Birds of the Feather Flock Together

Birds of the feather flock together...

Nice pic, but wheres the Cardinals tail,lol?

This message was edited Jun 20, 2007 4:03 PM

I think she's just having a bad hair day.

Good question tho.

Good spot, Pell.... I thought they were all finches 'til I read your post and went back for another glance.

Yes me too but where is the tail?

I just now saw her again and she has no tail.

Leave it to me -- I just came from a thread where squirrels had no tails.

She seems to fly OK, Maybe Resin will offer us a clue.

LOL!

My squirrels are having a horrendous tail year too.

Possibly feather mites, more likely a close shave with a cat. The tail feathers are expendable, it'll grow some new ones soon.

Once saw a Magpie with no tail . . . now that did look weird!

Resin

Thanks Both,

I just realized, too, it might also have been a run in with the magnificent female Red-tailed Hawk that frequents my yard. Usually dining on my chipmunks but I've seen her take away mourning doves.

In any event, If I get one more mutant in my yard, I'm going to get my ground water checked (jus kiddin).

Dave

I thought it would be appropriate to post that my hapless female cardinal (I've since named "butterball") has a perfectly formed mate.

Although, in this capture, he seems uncharacteristically shy as if he were somehow responsible for her losing her tail. Or, do you feel that this is just my imagination working overtime?

Maybe! :)

LOL - he feels guilty for running from whatever the danger was instead of staying to protect her!

Dave, his tail doesn't look that healthy either. But as for her, I am thinking a cat mishap or loosing it on a fast get-away from prey of some sort.

As usual, the pictures are spectacular. I have a pair of cardinals terrorizing the dog....and she is not small by any standards.

I first feel the need to explain why I made this odd post to start with. This was the very first time I got 3 different species of birds together at once on my favorite feeder. I was so enthused and impulsive that I barely looked at the cardinal except to determine that she was one of those three species. From left to right they are the cardinal, a female house finch, a sparrow and the male house finch.

I'm a guy living a simple life and don't want a bunch of unanswered question in my back yard. So, I've been digging thru hundreds of pics to find the latest one taken of my female cardinal when she still had her tail intact. That pic is below taken just one week earlier on the same feeder. I've rotated it clockwise to spotlight all of her tail possible for you to see. I was initially aiming at her pretty face since I feel she's as beautiful as her more colorful mate tho in a more subdued and stately way. Take a close look at her and see if you can agree with me on that - look at them seemingly bigger and certainly prettier eyes, for example.

My conclusion is that it was a cat (as Resin and Debbie suggested) since only a physical attack could account for that much tail loss so suddenly. Also, I'm playing down my Hawk theory as I've never seen her miss and fly away with her talons only full of feathers. I realize that the cardinal is a quicker bird than the dove and could have possibly escaped but it seems unlikely to me. A female Red-tail Hawk is a magnificent hunter standing 2 feet tall and weighing between 4-5 pounds and easily able to fly away with some of the smaller cats that I see in my neighborhood and who are the likely culprits in this.

That is Nature's way of settling scores and in my neighborhood this Hawk is at the top of the food chain.

Dave

Dave,

I totally agree. She is a beautiful specimen of female cardinal. She has quite a bit more coloring than I have seen. The female in my back yard is almost lacking the red at all. I will work on getting a photo of her if you like.

Behind our house is a large farming area. Right now they have cabbage seedlings in there, but we witness hawks hunting all the time. It amazes me their strength, and seeing them fly away with rabbits and such. As you said, natures way, and I am sure she also has a family to feed.

I love your eye for photography.

Debbie

I am someone who adores the female cardinal as well. I think she is as pretty as a male, with her own muted colorings. Nice pictures. It is always great to see many different birds in the feeder at once.
Someone mentioned birds chasing, and protecting. We have many red-wings blackbirds nesting out in the marsh in cattails not far from the house. Yesterday we saw a nice doe (a deer, a female deer) walking in the marsh. A male red-wing started to attack her, and pecked at her tail until she started to trot to get away from this persistant bird. Quite a thing to see.

Those red-wing blackbirds are absolutely fearless when it comes to protecting their chicks.

Last night we had a spot on the local TV news of them dive bombing passer byes downtown. Solution? The City put up barricades to route walkers around the trouble spot.

I wonder if Resin knows of any bird more aggressively protective.

