Big Month IV Posting Thread - DPChallenge Forums

Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 EX DG Macro for Nikon

04/16/2015 08:17:06 AM · #126

Originally posted by spiritualspatula:

Current Unknown ID's- Can anybody help??

BTW, you guys are on your own with this one. LOL Put a gun to my head and I'll say 1st year California Gull.

twmax

Nikon D300

04/16/2015 10:41:23 AM · #127

Originally posted by backdoorhippie:

Originally posted by spiritualspatula:
Current Unknown ID's- Can anybody help??

It's a Say's Phoebe. Phoebes are often confused with Fly-catchers, and the fact that the Dusky-cap is a summer only bird in the US, and then only in a very small part of NM that ID has me suspicious. Say's Phoebe makes more sense, and the belly colors are spot on.

Thanks for the ID. Say's Phoebe was my second guess, but taking another look at it, the orange color (rufous) belly seems to make this the most likely Identification. We live in Southwestern New Mexico, and the map in Sibley's doesn't show the the dusky-capped flycatcher coming quite this far north, but I've found that the maps aren't all that accurate.

Canon EF 24-105mm f/4.0L IS II USM Lens

04/16/2015 11:15:34 AM · #128

Originally posted by twmax:

They're accurate enough as a rule of thumb, but yearly climate variations (gasp, I almost said "climate change", which I didn't mean), winds and other factors can cause birds to appear outside of the zones on the map. How far out of those zones dictate just how "rare" the sighting might be, so if there's an obvious fit it's usually what it is.

hahn23

Canon EOS-5D Mark IV

04/16/2015 05:03:57 PM · #129

38 - Dark-eyed Junco, Junco hyemalis, Gray-headed subspecies.

39 - Pine Grosbeak, Pinicola enucleator, russet variant, young female.

Dennisheckman

04/16/2015 10:24:51 PM · #130

Repeat of (20)
Mountain Bluebird, female and male

Had to post these since I spotted a small group of them on my way home today. They are fun birds to photograph.

Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 EX DG Macro for Nikon

04/17/2015 02:08:18 PM · #131

The count from my deck approaches 30...

28. Sharp-shinned Hawk:

29. Field Sparrow:

And because he/she flew over, another one of our Red-tailed Hawk

Message edited by author 2015-04-17 14:09:42.

twmax

Nikon D300

04/17/2015 06:06:48 PM · #132

10 - Canyon Towhee (Pipilo Fuscus)

I'm about 99% sure that this is a Canyon Towhee. I can find no other bird that has markings even close. It was just above freezing this morning when I took this, so that's the reason he's so puffed up.

11 - Mourning Dove (Zenaida Macroura)

Message edited by author 2015-04-17 18:08:52.

Melethia

Canon EOS-80D

04/17/2015 10:29:42 PM · #133

6. Hummingbirds (!!!) Bought a feeder. SO much fun! I don't know how much they visit during the day, but they usually come by for a bit in the evenings after work. Such a delight to watch them!

I'm going to guess they may be Allen's Hummingbird, mostly because they're in LA.

And a repeat - the house sparrow next door feeding the little ones, who live in the eaves.

Message edited by author 2015-04-17 23:10:26.

04/18/2015 03:59:21 AM · #134

Originally posted by Melethia:

That's a Rufous Hummingbird, though it's likely an Anna's with it's back to you in the second photo.

I posted this in your photo comment, but I'll repeat it here so more people see it - please do not use packaged food in your hummingbird feeders as the dye is thought to weaken their egg shells. It's very easy and inexpensive to make your own. 4 parts water to 1 part sugar. Bring the water to a boil, turn off the heat and stir in the sugar until it's dissolved. The red of the feeder is enough to attract them.

Message edited by author 2015-04-18 04:14:11.

davidw

Canon EOS R6

04/18/2015 08:35:17 AM · #135

Originally posted by backdoorhippie:

please do not use packaged food in your hummingbird feeders as the dye is thought to weaken their egg shells.

I've heard for a number of years that the red coloring was "bad for the birds" but I've never been able to find a source for the info. Would you please be so kind as to direct me to where you learned this? I'd like some additional info for some conversations I've been having in real life.
Thanks.!

Melethia

Canon EOS-80D

04/18/2015 10:03:28 AM · #136

I'll switch to just plain sugar water. This food uses annatto which is plant based for coloring - don't know if that makes a difference or not?

04/18/2015 11:07:35 AM · #137

Originally posted by davidw:

Originally posted by backdoorhippie:
please do not use packaged food in your hummingbird feeders as the dye is thought to weaken their egg shells.

I've heard for a number of years that the red coloring was "bad for the birds" but I've never been able to find a source for the info. Would you please be so kind as to direct me to where you learned this? I'd like some additional info for some conversations I've been having in real life.
Thanks.!

While there has been no utterly conclusive research that as been able to show a causal effect, hummingbird experts have seen a correlation between the use of dyes and issues with hummers as stated here.

Given that it has been shown that dyed water shows no difference in its ability to attract hummingbirds to feeders over regular sugar water, the general consensus among experts and enthusiasts is, "Why use it if there's even a chance the dye can do harm?" Sugar water is cheaper and a more pure form of nectar as well.

