Rfalconcam Forum

Moorhen

The Common Moorhen, or Gallinule, is found nearly world-wide except in polar regions and tropical rain forests.  It is a member of the rail family and is closely related to coots.  It is found around ponds and marshes.  A distinguishing feature is the red facial shield.  An interesting survival strategy is the pre-fledged chicks will cling to the parent’s body in the face of danger and the parent will then fly off.  They are plentiful in the Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge.  Photograph from Cornell.

Gayle

Mallard

The Mallard is the most recognizable of ducks.  It is common throughout North America and Eurasia.  Where is does not occur naturally, it had likely been introduced.

Gayle

Mallard hybrids


The Khaki Campbell duck is a cross between mallards, runner ducks and rouen ducks.  It is now a recognized domestic breed.   I found this in the San Francisco Baylands and had to consult my nephew, who is knowledgeable in matters fowl, for an identification.

The second photograph is a cross between a mallard and a black duck (by Paul Hurtado.)

I imagine there are countless mallard hybrids.  It has been my observation that mallards are indeed randy!

Gayle

Marbled Murrlet

The Marbled Murrlet, an alcid related to the puffin, is one of my favorite birds.  It nests only in old growth forests.  In California, that means the ancient redwoods.  As it a threatened species, the marbled murrlet has become the "poster bird" for environmentalists.  It is a small bird, about eight inches tall.  It carries one small fish at a time form the sea to its single chick in the redwoods some 50 or 60 miles inland.  I have seen them only once in the ocean off Mendocino, but they are more plentiful in the waters of Southeast Alaska.  There, they nest in Sitka Spruce forests which are being clear cut at an alarming rate.  On one eight-day trip aboard the humpback research vessel, I counted over a thousand marbled murrlets.

Gayle

Mexican Spotted Owl -- I took the photo on a military base in Southeastern Arizona; the owl had been very dependable and our birding guides found him/her easily.  The bird seemed unfazed by the attention.

Mute Swans with cygnets -- beautiful, but unfortunately one of those introduced species that out-competes the native trumpeter swan and other waterfowl in a couple of ways:

• They overgraze submerged aquatic vegetation, sometimes to the point that it can't recover.
• They compete for resources with other waterfowl and are very aggressive during breeding season, so they often prevent other birds from nesting nearby.

Source: Wikipedia

Magnolia Warbler -- a very blurry one, but migrating warblers are not often inclined to be still.  I took this photo on the shores of Lake Erie during spring migration, at a refuge where massive numbers of warblers refuel before confronting the lake.

This is a Magnificent Hummingbird, quite deserving of the name.  In addition to its colors, it's a bigger-than-your-average hummingbird, which adds to its magnificence.  I took the photo in Southeastern Arizona, at a ranch where bunches of feeders attract bunches of hummingbirds.

MOUSE-COLORED PENDULINE TIT

Oh, yes there is, too!!

wonderful photo at: http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/gXoJNsSObeuZvTkR77FxYA

Dale

MACAW

I took this at the Lima (Peru) zoo.

Dale

MAGPIE

I am always delighted to see one (which I never do at home).
 
In Siberia people always told me that the magpie was a bad omen.  I like them anyway. A lot.

why are magpies so often hated? http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/7316384.stm

very nice photo by fir002 (wiki). I think this is an australian magpie.

dale

Mynah Bird
   
    Many years ago when I was a kid my mother had a Mynah bird that talked and sang. Now 50+ years later I find out it's in the Crow family but talks.  Now if I could post a picture???

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gLlGKhJ4sbs&feature=related

Who knows what you'll see.

Rita

OH, Rita! That video is great!

He has the same voice as a tui I've heard. Exactly. Terrific vocabulary and interaction.

here's a thanksgiving-topical chat with the same bird

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bMEccNLXcQc&feature=mfu_in_order&list=UL

Thank you!!

dale

It was way before video, so I don't know who that was. Cleo didn't like me that much. Don't know why. When my mom died a police officer was stationed outside her bedroom. Cleo just kept chatting away and really freaked out the NYC cop.
Cleo use to sing "Who's afraid of the big bad wolf" and he wasn't.

Nice crop, Dale!!  This is a family forum, you know -- right? :hysterical:

M is for Merganser

When we are at the cabin on Sandy Island, in Lake Winnipesaukee (NH), we get big flocks of Common Mergansers.  They are big diving ducks that swim low in the water, looking strange and archaic, like Civil War submarines.  The beaks have tooth-like serrations for grabbing fish -- you can just make them out in one of the pictures.  They have these strange, shaggy red heads, except for the males, who a slicked-down look for mating season -- think Clark Gable in Gone With the Wind only green.  The courtship displays are said to be totally crazy. We miss this, since we are only on the island in August, when everyone is calm and back to red.

Paul

I was thinking the same thing, Anne!

Murre, Common

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_Murre (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_Murre)

Rita -- the Maynah bird talking is quite amazing!  I've never heard any bird say much of anything comprehensible, although the owners swear they are great linguists...  I must intimidate them!  But this bird is so clear, so deliberate, so funny!  Thanks for airing the video!  By the way, when I was in public school, a crow, with a split tongue escaped and landed in a tree near our classroom...  He did have a few single words he would say, each time accompanied by a screech before and after each utterance -- actually, all I remember are numbers... -- , but I was mostly amazed to see a crow interacting visually and physically with a classroom of children hanging out of the classroom windows!  He wasn't intimidated at all and "played the crowd"!!  A funny little memory!  Wonder if its owner ever recaptured it...

Thanks for the video
Anne in Toronto

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bMEccNLXcQc&NR=1 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bMEccNLXcQc&NR=1) Here's the same bird...so funny!

My Mom has had a succession of Parakeets over the years, who showed varying talent in that direction.  The most memorable one was Skipper, and he would go on and on.  She had an appliance service man there one day, and was in the other room chuckling as the bird went through his extensive repertoire in the kitchen, ending with "LISTEN, I'm TALKING to you!!".  Finally, the poor guy came in and said "Is that bird FOR REAL???"
Carol
WV

M is for Mute Swan

Overview

Mute Swan: Aggressive [nasty, horrible, dastardly, odious, etc.] bird, entirely white, orange bill with large black basal knob and naked black lores [the space between the eye and bill in a bird] . Curved neck is often stained with pigments from iron or algae [or pollution!]. Legs and feet are black. Feeds on aquatic plants collected from bottom [of the bay!]. Direct flight with strong steady wing beats.

Range and Habitat

Mute Swan: Prefers freshwater, salt marshes, and protected bays [like the Toronto Humber Bay, which is partly natural and partly contrived by bored, unimaginative humans].

[almost all the information above is from: http://identify.whatbird.com/obj/1025/overview/Mute_Swan.aspx]

Finally, a bird that I have taken a photo of -- I have been waiting for half of the alphabet!!  :hysterical:  This particular Mute Swan was gliding around on the Toronto Humber Bay Park East, going West, on the shore of Lake Ontario, one of the famous Great Lakes, which are shared [in the name of friendship...occasionally...but that's another story!!] by Canada and The United States.  Mute swans aren't actually mute, just not as noisy as some of its cousins...  But, I'm telling you, when one is chasing you, feet in fast waddle mode, neck outstretched, hissing and squawking and ready to give you a good pinch, it sure sounds #*^$*@ loud enough!!

Just so you know -- in case you are cornered by your grandchildren and don't want to appear ignorant -- a group of swans is called one of the following [you don't have to learn them all, but two would be impressive!!]: a "ballet", "bevy", "drift", "regatta", and "school" of swans.  I really get off on the "Regatta of Mute Swans"...  Sounds nautical and symmetrical!  But that's just my humble opinion, for what it's worth...  Take your pick!!

Anne in Toronto

Mute Swan sharpening its bill in preparation!

That was great fun! Thanks Donna! :clap:

I have some more photos of Macaws -- all taken in Amazonian Peru.

The first is a set of macaws at a clay lick.  The macaws visit these licks and eat the clay...it's pretty spectacular to see a large group of colorful macaws and parrots swarming over the clay and chattering.

The second photo is of a Scarlet Macaw who was hand raised by researchers at the Tambopata Research Center and is very friendly; he likes to visit the breakfast buffet and steal food.

