View allAll Photos Tagged canoneosR6
Small gray heron with a white face and yellowish legs. Common around wetlands, parks, and gardens. Often solitary. When disturbed it makes a grunting cough noise as it flies away. Young birds lack the white face so beware confusion with all-grey Pacific Reef-Heron, which has chunkier legs and more uniformly dark gray belly; found along rocky coast. (eBird)
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A short stop after lunch to see what there was to see at the beach yielded nothing new for the trip, but it did give us a wonderful closeup look at this pretty heronl.
Waikuku Beach, Canterbury, New Zealand. March 2024.
Roadrunner Birding Tours.
California State University
Fullerton
More insects in the Barbados. it was breezy but I like what I got.
I took the road trip to Wyoming Friday, it was raining on and off all day, then the clouds started to break before I arrived. What a perfect timing!
Irvine Regional Park
I could hear woodpeckers everywhere at the park. Not too difficult to spot and track.
Large-headed, predominantly brown kingfisher with electric-blue back and wings, heavy red bill, and snow-white patch from the throat through the breast. Common both near and away from water; frequently seen perched on fence posts and telephone lines near wetlands, lakes, agricultural fields, and clearings. Gives jarring, raptor-like descending trills and cackles, often in flight. (eBird)
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Another common bird during our trip. The beautiful blue and brown of this lovely kingfisher made them stand out in all kinds of habitat. This one was dropping his wings a bit to try and cool off on a very hot afternoon in Singapore.
Botanic Gardens, Singapore. March 2024.
Birding Singapore.
California State
University Fullerton
I went out to see what was happening at sunset and this is what I saw. It was amazing that the sky was actually clear for a sunset in Southern California.
A medium-sized, short-tailed sparrow. Extensive plumage variation across range, but always streaky. Usually shows distinctive yellow patch in front of eye, but this can be indistinct or absent on some individuals. Some populations in California and Baja have larger bills and more muted gray streaking; others are very dark and boldly streaked. “Ipswich” Sparrow on the Atlantic Coast is paler with unique buffy-pinkish tones. Almost always found in open areas, from meadows and hayfields to tundra and coastal dunes. Tends to be found in more open habitats than Song Sparrow; also smaller and shorter-tailed. (eBird)
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Taken on the same rainy day as the Bobolinks posted recently. There were lots of Savannah Sparrows singing and calling in the rain. This one popped up on this cool dock plant to watch us pass by.
Atocas Bay Conservation Project, Alfred, Ontario, Canada. June 2024.
Eastern Ontario Birding.
Like most larks, often inconspicuous on the ground and best detected by voice. The prolonged warbling and trilling song is given in flight, often so far overhead that the bird appears as a speck, if you can even see it. On the ground, note brown streaky plumage, distinct bushy crest, and broad, diffuse paler eyering. Chunkier than pipits, and does not habitually bob its rear end. In flight shows white sides to tail and narrow white trailing edge to wings. A denizen of open country, especially rough grassland, heathland, farmland, and airports. (eBird)
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I've heard these lovely larks many times, but never expected to see one in New Zealand. Introduced into Australia and New Zealand, they are now quite widespread. This one was trying to dry off after a heavy rainfall.
Miranda Shorebird Centre, Waikato, New Zealand. February 2024.
Roadrunner Birding Tours.
Medium-sized, fairly common chickenlike marsh bird found in meadows, ditches, riversides, marshes, as well as parks and farmlands in close proximity to humans; often seen foraging in the open. Adults are dark slaty above and white below, with a rusty patch under the tail. Juvenile similar but duller in color. Remarkably variable song is a series of hooting, grunting, or rasping notes or phrases, repeated monotonously, often from an exposed perch. (eBird)
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Our North American rails are so skullky, we are thrilled just to hear them call. So, when we found these rails running all over the place in Singapore (and previously in India), we were amazed. We saw them multiple times a day in all sorts of habitat. This one was lunching at the Eco Lake in the botanic gardens.
Botanic Gardens, Singapore. March 2024.
Birding Singapore.
