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Post by Gord on Oct 24, 2006 21:05:25 GMT -8
Was thinking today of the most weird or surprising spots Ive seen a bird species. It didnt have to be a rare species so much as the location seen.
I had three come to mind:
Birding the Okanagan with Jason on Road #22 when I spotted this duck in the Okanagan River. While very familiar with long-tailed ducks, I looked and looked at it for several minutes trying to convince myself it was indeed a long-tailed duck hen; very far from salt water. Wierd what your mind will do to you sometimes!
Driving through Chilliwack on Vedder Road and seeing a male yellow-headed blackbird with a few starlings feeding on the lawn behind M&M Meat Shop.
Another waterfowl, this time a brant at Sardis Pond who was fairly tame and came within about 10 feet if you stood still and pretended not to notice him. Again, a little far from the eel grass beds!
Share any of yours!
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Post by tmanson on Oct 25, 2006 17:22:17 GMT -8
Last year, ( when the weather was bad, and bird sightings started to drop off ), I remember we started a similar thread; so I guess it's that time of year again. Most migrants have passed through, and we are waiting for our first winter exotic sighting!!.
Two of my strangest sightings have had to do with rare birds out of place; Rustic Bunting at Hope airport, and Prothonotary Warbler in Creston. However, strange can also refer to a feeling of " what the heck is going on here ?? ", in birding terms.
A couple of those come to mind. Two summers ago, Brent and Carolynn Schmor, and I, were birding in place called Dudleyville, which is North East of Tucson. For those of you who have been to Tucson, you couldn't find a more typical desert evvironment; dry landscape, bare rock, Saguaro Cactus, etc. Dudleyville, although not far from Tucson, is a riparian sub tropical area, with palm trees, and other vegetation, perhaps more suggestive of the deep south. It is about the only place in Arizona you can find Mississippi Kite. I can remember standing on a concrete bridge about midday looking for this bird, and feeling my body start to cook. I think it was about 110 degrees F. We continued to look for this bird, fording a stream in the steamy heat, playing a bit of tape, when it made a low pass over the river. Brent spotted it, and Carolynn and I ran at full steam, ( and I mean steam ), towards his voice in order to catch a glimpse of this bird as it circled over. The almost jungle- like environment seemed sureal for Arizona. After that, the airconditioning in the Jeep was turned on full blast.
For those that have birded in the real tropics, I am sure this seems like same o, same o, but for Arizona, it sure seemed strange. Cheers, Thor
Thor Manson
Hope, B.C.
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Post by daddyhominum on Nov 11, 2006 11:46:21 GMT -8
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Post by daddyhominum on Nov 11, 2006 11:48:57 GMT -8
Maybe that's a raven. Now he is rolling down slopes!
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Post by Gord on Nov 12, 2006 21:14:49 GMT -8
I enjoy the crows, ravens and jays (corvids). They're pretty smart and do seem to enjoy a game or simple tomfoolery. I remember watching a flock of crows flying over my house as a younger guy. We kept guinea fowl and they (3 of them) were walking in the field. One crow swooped out of the flock and divebombed at the fowl. When it got close, it made a screetching sound somewhat like a hawk. Of course, the poor guineas scattered. I swear he and several of his cronies cawed in delight as the joker rejoined his flock.
I clicked on the link, but couldnt figure out why it was black until I see that it looks like it's the grizzly camera up at Grouse Mtn and I was trying to see it at night. Wish I could have seen the raven or crow messing around. Silly bird!
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