Bird Tales – The Woodpeckers Bird Band

November 16, 2013 by Lee

Hairy Woodpecker (Picoides villosus) by Daves BirdingPix

The Woodpeckers Bird Band

The Woodpecker family were around on various trees drumming, drumming on the bark. Mr. Hairy Woodpecker, Mr. Downy Woodpecker, and Mr. Red-Headed Woodpecker were hard at work.

Downy Woodpecker (Picoides pubescens) by Raymond Barlow

“Let’s start a band,” suggested Mr. Hairy Woodpecker.

Red-headed Woodpecker (Melanerpes erythrocephalus) ©USFWS

“What’s that you say?” asked Mr. Red-Headed Woodpecker, who had been so busy at work that he had not heard what Mr. Hairy Woodpecker had been suggesting. “A band,” repeated Mr. Hairy Woodpecker. “What sort of a band?” asked Mr. Red-Headed Woodpecker. “In the first place,” continued Mr. Hairy Woodpecker, “our bills are not only fine tools for the work we have to do getting the insects from the trees, and burrowing for our nests, but they would be splendid to use in beating the drums in a band.” “Where would we get the drums?” asked Mr. Red-Headed Woodpecker. “The trees, of course, you silly!” said Mr. Hairy Woodpecker. “Oh yes, yes,” agreed Mr. Red-Headed Woodpecker. And Mr. Downy Woodpecker said, “Of course, of course. The trees will be our drums.”

American Goldfinch (Carduelis tristis) on Thistle by Fenton

“We’ll get the other birds,” said Mr. Hairy Woodpecker, “to help us. We need something in a band besides the drums. We will ask the goldfinches, the mocking-birds, the bobolinks, the phœbe and chickadee families, all of the warbler and vireo families, and the robins of course. Then I think we’ll ask the orioles, the whippoorwills, the thrush family, and the song sparrows.”

Carolina Chickadee (Poecile carolinensis) by Daves BirdingPix

“Oh,” said Mr. Downy Woodpecker, “that will make a perfect band. We’d better get started right away.” And the woodpeckers began to practise. They made such a noise that the birds came from far and near to see what they were doing. Mr. Sapsucker, Mr. Crested Woodpecker, and Mr. Flicker Woodpecker had all joined in beating the drums too!

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (Sphyrapicus varius) by Raymond Barlow

“Why are you making so much noise?” asked the birds as they flew around to the nearby trees to talk to the woodpeckers. “Oh,” said Mr. Hairy Woodpecker, “we were just going to ask you all to join our band. We will beat the drums.”

American Robin (Turdus migratorius) by Daves BirdingPix

“And just what do you want us to do?” asked Mr. Robin Redbreast, who was always eager to help. “You must all sing.”

Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia) by J Fenton

“But we all sing differently,” chirped a song sparrow. “We know different tunes and different songs.” “Oh,” said Mr. Hairy Woodpecker, “I never thought about that. But never mind, you can have little parts to sing alone, and other choruses where you will all sing together. I’m sure it will be a very fine band after we have practised.” And they began pounding the drums again. “Well,” said Mr. Robin Redbreast, “if the bird band isn’t to be the finest in the land, at least we’ll make a cheerful noise!”

Bobolink (Dolichonyx oryzivorus) by J Fenton

* Another Bird Tale From

Daddy’s Bedtime Bird Stories – Gutenberg ebooks

Mary Graham Bonner

With four illustrations in color by Florence Choate and Elizabeth Curtis

These stories first appeared in the American Press Association Service and the Western Newspaper Union.

Many of the sketches in this volume are the work of Rebecca McCann, creator of the “Cheerful Cherub,” etc.

