Formed By Him – Camouflaged Nest

February 13, 2012 by Lee

Was sent a link to this fantastic video of how birds camouflage their nests by BBC Wildlife. This shows some of the great instinct and capabilities given to the birds by their Creator.

All the birds of the heavens made their nests in its boughs; Under its branches all the beasts of the field brought forth their young; And in its shadow all great nations made their home. (Ezekiel 31:6 NKJV)

Trust will enjoy this as well.

Another parable He put forth to them, saying: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field, which indeed is the least of all the seeds; but when it is grown it is greater than the herbs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and nest in its branches.” (Matthew 13:31-32 NKJV)

Birdwatching Trip to Viera Wetlands – February 2-3, 2012

February 11, 2012 by Lee

Alligator on bank at Viera Wetlands

We enjoyed our visit to Viera Wetlandslast week. Good thing we went then, because we are both sick this week. (Not from the trip.) But we are on the mend. “The wetlands are a popular site for birders, photographers, and eco-tourists. The entire wetland system is accessible by automobile, making the site popular among those who find the rigors of hiking trails and summer temperatures daunting. Even better, viewing the site from one’s automobile serves to screen visitors from birds and widlife, enhancing the experience.” They have 4 Cells and a Lake which have a berm around them. You drive on the berm and that gets you right up to the birds. (If they cooperate)

This was not our first visit to the wetlands, but it is 100 miles from home, so it is not something we do frequently. Other than a few different birds we have almost the same ones right here at the Circle B Bar Reserve (only 4 miles from home).

Here is a list of the birds turned in to eBird for the two days we visited the wetlands:

Hooded Merganser (Lophodytes cucullatus) with Hood up

Mottled Duck
Blue-winged Teal
Northern Shoveler
Ring-necked Duck
Hooded Merganser
Pied-billed Grebe
Wood Stork
Double-crested Cormorant
Anhinga Viera Wetlands
Great Blue Heron
Great Egret
Snowy Egret
Little Blue Heron
Tricolored Heron
White Ibis
Glossy Ibis
Black Vulture
Turkey Vulture
Osprey
Northern Harrier
Crested Caracara

Savannah Sparrow (Passerculus sandwichensis) by Lee at Viera Wetlands

Common Gallinule
American Coot
Limpkin
Sandhill Crane
Caspian Tern
Royal Tern
Belted Kingfisher
Fish Crow
Purple Martin
Tree Swallow
House Wren
European Starling
Palm Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Savannah Sparrow
Red-winged Blackbird
Eastern Meadowlark
Boat-tailed Grackle

39 total birds seen that I can identify. If I include the rest of the birds spotted there in Brevard County including the wild birds at the Zoo and Beach, then the count goes to 52. The additional birds include the Brown Pelican, Black and Turkey Vultures, Red-shouldered Hawk, Eurasian Collared Dove, Mourning Dove, Red-bellied and Downy Woodpeckers, Pine Warbler, Northern Cardinal and Brown-headed Cowbird. Other than the Caracara, Sanderling, and Ruddy Turnstone, I have seen the rest in Polk County, where we live.

Does that mean, I wouldn’t go back, NO WAY! I love going over there to the Wetlands because every time you go, there are different birds waiting for you to discover them. That is what birdwatching is all about. Also, Brevard County has the Merritt Island Wild Life Refuge and other great birding places.

There had to be well over 1,000 American Coots out there. What amazed me was how they would all huddle together in long streams of them. This was just one of the smaller groups. Some were hundred of Coots long.

American Coots at Viera Wetlands

I am not sure what this Coot did, but it appears the Northern Shovelers are escorting him out of their area.

Coot Surrounded by Shovelers at Viera Wetlands

Managed to get a close-up of a Boat-tailed Grackle sitting on a sign.

Boat-tailed Grackle (Quiscalus major) at Viera by Lee

It seemed a little dryer than on previous visits. Looks like they could use some rain. It does make an effect on what birds are present by the water levels. Was a great visit.

I know all the birds of the mountains, And the wild beasts of the field are Mine. (Psalms 50:11 NKJV)

Birds Vol 1 #2 – The Red-headed Woodpecker

February 9, 2012 by Lee

Red-headed Woodpecker (Melanerpes erythrocephalus) – Birds Illustrated

Birds Illustrated by Color Photography – Revisited

Vol 1. February, 1897 No. 2

THE RED HEADED WOODPECKER.

ERHAPS no bird in North America is more universally known than the Red Headed Woodpecker. He is found in all parts of the United States and is sometimes called, for short, by the significant name of Red Head. His tri-colored plumage, red, white and black, glossed with steel blue, is so striking and characteristic, and his predatory habits in the orchards and cornfields, and fondness for hovering along the fences, so very notorious, that almost every child is acquainted with the Red Headed Woodpecker. In the immediate neighborhood of large cities, where the old timber is chiefly cut down, he is not so frequently found. Wherever there is a deadening, however, you will find him, and in the dead tops and limbs of high trees he makes his home. Towards the mountains, particularly in the vicinity of creeks and rivers, these birds are extremely numerous, especially in the latter end of summer. It is interesting to hear them rattling on the dead leaves of trees or see them on the roadside fences, where they flit from stake to stake. We remember a tremendous and quite alarming and afterwards ludicrous rattling by one of them on some loose tin roofing on a neighbor’s house. This occurred so often that the owner, to secure peace, had the roof repaired.

They love the wild cherries, the earliest and sweetest apples, for, as is said of him, “he is so excellent a connoisseur in fruit, that whenever an apple or pear is found broached by him, it is sure to be among the ripest and best flavored. When alarmed he seizes a capital one by striking his open bill into it, and bears it off to the woods.” He eats the rich, succulent, milky young corn with voracity. He is of a gay and frolicsome disposition, and half a dozen of the fraternity are frequently seen diving and vociferating around the high dead limbs of some large trees, pursuing and playing with each other, and amusing the passerby with their gambols. He is a comical fellow, too, prying around at you from the bole of a tree or from his nesting hole therein.

