birding
grrlscientist | January 4, 2009tags: Turkey Vulture, Cathartes aura, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
[Mystery birds] Turkey Vulture, Cathartes aura, photographed the Quintana Beach and Jetty area, Texas. [I will identify this bird for you tomorrow]
Image: Joseph Kennedy, 18 November 2008 [larger view].
Nikon D200 1/250s f/8.0 at 1000.0mm iso400.
Please name at least one field mark that supports your identification.
Rick Wright, Managing Director of WINGS Birding Tours Worldwide, writes:
Compare this fine Turkey Vulture with the Black Vulture in an earlier quiz. Sure, the head color gives it away, but notice that…
grrlscientist | January 3, 2009tags: Evening Grosbeak, Coccothraustes vespertinus, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
[Mystery bird] Evening Grosbeak, Coccothraustes vespertinus, photographed in Skagit County, Washington State. [I will identify this bird for you tomorrow]
Image: Marv Breece, 25 June 2005 [larger view].
Nikon Coolpix 4300 1/20s f/4.9 iso100.
Please name at least one field mark that supports your identification.
Review all mystery birds to date.
grrlscientist | January 2, 2009tags: mystery bird, identify this bird, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
[Mystery birds]Caspian Tern, Sterna caspia, in a spectacular dive, photographed the Quintana Beach and Jetty area, Texas. [I will identify this bird for you tomorrow]
Image: Joseph Kennedy, 18 November 2008 [larger view].
Nikon D200 1/3000s f/8.0 at 1000.0mm iso400.
Please name at least one field mark that supports your identification.
Rick Wright, Managing Director of WINGS Birding Tours Worldwide, writes:
This is a spectacular photo of a large seabird behaving spectacularly. The focus of that perpendicular dive…
grrlscientist | January 1, 2009tags: Say's Phoebe, Sayornis saya, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
[Mystery bird] Say's Phoebe, Sayornis saya, photographed in Arizona. [I will identify this bird for you tomorrow]
Image: Richard Ditch, 2006 [larger view].
Date Time Original: 2006:12:27 13:35:48
Exposure Time: 1/319
F-Number: 8.00
ISO: 200
Please name at least one field mark that supports your identification.
Rick Wright, Managing Director of WINGS Birding Tours Worldwide, writes:
What a sweet, gentle little bird, perched alertly on a sunflower: attitude and habitat tell us we're looking at one of the open-country…
grrlscientist | December 31, 2008tags: Savannah Sparrow, Passerculus sandwichensis, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
[Mystery bird] Savannah Sparrow, Passerculus sandwichensis, photographed in Snohomish County, Washington State. [I will identify this bird for you tomorrow]
Image: Marv Breece, 19 April 2007 [larger view].
Canon EOS 350D 1/2000s f/6.3 at 270.0mm iso400.
Please name at least one field mark that supports your identification.
Review all mystery birds to date.
grrlscientist | December 30, 2008tags: Lincoln's Sparrow, Melospiza lincolnii, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
[Mystery bird] Lincoln's Sparrow, Melospiza lincolnii, photographed in Manhattan, Kansas. [I will identify this bird for you tomorrow]
Image: Dave Rintoul, 25 October 2008 [larger view].
Please name at least one field mark that supports your identification.
Review all mystery birds to date.
grrlscientist | December 29, 2008tags: Wren, Winter Wren, Troglodytes troglodytes, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
[Mystery bird] Wren (known as the "Winter Wren" in the United States), Troglodytes troglodytes, photographed near the Bridge of Orchy, Scotland. [I will identify this bird for you tomorrow]
Image: Dave Rintoul, Summer 2008. [larger view].
Please name at least one field mark that supports your identification.
Rick Wright, Managing Director of WINGS Birding Tours Worldwide, writes:
A tiny bird with a thin bill and a cocked tail, dark brown with a big supercilium and a bit of barring on the flank: it can…
grrlscientist | December 28, 2008tags: Brown Pelican, Pelecanus occidentalis, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
[Mystery birds] Brown Pelican, Pelecanus occidentalis, in a spectacular dive, photographed the Quintana Beach and Jetty area, Texas. [I will identify this bird for you tomorrow]
Image: Joseph Kennedy, 18 November 2008 [larger view].
