Any fellow bird nerds here?

[KubotaHawg]

Thanks for the heads up on the song ID on Merlin app. I have the app but didn’t know about that function. Sitting on the patio listening to this little flycatcher right now, I will try it.

That’s amazing, I had no idea—thank you

 

[Old Machinist]

Acadian Flycatcher

@Old Machinist:
Are you sure that’s not a Scissortail Kite?
Edit: Swallow Tail Kite?

We have lots of Mississippi Kites in Arkansas but I thought scissors were a lot whiter and bigger like your picture—saw one once on 98 between Hattiesburg and Mobile driving to the beach. Amazing birds, I know they live in Deep South where you are.

I didn't say it was a Swallow Tail. It IS a Mississippi Kite.

We do have Swallow Tail Kites also but I've never seen one perched.

 

[KubotaHawg]

I didn't say it was a Swallow Tail. It IS a Mississippi Kite.

We do have Swallow Tail Kites also but I've never seen one perched.

No offense intended, you are correct—Ive only seen a swallow tail once. Looking them up I remember now they are pure white (and black). Mississippi kites here are a little darker gray.

 

[KubotaHawg]

No offense intended, you are correct—Ive only seen a swallow tail once, edit: a long time ago from a vehicle. Looking them up I remember now they are pure white (and black). Mississippi kites here are a little darker gray.

 

[lugbolt]

never used to pay much attention to the birds but lately I have been.

Boy, we have a large diversity of, birds, around here.

I will say my favorite is the scissortaill flycatchers. Interesting birds. Wife and I went to the lake earlier and saw several roadrunners too....one of them took off and flew up into a tree. I forgot they could actually fly as most of the time you see them on the ground, running.

One that mystified me was this weird sounding bird (I guessed it was bird), I hear them sometimes but never sew them. Until the other day, I finally saw one and followed it's flight path to a tree across the road. I was actually sitting out there trying to shoot some rats that I've been seeing around the house, so I used the scope and zoomed in....kinda sort looked like a mockingbird. Dunno, never seen one. Yesterday the wife and I mentioned it and it's weird call, and she googled it. Rain Crow, or more specifically "yellow billed cuckoo". I didn't know we had cuckoo birds here in arkansas. Interesting. Never see them but hear them all the time.

Then of course the normal birds, all the finches, sparrows, warblers, jays, tons and tons of crows, those stupid mockingbirds that everyone loves to hate (they dive bomb me sometimes), swallows, gosh we have all kinds of birds. There's a barred owl outside my bedroom window as we speak. I may have to go chase it off so I can sleep. Again (happens often). The owl doesn't keep me up, it's the inside cat that keeps running from window to window making all kinds of cat sounds when he sees/hears the owls, that keeps me up.

Got dive bombed by a bald eagle last weekend while at the lake. I am not sure why it didn't like me, I was in the middle of the lake nowhere near the bank for several hours. Maybe it wanted one of the fish I put in the box, I don't know. Made me a little nervous a few times. Those talons are big, and they will cut you wide open in a new york second. I've had ospreys do this before but never a bald eagle.

wife spotted a few indigo buntings and goldfinches at the river the other day. I didn't see them, but I have in the past. She likes their coloring, they are vibrant.

someday I'll figure out how to use this camera I got from my dad. It's an expensive canon EOS I believe, that he bought just before he passed. Mom tried to use it, nope. Gave it to me. I've tried...and I suck at it, just too many settings, etc--but it should take REALLY good pictures once I figure it out.

 

[Old Machinist]

No offense intended, you are correct—Ive only seen a swallow tail once. Looking them up I remember now they are pure white (and black). Mississippi kites here are a little darker gray.

Adolescent Mississippi Kites are colored more like a Hawk. They turn lighter as they age.

 

[ken erickson]

As good as phone camera's have gotten over the last 10 years, in my opinion , they really fall down when less than ideal light conditions are present.

When I set out to photograph birds this is the rig I take. It is a Sony 77 , now discontinued, with a 150 to 600mm Tamron lens. I purchased this gear back in about 2014 and spent close to 2K. Currently on the used market it is basically worthless for resale! But camera gear has a long history of losing value quickly.

This gear was cheap at the time compared to professional grade birding lens and camera bodies.

I have taken thousands of photos from the seat of my Jeep and absolutely love the ball style window mount. Gives me a stable camera platform while being super easy to track and find my subject.

 

[skeets]

It cant be a kite,, no place to tie the string

 

[Old Machinist]

It cant be a kite,, no place to tie the string

you just tie it to their legs.

 

[Lil Foot]

Probably not enough to qualify as bird nerds, but we love all of the birds here in the low country and up at our place in the high country.
Here are our two favorites, Curved Bill Thrasher in the desert, and Northern Flicker in the mountains.

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

This is Hemingway, I built his home.
I'm also his God Parent.
He is a super cool dude.
He's taken a trip and hanging out in California right now.



I'll have to get pic's of his others that are around.

This a short flight

20240923_160142.mp4

drive.google.com

 

[LBZ]

Definitely don't have as much bird knowledge as some of you.
Last winter heard some noise and apparently this immature bald eagle had knocked down this tundra swan in my yard. After this picture the eagle approached the swan and got bonked by the swan hard. The eagle at that point must have had enough and flew away. The swan stood around for a while before also flying away. I did find see blood where they came down but not whole lot. Definitely a first for me.