Though a lover of fruit, he does more good than injury. Insects are his natural food, and form at least two thirds of his subsistence. He devours the destructive insects that penetrate the bark and body of a tree to deposit their eggs and larvae.

About the middle of May, he begins to construct his nest, which is formed in the body of large limbs of trees, taking in no material but smoothing it within to the proper shape and size. The female lays six eggs, of a pure white. The young appear about the first of June. About the middle of September the Red Heads begin to migrate to warmer climates, travelling at night time in an irregular way like a disbanded army and stopping for rest and food through the day.

The black snake is the deadly foe of the Red Head, frequently entering his nest, feeding upon the young, and remaining for days in possession.

“The eager school-boy, after hazarding his neck to reach the Woodpecker’s hole, at the triumphant moment when he thinks the nestlings his own, strips his arm, launches it down into the cavity, and grasping what he conceives to be the callow young, starts with horror at the sight of a hideous snake, almost drops from his giddy pinnacle, and retreats down the tree with terror and precipitation.”

Red-headed Woodpecker (Melanerpes erythrocephalus) ©USFWS

THE DRUMMER BIRD

My dear girls and boys:

The man who told me to keep still and look pleasant while he took my picture said I might write you a letter to send with it. You say I always keep on the other side of the tree from you. That is because someone has told you that I spoil trees, and I am afraid that you will want to punish me for it. I do not spoil trees. The trees like to have me come to visit them, for I eat the insects that are killing them. Shall I tell you how I do this?

I cling to the tree with my strong claws so sharply hooked. The pointed feathers of my tail are stiff enough to help hold me against the bark. Then my breast bone is quite flat, so that I may press close to the tree. When I am all ready you hear my r-r-rap—just like a rattle. My head goes as quickly as if it were moved by a spring. Such a strong, sharp bill makes the chips fly! The tiny tunnel I dig just reaches the insect.

Then I thrust out my long tongue. It has a sharp, horny tip, and has barbs on it too. Very tiny insects stick to a liquid like glue that covers my tongue. I suppose I must tell you that I like a taste of the ripest fruit and grain. Don’t you think I earn a little when I work so hard keeping the trees healthy?

I must tell you about the deep tunnel my mate and I cut out of a tree. It is just wide enough for us to slip into. It is not straight down, but bent, so that the rain cannot get to the bottom. There we make a nest of little chips for our five white eggs.

I should like to tell you one of the stories that some boys and girls tell about my red head. You will find it on another page of the book. Now I must fly away to peck for more bugs.

Your loving friend,
Woodpecker.

Red-headed Woodpecker (Melanerpes erythrocephalus) by Daves BirdingPix

Lee’s Addition:

If a bird’s nest happens to be before you along the way, in any tree or on the ground, with young ones or eggs, with the mother sitting on the young or on the eggs, you shall not take the mother with the young; (Deuteronomy 22:6 NKJV)

Not much to add to this one. The writer has told much about this Woodpecker. They are part of the Picadae Family in the Piciformes Order. Most woodpeckers are heard before they are found. They are either making their calls or you can hear them chipping away at the trees or “metal.”

Birds Illustrated by Color Photograhy Vol 1 February 1897 No 2 – Cover

Birds Illustrated by Color Photography – Revisited – Introduction

The above article is the first article in the monthly serial for February 1897 “designed to promote Knowledge of Bird-Live.” These include Color Photography, as they call them, today they are drawings. There are at least three Volumes that have been digitized by Project Gutenberg.

To see the whole series of – Birds Illustrated by Color Photography – Revisited

* (Information from Wikipedia and other internet sources)

Next Article – Mexican Mot Mot

Previous Article – The Swallow-Tailed Indian Roller

ABC’s of the Gospel

Links:

Red-headed Woodpecker – Wikipedia

Here are some more ads from the Birds Illustrated:

Birds Illustrated Ad – Feb

Birds Vol 1 #2 – The Swallow-tailed Indian Roller (Lilac-breasted, Racket-tailed or Abyssinian)

February 8, 2012 by Lee

Swallow-tailed Indian Roller for Birds Illustrated by Color Photography – Vol 1-2

Birds Illustrated by Color Photography – Revisited

Vol 1. February, 1897 No. 2

THE SWALLOW-TAILED INDIAN ROLLER.

WALLOW-TAILED Indian Rollers are natives of Northeastern Africa and Senegambia, and also the interior of the Niger district. The bird is so called from its way of occasionally rolling or turning over in its flight, somewhat after the fashion of a tumbler pigeon. A traveller in describing the habits of the Roller family, says:

“On the 12th of April I reached Jericho alone, and remained there in solitude for several days, during which time I had many opportunities of observing the grotesque habits of the Roller. For several successive evenings, great flocks of Rollers mustered shortly before sunset on some dona trees near the fountain, with all the noise but without the decorum of Rooks. After a volley of discordant screams, from the sound of which it derives its Arabic name of “schurkrak,” a few birds would start from their perches and commence overhead a series of somersaults. In a moment or two they would be followed by the whole flock, and these gambols would be repeated for a dozen times or more.

“Everywhere it takes its perch on some conspicuous branch or on the top of a rock, where it can see and be seen. The bare tops of the fig trees, before they put forth their leaves, are in the cultivated terraces, a particularly favorite resort. In the barren Ghor I have often watched it perched unconcernedly on a knot of gravel or marl in the plain, watching apparently for the emergence of beetles from the sand. Elsewhere I have not seen it settle on the ground.

“Like Europeans in the East, it can make itself happy without chairs and tables in the desert, but prefers a comfortable easy chair when it is to be found. Its nest I have seen in ruins, in holes in rocks, in burrows, in steep sand cliffs, but far more generally in hollow trees. The colony in the Wady Kelt used burrows excavated by themselves, and many a hole did they relinquish, owing to the difficulty of working it. So cunningly were the nests placed under a crumbling, treacherous ledge, overhanging a chasm of perhaps one or two hundred feet, that we were completely foiled in our siege. We obtained a nest of six eggs, quite fresh, in a hollow tree in Bashan, near Gadara, on the 6th of May.

“The total length of the Roller is about twelve inches. The Swallow-tailed Indian Roller, of which we present a specimen, differs from the Europeon Roller only in having the outer tail feathers elongated to an extent of several inches.”

Lee’s Addition:

Then God said, “Let the waters abound with an abundance of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the face of the firmament of the heavens.” (Genesis 1:20 NKJV)

Currently there is not a bird named the Swallow-tailed Indian Roller. Looking at the “photograph,” it appears to be either the Lilac-breasted, Racket-tailed or Abyssinian Roller. Those three have the long tails, “swallow-tail” and they all have black beaks which is typical of the Coracias Genus of the Rollers. The Coraciidae – Rollers family has two Genus, the Coracias and the Eurystomus, which has various colored beaks. None of the three exactly match that drawing, but they are close and in the same family.

”

The rollers are an Old World family, Coraciidae, of near passerine birds. The group gets its name from the aerial acrobatics some of these birds perform during courtship or territorial flights. Rollers resemble crows in size and build, and share the colourful appearance of kingfishers and bee-eaters, blues and pinkish or cinnamon browns predominating. The two inner front toes are connected, but not the outer one.

They are mainly insect eaters, with Eurystomus species taking their prey on the wing, and those of the genus Coracias diving from a perch to catch food items from on the ground, like giant shrikes.

Lilac-breasted Roller (Coracias caudatus) by BirdingPix

According to Wikipedia, “the Lilac-breasted Roller (Coracias caudatus) is a member of the roller family of birds. It is widely distributed in sub-Saharan Africa and the southern Arabian Peninsula, preferring open woodland and savanna; it is largely absent from treeless places. Usually found alone or in pairs, it perches conspicuously at the tops of trees, poles or other high vantage points from where it can spot insects, lizards, scorpions, snails, small birds and rodents moving about at ground level. Nesting takes place in a natural hole in a tree where a clutch of 2–4 eggs is laid, and incubated by both parents, who are extremely aggressive in defence of their nest, taking on raptors and other birds. During the breeding season the male will rise to great heights, descending in swoops and dives, while uttering harsh, discordant cries. The sexes are alike in coloration. Juveniles do not have the long tail feathers that adults do. It is also the national bird of Botswana.”

Racket-tailed Roller (Coracias spatulatus) ©WikiC

“The Racket-tailed Roller (Coracias spatulatus) is a species of bird in the Coraciidae family. It is found in Angola, Botswana, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

Abyssinian Roller (Coracias abyssinicus) ©WikiC

The Abyssinian Roller, Coracias abyssinicus, is a member of the roller family of birds which breeds across tropical Africa in a belt south of the Sahara, known as the Sahel. It is resident in the southern part of its range, but northern breeding populations are short-distance migrants, moving further south after the wet season.

Abyssinian Roller is striking in its strong direct flight, with the brilliant blues of the wings contrasting with the brown back and the long tail streamers trailing behind.

This is a common bird of warm open country with some trees, and has adapted to farmland and human habitation. These rollers often perch prominently on trees, posts or overhead wires, like giant shrikes, whilst watching for the large insects and rodents on which they feed. They will dash into the smoke of a forest fire for disturbed invertebrates. They are fearless, and will dive and roll at humans and other intruders.

The display of this bird is a lapwing-like display, with the twists and turns that give this group its English name. It nests in a scantily lined hole in a tree or building, and lays 3-6 eggs.

The call of Abyssinian Roller is a harsh crow-like gak sound, or a screeched aaaargh.

Birds Illustrated by Color Photograhy Vol 1 February 1897 No 2 – Cover

Birds Illustrated by Color Photography – Revisited – Introduction

To see the whole series of – Birds Illustrated by Color Photography – Revisited

(Information from Wikipedia and other internet sources)

Next Article – The Red Headed Woodpecker and The Drummer Bird

Previous Article – The Blue Jay

Gospel Message

Links:

Wikipedia – Lilac-breasted Roller–Racket-tailed Roller –Abyssinian Roller

They even had ads in the Birds Illustrated by Color Photography.

Singer Pianos Ad

Birds Vol 1 #2 – The Blue Jay

February 7, 2012 by Lee

Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata)

Birds Illustrated by Color Photography – Revisited

Vol 1. February, 1897 No. 2

THE BLUE JAY.

URING about three-fourths of the year the American Jay is an extremely tame, noisy and even obstrusive bird in its habits. As the breeding season approaches he suddenly becomes silent, preparing the nest in the most secluded parts of his native forests, and exercising all his cunning to keep it concealed. He is omniverous but is especially fond of eggs and young birds. The Jay may be regarded as eminently injurious though in spring he consumes a number of insects to atone for his sins of stealing fruit and berries in autumn. He is a professional nest robber, and other birds are as watchful of him as is a mother of her babe. He glides through the foliage of the trees so swiftly and noiselessly that his presence is scarcely suspected until he has committed some depredation. The Robin is his most wary foe, and when the Jay is found near his nest will pursue him and drive him from the neighborhood. He is as brave as he is active, however, and dashes boldly in pursuit of his more plainly attired neighbors who venture to intrude upon his domain.

The Jay has a curious antipathy toward the owl, perching on trees above it and keeping up a continual screeching. Some years ago an Ohio gentleman was presented with a magnificent specimen of the horned owl, which he kept for a time in a large tin cage. In favorable weather the cage was set out of doors, when it would soon be surrounded by Jays, much in the manner described of the Toucan, and an incessant screeching followed, to which the owl appeared indifferent. They would venture near enough to steal a portion of his food, the bars of his cage being sufficiently wide apart to admit them. On one occasion, however, he caught the tail of a Jay in his claws and left the tormentor without his proud appendage.

