Birds

Discussion Topic

Return to Forum List

This thread has been locked

Messages 6101 - 6120 of total 9874 in this topic

<< First | < Previous | Show All | Next > | Last >>

pbjosh

Trad climber

Apr 14, 2014 - 03:06pm PT

First bird looks like a Hermit Thrush to me. Nice photos!

Plan B

Ice climber

Agua Dulce,CA

Apr 14, 2014 - 06:32pm PT

Nice pics Josh! My fav is the Rosita Bunting.

dee ee

Mountain climber

citizen of planet Earth

Apr 15, 2014 - 11:01am PT

Sunday the 13th I spent the day birding the Salton Sea with legendary outdoorsman Rob Raker. Rob has always been famous for living life to the fullest and after being diagnosed with prostate cancer years ago it seems he has managed to increase his zest for life (if that's possible!).

Needless to say we had a blast

We got an early start(I left home at 3:30am)and were down at the south end by 7:30.

We basically headed east and north staying as close to the shore as we could hitting 7 or 8 spots by the time it was all over.

Every place we went had some great species and it was like a avian treasure hunt. The Salton Sea is a weird and eerily beautiful place. At times it was like another planet.

More shocking than the diversity were the sheer numbers of birds. It was mind boggling.

After over 10 hours of birding we had 90 different species and I got 4 lifers (Neotropic Cormorant, Common Ground Dove, Gull billed Tern and Lesser Black-backed Gull). We thought we had a Sprague's Pipit but it turned out to be an Am. Pipit. Damn!

It was a banner day.

Marsh Wren

Neotropic Corm.

Eared Grebes

Great Egret

DC Corms, and nesting GBH

Common Ground Doves

Burrowing Owl

Black-bellied Plover

Semipalmated Plover

Rob (does this shot remind you of anyone else?)

Bob D'A

Trad climber

Taos, NM

Apr 15, 2014 - 11:19am PT

Great shots Dave...I was at the Salton Sea last year and felt the same as you...errie to say the least. The place could used some love.

Amazing the amount of birds in that area...everywhere you look.

dee ee

Mountain climber

citizen of planet Earth

Apr 15, 2014 - 02:56pm PT

Craig, we did get Abert's. We didn't go to those lakes that are a few miles south but we did hit a couple really good passerine habitats, lot's of good non shorebirds.

89 species ain't bad ( I had to do a recount after posting my eBird list).

Some of the beaches we were on were made up of what looked like barnacles, millions and millions of barnacles. Like walking on potato chips.

What a crazy place.

various edits below.

ps. Birding wasn't "gay" back then, we were just climbing our asses off.

Oh Reilly, I did look for Yellow-footed Gulls, I had seen them posted on some recent lists, but, no success. That's a little beyond my gulling skill levels.

Bob, Rob says "hi." Also I must also ask, "what's up with the tan spots on that AMGO?" Selective leucicism?

Dr. F, btw Whistling Ducks haven't been seen since the year 2000.

StahlBro

Trad climber

San Diego, CA

Apr 15, 2014 - 03:44pm PT

Debbie and I checked out the lakes at the south end late last year. They were pretty much dried up.

We did hear a "Yuma" clapper while we were there, but could not spot it.

http://www.fws.gov/nevada/protected_species/birds/species/yucr.html

Bob D'A

Trad climber

Taos, NM

Apr 15, 2014 - 04:32pm PT

My take today...working on this new birding trails book to the Denver/Boulder area and trying to get it done before I head south to Socorro, NM in a month.

john hansen

climber

Apr 15, 2014 - 11:31pm PT

89 in one day is pretty good.

I am thinking this is a Brown Headed Cowbird.

And a house wren.

TGT

Social climber

So Cal

Apr 15, 2014 - 11:42pm PT

Ana's and Alan's now permanent residents.

