Discussion Topic |
|
This thread has been locked |
little Z
Trad climber
un cafetal en Naranjo
|
|
|
Jul 30, 2014 - 01:06pm PT
|
been some good variety lately, thanks to all contributors.
Those Hawaiian endemics are amazing. Sadly their future looks grim. Thanks for sharing those photos John, and the details of your adveture. That's on my bucket list.
To anticipate CClarke and his photos of more wonders of nature from the Galapagos, here's one of my favorites, and one of the few Galapagos birds that shows up here in Costa Rica - the ST Gull. The Super Topo Gull? no, the Swallow-tailed Gull (although my ST password is based on this bird). It's nocturnal.
|
|
dee ee
Mountain climber
citizen of planet Earth
|
|
|
Jul 30, 2014 - 02:48pm PT
|
Bob, love the Verdin. Those guys are hard to get a good shot of, way hyper!
I would love to see a Swallow-tailed Gull!
|
|
Willoughby
Social climber
Truckee, CA
|
|
|
Jul 30, 2014 - 06:00pm PT
|
Creagrus. That is one hell of a gull. Send that thing up to Tahoe!!!
|
|
john hansen
climber
|
|
|
Jul 30, 2014 - 06:34pm PT
|
Little Z, you are right about the Hawaiian Natives. The Big Island (Hawaii)
does give me some hope though.
Some of the more common birds, like Amakahi , Apapane and Iiwi seem to be getting more resistant to avian malaria, and are moving into lower elevations.
Before they were restricted above 4000 ft.
They are really working to restore areas in the Hakalau NWR. They have planted over a million native trees in the last 30 years and the understory is really starting to grow in with native plants in the older planted areas.
The three rarest birds, Akiapa la'au, creeper and Akepa have been holding their own now that it is all fenced off from cattle and sheep.
The Palila's territory is quite degraded and is one cigarette or catylitic converter started blaze away from extinction. Only about 2000 left in about 15000 acre's. Very dry on that side and the understory is choked with invasive species of plants including Madagascar fireweed.
Kauai is even worse off after Hurricane Inikii hit in 1992. There are still three or four native but all with population in the hundreds instead of thousands.
If you ever make it to the Big Island I would gladly share the guide fee for another chance to see these cool birds in a unique enviroment.
Aloha
|
|
CClarke
climber
La Paz, Bolivia
|
|
|
Jul 30, 2014 - 09:00pm PT
|
I had a fun time making four new sport routes at Penas where the locals hope to establish a tourist destination for visiting climbers. It is a good place to acclimatize at around 14,000' and the area is beautiful for hiking, scrambling and sport climbing. I think it has the best views of the Cordillera Real.
But now more birds.
The obvious choice is the Swallow Tail Gull:
|
|
Mike Bolte
Trad climber
Planet Earth
|
|
|
Jul 31, 2014 - 01:25pm PT
|
|
|
Bob D'A
Trad climber
Taos, NM
|
|
|
Jul 31, 2014 - 06:02pm PT
|
Ash-throated Flycatcher, Socorro, NM
|
|
StahlBro
Trad climber
San Diego, CA
|
|
|
Jul 31, 2014 - 10:07pm PT
|
|
|
dee ee
Mountain climber
citizen of planet Earth
|
|
If we had Swallow Tail Gulls around here that's what I would be looking for!!
We're still chasing exotics down here. Jeff Bray and I were birding yesterday and relocated this Yellow-crowned Bishop at San Joaquin.
Afterwards Jeff received a ranting e-mail from another of OC's birders.
See below!
I still enjoy the exotics. Does that make me a bad person?
"I have a suggestion. Why don't all of you who chase all these Exotic, trash, Old McDonalds Farm, released Cage Birds move to Florida. Just think. You'll have over 50 species of this sh#t to go chase, burn precious fossil fuels pushing gas prices up for Floridians rather than us, and fill the Florida listserv (rather than our Orange County Birding listserv) with these sh#t posts. And, Florida gets about a species added to the avifauna every couple months or so from people releasing yet another cage bird!! Geez, you can't go wrong!
