is there any pdf for gull or hawks identification, primary for the PNW of the US and Canada?
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Wow! Gorgeous picture and that is some dedication!
I cannot believe you got to see something so awesome and just as you were leaving!
A vagrant! Right at a bird feeder too!
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For me an experience I will always remember is of this woodcock. I had seen the woodcock blended into the leaves but it quickly left and I did not get a picture. For the next three days at the same time I went to the same spot. On the third day I saw the woodcock and got pictures! I have not seen one since. This was not a lifer but it was the first time seeing one in the daylight and I cannot believe I got a second chance to photograph it.
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Awesome photos! That’s some patience and dedication!
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Thank you! Yes, it does require some dedication, considering that most of the days I was out, I didn’t end up getting many photos (until that day). And, my lens kept fogging up due to the cold, which ended up ruining some northern cardinal, song sparrow, and European starling photos.
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What a shame! Hopefully you’ll be able to get more good photos!
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My house is getting remodeled so I’m staying at my mother-in-law’s place in Georgetown, TX. I’ve been going to the local parks, last weekend I hit Garey Park, and it was lit. They have a nice bird blind and there were Painted Buntings all over the place. I was there for Odonata too and found new dragonfly species which ruled, but the birding was glorious. There were some remarkably tolerant Barn Swallows about too, and lots of the usual birds in abundance, lovely to see.
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Bird of the Week Poll
Pick which bird species you want to try to find starting this Sunday
- Hawks
- Sparrows
- Warblers
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I was out on the ocean Monday, fishing in an area with a large variety of marine birds.
Horned puffin and tufted puffin swimming together
Short-tailed shearwaters feeding. Some nearby humpback whales had been stirring up some sort of little fish and these birds and the kittiwakes were all going crazy to get some.
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This has to be Alaska. Horned Puffin is pretty rare anywhere in the lower 48.
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Yep! Kachemak bay to be precise.
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Do people near you fly kites? That could be the problem.
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Not really. I’ve seen maybe one person try flying a kite here, but it rarely happens.
I recently saw a Crested Hawk Eagle. It was a rainy afternoon when suddenly my chickens started squawking very loudly. I ran out to check because a mongoose had recently taken one of them.
When I was just a few meters away, a Shikra flew away to a nearby thicket. I thought that was it and was about to turn away, when a huge bird took off from the ground right near the chickens, and sat down on a low hanging branch. I first thought that it was a Oriental Honey Buzzard, but this one seemed a little bit bigger.
Then I saw that it had a very prominent crest and brown body speckled with white. It sat there for a few seconds before flapping away. I came back and confirmed it to be a Crested Hawk Eagle, which made really angry and sad because this was a new lifer (but thankfully none of the chickens were missing). I also resolved to take the camera with me every time the chickens started squawking.
Till now, the chickens have attracted these raptors:
So if you really like Accipitridae, plan on keeping a few chickens as bait.
Also, I have noticed that Shikras team up with other bigger raptors. This is one example, maybe the Shikra and the Eagle were trying to hunt a chicken together?
Also, a year ago a Oriental Honey Buzzard pair had built a nest near my house. A pair of Brahminy Kites probably wanted that nest, because they would come in making their weird strangled-cat sounds and unnecessarily harass the Honey Buzzards. Here’s a photo of them in action:
Observation is here: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/259307943
The smaller one on the top is a triumphant Brahminy Kite, and the bigger one ducking the dive is a Oriental Honey Buzzard.
The weird thing was, however, a pair of Shikras was also involved. They used to stay near the nest and surprisingly, it seemed like they were guarding it! Once, when the Honey Buzzards had gone a little bit far away, the Kites came, streaking through the air as fast as their wings could carry them.
When they had just reached the tall tree (on which there was the nest), a Shikra darted out of the leaves, screeching at the top of its voice, ti-teev ti-teev ti-teev. And then the Honey Buzzards came, their huge wings flapping loudly. The Kites, having no option but flee, did just that.
Just so you can visualize the whole thing, Shikras: 30cm long, Brahminy Kites: 50cm long and Oriental Honey Buzzards: 65cm long, (approximately).
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I saw a lifer! The Great-horned owl. This is the first time I have seen an owl that is not the Barred owl which is very common to see. The owl flew to a few different branches and I was able to enjoy a great view!
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