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Forum Birdwatching 2012
- Thread starter jasonpatterson
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dasmiller
Just the right amount of cowbell
GeeMack
Banned
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Kotatsu
Phthirapterist
Nice picture! I found this species [ETA: the Spotted Towhee] almost as elusive as the Song Sparrow or the Veery when I was in Vancouver, and all my pictures of all three are of the "where is the bird?" variety.
A somewhat related question:
It seems extremely likely now that I will be moving to Salt Lake City this autumn for a 1.5-year post-doc. Does anyone have recommendations for:
- birdwatching localities in that area;
- a good field guide for, well, all of North America would be the best (I may go to Illinois at least sometimes).
A somewhat related question:
It seems extremely likely now that I will be moving to Salt Lake City this autumn for a 1.5-year post-doc. Does anyone have recommendations for:
- birdwatching localities in that area;
- a good field guide for, well, all of North America would be the best (I may go to Illinois at least sometimes).
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Kotatsu
Phthirapterist
Incidentally, a friend of mine found this bird:
I am sure I have heard that this is a disease (or parasite infection) of some sort, but I can't remember the details. Is this wet-feather disease, or does that affect only ducks? Any suggestions?
I am sure I have heard that this is a disease (or parasite infection) of some sort, but I can't remember the details. Is this wet-feather disease, or does that affect only ducks? Any suggestions?
Humanzee
Muse
- Joined
- Nov 6, 2008
- Messages
- 530
Poor bird. Is that a Blue Tit?
Kotatsu
Phthirapterist
Yes. Or what remains of one, at least. Supposedly it was scratching itself and looked "bothered" and "didn't notice" my friend (quotes from him, here translated), which is why he could get so close and take the picture (he doesn't have a very fancy camera).
Kotatsu
Phthirapterist
I would like to renew this question, in the hope of getting an answer. It seems I will most definitely be in Salt Lake City for at least a year (but will try to get additional funding), and have no intention of giving up on birdwatching.
Is the Sibley guide good?
Also:
I had Ring Ouzel Turdus torquatus, Blackcap Sylvia atricapilla, Reed Warbler Acrocephalus scirpaceus and Willow Warbler Phylloscopus trochilus yesterday.
Is the Sibley guide good?
Also:
I had Ring Ouzel Turdus torquatus, Blackcap Sylvia atricapilla, Reed Warbler Acrocephalus scirpaceus and Willow Warbler Phylloscopus trochilus yesterday.
dasmiller
Just the right amount of cowbell
I use Sibley for ~90% of the identifications I do, so I'd say that it's working for me. But I really don't know how it compares to other guides, so I don't feel like I can make a definitive recommendation.
EHocking
Penultimate Amazing
In your opinion, how does it compare to the "National Geographic Field Guide to the Birds of North America". As a visitor, I found it to be capable to the job. Is Sibley a better book?
When choosing a field guide I tend to find a page that has birds I know on it and then critique the plates based on my previous experience with IDing those species.
I started out using Sibley, but found it easier to identify birds using Petersons Field Guide to North American birds. The Petersons iPhone/iPad App is also recommended and dirt cheap if you buy it today.
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jasonpatterson
Philanthropic Misanthrope
I like both Sibley and Peterson. I prefer Sibley over Peterson, both for its maps and illustrations, but in all honesty either one is good.
EHocking
Penultimate Amazing
Looks like I backed the wrong horse with Nat.Geo., but, to quote Douglas Adams,
it scores over the older, more pedestrian work in two important respects. First, it is slightly cheaper; and second, it has the words "DON'T PANIC" inscribed in large friendly letters on its cover.
OK, so only one important aspect...
The Shrike
Philosopher
There are many great field guides for North American birds. Nat Geo is terrific for an all-around guide. My favorite for beginners is James Coe's guide to Eastern Birds - I think there is a western counterpart. Coe's illustrations are superb and, more important, he does a beautiful job of illustrating species in an appropriate habitat context - very important for beginners. These guides are compact and only cost a couple of dollars on Amazon.
For more advanced birders, Sibley's gets my hands-down recommendation for the biggest, clearest, and most complete illustrations of the greatest number of species. There is virtually nothing presented as text describing habitat or habits. It's a giant minimalist guide that is my go-to more than any other.
For more advanced birders, Sibley's gets my hands-down recommendation for the biggest, clearest, and most complete illustrations of the greatest number of species. There is virtually nothing presented as text describing habitat or habits. It's a giant minimalist guide that is my go-to more than any other.
Kotatsu
Phthirapterist
Perhaps I should just take advantage of my high PhD student salary to get both Peterson and Sibley, then. From what I've seen on the internet, Sibley does seem to have better pictures, though...
Okay, I meant to ask this earlier but got tied up with stuff and the Braves game, but yesterday, I saw pecking away at a tree near my home, a woodpecker. I don't have binoculars nor a camera with that kind of zoom so at around 100+ feet away all I could see was red with a crest on its head.
I know what the red headed woodpeckers look like, and I could swear that this one looked bigger and had some white on its head and a crest.
is it possible I saw an Ivory Billed woodpecker? (i had heard they were scarce but never really knew what one looked like until today when I popped onto google images to try and identify what I saw).
It was over 100 feet away so there is a chance I was wrong. but it looked similar to the picture online.
I know what the red headed woodpeckers look like, and I could swear that this one looked bigger and had some white on its head and a crest.
is it possible I saw an Ivory Billed woodpecker? (i had heard they were scarce but never really knew what one looked like until today when I popped onto google images to try and identify what I saw).
