View allAll Photos Tagged behaviour
This Robin swayed and rocked from side to side for quite a while (minutes at least) with puffed feathers and beak slightly opened, displaying to another one sitting just above it. Amazing behaviour to witness. Had never seen this before.
These guys were not playing, the dust they were kicking up , the heat haze off the path, plus a large crop, messed with things here, as did having to quickly drop to one knee and hand hold., these excuses aside, worth sharing I thought.
Taken at RSPB Titchwell, on the main path, MORE IN THE SERIES BELOW IN COMMENTS
Canon EOS-1D X
ƒ/10.0
700.0 mm
1/5000
iso 1250
Each year from late October to December, Donna Nook in Lincolnshire becomes one of the best places in the UK to witness the grey seal breeding season. This incredible natural event sees hundreds of grey seals returning to the dunes to give birth to their pups.
Female seals (cows) come ashore to deliver their adorable white-coated pups, while the much larger males (bulls) fight for dominance and the chance to mate. The pups, born with their distinctive fluffy coats, are nurtured by their mothers for about three weeks, during which they rapidly gain weight on their mother’s rich milk.
This annual spectacle draws nature lovers and photographers alike. It’s a chance to witness these amazing animals up close in their natural environment, all while respecting the conservation efforts that keep this habitat safe for them. Donna Nook’s viewing area ensures visitors can enjoy this unique experience without disturbing the seals.
Partially hidden by the foliage meant AF was difficult to say the least but luckily it snapped into focus just when I was about to give up.
St Aidan's Nature Park.
A little artistic licence for this one.
The Red Kites were circling together at one stage but I photographed them separately before combining them in Photoshop for this shot.
Lovely to be back with my favourite mountain hare Bo today. She was very hard to spot now she's turning brown. Fantastic hare.
Photographed in California - Standing, no cover
Please click on the image to view it at its largest size
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From Wikipedia: Say's phoebe (Sayornis saya) is a passerine bird in the tyrant flycatcher family. A common bird across western North America, it prefers dry, desolate areas. This bird was named for Thomas Say, the American naturalist.
The adult Say's phoebe is a barrel-chested bird with a squared-off head. It is gray-brown above with a black tail and buffy cinnamon below, becoming more orange around the vent. The tail is long and the primaries end just past the rump on resting birds. The wings seem pale in flight and resemble a female mountain bluebird. The juvenile is similar to adult, but has buffy orange to whitish wingbars and a yellow gape. Adult birds are 7.5 in (19 cm) long. They have a 13 in (33 cm) wingspan and they weigh 0.75 oz (21 g)
Distribution and habitat:
They are found year-round from western Colorado, southwest to southern California, east to the western panhandle of Texas and south through western Mexico. They breed from Alaska south through western and south central Canada, south through North Dakota, the midwest and to New Mexico and westward. They winter in the desert southwest to southern Texas and south through Mexico to northern Central America. During migration these birds can be found thousands of miles out of range. There are regular fall reports in New England, U.S and Nova Scotia, Canada.
These birds prefer dry, desolate, arid landscapes. They can be found on farmland, savanna and open woodlands, usually near water. They tend to be early migrants to the western U.S.
Behaviour and ecology:
This bird is similar to the eastern phoebe. It sallies from a perch to catch insects in mid-air. It also hovers American kestrel-like and dips its tail while perched. The Say's phoebe also likes to feed just above the water's surface. They eat insects almost exclusively, but have been known to eat berries.
Say's phoebes nest in the typical phoebe fashion. They attach their nests under bridges, canyon walls, wells and abandoned mine shafts. The nest is made by the female and is cup-shaped. It is made of grass, forbs, moss and plant fibers lined with hair and other fine materials. She lays three to seven, but usually four or five, white, mostly unmarked, eggs. Some have red spots.
Diet:
This species' diet is primarily insects. These insects include grasshoppers, flies, crickets, beetles and bees. However, it is disputed whether honey bees are actually suitable aspects of their diets. Their techniques for catching prey including taking it midair or pouncing on the insects while they are on the ground. They have also been observed to have consumed small fish at times. The diets of adult Say's Phoebes varies from that of nestlings, with the latter consuming a higher share of soft foods.
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As soon as the area was cleared of snow and I had put out small piles of oats and some cut up potatoes, carrots and apples, a few deer showed up. Later more arrived but if they aren't the early ones they miss out. (On the railing are red polls.)
Sometimes as many as a dozen deer come all at once, but that usually results in a lot of aggressive behaviour like kicking, chasing and sometimes rearing right up on their hind legs and charging. Males are most aggressive but females will try to edge out others so that their young one gets food. There is a pecking order. That is why it is best to spread the food around the area.
