Birders

[ronmac]

^^ Great story about that sighting.

[ronmac]

My brother-in-law told me that he has an albino sparrow frequenting his feeder. I'm hoping he can send me a picture.

[Mister Triscuits]

A few shots from the weekend:

Western bluebirds, juvenile - the young are blue only on the tails and wing edges.

wbb.jpg

American coot, hatchling - by contrast, here's a bird where the young are much more colorful than the adults.

coot.jpg

Red-winged blackbird, male.

rwbb.jpg

[Fracktured]

We have a bird hanging out in my neighbors tree that sounds like he's saying "Harry" or "Gary" all the time. Any clues to what kind of bird this is?

[Nearfest2]

We have a bird hanging out in my neighbors tree that sounds like he's saying "Harry" or "Gary" all the time. Any clues to what kind of bird this is?

Gray Catbird

[ronmac]

Gray Catbird

Yep. I tell my wife it's calling "Karen" (her name). In fact, you can convince people it's saying many things. I half considered telling my neighbors little kid (Jarrod) that when you hear birds calling your name, that means the world is going to end. But, I didn't want to traumatize the poor kid. He had enough problems with parents who don't know what birth control is (eight kids in 12 years).

[Fracktured]

Gray Catbird

Wow [emoji50] you sure do know your birds. My neighbors name is Gary and I feel like he’s calling him. I guess it does sound like a lot of things. It’s just strange how it sounds like he’s speaking. Thanks Chad.


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[Dave (in MA)]

It's not uncommon for me to think there's a mockingbird in my yard and when I spot him, it's a catbird.

[ForeverAutumn]

^^Cool video. Thanks for posting that.

[ForeverAutumn]

I half considered telling my neighbors little kid (Jarrod) that when you hear birds calling your name, that means the world is going to end.

There's a Canadian novel (also made into a movie) called I Heard The Owl Call My Name. It was part of the grade 7(ish) curriculum when I was in school in the mid to late 70's. The book takes place in a First Nations village where the belief is that if you hear an owl call your name, you are about to die.

Pleasant story for a bunch of 12-year-olds.

[Jerjo]

I have a mystery bird as well, but no photos and I didn't hear a call from inside the Family Truckster. Anyway, on Tuesday we passed a few ponds/sloughs and in a couple that had dead trees in them there were large black birds in them. I know cormorants have been reported in this state. Could that be what I was seeing?

[100423]

Here is a photo of what I think is a cormorant that was hanging out with us at the fishing pier in Anna Maria Island, Florida a few weeks ago.


IMG_2955.jpg

[Duncan Glenday]

Here is a photo of what I think is a cormorant that was hanging out with us at the fishing pier in Anna Maria Island, Florida a few weeks ago.


IMG_2955.jpg

Hard to tell from that picture - but it looks more like a Cormorant than an Anhinga (aka Darter).

[Duncan Glenday]

It's not uncommon for me to think there's a mockingbird in my yard and when I spot him, it's a catbird.

EXCELLENT video!

I need to re-listen to all the (noisy) mockingbirds in my area...

[Mister Triscuits]

Anyway, on Tuesday we passed a few ponds/sloughs and in a couple that had dead trees in them there were large black birds in them. I know cormorants have been reported in this state. Could that be what I was seeing?

When they perch, cormorants often keep their wings spread out. Did they look like this?

[Nearfest2]

Here is a photo of what I think is a cormorant that was hanging out with us at the fishing pier in Anna Maria Island, Florida a few weeks ago.


IMG_2955.jpg

Double-crested Cormorant

Neotropic Cormorants are typically farther south into Mexico, Cuba, and Central America. They have a shorter tail and a sharper angle at the gape of their mouths with possibly a thin white border.

Great Cormorants live much farther north towards Maine and eastern Canada. Their gape is more vertical and will have a white patch at the base of the bill.

[Nearfest2]

It's not uncommon for me to think there's a mockingbird in my yard and when I spot him, it's a catbird.

Yeah, catbirds phrases are much shorter ("Gary" etc.) and more seemingly random. Mockingbirds tend to have longer songs/chatter and will repeat phrases three or more times before moving on. Then there's the Brown Thrasher, which is distinctive looking with it's brown coloring and dinosaur-like yellow eyes, but can sound very similar to a Northern Mockingbird. The thrasher repeats phrases twice then moves on ("plant a seed, plant a seed, bury it, bury it").

[Jerjo]

When they perch, cormorants often keep their wings spread out. Did they look like this?

Nope. Guess I am back to square one. I need to find a local wildlife person.

[Nearfest2]

I have a mystery bird as well, but no photos and I didn't hear a call from inside the Family Truckster. Anyway, on Tuesday we passed a few ponds/sloughs and in a couple that had dead trees in them there were large black birds in them. I know cormorants have been reported in this state. Could that be what I was seeing?

Hmm. Turkey and Black Vultures are always a possibility. Anhingas are as well. They are much more slender but have the approximate shape of a cormorant with a longer neck.

[Jerjo]

Turkey Vultures might be it. They are seen in this area. It just seemed odd because they were perched above water, that made me think they were some sort of waterfowl.

[Duncan Glenday]

Nope. Guess I am back to square one. I need to find a local wildlife person.

Cormorants sometimes spread their wings like that.

If their wings are folded ... that isn't diagnostic. But if the wings are spread, it's virtually guaranteed to be a Cormorant or an Anhinga.

[Nearfest2]

Vultures will do that as well.

[ronmac]

Mockingbirds tend to have longer songs/chatter and will repeat phrases three or more times before moving on.

I used to listen to them all the time in my home town in eastern PA. It seemed they never repeated songs. I wish we had them here on the other side of the state.

So, I have a bluebird house that I leave open during the early spring months to keep other birds from nesting in it. It's my understanding that bluebirds arrive a bit late and sparrows, black-capped chickadees and others will make it their home before they arrive. So, I tried leaving it open a couple years ago and it worked. We had my first bluebirds. I tried it again this year and hope I didn't wait too long. I only closed the house about ten days ago. No activity yet.

[markwoll]

Hmm. Turkey and Black Vultures are always a possibility. Anhingas are as well. They are much more slender but have the approximate shape of a cormorant with a longer neck.

Anhingas have a spear bill , the cormorant has a bit of a hook, rounding on the top.

[Duncan Glenday]

Anhingas have a spear bill , the cormorant has a bit of a hook, rounding on the top.

And they swim with the bulk of their bodies in the water, so only their neck and head are above the water. That's why it's often called a 'snake bird'. I can't tell you how many times I've been sailing and was convinced a snake was swimming through the water - only to discover that it was an Anhinga (Darter).