The Jay remains with us throughout the year. He is one of the wildest of our birds, the shyest of man, although seeing him most. He makes no regular migrations at certain seasons, but, unless disturbed, will live out his life close to his favorite haunts. His wings show him to be unfitted for extended flight.

Jays are most easily discovered in the morning about sunrise on the tops of young live oaks. Their notes are varied. Later in the day it is more difficult to find them, as they are more silent, and not so much on the tree tops as among the bushes.

The Jays breed in woods, forests, orchards, preferring old and very shady trees, placing their nests in the center against the body, or at the bifurcation of large limbs. The nest is formed of twigs and roots; the eggs are from four to six.

Blue Jay II at Bok Tower by Dan’s Pix

THE BLUE JAY.

Something glorious, something gay,
Flits and flashes this-a-way!
’Thwart the hemlock’s dusky shade,
Rich in color full displayed,
Swiftly vivid as a flame—
Blue as heaven and white as snow—
Doth this lovely creature go.
What may be his dainty name?
“Only this”—the people say—
“Saucy, chattering, scolding Jay!”

Lee’s Addition:

Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? (Matthew 6:26 NKJV)

The Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata) is a passerine bird in the family Corvidae, native to North America. It is resident through most of eastern and central United States and southern Canada, although western populations may be migratory. It breeds in both deciduous and coniferous forests, and is common near and in residential areas. It is predominately blue with a white breast and underparts, and a blue crest. It has a black, U-shaped collar around its neck and a black border behind the crest. Sexes are similar in size and plumage, and plumage does not vary throughout the year. Four subspecies of the Blue Jay are recognized.

The Blue Jay mainly feeds on nuts and seeds such as acorns, soft fruits, arthropods, and occasionally small vertebrates. It typically gleans food from trees, shrubs, and the ground, though it sometimes hawks insects from the air. It builds an open cup nest in the branches of a tree, which both sexes participate in constructing. The clutch can contain two to seven eggs, which are blueish or light brown with brown spots. Young are altricial, and are brooded by the female for 8–12 days after hatching. They may remain with their parents for one to two months before leaving the nest.

Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata) by Daves BirdingPix

The bird’s name derives from its noisy, garrulous nature, and it sometimes also called a “jaybird”.

Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata) from xeno-canto.org – Call

The Blue Jay measures 22–30 cm (9–12 in) from bill to tail and weighs 70–100 g (2.5–3.5 oz), with a wingspan of 34–43 cm (13–17 in). There is a pronounced crest on the head, a crown of feathers, which may be raised or lowered according to the bird’s mood. When excited or aggressive, the crest may be fully raised. When frightened, the crest bristles outwards, brushlike. When the bird is feeding among other jays or resting, the crest is flattened to the head.

Its plumage is lavender-blue to mid-blue in the crest, back, wings, and tail, and its face is white. The underside is off-white and the neck is collared with black which extends to the sides of the head. The wing primaries and tail are strongly barred with black, sky-blue and white. The bill, legs, and eyes are all black. Males and females are nearly identical.
As with other blue-hued birds, the Blue Jay’s coloration is not derived from pigments but is the result of light interference due to the internal structure of the feathers;[citation needed] if a blue feather is crushed, the blue disappears as the structure is destroyed. This is referred to as structural coloration.

Blue Jays have strong black bills used for cracking nuts and acorns, and for eating corn, grains and seeds, although they also eat insects such as beetles, grasshoppers, and caterpillars.

Birds Illustrated by Color Photograhy Vol 1 February 1897 No 2 – Cover

Birds Illustrated by Color Photography – Revisited – Introduction

To see the whole series of – Birds Illustrated by Color Photography – Revisited

(Information from Wikipedia and other internet sources)

Next Article – The Swallow-Tailed Indian Roller

Previous Article – Vol 1 #1 – The Golden Oriole

Wordless Birds

Links:

Xeno-canto.org

Wikipedia – Blue Jay

They even had ads in the Birds Illustrated by Color Photography.

Bicycle and Pen Ad

Ian’s Bird of the Week – Kea

January 26, 2012 by Ian

Kea (Nestor notabilis) by Ian #1

Ian’s Bird of the Week – Kea ~ by Ian Montgomery

Newsletter ~ 1/26/12

If you park near the entrance to the Homer Tunnel on the way to Milford Sound in Fiordland on the South Island of New Zealand, you are likely to be approached by one of these interesting-looking parrots.

‘Friendly-looking chap’, you might think, ‘I wonder what he’s after? Just saying Hello? Some food maybe?’. Wrong. This one, the Kea, has a one-track mind, and is only interested in destruction, or more specifically dismantling your vehicle.

Kea (Nestor notabilis) by Ian #2

Quick as a flash, it and his pals will check it out for weak spots and set to work – this one with yellow cere, lower mandible and eye-ring is a juvenile delinquent (yes, that’s snow in the background, these are tough birds). Let’s see if we can rip the roof off.

Kea (Nestor notabilis) by Ian #3

Oh well, the roof was stronger than it looked. How about the braking light above the back door, this has some promising cracks.

Kea (Nestor notabilis) by Ian #4

Meanwhile, this hardened criminal (this is an adult bird) has learnt that the rubber is more vulnerable and attacks the lining of the front door.

Kea (Nestor notabilis) by Ian #5

And don’t think you can get rid of us by just driving off. We’ll hang on grimly until we get blown off by the breeze.

Kea (Nestor notabilis) by Ian #6

Keas have the reputation of being playful, but the intensity and obsessiveness of their attacks looked anything like a game to me and more like a compulsion. In fact, their attacks did no noticeable damage even though I parked the camper there for some time so that I could look for the Rock Wrens (Bird of the Week #438). According to my field guide ‘the worst offending birds are caught and transferred to distant sites or taken into captivity’. Sounds familiar.

At one time, Keas were supposed to kill sheep, and the resulting bounty led to their persecution and decline. They have been fully protected since 1986 and the population is recovering.

