Daily Pics - Volume 135

As we begin Volume #135, I think it is worthy to reflect for a moment on the success of the Bird Watching Daily Pics threads. It has been 18 months since the thread was initiated back in early 2007. During that time nearly 20,000 replies or contributions have been made by DG members. Everyone should be applauded for this success.

We just came from here: http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/897816/

I'll start the new thread with what may be my last photos of the Osprey for this year. For anyone who has an interest in the Osprey migration, here is a link that you should find of interest. Each year, a number of Osprey are fitted with transmitters and their migration patterns are recorded (mapped). Their journey will soon begin. The Class of 2008 includes 8 new Osprey. May the winds be favorable ......

http://www.bioweb.uncc.edu/bierregaard/migration08.htm#The_Class_of_08

Same Osprey ..........

Immature Little Blue Heron ......

Another Little Blue Heron ......

Great Blue Heron .....

Adult Little Blue Herons .....

Have not taken pictures of wild turkeys here. We shoo them out of our old pasture if possible since they like to do their dust baths where we have weeded which can dislodge the plants from the ground.

the Osprey are magnificent, and the Blue Herons Blue.

here is a far away shot of a white faced Heron and pukeko.

Excellent shots Linth! Thanks for starting the new thread!

I love Ospreys; does everyone know they have spiney pads on their feet to better grip the fish they catch and that one of their toes is reversible.

Heres a pic from the Cornell site of their foot.

http://content.ornith.cornell.edu/UEWebApp/images/brd_WLN_030904_100086_L_2.jpg

Thanks for the link Linth; I'll take a look at it later.

Needed Resins' help to identify this. Won't impress many, but this is the first House Finch I have ever seen here.

linthicum, your Osprey shots are sensational.

Bootandall, the Pukeko looks like a pretty impressive bird, even hidden in the grasses. Is this the same species as you posted a couple of weeks back? Just saw your question as to why "28's". It is supposedly due to one of their calls. I think the person who initially gave them the name "28" must have been staggering home from the pub as no call they make sounds remotely like "28"

GP, I'm impressed. It's always exciting when you see a bird you haven't seen locally before.

This shots is of a Pied Oystercatcher who'd just had part of his mussell meal snatched by the Silver Gull. The Silver Gull is an adult, identifiable by its red beak and white eye. The Oystercatchers have the strangest eyes. I'll post a heavily cropped one to show the detail

This message was edited Sep 6, 2008 9:05 PM

Every shot I've taken of the Oystercatchers shows the same, almost distorted pupil. It really isn't dodgy photography. Any comment Resin?

What a lovely start to a new thread.

Well needless to say, I am so thrilled that this Birdwatching forum came to be!! With all the wonderful people, the new friends that have been made. Seeing birds from all around the world and learning about the ones right here in back yard. Hard to believe it has only been here a short time! I can't imagine a day with all of you.

Guess I better get dressed and go a walk to see what I can find today!

Yes, Resin. See how the front part of black centre has like an extension? It's almost like a shadow of the pupil (black bit) on the iris. They all have this. It's really weird. It must serve a purpose.

This message was edited Sep 6, 2008 9:07 PM

I wonder if it's due to injury, they must get a few of those with sticking their heads under water, amongst rocks etc.

Look at the4th link down, the bmj (British Medical Journal), mentions that.

http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&ie=ISO-8859-1&q=distorted+pupil+oystercatcher&btnG=Google+Search&meta=

Fantastic start and shots!

Sorry, don't know, but if they all have it in the same position, it's not likely to be an injury.

Speculating: it seems to point along the beak, so maybe it is some special hollowing in the iris allowing them to see directly down to their beak tip, so they can see where they're probing and what they're eating?

Resin

That makes sense, Resin. I was just looking at all the shots I've taken and the distortion is there on both eyes in every bird. Here's another heavily cropped shot. The rest of the picture is in (reasonable) focus, so the odd shape isn't due to poor imagery.

Nice Oystercatcher, Margaret ...........

A 9/1/08 photo of a Belted Kingfisher, taken at 700mm. First one that I have seen for several months.

Lucky you Linth!

I missed seeing an Oystercatcher down the shore the time before last when I was there. Nice shots Margaret!

Well, I though they maybe all had left...hadn't seen any for awhile.. Eastern Bluebird!

Nice one nanny; glad their still around for you.

Linth, I was cruising the Osprey site.Especially interesting was the Osprey they named "Meadow" who went off on a northward trip instead of southbound.Looks like he/she may have turned south again recently.

I do wish the tracking devices would work longer. The Osprey named Jaws is the one I saw on the television program but when he returned to N.A. the device was having problems and then suddenly stopped working. Oh well, it seems they have that problem quite often.

Talking of tracking Ospreys, here's some from Scotland:
http://www.rspb.org.uk/wildlife/tracking/lochgartenospreys/index.asp
http://www.roydennis.org/index.htm

Resin

Thanks, Resin, for the links. I look forward to following their journey. I recently learned that the mortality rate for first year Osprey is nearly 80%. That's sad. I would not have expected it to be that high.

[quote]I recently learned that the mortality rate for first year Osprey is nearly 80%[quote]
It's not as bad as that; one of my books cites a figure of 42.7% survival in the first year (i.e., 57.3% mortality), and 81.5% survival (18.5% mortality) thereafter. It may well vary from area to area though, depending on things like illegal persecution, length of any necessary sea crossings, population density pressures, etc.

Resin

I'm a major fan of ospreys so I'm enjoying the posts on that topic. During the nesting season I manage to check in regularly at some of the many osprey nest live cams, and follow some of the same osprey mentioned above. A few years ago we took a trip to Cape Cod with our itinerary primarily determined by sites written about by David Gessner in one of his osprey books and by osprey nesting locations on Martha's Vineyard. Recently while going through some old photos I came across one of an osprey nest on a channel marker out of St. Michael's, MD. I was on a boat at the time and with my telephoto lens was able to capture a good shot of the parent osprey (probably the mother) shielding her chicks from the sun with her outspread wings.

This message was edited Sep 6, 2008 7:48 PM

Looks like the finches are starting to lose some color, or they are the juvies.

She was so funny on her way to get some water. Slowly moving down the branch… reaching down…

This one was just kinda fun.

Nice pics Mrs Ed!

Finches here in NC are beginning to lose color, so I imagine yours are too, Mrs Ed. I can't tell if it's a jeuvie or not.

Love those pic of the goldfinches Mrs-Ed, looks like a natural setting.
Osprey shots and Herons are awesome Linth, wish I could take pictures like you.
Very unusual eyes on the Oystercatcher, but interesting.
Too bad the Blue bird have to migrate Nanny. The season is so short lived. I didn't see any yet, but they are suppose to be in the area this time of year. Someday, I'll get to see one.
These guys I get to see year round, the Black- Capped Chickadee. Love em

Downy woodpecker

American Goldfinches

Female Purple Finch

Western Scrub Jay

Goldfinch

Spent a few hours outside today and got a few bird shots. Three Red-Bellied Woodpecker pics.

2nd pic.

3rd pic.