* I don't put out enough food to make the deer dependent on me. I only put out what I would consider 'treats'. There is one juice jug full of oats in piles. There are three or four each (not jugs) of apples, carrots and potatoes, all cut into chunks, so it looks like more.
A behavioural shot.
I saw this squirrel at a conservation area, carefully holding a piece of gravel in its mouth. After re-positioning the stone a couple times it carried it away into the brush.
This odd behaviour is the same we've seen with our backyard squirrels. Over the last 2 years some of the squirrels have taken river rock from around the water feature or from the base of the hedge. They'd either bury it in the lawn or carry it away. Two years ago they'd removed so much rock that we needed 2 bags to cover the bare spots. Crazy animals!
I have no idea why squirrels would exhibit this behaviour.
Rhinoceros Auklet RHAU (Cerorhinca monocerata)
Strait of Juan de Fuca
Salish Sea
BC
DSC_5084 - Copy
DSC_5086 etc Publication1 RHAU power dive
Prey appears to be
Pacific Sand lance (Ammodytes hexapterus) aka Needle Fish
Initially i thought this bird was working on taking off.
It was not stressed by being too close to boat or anything like that ... just seemed to want momentum for a deep dive.
1st time i have seen that behaviour
Telemonia male jumping spider courtship show, there is a female telemonia jumping spider in the opposite side! Will post the other image soon!
The Birds of Ireland: A Field Guide with Jim Wilson
Shorebirds of Ireland with Jim Wilson.
Freshwater Birds of Ireland with Jim Wilson
www.markcarmodyphotography.com
The Black-tailed Godwit (Limosa limosa) is a large, long-legged, long-billed shorebird first described by Carl Linnaeus in 1758. It is a member of the Limosa genus, the godwits. There are three subspecies, all with orange head, neck and chest in breeding plumage and dull grey-brown winter coloration, and distinctive black and white wingbar at all times.
Its breeding range stretches from Iceland through Europe and areas of central Asia. Black-tailed godwits spend winter in areas as diverse as the Indian Subcontinent, Australia, western Europe and west Africa. The species breeds in fens, lake edges, damp meadows, moorlands and bogs and uses estuaries, swamps and floods in winter; it is more likely to be found inland and on freshwater than the similar Bar-tailed Godwit. The world population is estimated to be 634,000 to 805,000 birds and is classified as Near Threatened due to a decline in numbers of around 25% in the previous 15 years.
Godwits from the Icelandic population winter mainly in the United Kingdom, Ireland, France and the Netherlands, though some fly on to Spain, Portugal and perhaps Morocco. (wikipedia)
The bird depicted is the islandica race of Black-wits that breed in Iceland and winter in Ireland. In 2004, the population size of Icelandic Black-tailed Godwits was estimated to be around 47,000 individuals. Given the continued expansion since then, it is likely that there are now around 50-60,000 Icelandic Godwits. In a site in Cork Harbour called Harper's Island Wetlands, up to 2,000 of these beautiful birds may be found in winter, making this an internationally important wintering site for this species.
This photo is of one of the largest flocks of Godwits I have seen at Poolbeg, Dublin Bay.
I spotted this little solitary bee tucked up (roosting) inside a harebell at St Cyrus Nature Reserve. I'm not sure on the ID, some sort of mining bee, I think. Any help with ID much appreciated :D
EDIT: Male gold-tailed Melitta
Shorebirds of Ireland, Freshwater Birds of Ireland and The Birds of Ireland: A Field Guide with Jim Wilson.
www.markcarmodyphotography.com
The Crested Lark, Galerida cristata, breeds across most of temperate Eurasia from Portugal to northeast China and eastern India, and in Africa south to Niger. It is non-migratory, and the sedentary nature of this species is illustrated by the fact that it is only a very rare vagrant to Ireland, despite breeding as close as northern France.
This is a common bird of dry open country and cultivation. Its food is weed seeds and insects, the latter especially in the breeding season.
This is a smallish lark, slightly larger and plumper than the Skylark. It has a long spiky erectile crest. It is greyer than the Skylark, and lacks the white wing and tail edges of that species.
In flight it shows reddish underwings. The body is mainly dark-streaked grey above and whitish below. The song is melodious and varied, with mournful whistles and mimicry included.
Some care must be taken to distinguish this lark, which has many subspecies, from its close relatives in areas where they also occur. In the west of its range the Thekla Lark, Galerida theklae, is very similar. (wikipedia)
I did not stumble upon too many Crested Lark during our family holiday in 2023 in Portugal. However, a pair were holding territory along the edge of a nature reserve close to where we were staying. They were quite skittish and best views were had across the road from them.
