If you were stymied on Monday, now can you name this bird? The photo was taken in Colorado in February. The answer will appear at the end of next Monday’s post.
Category: Birds
February Bird Quiz
Can you name this bird? The photo was taken in February in Colorado. (Due to the extreme cropping, some of these pictures are going to be smaller than has been typical.)
I will post the uncropped photo Saturday, giving you one more chance to identify this bird. The answer will be at the end of next Monday’s post.
Precious Pikas
Living at 7,100 feet at the base of the Rocky Mountains, I sometimes complain about our cold winters, especially as they stretch into March and April. But imagine spending the winter on top of the Rockies, at 11,000 feet or higher. At these elevations, winter lasts from October to May. The wind howls, blizzards come without warning, and the snow that doesn’t blow away piles deeply over the tundra.
Many species that summer on top of the mountains migrate vertically to lower, more sheltered wintering grounds. Of the few that remain all year, most hibernate. But amazingly, there’s one small mammal—six inches long, weighing a mere six inches—that chooses mountaintop scree slopes as its home: the pika.
Birding Down Under: North from Sydney
You can’t go to Australia and skip the beach. It would be unthinkable! That’s why, after spending a wonderful week in the Blue Mountains, we decided to drive north along the coast to Brisbane. Determined to allow plenty of time for birds and beach stops, we allocated three whole days. We could easily have spent a lot longer.
Carpool Etiquette
The president of our local Audubon chapter, Risë Foster-Bruder, wrote a little article on carpool etiquette for our chapter newsletter. That started both of us thinking about all the aggravations that are associated with carpooling, as well as some helpful hints. I added them to what Risë wrote. The result this post.
Most birding clubs center around field trips. And, being the conservation-minded folks that we are, we meet somewhere to carpool. Why drive four vehicles when you can crowd into one? Besides, having too many cars frightens the birds. (more…)
January Bird Quiz: Uncropped Photo
If you were stymied on Monday, now can you name this bird? The photo was taken in Colorado in December. The answer will appear at the end of next Monday’s post.
January Bird Quiz
I’ve been posting my little bird quizzes for several years now, and it’s time for a change. This year, instead of showing you a bird and asking you to identify it, I’m going to show you part of a bird and ask you to identify it.
Aren’t I nice?
I’m just trying to be realistic. How often do you get to see an entire bird? Too many times the bird is hiding in the bushes, or on the wrong side of the tree, and all we get is a glimpse. This way, you’ll get practice in the practical challenges of birdwatching. See, I’m being helpful.
Here’s an example—can you name this bird?
Pursuing a Purple Sandpiper
Gelett Burgess may have avoided purple cows*, but a Purple Sandpiper is a different matter. During the last week of 2016, I was one of hundreds of birders who flocked to Dillon Reservoir, in the Colorado Rockies, for a glimpse of this misplaced bird. For a species that winters along the Atlantic coast and summers in far northern Canada and Greenland, an individual spending the holidays in Colorado was a bit out of the ordinary. Perhaps it was fooled by the unseasonable weather we had a month or so ago—or perhaps it simply got lost.
Parting Shots
As the year quickly passes into history, I traditionally post some “parting shots.” This year’s photos were all taken on our trip to Australia this fall. I hope they bring a smile as we finish 2016.
(You can see previous years’ pictures by typing “parting shots” into the search box in the upper right hand column.)
Merry Christmas
Here’s a cheerful Australian King Parrot all decked out in his holiday-colored plumage, coming to wish you a very Merry Christmas. May your season be blessed.
Mountain Plover 