Ornithology (Bird) Thread

[Mumbleypeg]

This pair showed up this morning while I sipped my coffee, not sure if they are a mating pair but I would assume so, beautiful colors and unmistakably the Painted Bunting.

Awesome pics Tom. Absolutely beautiful bird.!

Awesome experience. And great pictures. We get Painted Bunting sightings a few times a year too. Always exciting to see such beautiful birds! BTW those in your pictures are males. The females are more of a solid lime-green without the red and blue. Here’s a picture I got on line (not my picture).

Ken

[Dinadan]

This pair showed up this morning while I sipped my coffee, not sure if they are a mating pair but I would assume so, beautiful colors and unmistakably the Painted Bunting.

Those Buntings are so bright that they do not even look real! Great photos, Tom. I do not see Painted Buntings often in my area.

[Mumbleypeg]

Interesting that in most bird species the male is all gussied up in brighter colors, and the female is more drab and colorless. With humans it’s just the opposite!

Ken

[doglegg]

This pair showed up this morning while I sipped my coffee, not sure if they are a mating pair but I would assume so, beautiful colors and unmistakably the Painted Bunting.

Awesome pics Tom. Absolutely beautiful bird.!

Awesome experience. And great pictures. We get Painted Bunting sightings a few times a year too. Always exciting to see such beautiful birds! BTW those in your pictures are males. The females are more of a solid lime-green without the red and blue. Here’s a picture I got on line (not my picture).

Ken

Great pic of beautiful birds.

[Dinadan]

I have a lot of birds in my garden right now, with migration and mating season going on. Here are a few photos from the past week. First up a very fine pair of Eastern Towhees that are nesting in the brushy area behind my garden.

Male Eastern Towhee

Female Eastern Towhee

Next a couple of Catbirds. I have a cluster of Wild Blueberry bushes in my garden: many birds, including Catbirds love the berries.

Catbird

Catbird

And I still have lots of Cedar Waxwings about.

Waxwing

[Mumbleypeg]

Good week for birding here. First sighting this year of two of my favorite birds, Barn Swallows and Scissortail Flycatchers. They always show up around May 1st, and entertain us all summer with their aerobatics.

Also saw a pair of Roadrunners (usually only see a single), a painted bunting, and bluebirds continue their families. Sorry for some of the picture quality - sometimes you’re lucky but mostly it’s “take what you can get”.

Ken

Edit: Great pictures Mel. Looks like I was posting at the same time you were. Cedar Waxwings are a favorite of mine too. We get them every year just passing through for a few days, stripping berries off the possumhaw that are native here.

[doglegg]

I have a lot of birds in my garden right now, with migration and mating season going on. Here are a few photos from the past week. First up a very fine pair of Eastern Towhees that are nesting in the brushy area behind my garden.
Towhee11.jpg
Towhee12.jpg
Next a couple of Catbirds. I have a cluster of Wild Blueberry bushes in my garden: many birds, including Catbirds love the berries.
Catbird11.jpg
Catbird12.jpg
And I still have lots of Cedar Waxwings about.
Waxwing11.jpg

Mel, we get Eastern Towers here in DFW but rarely, Cat birds and Cedar Wax wings regularly. Great pics. Thanks.

[doglegg]

Good week for birding here. First sighting this year of two of my favorite birds, Barn Swallows and Scissortail Flycatchers. They always show up around May 1st, and entertain us all summer with their aerobatics.

Also saw a pair of Roadrunners (usually only see a single), a painted bunting, and bluebirds continue their families. Sorry for some of the picture quality - sometimes you’re lucky but mostly it’s “take what you can get”.

Ken

Edit: Great pictures Mel. Looks like I was posting at the same time you were. Cedar Waxwings are a favorite of mine too. We get them every year just passing through for a few days, stripping berries off the possumhaw that are native here.

Thanks for the great pics Ken.

