|
Re: Swallow?
Originally Posted by mandpete
I thought they were blue jays but not being that well up on birds when Bob said they were blue cardinals I just thought he knew what he was talking about. :o
http://www.cbbep.org/newsroom/2004releases/02022004.pdf |
Re: Swallow?
Originally Posted by snowbunny
I love these posts, especially by those of you who live in Texas, because I can identify most of the species you name. The painted bunting is indeed a beautiful little bird; I have only ever seen one in my backyard, in ten years. They usually nest a bit southwest of here.
Cowbirds are the birds round these parts that lay their eggs in another species' nest; their young outcompete the other smaller chicks and the birds' "real" offspring die. Lovely evolutionary tactic. There is also a great-tailed grackle. "Grackle" was one of my youngest daughter's first words. They delighted her with their defiant stance in parking lots and their lack of fear of humans. If you try to strangle a grackle, it will perch above you and shit on your head. Within thirty seconds it will be joined by a hundred of its brethren who will communally shit on your head. At least sea gulls can glide, do some acrobatic flying, and bob up and down on the water. Grackles don't perform any tricks, they just eat people food and shit on their heads. And they are LOUD. wtf is a "blue cardinal"? Is it like a blue jay? Our American robin is indeed much larger than the European robin, but its breast is a muted orange rather than the bright red of its fabled cousin. I think we all forgot the Mocking Bird. They are very common around here and have a lovely song which changes frequently, often "mocking" another bird's call. I read that the American Robin is not actually a robin but a type of thrush. The early settlers saw them and thought they were similar to European robins, so named them the same. It's odd though how they have similar habits and will stand around if you're digging in the yard, waiting for a chance to get the worms or bugs you've uncovered. They have a nice song too. I haven't seen a live armadillo yet, only dead ones in the road awwww! - lots of them. I think they are lovely little animals and am always hoping to see one live. Nobody mentioned squirrels - LOL! the scourge of the backyard. They are so clever. We have a regular who I call Cyril. My husband has a running fight to keep him out of or eves and off the bird feeders - I reckon they both enjoy the battle of wits. :rolleyes: |
Re: Swallow?
Last year whilst visiting my in-laws who live in the Pocono mountains in deepest darkest Pennsylvania, I had to stop the car so a line of wild turkeys could cross the road. It turned into one of those moments where you're by yourself and you just start laughing, you ever had one of those? I couldn't believe I was sat behind the wheel of my car watching a load of turkeys cross the road.
|
Re: Swallow?
I'm 25 miles north of mid-town Manhattan/border of Westchester and the Bronx. The county park a few blocks from me is overrun with deer and turkey. The birds make nests under the window a/c and each spring the sounds of chripping resonants through the air. My husband made the mistake one winter of putting nuts in my window boxes amid the pine boroughs for the squirrels. This spring they dug through the boxes and pulled out most of my tulips and daff bulbs. So who do you think I should be angry with? Him or them? And there are coyotes who have set up residency in Woodlawn Cemetry which is in the Bronx.
Originally Posted by Dimsie
I think we all forgot the Mocking Bird. They are very common around here and have a lovely song which changes frequently, often "mocking" another bird's call.
I read that the American Robin is not actually a robin but a type of thrush. The early settlers saw them and thought they were similar to European robins, so named them the same. It's odd though how they have similar habits and will stand around if you're digging in the yard, waiting for a chance to get the worms or bugs you've uncovered. They have a nice song too. I haven't seen a live armadillo yet, only dead ones in the road awwww! - lots of them. I think they are lovely little animals and am always hoping to see one live. Nobody mentioned squirrels - LOL! the scourge of the backyard. They are so clever. We have a regular who I call Cyril. My husband has a running fight to keep him out of or eves and off the bird feeders - I reckon they both enjoy the battle of wits. :rolleyes: |
Re: Swallow?