Daddy’s Bedtime Bird Stories by Mary Graham Bonner – 1917

Lee’s Addition:

Psalms 98:4-8 KJV (4) Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all the earth: make a loud noise, and rejoice, and sing praise. (5) Sing unto the LORD with the harp; with the harp, and the voice of a psalm. (6) With trumpets and sound of cornet make a joyful noise before the LORD, the King. (7) Let the sea roar, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein. (8) Let the floods clap their hands: let the hills be joyful together

Meet the whole band: (a few missed the photo session)

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Daddy’s Bedtime Bird Stories
More Bird Tales

Ian’s Bird of the Week – Rufous Whistler

November 13, 2013 by Ian

Bird of the Week #493: Rufous Whistler ~ by Ian Montgomery

Here’s another good candidate for bird of the week that has slipped through the cracks. It’s a good candidate because it’s an attractive bird that sounds beautiful as well. Males are grey and black with a rufous belly, white throat and black breast band and look very dapper. The bird in the first two photos belongs to the nominate race rufiventris, widespread through most of mainland Australia but absent from Tasmania. Males of the nominate race have black eyebrows and lores (the area between the eye and the bill), more obvious in the first photo.

Rufous Whistlers are very vocal with a rich vocabulary which includes loud calls with a Whipbird-like finish – probably territorial between males – repeated ‘joey-joey-joey’ song and trills. The ‘joey’ song note, repeated up to 30 times, is sung by both sexes alternating and accompanied by a seesawing dancing motion of the body. This is wonderful to watch, and the male in the second photo is in mid-performance. The trills are apparently only made by the male.

The third photo shows a female with grey back and rufous belly and streaked throat and breast.

Rufous Whistler (Pachycephala rufiventris) Female by Ian

Juveniles are similar to females, but with browner upper-parts, heavier streaks, bills with a pale base, and rufous edges to the flight feathers (as do immatures of other species such as the Golden Whistler), fourth photo.

Rufous Whistler (Pachycephala rufiventris) Juvenile by Ian

Several other races have been described in Northern Australia, and the males of these generally lack the black eyebrow, see the fifth photo. This bird belongs to perhaps the most distinctive race pallida which has a much paler belly, and this race is found in Cape York, e.g. the Mitchell River Catchment, and Northwestern Queensland.

Rufous Whistler (Pachycephala rufiventris pallida) by Ian

The large heads of the Whistlers gives the genus the unflattering name Pachycephala (‘thick-head’) and the family the name Pachycephalidae – http://www.birdway.com.au/pachycephalidae/index.htm.

Best wishes
Ian

**************************************************
Ian Montgomery, Birdway Pty Ltd,
454 Forestry Road, Bluewater, Qld 4818
Tel 0411 602 737 ian@birdway.com.au
Bird Photos http://www.birdway.com.au/
Recorder Society http://www.nqrs.org.au

Lee’s Addition:

He will raise a signal for nations far away, and whistle for them from the ends of the earth; and behold, quickly, speedily they come! (Isaiah 5:26 ESV)

Xeno-canto Rufous Whistlers

What a beautiful sound that Whistler is making. Must be nice to hear them in person. The bird is also an attractive bird. They belong to the Pachycephalidae – Whistlers and Allies Family which has 52 species in it. Predominantly a reddish-brown and grey bird, it makes up for its subdued plumage with its song-making ability. Like many other members of the Pachycephalidae, it has a variety of musical calls.

The family Pachycephalidae, collectively the whistlers, includes the whistlers, shrike-thrushes, shrike-tits, pitohuis and Crested Bellbird, and is part of the ancient Australo-Papuan radiation of songbirds. Its members range from small to medium in size, and occupy most of Australasia.

The whistlers are stout birds with strong bills, and the group was once known as the thickheads due to the large rounded heads of many species. Their plumage is rufous, brown, or grey in the majority of species. Nevertheless a few species, particularly the Golden Whistler and its close relatives, have bright plumage. One of the more unusual traits of this family is found in the feathers of some of the pitohuis, which have toxins. These toxins are probably a deterrent to parasites and may also serve to dissuade predators from taking the birds. (Wikipedia)

See:

Ian’s Pachycephalidae Family

Pachycephalidae – Whistlers and Allies Family – Here

Ian’s Bird of the Week

Begging Pied-billed Grebe by MJSpringett

November 2, 2013 by Lee

What an adorable photo that MJSpringett Wildlife Photography captured. Just had to share it, with permission.

Begging Pied-billed Grebe by MJSpringett

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

I alway enjoy seeing the Grebes swimming around and diving. Waiting for them to come up is always an adventure. You never know where to look. You watch an area and next thing you know, up they pop nowhere near where they dove.