Melethia

Canon EOS-80D

Nikon NIKKOR Z 24-70mm f/4 S

04/18/2015 02:18:09 PM · #138

I think you're probably right that the other two are rufous hummingbirds - and females. I think there was a male there the other day (red throat?) but I didn't have the camera.

Kroburg

Nikon Z6II

04/19/2015 09:24:30 AM · #139

Black-headed gull (Larus ribibundus)

33

Fulmars (Fulmarus glacialis)

34

Kittiwake (Rissa tridactyla)

35

Razorbill (Alca torda)

36

Guillemot (Uria aalge)

Canon 12x IS USM (S3 IS built-in Lens) -- 36-432mm (35mm EQ)

04/19/2015 02:33:27 PM · #140

Originally posted by Melethia:

Jake, this is the little greenish one, taken through my window a few days ago when I first put up the feeder - is this the one you think might be an Anna's hummingbird? I'll try to get a shot from outside so it'll be a little clearer!

I think you're probably right that the other two are rufous hummingbirds - and females. I think there was a male there the other day (red throat?) but I didn't have the camera.

I'm not as familiar with west coast hummers, but that may just be a female Rufous. Seeing it clearly I'm not thinking Anna's any more.

GeneralE

Canon PowerShot S3 IS

04/19/2015 03:16:45 PM · #141

Originally posted by Kroburg:

33 Fulmars (Fulmarus glacialis)

Is this the spokes-bird for a certain pharmaceutical product frequently advertised on the internet?

Kroburg

Nikon Z6II

Nikon NIKKOR Z 24-70mm f/4 S

04/19/2015 05:40:00 PM · #142

Originally posted by GeneralE:

Originally posted by Kroburg:
33 Fulmars (Fulmarus glacialis)

Is this the spokes-bird for a certain pharmaceutical product frequently advertised on the internet?

I don't know any pharmaceutical spokes-bird. Can you give a link to one of those commercials?

Ann

Olympus OM-D E-M1

Olympus 12-40mm f/2.8 Pro

04/19/2015 06:22:57 PM · #143

These are mostly birds I've never seen before, so correct me if I'm wrong...

21) Green-winged Teal

22) Lesser Yellowlegs

23) Great Blue Heron

24) Bald Eagle

25) Gadwall

26) Black-bellied Plover
27) Dunlin

28) Double-crested Cormorant

GeneralE

Canon PowerShot S3 IS

Canon 12x IS USM (S3 IS built-in Lens) -- 36-432mm (35mm EQ)

04/19/2015 08:01:50 PM · #144

Originally posted by Kroburg:

Originally posted by GeneralE:

Originally posted by Kroburg:
33 Fulmars (Fulmarus glacialis)

Is this the spokes-bird for a certain pharmaceutical product frequently advertised on the internet?

I don't know any pharmaceutical spokes-bird. Can you give a link to one of those commercials?

Just joking, because the last part of the bird's name might be caught by a SPAM filter if you put it in the subject line ... ;-)

jgirl57

04/19/2015 08:11:14 PM · #145

21.

Blue Jay

22.

Male and female Sparrow

23.

Female Cardinal, the male didn't wanna stick around LOL

Saw my first hummingbird!!! Those little buggers are hard to capture

Message edited by author 2015-04-20 10:27:40.

Nikon AF Micro-Nikkor 60mm f2.8D

04/20/2015 08:24:25 AM · #146

Interesting weekend with some unexpected surprises in the yard.

30. Cedar Waxwing:

This is an infrequent visitor to the yard, and what surprised me is that we NEVER see them on the ground or rock wall but usually flitting about the tops of the trees when there are berries to be had.

31. Eastern Towhee:

My wife had been saying for days, "The Towhee should be here soon!!" Sure enough it showed up before dawn yesterday as I was getting ready to go out. This was shot at ISO 6400 and still needed to be pushed +2EV in post. Lots of noise control in LR on this one. I should be able to get better shots later, but needed to get this up.

32. Cooper's Hawk:

A serendipitous capture. I'd just pulled in from a day out shooting and saw it circling the house. This is when it pays to have a camera on the seat next to you - I shot this through the driver's side window while parked the driveway. So, technically it's still a shot from my yard, but this is officially the first one taken somewhere other than my deck. You can tell it's a Cooper's from the curved tail and smaller head.

Message edited by author 2015-04-20 08:37:10.

crik

Nikon D750

04/20/2015 09:59:01 AM · #147

The rain has been intense here. At least 7 inches in the last 10 or so days according to my rain gauge.
I did get these before it got too intense.

Black-Bellied Whistling Ducks

Mourning Doves

Ann

Olympus OM-D E-M1

Olympus 12-40mm f/2.8 Pro

04/20/2015 10:16:23 AM · #148

Originally posted by Melethia:

That's a female Anna's. Pretty much all you'll see in Southern California are Anna's.

04/20/2015 02:34:17 PM · #149

It's been raining buckets most of the day, so I wasn't expecting to get anything new. Then my wife shouted up from the kitchen...

33. Wild Turkey: