18 replies to this topic

[SPiercePhotography]

These things have been hanging out around my regular hang out lately- trying to figure out what they are.... they're absolutely hilarious, the way they bob and crane their necks ! Spent about an hour watching them this morning. Any direction would be greatly appreciated. For some reason I was thinking wood ducks- but they don't even look similar.

[hbvol]

hooded mergansers

[SPiercePhotography]

Neat, thank you ! Those are lifers, so something new. Also... can someone confirm for me whether this a crow, or a raven?

[blackburnian]

I'd say raven

[Joejr14]

Dude if Hoodies are lifers for you I really gotta get you down here for a day of birding. What's your list at?

I'd say crow on the corvid. Ravens are huge....red tailed size. You appear to have been fairly close...how big was it?

[TheBillyPilgrim]

Your corvid looks good for a Crow. Bill doesn't look nearly hefty enough for a Raven, imo.

[Indybirder]

I also agree with Crow.

[SPiercePhotography]

Dude if Hoodies are lifers for you I really gotta get you down here for a day of birding. What's your list at?

I'd say crow on the corvid. Ravens are huge....red tailed size. You appear to have been fairly close...how big was it?

they were pretty big, actually.

my life list is at 51 right now. I love being a new birder ! Everything is new and exciting. I take joy in everything, even if i've seen it before. I don't count anything on my list until I get a halfway decent photo of it !

[IndigoBunting]

they were pretty big, actually.

my life list is at 51 right now. I love being a new birder ! Everything is new and exciting. I take joy in everything, even if i've seen it before. I don't count anything on my list until I get a halfway decent photo of it !

Really, only 51 birds in total? or do you mean 51 lifers, not you life list. For the duck Id I am surprised you did not know what they were because you seem to be so good at IDing birds.

[SPiercePhotography]

Really, only 51 birds in total? or do you mean 51 lifers, not you life list. For the duck Id I am surprised you did not know what they were because you seem to be so good at IDing birds.

51 on my life list- since I started keeping track. I really only started tracking on ebird mid-september. I've got some health issues, so I only bird within 30 minutes of my house usually. It'll get really high once spring rolls around again and everyone migrates back ! I don't count anything until I get a picture of it i'm happy with. No picture, it doesn't count.

and thank you re: the compliment on IDing birds! I do a lot of studying, I also love looking at others peoples' pictures so I learn quickly that way as well. Mergansers i've never seen/encountered before- so to me they're new! Once I find something I enjoy (like birding) I get pretty obsessive and learn as much as I can.

Most times, I will see a bird and the name of the bird will pop into my head, so I naturally know. Others, not so much....

[Joejr14]

Still a crow for me.

[IndigoBunting]

51 on my life list- since I started keeping track. I really only started tracking on ebird mid-september. I've got some health issues, so I only bird within 30 minutes of my house usually. It'll get really high once spring rolls around again and everyone migrates back ! I don't count anything until I get a picture of it i'm happy with. No picture, it doesn't count.

and thank you re: the compliment on IDing birds! I do a lot of studying, I also love looking at others peoples' pictures so I learn quickly that way as well. Mergansers i've never seen/encountered before- so to me they're new!

Most times, I will see a bird and the name of the bird will pop into my head, so I naturally know. Others, not so much....

Oh, cool. About the no picture, no count, I used to do that, but I realized that I do not want that to be anymore. This is because if I see a lifer that I know I will have trouble getting pictures of, I really get upset so decided to do it this way now. Also, it is great when I am with another expert birder that can confirm my lifer I did not get a picture of. For example, I was with my birding friend. She saw a Brown Creeper, which is a lifer for me. She pointed it out to me, but I could not get a picture because one, it was kind of hard to see on a brown trunk and two, it was spiraling around the tree and moving too fast. Another example is the Magnificent Fridgatebird. Saw it about ten last march flying way up, and I was not interested in Birding then, but now I am. I am going to go to an island called Isla Contoy, where they are all over, so hopefully I will get pics of them sitting with their pink breast out.

[TheBillyPilgrim]

Agreed, still a Crow. Ravens have much larger bills and it's tough to get a feel for the tail shape from this angle. It's often easiest when they're in flight.

[SPiercePhotography]

Oh, cool. About the no picture, no count, I used to do that, but I realized that I do not want that to be anymore. This is because if I see a lifer that I know I will have trouble getting pictures of, I really get upset so decided to do it this way now. Also, it is great when I am with another expert birder that can confirm my lifer I did not get a picture of. For example, I was with my birding friend. She saw a Brown Creeper, which is a lifer for me. She pointed it out to me, but I could not get a picture because one, it was kind of hard to see on a brown trunk and two, it was spiraling around the tree and moving too fast. Another example is the Magnificent Fridgatebird. Saw it about ten last march flying way up, and I was not interested in Birding then, but now I am. I am going to go to an island called Isla Contoy, where they are all over, so hopefully I will get pics of them sitting with their pink breast out.

that's awesome It's hard for me to confirm with others, mostly because I bird by myself. Most stuff I've seen I assume i'll see again - so I kinda file it away in my head and wait to see. I'm a photographer first and foremost- and since I bird around the same places, and I try to get out every day, it's likely I will see the birds in question again ! If it doesn't reappear the next year, i'll put it in. Now that i'm more of a serious birder, I also wish I had photographed and kept track of the birds I saw previously- but i honestly never paid attention to them. It's funny to look through some of my old shots, and find old bird pictures I had taken but completely forgot about.

Ah well, another reason to go back to yellowstone

[birdbrain22]

I like Crow as well.

[BarnSwallow]

There's always a good reason to go to Yellowstone! When you go back, ask at the ranger stations about great grey owls. There was one being seen when I was there last. Not by me, of course, but it was being seen. They were able to tell me exactly where it liked to perch, but it just didn't make an appearance for me.

[SPiercePhotography]

There's always a good reason to go to Yellowstone! When you go back, ask at the ranger stations about great grey owls. There was one being seen when I was there last. Not by me, of course, but it was being seen. They were able to tell me exactly where it liked to perch, but it just didn't make an appearance for me.

Speaking of rangers and parks, you might want to check out the schedule of vents in your local parks. For example, local metro parks sometimes have what they call an "owl prowl", where a ranger escorts you on a short length of trail to listen and watch for owls after dark.

You mentioned health problems, so I wouldn't want to encourage you to do something harmful, but I figure you know your limits better than we on the ether.

Thanks you two! I'm actually friends with one of the rangers at my local park (what can I say? i'm a regular!) So if they see my car and something comes up- like a bald eagle or cormorant, then he lets me know! I also got informed up an upcoming stay open late event for the clipse, and the venus going across the sunt hing ! I haven't asked about owls before though.. i'm sure they do have a program of sorts- I probably missed it. Will have to find out ! If they don't have anything going, maybe they s hould. There has GOT to be owls in the area!

Re the health stuff... i run into problems with I drive long distances, and it's tough for me to walk with all my camera equipment (30lbs on my back!). If im out at night, though, I wouldn't have all my stuff with me, so I don't have to worry about it as much.