Watching The Birds

[Stosh]

The brown marsh looking bird ,? There are lots to pick from, juvenile white ibis ,american bittern? But those are wild guesses . If you can name a similar looking bird I may be able to help you narrow it down. Pix would be better HINT HINT.

 

yeah , this time of year the early fall migrants are beginniing to pass through , but the main migration is several weeks out still. On wed here in town i spotted a bald eagle ,osprey ,two pairs red shouldered hawks ,two coopers hawks and a red-tailed hawk. Yes they are all resident types but they shift with the seasons.

Still haven't got a good shot of a hummingbird yet though.

[Marblehead]

Yeah, I know. One picture is worth a thousand words. But sitting in my chair with the camera at the ready is something I'm not all that good at.

 

It wasn't an Ibis. The bittern is too large a bird for what I saw to be one of those unless they come in dwarf styles. Hehehe. (Might have been this year's young though.)

 

There is an eagle population north-west of Jacksonville but I have never seen one in my area. No osprey in my area either but lots of them not too far from me. I do have resident hawks though although I haven't identified which species they are.

 

Maybe one day things will be good and I will get a pix of at least one of my hummers.

[Stosh]

Strange you should suggest it ,but there is a coreys least bittern!

Which I'd love to get a shot at ! By the way.

There are also the two juvenile night herons but they are

about the size of the bittern .

And a few rails which are rather secretive.

Wish I could have been of help. So if you get suspects or clues..

 

[Marblehead]

... there is a coreys least bittern!

Okay. The size, body shape, head/neck, and beak are very similar to what I saw. Dark brownish coloration is similar. Good possibility that this is what I saw.

[Stosh]

Okay. The size, body shape, head/neck, and beak are very similar to what I saw. Dark brownish coloration is similar. Good possibility that this is what I saw.

COOL , nifty opportunity there , odds are I'll never even see one. This morning me and a buddy are heading out to see if we can photo a red cockaded woodpecker , he just got a nice camera (first SLR) and wants to get a feel for it.

But I will be fine with any new species. I just printed out some 8x10s .. my first larger prints .. They look awesome framed. (Cheap frames at the dollar tree- one dollar). Do you print or just keep digital? Do yourself a little ego boost and print (if you haven't).

Edited September 2, 2013 by Stosh

[Marblehead]

... odds are I'll never even see one.

Never know. I am a fair distance from where such a bird would normally hang out. They might have been out looking for a new territory to set up for family life and just took a break at my place.

[Stosh]

Never know. I am a fair distance from where such a bird would normally hang out. They might have been out looking for a new territory to set up for family life and just took a break at my place.

True true they are secretive.. but birds can be surprisingly localized in their behavior...hanging around the same place for a week or two..often returning the next year to the exact same pit stops. Fifty feet in either direction and you miss em entirely.

[Marblehead]

Yep. Many of the birds I saw this Spring / early Summer have not been around for quite some time. I guess they did their business and then moved on.

 

My Lantana have grown like crazy this year and that has brought in many butterflies. I hope they are making babies so I will have even more next year.

[Stosh]

I like the dwarf yellow lantana, its underutilized, as is blue portersweed or firebush, have a good morning.

Ciao.

[Marblehead]

I like the dwarf yellow lantana, its underutilized, as is blue portersweed or firebush, have a good morning. Ciao.

Hehehe. I need to start saying Ciao. I miss the life I had in Italy.

 

All my Lantana (I have three colors) are the full sized variety. I have cut them back twice already this year and they are presently over-due another trimming. But I'm still very happy with them.

 

Ciao.

[Stosh]

Sturdy and rewarding certainly. I am partial to several plants like that and some that appear not to be.I took a random pic of a wildflower today I think it is called summer farewell.Its tiny jumble of delicate pink and white blooms connote feminine grace and yet it thrives out in the broiling sun sand and wind.

I didn't get the woodpecker this time, but did instead get some really nice shots of an endangered immature snail kite..dragonflies ,cattle, starlike moss and a young coyote with fuzzy folded ears.

Did you get the solar system in gear?

How often are we allowed to say Ciao ? Is it like over and out..or STOP in a telegram? Or is it more a once a day salutation?

I was never great with foreign language ( though my sisters are very much so)

Edited September 3, 2013 by Stosh

[Marblehead]

Nice you had the time to get out and take Pix.

 

Agreed, many of the wildflowers are so beautiful and delicate looking. But they have to be pretty tough to be able to compete with all the other plant growth. Texas has certain areas where wildflowers grow well and the state has declared them protected areas and some of the areas includes privately or corporate owned property.

 

I do get dragonflies but I rarely see any at the pond area but mostly in the front gardens. Probably looking for little flying bugs to eat.

