birds
laelaps | September 23, 2009
A group of small birds on the back of a bison (Bison bison). Photographed at Antelope Island, Utah.
grrlscientist | September 23, 2009tags: Yellow-bellied Flycatcher, Empidonax flaviventris, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
[Mystery bird] Yellow-bellied Flycatcher, Empidonax flaviventris, photographed at Smith Point, Texas. [I will identify this bird for you in 48 hours]
Image: Joseph Kennedy, 15 August 2009 [larger view].
Nikon D200, Kowa 883 telescope with TSN-PZ camera eyepiece 1/125s f/8.0 at 1000.0mm iso400.
Please name at least one field mark that supports your identification.
Review all mystery birds to date.
laelaps | September 23, 2009
A pair of bald eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus), photographed at Grizzly Lookout in Yellowstone National Park.
grrlscientist | September 22, 2009tags: Cattle Egret, Bubulcus ibis, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
[Mystery bird] Cattle Egret, Bubulcus ibis, photographed at Anahuac Wildlife Refuge, Texas. [I will identify this bird for you in 48 hours]
Image: Joseph Kennedy, 4 August 2009 [larger view].
Nikon D200, Kowa 883 telescope with TSN-PZ camera eyepiece 1/1000s f/8.0 at 1000.0mm iso400.
Please name at least one field mark that supports your identification.
Review all mystery birds to date.
laelaps | September 22, 2009
A raven (Corvus corax), photographed at Yellowstone National Park. While there I observed that some of the birds would pick the splattered insects off cars for an easy meal.
grrlscientist | September 21, 2009tags: Birds in the News, BirdNews, ornithology, birds, avian, newsletter
Fiji (MacGillivray's) Petrel, Pseudobulweria macgillivrayi, off Gau Island, Fiji.
Fiji Petrel Pelagic Expedition, May 2009.
Image: H. Shirihai, Tubenoses Project [larger view].
Birds in Science News
Maori legends told of a giant predatory bird called the Te Hokioi, whose wingspan approached the length of a full-grown man and whose prey included human beings. Now Kiwi scientists are adding to the legend by claiming that a skeleton found in the 1870s shares some of the legendary bird's traits. "We don't think it…
grrlscientist | September 21, 2009tags: Barn Swallow, Hirundo rustica, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
[Mystery bird] Barn Swallow, Hirundo rustica, photographed at Bob Road, Bolivar Peninsula, Texas. [I will identify this bird for you in 48 hours]
Image: Joseph Kennedy, 4 August 2009 [larger view].
Nikon D200, Kowa 883 telescope with TSN-PZ camera eyepiece 1/500s f/8.0 at 1000.0mm iso400.
Please name at least one field mark that supports your identification.
Review all mystery birds to date.
grrlscientist | September 20, 2009tags: Birdbooker Report, bird books, animal books, natural history books, ecology books
"How does one distinguish a truly civilized nation from an aggregation of
barbarians? That is easy. A civilized country produces much good bird
literature."
--Edgar Kincaid
The Birdbooker Report is a special weekly report of a wide variety of science, nature and behavior books that currently are, or soon will be available for purchase. This report is written by one of my Seattle birding pals and book collector, Ian "Birdbooker" Paulsen, and is edited by me and published here for your information and…
grrlscientist | September 20, 2009tags: Eastern Double-collared Sunbird, Cinnyris mediocris, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
[Mystery bird] Eastern Double-collared Sunbird, Cinnyris mediocris, photographed in the West Usambara Mountains, Tanzania. [I will identify this bird for you in 48 hours]
Image: Dan Logen, 4 September 2007 [larger view].
Nikon D2X, 200-400 VR lens at 400 mm. ISO 400. 1/250 f/7.1.
Please name at least one field mark that supports your identification.
Review all mystery birds to date.
grrlscientist | September 19, 2009tags: Scarlet Honeyeater, Myzomela sanguinolenta, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
[Mystery bird] Scarlet Honeyeater, Myzomela sanguinolenta, photographed at Yungaburra, Queensland, Australia. [I will identify this bird for you in 48 hours]
Image: Steve Duncan, 26 August 2009 [larger view].
Nikon D200 w/ Nikkor 300mm f/4 1/1250 sec, f/4 iso 400.
Please name at least one field mark that supports your identification.
The photographer writes:
One of the fun things about photographing wild birds and nature are the unexpected encounters. I've learned that the best shots happen only because…
grrlscientist | September 18, 2009tags: Jarbas Agnelli, Paulo Pinto, birds on a wire, NPR, Public Radio, music, streaming video
This video is the result of a creative musician, Jarbas Agnelli, who noticed that a flock of birds on wires resembled musical notes. He took a photograph of these birds, by Paulo Pinto, and set them to music. The result of this interesting observation is below the jump;
Birds on the Wires from Jarbas Agnelli.