As for a young one, like the photo, that is an site that has evaded us. It is “cute.”

The Pied-billed Grebe (Podilymbus podiceps) is a species of the grebe family of water birds. That is the Podicipedidae – Grebes FamilyThe Pied-billed Grebe is primarily found in ponds throughout the Americas. Other names of this grebe include American dabchick, dabchick, Carolina grebe, devil-diver, dive-dapper, dipper, pied-billed dabchick, thick-billed grebe, and other names.

Pied-billed Grebes are small, stocky, and short-necked. They are 12–15 in (31–38 centimeters) in length, with a wingspan of 18–24 in (45–62 cm) and weigh 8.9–20.0 oz (253–568 grams). They are mainly brown, with a darker crown and back. Their brown color serves as camouflage in the marshes they live in. They do not have white under their wings when flying, like other grebes. Their undertail is white and they have a short, blunt chicken-like bill that is a light grey color, which in summer is encircled by a broad black band (hence the name). In the summer, its throat is black. Juveniles have black and white stripes and look more like winter adults. This grebe does not have webbed feet. Its toes have lobes that come out of the side of each toe. These lobes allow for easy paddling. When flying, the feet appear behind the body due to the feet’s placement in the far back of the body.

Its call is unique, loud and sounds like a “whooping kuk-kuk-cow-cow-cow-cowp-cowp.” Its call is similar to the Yellow-billed Cuckoo.

Pied-billed Grebes rarely fly. They make a slow dive frequently, especially when in danger, diving to about 20 feet or less. They dive for about 30 seconds and may move to a more secluded area of the water, allowing only the head to be visible to watch the danger dissipate.

Pied-billed Grebes feed mainly on aquatic invertebrates, and also on small fish and amphibians (frogs, tadpoles). They dive to obtain food. Their bills allow them to crush crustaceans, like crawfish. They may also eat plants. They have been shown to eat their own feathers, like other grebes, to aid in digestion (prevent injury from small bones). They will also feed their feathers to their young. (Wikipedia with editing)

I have been young, and now am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his children begging for bread. (Psalms 37:25 ESV)

This photo, even though the young one is not really begging, and the parent is only doing what it is supposed to do, reminds me of that promise.

See:

MJSpringett Wildlife Photography – Blog
MJSpringett Wildlife Photography – This Grebe
Birds of the World – Podicipedidae – Grebes Family
Birds Vol 1 #4 – The Piedbill Grebe

Ian’s Bird of the Week – Spotted Pardalote

October 30, 2013 by Ian

Ian’s Bird of the Week – Spotted Pardalote ~ by Ian Montgomery

Newsletter ~ 10/30/13

I mentioned a while ago that while preparing photos for the electronic version of the book Where to Find Birds in North-East Queensland by Jo Wieneke (http://www.nqbirds.com), I found that many bird species hadn’t yet had their moment of fame as bird of the week. Spotted Pardalote is one and a surprising omission as pardalotes – http://www.birdway.com.au/pardalotidae/index.htm – are among the most of beautiful small Australian birds. The first photo shows a male of the nominate red-rumped race.

At 8-10cm/3.2-4in in length, the Spotted Pardalote is one of the smallest and only the Weebill (8-9cm) is consistently smaller. Because of the square spots on the wing, it is also called the Diamondbird, risking dreadful puns about ‘gems’. The female is similar, but not so strongly marked and lacks the yellow throat, second photo. Both these birds were close to the ground, but they spend a lot of time in the upper foliage of tall trees, where they’re very hard to see well. All the pardalotes, however, have distinctive calls, very loud for such small birds, and this usually reveals their presence.

The third photo shows a slightly uncertain-looking juvenile. These are similar to females, but the markings are less obvious: in particular the background colour of the crown is grey rather blackish.

Spotted Pardalotes usually nest in burrows in sand banks or road cuttings. If you surprise one near the ground, there’s a good chance that there is a nest nearby. The range of the Spotted Pardalote includes eastern and southern mainland Australia from Northeastern Queensland to SW Western Australia and Tasmania.

