Birding

[wuapinmon]

My buddy and I headed out tot he Sandhills NWR yesterday afternoon for a little bit. On the way there, in the middle of a huge peach orchard, we saw this Loggerhead Shrike right by the road. I stopped the truck and my friend got this shot shooting across in front of me, with the lens right in my face. But, I thought I'd share this image of a bird you don't get to see up close too often.

[falafel]

I golf each Saturday with my son. The 16th hole has water and there are always about 100 ducks. There is also one other bird that is always there, practically in the same spot each week. He sits among the ducks like he is their leader. Anyone have any idea what it is?

[Dwight Schr-ute]

I golf each Saturday with my son. The 16th hole has water and there are always about 100 ducks. There is also one other bird that is always there, practically in the same spot each week. He sits among the ducks like he is their leader. Anyone have any idea what it is?

Juvenile black-crowned night-heron. King of the ducks.


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[falafel]

Juvenile black-crowned night-heron. King of the ducks.


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That's funny, I've been calling him the king bird. He sits on that rock like he owns the place.

[Dwight Schr-ute]

That's funny, I've been calling him the king bird. He sits on that rock like he owns the place.

Looking at that rock, he sure doesn't turn around much.


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[falafel]

Looking at that rock, he sure doesn't turn around much.


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The first time I saw him, I couldn't tell if he was real or not.

What's up with him standing on one leg?

[wuapinmon]

The first time I saw him, I couldn't tell if he was real or not.

What's up with him standing on one leg?

A lot of birds do this. If they have unfeathered legs, standing on one leg will halve their heat loss.

[wuapinmon]

This morning was glorious. Enjoy. I got one lifer, a rusty blackbird.

http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist/S33158778

[wuapinmon]

I had a pretty incredible day yesterday. 90 different species at two sites within 6 miles of each other. One of my best birding days ever.

http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist/S35093370
http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist/S35093431

[Dwight Schr-ute]

I had a pretty incredible day yesterday. 90 different species at two sites within 6 miles of each other. One of my best birding days ever.

http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist/S35093370
http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist/S35093431

Wow. 90 species really is incredible. It's one thing to see/hear that many species, it's another thing entirely to be able to identify all of them.

When we do one of our southwestern willow flycatcher surveys, we document a full inventory of all the species we encounter. I'm typically in the 35-45 range where my co-worker tends to average about 10 more species from four feet away. I credit microhabitats.


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[wuapinmon]

Wow. 90 species really is incredible. It's one thing to see/hear that many species, it's another thing entirely to be able to identify all of them.

When we do one of our southwestern willow flycatcher surveys, we document a full inventory of all the species we encounter. I'm typically in the 35-45 range where my co-worker tends to average about 10 more species from four feet away. I credit microhabitats.


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Where are you in the world? I'm going to be driving through the SW in June and could arrange to bird with you one day if you're interested in going out together. Also, my birding partner was the PRESIDENT of the Carolinas Birding Club, so I had one of the top birders in the Carolinas with me. I would've probably gotten 10-15 fewer species without him. The Pipit, for example, no way I get that flyover, just by the call, without his expertise.

[wuapinmon]

[wuapinmon]

[wuapinmon]

Perhaps North America's most beautiful passerine.

[Northwestcoug]

Cool-looking bird, Wuap.
Mrs. NWC has become a little obsessed with birds. She got 3 different bird feeders. We're seeing birds, but true to our local environment their colors are more muted than yours.