Dave, in answer to that, I would have to say Blue Jays! They have been quite agressive, diving at me and the dog...pulling hair and such. The Robins that were nesting on the side of our garage, on top of a ladder, would squawk but not attack. The blue jays, down right nasty!

Debbie

Ural Owl has the reputation of being the worst - they attack, silently, and go for the eyes. People have been blinded by them.

A bit bigger, but Cassowaries (weighing about 60kg, related to Ostriches) have been known to kill people with a single kick. "Cassowaries are considered to be one of the most dangerous animals to keep in zoos, based on the frequency and severity of injuries incurred by zookeepers".

Resin

eeeeeeewwww! Lucky we don't have any of those around here. I think the worst one here is the mute swan. He will kill geese if they get near his little ones. He went after a bald eagle once, but after seeing that the baby was already gone, gave up the battle. That is the only time I have seen him back down.

Thats two new things I learned today, I have never heard of either of those birds. Looked them up, wow! We don't even have them at the zoo...which is a good size in Buffalo.

Debbie

Cparts....we had a swan issue up towards Rochester, area called Long Pond in Greece. They had to have animal control come in and remove swans...they were attacking kids waiting for school bus, or even playing outside. They can be pretty nasty. Right now Canadian Geese are nesting also and they will chase you for a good bit.

Our goslings (Canada geese) are about 3/4 grown. The fighting is much earlier in the year during mating season thru hatching. It seems when there are goslings the whole group flocks together to protect the little ones.
Our swans have been staying away from people, which is a really good thing. They are really lovely to look at and there are only about 8 on the whole lake, so it is ok, with not too many problems.

Mute Swans are big softies, if you know how to treat them . . . just hiss back at them louder than they hiss at you, and then they realise you are stronger, so they back off.

Resin

Nice pic of the female Cardinal Dave! I've always liked the females more than the males. They seem more brave and their easier to photograph.

Thanks pell.

Under the heading of nest full of chicks to avoid, I'll enter this pic of the Red-tail Hawk I've been talking about. This was one pic in a shoot while she was on my back deck and taken with my humble 3mp backup camera which I happen to be using when she suddenly arrived last Fall. I regret the angle I had does not convey at all just how big she really is. I selected the pic I did because it had fair composition and it projects something I most wanted for you to see - her majesty.

Lord only knows how many adjectives would roll out of my mouth if I were to describe her reaction to me or anyone getting too close to her chicks. I don't think Dave's acceptable use policy would allow me to post them here anyway.

In any event, I hope you enjoy the pic.

Ooooooo ..
Majestic, indeed! An understatement, DW ..

And a sharp crisp clear image of your raptor visitor, to boot! Definitely hang on to that faithful lil 3 MP camera ..

((huggs))

- Magpye

That is one shot that definately needs to be displayed. That was a true gift from nature to get you that close....and such wonderfully crisp picture.

Dave, I think you need to make a nature caledar!

Debbie

I remember a story in our local newspaper a few years ago about a man walking down a path, and suddenly being knocked over by a Canada goose, presumably protecting a nest or young. I believe the man lost his hearing aid, and had a broken arm. It may have been a Giant Canada goose, which can be quite large. Maybe the fear of an attack by wildlife makes so many people become couch potatoes!

Susan in Minneapolis

What a sharp, beautiful photo, DW. Thanks for posting it. I've never come nearly as close to one of those creatures.
If that's your idea of "fair" composition.... Wowza.!

I agree, it is a great photo.
As far as being attacked by wildlife, I say if you are going to get hurt, it is better than being hit by a bus or something. Someone can get hurt in the house. Might as well be outside living and seeing life. I love being in the woods. You never know what you are going to see next. I would be out there right now, but the heat index is over 100' . I can see deer in the water cooling off and getting rid of those pesky deer flies.

That is one of the most awesome photos I have ever seen!!! How tall is she?

24 inches tall and weighing about 5 pounds

Edited for typo

This message was edited Jun 26, 2007 8:09 PM

Methinks I wouldn't want her angry with me!

I would like to know who put her on the scale to see she weighs 5 lbs! And do they still have all fingers attached. LOL

Debbie

Beautiful pic Dave!

Thanks pell.

This is another shot from that same shoot - a split second before she dove on a chipmunk.

As Magpye implied, who says a 3 MP camera is obsolete?

This thread has run its course - no more bumps by me.

Thanks for your kind words posted,
Dave