I’ve been continuing to add reptiles to the website. The latest lot are lizards, mainly dragons http://www.birdway.com.au/lacertilia/index.htm. Here is one of the more spectacular, the gorgeous Boyd’ Forest Dragon, endemic to Northeastern Queensland.

Progress with Jo’s book has been steady. I’ve added all the bird photos (over 400) and have just finished adding website-like internal links from all the places to all the birds and back again to make navigation easier. The next thing is to visit as many places as possible to check that the information is still up-to-date and get lots of location photos. That stage will start get underway seriously towards the end of November when a birding pal Madeleine joins me from Sydney for the travelling.

Best wishes
Ian

Lee’s Addition:

The beast of the field shall honour me, the dragons and the owls: because I give waters in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert, to give drink to my people, my chosen. (Isaiah 43:20 KJV)

Wow! I really like those Pardalotes and that Dragon is really neat also.

The Pardalotes belong to the Pardalotidae Family and only has the Spotted, Forty-spotted, Red-browed, and the Striated Pardalotes.

Pardalotes or peep-wrens are a family, Pardalotidae, of very small, brightly coloured birds native to Australia, with short tails, strong legs, and stubby blunt beaks. This family is composed of four species in one genus, Pardalotus, and several subspecies. The name derives from a Greek word meaning “spotted”. The family once contained several other species now split into the family Acanthizidae.

Pardalotes spend most of their time high in the outer foliage of trees, feeding on insects, spiders, and above all lerps (a type of sap sucking insect). Their role in controlling lerp infestations in the eucalyptus forests of Australia may be significant. They generally live in pairs or small family groups but sometimes come together into flocks after breeding.

Pardalotes are seasonal breeders in temperate areas of Australia but may breed year round in warmer areas. They are monogamous breeders, and both partners share nest construction, incubation and chick rearing duties. All four species nest in deep horizontal tunnels drilled into banks of earth. Externally about the size of a mouse-hole, they can be very deep, at a metre or more. Some species also nest in tree hollows.

See:

Ian’s Birdway Photos of Pardalotidae Family
More of Ian’s Bird of the Week
Pardalotidae – Pardalotes Family
Spotted Pardalote – Wikipedia
Pardalote – Wikipedia

Birdwatching at Circle B Bar Reserve – 10/26/13

October 28, 2013 by Lee

Little Blue Heron (Egretta caerulea)

Be thou exalted, LORD, in thine own strength: so will we sing and praise thy power. (Psalms 21:13 KJV)

Had a very productive hour and 40 minute trip to Circle B Bar Reserve Saturday afternoon enjoying the Lord’s creation. The birds are definitely heading back down. After a sparse summer, things are starting to get interesting once more.

Limpkin (Aramus guarauna) by Lee at Circle B

We haven’t been out there for a while and was a little disappointed in the viewing. It rained considerably this summer and the plants have really grown up making it hard to see the water birds. Even with that, to see 34 species in just under 2 hours is not bad.

Alligator about 8 ft by Lee at Circle B

We were greeted with the sounds of the Blue Jays, Carolina Wrens and an Eastern Phoebe. Also, an Armadillo was walking right along the path to the marsh. Later, I spotted about an 8 foot alligator. Those and the normal squirrels were the only, non-birds I saw.

One of the highlights was seeing five Bald Eagles flying over. Two in one group and three in the other. We had just seen an Eagle on Friday down in Lake Wales. I love seeing Eagles.

American White Ibis (Eudocimus albus) by Lee at Circle B

In God we boast all the day long, and praise thy name for ever. Selah. (Psalms 44:8 KJV)

Two White Ibises landed in one of the trees when we first arrived. With the sun behind them, they remind you of Angel’s Wings. As you can see by the second photo the tree was being loaded up for the night when we passed it on the way out. That is one of the favorite “roosting” places at Circle B.

American White Ibis (Eudocimus albus) and friends

I am including a slideshow to give you an idea of how it was out there. The photography is not the best, but you can tell what the birds are at least. Dan doesn’t have his photos ready.

