Uploads from R Hanson, tagged bird

Baltimore Oriole - Icterus galbula

nobody@flickr.com (R Hanson) — Wed, 22 May 2013 13:32:23 -0700

R Hanson posted a photo:

The rich, whistling song of the Baltimore Oriole, echoing from treetops near homes and parks, is a sweet herald of spring in eastern North America. Look way up to find these singers: the male’s brilliant orange plumage blazes from high branches like a torch. Nearby, you might spot the female weaving her remarkable hanging nest from slender fibers. Fond of fruit and nectar as well as insects, Baltimore Orioles are easily lured to backyard feeders.

Eastern Bluebird - Male

nobody@flickr.com (R Hanson) — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 06:03:54 -0700

R Hanson posted a photo:

Eastern Bluebird
Sialia sialis

Most of the country drives during an eastern North American summer will turn up a few Eastern Bluebirds sitting on telephone wires or perched atop a nest box, calling out in a short, wavering voice or abruptly dropping to the ground after an insect. Marvelous birds to capture in your binoculars, male Eastern Bluebirds are a brilliant royal blue on the back and head, and warm red-brown on the breast. Blue tinges in the wings and tail give the grayer females an elegant look.

Eastern Bluebird - Female

nobody@flickr.com (R Hanson) — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 06:03:53 -0700

R Hanson posted a photo:

Belted Kingfisher

nobody@flickr.com (R Hanson) — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 10:40:29 -0700

R Hanson posted a photo:

With its top-heavy physique, energetic flight, and piercing rattle, the Belted Kingfisher seems to have an air of self-importance as it patrols up and down rivers and shorelines. It nests in burrows along earthen banks and feeds almost entirely on aquatic prey, diving to catch fish and crayfish with its heavy, straight bill. These ragged-crested birds are a powdery blue-gray; males have one blue band across the white breast, while females have a blue and a chestnut band.

Size & Shape

Belted Kingfishers are stocky, large-headed birds with a shaggy crest on the top and back of the head and a straight, thick, pointed bill. Their legs are short and their tails are medium length and square-tipped.

Color Pattern

These kingfishers are powder blue above with fine, white spotting on the wings and tail. The underparts are white with a broad, blue breast band. Females also have a broad rusty band on their bellies. Juveniles show irregular rusty spotting in the breast band.

Behavior

Belted Kingfishers spend much of their time perched alone along the edges of streams, lakes, and estuaries, searching for small fish. They also fly quickly up and down rivers and shorelines giving loud rattling calls. They hunt either by plunging directly from a perch, or by hovering over the water, bill downward, before diving after a fish they’ve spotted.

Habitat

Kingfishers live near streams, rivers, ponds, lakes, and estuaries. They nest in burrows that they dig into soft earthen banks, usually adjacent to or directly over water. Kingfishers spend winters in areas where the water doesn’t freeze so that they have continual access to their aquatic foods.

Great Egret

nobody@flickr.com (R Hanson) — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 13:15:55 -0700

R Hanson posted a photo:

Great Egret
Ardea albus
Welland, Ontario
Bird. The great egret is a member of the heron family. With a wingspread of 130 centimeters (55 inches), their wings are longer and wider than most other white herons. Great egrets do not eat at night. During the day, they forage alone or in mixed flocks, catching fish by standing motionless in the water. They sometimes steal food from the smaller birds. Great egrets are fearless and can sometimes be seen perched on top of alligators! In the 19th century, the great egret's beautiful white plumes were used to decorate ladies' hats. At one point, the plumes were so popular they were worth twice their weight in gold!

Morning Dove

nobody@flickr.com (R Hanson) — Thu, 14 Feb 2013 12:24:36 -0800

R Hanson posted a photo:

Morning Dove
Zenaida Macrouraare
Welland, ON Canada

American Gold Finch - Winter

nobody@flickr.com (R Hanson) — Thu, 14 Feb 2013 12:24:37 -0800

R Hanson posted a photo:

American Goldfinch Winter
Carduelis tristis
Welland, ON Canada

Red Breasted Nuthatch

nobody@flickr.com (R Hanson) — Thu, 14 Feb 2013 12:24:37 -0800

R Hanson posted a photo:

Red Breasted Nuthatch
Sitta canadensis
Welland, ON Canada

Black-Capped Chickadee

nobody@flickr.com (R Hanson) — Mon, 11 Feb 2013 10:37:21 -0800

R Hanson posted a photo:

Black-Capped Chickadee
Poecile atricapillus
Welland, ON Canada

Northern Cardinal - Cardinalis cardinalis

nobody@flickr.com (R Hanson) — Tue, 15 Jan 2013 10:11:11 -0800

R Hanson posted a photo:

Northern Cardinal
Cardinalis cardinalis
Welland, Ontario Canada

Eastern Bluebird (Sialia sialis)

nobody@flickr.com (R Hanson) — Thu, 20 May 2010 12:53:30 -0700

R Hanson posted a photo:

Eastern Bluebird (Sialia sialis)

Most country drives during an eastern North American summer will turn up a few Eastern Bluebirds sitting on telephone wires or perched atop a nest box, calling out in a short, wavering voice or abruptly dropping to the ground after an insect. Marvelous birds to capture in your binoculars, male Eastern Bluebirds are a brilliant royal blue on the back and head, and warm red-brown on the breast. Blue tinges in the wings and tail give the grayer females an elegant look.