The third photo is of two pairs of Blue and Yellow Macaws, and the fourth photo is a Red and Green Macaw.

It was worth the waiting! Nice picture Anne.
greetings Aafke

This bird is a riot! Thanks for sharing. :2thumbsup:

Merlin

(Cornell Lab of Ornithology)

A small falcon of northern forests and prairies, the Merlin is the least well-marked of the American falcons. It is becoming a regular breeder in urban areas

Cool Facts

    * The Merlin does not build a nest, but instead takes over old nests of other raptors or crows. It sometimes nests on top of domed magpie nests rather than in the nest cavity.

Mockingbird(northern)
(Cornell Lab of Ornithology)

The Northern Mockingbird enjoys making its presence known. It usually sits conspicuously on high vegetation, fences, eaves, or telephone wires, or runs and hops along the ground. Found alone or in pairs throughout the year, mockingbirds aggressively chase off intruders on their territory.The Northern Mockingbird enjoys making its presence known. It usually sits conspicuously on high vegetation, fences, eaves, or telephone wires, or runs and hops along the ground. Found alone or in pairs throughout the year, mockingbirds aggressively chase off intruders on their territory.

Thick-billled Murre

Thick-billed Murres are members of the auk family.  Their habitat is sub-polar and I first saw them on cliffs on an island in Hudson Bay.    They nest in dense colonies, see first image.  The dark coloration on the cliff is actually thousands of individual murres.  They do not make nests, but lay the single egg directly on the rock.  The egg is much larger on one end so that when it rolls, it rolls in a circle and does not fall off the cliff.  Both parents tend the chick.  After several weeks, the male flies to the surface of the sea below and calls to the chick.  In a true leap of faith, the chick plunges several hundred feet to join his dad below.  See second photograph.  The male then tends to the chick alone.  The female’s work is then finished and she joins other females to feed and regain her strength.  (Third and fourth images.)

As a side note, these photographs were made from a Zodiak.  We were accompanied by a gun-bearing guide as the island was also inhabited by polar bears who fed on dead birds at the base of the cliff.

Gayle

Thick-billed Murres

I also found murres on the island of Chagulak, about half way out in  the Aleutions.

Gayle

Masked Boobie

We have already discussed boobies, but I just located this photograph of a masked boobie breeding coloy on Kauai, Hawaii.  What appears to be flowers are actually birds!

Gayle

Gayle, I really like the photo of the pooping murres and I wish you had posted a picture of yourself on a Zodiac toting a gun. That'd be just fab.

Anne, I really appreciated your Mute Swan post. As I figure, about my cardinals here and that robin that sings all night every night, when a bird is a pain in the butt, I do have the right to say so.

Dale

I think it is quite remarkable, Aafke, that this powerful bird of prey, would fly parallel to your car for that distance!!  And you had the presence of mind to actually take some excellent photos of it!  I trust you weren't the driver...and that he wasn't eyeing your dog!!  :dogrun:

Thank you for telling us about and showing us photos of this European Raptor, which many of us may never get a chance to see!  Of course, when I visit you next Spring, I will be expecting you to locate one for me!!   :wave:
 
Best wishes always!  Anne in Toronto

Megapode, Orange-Footed

I've just discovered a wonderful bird - the orange-footed scrubfowl or megapode.
I got permission to post this lovely photo from the photographer, Werner Suter.
Here is the beast's song (really touching - listen to the whole minute): http://www.xeno-canto.org/recording.php?XC=42282 (http://www.xeno-canto.org/recording.php?XC=42282)
reminiscent, of course, of other rails, the NZ pukeko and takahe

Wow, Dale - others of its find will sure hear him calling in the thick forests.

or maybe "of its kind"... (one of the many reasons not to rely on spell-checks...)

Bobbie, you can click on modify on your post and change a boo boo and click save. Works like a charm.  :-[

Aha! Great suggestion for covering my tracks when the editorial impulse fails. Thanks, Donna-Girl!

I have to use that a lot.

oh, orange footed megapode, your song is so sad--- :heart:

isn't it touching and odd? I like it a lot.

Sounds a little like my cat when I step on his tail accidentally...

This bird kinda sounds like some a primate of some sort. Very cool. thanks for posting.