David McDonald Photography
Friendswood Texas
July-24-2007
Bulletin #8 – South Florida – part 3
Hello friends,
I have had the opportunity to visit Florida twice in the first half of 2007.
My first visit was to Sanibel Island in February. Last month, I had a business trip to Miami for a weekend and managed to spend about 2 full days birding with a great guide Paul Bithorn (305.431.5908 or email pbithorn@plumbers519.com.).
The last couple of the native birds that I was able to photograph in Miami included the Gray Kingbird (Tyrannus dominicensis). This is another Caribbean species whose range extends north into south Florida. Notice the dark mask through the eye.
http://www.pbase.com/image/109471553
The next bird is the Cave Swallow (Petrocheilodon fulva). The subspecies in south Florida is the Caribbean, and it is considerably darker on neck and throat from the Mexican subspecies that occurs in Texas. The Cave Swallow has a brown forehead. The very similar Cliff Swallow has a white forehead. There is a nesting colony under a bridge alongside I-95 south of Miami. My guide took me there and I crawled under the bridge to photograph this bird in the nest.
http://www.pbase.com/davidmcd/image/109471556
Here is the Cliff Swallow for comparison. The white forehead is distinctive and diagnostic.
http://www.pbase.com/davidmcd/image/109471559
Now the fun begins as I’ll show you some of the exotic species in the Miami area that my guide was able to find rather easily. The first is the Spot-breasted Oriole (Icterus pectoralis). This native of Costa Rica was introduced into the Miami area long ago. It is established but according to the National Geographic bird guide is declining. It is an ABA countable species. Here are a 2 photos of the beautiful male. He was a lifer.
http://www.pbase.com/davidmcd/image/109471561 click 'next' once
Mynas are popular as cage birds, because they can be trained to talk. They are members of the starling family and are native to Asia. There are 2 species in Miami, but neither of them has been established long enough to be ABA countable species.
The more numerous is the Common Myna (Acridotheres tristis). If anyone has been to Hawaii you likely have seen this bird. It was introduced there as well and is a noisy nuisance. However, it is an attractive bird with black and chocolate brown accented with yellow bill, face and legs. It also has white wing patches.
http://www.pbase.com/davidmcd/image/109471565 click 'next' once
The other myna is the Hill Myna (Gracula religiosa). It is very local in the Miami area. It was a lifer for me. Notice the yellow orange bill & wattles, yellow legs and white wing patch.
http://www.pbase.com/davidmcd/image/109471573
The next bird is the Red-whiskered Bulbul (Pycnonotus jocosus). This is a popular cage bird that is native to Asia and Africa. They were first noted as escapes in Miami in the 1960’s. It also now occurs in Los Angeles and apparently there are a few in Houston as well. It also is an ABA countable species. Notice the red ear patch, the large crest and also the red undertail coverts (just visible between wing tip and tail). This bird was another lifer for me.
http://www.pbase.com/davidmcd/image/109471578
The Miami guide (Paul Bithorn) I used, was extremely knowledgeable, especially for the mangrove species and exotics. Many of the exotics occur in specific neighborhoods in the Miami area, and a casual birder would have a difficult time locating them. To contact Paul, call him at (305) 431-5908 or email him at pbithorn@plumbers519.com.
All comments and suggestions are welcomed and appreciated.
Happy Birding,David McDonald
davidkmcd@comcast.net
photos copyright 2007 David McDonald
Note – photos with the name preceded by an asterisk were updated for this blog and the text was edited accordingly
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
Bulletin #7 - South Florida #2
David McDonald Photography
Friendswood Texas
July-18-2007
Bulletin #7 – South Florida – part 2
Hello friends,
I have had the opportunity to visit Florida twice in the first half of 2007.
My first visit was to Sanibel Island in February. Last month, I had a business trip to Miami for a weekend and managed to spend about 2 full days birding with a great guide Paul Bithorn (305.431.5908 or email pbithorn@plumbers519.com.).
I took pictures of several raptors. The endangered Snail Kite (Rostrhamus sociabilis) lives along waterways in Florida from about Kissimmee south. It eats apple snails, a large fresh water species. The kite picks the snails off the weeds in the water.