Large black-and-white seabird with heavy, pointed bill. Adult white with black flight feathers and central tail feathers, yellow-washed head. Feeds in spectacular fashion, plunge-diving into the ocean to capture prey. Juvenile mostly dark with many small white spots. Widespread off southern Australian coastlines and in New Zealand. Breeds in large colonies. In northern parts of range, compare Masked Booby, which has black trailing edge to inner wing, all-black tail, and heavy yellow bill. (eBird)
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The gannet colony was in full breeding action when we visited, with many juvenile and immature gannets waiting for their parents to bring home fish for lunch. Unfortunately, major flooding in 2023 closed of the trail that led closer to the colony, so we had to make do with long-distance views. Still, the number of visible birds was amazing.
Muriwai Gannet Colony, New Zealand. February 2024.
Roadrunner Birding Tours.
Breeding male is distinctive with black body, white rump, and creamy nape. Females and nonbreeders are drastically different, yellow-brown with fine streaking on breast sides, and stripes on head. Smaller than Red-winged Blackbird with shorter bill. Spiky tail feathers. In the blackbird family, although often mistaken as a sparrow. Breeds in open fields. Listen for male's bubbly song. Often in flocks during fall migration; departs early for wintering grounds in South America. (eBird)
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The field was full of singing bobolinks so, despite the rain, the day felt joyous. I've never been able to get so close to a bobolink before, but this day I crept up closely. Perhaps it was my black rain cape that made me look just like a giant bobolink :-)
Atocas Bay Conservation Project, Alfred, Ontario, Canada. June 2024.
Eastern Ontario Birding.
Lake Antorno is a mountain lake in the Dolomites, Italy at about 1866 meters above sea level. From here one has a wonderful view of the southern walls of the Drei Zinnen.
Striking and familiar backyard bird throughout most of eastern North America; also occurs in the southwestern U.S. and fairly extensively in Mexico. Crest, large red bill, and long tail render this species distinctive even with a poor view. Male is entirely red with a black face. Female is brownish overall with redder wings and tail. Usually seen in pairs or small groups near dense cover, especially thickets near forest edges. Frequently visits bird feeders. Listen for high-pitched metallic chips and series of loud, sweet whistles. (eBird)
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This sweet female was waiting for her turn at the feeders. With temperatures hovering around 0C, it was cool so she fluffed up her feathers to stay warm.
McCarthy Woods, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. January 2024.
The Franzensfeste Fortress was planned and built between 1833 and 1838, it was one of the most secure fortresses in the Alps at its time – yet was never put to the test. The 65,000-square meter fortress has a gigantic maze comprising rooms, corridors and stairs on a 20-hectare site, built out of millions of bricks and granite blocks against an enemy that never came.
Everything is frozen, so the only way to get a drink is to have some ice. Life is tough in the wild.
The Burren, County Clare, Ireland
The limestone pavement of the Burren is part of Europe’s largest karst landscape, around 530 square kilometres.
Large, long-tailed sparrow with striking head pattern. Adults have black and white stripes on the head, while immatures show brown and tan. Underparts are plain grayish without streaks. Bill color varies from yellow to pink, but always brighter than White-throated Sparrow. Breeds in brushy areas or thickets in open forest, often with conifers. In migration and winter, can be found in any brushy or weedy areas, often hopping on the ground. Visits feeders. (eBird)
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A sign of the coming winter, these sparrows only show up in Ottawa during migration. This was one of many that we saw in Northern Ontario.
Shallow Lake, South Porcupine, Ontario. September 2023.
Mirror, mirror on the wall ...
I saw this beauty at De levenstuinen van het Groot Hontschoten.
www.levenstuinen.nl/nl/de-tuin/introductie/
Bienvenue
Dans le bassin oriental du massif du Veluwe jusqu’au fleuve le IJssel, 1,6 hectares de champs de maïs et de prés ont été transformés en un ensemble de jardins extraordinaires suivant une approche philosophique: Les Jardins de Vie occidentaux selon le principe Zen.
La philosophie à la base de l’aménagement de ces jardins, attache de plus en plus les gens.
