vulpinus breeds from east Europe eastward to the Far East (including Eastern China and South Asia), excluding Japan, while B. b. menetriesi breeds in the Southern Crimea and Caucasus to northern Iran. B. b. vulpinus is a long-distance migrant, excepting some north Himalayan birds, and winters in Africa, India and southeastern Asia. In the open country favoured on the wintering grounds, steppe buzzards are often seen perched on roadside telephone poles.
The common buzzard breeds in woodlands, usually on the fringes, but favours hunting over open land. It eats mainly small mammals, and will come to carrion. A great opportunist, it adapts well to a varied diet of pheasant, rabbit, other small mammals to medium mammals, snakes and lizards, and can often be seen walking over recently ploughed fields looking for worms and insects.[citation needed] When available, common buzzards feed on their preferred prey species, field voles Microtus agrestis, in relation to their abundance. When the abundance of field voles decline, common buzzards switch to foraging on a diversity of prey items typical of farmland habitats.
Population:
UK breeding:
57,000-79,000 pairs
Common Buzzard - Buteo Buteo
The common buzzard (Buteo buteo) is a medium-to-large bird of prey whose range covers most of Europe and extends into Asia. Over much of its range, it is resident year-round, but birds from the colder parts of the Northern Hemisphere typically migrate south (some well into the Southern Hemisphere) for the northern winter.
This broad-winged raptor has a wide variety of plumages, and in Europe can be confused with the similar rough-legged buzzard (Buteo lagopus) and the distantly related European honey buzzard (Pernis apivorus), which mimics the common buzzard's plumage for a degree of protection from northern goshawks. The plumage can vary in Britain from almost pure white to black, but is usually shades of brown, with a pale 'necklace' of feathers.
Of the two eastern subspecies, B. b. vulpinus breeds from east Europe eastward to the Far East (including Eastern China and South Asia), excluding Japan, while B. b. menetriesi breeds in the Southern Crimea and Caucasus to northern Iran. B. b. vulpinus is a long-distance migrant, excepting some north Himalayan birds, and winters in Africa, India and southeastern Asia. In the open country favoured on the wintering grounds, steppe buzzards are often seen perched on roadside telephone poles.
The common buzzard breeds in woodlands, usually on the fringes, but favours hunting over open land. It eats mainly small mammals, and will come to carrion. A great opportunist, it adapts well to a varied diet of pheasant, rabbit, other small mammals to medium mammals, snakes and lizards, and can often be seen walking over recently ploughed fields looking for worms and insects.[citation needed] When available, common buzzards feed on their preferred prey species, field voles Microtus agrestis, in relation to their abundance. When the abundance of field voles decline, common buzzards switch to foraging on a diversity of prey items typical of farmland habitats.
Population:
UK breeding:
57,000-79,000 pairs
Buzzard - Buteo Buteo
The common buzzard (Buteo buteo) is a medium-to-large bird of prey whose range covers most of Europe and extends into Asia. Over much of its range, it is resident year-round, but birds from the colder parts of the Northern Hemisphere typically migrate south (some well into the Southern Hemisphere) for the northern winter.
This broad-winged raptor has a wide variety of plumages, and in Europe can be confused with the similar rough-legged buzzard (Buteo lagopus) and the distantly related European honey buzzard (Pernis apivorus), which mimics the common buzzard's plumage for a degree of protection from northern goshawks. The plumage can vary in Britain from almost pure white to black, but is usually shades of brown, with a pale 'necklace' of feathers.
Of the two eastern subspecies, B. b. vulpinus breeds from east Europe eastward to the Far East (including Eastern China and South Asia), excluding Japan, while B. b. menetriesi breeds in the Southern Crimea and Caucasus to northern Iran. B. b. vulpinus is a long-distance migrant, excepting some north Himalayan birds, and winters in Africa, India and southeastern Asia. In the open country favoured on the wintering grounds, steppe buzzards are often seen perched on roadside telephone poles.
The common buzzard breeds in woodlands, usually on the fringes, but favours hunting over open land. It eats mainly small mammals, and will come to carrion. A great opportunist, it adapts well to a varied diet of pheasant, rabbit, other small mammals to medium mammals, snakes and lizards, and can often be seen walking over recently ploughed fields looking for worms and insects.[citation needed] When available, common buzzards feed on their preferred prey species, field voles Microtus agrestis, in relation to their abundance. When the abundance of field voles decline, common buzzards switch to foraging on a diversity of prey items typical of farmland habitats.
Population:
UK breeding:
57,000-79,000 pairs
... Sometimes Silly : )
Found this Night Heron Guarding the pond at a local park. He gave me the once-over and indicated I should “move-on, nothing to see here.”
Life is Good : )
Black-crowned Night-Herons are small herons with rather squat, thick proportions. They have thick necks, large, flat heads, and heavy, pointed bills. The legs are short and, in flight, barely reach the end of the tail. The wings are broad and rounded.
They are common in wetlands across North America, including saltmarshes, freshwater marshes, swamps, streams, rivers, lakes, ponds, lagoons, tidal mudflats, canals, reservoirs, and wet agricultural fields. They require aquatic habitat for foraging and terrestrial vegetation for cover. They spend the winter in southern and coastal portions of their breeding range as well as across Mexico and Central America.
Black-crowned Night-Herons are opportunists feeders that eat many kinds of terrestrial, freshwater, and marine animals. Their diet includes leeches, earthworms, insects, crayfish, clams, mussels, fish, amphibians, lizards, snakes, turtles, rodents, birds, and eggs. Black-crowned Night-Herons normally feed between evening and early morning, avoiding competition with other heron species that use the same habitat during the day.
Black-crowned Night-Herons nest colonially and behave socially all year long. Both males and females vigorously defend feeding and nesting territories, sometimes striking with their bills and grabbing each other’s bills or wings.
Night-herons are monogamous. The male advertises for a mate with displays that involve bowing and raising the long plume on his head. Both the male and the female incubate the eggs and brood the chicks, greeting each other with calls and raised feathers when switching over duties. The young leave the nest at the age of one month and move through the vegetation on foot, forming nocturnal flocks in feeding areas. They learn to fly when they are six weeks old, and then disperse widely.
600 mm, 1/500 @ f/7.1, ISO 800, edited to taste)
Common Buzzard - Buteo Buteo
The common buzzard (Buteo buteo) is a medium-to-large bird of prey whose range covers most of Europe and extends into Asia. Over much of its range, it is resident year-round, but birds from the colder parts of the Northern Hemisphere typically migrate south (some well into the Southern Hemisphere) for the northern winter.
This broad-winged raptor has a wide variety of plumages, and in Europe can be confused with the similar rough-legged buzzard (Buteo lagopus) and the distantly related European honey buzzard (Pernis apivorus), which mimics the common buzzard's plumage for a degree of protection from northern goshawks. The plumage can vary in Britain from almost pure white to black, but is usually shades of brown, with a pale 'necklace' of feathers.
Of the two eastern subspecies, B. b. vulpinus breeds from east Europe eastward to the Far East (including Eastern China and South Asia), excluding Japan, while B. b. menetriesi breeds in the Southern Crimea and Caucasus to northern Iran. B. b. vulpinus is a long-distance migrant, excepting some north Himalayan birds, and winters in Africa, India and southeastern Asia. In the open country favoured on the wintering grounds, steppe buzzards are often seen perched on roadside telephone poles.
The common buzzard breeds in woodlands, usually on the fringes, but favours hunting over open land. It eats mainly small mammals, and will come to carrion. A great opportunist, it adapts well to a varied diet of pheasant, rabbit, other small mammals to medium mammals, snakes and lizards, and can often be seen walking over recently ploughed fields looking for worms and insects.[citation needed] When available, common buzzards feed on their preferred prey species, field voles Microtus agrestis, in relation to their abundance. When the abundance of field voles decline, common buzzards switch to foraging on a diversity of prey items typical of farmland habitats.
Population:
UK breeding:
57,000-79,000 pairs
This solitary and immaculate looking Herring Gull was spotted high up on the cliffs at Bempton. I presume being opportunist it was waiting for something to crop up. Perhaps it was a little early for seabird chicks but with so many birds close-by I am sure that this adult bird has learnt that there will be a chance of a meal sooner or later.
I ventured out again the other morning to help Marybeth clean up the barn and noticed the barn swallows were busy flying back and forth, building their nest. As I said on the Snoopy post, I'm not big on patience with birds but I am an opportunist when it comes to photography so if birds want to be photographed well then, I'll do it! And on this morning the barn swallows wanted to be photographed. While scouting them out, I found that if I stood in the doorway I could get them on their approach to the door. Sometimes they passed over my head into the barn and sometimes they aborted and made another lap. Sometimes they would try again and sometimes they just flew around to the other side of the barn and in the open window! I thought them very clever to develop a Plan B on the fly so to speak! Trying to catch them in flight kind of failed but this was just a lucky catch that I found humorous. I think it falls under the expression, "It's good to be lucky but better to be good and lucky."
Common Buzzard - Buteo Buteo
The common buzzard (Buteo buteo) is a medium-to-large bird of prey whose range covers most of Europe and extends into Asia. Over much of its range, it is resident year-round, but birds from the colder parts of the Northern Hemisphere typically migrate south (some well into the Southern Hemisphere) for the northern winter.
This broad-winged raptor has a wide variety of plumages, and in Europe can be confused with the similar rough-legged buzzard (Buteo lagopus) and the distantly related European honey buzzard (Pernis apivorus), which mimics the common buzzard's plumage for a degree of protection from northern goshawks. The plumage can vary in Britain from almost pure white to black, but is usually shades of brown, with a pale 'necklace' of feathers.
Of the two eastern subspecies, B. b. vulpinus breeds from east Europe eastward to the Far East (including Eastern China and South Asia), excluding Japan, while B. b. menetriesi breeds in the Southern Crimea and Caucasus to northern Iran. B. b. vulpinus is a long-distance migrant, excepting some north Himalayan birds, and winters in Africa, India and southeastern Asia. In the open country favoured on the wintering grounds, steppe buzzards are often seen perched on roadside telephone poles.
The common buzzard breeds in woodlands, usually on the fringes, but favours hunting over open land. It eats mainly small mammals, and will come to carrion. A great opportunist, it adapts well to a varied diet of pheasant, rabbit, other small mammals to medium mammals, snakes and lizards, and can often be seen walking over recently ploughed fields looking for worms and insects.[citation needed] When available, common buzzards feed on their preferred prey species, field voles Microtus agrestis, in relation to their abundance. When the abundance of field voles decline, common buzzards switch to foraging on a diversity of prey items typical of farmland habitats.
Population:
UK breeding:
57,000-79,000 pairs
Never idealize others. They will never live up to your expectations. Don’t over-analyze your relationships. Stop playing games. A growing relationship can only be nurtured by genuineness. “
– Leo F. Buscaglia
Each minute spend with any of you, is a minute well spent..... Thank you very much, for being who you all are!
Nothing is worth more, than to have Friends you know are true, not only around you, to benefit from you...
So closing 2019 without toxic people, users, liars and opportunists!! ......and starting 2020 with Good honest People !!
Took a while to realize who the true Friends are, one is missing because he is busy in RL, but never the less he was here in spirit!!
Ever the opportunists, a Pelican and Silver gull hang out at a popular fishing spot. Why go to the trouble of catching fish when humans will catch them for you and share their catch. No Pelican or Gull would ever share their catch,
Common Buzzard - Buteo Buteo
The common buzzard (Buteo buteo) is a medium-to-large bird of prey whose range covers most of Europe and extends into Asia. Over much of its range, it is resident year-round, but birds from the colder parts of the Northern Hemisphere typically migrate south (some well into the Southern Hemisphere) for the northern winter.
This broad-winged raptor has a wide variety of plumages, and in Europe can be confused with the similar rough-legged buzzard (Buteo lagopus) and the distantly related European honey buzzard (Pernis apivorus), which mimics the common buzzard's plumage for a degree of protection from northern goshawks. The plumage can vary in Britain from almost pure white to black, but is usually shades of brown, with a pale 'necklace' of feathers.
Of the two eastern subspecies, B. b. vulpinus breeds from east Europe eastward to the Far East (including Eastern China and South Asia), excluding Japan, while B. b. menetriesi breeds in the Southern Crimea and Caucasus to northern Iran. B. b. vulpinus is a long-distance migrant, excepting some north Himalayan birds, and winters in Africa, India and southeastern Asia. In the open country favoured on the wintering grounds, steppe buzzards are often seen perched on roadside telephone poles.
The common buzzard breeds in woodlands, usually on the fringes, but favours hunting over open land. It eats mainly small mammals, and will come to carrion. A great opportunist, it adapts well to a varied diet of pheasant, rabbit, other small mammals to medium mammals, snakes and lizards, and can often be seen walking over recently ploughed fields looking for worms and insects.[citation needed] When available, common buzzards feed on their preferred prey species, field voles Microtus agrestis, in relation to their abundance. When the abundance of field voles decline, common buzzards switch to foraging on a diversity of prey items typical of farmland habitats.
Population:
UK breeding:
57,000-79,000 pairs
Re posting from this morning due to Usual Flickr Instability Issues.
Common Buzzard - Buteo Buteo
The common buzzard (Buteo buteo) is a medium-to-large bird of prey whose range covers most of Europe and extends into Asia. Over much of its range, it is resident year-round, but birds from the colder parts of the Northern Hemisphere typically migrate south (some well into the Southern Hemisphere) for the northern winter.
This broad-winged raptor has a wide variety of plumages, and in Europe can be confused with the similar rough-legged buzzard (Buteo lagopus) and the distantly related European honey buzzard (Pernis apivorus), which mimics the common buzzard's plumage for a degree of protection from northern goshawks. The plumage can vary in Britain from almost pure white to black, but is usually shades of brown, with a pale 'necklace' of feathers.
Of the two eastern subspecies, B. b. vulpinus breeds from east Europe eastward to the Far East (including Eastern China and South Asia), excluding Japan, while B. b. menetriesi breeds in the Southern Crimea and Caucasus to northern Iran. B. b. vulpinus is a long-distance migrant, excepting some north Himalayan birds, and winters in Africa, India and southeastern Asia. In the open country favoured on the wintering grounds, steppe buzzards are often seen perched on roadside telephone poles.
The common buzzard breeds in woodlands, usually on the fringes, but favours hunting over open land. It eats mainly small mammals, and will come to carrion. A great opportunist, it adapts well to a varied diet of pheasant, rabbit, other small mammals to medium mammals, snakes and lizards, and can often be seen walking over recently ploughed fields looking for worms and insects.[citation needed] When available, common buzzards feed on their preferred prey species, field voles Microtus agrestis, in relation to their abundance. When the abundance of field voles decline, common buzzards switch to foraging on a diversity of prey items typical of farmland habitats.
Population:
UK breeding:
57,000-79,000 pairs
After the poor immature eagle featured a few photos back dropped its fish in the rocks after losing its balance on a perch, a few old friends showed up within minutes... the dam, along with a large eagle population, also boasts a healthy population of Black Vultures, which can be seen quite easily, especially when sunning in the morning. A small group of the birds glided across the river, landed on the rocks, and promptly began to feast on the catch while the immature eagle defeatedly looked on. Better luck next time, kiddo.
This member of the Corvids Family is the official bird of the Yukon Territory. It is well known for its ability to solve problems, learn quite quickly and adapt to new circumstances rather easily. These abilities help this species feel right at home in a wide variety of habitats.
They feed on small crustaceans, fish, rodents, fruit, grain, garbage, will raid nests and also consumes a lot of carrion.
The Common Raven was once a common sight in every corner of Ontario but their numbers were greatly reduced with poisoning, hunting and shooting campaigns.
Pair bonds with this species are lifelong relationships enduring food shortages, harsh environmental climates and raising young together.
This birds partner is in close proximity where they are both searching for food.
