Look! A bird!

[Puget]

Just got back from two week in southern Arizona -- lots of birds, most unusually an Elegant Trogan (we never would have spotted it except there were people on the trail with scopes on it). Also lots of hawks of various kinds, several road runners, and tons of birds at my grandmother's feeder (my holiday present to her was monthly deliveries of bird seed via an amazon subscription).

[mamselle]

I'm seeing birds I've never seen before. Two yellow-bellied, blue-backed warblers (I think...), one of which landed in the 3/4 coconut spherical feeder my friend hangs on her side windowsill. He took one look at me, startled, and flew off.

Also some cool black-and-white "pie"s (bavard, possibly, is their second name) that look very dramatic when the lift off mid-field.

My friend has pictures she's taken of an emerald-and-ruby-feathered creature that I'd love to see but I don't know where they're from.

M.

[nebo113]

Just got back from two week in southern Arizona -- lots of birds, most unusually an Elegant Trogan (we never would have spotted it except there were people on the trail with scopes on it). Also lots of hawks of various kinds, several road runners, and tons of birds at my grandmother's feeder (my holiday present to her was monthly deliveries of bird seed via an amazon subscription).

Heading that way soon.  Where were your birding?

[Puget]

Just got back from two week in southern Arizona -- lots of birds, most unusually an Elegant Trogan (we never would have spotted it except there were people on the trail with scopes on it). Also lots of hawks of various kinds, several road runners, and tons of birds at my grandmother's feeder (my holiday present to her was monthly deliveries of bird seed via an amazon subscription).

Heading that way soon.  Where were your birding?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madera_Canyon
Excellent area for hiking, with lots of different zones from desert up into forrest (there is snow up higher).
(I should note that I'm decidedly not a birder, but others in my family are and I so I come along for the hike and enjoy seeing them).

[nebo113]

Just got back from two week in southern Arizona -- lots of birds, most unusually an Elegant Trogan (we never would have spotted it except there were people on the trail with scopes on it). Also lots of hawks of various kinds, several road runners, and tons of birds at my grandmother's feeder (my holiday present to her was monthly deliveries of bird seed via an amazon subscription).

Heading that way soon.  Where were your birding?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madera_Canyon
Excellent area for hiking, with lots of different zones from desert up into forrest (there is snow up higher).
(I should note that I'm decidedly not a birder, but others in my family are and I so I come along for the hike and enjoy seeing them).

LOVE Madera Canyon.

[mamselle]

A turn to the right,
He's hidden from sight,
But now I see
My Blue Heron....

(Even got more dark, grainy pix of him....)

M.

[nebo113]

A turn to the right,
He's hidden from sight,
But now I see
My Blue Heron....

(Even got more dark, grainy pix of him....)

M.

Love it

[mamselle]

I just don;'t get how he can stand to stand in that icy cold stream.

My ankles would turn blue.

Oh.

M.

[Thursday's_Child]

The heron almost certainly has a counter-current flow arrangement in the arteries & veins in the upper leg.  This means that while hot blood is flowing down into the leg it's right next to the vein bringing cold blood back.  Thus, the heat tends to move sideways - from hot artery to cold vein - and gets swept back into the body before too much gets lost.

Engineers have now adapted this for providing constant air-exchange in buildings in extreme climates.  With proper adjustment of length and flow rate you get very little heat exchange between building & outside, while getting constant fresh air indoors.  If I ever get to build a house, I'm getting one!

[mamselle]

Wow, makes sense and I never knew that!

M.

[apl68]

On Saturday I witnessed a confrontation in the sky between a crow and what looked like a large hawk.  The crow kept cawing at and darting at the hawk until it left the area. 

[mamselle]

I see a lot of that: my Wednesday students live up on a wooded hill where the hawks love to prowl--and the crows love to yell at them and attack them.

They're nearly fearless, keep cawing and flying at the hawk (or sometimes, an owl) and they can keep it up for awhile.

I presume they're protecting their nests; they do the same thing if a cat's around on the ground.

M.

[backatit]

The hawks are building a nest in the trees in my backyard, which isn't as cool as it sounds. You open the back door now at your peril, I'm thinking of getting a stuffed owl to scare them away from the immediate back yard, but I don't want to scare them off their nest. It promises to be an interesting spring; they usually nest further from the house...

[apl68]

During this morning's walk I heard the herons croaking in a much louder and scratchier voice than usual.  It almost didn't sound avian.  I hope one of them doesn't have a sore throat.  That would be a lot of throat to feel sore!

[mamselle]

My friend Brigitte counted 9 birds in the French "Birds in your garden" census the other day.

I'll have to come back and list them when I can bring up her email and this screen at the same time.

M.