Here is the bird. Notice the bright red legs and the very curved bill. This bill enables the bird to neatly extract the snail from its shell!
http://www.pbase.com/image/109469966
And here is the same bird eating a snail.
http://www.pbase.com/davidmcd/image/109469967
Florida is home to the largest population of Bald Eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) in the lower 48 states. On a previous trip to Naples Florida, I was able to show my daughter her first eagle. As I needed a photo of this bird, I went to the previous location, but none were to be found. Several days later, I went to Punta Gorda to see some other birds, and as I was driving back through town on the main street, there was an eagle in a dead tree beside the road. I also saw the nest in another tree further away, with his mate on the nest. I was only about 100 feet from the bird! This photo is on the Houston Audubon web site in the Bird Gallery.
http://www.pbase.com/davidmcd/image/109469968
The Red-shouldered Hawk (Buteo lineatus) is a common bird in Florida, but the bird is much lighter coloration than birds elsewhere in the USA. This adult was in Ding Darling NWR on Sanibel Island. The first photo is the Florida bird and the second is from Texas for comparison.
http://www.pbase.com/davidmcd/image/109469969 click 'next' once
Here are the same Red-shouldered Hawks in juvenile plumage, with the lighter Florida bird first and my backyard Texas ‘baby’ second.
http://www.pbase.com/davidmcd/image/109469971 click'next' once
Notice in the photos above how both the Florida birds are standing on 1 foot and the other is partially or mostly hidden in the feathers of the abdomen!
The last raptor is the Osprey (Pandion haliaetus). They are everywhere on the Florida gulf coast. I saw many nests on Sanibel Island. I was able to get rather close to the birds for the photos, because they must be used to people as this is a very popular tourist destination. Thus, the birds seem to have become used to humans at close range.
The first photo is of a huge nest on a nesting platform at the beach on Sanibel Is. The second photo is a close up of the same nest another day.
http://www.pbase.com/davidmcd/image/109469974 click 'next' once
Here is another nest on the top of a Norfolk Island pine with the pair of ospreys on the nest. I took this photo off the balcony of our condo.
http://www.pbase.com/davidmcd/image/109469978
An unusual aspect of raptor behavior that I have observed since starting to do photography is how close one can approach when the bird is feeding. Of course, I start taking photos graphs far away, and then walk a few steps closer, take more photos and then continue the cycle. One morning I found an osprey eating a fish on top of a palm tree stump about 15’ high. This first photo is full frame.
http://www.pbase.com/davidmcd/image/109469979
After I took several photos, I continued to approach slowly until I was about 20’ from the base of the stump and he was only about 10’ over my head. I took several more extreme close-up photos and then slowly walked away. He didn’t move, but just kept on eating. Notice the huge powerful legs on the bird.
http://www.pbase.com/davidmcd/image/109469980
Florida is a great location to see Burrowing Owls (Speotyto cunicularia). I went to Punta Gorda and found several exactly where the guide book said they would be. The Florida owls are much darker than owls from elsewhere. The first photo is one standing on his burrow. In the second photo, you can see a different pair of owls. The last photo is an owl from Texas to show the color variation. The Texas owl photo is also on the Houston Audubon web site.
http://www.pbase.com/davidmcd/image/109469981 click 'next' twice
The Miami guide (Paul Bithorn) I used, was extremely knowledgeable, especially for the mangrove species and exotics. Many of the exotics occur in specific neighborhoods in the Miami area, and a casual birder would have a difficult time locating them. To contact Paul, call him at (305) 431-5908 or email him at pbithorn@plumbers519.com.
All comments and suggestions are welcomed and appreciated. If replying to this email, please delete the photos, as it takes a long time to download. Thanks.
Happy Birding,
David McDonald
davidkmcd@comcast.net
photos copyright 2007 David McDonald
Note – photos with the name preceded by an asterisk were updated for this blog and the text was edited accordingly
Friendswood Texas
July-18-2007
Bulletin #7 – South Florida – part 2
Hello friends,
I have had the opportunity to visit Florida twice in the first half of 2007.
My first visit was to Sanibel Island in February. Last month, I had a business trip to Miami for a weekend and managed to spend about 2 full days birding with a great guide Paul Bithorn (305.431.5908 or email pbithorn@plumbers519.com.).
I took pictures of several raptors. The endangered Snail Kite (Rostrhamus sociabilis) lives along waterways in Florida from about Kissimmee south. It eats apple snails, a large fresh water species. The kite picks the snails off the weeds in the water.
