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neckbeard posted:well this is pretty hosed up, reminder don't to trespass/be a douche: I agree that trespassing is lovely and if anyone did it, then it sucks, but that guy was a supreme douche. He'd drive up and confront anyone who drove by his house on a public road. Then he decided to break federal wildlife laws over it.
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Jan 20, 2016 06:07
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BeastOfExmoor posted:I agree that trespassing is lovely and if anyone did it, then it sucks, but that guy was a supreme douche. He'd drive up and confront anyone who drove by his house on a public road. Then he decided to break federal wildlife laws over it. Regardless, the bird ends up the victim. A reminder to not report owls, at least not the specifics of the location, and to delay the report, or it turns into a loving circus. The snowys here in Toronto get harassed to death when people report them, so the regular birders keep it on the down low whenever they come across one. Same with the Saw-whets, people will actually remove branches from their roosting tree to expose them for a better shot (and make them food for great horneds and long eareds).
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Jan 20, 2016 16:38
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For anyone interested in bird song, song dialects, and urban wildlife, this is a really nice popular article about white-crowned sparrows and the loss of dialects due to urban noise.
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Jan 23, 2016 21:05
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I'm having trouble identifying a bird I saw in my yard just now. I thought it was a sparrow at first, but it had yellow markings on its front which I don't remember seeing before. Its beak wasn't sparrow-like either, more like a nuthatch or a warbler. It was perched on my suet feeder and had its back to me for the most part, which was a grayish-brown with lighter edges on the wing feathers. It would look around every few seconds though, and the chin and breast were yellow, but with a much lighter band separating them. Any idea what it might have been? I live in Western Oregon.
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Jan 27, 2016 01:01
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stubblyhead posted:I'm having trouble identifying a bird I saw in my yard just now. I thought it was a sparrow at first, but it had yellow markings on its front which I don't remember seeing before. Its beak wasn't sparrow-like either, more like a nuthatch or a warbler. It was perched on my suet feeder and had its back to me for the most part, which was a grayish-brown with lighter edges on the wing feathers. It would look around every few seconds though, and the chin and breast were yellow, but with a much lighter band separating them. Any idea what it might have been? I live in Western Oregon. Possibly a Yellow-rumped Warbler? I've got one that has claimed my suet cake and will chase away anything smaller than a woodpecker. They are really variable in appearance but also quite common in the winter in a lot of places. Look for a yellow rump patch when it flies.
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Jan 27, 2016 01:22
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BetterLekNextTime posted:Possibly a Yellow-rumped Warbler? I've got one that has claimed my suet cake and will chase away anything smaller than a woodpecker. They are really variable in appearance but also quite common in the winter in a lot of places. Look for a yellow rump patch when it flies. Definitely possible. I feel like I would have noticed that patch since it was facing away from me, but there are plenty of pictures where it's almost entirely obscured by the wings. It never turned all the way around either, so it's possible that it just had yellow patches on the side rather than all the way across like I assumed. I'll keep watching, they're pretty common around here apparently, and that suet cake is pretty popular.
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Jan 27, 2016 01:41
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The place where I go to photograph falcons got another news story http://edmontonjournal.com/news/local-news/we-can-watch-it-hunt-on-a-daily-basis-edmonton-birders-get-a-rare-urban-treat
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Feb 4, 2016 16:09
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^^^^ That's so cool! Ok Bird Nerds- get out your binoculars this weekend. It's time for the annual Great Backyard Bird Count. Great chance to do some local birding and contribute to a growing citizen science data set.
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Feb 10, 2016 21:40
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BetterLekNextTime posted:Ok Bird Nerds- get out your binoculars this weekend. It's time for the annual Great Backyard Bird Count. Great chance to do some local birding and contribute to a growing citizen science data set.  From Birding Family Circus which is hillarious.
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Feb 11, 2016 03:13
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BetterLekNextTime posted:^^^^ That's so cool! Gonna do this from my balcony. Yes, I have 50 long tailed ducks and an Iceland gull in my backyard. 
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Feb 11, 2016 03:17
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hmmm I think this one heard about the Montreal traffic cam snowy owl and wanted some popularity http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/life-video/video-oh-hi-there-gyrfalcon-stumbles-upon-researchers-camera/article28697513/
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Feb 11, 2016 17:24
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well here's some depressing poo poo... http://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/feb/13/150000-penguins-killed-after-giant-iceberg-renders-colony-landlocked quote:
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Feb 13, 2016 18:15
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I saw this bird in Istanbul and thought it looked tremendously out of place perched in a tree in continental Europe. Can anyone help me identify this bird? What is it? Where might I find some more info on it?
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Feb 29, 2016 18:44
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Gstu posted:I saw this bird in Istanbul and thought it looked tremendously out of place perched in a tree in continental Europe. Possibly ring-necked parakeet, which seems to be establishing in Turkey. For what it's worth, it's actually not that weird to see parrots in southern Europe. I got to go to southern Spain last year and they were pretty common in the big cities.
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Feb 29, 2016 20:35
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Gstu posted:I saw this bird in Istanbul and thought it looked tremendously out of place perched in a tree in continental Europe. Wait until you go to London and see flocks of them flying around!
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Feb 29, 2016 20:46
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http://www.thenaturalistsnotebook.com/our-blog/migrating-bird-fallout-on-machias-seal-island Bird fallout at a lighthouse. Look at all the birds!
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Apr 12, 2016 15:47
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Mirthless posted:http://www.thenaturalistsnotebook.com/our-blog/migrating-bird-fallout-on-machias-seal-island Man, seeing those photos makes it really hard to live on the west coast  I've managed to be somewhere good back there for migration the last two years so this year has been painful. On the plus side, I'm spending a few days cruising up the west coast at the end of this month. Hoping to get some nice pelagic birds.
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Apr 13, 2016 06:21
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I just moved to Chicago a few months ago and it finally feels like spring so I did a little birding at a nearby park. I was shocked when a flock of parakeets burst out overhead, but I guess I shouldn't have been since it seems Monk Parakeets are a normal thing in The Windy City. Also I finally got to see some Wood Ducks who were not either hiding in the shadows or flying away at top speed.  
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Apr 17, 2016 16:01
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Hi Birding goons, I'm off to the Festival of Birds and needed some binoculars. Any advice on me getting these? http://www.kijiji.ca/v-fishing-camping-outdoor/windsor-area-on/vintage-binoculars/1156076265 I'm a complete beginner and I wanted to get something super cheap since I'm still unsure if I'll continue birding as a hobbie. Thanks!
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Apr 18, 2016 23:08
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Bangkero posted:Hi Birding goons, Binoculars are always useful even if decide not to keep up with birding. But garbage binoculars will make you think all binoculars are like that. Worst case if you don't manage to get anything, stop in at http://www.peleewings.ca, just outside the park. They carry basically everything and are bound to have something cheap and decent in their used stuff.
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Apr 19, 2016 01:04
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Linedance posted:Binoculars are always useful even if decide not to keep up with birding. But garbage binoculars will make you think all binoculars are like that. Worst case if you don't manage to get anything, stop in at http://www.peleewings.ca, just outside the park. They carry basically everything and are bound to have something cheap and decent in their used stuff. My budget is around $60 give or take $20. I definitely want to buy used since the deals are better and technology hasn't really changed over the decades. I would go to Pelee Wings, but it's too far for me - I'll probably just go into the local pawnshop as recommended by the Bangkero fucked around with this message at 17:12 on Apr 19, 2016 |
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Apr 19, 2016 16:59
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Budgets are budgets, but above $100, and particularly approaching $200 you get into much better quality. I posted this earlier, a bit out of date, but a sense of how much more you are getting with extra dollars .
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Apr 19, 2016 20:06
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Specifically, you want something that is weather sealed for durability, and has FULLY multicoated lenses (not just plain multicoated) for the brightest image. If you're getting roof prisms (the "modern" design that looks like a "H"), you'll want phase coated prisms as well. Otherwise you should get Porro prisms (the "older" design that's a bit fatter) for the best image at budget prices.
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Apr 19, 2016 20:19
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Bangkero posted:thanks, so you recommend not to grab those ones off kijiji? I thought for $35 it would be worth a chance but perhaps it's better that I try viewing through them first? I wouldn't get those from kijiji, if only because of their size and associated weight. 10x50 is going to be a bit unwieldy for birding, and though 10x can be fine in open, in a heavily wooded area like Pelee, 8x is going to give you a much wider field of view which will make it much easier to pick up a little warbler in a tree. Porro prism (the style you posted, where the eyepieces are offset from the objective lens) don't always follow the same sizing convention as Roof prism (straight through style), but I would look for something in 8x40 or 8x42. You could probably find some Nikon Aculon (or whatever they were called before they called them Aculon - edit - Action something I think) porro prism bins for cheap and on budget and they won't be terrible. Just if an old man offers you to look through his swarovskis, just say no.
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Apr 19, 2016 20:51
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Thanks goons - I appreciate all the advice. I'll make sure to look for those features when I'm browsing for binoculars.BetterLekNextTime posted:Budgets are budgets, but above $100, and particularly approaching $200 you get into much better quality. I posted this earlier, a bit out of date, but a sense of how much more you are getting with extra dollars .
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Apr 19, 2016 22:42
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Get the best you can afford, and go from there. I definitely agree with Linedance that 8x40 is better if you are just starting out.