Wikipedia: The Great Hornbill (Buceros bicornis) also known as the concave-casqued hornbill, great Indian hornbill or great pied hornbill, is one of the larger members of the hornbill family. It is found in the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia. Its impressive size and color have made it important in many tribal cultures and rituals. The great hornbill is long-lived, living for nearly 50 years in captivity. It is predominantly frugivorous, but is an opportunist and will prey on small mammals, reptiles and birds.
Great hornbills are found in the forests of India, Bhutan, Nepal, Mainland Southeast Asia, Indonesian Island of Sumatra and North eastern region of India. The distribution of the species is fragmented over its range in the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia. In the subcontinent they are found in a few forest areas in the Western Ghats and in the forests along the Himalayas. Deforestation has reduced their range in many parts of India such as in the Kolli hills where they were recorded in the 1860s. Their distribution extends into Thailand, Burma, Malaya, and Sumatra. A small feral population is found in Singapore. Their habitat is dense old growth (unlogged) forests in hilly regions. They appear to be dependent on large stretches of rain forests, unlike many of the smaller hornbills.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_hornbill
Conservation status: Vulnerable
This is the third and final member of the Carcara family that I found At Dinner Island Wildlife Management Area in Hendry County, Florida.
Related to the typical falcons, but very different in shape and habits. The Crested Caracara is a strikingly patterned, broad-winged opportunist that often feeds on carrion. Aggressive, it may chase vultures away from road kills. Widespread in the American tropics, it enters our area only near the Mexican border and in Florida. "Caracara" comes from a South American Indian name, based on the bird's call.
An opportunist, hunting and scavenging in a variety of ways. Often hunts by flying low, taking small animals by surprise. Flies along highways early in morning, searching for road kills. May steal food from other birds. May scratch on the ground for insects, or dig up turtle eggs.
Diet includes rabbits, ground squirrels, skunks, various birds (plus their eggs and young), frogs, snakes, lizards, turtles, young alligators, fish, large insects.
The sun was setting when I stopped to take a few shots across the river. Ever the opportunists, half a dozen Pelicans appeared as if by magic. For the Pelicans it was their last chance to get some free food. For me it was my last chance to get a shot of half a dozen Pelicans.
The best I could do under difficult lighting conditions in the early morning with heavy clouds. I've seen these fantastic hornbills before, but only in flight. I was so thrilled to see this pair sitting in a fig tree. There were also around twenty brown and pied hornbills flying in and out of the tree gorging themselves with figs.
Wikipedia: The great hornbill (Buceros bicornis), also known as the concave-casqued hornbill, great Indian hornbill or great pied hornbill, is one of the larger members of the hornbill family. It is found in the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia. Its impressive size and color have made it important in many tribal cultures and rituals. The great hornbill is long-lived, living for nearly 50 years in captivity. It is predominantly frugivorous, but is an opportunist and will prey on small mammals, reptiles and birds.
The great hornbill is a large bird, 95–130 cm (37–51 in) long, with a 152 cm (60 in) wingspan and a weight of 2 to 4 kg (4.4 to 8.8 lb). The average weight of 7 males is 3 kg (6.6 lb) whereas that of 3 females is 2.59 kg (5.7 lb). It is the heaviest, but not the longest, Asian hornbill. Females are smaller than males and have bluish-white instead of red eyes, although the orbital skin is pinkish. Like other hornbills, they have prominent "eyelashes".
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_hornbill
Conservation status: Vulnerable
RKO_3821. From the archives!
I am staying at home since Dutch Government imposed their restrictions! Wishing you all strength and stay safe!
Copyright: Robert Kok. All rights reserved!
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I ventured out again the other morning to help Marybeth clean up the barn and noticed the barn swallows were busy flying back and forth, building their nest. As I said on the Snoopy post, I'm not big on patience with birds but I am an opportunist when it comes to photography so if birds want to be photographed well then, I'll do it! And on this morning the barn swallows wanted to be photographed. Here's a more traditional perspective that shows off its beautiful colors! Love the beautiful blues like the Tree Swallows have. If you look in the catchlight you can see the doorway to the barn that I'm standing in.
A large, dark jay of evergreen forests in the mountainous West. Steller’s Jays are common in forest wildernesses but are also fixtures of campgrounds, parklands, and backyards, where they are quick to spy bird feeders as well as unattended picnic items.
When patrolling the woods, Steller’s Jays stick to the high canopy, but you’ll hear their harsh, scolding calls if they’re nearby. Graceful and almost lazy in flight, they fly with long swoops on their broad, rounded wings.
Steller’s Jays eat insects, seeds, berries, nuts, small animals, eggs, and nestlings. Around people, they also eat garbage, unguarded picnic items, and feeder fare such as peanuts, sunflower seeds, and suet. With large nuts such as acorns and pinyon pine seeds, Steller’s Jays carry several at a time in their mouth and throat, then bury them one by one as a winter food store. Steller’s Jays are opportunists and will steal food from other birds or look for handouts from people.
Nikon D500, 300/4.0 + TC1.4, 1/500 @ f/8.0, ISO 640
This Cooper's Hawk saw a lot to whet his appetite with all of the birds that made a stop in our woods during migration.
Another Pic found while sloshing around in my 2015 archives. Guess that's why my computer's hard-drives are constantly smoking... they're bloated with images that I want to get to... someday. Well todays the day for this one : )
Black-crowned Night-Herons are small herons with rather squat, thick proportions. They have thick necks, large, flat heads, and heavy, pointed bills. The legs are short and, in flight, barely reach the end of the tail. The wings are broad and rounded.
They are common in wetlands across North America, including saltmarshes, freshwater marshes, swamps, streams, rivers, lakes, ponds, lagoons, tidal mudflats, canals, reservoirs, and wet agricultural fields. They require aquatic habitat for foraging and terrestrial vegetation for cover. They spend the winter in southern and coastal portions of their breeding range as well as across Mexico and Central America.
Black-crowned Night-Herons are opportunists feeders that eat many kinds of terrestrial, freshwater, and marine animals. Their diet includes leeches, earthworms, insects, crayfish, clams, mussels, fish, amphibians, lizards, snakes, turtles, rodents, birds, and eggs. Black-crowned Night-Herons normally feed between evening and early morning, avoiding competition with other heron species that use the same habitat during the day.
Black-crowned Night-Herons nest colonially and behave socially all year long. Both males and females vigorously defend feeding and nesting territories, sometimes striking with their bills and grabbing each other’s bills or wings. Night-herons are monogamous. The male advertises for a mate with displays that involve bowing and raising the long plume on his head. Both the male and the female incubate the eggs and brood the chicks, greeting each other with calls and raised feathers when switching over duties. The young leave the nest at the age of one month and move through the vegetation on foot, forming nocturnal flocks in feeding areas. They learn to fly when they are six weeks old, and then disperse widely.
(Nikon, 200-500/5.6, 1/1600 @ f/8, ISO 1600)
The distinctive Crested Caracara “combines the raptorial instincts of the eagle with the base carrion-feeding habits of the vulture”. Called ignoble, miserable, and aggressive, yet also dashing, stately, and noble, this medium-sized raptor, with its bold black-and-white plumage and bright yellow-orange face and legs, is easily recognizable as it perches conspicuously on a high point in the landscape. In flight it can be distinguished by its regular, powerful wing-beats as it cruises low across the ground or just above the treetops. Known locally in some areas as the “Mexican buzzard”, the Crested Caracara is an opportunist and is commonly seen walking about open fields, pastures, and road edges, feeding on a variety of invertebrate and vertebrate prey, as well as on carrion, often in the company of other avian scavengers. The name “caracara” is said to be of Guarani Indian origin, traro-traro, derived from the unusual rattling vocalization that the bird utters when agitated.
While the Crested Caracara ranges from northern Mexico to Tierra del Fuego, in the United States it occurs only along the southern border, primarily in Texas and Arizona and occasionally in coastal areas of other Gulf states, and in Florida, where there is an isolated population in the south-central peninsula.
I found this one along Canoe Creek Road in Osceola County, Florida.
Waiting patiently on the garden fence, a female King Parrot (Alisterus scapularis) shows her true colours as a consummate opportunist..
