Turtle Posted February 20, 2009 Author Report Share Posted February 20, 2009 Could it be an Anhinga? I looked it up & I'm way out of its range. Try under cormorants. Red faced seems close. Roger. Looks like the Red-faced doesn't come this far South, but I'm inclined now to think it is a Double-crested Cormorant - Phalacrocorax auritus. My Audubon guide mentions a hooked bill, which I think I see, and how they swim with the bill pointed up as my specimen appears doing in the photo. This site mentions the "bill up" swimming too. >> http://www.birdweb.org/birdweb/bird_details.aspx?id=36 Whatcha think? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cedars Posted February 20, 2009 Report Share Posted February 20, 2009 I looked it up & I'm way out of its range. Roger. Looks like the Red-faced doesn't come this far South, but I'm inclined now to think it is a Double-crested Cormorant - Phalacrocorax auritus. My Audubon guide mentions a hooked bill, which I think I see, and how they swim with the bill pointed up as my specimen appears doing in the photo. This site mentions the "bill up" swimming too. >> Double-crested Cormorant - Birdweb Whatcha think? OK.I dug out the Sibleys book and its the bright bill that stands out. Winter plumage usually is a bit longer for the double-crested, however, you could have a very eager dude here. So yes, I think Double-crested would be a likely candidate. The hook bills on the cormorants, combined with their stiff necked swim do help to narrow the ID fast. Red-necked grebes do alot of the side to side head movements, like loons, and they are very brown in winter plumage, rather than dull black. Red-necked grebes are beautiful birds, hope you get to seen one in full colors this spring. Watch for the Mergansers also. Another of the beautiful water birds. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turtle Posted February 21, 2009 Author Report Share Posted February 21, 2009 OK.I dug out the Sibleys book and its the bright bill that stands out. Winter plumage usually is a bit longer for the double-crested, however, you could have a very eager dude here. So yes, I think Double-crested would be a likely candidate. ... Thanks. :D :hihi: Here's the vid now. YouTube - Double-crested Cormorant - Phalacrocorax auritus http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BAiUhMQ1jRQ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freeztar Posted February 21, 2009 Report Share Posted February 21, 2009 Excellent footage! Errr...Beakage...:( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cedars Posted February 24, 2009 Report Share Posted February 24, 2009 I just received word P 58 died monday night. The swan seemed to be on the road to recovery. I will update as info becomes available. I am assuming they will be doing an autopsy. Pretty drastic outcome as the plan was to release her on thursday or friday. Makes me wonder how many release birds die later from complications unknown at the time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cedars Posted February 25, 2009 Report Share Posted February 25, 2009 The other lead poisoned collared swan, Z 70, died today. Additional information from Mary indicates an autopsy will be done. She also wrote that lead poisoning can cause wide-spread organ damage. I think it is likely we will be told it was kidney or liver damage that finally killed these birds. P58 had lost 1/2 her weight (down to 18 lbs). We (as birders on the meadows) often wonder what happened to the birds who dont come back. Each spring we wait in anticipation as to whether a familiar pair will survive the winter. H56 is one of my favorites (pictures been posted in the past). Now I wonder about some of the pairs who never seem to produce offspring. Are they affected by lead, leading to the serilization of one or both? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cedars Posted January 31, 2010 Report Share Posted January 31, 2010 "Realizing the bird was injured, Baladez wrapped it in his leather jacket, strapped it to the back of his Harley Davidson motorcycle and transported it to the Duluth Zoo to find help." Full Story Here:kare11.com | Twin Cities, MN | 'Harley' the rescued bald eagle released Been a few birds brought in from NW wisconsin this fall but not the large numbers like last year. MN and WI struck some kind of a deal now so the birds found closer to the twin cities can be brought across the border for treatment at the Wildlife Rehab Center (raptors were already allowed across). The transmitter idea is a good one. There are lots of questions on long term survival on rehab birds. I do have a slight quarrel with these mid winter releases. I hold the opinion that the birds should be released in better weather, even with the open waters near hastings (where the bird was cut loose) there is quite a bit of competition due to the gathering of the eagles and I wonder if the rehab birds are at a big disadvantage. I went to a release back in June or so. It was great fun. The raptor center had many birds on display and we got some great pics. The display birds are too injured to be released, and are used for education and to help calm new arrivals. Some of them take young birds into their care and kinda show them the ropes of the rehab center. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turtle Posted February 5, 2010 Author Report Share Posted February 5, 2010 saw this program story tonight & thought of the postings on eagles back east. here it seems that the bald eagles are doing so well on the oregon coast that they have over the last couple years taken out a considerable number of nesting common murres. Bald eagles are back. They’ve been removed from the endangered species list since June, 2007. From just 417 nesting pairs in 1963 to 9,789 breeding pairs now, eagles have recovered well in the lower 48 states. More eagles need more food. Naturally, they eat other animals. In Oregon, coastal eagles are having a profound impact on the ability of common murres to reproduce. We explore that in-depth on Tonight’s Oregon Field Guide. ... Bald Eagle Recovery Changes Nature’s Balance | Field Journal | OPB Blogs Oregon Field Guide — Murres & Eagles · Oregon Public Broadcasting i may get to lechtenberg park soon & will look for the herons that have nested there in the stands of doug fir the past several years. :rolleyes: we have an el niño winter-weather-pattern this year in the pacific northwest and we haven't had a freezing night in weeks. lot of geese flying over today headed south in flocks of 50 to 80 birds. not uncommon in this immediate area as they move back & forth from day feeding grounds to night roosting sites. :evil: that's a wrap. :phones: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cedars Posted February 19, 2010 Report Share Posted February 19, 2010 Interesting documentation by an Illinois birder: Golden Eagle attacks White-tailed Deer at Nachusa Grasslands! Great pics Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turtle Posted February 19, 2010 Author Report Share Posted February 19, 2010 Interesting documentation by an Illinois birder: Golden Eagle attacks White-tailed Deer at Nachusa Grasslands! Great pics awesome field work! that writing is reminiscent of some of your own observations here. we have been discussing the bald eagle prey over in the lechtenberg thread and doug brought up an interesting bit. (clicking blue arrow by doug's name takes you to the whole post.) ...Eagles can open and close their talons at will. ... American Bald Eagle - diet and feeding habits this is in contrast to most perching birds who's feet reflexively grasp and can only be released by "standing". SONG BIRDS or PERCHING BIRDS (warblers, thrushes, wrens, etc.) have independent, flexible toes, with one pointing backwards, ideal for grasping perches. Why don't perching birds fall out of trees when they sleep? When perching birds sit, a tendon on the backside of the ankle automatically flexes locking their toes around the branch. With feet locked, sleeping birds don't fall. As the bird stands up its feet release. The Shapes of Birds Feet now as the golden eagle in the still photos appears to be young according to the descriptive text, and it did not succeed in a kill, it's hard to guess what a succesful attack looks like. it is clear that the rear talons were the primary weapon though. enter youtube and a falconer flying a golden eagle somewhere over in eastern europe. :lol: notice how the rear talons are used to flip the deer from the rear in order to get it on the ground for the kill. :shrug: YouTube - Golden Eagle taking down a deer http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PdAKoRTA4ms here's an interesting scientific compendium of golden eagle attacks on large animals & posssible why's & wherefores. :naughty: not in a format i can copy & paste from so link will have to suffice. http://www.aphis.usda.gov/wildlife_damage/nwrc/publications/00pubs/00-41.pdf Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cedars Posted April 3, 2010 Report Share Posted April 3, 2010 Tis the spring migration and my birds are coming in fast now that the weather has broke. Our local crane pair has been back for a few weeks and people are gathering swan information on the meadows. And then I found this: YouTube - Vulture accident http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1RcTjdY1aN4 This vulture was lucky. Someone was there when it happened and made the calls to the proper authorities. It survived its broken wing and was released. "There is plenty of evidence for the worldwide scale of this tragedy. The world’s largest and most carefully monitored wind farm, Altamont Pass in California, is estimated to have killed between 2,000 and 3,000 golden eagles alone in the past 20 years." Thats an estimate. If its accurate, thats 100 to 150 golden eagles a year. One every 3.5 days. "For the rest of us, it is a criminal offence to kill bats and golden eagles. But it seems that all those under the spell of the infatuation with windpower and global warming can claim exemption from the law. In return for ludicrously small amounts of very expensive electricity, wildlife must pay the price for their dreams." 'Eco-friendly' - but not to eagles - Telegraph Warning! Graphic pic of mutilated duck after hitting a wind turbine. http://www.iberica2000.org/Es/Textos%5CFotos%5C3729F3.jpg Bats too: "Bats, which play an enormous and often underappreciated role in our ecosystems, are being killed by wind turbines in alarming numbers. Researchers predict that up to 111,000 bats will die due to wind turbines in 2020 in just the Mid-Atlantic Highlands region of the US." The Effect of Wind Energy Development on Bats | Synapse I like bats. Heres a pic a friend took just last month: The bat chased down a floating maple tree seed, mistaking it for an insect. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turtle Posted May 4, 2010 Author Report Share Posted May 4, 2010 i have largely given over my obsession for birding to one for wildflowering. if for no other reason, i have for a fact not yet had a plant that i spotted then fly away from me. :( :hyper: nevertheless, while pursuing some of said flowers along lacamas creek heritage trail, i startled a good size bird on low & saw it fly on high & light. mind you i had the camera at maximum zoom and handheld looking through a mass of high trunks, so this fairly clear shot of a female wood duck is a stroke of good luck. :) she is sitting ~ 30 feet off the ground in an oregon ash tree (Fraxinus latifolia) :bouquet: :hyper: wood duck - Aix sponsa - femalemay 2, 2010lacamas heritage trailclark county washington - native Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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