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Apr 19, 2016 23:51
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I would recommend 8x42's if the budget were a bit higher, but at that price 7x or 8x by 30, 32, 35, etc is going to be negligibly different. Kowa YF30 8x30 or Leupold Yosemite 8x30's (very similar designs) can sometimes be found under $100 new in the US so if you could track down a used/sale pair that would be awesome. They're excellent for the price.
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Apr 20, 2016 02:25
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Hello Birder Thread. I have a question. Every morning I hear a bird it sings 3 notes only at a time that sound like the beginning of the childhood song Three blind Mice. I'm in Bountiful Utah and I don't know where to start to find info. I have not been able to see it, only hear it. Thank you in advance!
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Apr 24, 2016 15:03
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piscesbobbie posted:Hello Birder Thread. I have a question. Every morning I hear a bird it sings 3 notes only at a time that sound like the beginning of the childhood song Three blind Mice. I'm in Bountiful Utah and I don't know where to start to find info. I have not been able to see it, only hear it. Thank you in advance! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PPhSj0l23Qg
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Apr 24, 2016 16:16
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That's what I thought, but golden crowned sparrow would be way out of range for Utah, wouldn't it?
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Apr 24, 2016 16:28
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piscesbobbie posted:Hello Birder Thread. I have a question. Every morning I hear a bird it sings 3 notes only at a time that sound like the beginning of the childhood song Three blind Mice. I'm in Bountiful Utah and I don't know where to start to find info. I have not been able to see it, only hear it. Thank you in advance! I'm betting on Black-Capped Chickadee: http://www.xeno-canto.org/305762 There's some variation, but three whistled notes is basically the overall structure of it.
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Apr 24, 2016 16:39
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Linedance posted:That's what I thought, but golden crowned sparrow would be way out of range for Utah, wouldn't it? Not according to http://www.utahbirds.org/birdsofutah/ProfilesD-K/GoldenCrownedSparrow.htm I wonder if piscesbobbie lives right in that corner.
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Apr 24, 2016 16:53
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BeastOfExmoor posted:Man, seeing those photos makes it really hard to live on the west coast I went for a walk in Munich's Englisher Gardens today and got all excited about stuff that's hyper-common in large European cities, like the geese here that are just as obnoxious as the Canada geese back home (how many species have YOU been hissed at by?). I have macro pictures of European Coots, if you aren't satisfied by a quick look at extreme range of some never-touches-soil tube-nose I don't know what to tell you.
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Apr 24, 2016 19:12
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ExecuDork posted:You're going on a cruise up the west coast of North America, looking for pelagic birds that might only ever see land in hard-to-reach places like Alaska, you don't get to feel bad about birding. I wouldn't trade the pelagic trip for Warblers, but I do wish I could manage both.
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Apr 25, 2016 02:32
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Thing is, you can take a 2 week vacation at the start of May and get all the warblers you can stomach for a year, and then go back to the West coast and enjoy year round birding in a varied, alive landscapes from tidal flats to mountains, instead of a dead frozen hellscape where the trees don't even start budding until late April, just in time for blackfly season. East coast birding is feast or famine, mostly the latter. West Coast maybe gets less species through in migration, but is steady year round.
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Apr 25, 2016 12:02
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Linedance posted:East coast birding is feast or famine, mostly the latter. West Coast maybe gets less species through in migration, but is steady year round. What's Florida birding like? I was looking through the Sibley app in anticipation of my move, and it looks like they have just about every invasive imaginable.
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Apr 25, 2016 19:04
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Tardigrade posted:What's Florida birding like? I was looking through the Sibley app in anticipation of my move, and it looks like they have just about every invasive imaginable. Lots of parrots and mynas.... Great for herons and waterbirds, pretty good for raptors, Caribbean vagrants. Some sparrows and warblers winter there but a lot just pass through. Pretty great.
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Apr 25, 2016 23:04
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I just wanted to update the thread and let you all know that I went with ordering off of amazon the Celestron 71346 Outland X 8x42 Binocular (Black). The pawn shops around here, albeit cheaper, didn't have very good bin choices for birding. Thanks again for everyone's advice!
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Apr 26, 2016 13:56
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I have my windows open in suburban Cincinnati and there's some bird out there periodically singing way louder than the usual songbirds; I would describe it as a fast laughing sort of call, it reminds me of a pileated woodpecker but a bit faster, softer on the attack, and rolling off in pitch towards the end of the song. Since it's off in someone's back yard I can't really go try to get a look at it, unfortunately, but I was hoping it might sound familiar to someone.
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May 8, 2016 19:57
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the yeti posted:I have my windows open in suburban Cincinnati and there's some bird out there periodically singing way louder than the usual songbirds; I would describe it as a fast laughing sort of call, it reminds me of a pileated woodpecker but a bit faster, softer on the attack, and rolling off in pitch towards the end of the song. Maybe Northern Flicker? Maybe also check Kestral or sharp-shinned/coopers hawks.
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May 9, 2016 15:34
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