Feeding Hummingbirds by Hand
August 17, 2009
Here is a picture of a hand-fed ruby-throated hummingbird taken at Lake Hope State Park in Ohio, August, 2009.
Read the article about feeding hummingbirds by hand in The Washington Post
Mystery Hummingbird
July 24, 2009
This hummingbird was photographed in mid-July in northwestern Montana. Experts are divided on what it is. Let us know what you think in the comments.
© Dan Garber
Odd Bird Names
January 15, 2009
Most of the time, a bird’s name is a good clue as to how to tell it from other birds. Think blue jay, a bird noted for its bright blue color, or goldfinch, whose bright yellow color makes it easy to identify.
But have you ever seen the red belly on the red-bellied woodpecker? Or the ring on a ring-necked duck? Or the semipalmations on a semipalmated plover? And what does semipalmated mean anyway?
 |
 |
In the left-hand picture above, the red-bellied woodpecker is in its normal pose, belly up to a tree. One hardly ever sees them in a different situation, but sometimes, as in the right-hand picture you can get a glimpse of their red belly.
You might wonder why it was called the red-bellied woodpecker when it is almost impossible to see the red belly. The naming of most birds was done by early scientists as they looked at specimens in a museum collection. If one were to look at a drawer full of belly up woodpeckers, red-bellied might seem to be a perfectly reasonable name. But nowadays, with the popularity of birdwatching, binoculars, and field guides depicting birds in natural poses, the name seems a bit odd.
But at least the red-bellied woodpecker has a conspicuous red belly, when it chooses to display it. But how about the ring-necked duck? In the picture to the right (click to enlarge), the ring around the neck is barely visible. It is brown, narrow, and just above the chest. It is quite anticlimactic and not usually visible: this bird is alarmed and has its neck stretched. At least on the similarly-named ring-necked pheasant, the ring is bright white and contrasts with the green head and brown chest.
The last of our oddly-named birds is the semipalmated plover. This bird spends a lot of time walking on mud where it searches for small worms and other invertebrates to eat. The problem with walking on mud is that you run the risk of sinking in it. So the semipalmated plover has partially-webbed feet (hence the name semipalmated). The webbing is between the base of the toes and prevents the plover from sinking in the mud, but allow it to be agile enough to run across the mud to chase prey.
 |
 |
Fishing Gull
January 5, 2009
Ed Guthro photographed this ring-billed gull with fishing line wound around its leg. It is unlikely that this bird will survive much longer if the free end of the line gets entangled. Perhaps a New Year’s resolution for all of us would be to leave a lighter footprint on the natural world.
The ring-billed gull is a very common inhabitant of North America and are commonly seen in urban areas such as mall parking lots and landfills.
Bad Weather, Great Pictures
December 19, 2008
Tremendous snow storms in western North America have given bird photographers a chance to take some really nice photos. Dan Garber sent us a picture of a Steller’s jay waiting out a blizzard in northwestern Montana.
This wild turkey appears to know that Christmas dinner is right around the corner and is hoping nobody notices it trying to sneak away. Keith Cumming took this picture in British Columbia.
Photo Gallery Updated
December 3, 2008
Some nice photos in today’s gallery.
The clay-colored sparrow shots are the first for this species in the gallery. It was recently found in the Carolinas. The photographers weren’t certain about its identity, but clinched it by playing iPod recordings of both chippy and clay-colored songs. It ignored the chippy song and flew right in for the clay-colored song.
The cardinal shot is the winner for Best Composition in a National Audubon/Cornell bird photo contest this year. Luckily for us, the photographer also sends us his shots.
And next come a couple of peregrine pictures from Lansing, Michigan. The pair is cleaning out their box now: I didn’t realize they started the nesting “process” so early.
Then comes a pileated woodpecker a bit out of habitat. You can see cattails in the background, though pileateds are normally found in forests, not marshes.
Next are some pine siskins. It is a super invasion year this year, with something like 11,000 so far over Hawk Mountain in Pennsylvania. Gotta set up my feeders…
Also, some killer shots of a snowy owl in New York. Like siskins, it is a big year for them in the East. Likely food sources in the Arctic habitat are low, so they are venturing farther south than usual this year. The prey is a rabbit.
Finally, a red crossbill from Montana. Note in one shot how it crossed its bill in the opposite direction! According to Craig Benkman, THE crossbill expert, this is not that unusual, but I sure didn’t know they could do that.
Turkeys Looking Nervous
November 24, 2008
Dan Garber sent us some turkey photos from Montana. Although they look watchful, they allowed him to approach close enough approach to take some quality pictures.
This tom turkey better watch out, Thanksgiving is just around the corner!