Here is the bird. Notice the bright red legs and the very curved bill. This bill enables the bird to neatly extract the snail from its shell!
http://www.pbase.com/image/109469966
And here is the same bird eating a snail.
http://www.pbase.com/davidmcd/image/109469967
Florida is home to the largest population of Bald Eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) in the lower 48 states. On a previous trip to Naples Florida, I was able to show my daughter her first eagle. As I needed a photo of this bird, I went to the previous location, but none were to be found. Several days later, I went to Punta Gorda to see some other birds, and as I was driving back through town on the main street, there was an eagle in a dead tree beside the road. I also saw the nest in another tree further away, with his mate on the nest. I was only about 100 feet from the bird! This photo is on the Houston Audubon web site in the Bird Gallery.
http://www.pbase.com/davidmcd/image/109469968
The Red-shouldered Hawk (Buteo lineatus) is a common bird in Florida, but the bird is much lighter coloration than birds elsewhere in the USA. This adult was in Ding Darling NWR on Sanibel Island. The first photo is the Florida bird and the second is from Texas for comparison.
http://www.pbase.com/davidmcd/image/109469969 click 'next' once
Here are the same Red-shouldered Hawks in juvenile plumage, with the lighter Florida bird first and my backyard Texas ‘baby’ second.
http://www.pbase.com/davidmcd/image/109469971 click'next' once
Notice in the photos above how both the Florida birds are standing on 1 foot and the other is partially or mostly hidden in the feathers of the abdomen!
The last raptor is the Osprey (Pandion haliaetus). They are everywhere on the Florida gulf coast. I saw many nests on Sanibel Island. I was able to get rather close to the birds for the photos, because they must be used to people as this is a very popular tourist destination. Thus, the birds seem to have become used to humans at close range.
The first photo is of a huge nest on a nesting platform at the beach on Sanibel Is. The second photo is a close up of the same nest another day.
http://www.pbase.com/davidmcd/image/109469974 click 'next' once
Here is another nest on the top of a Norfolk Island pine with the pair of ospreys on the nest. I took this photo off the balcony of our condo.
http://www.pbase.com/davidmcd/image/109469978
An unusual aspect of raptor behavior that I have observed since starting to do photography is how close one can approach when the bird is feeding. Of course, I start taking photos graphs far away, and then walk a few steps closer, take more photos and then continue the cycle. One morning I found an osprey eating a fish on top of a palm tree stump about 15’ high. This first photo is full frame.
http://www.pbase.com/davidmcd/image/109469979
After I took several photos, I continued to approach slowly until I was about 20’ from the base of the stump and he was only about 10’ over my head. I took several more extreme close-up photos and then slowly walked away. He didn’t move, but just kept on eating. Notice the huge powerful legs on the bird.
http://www.pbase.com/davidmcd/image/109469980
Florida is a great location to see Burrowing Owls (Speotyto cunicularia). I went to Punta Gorda and found several exactly where the guide book said they would be. The Florida owls are much darker than owls from elsewhere. The first photo is one standing on his burrow. In the second photo, you can see a different pair of owls. The last photo is an owl from Texas to show the color variation. The Texas owl photo is also on the Houston Audubon web site.
http://www.pbase.com/davidmcd/image/109469981 click 'next' twice
The Miami guide (Paul Bithorn) I used, was extremely knowledgeable, especially for the mangrove species and exotics. Many of the exotics occur in specific neighborhoods in the Miami area, and a casual birder would have a difficult time locating them. To contact Paul, call him at (305) 431-5908 or email him at pbithorn@plumbers519.com.
All comments and suggestions are welcomed and appreciated. If replying to this email, please delete the photos, as it takes a long time to download. Thanks.
Happy Birding,
David McDonald
davidkmcd@comcast.net
photos copyright 2007 David McDonald
Note – photos with the name preceded by an asterisk were updated for this blog and the text was edited accordingly
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
Bulletin #6 - South Florida #1
David McDonald Photography
Friendswood Texas
July-10-2007
Bulletin #6 – South Florida – part 1
Hello friends,
I have had the opportunity to visit Florida twice in the first half of 2007.
My first visit was to Sanibel Island in February. Last month, I had a business trip to Miami for a weekend and managed to spend about 2 full days birding with a great guide Paul Bithorn (305.431.5908 or email pbithorn@plumbers519.com.).