Noisy and gregarious, these cheerful exploiters of man's rubbish and wastefulness have managed to colonise most of the world. The ultimate avian opportunist perhaps. Monitoring suggests a severe decline in the UK house sparrow population, recently estimated as dropping by 71 per cent between 1977 and 2008 with substantial declines in both rural and urban populations. While the decline in England continues, Breeding Bird Survey data indicate recent population increases in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Common Buzzard - Buteo Buteo
The common buzzard (Buteo buteo) is a medium-to-large bird of prey whose range covers most of Europe and extends into Asia. Over much of its range, it is resident year-round, but birds from the colder parts of the Northern Hemisphere typically migrate south (some well into the Southern Hemisphere) for the northern winter.
This broad-winged raptor has a wide variety of plumages, and in Europe can be confused with the similar rough-legged buzzard (Buteo lagopus) and the distantly related European honey buzzard (Pernis apivorus), which mimics the common buzzard's plumage for a degree of protection from northern goshawks. The plumage can vary in Britain from almost pure white to black, but is usually shades of brown, with a pale 'necklace' of feathers.
Of the two eastern subspecies, B. b. vulpinus breeds from east Europe eastward to the Far East (including Eastern China and South Asia), excluding Japan, while B. b. menetriesi breeds in the Southern Crimea and Caucasus to northern Iran. B. b. vulpinus is a long-distance migrant, excepting some north Himalayan birds, and winters in Africa, India and southeastern Asia. In the open country favoured on the wintering grounds, steppe buzzards are often seen perched on roadside telephone poles.
The common buzzard breeds in woodlands, usually on the fringes, but favours hunting over open land. It eats mainly small mammals, and will come to carrion. A great opportunist, it adapts well to a varied diet of pheasant, rabbit, other small mammals to medium mammals, snakes and lizards, and can often be seen walking over recently ploughed fields looking for worms and insects.[citation needed] When available, common buzzards feed on their preferred prey species, field voles Microtus agrestis, in relation to their abundance. When the abundance of field voles decline, common buzzards switch to foraging on a diversity of prey items typical of farmland habitats.
Population:
UK breeding:
57,000-79,000 pairs
The Northern caracara or Crested caracara, previously called Audubon's caracara, is a bird of prey that belongs to the family Falconidae. Though in the same family as the typical falcons, it is very different both in shape and habits. Crested caracara are strikingly patterned, broad-winged opportunists that often feed on carrion. "Caracara" is based on the call of the bird and is from a South American Indian word.
Common Buzzard - Buteo Buteo
The common buzzard (Buteo buteo) is a medium-to-large bird of prey whose range covers most of Europe and extends into Asia. Over much of its range, it is resident year-round, but birds from the colder parts of the Northern Hemisphere typically migrate south (some well into the Southern Hemisphere) for the northern winter.
This broad-winged raptor has a wide variety of plumages, and in Europe can be confused with the similar rough-legged buzzard (Buteo lagopus) and the distantly related European honey buzzard (Pernis apivorus), which mimics the common buzzard's plumage for a degree of protection from northern goshawks. The plumage can vary in Britain from almost pure white to black, but is usually shades of brown, with a pale 'necklace' of feathers.
Of the two eastern subspecies, B. b. vulpinus breeds from east Europe eastward to the Far East (including Eastern China and South Asia), excluding Japan, while B. b. menetriesi breeds in the Southern Crimea and Caucasus to northern Iran. B. b. vulpinus is a long-distance migrant, excepting some north Himalayan birds, and winters in Africa, India and southeastern Asia. In the open country favoured on the wintering grounds, steppe buzzards are often seen perched on roadside telephone poles.
The common buzzard breeds in woodlands, usually on the fringes, but favours hunting over open land. It eats mainly small mammals, and will come to carrion. A great opportunist, it adapts well to a varied diet of pheasant, rabbit, other small mammals to medium mammals, snakes and lizards, and can often be seen walking over recently ploughed fields looking for worms and insects.[citation needed] When available, common buzzards feed on their preferred prey species, field voles Microtus agrestis, in relation to their abundance. When the abundance of field voles decline, common buzzards switch to foraging on a diversity of prey items typical of farmland habitats.
Population:
UK breeding:
57,000-79,000 pairs