Keas are quite large birds, 46cm/18in in length and weighting up to 1Kg/2.2lbs. They and their relatives the Kaka and the Kakapo comprise a taxonomically distinct lineage of New Zealand parrots not closely related to any others and usually placed either in their own family (IOC) or sub-family (Birdlife International). While the flightless Kakapo is critically endangered and the subject of an intensive rescue mission http://www.kakaporecovery.org.nz/ , the Kea is quite common in Alpine areas of the South Island and the Kaka occurs in the forests of both islands, though I failed to find it on this trip. It’s good to leave something for the next visit.

Best wishes

Ian

—

Ian Montgomery, Birdway Pty Ltd,
454 Forestry Road, Bluewater, Qld 4818
Phone: 0411 602 737 +61-411 602 737
Preferred Email: ian@birdway.com.au
Website: http://birdway.com.au

Lee’s Addition:

Sounds like you might want to keep an eye on your personal property around those birds! It is amazing how much the birds vary in their habits and diets. Every time Ian writes about his encounters with the various birds, it’s always different and interesting. Keep up the great birding, Ian, we enjoy your encounters with our avian friends around the world.

I know all the birds of the mountains, And the wild beasts of the field are Mine. (Psalms 50:11 NKJV)

See Ian’s Cockatoos & Allies and his Parrots & Allies, which are part of the Strigopidae Family. Those parrots along with the Cockatoos – Cacatuidae and Parrots – Psittacidae Families make up the Psittaciformes Order.

Redhead at Lake Morton – 1-20-12

January 23, 2012 by Lee

Saturday we headed over to Lakeland for some errands and took the cameras along. We stopped by Lake Morton to see who was there. Turned out to be quite a few interesting birds and got our third “Life Bird” of the year. This time I even was able to video it. There was a couple feeding the birds cracked corn and bread. They had quite a menagerie around them. They came from all over the Lake and we just stood there and photographed away. In amongst the Ring-necked Ducks was this Redhead. We searched all the birds, but he was the only Redhead to be found.

“The Redhead (Aythya americana) is a medium-sized diving duck, 14.5 in (37 cm) long with an 33 in (84 cm) wingspan.
The adult male has a blue bill, a red head and neck, a black breast, yellow eyes and a grey back. The adult female has a brown head and body and a darker bluish bill with a black tip.

The breeding habitat is marshes and prairie potholes in western North America. Loss of nesting habitat has led to sharply declining populations.

Females regularly lay eggs in the nests of other Redheads or other ducks, especially Canvasbacks. Redheads usually take new mates each year, starting to pair in late winter.

Following the breeding season, males go through a molt which leaves them flightless for almost a month. Before this happens, they leave their mates and move to large bodies of water, usually flying further north.

They overwinter in the southern and north-eastern United States, the Great Lakes region, northern Mexico and the Caribbean.

These birds feed mainly by diving or dabbling. They mainly eat aquatic plants” (Wikipedia)

For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and creature of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by mankind. (James 3:7 NKJV)

The people feeding these birds were practically proving this verse. Even the Great Blue Heron has come out to feed in the past.

Here is a list of all the birds I listed with eBird.org for 1-20-2012 at Lake Morton.

My Lake Morton List

Mute Swan 20 (Not even counting ones on north side of lake)
Black Swan 1
Muscovy Duck (Domestic type) 5
Mallard (Domestic type) 30 (Also at least 7 White Pekin type ducks)
Redhead 1

Ring-necked Duck 15

Ruddy Duck 1

American White Pelican 3
Great Blue Heron 1
Great Egret 2
White Ibis 18
Turkey Vulture 1
Bald Eagle 1

American Coot 40
Limpkin 2
Ring-billed Gull 10
Rock Pigeon 5
Tree Swallow 10
Boat-tailed Grackle 11

Birdwatching Adventure – Circle B Bar Reserve – 1/16/12

January 20, 2012 by Lee

Sora (Porzana carolina) by Lee at Circle B

Dan and I went over to Circle B Bar Reserve on Monday, January 16th. We had a great time birding and we got to view a “Life Bird.” (This one is for real.) See the photo above. “Life Birds” are what you call a bird species the first time you see one. We now have 3 life birds this year. The Sora seen here is the second one for the year. The first one was a Hooded Grebe on Saturday. and I spotted a third one today, a Redhead, at Lake Morton.

The Sora is a bird in the Rails, Crakes & Coots – Rallidae Family. They are 7.9-9.8 in (20-25 cm) and weigh about 1.4-4 oz (49-112 g). So they are not a large bird. I found it among the Common Gallinule and that is what help me realize that it was different and smaller. Been looking for a Sora for months out at Circle B. Knew they were there, just never found one.

Belted Kingfisher (Megaceryle alcyon) by Lee Circle B

Another highlight of our trip was finding 2 Belted Kingfishers, close-up and personal. They are hard to photograph, but this time they were showing off right in front of us. They were hovering and then diving for their food. Was great to watch them. They are in the Kingfisher – Alcedinidae Family. They are medium sized, actually we both were surprised they are as large as they are. They always appear to have a very short squatty neck. They are 11–13.8 in (28–35 cm), weigh 4.9–6 oz (140–170 g) and have a 19-22 in (48-58cm) wingspan.

Belted Kingfisher (Megaceryle alcyon) by Lee Circle B

Let all those who seek You rejoice and be glad in You; And let those who love Your salvation say continually, “Let God be magnified!” (Psalms 70:4 NKJV)

We also spotted several Alligators.