South Florida is another ‘must’ birding destination for several reasons. First, Florida has 1 endemic species. Secondly, it has unique habitat in the mangrove swamps along the coast. These mangroves host several species that don’t occur anywhere else. Thirdly, a number of Caribbean species occur in the Keys and South Florida. Lastly, as a tropical city, Miami has a number of escaped parrots and parakeets that are ‘wild’ in the city as well as several other established exotic birds. Los Angeles is the only other city with as many exotics. It was fun to see and hear the parrots flying around.
This bulletin will use photos from both trips.
So let’s get started. The endemic species is the Florida Scrub-Jay(FSJ) (Aphelocoma coerulescens). It is virtually identical to the Western Scrub-Jay(WSJ), and the species was split about 10 years ago. The major difference is the FSJ bird has a white forehead and the WSJ has a blue forehead. I photographed this bird south of Sarasota. Notice all the bands on the legs. These birds are listed as threatened and thus are closely monitored. This bird was a ‘lifer’ for me.
http://www.pbase.com/image/109468310
Here are photos of the face of the FSJ and WSJ to show the different forehead colors.
http://www.pbase.com/davidmcd/image/109468311
http://www.pbase.com/davidmcd/image/109468312
With the help of my guide, we found most of the mangrove resident birds.
The most important and most difficult bird to locate is the Mangrove Cuckoo (Coccyzus minor). Many birders never locate the bird. This one was found on Key Largo. The distinguishing features of this bird from the other cuckoos are the yellow lower bill and black upper bill. There is a dark mask through the eye. The breast and throat are a buffy color rather than white. Lastly, there is no rufous color in the wings. Here are a couple of photos of the same bird. This also was a ‘lifer’.
http://www.pbase.com/davidmcd/image/109468313 click 'next' once
The Black-whiskered Vireo (Vireo altiloquus) is another mangrove species that only occurs along both coasts in So. Florida. It is similar to the Red-eyed Vireo, but notice the ‘black whisker’. This was another ‘lifer’ for me.
http://www.pbase.com/davidmcd/image/109468315
There are 2 species of warblers that inhabit the mangroves, but they occur elsewhere in the USA as well.
The first is a subspecies of Yellow Warbler (Dendroica petechia). It is also known as the Cuban Golden Warbler as this is a Caribbean subspecies. To me, it looks identical to the Yellow Warbler that we are all familiar with. The first is the breeding male plumage and the second photo is a first year male. It is a resident of mangroves in the Florida Keys.
http://www.pbase.com/davidmcd/image/109468317 click 'next' once
The other species was the Prairie Warbler (Dendroica discolor). This was only the second time I had ever seen this species. Here are several photos of a breeding male.
http://www.pbase.com/davidmcd/image/109468321 click 'next' once
The last of the mangrove specialist birds is the White-crowned Pigeon (Patagioenas leucocephala). This bird is 13.5” long – a bit larger than the domestic pigeon. It has a beautiful snow white cap on top of its head. It nests in the mangroves and everglades area but flies inland to feed on fruit. We saw it at a distance on Key Largo, but found this one in a subdivision. It is a truly striking bird and another ‘lifer’ for me. Also notice the iridescent stripes on the neck.
http://www.pbase.com/davidmcd/image/109468324 clcik 'next' once
Another dove that I got a close-up picture was the Eurasian Collared- Dove (Streptopelia decaocto). I snapped this picture on Sanibel Island when the bird practically landed right above me. This photo is now on the Houston Audubon web site in their Bird Gallery. This bird was introduced into the Bahamas. From there, it spread to Florida and is now rapidly extending its range across the USA. I’m sure eventually, it will be everywhere like the domestic pigeon.
http://www.pbase.com/davidmcd/image/109468329
The third dove species was the Common Ground-Dove (Columbina passerina). This bird occurs in Florida as well as along the US-Mexican border. This photo was taken in Ding Darling NWR on Sanibel Is.
http://www.pbase.com/davidmcd/image/109468331
The Limpkin (Aramus guarauna) is a 26” tall wading bird that inhabits the tropics, and only in Florida in the USA. It is the only species in its family. It is named for its peculiar limping gait. I didn’t really notice an unusual gait, but I was looking through the camera most of the time, focusing on the bird’s head to get a good photo.
http://www.pbase.com/davidmcd/image/109468332
I had a close encounter with a pair of Pileated Woodpeckers (Dryocopus pileatus) in Corkscrew swamp, an Audubon sanctuary. Here is the female.
http://www.pbase.com/davidmcd/image/109468335
The Miami guide (Paul Bithorn) I used, was extremely knowledgeable, especially for the mangrove species and exotics. Many of the exotics occur in specific neighborhoods in the Miami area, and a casual birder would have a difficult time locating them. To contact Paul, call him at (305) 431-5908 or email him at pbithorn@plumbers519.com.