D´abord une propriete privé, en 1997 les Jardins sont devenus accessible à tous.
Ici se développe un point d’attraction naturel et touristique de haut niveau.
In dem östlichen Stromgebiet von der Veluwe-Massiv zum IJsseltal ist einem 1.6 Hektar Mais- und
Weideland, aus einer filosofischen Betrachtung, ein besonderer Gartenkomplex transformiert.
Westliche Lebensgärten in Übereinstimmung mit dem Zen Prinzip.
Das Gedankengut, auf dem diese Anlage basiert spricht immer mehr Menschen an.
Anfangs waren die Gärten privat, seit 1997 sind sie auch für das Publikum zugänglich.
Hier entwickelt sich eine touristische Sehenswürdigkeit, die Niveau hat.
nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/De_levenstuinen_van_het_Groot_Honts...
cs.wikipedia.org/wiki/De_levenstuinen_van_het_Groot_Honts...
The largest living rail in the world, endemic to New Zealand. Considered extinct until it was famously rediscovered in the Murchison Mountains in 1948. The wild population remains in the Murchison Mountains; the species has been translocated to predator-free offshore islands and mainland sanctuaries, and recently reintroduced to northwest Kahurangi National Park. Note distinct iridescent plumage, white undertail, and huge bright red conical bill that extends onto the forehead. Often heard giving a quiet hooting contact call, or a muted boom. Australasian Swamphen (Pukeko) can look similar, but Takahe are much larger, can’t fly, and have no black on wings or back. (eBird)
63 cm; stands c. 50 cm tall; male 2250–3250 (2673) g, female 1850–2600 (2268) g. (Birds of the World)
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What a thrill to see this beautiful endangered rail so early in our visit to New Zealand. Safely translocated to a predator-free island, the family is safe to roam with other native birds. Interesting to watch him using his feet to pull up and eat grass. Being in a safe environment, we could get very close to these wonderful birds.
Tiritiri Matangi, New Zealand. February 2024.
Roadrunner Birding Tours.
A small, slim endemic warbler common throughout New Zealand. Gray-brown above and paler gray to off-white below. Tail is darker, tipped with white, most noticeable in flight. Adults have a distinctive red eye. Juvenile similar, with yellow coloration and brown eyes. Male has a distinctive long, bubbling musical song. Female gives short “chirp” contact calls. More often heard than seen, this species forages for insects in the forest understory or scrub, sometimes hovering among the outer foliage and twigs. On mainland New Zealand, this is the only host species of the nest parasite Shining Bronze-Cuckoo, and so Gray Gerygone parents can be encountered feeding much larger cuckoo chicks. Despite inhabiting the same areas, distinguishable from Silvereye by slightly larger size, greener upperparts, and lack of a white eye-ring. (eBird)
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Finally, a view of the Gray Gerygone (or Gray Warbler in NZ). We heard their lovely call every day, but almost never saw one. This one was in a mixed flock of other small birds enjoying the afternoon sun. They move fast and hide well, and I got only three photographs of this bird during the entire trip!
Maori name: Riroriro
Te Anau Wildlife Centre, Southland, New Zealand. March 2024.
Roadrunner Birding Tours.
Please, no invitations to award groups or to those with large/animated comment codes.
Large, long-tailed sparrow. Usually shows a bold head pattern and contrasting white throat. Two morphs with different head colors: white-striped and tan-striped. Both morphs show a yellow patch in front of the eye, but it is more obvious on white-striped birds. Adults have a fairly plain gray-brown breast without bold streaks, but immatures can be quite streaky. Note the grayish bill, unlike White-crowned Sparrow. Breeds in coniferous or mixed forests, often near clearings. In migration and winter, can be found in woods, forest edge, thickets and shrubby fields. Whistled song often transcribed as "Old Sam Peabody" or "O Sweet Canada." Visits feeders. (eBird)
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Another visitor to the water drip and bird bath, this sparrow was more confident and basically ignored our presence. Unfortunately, he was chased away by the grackle who wanted to bathe.