Here is the list that I turned in to eBird.org:

37 species total

Black-bellied Whistling-Duck 20

Mottled Duck 2

Blue-winged Teal 25

Ring-necked Duck 1

Ruddy Duck 2

Pied-billed Grebe 2

Wood Stork 20

Double-crested Cormorant 2

Anhinga 1

Great Blue Heron 2

Great Egret 3

Snowy Egret 6

Little Blue Heron 2

Tricolored Heron 4

Cattle Egret 15

White Ibis 25

Glossy Ibis 4

Roseate Spoonbill 3

Turkey Vulture 50

Osprey 1

Northern Harrier 1

Red-shouldered Hawk 1

Sora 1

Common Gallinule 10

American Coot 20

Limpkin 2

Sandhill Crane 6

Killdeer 1

Mourning Dove 5

Belted Kingfisher 2

Red-bellied Woodpecker 2

Tree Swallow 30

Northern Mockingbird 1

Palm Warbler 3

Yellow-rumped Warbler 1

Red-winged Blackbird 5

Boat-tailed Grackle 5

Wordless Birds

Ian’s Bird of the Week – Paradise Shelduck

January 18, 2012 by Ian

Paradise Shelduck (Tadorna variegata) by Ian 1

Ian’s Bird of the Week – Paradise Shelduck ~ by Ian Montgomery

Newsletter – 1/16/12

Shelducks are all rather splendid, so this one has to be particularly fine to earn the moniker ‘Paradise’. Interestingly, it is the white-headed female that is, I think, the more striking as in the first photo of a female having a drink (of salt water!) at Milford Sound.

Paradise Shelduck (Tadorna variegata) by Ian 2

The second photo shows the same bird stretching her wing to show us the gorgeous emerald green secondary flight feathers. Like all Shelducks, these are large ducks, averaging 63cm/25in in length and the males, averaging 1,700g/3.7lbs, are larger than the females, 1,400g/3.1lbs.

Paradise Shelduck (Tadorna variegata) by Ian 3

Meanwhile her mate, who has a dark brown head and finely patterned wing coverts, decides it’s time to go for a swim.

The males have the same black, emerald green and white wing pattern as the female as shown by this male flying along a river in the Waitaki Valley.

Paradise Shelduck (Tadorna variegata) by Ian 4

Unlike most other avian species where the female is more colourful, such as Buttonquails and Cassowaries, here there is no switching of gender roles: the female incubates the eggs while the male vigorously defends the territory from predators. Paradise Shelducks maintain pair bonds from one year to the next returning to the same territory. They are partial to both high country riverbeds and farmland and the population has benefitted from the clearing of land for pasture since European settlement.

The Paradise Shelduck is a New Zealand endemic, though a flock of 5 spent arrived on Lord Howe Island in March 1950 and remained for over a month so it is included in the official Australian list.

Best wishes

Ian

—

Ian Montgomery, Birdway Pty Ltd,
454 Forestry Road, Bluewater, Qld 4818
Phone: 0411 602 737 +61-411 602 737
Preferred Email: ian@birdway.com.au
Website: http://birdway.com.au

Lee’s Addition:

What a neat looking bird. Both the male and the female have such a clean look about them. Shelducks are part of the Anatidae – Ducks, Geese, and Swans Family. They are all in the Tadorna Genus which includes 6 Shelducks. We do not have Shelducks established here in the U.S.

And God blessed them, saying, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth.” (Genesis 1:22 ESV)

See Ian’s Shelducks on his Birdway website.

Birdwatching Adventure for January 7, 2012

January 17, 2012 by Lee

Purple Gallinule by Lee at Lake Parker 1-7-12

In the last 10 days, Dan and I have finally been able to go birdwatching. We have had three birding trips right here in Polk County.

Twice we went up to Lake Parker Park in Lakeland. We went on the 7th and again on the 14th of January. The 7th was our 1st adventure of 2012. Here is a list of what I turned in to ebird.org which is a listing service that was launched in 2002 by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and National Audubon Society to track birds. Here is the list for the January 7, 2012:

Comments: Along shore on way to park and in park

26 species (+1 other taxa)

Mallard (Domestic type) 8

Ring-necked Duck 3

Pied-billed Grebe 4

Double-crested Cormorant – Immature 4

Anhinga 5

Great Blue Heron 2

Great Egret 2

Snowy Egret 3

Cattle Egret 1

White Ibis 10

Glossy Ibis 4

Roseate Spoonbill 1

Turkey Vulture 1

Osprey 4

Red-shouldered Hawk 1

Purple Gallinule 3

Common Gallinule 5

American Coot 7

Ring-billed Gull 20

Caspian Tern 1

Belted Kingfisher 1

Downy Woodpecker 1

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 5

Palm Warbler 1

Pine Warbler 3

Yellow-rumped Warbler 2

Boat-tailed Grackle 20

American Coot showing feet by Lee LPkr

American Coots have an amazing foot structure. It’s not what you would expect but has lobed toes rather than webbed feet. Photos of foot on Google Search

Which doeth great things past finding out; yea, and wonders without number. (Job 9:10 KJV)

I also turned in the birds I saw coming and going to the park, which is 10 miles from our house:

9 species

Black Vulture 5

Turkey Vulture 10

Sandhill Crane 3

Rock Pigeon 4

Eurasian Collared-Dove 10

Mourning Dove 1

Fish Crow 50

Boat-tailed Grackle 5

House Finch 2

Palm Warbler (Mistaken Pipit) by Lee LPP

All in all, it was a great birding day. The highlight was getting a new bird for my life list of birds seen. (Update This Pipit turned out to be a Palm Warbler, NOT a life bird: We spotted an American Pipit along the shore before we arrived at the park.) We stopped because Dan had spotted a Roseate Spoonbill. The county had a fair sized alligator pinned up right there also.

Last year I saw 2 “life birds” but it took all year to find them. I am writing this on the 17th and I already have 2 to tell you about, but I will save those for the next articles.

Birdwatching Trips – Lake Parker

Birdwatching Trips

Birds Vol 1 #1 – The Golden Pheasant

January 10, 2012 by Lee

Golden Pheasant (Chrysolophus pictus)

Birds Illustrated by Color Photography – Revisited

Vol 1. January, 1897 No. 1

THE GOLDEN PHEASANT

They call me the Golden Pheasant, because I have a golden crest. It is like a king’s crown. Don’t you think my dress is beautiful enough for a king?