Nikon D200 1/2500s f/8.0 at 1000.0mm iso400.
Please name at least one field mark that supports your identification.
Rick Wright, Managing Director of WINGS Birding Tours Worldwide, writes:
This is a great photo of a Brown Pelican doing what it does best: diving, in a twisting,…
grrlscientist | December 26, 2008tags: Female Ring-necked Duck, Aythya collaris, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
[Mystery birds] Female Ring-necked Duck, Aythya collaris, photographed in Hermann Park, Texas. [I will identify this bird for you tomorrow]
Image: Joseph Kennedy, 16 November 2008 [larger view].
Nikon D200 Kowa 883 telescope with TSN-PZ camera eyepiece 1/350s f/1.0 iso400.
Please name at least one field mark that supports your identification.
Rick Wright, Managing Director of WINGS Birding Tours Worldwide, writes:
A brown duck. A useful first step is to narrow the choices to divers and dabblers; since we…
grrlscientist | December 25, 2008tags: Northern Cardinal, Cardinalis cardinalis, birds, nature, Image of the Day
[Mystery bird] Male Northern Cardinal, Cardinalis cardinalis, photographed at 40 Acre Lake, Brazos Bend State Park, Texas. [I will identify this bird for you tomorrow]
Image: Joseph Kennedy, 19 March 2007 [larger view].
Nikon D200, Kowa 883 telescope TSN-PZ camera eyepiece 1/125s f/8.0 at 500.0mm iso400.
Please name at least one field mark that supports your identification.
Rick Wright, Managing Director of WINGS Birding Tours Worldwide, writes:
This bird is pretty much "all field mark," to lift a phrase…
grrlscientist | December 24, 2008tags: Common Redpoll, Carduelis flammea, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
[Mystery bird] Common Redpoll, Carduelis flammea, photographed in Mary Ann Creek Rd & Chesaw Rd, Okanogan County, Washington State. [I will identify this bird for you tomorrow]
Image: Marv Breece, 18 December 2007 [larger view].
Canon EOS 350D 1/500s f/5.6 at 300.0mm iso400.
Please name at least one field mark that supports your identification.
Rick Wright, Managing Director of WINGS Birding Tours Worldwide, writes:
Tiny finches feeding from snowy birches or alders -- in North America and in the Old World as…
grrlscientist | December 23, 2008tags: Dickcissel, Spiza americana, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
[Mystery bird] Dickcissel, Spiza americana, photographed at Eisenhower Park, Houston, Texas. [I will identify this bird for you tomorrow]
Image: Joseph Kennedy, 25 August 2007 [larger view].
Nikon D200, Kowa 883 telescope TSN-PZ camera eyepiece 1/320s f/8.0 at 1000.0mm iso400.
Please name at least one field mark that supports your identification.
Rick Wright, Managing Director of WINGS Birding Tours Worldwide, writes:
Wow, does that ever look like a House Sparrow! But wait, the tail is a bit too long, the breast a bit…
grrlscientist | December 22, 2008tags: Franklin's Gull, Leucophaeus pipixcan, Laughing Gull, Larus atricilla, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
[Mystery birds] Franklin's Gull, Leucophaeus pipixcan, and Laughing Gulls, Larus atricilla, photographed the Quintana Beach and Jetty area, Texas. [I will identify these birds for you tomorrow]
Image: Joseph Kennedy, 18 November 2008 [larger view].
Nikon D200 1/800s f/8.0 at 1000.0mm iso400.
Please name at least one field mark that supports your identification.
Rick Wright, Managing Director of WINGS Birding Tours Worldwide, writes:
Let's begin with the bird just right of…
grrlscientist | December 21, 2008tags: Yellow-headed Blackbird, Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
[Mystery bird] Yellow-headed Blackbird, Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus, photographed in Mary Ann Creek Rd & Chesaw Rd, Okanogan County, Washington State. [I will identify this bird for you tomorrow]
Image: Marv Breece, 1 April 2008 [larger view].
