Birdsters! 'Februrary FIRSTS' Pls. Post Here!

:-)

Wow. What do they DO with those spurs? (brave of you and others to hold them!!!)

They're big birds, too. April

Each batch of goldfinches that come up here on the storms are a little brighter, around the faces and that back patch also.

We have a good snow tonight. Early spring in Pa. means the sound of the snowblower is heard in the land. (Not the turtle-dove, Kennedyh)

I went out and filled all the feeders, will set up on the porch tomorrow morn and see what comes to visit and eat.

Great series of photos Ken! Thank you! Is that spur like a "claw" that is no longer useful in birds' wings? Sorry if this is way off....just what came to mind when I saw it.

Boojum, well I had the opportunity ;-) today of guilting my DH about the camera. The kids kindergarten put on a Family Day show and we went like dummies without a camera. The kids were sooooooo proud and we weren't able to get any photographic souvenir of the occasion.....nor of my son's first fallen tooth. DH will be taking the camera to be fixed at the beginning of the week ;-)

-Julie

Your Lapwing is much bigger than I'd have guessed. Are all of them fairly large?

Okay, I'll bite...If you don't pronounce Plover with a long O how is it pronounced? I've given it a lot of thought and I'm sure I've never heard it spoken aloud...only in my own head as I read. Ü

Yay, Julie! Here's hoping your camera's not very expensive to fix! That would be nice.

In England its pronounced 'pluvver' if that helps?

That helps Okus and it makes sense too...Thanks!

Here, too. Pluhver.

From now on I'll pronounce it correctly! Ü

Floridian, I'm sorry I forgot to respond to your meadowlark pic. It's really sweet! I could almost imagine him singing his heart out in that pic :-)

I saw a lovely Greenfinch Carduelis chloris http://www.birdersworld.com/brd/default.aspx?id=156&c=sg today up close and personal. We were on a back road going slowly in the car and one flew past my car and into a Bougainvillea that was growing right up against the right hand side of the road. I slowed the car and let the window down as I was approaching. He sat there perched in the bush not 2 feet from the car window and didn't seem phased at all by the big metal monster in front of him. So why is it that birds fly away when humans unmasked by a surrounding vehicle approach????? LOL

-Julie

Ken, your lapwing pictures are beautiful. What a thrill that must be to handle these birds. Also a lot of work, patience and chasing around, too, I bet.

Boojum, It seems our native flock of goldfinches are still dark. Some of the new ones are getting very light colored but still not golden. They must be carried up on the storms from the southern states.

Julie, I can sit on the porch and the birds are used to seeing me there. If I lift that shiny camera to sneak in a shot they scatter! That's why most of my pics are throught the looking glass (window). LOL

Well, folks .. with somewhat closer observation, of the American Goldfinches around here - they appear to be takin' on some brighter yellow patches .. on their wings, and somewhat on their heads.

So, my guess is .. the males are beginning to get 'geared up' in their breeding plumage!

- Magpye

C'mon Spring!!!!!!!!!!!!! :)

I got a pic of the male downy woodpecker up in the tree the other day. Last night and this morning his mate came to warm herself up on some suet.

She was there for about 10-12 minutes so I shot her through the window. Yesterday I lifted my camera on the front porch and she flew away. Maybe she'll get tamer if the snow keeps up and it stays cold.

Our 9 inch snowfall and only the second snow storm this winter. It was 22 degrees and I was out snow blowing away. No wind, light fluffy snow and a beautiful day.

Female Downy woodpecker

So glad for you that you got the shot!!! And it's a great one, too :)

Way to go Se_eds! Congratulations on your lovely visitors :-)

I posted a thread, but 2 days before February is over and we've got robins in Ohio :) Yippee! Now, if I can just get them to my yard............ :)

Two nice photographic opportunities yesterday. The Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoos Calyptorhynchus funereus came to our garden to feed on the seed of some of our hakeas. First time sionce I got my new camera and I got easily the best picture I have of a Black Cockatoo:

Then I went out (with my camera in the car) and noticed that the Masked Lapwings were hanging about on the central reservation of one of the roads. Having just become aware that I did not have a picture of an adult Masked Lapwing, I made the most of my chance. Here is the result:

and here are the pair of lapwings together:

Fantastic photos, Ken!

Outstanding photos, Ken. Is the that cockatoo common where you are?

John

Wow, Ken. Great photos. I'm so glad you had your camera!! Thanks.

Yes the Black Cockatoos are pretty common around here. They used to be very common around our garden, because they have learned to feed on the seeds of the pine trees and we had a pine plantation behind us. bThey recently clear felled the pines and the cockies are mostly feeding elsewhere, but they still come around fairly often, though not in the flocks of over 100 that we were used to seeing. They have planted fresh pines, so in a few years we will get them back in force.

What lovely birds you have visiting you Ken! I think it would be fantastic to have something as lovely as those Cockatoos in my garden....even one of them! :-) Thanks for sharing your birds with us again :-)

-Julie

I would love to see a flock that size in person!

kennedyh, what beautiful pictures. I have never seen a black cockatoo. What an absolutely stunning bird!. Thanks so much for sharing them with us.

Thought I'd better check out the canada geese to see how they fare this winter.

It is 33 degrees and they are all in the water. Guess it is warmer than the snow

This pretty drake seems to be perfectly content

Whoops, not a drake, a gander!

This message was edited Feb 27, 2005 9:00 PM

This pair seems to have made their arrangements for the year - or is it for life with geese?

I know they are a nuisance to many but I've always loved CGeese because they "announce" spring and fall in these parts. Speaking of yearly cycles-last year I saw bluebirds when the buckets were on the maples on our street. They're not out yet (March) but the sugaring season has started and guess what I saw an hour ago-a small flock of bluebirds and of course I didn't have my camera but it was walking distance so I went back and froze my hands to bring back photos just for you!! A first for me in February for sure.

Here's a happy couple.

I, for one, appreciate the effort!!! :-D

I thought you would!! Here's another.

And feeding in the brush.

And on the road.

Here's a male. Wish you could see them flying but I tried and it was too hard with the sun on the screen. I should have looked through the viewer (next time). When they fly, all the blue on their backs show. They are turquoise in some light and cobalt in different light. It's thrilling to see them fly.

You seem to have your new camera figured out. Nice, sharp photos! There must be some bugs out and about in New England.