Summer Bird ID Thread PART 2

[paulnj]

That's why I elected you an honorary bird nerd.... U R right!

[Loupey]

How about this one. Sorry for the inconvenience folks - I will buy a field guide book this weekend

Anyway, this is a heavy crop from a shot I took from about 300 yards with a 600mm. About the size of a robin and dives into the water with a resounding "ploop".

[kkraczek]

How about this one. Sorry for the inconvenience folks - I will buy a field guide book this weekend

Anyway, this is a heavy crop from a shot I took from about 300 yards with a 600mm. About the size of a robin and dives into the water with a resounding "ploop".

I think it's some sort of kingfisher. But that's WITHOUT googling.

[kkraczek]

Yep, google confirms. Belted Kingfisher.

[paulnj]

Female Belted Kingfisher to be exact.

[Lava Lamp]

Someday,I'm going to post a crisp shot of one of these (but not today...)

[paulnj]

That isn't a bad image at all... we all know a blue jay I hope

[kkraczek]

That's why I elected you an honorary bird nerd.... U R right!

Aww, shucks.

[mjs1973]

Here are some really bad sparrow pics. Not sure what type of sparrow, can you tell from these photos?

[paulnj]

This looks to be a grasshopper to me, but could be a different ammodramus species(such as henslow's) my money is on grasshopper though.

The other set is a song sparrow.

[mjs1973]

The other set is a song sparrow.

DUH!! :mad2: That should have been an easy one, since I just posted a song sparrow last weekend...

[mjs1973]

Here are some much better sparrow shots.

[mjs1973]

Most sparrows look the same to my untrained eye, (I'm learning tho) but if I had to guess, I would have said grasshopper sparrow for the bad sparrow shots, just because I know they are in the area where I took the photos.

[SmartWombat]

As well as a (lost) Scops Owl, a local village is full of twitchers.
Apparently these arrive about 9pm and leave at 3am, what kind of bird are twitchers?

[paulnj]

That's funny :lol:

Seems you have a rare scops owl in your area and the twitchers are trying to see it. A twitcher is a hardcore rare bird chaser. I am not a rare bird chaser, but I have seen alot of rare birds. Twitchers travel hours(days even) to see rare birds. Some get updated sightings sent to there blackberry as they come in too.

[Loupey]

This is probably a no-brainer for you all but I had not noticed them before. They have the most amazing set of vocalization - one sounds like a car alarm.

They also have a white horizontal stripe across its tail.

[Loupey]

Another one. From afar, I thought it was a gold finch. But it is much larger. Perhaps this one is a juvenille? They seem to have a truncated tail.

[paulnj]

yeah, that northern mockingbird was a bit easy

The other one is an adult eastern meadowlark.

[Bevb]

Hi Michael,

I too have to go along with Emily on this one the Song Sparrow is the best one for me, but i am getting quite hooked on this species!:thumbsup:

[mjs1973]

Yup, that's a Belted Kingfisher alright. We have a few around here, but I haven't gotten any good shots.

Thanks Bev!