[Waukonda]

Indigo Buntings seem to be as common as Sparrows around here, so.......as I was out this morning I saw blue along the roadside. I was thinking it was a couple of male Buntings, and took a quick pic, looking at it later realized it was a Blue Grosbeak and an Indigo Bunting side by side.

[bighomer]

My gracious goodness fellers those are great photos congrats and thanks for sharing. I love seeing the cedar wax wings, they've been showing up on my merlin sound app I've not been to spy one.they use to come in a flock to strip my old crabapple tree of the dried fruit.

[Dinadan]

I really like that Scissortail photo, Ken. Roadrunner too ... it looks very predatory.

Very colorful Bunting and Grosbeak, Ike. Nice post!

My gracious goodness fellers those are great photos congrats and thanks for sharing. I love seeing the cedar wax wings, they've been showing up on my merlin sound app I've not been to spy one.they use to come in a flock to strip my old crabapple tree of the dried fruit.

One of the many things I do not like about getting old is that my hearing for the high pitched bird calls has really declined. I seem to recall that Cedar Waxwings were veery vocal with their monotone call, but these days I have to be quite close to hear them.

[Waukonda]

Mel, Ken, excellent pictures. I posted mine in a hurry this morning, and just now looked back at what I had missed. You guys have a really nice variety of quality pics!

[Quick Steel]

I am gob-smacked by the photos you all are offering Thanks for posting them. Mel, what a blessing to live in an area which presents you with such a great variety of nesting birds.

Today and yesterday I have been blessed (?) with flocks of Black-headed Vultures. Something dead along the fence line.

[doglegg]

Wonderful pics!!!

[Boji]

Great pictures guys!
Rose-breasted Grosbeak has been enjoying the sunflower seeds the past few days

And Baltimore Oriole feasting on jelly. I think there are 2 pair in the area

[doglegg]

Great pictures guys!
Rose-breasted Grosbeak has been enjoying the sunflower seeds the past few days
IMG_8972.jpeg
And Baltimore Oriole feasting on jelly. I think there are 2 pair in the area
IMG_8960.jpeg

Both really pretty birds Boji.

[Waukonda]

Great pictures guys!
Rose-breasted Grosbeak has been enjoying the sunflower seeds the past few days
IMG_8972.jpeg
And Baltimore Oriole feasting on jelly. I think there are 2 pair in the area
IMG_8960.jpeg

Very nice!

[Mumbleypeg]

Thanks for those pictures Boji. We are in the migration path for both species here but we don’t see either very often. Both colorful, beautiful birds.

Ken

[FRJ]

Some bird life at the pond.

A Green Heron having a meal.

A pair of Canada geese with their brood.

[Waukonda]

Some bird life at the pond.

A Green Heron having a meal.

A pair of Canada geese with their brood.

Great shots, Joe. Impressive that you were able to photograph that Green Heron, they aren't usually the kind to sit for portraits. Thanks for showing,.

[doglegg]

Some bird life at the pond.

A Green Heron having a meal.

A pair of Canada geese with their brood.

Great shots, Joe. Impressive that you were able to photograph that Green Heron, they aren't usually the kind to sit for portraits. Thanks for showing,.

X2

[FRJ]

Thank you, Ike and doglegg.

For some reason, for better or worse, bird life at the pond seems to be more tolerant of people. Not always.

I do use the enlarging/telephoto feature on my phone but I did get close to the Heron.

There were two here the other day. Feeding at the edge of the rain swollen pond.

[Mumbleypeg]

Great pics Joe.

I’ve noticed long ago that animals and birds will quickly flee a man on foot, but a man riding a horse, a tractor or a mower can get much closer before they flee. I’ve taken advantage of that often.

Ken

[FRJ]

Great pics Joe.

I’ve noticed long ago that animals and birds will quickly flee a man on foot, but a man riding a horse, a tractor or a mower can get much closer before they flee. I’ve taken advantage of that often.

Ken

Thank you, Ken.