Beautiful birds Mac. There were a few that hung out around my Grandmother's back yard years ago, and I always loved to hear them call. I have never seen a Redwing Blackbird before. Thanks for sharing the photo with us.
I had always thought they were called Mourning Doves because if they lose their mate, they never mate again and mourn the one they lost.
Great photo of the blackbird. I appreciate the fact that you now always include something else in the photo and do not totally isolate the bird, which adds an element of naturalness to the photo.
Up here in Michigan, whenever I hear one, I think that Spring is here (or that Fall isn't over yet). I first heard them on the 22nd. Ah ha, spring is here. Then I looked out the window at this.
Luckily, two days later on the 24th, it was like this.
Around here, Winter always takes a last shot. I do hope that it actually WAS its last shot. It usually happens in the middle of May. By the way, I zoomed the second picture in close and then went outside and looked. Every twig on the tree has at least one bud on it.
They weren't really that great Mac, mostly because I was old and tired and, mostly, lazy. The first shot was taken from my front porch, the second from my office window, about ten feet to the right and ten feet higher. It could have been perfect if I had walked down the stairs to take the picture, but I was recovering from the flu and it was just too much effort.
Maybe next time I should have Greyson take the shot. That boy has enormous photographic talent and an eye for a good shot, but no respect for precision machinery. He tends to drop cameras. What the heck, he's 10. It's going to take a while before he gets the idea that you want to take more than one picture before destroying the camera. I'm working on it, because I think he has the gift. When he gets older, he'll be great or he'll destroy a lot of cameras, maybe both.
I thought you might be interested in the photos of the Red Lake College (Red Lake Ojibwe Nation Northern MN) that was completed in late 2018. opened for business 2019. Kind of unique.
I'm embarrassed about the quality of that photo but you may be aware that my desktop had crashed and anywhere to get it fixed has not yet reopened, and I am using an ancient crippled laptop that overheats and shuts itself down after 15 minutes of use. All my good photos and editing program are on my crashed desktop.
Oooops. It looked like a cat to me. I've not seen a squirrel for almost 14 years. I think the people here ate them all. Probably liked them better than bats.
I thought it was a Brush Tailed Possum for a second..thought nah..You can't have them over there in the States and realised it was a Squirrel...Don't have them here...a pity as I like them..Keep well and stay safe in China Buzz..
Thanks shona - the epidemic is pretty well over where I am, things are getting back to normal, storew and restaurants opening but only the schools/universities are still closed. Have not seen any bodies lying in the streets which would be a pretty big disappointment to some members here.
This is an animal that few have ever seen. It's native to parts of Australia, New Guinea and Indonesia.
When I first moved to Australia my kids and grandkids kept telling me about the Tree Kangaroo and, of course, I thought it was like the snipe in the US..non existent.
We were in Queensland (Brisbane area) walking through the forest and my grandson said, ''look a Tree Kangaroo'' I looked up and there to my complete amazement was a Tree Kangaroo looking down at us.
I was frozen in place and without a camera. In a minute or so it jumped from one tree to another. I guessed that the distance was around 20 feet.
I later found out that they are capable of jumping up to 30 feet between trees and can jump from as high as 60 feet to the ground without injuring themselves. They weigh between 15 and 30 lbs.
WoW! That is amazing. To be able to jump from that high to the ground and not get injured is just unbelievable! They obviously have a tremendous built-in impact resistance.
A/noon Perrie..Tree Kangaroos live mainly up far north Queensland so well away from the fires in New South Wales and Victoria..This is not to say they don't get fires up Queensland they do, but no where near the extent we cop in the Southern States....All the bushfires are out, green growth is returning and slowly the gumtrees are sprouting once again..There is a very long way to go but Mother Nature is once again working her magic...Some Koalas have been released back into the bush, some are still in care and some will never be able to due to injuries..They will remain in Sanctuaries etc. As the grass and native vegetation regenerate it is amazing how quickly small animals return..then the larger ones move back in as well...It has been the nature of this land for tens of thousands of years and it will all come back...Till next time and that here, is a given....
Evening Perrie..Just put the rubbish bin out for the garbos to collect...and looked up into the gumtree ..One very large Koala having a good feed..So nice to see and we are very protective of our "Fozzy Bear" in this street...So a little good news, in these dark times...
Here is a picture I took of a strange bird I found sitting in a palm tree near my patio of a house I lived in 5 years ago. I had never seen anything like it before, I thought it would be gone by the time I woke up the next morning, but, it was still there, and it just moved from one branch to another for two days. It made no sound I could tell, and just looked down at me when I talked to it. Not knowing what it ate, I left bits of various odd for it on the garage roof near the tree. But, it did not appear to eat any of it during the time it was there. When I woke up on the third day it had left.
I posted a picture of it and Mac identified it as being a Juvenile Night Heron. Here is a photo of it in the palm tree as close as I could get with my zoom lens;
And a photo of it as it as I first found it,
It first started out sitting on a light branch, but, each time I went out and talked to it, it would move down a little closer, perhaps to get a better view of ME (grin) It was strange that, we had three dogs in the yard at the time, and although they would sit and look up at it, none of them barked at it, even when it moved. I don't know if they were not sure what it was either. (smile)
I was thinking of posting some more photos from China but there are so many NT members who believe all the fake news about China and the virus that they will think they will catch the virus from them.
POST WHATEVER CREATIVE STUFF YOU CARE TO SHARE … don't BIRD-en yourselves trying to post bird photos … creative commentary can be quite artistic.
NOTE: The bird depicted atop the article is a MOURNING DOVE ("Mourning" refers to the mournful sound of the species' call).
Morning doves are my mom's favorites.
Beautiful birds Mac. There were a few that hung out around my Grandmother's back yard years ago, and I always loved to hear them call. I have never seen a Redwing Blackbird before. Thanks for sharing the photo with us.
Wow! What a real difference! ow I see where they get the name Redwing Black Bird. That is one very majestic bird!
He's a beauty, Mac. Whenever I see your birds, I think of my mother in law who loved your work and was a fellow photographer.
I had always thought they were called Mourning Doves because if they lose their mate, they never mate again and mourn the one they lost.
Great photo of the blackbird. I appreciate the fact that you now always include something else in the photo and do not totally isolate the bird, which adds an element of naturalness to the photo.
I think the sound like our great horned owls.... who, who, who..
I have heard the same. I get a lot of them by my house.
I love the song of both mourning doves and redwing blackbirds. Everytime I hear a mourning dove I think of rain
Up here in Michigan, whenever I hear one, I think that Spring is here (or that Fall isn't over yet). I first heard them on the 22nd. Ah ha, spring is here. Then I looked out the window at this.
Luckily, two days later on the 24th, it was like this.
Around here, Winter always takes a last shot. I do hope that it actually WAS its last shot. It usually happens in the middle of May. By the way, I zoomed the second picture in close and then went outside and looked. Every twig on the tree has at least one bud on it.
Really nice juxtaposition of two images. Well done!
Lots of photographers love this concept but few deliver such a perfect tandem of images! You are to be applauded for this result!
They weren't really that great Mac, mostly because I was old and tired and, mostly, lazy. The first shot was taken from my front porch, the second from my office window, about ten feet to the right and ten feet higher. It could have been perfect if I had walked down the stairs to take the picture, but I was recovering from the flu and it was just too much effort.
Maybe next time I should have Greyson take the shot. That boy has enormous photographic talent and an eye for a good shot, but no respect for precision machinery. He tends to drop cameras. What the heck, he's 10. It's going to take a while before he gets the idea that you want to take more than one picture before destroying the camera. I'm working on it, because I think he has the gift. When he gets older, he'll be great or he'll destroy a lot of cameras, maybe both.
Had to go from a drive on Sunday and found this little one having a late lunch by the side of the road.
Looks like a Cooper's Hawk, EG.
I hadn't thought of that! I thought it might be a Red Shouldered Hawk. I'm barely passable at bird identification.
These Sandhills Cranes have been visiting our neighborhood. They are beautiful and very loud.
Stay healthy and take care everyone!
Just seeing what is going on in here...
Peek-a-Boo! Who are you?
Peek-a-Boo, I see you.
???
Are we aliens?
Very carefully with little briberies in your other hand
You almost expect Rod Serling to be talking to you. "I WILL RULE. You, human, WILL obey.". I, the cat goddess, have spoken.
He heard you.
A different kind of bird...
Really nice ornaments, Ender. They certainly do brighten up the Christmas tree!
Very nice Ender.
Merry Christmas. LOL
Well, there is another bird I could show...
Just Kidding!
Haha
Just joking with ya.
LOL
Hmm.....now that is a strange 'bird'...as it has no feathers. (grin)
Really nice Ender... boy these days are really blurring one day into another. It's Christmas again? WOW!
Hummer in the evening:
Hummer in the morning - Hummer in the evening - Hummer at supper time! (grin)
LOL. I needed that.
Nice moody photo, Steve.
I wasted a good portion of my childhood summer days trying to catch one of those 70mph feathered ping pong balls
A Shaman performing a sacred Ritual.
Very cool.
Thank you Kavika.
Stunning.
Thanks Buzz.
Always love your work, but this one is extra special.
Thank you too Perrie. Really appreciate your compliments. (smile)
I thought you might be interested in the photos of the Red Lake College (Red Lake Ojibwe Nation Northern MN) that was completed in late 2018. opened for business 2019. Kind of unique.
Fantastic!!!
Indeed that it very unique. It really speaks for itself. Fascinating!
What a cool building! It's art.
Here is a Friday addition just for fun...
Thank you Buzz.
Blending the powerful and beautiful.
Thanks Kavika.
This is Kung Fu, NOT Kung Flu. I took this photo at Shaolin Temple, the birthplace of Kung Fu.
Love the fact that it is the birthplace of Kung Fu.
I love to watch the Kung Fu artists in action. They can do some amazing things and so very quickly. Truly amazing.
I'm embarrassed about the quality of that photo but you may be aware that my desktop had crashed and anywhere to get it fixed has not yet reopened, and I am using an ancient crippled laptop that overheats and shuts itself down after 15 minutes of use. All my good photos and editing program are on my crashed desktop.
Saw a very unusual bird this morning...
LOL, looks a lot like the gillygalou bird.
Now THAT is indeed a strange looking bird. It looks it likes a few nuts hanging around the areas. (smile)
I think he's adorbs and a great shot Pat!
yeah they're cute, right up until they urinate or defecate on you while you're 25 feet up on a telephone pole.
So THAT'S what a Catbird looks like. Does anyone have a photo of a Birddog?
"Squirrel"!
I thought it was a Brush Tailed Possum for a second..thought nah..You can't have them over there in the States and realised it was a Squirrel...Don't have them here...a pity as I like them..Keep well and stay safe in China Buzz..
Thanks shona - the epidemic is pretty well over where I am, things are getting back to normal, storew and restaurants opening but only the schools/universities are still closed. Have not seen any bodies lying in the streets which would be a pretty big disappointment to some members here.
... as a former lineman in the 80's, I hate those little !@#*$#&. we called them circus rats.
This is an animal that few have ever seen. It's native to parts of Australia, New Guinea and Indonesia.
When I first moved to Australia my kids and grandkids kept telling me about the Tree Kangaroo and, of course, I thought it was like the snipe in the US..non existent.
We were in Queensland (Brisbane area) walking through the forest and my grandson said, ''look a Tree Kangaroo'' I looked up and there to my complete amazement was a Tree Kangaroo looking down at us.
I was frozen in place and without a camera. In a minute or so it jumped from one tree to another. I guessed that the distance was around 20 feet.
I later found out that they are capable of jumping up to 30 feet between trees and can jump from as high as 60 feet to the ground without injuring themselves. They weigh between 15 and 30 lbs.
They are amazing creatures.
WoW! That is amazing. To be able to jump from that high to the ground and not get injured is just unbelievable! They obviously have a tremendous built-in impact resistance.
He is totally amazing. I hope they are doing well since the fire.
A/noon Perrie..Tree Kangaroos live mainly up far north Queensland so well away from the fires in New South Wales and Victoria..This is not to say they don't get fires up Queensland they do, but no where near the extent we cop in the Southern States....All the bushfires are out, green growth is returning and slowly the gumtrees are sprouting once again..There is a very long way to go but Mother Nature is once again working her magic...Some Koalas have been released back into the bush, some are still in care and some will never be able to due to injuries..They will remain in Sanctuaries etc. As the grass and native vegetation regenerate it is amazing how quickly small animals return..then the larger ones move back in as well...It has been the nature of this land for tens of thousands of years and it will all come back...Till next time and that here, is a given....
Evening Perrie..Just put the rubbish bin out for the garbos to collect...and looked up into the gumtree ..One very large Koala having a good feed..So nice to see and we are very protective of our "Fozzy Bear" in this street...So a little good news, in these dark times...
Mourning Dove Song and Sounds by Mourning Doves and Red Winged Blackbird Calls
Mourning Dove - Mourning Dove (Lisa Stubbs and Niel Brooks)
Mourning dove
send me your love
Bring me peace
sprouted from a seed
Roots twirl all around
Fill me up with the sound
Reverberate the rocks
Through the cracks and aftershocks
Lift me up from the ground
Keep me warm
sheltered from the storm
Wrap me up
tight like a glove
In a cozy quilt
Made with the strength of spiders' silk
That engulfs all my body
While soft patterns camouflage me
and none of the flowers can wilt
Mourning dove, cooing from above
Safe in the trees, won't you send your love to me
Hey, Six,
Good to see you again.
And again, I am greatly appreciative of the participation in this thread! Many thanks to each of you.
Here is a picture I took of a strange bird I found sitting in a palm tree near my patio of a house I lived in 5 years ago. I had never seen anything like it before, I thought it would be gone by the time I woke up the next morning, but, it was still there, and it just moved from one branch to another for two days. It made no sound I could tell, and just looked down at me when I talked to it. Not knowing what it ate, I left bits of various odd for it on the garage roof near the tree. But, it did not appear to eat any of it during the time it was there. When I woke up on the third day it had left.
I posted a picture of it and Mac identified it as being a Juvenile Night Heron. Here is a photo of it in the palm tree as close as I could get with my zoom lens;
And a photo of it as it as I first found it,
It first started out sitting on a light branch, but, each time I went out and talked to it, it would move down a little closer, perhaps to get a better view of ME (grin) It was strange that, we had three dogs in the yard at the time, and although they would sit and look up at it, none of them barked at it, even when it moved. I don't know if they were not sure what it was either. (smile)
I was thinking of posting some more photos from China but there are so many NT members who believe all the fake news about China and the virus that they will think they will catch the virus from them.