[QUOTE=AdobePinon], three kinds of hummingbird, QUOTE]
Do you knwo much about hummingbirds? We get some little red fellas thru the garden at a the same time every year. Look like humming birds, hover like hummingbirds, dart around like hummingbirds, eat that sticky stuff from the hummingboird feeders but according to a knowall mate from England, they are very unlikely to be hummingbirds because apparently (according to him) there are only 3 types of "real" hummingbirds, and then 100's of wannabes. I'd love to be able to tell him he's talking out of his 'arris - but is he? |
Re: Swallow?
Originally Posted by Yorkieabroad
I'd love to be able to tell him he's talking out of his 'arris - but is he?
One thing I didn't know until I looked up the hummingbird is that every species is native only to the Americas. http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_...mmingbird.html Does he have hummingbird envy, perhaps? ;) if he's in the UK? If your friend is a birder, there is no finer place in the US than deep south Texas to view birds -- there are usually migrants and strays of all sorts of birds rarely found in the rest of the US, and some year-round residents that occur only there. |
Re: Swallow?
Originally Posted by snowbunny
Given that the ruby-throated hummingbird is common to your area (Houston is on the coast 200 mi north of my hometown), then I'd say he's talking out of his arse. If you see your red fellas during migration, then it's likely to be one of the three species in the rufous group Selasphorus (rufous means "red"). They certainly aren't the only hummingbirds though!
One thing I didn't know until I looked up the hummingbird is that every species is native only to the Americas. http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_...mmingbird.html Does he have hummingbird envy, perhaps? ;) if he's in the UK? If your friend is a birder, there is no finer place in the US than deep south Texas to view birds -- there are usually migrants and strays of all sorts of birds rarely found in the rest of the US, and some year-round residents that occur only there. |
Re: Swallow?
Originally Posted by Yorkieabroad
Ah jolly good - thanks for that. Now I'm off to get my seacharts out to work out where you are from that is 200 miles south of houston......an oil rig praps :D
Corpus Christi..... follow the coastline. |
Re: Swallow?
Originally Posted by snowbunny
lol.... no, I am not a roughneck. That would suck growing up on an oil rig!
Corpus Christi..... follow the coastline. |
Re: Swallow?
[QUOTE=Yorkieabroad]
Originally Posted by AdobePinon
, three kinds of hummingbird, QUOTE]
Do you knwo much about hummingbirds? As for your critter - if he's red/orange all over, or has a red back, then he's a rufous hummingbird. These little guys also come in green, or in red and green. He will stand out from the rest of them (if you have any others) because he's the aggressive one. Never has so much anger been contained in so few grams. :eek: As said by the bunny that treads snow, other winged humming devices inhabit your area, but rufous is the only one with a red back. |
Re: Swallow?
Originally Posted by Yorkieabroad
Ah, I was down there in '89 for a couple of days. Can't remember a lot about it to be honest - miles of beach you could drive onto...no-one else in sight as far as the eye could see...signs for snakes in the carparks....great little seafood shack where they swung your crayfish (crawfish?) to you in a bucket dangling on a rope from the ceiling....lots of tankers coming into the harbour (River?)....err, thats about it!
There's decent birding in that area, but not as good as http://www.fws.gov/southwest/refuges/texas/santana.html in the Rio Grande Valley where you can see so many bird species you won't see elsewhere http://www.fws.gov/southwest/refuges/texas/aransas.html -- in Oct - April you can see the rare and endangered whooping crane But in June? hmmmmm Texas State Aquarium in Corpus Christi is nice -- it is on North Beach, across the Harbo(u)r Bridge. But most people go to the beach out on North Padre Island or on Mustang Island -- Port Aransas is nice, a little more developed; my favourite is: http://www.us-parks.com/US_National_...NPS_Info.shtml Huge stretches of undeveloped beach; semi-primitive camping available at Malaquite Beach, but definitely not for those not used to a LOT of sun and heat in the summer. |
| All times are GMT. The time now is 11:51 am. |
Powered by vBulletin: ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.