Daily Pics #291

Thanks for sharing your pics everyone! More snow headed this way tonight. Snowiest winter ever if we get another inch.

I just got back from a wonderful trip to Big Bend National Park & Davis Mountains State Park in far West Texas. These photos were taken between 2/14 & 2/19/2010.

Montezuma Quail - all of the sudden, while the quail were feeding, the White-winged Dove took off in a hurry. The quail flattened out to the ground and didn't flinch. Shortly thereafter, a Cooper's Hawk flew up and landed nearby. Fortunately for the quail, it didn' t see them and it eventually flew off.

This message was edited Feb 22, 2010 11:58 PM

Cactus Wren - this guy was checking me out from every angle possible. He was very funny.

Texas Lesser Goldfinch

Black-crested Titmouse

Red-naped Sapsucker

Pyrrhuloxia

White-breasted Nuthatch

Bushtits

This message was edited Feb 22, 2010 11:54 PM

Greater Roadrunner - Last one - for now:)

Nice shots everyone!! Was able to get a shot of both Red-breasted Nuthatch's.
Also another shot from Saturday.

This message was edited Feb 23, 2010 1:40 AM

Song Sparrow

Duc, Beautiful Scrub Jay!

Lily, Nice Oriole. I'm sure the Bluebirds will find the meal worms soon.

Marie, Great variety! Love the Quail,Roadrunner,Pyrrhuloxia and Cactus Wren!

Wow Burd, to see 2 of those Nuthatch!

I am a sucker for any cute quail!!

Glad someone got to see a Pine Siskin this winter Mrs. Ed!

I need to look up those Lapland Longspurs!

Male Cardinal....

I am pretty sure I have given my DH the same look....LOL!

Apolo the Red-bellied Woodpecker looking so handsome....

Last one for now. Got to get ready to go lark looking!

Cute little Tufted Titmouse.....

Well only had 1 pine siskin on two different days, so its not like there's a huge flock or anything. Not like last year.

And the redpolls? Last year, there were 125,670 common redpolls reported during the GBBC. This year = 18,002.

So it is not our imagination. Looks like they stayed north.

http://gbbc.birdsource.org/gbbcApps/report?cmd=showReport&reportName=SpeciesState&species=comred&year=2010&sortBy=count&order=desc#listTable

A little OT ...but in watching the Olympics I have have fallen madly in love with Vancouver Island. This is a Must see place for me now. I am afraid that if I do go I will not want to came back here.....

I was glad to see at least in NJ (so far) the European Starling did not have the highest number. Canada Goose came in first then the American Crow. Dark-eyed Junco even had higher numbers than Starlings.

http://gbbc.birdsource.org/gbbcApps/report?cmd=showReport&reportName=StateSummary&state=US-NJ


Nanny, I feel the same way. I watched a program where they were showing the sites there and it looked wonderful!

Hi Guys, I'll be starting the Hummingbird Migration thread soon. It will be a "Locked" Sticky so please don't post any replies.

We can have a separate thread for discussion about the migration. Thanks!! :-)

Ha. Maybe Nan will take both of us when she makes the trip Pelle. :-)

There you go!

I was in Vancouver in June 2008 for a week. My highlight of the trip was a float plane trip to Whistler with a train ride back to Vancouver. There is definatley alot to see and do in that area. I think the most memorable birds from that trip was the Peking ducks in Chinatown.

http://www.whistlerair.ca/

Sun is out today and the BBs are all over the nestbox. A pic of Daddy sitting on the roof. If they don't nest here, I am going to be disappointed, and my wife even more.

Lily, I can't understand why your jays aren't coming close for the peanuts. Maybe you could put just a few on the deck railing to lure them closer? Cute photo of the finch and oriole.

Missy, that m. quail is stunning and what a cute wren. I love your titmouse with the different colors and that Pyrrhuloxia is so pretty. I love seeing all these new (at least to me) birds. Can you tell me what you have in the Bushtit feeder? Our little birds are so busy with the opening buds on our native trees that we never know when they'll be here. Love your rr too-I know these are hard to catch in a picture.

Burd, love that pretty colored nuthatch photo and your little sparrow looks really so pretty.

Nanny, pretty birds there too. I'd be happy just to see those pretty cardinals. Cute wp and titmouse too.

One of my American Crows.

What beautiful scenery! No less of paradise! Thanks Chris.

This is a delightful sight happening at home for me, a couple of Eastern Blues staking out for the birdhouse which my DH has cleaned out this past weekend. A bitter sweet moment...
Just in time for spring...

The western bluebirds nest in March here in San Diego. This pair is very interested in their image in a mirror I hung in the tree next to a bath. These beauties love our tree and nest here every year for the past 4. They took over a woodpeckers hole a few years ago. Since then we have put up 3 houses for them. They do struggle with the finches for nesting places.

Deepdigging, Thanks so much for posting your lovely pic of the Western Bluebirds!

Lily, That's great!

Duc, Such a handsome Crow!

Red, Keeping my fingers crossed for you red!!

I just checked out that link Chris-wow comes to mind with each photo.

Red, we posted at the same time. Great picture of the bb. I'm crossing my fingers there will be a nest in the house soon.

Lily, here's hoping you'll have a bb family too!



Here's another one of a Mourning Dove.

I enjoy seeing the Oak Titmouse through the windows. Can't wait for it to warm up some outside!

last one....

Argggg! your OTM is cute as a button, Duc. Wait, wait, she's no bigger than a button is she? LOL. Thanks Duc, enjoy the day bird sighting everyone. I'll return this evening with more pix hopefully. At the meanwhile, my Carolina Wrens already discovered my mealworms and had a feast at it while the BBs were busy building/staking their nesting sites. lol. later.

DD, forgot to say your WBB are adorable too.

Well I am back and I had success!! I wish the photos were better but less than ideal photo weather and I just couldn't get the settings right for the conditions today!

Horned Lark!

Also saw a pair of Blue Birds...this male is one of the largest I have ever seen! Couldn't get him focused either. I think partly because I was trying to hurry. I was on the road that leads in/out of where I live so there are cars to watch out for and nowhere to pull off of the road.

This message was edited Feb 23, 2010 1:56 PM

Down the road a bit there were 4 of these guys having possum for lunch...

Very cool! Congrats nanny!

Very nice pics!

Glad you were successful Nanny. At least you got to find some birds!

Yah Nanny! congrats. THat's a way closer pix than I got. Did they seem nervous at all?

Burd, see what you've started?

;)

I was sitting in my car probably about twenty feet or so away...and it didn't seem to faze them. But when I got out of the car then they flew off into the yard across from the field. They were so close to the roadside that I think they are used to the cars.

But you can't miss that singing.....thanks for that tip Mrs. Ed to drive with the window down. I saw them first but I knew for sure it was them and to stop by the singing! I can't imagine what a big flock would sound like...LOL!!!