Reilly

Mountain climber

The Other Monrovia- CA

Apr 16, 2014 - 12:06pm PT

Birders aren't always the nicest people either.
From Calbirds:

Marsh Sandpiper / Birder Behavior

Tue Apr 15, 2014 1:05 pm (PDT) . Posted by:

"Monte Taylor" tsuru8

Quoting one persons eBird post commentary on April 12th and wondering had
birders cared anything about others vs. Me Me Me, the Marsh may have been
around longer for those who had to pay for an airplane ticket and rental
car to arrive and find nothing or wait till there day off:

" - Comments: "MASH arrived in channel with yellowlegs just after sunrise,
when low backlighting allowed nice study of the bird's silhouette. Later
switched viewing position to the white bridge, where lighting was good but
views were still distant. A group of birders on the road attempting to get
closer views repeatedly flushed the bird, until it flew far to the east and
then southeast into Yolo County. Best views were in flight. The bird
returned a short time later, but was again repeatedly flushed, and this
time flew southeast into Yolo County and did not return."

Next time have some respect and consideration for others than just yourself.

Monte Taylor
Tustin Ranch, CA

Bob D'A

Trad climber

Taos, NM

Apr 16, 2014 - 01:52pm PT

My take from today's hike.

Bob D'A

Trad climber

Taos, NM

Apr 16, 2014 - 03:06pm PT

Need ID on this one??

Thanks in advance.

pbjosh

Trad climber

Apr 16, 2014 - 06:25pm PT

Bob, the streaked chest + eye ring + head stripe pattern look like Vesper Sparrow to me, but I'm without a US fieldguide at hand so forgive me if others correct me. Brewer's sparrow has a plain chest and I can't think of other SW sparrows with a face like that + prominent eyering. You're in NM, right?

Birding the Arenal area of Costa Rica today, we were treated to great if backlit looks at a pair of White-fronted Nunbirds, which has gotten to be pretty uncommon in Central America, very cool bird. About 110 species in about 2 miles dirt road and a 20 minute stop at a marshy ditch where we tried, in vain, for 20 minutes to get looks at White-throated Crake only to have a pair walk calmly across the road 15 feet from us after we'd gotten back in the truck!

Cheers all,

Josh

Bob D'A

Trad climber

Taos, NM

Apr 16, 2014 - 06:54pm PT

PB...I think you are right...thanks so much. You should contact LittleZ...great guy and a amazing wealth of knowledge on the birds of CR. He lives in San Jose.

little Z

Trad climber

un cafetal en Naranjo

Apr 16, 2014 - 09:05pm PT

Hey Bob - thanks for the good word. Josh and I are in contact and hopefully he and Kathi and I will be able to hook up before they head south.

Agree with Josh that your bird is good for a Vesper Sparrow. You've been posting up some great photos lately, like that robin, just classic. Good luck with your new job in NM. Putting together plans for a trip to Colorado in September, sorry to learn you won't be there.

John - good call on the BH Cowbird and House Wren.

Bob D'A

Trad climber

Taos, NM

Apr 17, 2014 - 01:47pm PT

Thanks Little Z, will be seeing you in October as we have to be back in CR.

Looking forward to the move, the birding is amazing down there.

Hairy Woodpecker from today's hike.

looking sketchy there...

Social climber

Lassitude 33

Apr 17, 2014 - 02:08pm PT

DEE, glad you and Rob had a great day at Dalton Sea. He was looking forward to it when we were in Josh on Saturday. He was scoping avians all day between cranking routes.

dee ee

Mountain climber

citizen of planet Earth

Apr 17, 2014 - 08:15pm PT

Thanks RV!

Wed. we went to Morongo for the Wed. am bird walk. It was birdy there, got 47 species. Later Rob, Kevin Powell, Monica and I went to
Whitewater where we witnessed 2 Peregrine's copulating. It was hot (I mean the temps were hot!).

White-winged Dove

FOS Western Tanager

RTHA

Lawrence's Goldfinch

Today I went to Woods Canyon for Blue Grosbeaks and Yellow-breasted Chats for county year. Got both.

BHGR

SPTO