Shorebirds of Ireland, Freshwater Birds of Ireland and The Birds of Ireland: A Field Guide with Jim Wilson.
www.markcarmodyphotography.com
The great black-backed gull (Larus marinus) is the largest gull in the world. It is 64–79 cm (25–31 in) long with a 1.5–1.7 m (4 ft 11 in – 5 ft 7 in) wingspan and a body weight of 0.75–2.3 kg. it is a very aggressive hunter, pirate, and scavenger. It breeds on the European and North American coasts and islands of the North Atlantic and is fairly sedentary, though some move farther south or inland to large lakes or reservoirs. The adult great black-backed gull has a white head, neck and underparts, dark grey wings and back, pink legs and yellow bill.
This species can be found breeding in coastal areas from the extreme northwest portion of Russia, through much of coastal Scandinavia, on the Baltic Sea coasts, to the coasts of northwestern France, the United Kingdom and Ireland. Across the northern portion of the Atlantic, this gull is distributed in Iceland, the Faroe Islands, southern Greenland and on the Atlantic coasts of Canada and the United States.
Great black-backed gulls are opportunistic feeders, apex predators, and are very curious. They will investigate any small organism they encounter and will readily eat almost anything that they can swallow. Unlike most other Larus gulls, they are highly predatory and frequently hunt and kill any prey smaller than themselves, behaving more like a raptor than a typical larid gull. They get much of their dietary energy from scavenging, with refuse, most provided directly by humans, locally constituting more than half of their diet. (wikipedia)
The Great-black backed Gull is resident along all Irish coasts. Less frequently seen inland, usually only following storms. They follow trawlers and other fishing boats along the coast, even hitching a ride on smaller lobster and crab fishermen's boats, just like this one. This was off Dun Laoghaire, Dublin.
Matti-Jay asked for photos of her playing with the lock to the tools shed at Memorial park back in December. Bit cheeky really, I'm not sure she would have had such a grin if park maintenance turned up :)
I was delighted to note that she's wearing the flower earrings I made many moons ago that I gave her for Christmas. Boxing Day 2017.
Shorebirds of Ireland, Freshwater Birds of Ireland and The Birds of Ireland: A Field Guide with Jim Wilson.
www.markcarmodyphotography.com
There are three species: the Bohemian waxwing (B. garrulus), the Japanese waxwing (B. japonica) and the cedar waxwing (B. cedrorum). The Bohemian waxwing is a starling-sized bird. It is short-tailed, mainly brownish-grey, and has a conspicuous crest on its head. The male of the nominate subspecies has a black mask through the eye and a black throat. There is a white streak behind the bill and a white curve below the eye. The lower belly is a rich chestnut colour and there are cinnamon-coloured areas around the mask. The rump is grey and the tail ends in a bright yellow band with a broad black border above it. The wings are very distinctive; the flight feathers are black and the primaries have markings that produce a yellow stripe and white "fishhooks" on the closed wing. The adult's secondaries end in long red appendages with the sealing wax appearance that gives the bird its English name. The eyes are dark brown, the bill is mainly black, and the legs are dark grey or black. In flight, the waxwing's large flocks, long wings and short tail give some resemblance to the common starling, and its flight is similarly fast and direct. It clambers easily through bushes and trees but only shuffles on the ground.
The range of the Bohemian waxwing overlaps those of both the other members of the genus.
The Bohemian waxwing's call is a high trill sirrrr. The Bohemian waxwing has a circumpolar distribution, breeding in northern regions of Eurasia and North America.
This waxwing is migratory with much of the breeding range abandoned as the birds move south for the winter. Migration starts in September in the north of the range, a month or so later farther south. Eurasian birds normally winter from eastern Britain through northern parts of western and central Europe, Ukraine, Kazakhstan and northern China to Japan. North American breeders have a more southeasterly trend, many birds wintering in southeast Canada, with smaller numbers in the north central and northeastern US states. Birds do not usually return to the same wintering sites in successive years. One bird wintering in the Ukraine was found 6,000 km (3,700 mi) to the east in Siberia in the following year.
In some years, this waxwing irrupts south of its normal wintering areas, sometimes in huge numbers. The fruit on which the birds depend in winter varies in abundance from year to year, and in poor years, particularly those following a good crop the previous year, the flocks move farther south until they reach adequate supplies.They will stay until the food runs out and move on again. (wikipedia)
Always a pleasure seeing Waxwing. This bird was one of a flock of 50 in an industrial estate on the outskirts of Dublin city. Every few years there is a larger invasion into Ireland when the food supplies in their normal winter range is exhausted prematurely. Flocks of up to 400 Waxwings have been recorded in Ireland. This year seems to be one of those irruptive years for the species.