View allAll Photos Tagged gray
A rare sighting on my garage roof. Came for a snack of birdseed.
Never saw one in 22 years, but I noticed that raccoons are not as abundant now A connection, perhaps?
As found at Erudina in South Australia. Dug up and transported to Gilberts Motor Museum Strathalbyn in 2020
This little guy was being dragged around by the neighbor kids,we saved him and took some really good pix in the process.
Ta Nung Valley, Da Lat, Vietnam, 21 Mar 2011. Not a rare bird for the site, but a rare bird globally, as this Da Lat endemic was only recently rediscovered in 1994. Originally known from just five specimens collected ca. 1939, it is now known from just three sites, including this one where I had 6 today. This was apparently eBird's first for this species, bringing eBird one closer to 10,000 species.
Back in April on Honeymoon Island, Florida, we spotted a Gray Catbird (Dumetella carolinensis) in a dense shrub along the Osprey Trail. I had to step back a few steps to get it in the scope (close focus is about 5 meters), and then had only seconds for a single shot before it hopped away, which is what Catbirds do. Too close to even capture the whole bird, and too quick to get a sharp photo. But still thought it was worth sharing. Catbird lore below.
Dumetella means "little thicket", and the Gray Catbird loves to forage low in tangles of brush, so hard to see. Common in the east, especially Florida in April, but we also see them in the summer in Connecticut.
Dumetella is a monotypic genus, so only the one species here. Closest relative is the Black Catbird (Melanoptila glabrirostris) of Mexico and Central America. Both are in the Mimidae family, the Mockingbirds and Thrashers, and like those cousins the catbirds have a varied vocal repertoire. Other non-related passerines have the common name "catbird", including 4 bowerbird species and 1 babbler! I'm guessing that most of them make mewing sounds like the Gray Catbird.
Catbirds are monogamous, at least seasonally, lay about 4 eggs, often have 2 clutches, and are adept at identifying and eliminating Cowbird eggs. They sound like the Brown Thrasher and Northern Mockingbird, eat insects and fruit, spend the winter in southeast U.S. and down to Central America, and are reasonably stable as far as population goes. And they are one cool bird!
(Ref: Birds of North America, online edition)
That water spout coming from the gray rock-like thing is a gray whale. We saw a tail a few times, but could never get a shot of it. I have a new respect for great photos of these whales. We were out for a couple hours and saw lots of spouts and backs coming out of the water, but it's just not easy to catch a photo of, especially from a rocking boat.
my best friend from home wrote a song about me, the lyrics made me cry
she is the sweetest and i miss her all of the time
it is ironic, she wrote one about me and our trip to the great serpent mound last week
i wrote one for her unknowingly two days ago
we are pen pals
mailing things to and fro
the internet keeping us close
the mailboxes keeping us best friends
the phone and the instant messenger keeping us in touch though we are four hours away
i love her and we are real, true friends because when we have a problem with each other we tell each other
we have gotten so, so close over the last four months
i remember her reading my zine on my bed in december
and when she was done
she just hugged me forever
and i cried a little
and she just didn't let go
she is not an affectionate person
but she did not let go
that song means the world to me because i know how much love goes into a song, into a song that you write about someone or for someone or in memory of someone
it is the most love possible
the best feelings possible
While birding in Texas, we were very fortunate to have Huck Hutchens help us refind the Gray-crowned Yellowthroat (a rare bird for the U.S.) on 2/27/15. This was just a little over a month from when Huck first discovered the fella at Estero Llano Grande State Park (Weslaco TX) on 1/24/15. Thanks Huck! (A video of the Yellowthroat singing is at www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ftsTzcuyIg )
Species: Gray-cheeked Thrush
Count: 1
Observation date: Jul 3, 2011
Location: South Padre Is.--WBC/Conv. Center/Laguna Madre Trail (LTC 035), Cameron, US-TX
Submission ID: S8516510
Photo copyright: Phyllis Hibdon
Taken on February 4, 2012 on the Harbor Breeze Cruise Gray Whale Watch off the Long Beach Coast in Long Beach, CA
I went down to the river - but didn't stay long. It was humid and buggy. The mosquitoes were terrible! I got back to the car ASAP.