Re: TXI ?!? - It's for the Birds !!!

by **ChristianC** Sat Nov 07, 2015 11:40 am

Great pics! Oh yeah and the possums are cool too Very Happy

by **ourchickenshack** Sat Nov 07, 2015 4:49 pm

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by **Commander Clint** Mon Nov 09, 2015 6:04 pm

A male & female Cardinal enjoying a lunch time meal at our feeder, just a few minutes ago. Sorry for the crappy pictures. I had to take them through the picture window & the feeder is at the back of the yard, so I'm zoomed to the max..
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by **ourchickenshack** Mon Nov 09, 2015 7:46 pm

Great pics Clint cheers

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by **Commander Clint** Sun Dec 13, 2015 8:49 pm

Bump for the new guys. thefinger

by **ourchickenshack** Mon Dec 14, 2015 5:04 am

Found another picture of a Ruby Throated Hummingbird we photographed a couple years ago ...

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HAPPY HOLIDAYS !!!
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by **ourchickenshack** Tue Dec 29, 2015 4:55 pm

After the crap weather this past weekend everything was coated in ice again buzzing

I threw out some bird food to help the little guys out a little and then took advantage of a few photo opportunities ...

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RIP LEMMY

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by **cantina_patron** Tue Dec 29, 2015 5:07 pm

What species are the colourful finches with the crests?

BTW, I like the 'Mona Lemmy'.

by **ourchickenshack** Tue Dec 29, 2015 5:12 pm

cantina_patron wrote:What species are the colourful finches with the crests?

BTW, I like the 'Mona Lemmy'.

They are called Cardinals - the bright red is a male and the other is a female Very Happy

They a relatively common here in the states so it comes as a surprise to me that you guys must not have them in the UK What a Face

by **cantina_patron** Tue Dec 29, 2015 5:22 pm

They're aptly named. We have a variety of finches in the UK, but nothing quite like those. Very Happy

by **ourchickenshack** Mon Jan 04, 2016 5:53 pm

Spotted some unusual visitors today ...

Pine Siskin

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I apologize for the poor quality photos but the outside of my window needs cleaned again ... Not to mention the little bastards flew away before I had a chance to take very many pics cheeky

These birds look pretty close to a common House Sparrow at 1st glance so I might have seen them before and just not noticed they were different Embarassed

This was the 1st time I noticed that they were different and the pics helped me identify them - the yellow streaks on the wings was the giveaway What a Face

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by **ourchickenshack** Fri Jan 15, 2016 5:46 pm

I have had hell trying to photograph one of these little bastards - they rarely sit still and are constantly on the move hunting for insects . I got lucky and caught this one while he was singing What a Face

Bewick's Wren

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and a ass shot for Alex ...

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by **ourchickenshack** Thu Feb 04, 2016 5:29 am

House Finch

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by **ourchickenshack** Wed Feb 10, 2016 6:00 pm

I found a few more pics that were taken before summer ended this year ...

Grey Catbird

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This water bird was photographed at Salt plains Lake (about 40 miles NW of where I live in Enid) ...

American Avocet

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BTW - I did a little editing on all the bird pics in this thread so they would look better and show the birds colors more accurately Very Happy

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by **cantina_patron** Wed Feb 10, 2016 6:17 pm

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lol!

That's got to be the best middle finger yet James.

Going back on topic... Is the American Avocet rare?

The European version was so rare in Britain at one time, they became the symbol of the R.S.P.B. (Royal Society for the Protection of Birds) in the 1940's. Due to conservation measures they are now much more abundant.

Although less colourfull than yours, they are still an elegant bird.

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by **ourchickenshack** Wed Feb 10, 2016 6:31 pm

Beautiful bird Steve cheers

I wasn't sure if the American Avocet is endangered or not so I looked it up on Wikipedia :

Breeding and habits :

The breeding habitat is marshes, beaches, prairie ponds, and shallow lakes in the mid-west as far north as southern Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba, and on the Pacific coast of North America. American avocets form breeding colonies numbering dozens of pairs. When breeding is over the birds gather in large flocks, sometimes including hundreds of birds. Nesting occurs near water, usually on small islands or boggy shorelines where access by predators is difficult. The female lays four eggs in a saucer-shaped nest, and both sexes take turns incubating them. Upon hatching, the chicks feed themselves; they are never fed by their parents.

This species is migratory, and mostly winters on the southern Atlantic and Pacific coasts of Mexico and the United States.

The American avocet forages in shallow water or on mud flats, often sweeping its bill from side to side in water as it seeks its crustacean and insect prey.

Protected status

The American avocet is protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918.

From what I was able to gather they aren't super rare but are a protected species Very Happy

by **cantina_patron** Wed Feb 10, 2016 6:41 pm

Thank you for the info James. I sometimes see them on the shoreline when I'm digging bait (ragworm) for sea angling. I'll have to take a camera in future & take some pics. Very Happy

by **cantina_patron** Wed Feb 10, 2016 7:52 pm

As we have a number of international members here, does anyone else have pictures of interesting birds?
( Evil or Very Mad

Take your minds out of the gutter! I mean the feathered variety. lol!

James posts hot pics of the fleshy, mammalian kind for you to discover elsewhere Wink

).

by **ourchickenshack** Thu Feb 11, 2016 8:08 pm

Yes , it would be really cool to see some international birds here Steve cheers

Although there is a thread for the mammalian kind ...

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any kind of bird will do for this thread as well banana

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by **ourchickenshack** Mon Mar 14, 2016 3:43 am

Saw another Sharp Shinned Hawk in the top of our neighbors Cottonwood tree today ...

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by **ChristianC** Mon Mar 14, 2016 8:37 am

ourchickenshack wrote:
Saw another Sharp Shinned Hawk in the top of our neighbors Cottonwood tree today ...

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Wow dude!

by **cantina_patron** Thu Mar 31, 2016 9:07 pm

I thought I'd give this a bump with a little gem I photographed today (not the best photo as I was quite some distance away & had to blow it up).
I took Beth fishing & we were fortunate enough to see this Kingfisher fly past several times & observe it catching & dispatching its prey (quite a rare sight in the UK). In the sunlight the blue of the feathers was absolutely stunning.

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by **ourchickenshack** Thu Mar 31, 2016 9:52 pm

Beautiful Steve yay

I have never been fortunate enough to see , much less photograph , a Kingfisher before . Is it a UK bird or would there be a chance for me to see one here ?

You forgot something though ...

what could it be scratch

Oh yeah , now I remember :

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I'll just throw a extra in for you cheeky

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by **cantina_patron** Fri Apr 01, 2016 9:02 am

The kingfisher (& it's subspecies) I showed are only found in Eurasia & N. Africa. You may get to see the Belted Kingfisher though James.

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by **ourchickenshack** Sun Apr 10, 2016 7:26 pm

Check Out My Pecker !!!

Red-Bellied Woodpecker that is ...

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Over the last week or so this male has been working hard at pecking out a nest . I have spotted a female hanging around as well so , with a little luck , I may be able to get some more photos as the year progresses of the "Life of My Pecker" Wink

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