See the large ruff around my neck. I can raise and lower it as I please.

I am a very large bird. I am fourteen inches tall and twenty-eight inches long. I can step right over your little robins and meadow larks and blue jays and not touch them.

Sometimes people get some of our eggs and put them under an old hen. By and by little pheasants hatch out, and the hen is very good to them. She watches over them and feeds them, but they do not wish to stay with her; they like their wild life. If they are not well fed they will fly away.

I have a wife. Her feathers are beginning to grow like mine. In a few years she will look as I do. We like to have our nests by a fallen tree.

Golden Pheasant (Chrysolophus pictus) WikiC

HE well-known Chinese Pheasant, which we have named the Golden Pheasant, as well as its more sober-colored cousin, the Silver Pheasant, has its home in Eastern Asia.

China is pre-eminently the land of Pheasants; for, besides those just mentioned, several other species of the same family are found there. Japan comes next to China as a pheasant country and there are some in India.

In China the Golden Pheasant is a great favorite, not only for its splendid plumage and elegant form, but for the excellence of its flesh, which is said to surpass even that of the common pheasant. It has been introduced into Europe, but is fitted only for the aviary.

For purposes of the table it is not likely to come into general use, as there are great difficulties in the way of breeding it in sufficient numbers, and one feels a natural repugnance to the killing of so beautiful a bird for the sake of eating it. The magnificent colors belong only to the male, the female being reddish brown, spotted and marked with a darker hue. The tail of the female is short. The statement is made, however, that some hens kept for six years by Lady Essex gradually assumed an attire like that of the males.

Fly-fishers highly esteem the crest and feathers on the back of the neck of the male, as many of the artificial baits owe their chief beauty to the Golden Pheasant.

According to Latham, it is called by the Chinese Keuki, or Keukee, a word which means gold flower fowl.

Golden Pheasant (Chrysolophus pictus) Male ©© NotMicroButSoft

“A merry welcome to thee, glittering bird!
Lover of summer flowers and sunny things!
A night hath passed since my young buds have heard
The music of thy rainbow-colored wings—
Wings that flash spangles out where’er they quiver,
Like sunlight rushing o’er a river.”

Lee’s Addition:

What a beautiful bird. I am glad in 2012 that birds are not used for their feathers as much as they were back in the 1800’s. I’ve noticed in the first articles how the birds mentioned are either caged, captive, eaten or their feathers used for hats and other uses. Man was given dominion over the animals and are allowed to eat them, but I still like to see them out and about freely flying.

For You meet him with the blessings of goodness; You set a crown of pure gold upon his head. (Psalms 21:3 NKJV)

Now when He had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each having a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. (Revelation 5:8 NKJV)

The Golden Pheasant or “Chinese Pheasant”, (Chrysolophus pictus) is a gamebird of the order Galliformes (gallinaceous birds) and the family Phasianidae. It is native to forests in mountainous areas of western China but feral populations have been established in the United Kingdom and elsewhere.

The adult male is 35.4-41.3 in (90–105 cm) in length, its tail accounting for two-thirds of the total length. It is unmistakable with its golden crest and rump and bright red body. The deep orange “cape” can be spread in display, appearing as an alternating black and orange fan that covers all of the face except its bright yellow eye, with a pinpoint black pupil.

Males have a golden-yellow crest with a hint of red at the tip. The face, throat, chin, and the sides of neck are rusty tan. The wattles and orbital skin are both yellow in colour, and the ruff or cape is light orange. The upper back is green and the rest of the back and rump are golden-yellow in colour. The tertiaries are blue whereas the scapulars are dark red. Another characteristic of the male plumage is the central tail feathers which are black spotted with cinnamon as well as the tip of the tail being a cinnamon buff. The upper tail coverts are the same colour as the central tail feathers. Males also have a scarlet breast, and scarlet and light chestnut flanks and underparts. Lower legs and feet are a dull yellow.

The female (hen) is much less showy, with a duller mottled brown plumage similar to that of the female Common Pheasant. She is darker and more slender than the hen of that species, with a proportionately longer tail (half her 60–80 cm length). The female’s breast and sides are barred buff and blackish brown, and the abdomen is plain buff. She has a buff face and throat. Some abnormal females may later in their lifetime get some male plumage. Lower legs and feet are a dull yellow.

Both males and females have yellow legs and yellow bills.

Despite the male’s showy appearance, these hardy birds are very difficult to see in their natural habitat, which is dense, dark young conifer forests with sparse undergrowth. Consequently, little is known of their behaviour in the wild.

They feed on the ground on grain, leaves and invertebrates, but roost in trees at night. While they can fly, they prefer to run: but if startled they can suddenly burst upwards at great speed, with a distinctive wing sound.

The Golden Pheasant is commonly found in zoos and aviaries, but often as impure specimens that have the similar Lady Amherst’s Pheasant in their lineage. (Wikipedia)

Birds Illustrated by Color Photography – Revisited – Introduction

The above article is the third article in the monthly serial that was started in January 1897 “designed to promote Knowledge of Bird-Live.” These include Color Photography, as they call them, today they are drawings. There are at least three Volumes that have been digitized by Project Gutenberg.

To see the whole series of – Birds Illustrated by Color Photography – Revisited

(Information from Wikipedia and other internet sources)

Next Article – The Australian Grass Parrakeet

Previous Article – Mandarin Duck

Links:

Phasianidae – Pheasants, Fowl & Allies
Galliformes Order
Golden Pheasant – Wikipedia
Golden Pheasant – ARKive

Gospel Presentation

Ian’s Bird of the Week – South Island Wren/New Zealand Rockwren

January 9, 2012 by Ian

New Zealand Rockwren (Xenicus gilviventris) by Ian 1

Ian’s Bird of the Week – South Island Wren/New Zealand Rockwren ~ by Ian Montgomery

Newsletter – 1-9-12

Happy New Year! To celebrate the New Year, here is a representative of an unusual new family for the website, the New Zealand Wrens. There it is usually called the Rock Wren, though its international name is the South Island Wren, to avoid confusion with the unrelated Rock Wren of North America.

I used the Birds of New Zealand Locality Guide by Stuart Chambers to plan my trip and, in it I read: ‘The Rock Wren(Rockwren) is one of New Zealand’s rarer species and one of its more difficult birds to find. It is also one of its gems.’ This of course proved compelling and, as one of its prime sites was near the Homer Tunnel on the way to Milford Sound where I was after the Fiordland Penguin, I made an effort to find it. Compared with say the notorious Australian Grasswrens, this proved relatively easy as the birds often stand on prominent rocks in fine weather, where they bob up and down in a very endearing way, and I found a pair on the second attempt.

New Zealand Rockwren (Xenicus gilviventris) by Ian 2

Their upright stance and short tails gives them, like Pittas and Penguins, the fascinating appearance of little people and these are tiny. They measure 10cm/4in in length and the males, weighting about 16g are smaller and lighter than the females at 20g. They’re tough little birds, though, and occur only in rocky Alpine habitats above the tree-line on the South Island. the third photo shows where I found them.

New Zealand Rockwren (Xenicus gilviventris) Habitat by Ian 3

They have a flexible diet with a preference for invertebrates but also eat grass seeds and fruit. The bird in the fourth photo, has just caught a substantial grasshopper, presumably, given the season, for nestlings. The sexes differ in plumage and the green bird in the first two photos is a male. The one with the grasshopper looks browner, but I’m unsure whether that’s because it’s a female or is due to the angle of the light.

New Zealand Rockwren (Xenicus gilviventris) by Ian 4

Only two species of New Zealand Wrens – the Acanthisittidae – survive, the other being the even smaller but more widespread Rifleman http://www.birdway.com.au/acanthisittidae/rifleman/index.htm , so named because of its upward tilted bill. This family has no close relatives among the Passerines and has long baffled taxonomists as reflected in the choice of Xenicus for the Rock Wren, meaning ‘strange’ (from the same Greek word as xenophobia). Recent DNA studies suggest that they diverged from the other passerines early in their evolution and probably qualify for their own sub-order, separate from the ‘true’ song birds the Oscines, and the mainly South American Sub-Oscines (which include some Australian representatives, notably the Lyrebirds and the Pittas).

I’ve added to the website most of the new Australian species from the Sub-Antarctic and Tasmanian sections of the trip – http://www.birdway.com.au/index.htm#updates – and am now working on the New Zealand additions. To accommodate them, I’m expanding the Australian section of the website to Australasian and indicating on the Australasian thumbnails whether each species is on the Australian and/or New Zealand lists. For an example, have a look at the Stilts and Avocets: http://www.birdway.com.au/recurvirostridae/index_aus.htm . As part of this change, I’m switching the taxonomic sequence of the Australasian section from Christidis and Boles, 2008, to Birdlife International. This will simplify the overall structure and cater for New Zealand additions not covered by C & B.

Best wishes

Ian

—

Ian Montgomery, Birdway Pty Ltd,
454 Forestry Road, Bluewater, Qld 4818
Phone: 0411 602 737 +61-411 602 737
Preferred Email: ian@birdway.com.au
Website: http://birdway.com.au

Lee’s Addition:

Four inches is a very tiny bird. Looking at photo #3, I am amazed that they found that little bird. Way to go, Ian.

let the inhabitants of the rock sing, let them shout from the top of the mountains. (Isaiah 42:11b KJV)

The Rockwren is in the Acanthisittidae – New Zealand Wrens Family. They are Passeriformes Order birds. Ian uses the Birdlife International for his list, whereas this site uses the IOC list. Very little differences.

See – Ian’s Birds of the Week

Lee's Birdwatching Adventures Plus

Birdwatching from a Christian Perspective

Tag Archives: Nature

Formed By Him – Camouflaged Nest

Birdwatching Trip to Viera Wetlands – February 2-3, 2012

Birds Vol 1 #2 – The Red-headed Woodpecker

Birds Illustrated by Color Photography – Revisited

Vol 1. February, 1897 No. 2

THE RED HEADED WOODPECKER.

THE DRUMMER BIRD

Birds Vol 1 #2 – The Swallow-tailed Indian Roller (Lilac-breasted, Racket-tailed or Abyssinian)

Birds Illustrated by Color Photography – Revisited

Vol 1. February, 1897 No. 2

THE SWALLOW-TAILED INDIAN ROLLER.

Birds Vol 1 #2 – The Blue Jay

Birds Illustrated by Color Photography – Revisited

Vol 1. February, 1897 No. 2

THE BLUE JAY.

Ian’s Bird of the Week – Kea

Redhead at Lake Morton – 1-20-12

Birdwatching Adventure – Circle B Bar Reserve – 1/16/12

Ian’s Bird of the Week – Paradise Shelduck

Birdwatching Adventure for January 7, 2012

Birds Vol 1 #1 – The Golden Pheasant

Birds Illustrated by Color Photography – Revisited

Vol 1. January, 1897 No. 1

THE GOLDEN PHEASANT

Ian’s Bird of the Week – South Island Wren/New Zealand Rockwren

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Birds Illustrated by Color Photography – Revisited

Vol 1. February, 1897 No. 2

THE RED HEADED WOODPECKER.

THE DRUMMER BIRD

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Birds Illustrated by Color Photography – Revisited

Vol 1. February, 1897 No. 2

THE SWALLOW-TAILED INDIAN ROLLER.

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Birds Illustrated by Color Photography – Revisited

Vol 1. February, 1897 No. 2

THE BLUE JAY.

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Birds Illustrated by Color Photography – Revisited

Vol 1. January, 1897 No. 1

THE GOLDEN PHEASANT

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