The ABCs of Birds - E

[Patti from Kentucky]

And this tiny owl is an Elf Owl; he was nesting in a hole in a saguaro cactus in a pretty city desert park in Tuscon Arizona.  Our guide managed to catch him as he left his nest hole in the evening and hit him with the spotlight.

[Patti from Kentucky]

And one more entry...this is the back side of an Elegant Trogon; I'm very good at taking photos of the backs of birds.  This bird was in the mountains of Southern Arizona; very near the Mexican border.

[Donna]

E is for Elf Owl



The Elf Owl (Micrathene whitneyi) is a member of the owl family Strigidae that breeds in the southwestern United States and Mexico. It is the world's smallest owl, followed closely by the Pygmy owl.[2] They are 5-12 inches tall and have a wingspan of 15-16 inches and short tails. Their primary projection extends nearly past their tail. They have fairly long legs and often appear bow-legged. They weigh 1-1.4 ounces.They can often be heard just after dusk or at sunset, calling to each other. Their call is a high pitched whinny or chuckle. The male and female dart around trees and call back and forth.

[Donna]

E is for Emu: , Dromaius novaehollandiae, is the largest bird native to Australia and the only extant member of the genus Dromaius. It is also the second-largest extant bird in the world by height, after its ratite relative, the ostrich. There are three extant subspecies of Emus in Australia. The Emu is common over most of mainland Australia, although it avoids heavily populated areas, dense forest, and arid areas.

The soft-feathered, brown, flightless birds reach up to 2 metres (6.6 ft) in height.

[Annette]

Elegant Tern

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elegant_Tern

[anneintoronto]

E is for Eastern Bluebird

Eastern Bluebird: Small thrush with bright blue upperparts, rust-brown throat and breast, and white belly and vent. Forages in the open from low branches for insects, earthworms, and spiders. Eats mostly berries and seeds in winter. Slow, direct flight with shallow, jerky wing beats. [whatbird.com]

I've only seen a couple of these beautiful little birds, but one never forgets the experience.  They are a cheerful addition to the landscape!  A joy to watch!

Anne in Toronto

[Shaky]

E is for Eastern Bluebird

They are a cheerful addition to the landscape!  A joy to watch!

Except for the Mad Bluebird!

[Aafke]

E is for Eurasian Kestrel

This Kestrel is a bird of prey and it belongs to the kestrel group of the falcon family Falconidae.
It is one of the most common raptors in Europe.
pict 1 - This Kestrel gave me a long time to take his picture.
pict 2 - it's a very old picture, it was hard to find him, but it shows baby Kestrels in a nestbox. It was funny to see them sitting, the smallest at the left and the biggest at the right. One week later they had left the nestbox.
greetings Aafke

[carla]

E European Goldfinch

http://www2.abc.net.au/science/birds/asp/query.asp?Action=Display&id=132

greetings Carla

[gayle]

Eagle Owl

The Giant Eagle Owl, or Verroux's Owl is the largest owl in Africa.  It may stand 30 inches tall and have a wing span of six feet.  It has pink eyelids!  We had a good, long look at one on WildEarth' evening safari:  http://www.wildearth.tv/safari-tv

These are screen captures from there.

Gayle

[Aafke]

E is for Eider
I really love these Ducks. They make an amazing sound (look at Dales post)
When you are on Texel and you make a walk on the beach you can see and hear them. In Spring there are lots of babies and when you make a night walk on the beach the sound is awesome, you have to go there and hear it for yourself.
Btw I think it's very difficult to take a picture from a bird in the sea.
greetings Aafke

[gayle]

Eider

I suppose my fascination with eiders also sprang from knowing about down comforters.  I remember my sheer joy at spotting eiders from a car ferry in the North Sea!

The down is harvested for commercial purposes in several northern countries.  The eiders pull out their own down to line their nests and the down is gathered when the ducklings leave the nests.

In Iceland, hay is substituted for the down at the time eggs are laid.  It is said that eiders prefer to nest near humans to provide protection from the main predator, the Arctic fox.

The King Eider is reported to migrate in huge flocks numbering in the thousands.

Gayle

[~Ruth]

Only place I've ever seen a blue bird was Genesee Country village. They have several nest boxes.

[gayle]

Eagle

Each year, hundreds of bald eagles winter in the Klamath Basin on the interior border between California and Oregon.  The eagles are there to feed on the thousands of tundra swans and other waterfowl that also over-winter there.  The Klamath River is a river under siege for water rights.  Native Americans are protecting their rights to fish for salmon.  Agriculture is thirsty for water for crops.   Wildlife needs the annual flooding of the vast wetlands.

The eagles roost collectively in huge trees.  Morning fly-out is spectacular.

The fourth picture shows an eagle flying over a large flock of tundra swans looking for its next meal.

Gayle

Note:  You will have to click on the first three images to see them.

[anneintoronto]

E is for Eastern Bluebird

They are a cheerful addition to the landscape!  A joy to watch!

Except for the Mad Bluebird!

Whoa!  That bird has an attitude!!! Woww!!!
Anne in Toronto