Prequi'ile Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada. September 2024.
Eastern Ontario Birding.
Laguna Beach, California
I got out of the house and went to the beach to cool off and take some photos.
Very long-tailed lorikeet, mostly green but bright red chest and underwing is striking in flight. Dark hood with thick yellow border is striking. Generally in wooded lowlands but recorded to more than 2000m in some locations. Unique within its range. Similar Rainbow Lorikeet has a purple belly patch and more vibrant purple face, but the two do not overlap. Gives a series of chattering notes while perched, in flight sharp screeching squeals betray its presence. (eBird)
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We found this lovely parakeet on our last day in Singapore. He was enjoying the fruits of the tree and refused to come out into the open.
Botanic Gardens, Singapore. March 2024.
Birding Singapore.
Please, no invitations to award/forced comment groups or to those with large/animated comment codes.
The Eastern Calligrapher, is a common species of syrphid fly observed in the eastern and central United States and Canada. Syrphid flies are also known as Hover Flies or Flower Flies because the adults are frequently found hovering around flowers from which they feed on nectar and pollen. Adults are 6.1–7.6 mm (0.24–0.30 in) long. The larvae are predators of a variety of aphids and mites. (Wikipedia)
Common chicory is a somewhat woody, perennial herbaceous plant of the family Asteraceae, usually with bright blue flowers, rarely white or pink. Native to Europe, it has been introduced to the Americas and Australia. (Wikipedia)
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I've found that chicory attracts insects, so I always check them out. This flower offered up a new-to-me insect - a calligrapher fly. I've no idea why they are called that, but they are a rather pretty insect.
Greenbelt Trail 10, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. July 2024.
Large, heavily marked quail, but from a distance appears fairly plain and brown. Typically found in swampy areas with long grass. Scurries across pathways in small groups, or explodes from cover when almost underfoot. Distinctive 2-note whistle often reveals its presence. (eBird)
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We came across this little flock of quail having a dust bath in a patch of sun. Smaller than expected and reluctant to be near humans, they were nonetheless easily viewed. This was the only time that we saw them on our trip.
Tiritiri Matangi, New Zealand. February 2024.
Roadrunner Birding Tours.
Please, no invitations to award/forced comment groups or to those with large/animated comment codes.
Small, grayish-olive flycatcher; very similar to several other species. Look for relatively bold white eyeing, small bill, and frequent wing flicking. Most easily identified by voice: song is a loud “che-BEK, che-BEK” often repeated in bursts. Also gives a short, dry “whit” call. Found in a variety of wooded or shrubby habitats, often near water during breeding season. Typically solitary, often flitting around actively when foraging. (eBird)
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Empidonax flycatchers can be notoriously difficult to identify in the field. This one though announced his presence loudly all along the road. Usually difficult to see, I found this one sitting in the shade and enjoying the warmer weather.
Carden Alvar, Kawartha Lakes, Ontario, Canada. June 2025.
Irvine Regional Park
Mexican amberwing was half the size of the other dragonfly at the pond. They were so fast it was difficult to capture them.
A large, dark nectar feeder endemic to New Zealand. Easily distinguished by two curled white feather tufts (“poi”) visible on the throat. Tail and wings have blue, purple, and green iridescence. Found throughout much of New Zealand, including Auckland, Kermadec, and Chatham Islands, though mostly absent from Canterbury. Favors native forest and scrub, also venturing into suburban parks, farmland, and rural gardens. Often detected by its unique voice consisting of melodious notes intermixed with croaks, coughs, clicks, and wheezes. Also listen for its noisy whirring flight. Similar to male Eurasian Blackbird, but easily identified by its white throat feathers and iridescence. Song can be easily confused with that of a bellbird, but listen for distinct loud coughs, grunts, and wheezes in Tui song. (eBird)
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Constant companions throughout our trip! I don't think there was a day without hearing their songs. Beautiful birds with amazing plumage and their cool white collars.
Te Anau Wildlife Centre, Southland, New Zealand. March 2024.
Roadrunner Birding Tours.