Before I share my bird photos today, I want to bring up, again....this:
Just a reminder: PLEASE USE your post HYPERLINK when using the linking tool.
Since this photo above of this particular bird shows no prominent wing bars, I am thinking it's a common winter inhabitant of South Texas; the orange crowned warbler [compare to the photo on this website]. For most of the half hour I watched it it remained low to the ground and flitting from bush to bush; never going much higher. Another avid birder suggested a Tennessee Warbler, but I think they have more yellow coloration of the eye ring and wing bars. Maybe, just maybe, it's not either species. Am I wrong in ID? Please inform me of your opinion!!
Now, this one ID I KNOW is correct. LOL Even tho they closely resemble the Northern Cardinal, their higher and beautiful scarlet colored crest makes this bird distinguishable if sighted. I believe this one to be female since the males have a red 'mask' and red wide stripe on the breast, throat, tail and crest, while the female is silver-gray as is the male, but has the color marks of scarlet on the crest and wings and tail only...
PYRRHULOXIA [pir-uh-LOK-see-uh].
photos taken: The Willows - Mustang Island
habitat map: Pyrrhuloxia
[the computer's spell check is so confused right now with a bird name like this!!]
As I stood, looking out from the covered platform toward the larger of two ponds at the Park I happened to see a small bird fly by me to my left into the grove of palm trees. When I turned to see where it had landed, it was in the sunlight, preening. I noticed right away it was a favorite small bird [I have a LOT of favorites]. The sunlight was good to help capture the buttery yellow breast and the rufous colored back and striped tail. And, luckily it didn't fly away all too soon like they normally do for me....
CAROLINA WREN
photo taken: Bazemore Park
habitat map: Wren
Another morning at Port Aransas, another wren was chirping [I think I was distracting its cover] loudly. I waited for it to come into view if it ever would...it did, chirped loudly in protest at me a minute, and disappeared in silence...
HOUSE WREN
photo taken: Port Aransas
habitat map: Wren
To the North Bay across the Harbor Bridge, I drove to Indian Point Park with hopes of seeing the migrant ducks...the Merganser and/or the Bufflehead. None seen while I was there! I walked to the end of the parking lot to view out to sea, with the outcropping of boulders that jut out farther [at times of low tide, you can walk out on those boulders]. This particular day there were white pelicans, a pair of brown pelicans, and a couple of cormorants perched there through the misty air. I saw to my left eye's peripheral vision something dark in the water, I looked out and noticed the water's surface was rippled. Something had just dived under! I missed it. Was it? Could it be? Possible!!!! I climbed the ramp to the fishing pier and while keeping my eye to the vicinity, I anticipated...it surfaced with a catch of the day!! Then, consumed all too quickly and dived again!! After minutes it resurfaced....
COMMON LOON
photo taken: Indian Point Park
habitat map: Loon
My last bird share in this week's series was seen the same morning while I walked around the pond at the Willows on Mustang Island.
GRAY CATBIRD
photo taken: The Willows
habitat map: Catbird
Take a moment; think about it....
Why couldn’t anyone see the bird?
Because it was in da skies!
- - -
On Tuesday of this past week, Corpus Christi was hit with an Arctic Winter Blast!! Wind chill for a couple of nights of 20s in temp [-6 C], I didn't get to go out birding much. So, I stayed home, read books and played on the computer a lot!! Hence, the joke above, and then, I went into a search for Latin Species names. Well, I found this instead: TAXONOMY HUMOR [with the likes of "Vini vidivici"...the scientific name of an extinct parrot. If you break the last up into two words, the Latin translates as "I came, I saw, I conquered"] Or another one: La cerveza Latin name for a beetle...It's also Spanish for "beer."
There are some really good ones, and all quite humorous...READ MORE HERE Guaranteed you'll laugh out loud. So, have fun this weekend, and show off your brainy ways of Latin with others near you.
This week's Participants:
Phil UK
Lea's Menagerie
Lavender Dreams
Travels with Birds
Christina, Sweeden
Rosyfinch Ramblings
Nature Footsteps PhotoArt
Linda Crafty Gardener
Cranium Bolts
and paste into your blog post:
In da skies? hahaha! You need to get out of the house! lol! But it got chilly here too and we are inside today. Maybe tomorrow the sun will come out and we'll get in a hike. I love the Catbird and that little Wren. How interesting about the bird that looks like a Cardinal! I learn something every day....well as long as I keep my eyes on da skies! Happy weekend! Hugs!
ReplyDeleteHello, Anni! I enjoyed your post. The warbler is a cutie, I can not remember seeing the Orange-crowned Warbler. The Loon is a favorite, they are a treat to see. Sorry, I am not linking up this week, I do not have many birds on my post.
ReplyDeleteEnjoy your weekend!
It's great that you have Common Loons in the winter. The odd bird spends the winter on Lake Ontario, but usually, even if I am lucky enough to find it, it is very far out.
ReplyDeleteThis is for sure one of my favorite posts of yours! First, this PYRRHULOXIA! It looks just like a female Cardinal to me! Does it have the red beak, I cannot tell? I don't know how on earth you were able to I.D.it? I have never even heard of this bird. Have you seen them before? And the cute Wrens! I love Wrens, they are maybe my favorite bird! But I don't see many around here, and have only seen a few in my entire life. A Loon, so special! Another one I have never seen. But we do have a lot of Catbirds, they can mimic so well. the most common sound is like a crying baby or a cat.
ReplyDeleteNice assortment! The Tennessee Warbler has a dark line through its eye with lighter line over it and also has clear under-tail, while Orange-crowned Warbler has a broken eye-line with bright yellow under-tail. The seems to fit Tennessee-- the little that is visible of the under-tail does not appear to be yellow. Also, as mentioned, the red bill and soft colors of underside do suggest female Northern Cardinal, but lighting conditions can distort the colors in photos.
ReplyDeleteI know for sure it was a prryhuloxia. Yellow beak as a female cardinal"s is rosy. And the very High crest.
DeleteAnd Tennessee it is then.
When I saw that first picture I immediately thought it to be a Tennessee Warbler but it's a number of years since I banded any. Whatever,, it's a lovely looking bird.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the link today Anni.
gorgeous species all of them. We have 2 of the loons but I rarely see them. :(
ReplyDeleteLove seeing all your birds
ReplyDeleteWhat a great variety of birds! I wonder if we have so many around here
ReplyDeleteLovely to see the birds here. All of them are so beautiful!
ReplyDeleteda skies! he he he. love it... love the Loon and that catbird is awesome. I have never seen this type of cardinal. quite beautiful... glad we did not get your blast of cold, we got a blast of COOL which I love
ReplyDeleteI did not know there was another bird that so closely resembled the female Northern Cardinal...another thing learned through blogging. The Carolina wren is my favorite bird. So little, such a big song, and such personality! But I have a lot of other favorites, too, but it is at the top of the list.
ReplyDelete