[Original story], many thanks to a reader, Robin, who sent this video link to me.
Of course, I have to ask you; can you identify the species?
grrlscientist | September 18, 2009tags: Black-headed Gull, Larus ridibundus, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
[Mystery bird] Black-headed gull, Larus ridibundus, photographed on Seurasaari, Helsinki, Finland. [I will identify this bird for you in 48 hours]
Image: GrrlScientist, 4 July 2009 [larger view]
Photographed with Canon SX100 IS: exposure time: 1/400, F-value: 4.3, ISO: 80, Focal length: 60mm.
Please name at least one field mark that supports your identification.
Review all mystery birds to date.
grrlscientist | September 17, 2009tags: birds, literature, ornithology, Birdscapes: Birds in Our Imagination and Experience, Jeremy Mynott, book review
Not too long ago, this unemployed scientist had the honor of being asked to write a book review for Science. The Science book review editor was looking for a review of Jeremy Mynott's new book, Birdscapes: Birds in Our Imagination and Experience. The editor, who peeks at my blog when no one is looking, noticed that I am a scientist and bird maniac who writes and publishes lots of book reviews on my blog, so he very kindly (and out of the blue) decided to give me a chance to…
grrlscientist | September 17, 2009tags: Red-headed Woodpecker, Melanerpes erythrocephalus, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
[Mystery bird] Red-headed Woodpecker, Melanerpes erythrocephalus, photographed in Minnehaha County, South Dakota. [I will identify this bird for you in 48 hours]
Image: Terry Sohl, 31 July 2008 [larger view]
Photo taken with Canon 40D, 400 5.6L.
Please name at least one field mark that supports your identification.
The photographer writes:
This photo pretty much sums up my relationship with these guys. I see them all the time, but whenever I get within 1/4 mile of one, they either fly off, or…
grrlscientist | September 17, 2009tags: nature, birds, Antarctica, emperor penguins, Aptenodytes forsteri, David Attenborough, streaming video
This video presents a Nature program that briefly documents the breeding biology of Antarctica's Emperor Penguin, Aptenodytes forsteri, a bird that nests far inland in the winter months, enduring the worst weather imaginable. Narrated by the incomparable David Attenborough.
grrlscientist | September 16, 2009tags: Eastern Towhee, Pipilo erythrophthalmus, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
[Mystery bird] female Eastern Towhee, Pipilo erythrophthalmus, photographed at Newton Hills State Park in South Dakota. [I will identify this bird for you in 48 hours]
Image: Terry Sohl, 13 May 2009 [larger view]
Photo taken with Canon 20D, 400 5.6L.
Please name at least one field mark that supports your identification.
Review all mystery birds to date.
grrlscientist | September 15, 2009tags: Pyrrhuloxia, Cardinalis sinuatus, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
[Mystery bird] Pyrrhuloxia, Cardinalis sinuatus, photographed in Arizona. [I will identify this bird for you tomorrow]
Image: Richard Ditch, 19 December 2004 [larger view].
Date Time Original: 2004:12:19 11:18:31
Exposure Time: 1/319
F-Number: 11.00
ISO: 320
Please name at least one field mark that supports your identification.
Review all mystery birds to date.
laelaps | September 15, 2009
An osprey (Pandion haliaetus) flying above the Norris Geyser Basin in Yellowstone National Park.
grrlscientist | September 14, 2009tags: Curve-Billed Thrasher, Toxostoma curvirostre, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
[Mystery bird] Curve-Billed Thrasher, Toxostoma curvirostre, photographed in Arizona. [I will identify this bird for you in 48 hours]
Image: Richard Ditch, 9 April 2009 [larger view].
Date Time Original: 2009:04:09 16:05:57
Exposure Time: 1/319
F-Number: 4.50
ISO: 400
Please name at least one field mark that supports your identification.
Review all mystery birds to date.
grrlscientist | September 14, 2009tags: Cyprus, illegal migratory bird trapping, songbird slaughter, Committee Against Bird Slaughter, CABS, streaming video
This video below the jump records and documents the astonishing arrogance and viciousness of Cypriot bird slaughterers who continue to wantonly kill tens of millions of migratory songbirds every year so their bodies can be sold to restaurants who then sell them as a delicacy, often to tourists. These slaughterers kill endangered species as well as common; songbirds as well as owls, birds of prey and other non-passerine species. In fact, NO BIRD IS SAFE from them. Since…