It was over 100 feet away so there is a chance I was wrong. but it looked similar to the picture online.
EHocking
Penultimate Amazing
if you think it was an IBWP, you probably saw a Pileated. Coincidentally I had a similar question last week from a novice birder mate down in Texas (ex UK) who was astonished by the size of the bird he saw. We don't have WPs that size in the UK. I had the same reaction to the first Black Woodpecker I saw in Germany.
Oddly enough I found him (and ID'd him) from his call - the logic being, "I've never heard a call like that before!".
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Kotatsu
Phthirapterist
Pity we didn't have a thread last year after all... I was traveling quite a bit, and for once managed to get my camera out every once in a while. Here's some nice pictures from Sweden:
(Snow Bunting Plectrophenax nivalis)
(Little Auk Alle alle)
(Guillemot Uria aalge; this picture also shows the first record of Quadraceps obliquus for Sweden. That is, the small black dots on the chest are lice, which were collected and now lie in a vial of alcohol here at the University.)
(Long-tailed Skua Stercorarius longicaudus)
(Long-eared Owl Asio otus)
(Pheasant Phasianus colchicus; this picture was actually taken earlier this year)
Tanzania:
(Hammerkop Scopus umbretta)
(Roller Coracias garrulus)
(Blacksmith Lapwing Vanellus armatus)
(I think this is Zanzibar Red Bishop Euplectes nigriventis, but I'm not sure. This field had at least six different Euplectes species, plus a lot of other stuff... The only lice I collected in Tanzania came from a Speckeld Mousebird Colius striatus. The louse was a Colimenopon hamatus.)
(Can't remember the name of this kingfisher off-hand. A juvenile of something like "Striated Kingfisher" or so; I will check when I get home)
(Long-tailed Fiscal Shrike Lanius cabanisi)
And Turkey:
(White Storks Ciconia ciconia; photo taken from the famous Cücyk Camlica. Highly recommended in the autumn!)
(Pygmy Cormorant Phalacrocorax pygmeus)
(Laughing Dove Streptopelia senegalensis; this and Alexandrine Parakeet Psittacula eupatria were seen in both the Asian and the European part of Istanbul)
(Whiskered Terns Chlidonias hybridus)
(A combo: Note how the Great Cormorants Phalacrocorax carbo typically stand on the upper ledge, while the Shags Phalacrocorax aristotelis use the lower ledge. This picture is taken in Haydarpasha, on the Asian side of the great city of Istanbul. In other pictures, as well as in real life, this is very pronounced. Can you figure out what is so special about this picture?)
(Another combo: White Pelican Pelecanus onocrotalus on the ground and on the two platforms closest to the mast, there are Dalmatian Pelicans Pelecanus crispus. This is Kus Cenneti, near Bursa, where supposedly a large part of the world population of Dalmatian pelican winters. The duck in front are mainly Teals Anas crecca)
I end with a quiz. What is this:
It's from one of the countries above.
(Snow Bunting Plectrophenax nivalis)
(Little Auk Alle alle)
(Guillemot Uria aalge; this picture also shows the first record of Quadraceps obliquus for Sweden. That is, the small black dots on the chest are lice, which were collected and now lie in a vial of alcohol here at the University.)
(Long-tailed Skua Stercorarius longicaudus)
(Long-eared Owl Asio otus)
(Pheasant Phasianus colchicus; this picture was actually taken earlier this year)
Tanzania:
(Hammerkop Scopus umbretta)
(Roller Coracias garrulus)
(Blacksmith Lapwing Vanellus armatus)
(I think this is Zanzibar Red Bishop Euplectes nigriventis, but I'm not sure. This field had at least six different Euplectes species, plus a lot of other stuff... The only lice I collected in Tanzania came from a Speckeld Mousebird Colius striatus. The louse was a Colimenopon hamatus.)
(Can't remember the name of this kingfisher off-hand. A juvenile of something like "Striated Kingfisher" or so; I will check when I get home)
(Long-tailed Fiscal Shrike Lanius cabanisi)
And Turkey:
(White Storks Ciconia ciconia; photo taken from the famous Cücyk Camlica. Highly recommended in the autumn!)
(Pygmy Cormorant Phalacrocorax pygmeus)
(Laughing Dove Streptopelia senegalensis; this and Alexandrine Parakeet Psittacula eupatria were seen in both the Asian and the European part of Istanbul)
(Whiskered Terns Chlidonias hybridus)
(A combo: Note how the Great Cormorants Phalacrocorax carbo typically stand on the upper ledge, while the Shags Phalacrocorax aristotelis use the lower ledge. This picture is taken in Haydarpasha, on the Asian side of the great city of Istanbul. In other pictures, as well as in real life, this is very pronounced. Can you figure out what is so special about this picture?)
(Another combo: White Pelican Pelecanus onocrotalus on the ground and on the two platforms closest to the mast, there are Dalmatian Pelicans Pelecanus crispus. This is Kus Cenneti, near Bursa, where supposedly a large part of the world population of Dalmatian pelican winters. The duck in front are mainly Teals Anas crecca)
I end with a quiz. What is this:
It's from one of the countries above.
EHocking
Penultimate Amazing
We did!
(we just didn't tell you about it)
Actually, I considered asking the mods to remove the year and just have a single thread - "Forum Birdwatching"
Never had heard of a Pileated Woodpecker, but after looking at the pictures I suspect you are right. They seem to range in my area and are much more common.
Thanx for the info!!