Bird Watching: Daily Pics Vol. 137, 1 by MargaretK

MargaretK wrote:
Pelle, your Chickadee is so sweet.  I had a look at that video of them feeding from someones hand a couple of times.  Wallaby, the Great Tit has fabulous markings.Linthicum, as always, your shots are super.  nanny you're so blessed with the variety of birds you see.  Love the warbler and of course the hummingbird.  This is an adult female Western Magpie having a sun bath.  They get themselves into the hottest part of wherever they are, prostrate themselves on the ground with wings out (hers weren't) and expose their preen gland.  Even on days when it's well over 100 degrees F they'll seek out the hottest spot at the hottest time of the day.  The temperature must be easily 120 degrees sometimes.  They go into a kind of a trance.  Then, when they've just about cooked themselves, they get up, beak open with the heat and preen themselves.  Edited to say that my DH has said I've underestimated the ground temperature.  It would get as hot as 140 degrees or more.  I'm open to correction if this doesn't sound right, but when the ambient temperature is 110 degrees, it's a darn sight hotter in full sun on the ground, where they sun themselves. 

This message was edited Sep 16, 2008 6:02 PM