The ABCs of Birding-G-

[gayle]

G is for Great Egret

For me, a most elegant bird is the Great Egret.  When bedecked in breeding plumage, it is truly splendid!  It is found nearly everywhere in the United States.  The first image is from the Sacramento Wildlife Reserve.  In the second, there are two "G" birds.  The Great Egret is joined by the Great Blue Heron in northern California.   This association is common.  There is a community right on San Francisco Bay where some of the canals are drained each winter.  The egrets gather en masse to feed on the tiny creatures left behind by the departing waters.  In the third image, a snowy egret is in the foreground with the great egret in back.

The Great Egret has an interesting call:  http://macaulaylibrary.org/search.do

Gayle

[Patti from Kentucky]

G is for Great Gray Owl -- we counted ourselves extraordinarily lucky to run into a traffic jam one June day in Yellowstone, assuming it was caused by a bear sighting, only to discover that it was caused by this beautiful owl.

S/he was just sitting by the road watching the endless stream of people getting out of their cars to gawk.

[dale]

what wonderful photos, Gayle. The 2-Gs is just an incredible photograph.
my best experiences with Great Blue Herons is while canoeing on a river; they take off when you get close, but fly just a little way down the river, so that this interaction repeats over and over and over.

OH Patti - what a GREAT grey!!!

since we're on GREAT, here's a GHO I drew. At least it was a GHO when I started drawing. Then it got grumpy.

[Patti from Kentucky]

G is also for Golden Eagle.  We took these two photos when our local raptor rehabilitation group invited us to a release.  This immature bird was found on the ground, very weak, and the vets discovered it was suffering from lead poisoning.  It was successfully treated, and we got to watch the release!

A few Golden Eagles winter in Kentucky, as this one was, though they're much less common than wintering Bald Eagles.

[gayle]

since we're on GREAT, here's a GHO I drew. At least it was a GHO when I started drawing. Then it got grumpy.

It may be grumpy, but it certainly is great!

[dale]

I got back to the car at the Piedras Blancas elephant seal rookery on Hwy 1 and look what was on the hood.

[Patti from Kentucky]

since we're on GREAT, here's a GHO I drew. At least it was a GHO when I started drawing. Then it got grumpy.

I love the drawing!  I'll contribute two photos of Great Horned Owls as well.  The first is from my birding vacation in Southeast Arizona.  I took the second photo of a fledgling (or at least one who has "branched"), this past May at Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge in Ohio.

[dale]

GROUSE, wood (Washington Post photo)
In Russian a wood grouse is called "Glukhar'", which means the deaf one.
Idea being, when they go into courtship display, they can't hear a darn thing, and if you want a grouse, well you can go ahead and get yourself one then. They're not paying any attention to you.

[Patti from Kentucky]

And to contrast with these Ginormous G birds we've been posting, here's a Golden-crowned Kinglet.  I took this photo in Cape May in October...this little migrant was really hungry, so focused on food that he wasn't particularly attentive to the humans watching him.  Sorry for the blur, but kinglets aren't known for being still...

[dale]

Sorry for the blur, but kinglets aren't known for being still...

actually the blur is what makes this such a good photo. The yellow glows, too. I love it

[Dumpsterkitty]

G is for Green-winged teal

This guy was found at Birdchick with more pictures



"At first glance, they may appear brown, but their heads rival any mallards with the rich rusty read accented by a swath of iridescent green behind the eye–like eye shadow gone wild.  This is the smallest dabbling duck in North America, so besides the color, they are quite cute.  They will forage for aquatic insects on the water’s surface or dip below for vegetation."

Showing his green wing

  I had this whole thing copied over and ready to post in its own post last night then...DUH...tomorrow is G day

[Donna]

G is for Gentoo Penguin



http://www.martingrund.de/pinguine/pinguincam2.htm#2 Penguin cam in Antarctica

Is easily recognized by the wide white stripe extending like a bonnet across the top of its head. Chicks have grey backs with white fronts. Adult Gentoos reach a height of 51 to 90 cm (20-36 in),[1][2] making them the largest penguins outside of the two giant species, the Emperor Penguin and the King Penguin. In the water, sea lions, leopard seals, and orca are all predators of the Gentoo. On land there are no predators of full grown Gentoos. Skua can steal their eggs; however, some other seabirds have managed to snatch chicks.

Source: Wikipedia!

[Annette]

Gyrfalcon

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

[Aafke]

G is for Glacous Gull

The Glacous Gull is for us a rare kind of Gull.

Wikipedia:This is a large and powerful gull, very pale in all plumages, with no black in the wings or tail. The term glaucous describes its colouration. Adults are pale grey above, with a thick yellow bill.

We were very lucky to spot him on my birthday in 2009.
It's funny but I saw a lot of rare birds on my birthdays.
greetings Aafke

[Paul Hamilton]

G is for Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias herodias) .  This picture is sort of a birthday bird, because s/he was watching us as we arrived on the mainland in New Hampshire for an early birthday dinner for my wife.  It's a seriously great bird at up to 2.5 kg/5 lbs and a wingspan greater than the height of most people.  They are also common here in the Washington, DC, area.  I see one almost every morning on my daily bike ride to work.  They move very slowly and cautiously to get close to the fish and then grab it with a sudden, lightning-like strike.  One can then follow the progress of the fish as it makes its way down the heron's throat. 

I can watch these herons for hours and often do.  There is also a white morph that is called, surprisingly, the Great White Heron.

Paul