Canon EOS 350D 1/2000s f/7.1 at 300.0mm iso400.
Please name at least one field mark that supports your identification.
Rick Wright, Managing Director of WINGS Birding Tours Worldwide, writes:
It's a yellow-headed black bird -- it's a Yellow-…
grrlscientist | December 20, 2008tags: American Black Vulture, Coragyps atratus, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
[Mystery birds] American Black Vulture, Coragyps atratus, photographed the Quintana Beach and Jetty area, Texas. [I will identify this bird for you tomorrow]
Image: Joseph Kennedy, 18 November 2008 [larger view].
Nikon D200 1/640s f/8.0 at 1000.0mm iso400.
Please name at least one field mark that supports your identification.
Rick Wright, Managing Director of WINGS Birding Tours Worldwide, writes:
This is clearly a large bird, and readily identified by a number of features visible in our quiz photo. But…
grrlscientist | December 19, 2008tags: Male Northern Pintail, Anas acuta, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
[Mystery bird] Male Northern Pintail, Anas acuta, photographed in Arizona. [I will identify this bird for you tomorrow]
Image: Rick Wright.
Please name at least one field mark that supports your identification.
Rick Wright, Managing Director of WINGS Birding Tours Worldwide, writes:
Just a bit of a bird -- but what bit? Those of us who figured out that this was the head of a bird looking straight away probably figured out the species with little difficulty. We have a very tall-headed bird with a narrow crown,…
grrlscientist | December 18, 2008tags: Female Wood Duck, Aix sponsa, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
[Mystery birds] Female Wood Duck, Aix sponsa, photographed in Hermann Park, Texas. [I will identify this bird for you tomorrow]
Image: Joseph Kennedy, 16 November 2008 [larger view].
Nikon D200 Kowa 883 telescope with TSN-PZ camera eyepiece 1/320s f/1.0 iso400.
Please name at least one field mark that supports your identification.
Rick Wright, Managing Director of WINGS Birding Tours Worldwide, writes:
Hey, no fair! That's only part of a bird!
So go outside. Right now. And tell me how many whole birds you see. There…
grrlscientist | December 17, 2008tags: Rusty Blackbird, Euphagus carolinensis, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
[Mystery bird] Rusty Blackbird, Euphagus carolinensis, photographed in Arizona. [I will identify this bird for you tomorrow]
Image: Richard Ditch, 2006 [larger view].
Please name at least one field mark that supports your identification.
Rick Wright, Managing Director of WINGS Birding Tours Worldwide, writes:
Stout-footed, stout-billed, and terrestrial: any surprise that our mystery bird is an icterid? Its modest tail rules out the grackles, the yellow eye and pointed bill the cowbirds, the lack of streaking…
grrlscientist | December 16, 2008tags: Pyrrhuloxia, Cardinalis sinuatus, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
[Mystery bird] Pyrrhuloxia, Cardinalis sinuatus, photographed at Katy Prairie, Texas. [I will identify this bird for you tomorrow]
Image: Joseph Kennedy, 1 February 2007 [larger view].
Nikon D200, Kowa 883 telescope TSN-PZ camera eyepiece 1/500s f/8.0 at 1000.0mm iso400.
Please name at least one field mark that supports your identification.
Rick Wright, Managing Director of WINGS Birding Tours Worldwide, writes:
That long, red-edged tail can belong to only a cardinal. While most of North America makes do with the…
grrlscientist | December 15, 2008tags: Birds in the News, BirdNews, ornithology, birds, avian, newsletter
Sun Conure chick, Aratinga solstitialis.
Image: John Del Rio. [larger view].
Christmas Bird Count News
The Annual Christmas Bird Counts are rapidly approaching, so I am publishing links to all of the counts here; who to contact, and where and when they are being held, so if you have a link to a Christmas Bird Count for your state, please let me know so I can include it in the list:
Alabama (Thanks, Chazz Hesselein)
Arizona (Thanks, Sheri Williamson)
California (Thanks, Joseph Morlan)
Idaho (Thanks, Denise Hughes)…