 

Yes, I did finish up the solar upgrade. Next couple days will be spent testing its capabilities so I will know how to get maximum use from the energy generated from the sun.

 

 

Ciao is for the Italians as Aloha is for the Hawaiians. Both "Hello" and "Goodbye" but so much more that is unspoken.

 

Wherever I was stationed I tried to learn some of the language of the people. I got pretty good with German as my first tour there was a four year tour (I requested one additional year beyond the normal three year tour).

 

Italian was harder because of the people I met there were almost always some who studied English in school and they wanted to speak English with me.

 

Korea and Vietnam were much more difficult for many reasons although I did learn their different forms of greetings.

 

I took a vacation in Mexico after my tour in Italy and spoke Italian with the Mexicans. That was fun and oftentimes cause laughter because of my horrible "Spanish".

[Stosh]

Got some nice shots of a snail kite Ill post one up when I get in to work.

Color may be oversaturated a bit on your monitor , they probably look better on laptop .

I havent figured out the correction yet.

 

 

exotic mentioned earlier

Immature

same one

swallow tail kite

ex. wing veination

Edited September 9, 2013 by Stosh

[Marblehead]

Great pictures Stosh! Thanks for sharing.

 

I can see why you don't want to change equipment - you've got a good thing going, I think.

[Stosh]

Great pictures Stosh! Thanks for sharing.

 

I can see why you don't want to change equipment - you've got a good thing going, I think.

Thanks , I appreciate that.

[Marblehead]

Yesterday I saw a Greyjay (Catbird). First time in over a month.

 

I now have three species of regular visiting butterflies. Many medium sized orange with black circular patterns (not a Monarch). many small dark brown swallow-tailed, and two large yellow with black circular patterns.

 

The small drak brown ones are so fast moving I almost lose track of them when they are in flight.

 

The sparrows, finches. doves, and pigeons are ever-present. Yesterday six sparrows were at the bird bath all at the same time taking a bath.

[Marblehead]

I just saw a Buddhist Sparrow in my garden. I know it was a Buddhist Sparrow because it was hiding, pretending it didn't exist.

[Stosh]

Are you guys still going at it over "existing " ?

Man, I dont have that much patience.

35 pages ! on that thread !

I always want to toss this out " Well, if you dont exist , then I can bang your wife ,and take all your stuff ! "

 

Ive been involved with a new photosubject , trying to identify dragonflies. Ive got most of em labelled. They are TOUGH , to name , they change colors over time and with gender. We've been taking shots of them in flight , which is good fun.

 

 

 

 

Got this bass trying to catch some that way too.

[xor]

Are you guys still going at it over "existing " ?

Man, I dont have that much patience.

35 pages ! on that thread !

 

Yes... Makes no sense to me arguing with someone who doesn't exist!

[Marblehead]

Yes... Makes no sense to me arguing with someone who doesn't exist!

Dreams are that way too. We dream we are a butterfly but the butterfly really doesn't exist when we wake up.

 

Dragonflies are that way too. You think you see one and look hard to focus and the bass makes it non-existant.

[Stosh]

You and I are in accord about existance but I would hold out to you that it may be very important for KU to maintain his worldview such as it is. Why that would be, I have no idea. I figure everything he says and does every day belies his contentions. Since what he claims has no bearing therefore on what he does I am fine with just leaving it that way. The stuff about atheism is also bogus and clearly they can't actually address points raised. Beyond where things stand there is no more undone.

PS it takes three days to get over getting really torqued.

[silent thunder]

It took me half a dozen trips to the Huntington Library to finally get this guy.

The structure of the wings dazzle me.

Fascinating buggers.

[Marblehead]

You and I are in accord about existance but I would hold out to you that it may be very important for KU to maintain his worldview such as it is. Why that would be, I have no idea. I figure everything he says and does every day belies his contentions. Since what he claims has no bearing therefore on what he does I am fine with just leaving it that way. The stuff about atheism is also bogus and clearly they can't actually address points raised. Beyond where things stand there is no more undone. PS it takes three days to get over getting really torqued.

Now what are you suggesting here? That KU is a bird?

 

I don't have a problem with KU. I don't even have a problem with Alwayson. I have already spoken to what I have a problem with in that thread.

 

He has every right to believe as he does. He, nor anyone else, has the right to tell me how and what to believe. Birds fly and fish swim. That's the way life is.

 

And BTW All my birds and fish are Atheistic.

 

It took me half a dozen trips to the Huntington Library to finally get this guy.

The structure of the wings dazzle me.

Fascinating buggers.

IMG_5330a.jpg

Yeah, that's a beauty. Reminded me of the few species of butterlies that have translucent wings.

[joeblast]

[Marblehead]

Joeblast,

 

If you can, watch "Earthflight" on PBS. It is an amazing series.