All comments and suggestions are welcomed and appreciated. If replying to this email, please delete the photos, as it takes a long time to download. Thanks.
Happy Birding,
David McDonald
davidkmcd@camcast.net
photos copyright 2007 David McDonald
Friendswood Texas
July-10-2007
Bulletin #6 – South Florida – part 1
Hello friends,
I have had the opportunity to visit Florida twice in the first half of 2007.
My first visit was to Sanibel Island in February. Last month, I had a business trip to Miami for a weekend and managed to spend about 2 full days birding with a great guide Paul Bithorn (305.431.5908 or email pbithorn@plumbers519.com.).
South Florida is another ‘must’ birding destination for several reasons. First, Florida has 1 endemic species. Secondly, it has unique habitat in the mangrove swamps along the coast. These mangroves host several species that don’t occur anywhere else. Thirdly, a number of Caribbean species occur in the Keys and South Florida. Lastly, as a tropical city, Miami has a number of escaped parrots and parakeets that are ‘wild’ in the city as well as several other established exotic birds. Los Angeles is the only other city with as many exotics. It was fun to see and hear the parrots flying around.
This bulletin will use photos from both trips.
So let’s get started. The endemic species is the Florida Scrub-Jay(FSJ) (Aphelocoma coerulescens). It is virtually identical to the Western Scrub-Jay(WSJ), and the species was split about 10 years ago. The major difference is the FSJ bird has a white forehead and the WSJ has a blue forehead. I photographed this bird south of Sarasota. Notice all the bands on the legs. These birds are listed as threatened and thus are closely monitored. This bird was a ‘lifer’ for me.
http://www.pbase.com/image/109468310
Here are photos of the face of the FSJ and WSJ to show the different forehead colors.
http://www.pbase.com/davidmcd/image/109468311
http://www.pbase.com/davidmcd/image/109468312
With the help of my guide, we found most of the mangrove resident birds.
The most important and most difficult bird to locate is the Mangrove Cuckoo (Coccyzus minor). Many birders never locate the bird. This one was found on Key Largo. The distinguishing features of this bird from the other cuckoos are the yellow lower bill and black upper bill. There is a dark mask through the eye. The breast and throat are a buffy color rather than white. Lastly, there is no rufous color in the wings. Here are a couple of photos of the same bird. This also was a ‘lifer’.
http://www.pbase.com/davidmcd/image/109468313 click 'next' once
The Black-whiskered Vireo (Vireo altiloquus) is another mangrove species that only occurs along both coasts in So. Florida. It is similar to the Red-eyed Vireo, but notice the ‘black whisker’. This was another ‘lifer’ for me.
http://www.pbase.com/davidmcd/image/109468315
There are 2 species of warblers that inhabit the mangroves, but they occur elsewhere in the USA as well.
The first is a subspecies of Yellow Warbler (Dendroica petechia). It is also known as the Cuban Golden Warbler as this is a Caribbean subspecies. To me, it looks identical to the Yellow Warbler that we are all familiar with. The first is the breeding male plumage and the second photo is a first year male. It is a resident of mangroves in the Florida Keys.
http://www.pbase.com/davidmcd/image/109468317 click 'next' once
The other species was the Prairie Warbler (Dendroica discolor). This was only the second time I had ever seen this species. Here are several photos of a breeding male.
http://www.pbase.com/davidmcd/image/109468321 click 'next' once
The last of the mangrove specialist birds is the White-crowned Pigeon (Patagioenas leucocephala). This bird is 13.5” long – a bit larger than the domestic pigeon. It has a beautiful snow white cap on top of its head. It nests in the mangroves and everglades area but flies inland to feed on fruit. We saw it at a distance on Key Largo, but found this one in a subdivision. It is a truly striking bird and another ‘lifer’ for me. Also notice the iridescent stripes on the neck.