Northern Flicker - Mating Display

nobody@flickr.com (R Hanson) — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 06:03:52 -0700

R Hanson posted a photo:

Norhern Flicker
Colaptes auratus

Northern Flickers are large, brown woodpeckers with a gentle expression and handsome black-scalloped plumage. On walks, don’t be surprised if you scare one up from the ground. It’s not where you’d expect to find a woodpecker, but flickers eat mainly ants and beetles, digging for them with their unusual, slightly curved bill. When they fly you’ll see a flash of color in the wings – yellow if you’re in the East, red if you’re in the West – and a bright white flash on the rump.

Northern Flicker

nobody@flickr.com (R Hanson) — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 06:03:52 -0700

R Hanson posted a photo:

Eastern Towhee

nobody@flickr.com (R Hanson) — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 06:03:54 -0700

R Hanson posted a photo:

Eastern Towhee
Pipilo erythrophthalmus

A strikingly marked, oversized sparrow of the East, feathered in bold black and warm reddish-browns – if you can get a clear look at it. Eastern Towhees are birds of the undergrowth, where their rummaging makes far more noise than you would expect for their size. Their chewink calls let you know how common they are, but many of your sightings end up mere glimpses through tangles of little stems.

Tree Swallow

nobody@flickr.com (R Hanson) — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 06:03:52 -0700

R Hanson posted a photo:

Tree Swallow
Tachycineta bicolor

Handsome aerialists with deep-blue iridescent backs and clean white fronts, Tree Swallows are a familiar sight in summer fields and wetlands across northern North America. They chase after flying insects with acrobatic twists and turns, their steely blue-green feathers flashing in the sunlight. Tree Swallows nest in tree cavities; they also readily take up residence in nest boxes. This habit has allowed scientists to study their breeding biology in detail, and makes them a great addition to many a homeowner’s yard or field.

Winter Wren

nobody@flickr.com (R Hanson) — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 06:21:07 -0700

R Hanson posted a photo:

The Winter Wren (Troglodytes troglodytes) has recently been split into three species, with T. pacificus (Pacific Wren) and T. hiemalis (Winter Wren) being the two North American species. Troglodytes is an Old World wren. A superb songster and more often heard than seen, this small, brown wren is found along the pacific coast of N. America from Alaska south to the mid California coast. It is also found in the interiors of B.C., Washington, Oregon, California, Idaho and Montana.

Identification:

General: Tiny, short-tailed, and thin-billed wren. Length: 10 cm, weight: 9 g.

Adult Male: Overall dark brown plumage and short but well-defined supercilium (eye brow) is distinctive. Pale brown throat and heavily barred dark flanks, wings and tail.

Adult Female: Sexes similar.

Juvenile: Dark brown overall but dark barring is less conspicuous.

Similar Species: Pacific Wren is smaller and darker than House Wren.

Behavior: This tiny species usually keeps its tail cocked up and has a habit of almost continually bobbing its head. It creeps mouse like about woodpiles and brush heaps, edges of swamps, on conifer stumps and through ferns searching for insects. It is a curious bird and is easily ‘pished’ out of the undergrowth. It sings loudly from favorite perches.

Habitat: This species is unique among North American wrens in its association with old-growth forests. It uses old-growth structures (snags, downed logs, and large trees) for nesting, foraging and roosting. It can also be found in mixed deciduous-conifer forests.

Northern Cardinal - Cardinalis cardinalis

nobody@flickr.com (R Hanson) — Tue, 15 Jan 2013 10:11:12 -0800

R Hanson posted a photo:

Northern Cardinal
Cardinalis cardinalis
Welland, Ontario Canada

Northern Cardinal - Cardinalis cardinalis

nobody@flickr.com (R Hanson) — Tue, 15 Jan 2013 10:11:10 -0800

R Hanson posted a photo:

Northern Cardinal
Cardinalis cardinalis
Welland, Ontario Canada

Scarlet Tanager Female (Piranga olivacea)

nobody@flickr.com (R Hanson) — Thu, 20 May 2010 12:53:45 -0700

R Hanson posted a photo:

Scarlet Tanager

Female Description
Olive green to yellow body, brightest on throat, rump and undertail. Brownish olive wings and tail edged green.

A striking black-winged red bird, the Scarlet Tanager is a common species of the eastern forest interior. Despite its brilliant coloring it is often overlooked because of its rather secretive behavior and its preference for the forest canopy.

Scarlet Tanager Female (Piranga olivacea)

nobody@flickr.com (R Hanson) — Thu, 20 May 2010 12:53:36 -0700

R Hanson posted a photo: