Darwin
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Dec 31, 2012 - 03:34pm PT
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Nice photos all and what Steve said about Mallard rescuers! Mike Bolte; you don't live in Washington, do you?
I recently started frequenting nearby Magnuson Park here in Seattle. The birds there seem to be trained to pose better ;-), and the sun came out off and on over the last few days; thus, I had an easier time getting photos.
Don't worry about me getting it too easy with the sun coming out, though. I've been cycling a fair bit searching for Red Crossbills that are reported to be in every conifer stand in Seattle except for the ones near my house. For every minute the sun isn't out, it seems to be raining and misting and I'm not sure biking around a hilly city in darkish wet conditions in traffic is the best idea unless one is 24 yrs old and invincible. I am neither.
On one of these treks to the Arboretum, I stumbled on a cosmic bird grove
with a Pileated Woodpecker, Brown Creeper, Golden Crowned Kinglet and
flocks of Waxwings.
I don't think that I've ever seen a Bohemian Waxwing, but in this flock there were some with lime and gray bellies (Cedar), and some with all gray bellies. I am tempted to call the gray bellied ones Bohemian, but *they lacked the white and yellow in the wings, and I saw no evidence of a tawny rump (ok undertail coverts, but I like the incorrect tawny rump better).
It's the time of year that they both might show up here. Unfortunately, the ones that looked larger were colored most like Cedars. They were very active and it was dark and rainy, or else I might have tried for some photos.
For now, I have to call them all Cedar Waxwings, but *if any of you North-Mountainwesterners can give me pointers about distinguishing between Cedar and Bohemian, I'm all ears.*
These first two photos are from Magnuson. There were also a ton of Scaups, mostly Lesser but some Greater.
Surprisingly, this was a first for me for the Hike-and-bike-STBY.
I wished I had used my new monopod Christmas present for this shot.
And the Wigeons are from near the Union Bay Landfill/Nature Area, which is even nearer my house.
(and a larger version:
http://173.160.158.251/postings/2012_12_22_Gulls/posting/w1.jpg)
The "under the wing color of an E. Wigeon.
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Crimpergirl
Sport climber
Boulder, Colorado!
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We went to visit Chase (the rescued Mallard) yesterday. It's been bitterly cold. I sat on the shore while the ducks asked for bread. Chase came up and sat down next to me in the snow. He enjoyed being pet. I want so badly to bring him home to live in the house!
We'll go see him tomorrow and bring him some wheat bread treats.
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BrassNuts
Trad climber
Save your a_s, reach for the brass...
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Cold and snowy Duck bump...
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amyjo
Trad climber
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Hi Slater
Fine images as always
Thank you.
I was looking at a line of Cranes high above Arrowhead Marsh (Oakland)
Blowing my little mind. Never saw them there before.
Maybe coming to take a look at the Coast?
Then I saw your Central Valley post & started researching.
Perhaps Pixley NWR? 6000 in January. Lodi?
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Brandon-
climber
The Granite State.
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Anyone got a list of what to look for in Panama/Costa Rica in a couple of weeks?
I'll be along the Panama/CR border the whole time.
Is it worth the effort to look for Quetzal (sp?), or is that a pipe dream?
For clarification, I'm not a birder, but I've always been fascinated with the sheer volume of birds when I've been down there in the past.
I've always wanted to see a harpy eagle, but I know for sure that's a pipe dream.
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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Brandon, check out www.birdforum.net. Here's the Panama Forum:
BirdForumPanama
Today's top thread is a "Nesting Resplendant Quetzal" and two down is
"Crested Eagle feeding a young Harpy Eagle"!!!!!! Holy Quetzal, Batman!
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SteveW
Trad climber
The state of confusion
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What, no pictures of Chase, BN?????
hee hee hee
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Mike Bolte
Trad climber
Planet Earth
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Darwin - looks like you have a Eurasian Widgeon mixed in there. (Now I see what scuffyb was talking about at the gym last night).
Was up in Washington visiting family over the holidays. Sent you a note ahead of the trip but did not hear back.
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Tony
Trad climber
Pt. Richmond, CA
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Mike and Darwin,
It actually looks like both a male AND a female Eurasian Wigeon. The female with the slightly rufous rather than gray head in two of the photos also seems to be sticking close to the male Eurasian Wigeon.
On our way home from a holiday visit to SoCal we managed to see the Gray Hawk that has been in Carpinteria for over a month. This is the first California record.
We were able to watch its accipiter-like flight as it hunted over the iceplant along Hwy 101. It was good we were prepared for a juvenile as it would have been a very confusing ID.
This made 4 lifers for me on this trip! First there was the Yellow-crowned Night Heron that I posted earlier. I finally saw a California Gnatcatcher, which has been a nemesis for me.
It took three tries but I finally saw a Zone-tail Hawk that has been wintering at a big Turkey Vulture roost.
A pair of local Crows had no problem distinguishing it from the Turkey Vultures
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dee ee
Mountain climber
citizen of planet Earth
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I saw the Zone Tailed in Lake Forest as well a few weeks ago, it took 3 tries.
We, Margy, Jake, the Vogel's and I started the year with a "Big Year" start. In M's case it is a "Large (Marge) Year." We got 46 on the first day of the year. I'm up to 50 now but I've been working till after dark.
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Crimpergirl
Sport climber
Boulder, Colorado!
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I went to visit Chase today but didn't get a photo of him. I'll try to tomorrow. It won't be BN caliber, but it'll still be my buddy!
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Darwin
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Tony,
Now that was a good trip to visit the inlaws. The Gray Hawk is prettier than I was expecting and the Zone-tail Hawk is such a boss looking bird.
Did you scope out the surf as you drove back? Does that section of the coast mostly just catch south swells (Slater?).
Darwin
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slabbo
Trad climber
fort garland, colo
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Unless Pterrordactyls have come back, these look like wild turkey ? pretty big
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Riley Wyna
Trad climber
A crack near you
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Jan 10, 2013 - 06:08am PT
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There is a Flammulated Owl on South Padre Island!!
If it is still there today I will go tommorrow and get pics and twitch it.
Edit..haven't been on here in a while
How many birds does Slater have now?
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Crimpergirl
Sport climber
Boulder, Colorado!
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Jan 10, 2013 - 08:55am PT
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Love it Chewybacca (and others)!
Question for you. What field marks point to that being a Rough-Legged versus a juvenile Red-Tailed? Is he just way bigger? I would have mistakenly called that birds a young Red-Tail.
I've not seen a Rough-Legged before. Looking forward to your thoughts.
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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Jan 10, 2013 - 09:29am PT
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Go Riles! A Flammulated must be damn rare down there.
Did you see my crappy pic of the White Wagtail I scored?
So it is rainy today and, like clockwork, the Lesser Goldfinches show up
in the tree next door. Not a leaf on it but they love that tree, when it
rains. I haven't figured it out. They just seem to hang out in it. It sure
doesn't seem all that special, to me.
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matty
Trad climber
under the sea
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Jan 10, 2013 - 09:30am PT
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Not much for me lately...too much climbing etc...but here are a few from yesterday..
Keep up the wonderful stuff everyone, I love this thread and seeing all the neat things that pop up.
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