http://www.pbase.com/davidmcd/image/109468324 clcik 'next' once
Another dove that I got a close-up picture was the Eurasian Collared- Dove (Streptopelia decaocto). I snapped this picture on Sanibel Island when the bird practically landed right above me. This photo is now on the Houston Audubon web site in their Bird Gallery. This bird was introduced into the Bahamas. From there, it spread to Florida and is now rapidly extending its range across the USA. I’m sure eventually, it will be everywhere like the domestic pigeon.
http://www.pbase.com/davidmcd/image/109468329
The third dove species was the Common Ground-Dove (Columbina passerina). This bird occurs in Florida as well as along the US-Mexican border. This photo was taken in Ding Darling NWR on Sanibel Is.
http://www.pbase.com/davidmcd/image/109468331
The Limpkin (Aramus guarauna) is a 26” tall wading bird that inhabits the tropics, and only in Florida in the USA. It is the only species in its family. It is named for its peculiar limping gait. I didn’t really notice an unusual gait, but I was looking through the camera most of the time, focusing on the bird’s head to get a good photo.
http://www.pbase.com/davidmcd/image/109468332
I had a close encounter with a pair of Pileated Woodpeckers (Dryocopus pileatus) in Corkscrew swamp, an Audubon sanctuary. Here is the female.
http://www.pbase.com/davidmcd/image/109468335
The Miami guide (Paul Bithorn) I used, was extremely knowledgeable, especially for the mangrove species and exotics. Many of the exotics occur in specific neighborhoods in the Miami area, and a casual birder would have a difficult time locating them. To contact Paul, call him at (305) 431-5908 or email him at pbithorn@plumbers519.com.
All comments and suggestions are welcomed and appreciated. If replying to this email, please delete the photos, as it takes a long time to download. Thanks.
Happy Birding,
David McDonald
davidkmcd@camcast.net
photos copyright 2007 David McDonald
Monday, July 2, 2007
Bulletin #5 - Monterey CA #4
David McDonald Photography
Friendswood Texas
July-2-2007
Bulletin #5 – Monterey, California – part 4
Hello friends,
There are just a few more birds from the Monterey trip.
The first are 2 closely related grebes. In fact, there were considered a single species until about 10 years ago when they were split.
The first is the Western Grebe (Aechmophorus occidentalis). Notice that the black extends below the eye. The eye is surrounded by black. Also, the bill is yellow.
http://www.pbase.com/image/109466184
The other is the Clark’s Grebe (Aechmophorus clarkii). It is very similar, but notice that the black is above the eye. The eye is surrounded by white. The bill is orange on this bird.
http://www.pbase.com/davidmcd/image/109466187
These are both large birds – length of 25”.
Cormorants are long-necked water birds familiar to all of us. There are 2 common cormorants on the Monterey coast. These are Brandt’s and Pelagic.
The Brandt’s Cormorant (Phalacrocorax penicillatus) is a communal nester on rocks and jetties. It has a distinctive bluish throat surrounded with beige feathers. Here is a close-up of the head and neck – showing the blue throat and blue eye.
http://www.pbase.com/davidmcd/image/109466190
Here is a nest with several downy young visible.
http://www.pbase.com/davidmcd/image/109466193
Here is the Pelagic Cormorant (Phalacrocorax pelagicus). It has distinctive white patches on the rump which are visible when the bird if flying.
http://www.pbase.com/davidmcd/image/109466196
Scoters are a group of sea ducks that generally occur in colder oceans. Here is the male Surf Scoter (Melanitta perspicillata). Notice the white patches on nape of neck and forehead. The bill is multicolored and he has a white eye.
http://www.pbase.com/davidmcd/image/109466199
There were several small miscellaneous passerines I photographed with my guide, Rick Fournier (http://www.montereybirdingadventures.com/) finding the birds for me.
Here is the White-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta carolinensis) in a typical upside down on the tree trunk posture.
http://www.pbase.com/davidmcd/image/109466202
Here is the Bushtit (Psaltriparus minimus) a tiny mite of a bird that travels in small flocks. Like all active little birds, it is very difficult to get a good photo. However, with patience, I nabbed this guy in the open.
http://www.pbase.com/davidmcd/image/109466205
This newly fledged Wilson’s Warbler (Wilsonia pusilla) still has downy feathers on its breast. One can make out the darker cap on to of its head which is the ID mark for this bird.
http://www.pbase.com/davidmcd/image/109466208
Here is another mite of a bird, the Oak Titmouse (Baeolophus inornatus). The Latin name is longer than the bird!
http://www.pbase.com/davidmcd/image/109466212
His cousin is the Chestnut-backed Chickadee (Poecile rufescens).
http://www.pbase.com/davidmcd/image/109466215
Well that wraps up the long list of bird photos that I got on my recent trip to the central California Coast.
My next bulletin will show photos from my trip to Miami, Florida 2 weeks ago. Miami is an exciting city for birders because of the profusion of exotic escaped and feral parrots and other strange non-native species. I had a guide there as well, so stay tuned for some unusual birds.
My birding guide in Monterey was Rick Fournier. His web site is Monterey Birding Adventures. http://www.montereybirdingadventures.com/
and his email is RimBirding@aol.com
All comments and suggestions are welcomed and appreciated.
Happy Birding,
David McDonald
davidkmcd@comcast.net
photos copyright 2007 David McDonald
Note – photos with the name preceded by an asterisk were updated for this blog and the text was edited accordingly
Friendswood Texas
July-2-2007
Bulletin #5 – Monterey, California – part 4
Hello friends,
There are just a few more birds from the Monterey trip.
The first are 2 closely related grebes. In fact, there were considered a single species until about 10 years ago when they were split.
The first is the Western Grebe (Aechmophorus occidentalis). Notice that the black extends below the eye. The eye is surrounded by black. Also, the bill is yellow.
http://www.pbase.com/image/109466184
The other is the Clark’s Grebe (Aechmophorus clarkii). It is very similar, but notice that the black is above the eye. The eye is surrounded by white. The bill is orange on this bird.
http://www.pbase.com/davidmcd/image/109466187
These are both large birds – length of 25”.
Cormorants are long-necked water birds familiar to all of us. There are 2 common cormorants on the Monterey coast. These are Brandt’s and Pelagic.
The Brandt’s Cormorant (Phalacrocorax penicillatus) is a communal nester on rocks and jetties. It has a distinctive bluish throat surrounded with beige feathers. Here is a close-up of the head and neck – showing the blue throat and blue eye.
http://www.pbase.com/davidmcd/image/109466190
Here is a nest with several downy young visible.
http://www.pbase.com/davidmcd/image/109466193
Here is the Pelagic Cormorant (Phalacrocorax pelagicus). It has distinctive white patches on the rump which are visible when the bird if flying.
http://www.pbase.com/davidmcd/image/109466196
Scoters are a group of sea ducks that generally occur in colder oceans. Here is the male Surf Scoter (Melanitta perspicillata). Notice the white patches on nape of neck and forehead. The bill is multicolored and he has a white eye.
http://www.pbase.com/davidmcd/image/109466199
There were several small miscellaneous passerines I photographed with my guide, Rick Fournier (http://www.montereybirdingadventures.com/) finding the birds for me.
Here is the White-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta carolinensis) in a typical upside down on the tree trunk posture.
http://www.pbase.com/davidmcd/image/109466202
Here is the Bushtit (Psaltriparus minimus) a tiny mite of a bird that travels in small flocks. Like all active little birds, it is very difficult to get a good photo. However, with patience, I nabbed this guy in the open.
http://www.pbase.com/davidmcd/image/109466205
This newly fledged Wilson’s Warbler (Wilsonia pusilla) still has downy feathers on its breast. One can make out the darker cap on to of its head which is the ID mark for this bird.
http://www.pbase.com/davidmcd/image/109466208
Here is another mite of a bird, the Oak Titmouse (Baeolophus inornatus). The Latin name is longer than the bird!
http://www.pbase.com/davidmcd/image/109466212
His cousin is the Chestnut-backed Chickadee (Poecile rufescens).
http://www.pbase.com/davidmcd/image/109466215
Well that wraps up the long list of bird photos that I got on my recent trip to the central California Coast.
My next bulletin will show photos from my trip to Miami, Florida 2 weeks ago. Miami is an exciting city for birders because of the profusion of exotic escaped and feral parrots and other strange non-native species. I had a guide there as well, so stay tuned for some unusual birds.
My birding guide in Monterey was Rick Fournier. His web site is Monterey Birding Adventures. http://www.montereybirdingadventures.com/
and his email is RimBirding@aol.com
All comments and suggestions are welcomed and appreciated.
Happy Birding,
David McDonald
davidkmcd@comcast.net
photos copyright 2007 David McDonald
Note – photos with the name preceded by an asterisk were updated for this blog and the text was edited accordingly
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