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Here is a list of what I reported to e-Bird:

Circle B Bar Reserve, Polk, US-FL

Oct 26, 2013 3:45 PM – 5:25 PM

Traveling – 2.5 mile(s)

Clear 79 degrees

34 species

Black-bellied Whistling-Duck 15

Pied-billed Grebe 2

Wood Stork 17

Anhinga 5

Great Blue Heron 7

Great Egret 6

Snowy Egret 2

Little Blue Heron 1

Tricolored Heron 1

Cattle Egret 5

White Ibis 88

Glossy Ibis 2

Black Vulture 40

Turkey Vulture 37

Osprey 2

Bald Eagle 5

Purple Gallinule 4

Common Gallinule 6

Limpkin 4

Sandhill Crane 1

Belted Kingfisher 1

Red-bellied Woodpecker 1

Eastern Phoebe 2

Blue Jay 2

Fish Crow 5

House Wren 1

Carolina Wren 2

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 1

Gray Catbird 1

Palm Warbler 3

Yellow-rumped Warbler 1

Northern Cardinal 1

Red-winged Blackbird 1

Boat-tailed Grackle 10

See:

Birdwatching Trips – Circle B Bar Reserve
Circle B Bar Reserve
From the Southwest FL Water Management

Birdwatching Adventure – Scrub Jays II

October 17, 2013 by Lee

Florida Scrub Jay (Aphelocoma coerulescens) by Dan

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)

Now for the good photos from our visit to see the Florida Scrub Jays. Dan shared these that he took.

Here is an idea of the “scrub” habitat that the Florida Scrub Jays prefer. They do not like too many trees where Hawks, Eagles or other Birds of Prey can attack them.

Scrub Habitat at Lake June-in-Winter SP by Dan

They greeted us from a distance at first.

Florida Scrub Jay (Aphelocoma coerulescens) by Dan

Then they were more friendly when enticed.

Florida Scrub Jay (Aphelocoma coerulescens) by Dan

They are such pretty birds. I sure am glad the Lord has given us so many varieties of avian friends to enjoy.

Florida Scrub Jay (Aphelocoma coerulescens) by Dan

Here is another photo from the state parks habitat:

Habitat at State Park by Dan

These two last photos were his that he photographed through the open window of the Red-Shouldered Hawk at Highlands Hammock State Park. Remember, mine was through plastic.

Red-shouldered Hawk (Buteo lineatus) Highlands Hammock SPk by Dan

“Does the hawk fly by your wisdom, And spread its wings toward the south? (Job 39:26 NKJV)

Red-shouldered Hawk (Buteo lineatus) Highlands Hammock SPk by Dan

Trust you have enjoyed seeing these fantastic birds.

Birdwatching Adventure – Florida Scrub Jay

October 15, 2013 by Lee

Florida Scrub Jay (Aphelocoma coerulescens) Highlands Hammock S Pk

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 main reason we went to Highlands Hammock State Park yesterday was to find some Florida Scrub Jays. The ranger told us where to find theirs and also where more could be found in another park.

Florida Scrub Jay (Aphelocoma coerulescens) Highlands Hammock SPk 10-14-13

Went on the drive where the Wilderness Camping Area is located. Florida Scrub Jays prefer the scrub areas. The ranger told us that they had recently had a controlled burn and this family moved in right after that. From the pictures, you will see the kind of habitat they like.

This is the area where we found the Scrub Jays at Highlands Hammock S P.

We found the Florida Scrub Jays, but they never got very close. We were also initiating our new “birding mobile”, as I have named it. Off the subject, but here is a photo of a Red-shouldered Hawk I shot through the “moonroof.” My first attempt at that. Next time, when we are not right under a hawk, it will be opened.

Red-shouldered Hawk (Buteo lineatus) Highlands Hammock SPk 10-14-13

After driving through the rest of that park, we headed for the Lake June-in-Winter State Park. Never heard of it before. It is very tiny and we were the only ones there. Well, the birds of course were there, especially the Scrub Jays. We were able to get quite a few photos of them and they were quite friendly. There were also three Sandhill Cranes plus sounds of birds I do not recognize. The photos will be intermingled with some information about the jays from Wikipedia.