But then you could also go start your own listserv and amuse yourselves with your sh#t birds!! That would even be better for the rest of us who have respectful lists and you won't be the laughing stock of all the rest of us who just spend our time hitting the delete button all day with your crap.
To even prove my point as well, I quote: "Not much else to report from there today."!!! Yeah, that's right, the shorebird numbers at SJWRS, which are of most interest to REAL birders, are "not much else to report" and your freaking Bishop is KING!!
Laughable, sorry ass posts!!!
Enjoy them, but frankly, if this all is of so much 'value' to you, name your new listserv something like TRASH BIRDS OF ORANGE COUNTY - FOR THOSE WHO DON'T FIND ANYTHING OF NOTE FOR THE BIRDS THAT ARE NATURAL OCCURRING. That should be most applicable for your posts.
But then I'm sure you're sitting there right now justifying that Old McDonalds Farm crap right? And real birders, well we are just ignorant asses that don't know anything. Yeah, you're right.
|
|
dee ee
Mountain climber
citizen of planet Earth
|
|
Here is my "trash bird" for today!
Zebra Finch found up in Brea near Arovista Park this morning.
We saw these guys wild in Australia....or, I should say, wild and naturally occurring.
....also, when I was in college I raised Zebra Finches and sold them to Bracken Bird Farm for income. I inherited the operation from Margy's great uncle Warren. It was a lot of fun, we had a very large aviary with over 100 private nesting boxes and I would have 200-250 at a time.
|
|
dee ee
Mountain climber
citizen of planet Earth
|
|
Found this Barn Swallow nest at Arovista Park this morning after locating my trash bird objective.
|
|
Plan B
Ice climber
Agua Dulce,CA
|
|
Love those exotics! And that rant too!
I will be out looking for that Zebra next week.
I saw an exotic myself this morning.
Budgie at Santiago Creek.
|
|
Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
|
|
I gotta say that I agree with the rant in principle, if not in form. He sure
ain't no Russ Walling. I don't go out of my way to look for 'em but I'm
not above enjoying them if I see 'em - that Zebra Finch is pretty damn cute.
Personally, I feel it should be illegal to import anything except
Italian, German, and English cars.
|
|
StahlBro
Trad climber
San Diego, CA
|
|
Feakin' trad birders ;-)
|
|
dirt claud
Social climber
san diego,ca
|
|
Damned Dee. What does the forum site for birders look like, much like this one I guess;) That guy was having a cow. Didn't know bird watching could get so serious,LOL I got a loud ass parrot next door I would love to export to it's home country.
|
|
dee ee
Mountain climber
citizen of planet Earth
|
|
No Claude, the actual Sea and Sage rare bird forum is very formal, very staid. The moderator is very strict and allows no slander. Some of the main stream of the OC scene (the old guard) is very snooty and stuck up. That's why I love the Inland Empire folks (San Bernardino Valley Audubon). Those peeps know how to have fun.
That e-mail was sent privately to the perps.
The 2 perps (friends) commented on my flickr page today regarding the Zebra Finch.
"What a trashy bird that is."
"What a POS."
Plan B, did you say Budgerigar at Santiago Creek?
Where,where,where? It could be my next "trash bird."
I e-mailed you details about the Zebra Finch location.
Oh, I did forget to mention it associates with a mixed flock of House Sparrows and House Finches.
Dang Rob, what's that make me? a "Sport Birder?" I guess it does!
|
|
Bob D'A
Trad climber
Taos, NM
|
|
Ladder back Woodpecker and female Phainopepla.
Great shots on those "trash birds" Dave.
|
|
dee ee
Mountain climber
citizen of planet Earth
|
|
Bob that Phaino shot is awesome, really good.
|
|
|
SuperTopo on the Web
|
Let us know!