Watching The Birds

[Marblehead]

Agree.

 

I did some work outside.  The cats, birds, butterflies, and assorted insects are all back acting as if nothing had happened.

 

 

[cold]

Living in the now...

[manitou]

There are these adorable little green frogs living in my small pond that sun themselves on the rocks surrounding it.  When something  startles them, they make this little chirping sound as they do this magnificent Esther Williams type swan dive into the pond.  It always amazes me just how far their dive extends out.

[Marblehead]

Yeah, common name is Tree Frog.  I didn't know they lived that far north though.  Of course, they need to stay fairly close to water because that is where they do their mating.

 

[manitou]

I worry about what happens to them when winter strikes and everything freezes.  Do they somehow survive?  I empty the pond so they're not at the bottom.  Maybe underground somewhere?

[cold]

They hibernate / overwinter in the soil alongside and or underneath bodies of water.

Decades if not eons of adaptation and or acclimation.

I find them on my dew covered squash leaves early in the morning at least 100 yards or so from a stream eating bugs that are eating my squash leaves.

[Marblehead]

I saw a teeny hummer in the garden this morning.  Maybe one of this year's babies.  That would be nice.

 

Cold has it with the frogs/toads.  They adjust to their environment.

 

[26sol]

beautiful thread how about gulls?they are so common but this doesn't make them less awesome.I was at the sea few days ago watching the seagulls and at some point my eye sticks at 2 of them flying very close to each other, spinning around making loops and all sorts of crazy stuff.Then they flew one behind the other, almost touching but never actually did,they took turns on who would be first and they competed who would go closer to the sea,few times they actually touched the water with the tip of their wings!such posers,its not even the first time I see them showing off,what majestic creatures

[26sol]

5 hours ago, manitou said:

I worry about what happens to them when winter strikes and everything freezes.  Do they somehow survive?  I empty the pond so they're not at the bottom.  Maybe underground somewhere?

as far as I know most northern frog species,tree frogs included,get through the winter being actually frozen and going in suspended animation

Edited September 16, 2017 by 26sol

[manitou]

2 hours ago, 26sol said:

beautiful thread how about gulls?they are so common but this doesn't make them less awesome.I was at the sea few days ago watching the seagulls and at some point my eye sticks at 2 of them flying very close to each other, spinning around making loops and all sorts of crazy stuff.Then they flew one behind the other, almost touching but never actually did,they took turns on who would be first and they competed who would go closer to the sea,few times they actually touched the water with the tip of their wings!such posers,its not even the first time I see them showing off,what majestic creatures

 

 

I used to live at the beach in California and I never tired of watching those birds.  And they get so incredibly creative about how they steal food from trash cans or beach bags if somebody walks away for even a few minutes.  They remind me of crows with their intelligence and opportunistic tendencies.  A woman who was laying about 20 feet away from me came back to her beach towel and actually asked me if I took her sandwich.  I laughingly told her that it was a gull.  To this day I'm not sure she believed me.

 

For a real good time, take a bag of Fritos to the beach and throw them up into the air.  You'll have a horde of 'gullfriends' in no time.

Edited September 16, 2017 by manitou

[Nungali]

'Whippy' is back   he moved in last summer .   Where do they go in winter ?  Any way, he owns this patch now, does several patrols a day .

 

 

Boy is he a noisy little guy. seems to love it in the undergrowth around the cabin and under the cabin, catching bugs I suppose. Always chattering squabbling and chirping ... and of course whipping  ... followed by  the 'hey you ' whistle.   He starts on dawn, but I am awake by then.  His body movements are the same ; fast speedy erratic flighty jumpy - frisky little chap.

 

 

 

      

 

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastern_whipbird

 

 

 

[manitou]

Incredible array of sounds that whipbird makes.  Thanks, Nungali.

 

It was interesting that in earlier times (in your Wikipedia article) it was placed in the crow family and it was also identified with flycatchers - which seems strange because his bill seems a bit heavy and decurved for the flycatcher variety. (maybe that's why he was first placed in the crow family - it actually does resemble a more delicate crow bill)  But in reading your post and the Wikipedia article it does indicate that the insects he takes are from the underside of leaves, which makes more sense.  I don't know if the bird is named 'whipbird' to reflect that loud and unexpected ending to his rather delicate trill, but it almost does sound like a cracking whip.

Edited September 17, 2017 by manitou

[Nungali]

Yes, it came from the call.  Sometimes, in the rainforest its a  much louder noise  , more like a whip but also more o ' echoey and electronic' sounding.    I think that's the male call .

 

Then again , sometimes you never know what you are listening to in the rainforest    ;

 

 

 

[manitou]

OMG.   I've never heard anything like that!  Yes, there was definitely a house being built next door.  

 

Obviously, there was a 1) jackhammer 2) dremel  3) rotary saw 4) hammering of nails 5) furniture being dragged across a wooden floor 6) a whistling workman on his lunch break, and 7) a dirty old man possibly masturbating.

[Son Yu]

Man, ive been taking care of sooooo many birds on my property for over 20 years But recently a falcon came around and has killed almost every bird in the area  

 

[Marblehead]

I can imagine your sadness.

 

Please keep in mind that this is nature's Way.  Not always pretty.

[silent thunder]

31 minutes ago, Son Yu said:

Man, ive been taking care of sooooo many birds on my property for over 20 years But recently a falcon came around and has killed almost every bird in the area  

 

then you have also taken car of the Falcon and her family.

[Son Yu]

On 10/4/2017 at 6:15 PM, silent thunder said:

then you have also taken car of the Falcon and her family.

OSS!  _/|\_

[Marblehead]

Spoiler

 

 

[Kar3n]

The woodpeckers are back at their house in the hole in the side of the tree, and the hummingbirds are not happy that they have taken to drinking out of the feeder.

[Kar3n]

And the bees...

[cold]

Always a pleasure to see a (hopefully) healthy bee on the job!

[Kar3n]

2 hours ago, cold said:

Always a pleasure to see a (hopefully) healthy bee on the job!

There are many healthy workers buzzing around in my backyard. They love the Alyssum and Ruellia as much as the hummingbirds do.

[Marblehead]

Temps have warmed back up from the cold spell here and the bees and butterflies are out and about again,  Some species of butterflies have left, probably headed south.  But the locals remain.

 

[blue eyed snake]

I saw an eurasian wren in my garden, very small quick birdie that usually arrives here in my yard when winter is coming.

It's a beautiful beastie, very quick with its petite tail sticking up.

 

 

But winter does not seem to come here, temperatures should be about 5 degrees, but they are much higher. Some days it's still summery outside. As i'm quick to get colds when winter arrives for me that is good, but strange.