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| Sandhill Crane Courtship Dance |
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| Sandhill Crane Courtship Dance |
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| Sandhill Crane Courtship Dance |
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| Sandhill Crane Courtship Dance |
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| Sandhill Crane Courtship Dance |
Tuesday, April 28, 2015
Sandhill Crane Courtship Dance
Monday, April 20, 2015
Birding Lake Atitlan
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| Rufous-browed Peppershrike |
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| Dusky-capped Flycatcher |
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| Lesser Goldfinch |
And quite honestly, the birding was best at our hotel. I monitored the area day and night discovering that our birds went by somewhat regular schedules.
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| American Coots! |
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| Prevost's ground sparrow |
It was a strange experience finding desert birds that I normally see mixed in with all the tropical ones. Once again, it reinforced the idea that birds have no borders. What happens in one place affects the other. And we are all interconnected.
The walks are wonderful but be mindful of the area. Many of the people are very kind. However, it is always best to go with another person. A person can even hire a local guide to show them all the wonderful things that Atitlan has to offer.
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| Yellow-winged Tanager-um....this bird is cool BUT a dash of yellow makes it a Yellow-winged Tanager? This is one of those bird names that doesn't really work for me:) |
Here are some interesting facts. El lago is rising every year. They are not certain why this is happening but many properties that were along the edge of the lake are now swallowed up by the lake. In some areas, it looks like you are floating over the remains of Atlantis.
And I must share this tragic story. Every birder should hear it. Birds. We love them very much. Sadly, an endemic grebe lived here once and was known as the Atitlán Grebe. Most of us reading this today were alive when this grebe went extinct. Did anyone see this bird before they disappeared?
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| The extinct Atitlán Grebe |
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| Orange-billed Nightingale-Thrush |
Rain forest photography is tricky. The clouds, the rain and dark canopy make photo captures extremely difficult.
After climbing the 500 some stairs along the hillsides, my legs began to develop some muscle. I discovered my first Rufous-capped Warbler, Brown-backed Solitaire, and Sparkling-tailed Hummingbird! And this was just the start!
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| Boat-billed Flycatcher |
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| A little Spanish lesson:) |
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| Bushtit |
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| Grayish Saltator |
Santa Cruz is a place for people to relax and take Spanish classes. Your loved one can dive here while you look for the Boat-billed Flycatcher.
Jaibalito is another great place to relax. The sunsets are spectacular!
Santa Catarina Palopo is a nice town away from the tourist track so if you are like me, it's a good place to immerse yourself away from the gringos.
Birding around Lake Atitlan has its challenges. Boats frequently stop at the boat launches around a relaxed schedule. We always had to be aware of when the last boat launch would leave for the day. OR watch for bad weather. The lake can quickly go from calm to extremely choppy and dangerous within minutes. When that happens, boats will stop operating!
If it does happen, just relax:) Each town has its charms and there's always a place to chill out and wait until the storm passes.
When that sun comes back out, it'll be time to hit the trails again. Until next time.....
Thursday, April 16, 2015
Let's Face It
I am always captivated by the beauty of the birds I notice while on birding excursions. More often than not, the birds are seen and photographed at quite a distance. Every once in a while, I am fortunate to observe a bird at close range. These rare instances allow me to take note of interesting beaks, beautiful eye colors and stunning, intricate feathers from a variety of birds. Let's take a look at some close-ups ...
Limpkin
Female Anhinga
Female and male Anhingas
Sandhill Crane
Yellow-crowned Night Heron
Juvenile Yellow-crowned Night Heron
Virginia Rail
Great Blue Heron
Juvenile Great Blue Heron
Reddish Egret
Great Egret
Brown Pelican
White Ibis
Roseate Spoonbill
Posted by Julie Gidwitz
Nature's Splendor Blog ~ http://naturessplendor-julie.blogspot.com/
Friday, April 3, 2015
Sparrows: Many shades of brown
Sparrows can be a confusing lot. I'll admit that, without a good look, sometimes I must simply call them LBBs (Little Brown Birds). Brilliant colors help identify the orioles and warblers, but often color is of little use as a sparrow moves furtively through the dark underbrush. Some species are more difficult to classify when in immature and winter plumage.
A field guide to sparrows could be effectively rendered in black and white. One must rely upon size, shape, habitat, habits, song and, most important, plumage patterns of their heads and undersides.
A female Red-winged Blackbird might pass as a sparrow, but take a close look at its substantial pointed bill, an indication that it is omnivorous, adapted to eating insects as well as seeds and grain:
A female Rose-breasted Grosbeak may be sparrow-like, but is much larger and has (duh) a huge bill:
Winter Indigo Buntings can look somewhat like sparrows, but lack prominent streaking:
A female Purple Finch might cause confusion, but its voice, conical bill, heavier body and habit of feeding as flocks in the treetops help distinguishing it from sparrows, most of which are more commonly found on or near the ground:
The tiny Pine Siskin has a thin bill and rather plain face pattern, usually shows some yellow in its wings, and may be seen extracting seeds from spent flower heads, often in the company of goldfinches;
Song Sparrows vary considerably but have a basic distinguishing facial pattern:
The large size and rufous (but sometimes slate gray) color helps identify a Fox Sparrow, so often found scratching noisily among the dry leaves:
The Vesper Sparrow's belly is sparsely streaked and it has white outer tail feathers and a rusty patch on its shoulder:
The Savannah Sparrow is a bird of open fields and shrubby borders. Its coarse streaks may resemble those of a Song Sparrow but it is smaller and has a proportionately shorter tail. Its face pattern and the usual presence of yellow over the eye also helps in recognizing it.:
The Swamp Sparrow likes wet places and has rich chestnut brown on its wings and tail, a reddish cap (in summer) and a white throat:
Lincoln's Sparrow may lurk in the underbrush. Note that the buffy brown cast to its "whisker," upper breast and sides of its belly, underlying narrow stripes. It often raises its small crest:
White-crowned Sparrow is large and distinctive:
Immature White-crowned Sparrows may retain a brownish crown for a couple of years:
The White-throated Sparrow usually has yellow in front of its eyes in addition to its distinctive throat:
The reddish cap and a black line that goes all the way through the eye identifies a Chipping Sparrow in its summer plumage:
The demure Field Sparrow has a long tail, pink bill and bland face. Its song often gives away its location:
The American Tree Sparrow is a northern species that visits Illinois in the winter. It has a reddish brown cap and line behind its eye as well as a central dark breast spot:
The otherwise plain face of the Clay-colored Sparrow has a contrasting brown cheek patch with a dark border, and light gray extends up the back of its neck:
Grasshopper Sparrow is a small and short-tailed bird of the prairie with a big bill, white eye-rings, and looks flat-headed. :
The rare and secretive Henslow's Sparrow is also small and has a greenish cast to its head:
The reclusive Nelson's Sparrow sports lively shades of orange on its face and breast:
A resident of the southwest, the Black-throated Sparrow exhibits a unique face pattern. I took this photo in the eastern foothills of Albuquerque, New Mexico:
The Lark Sparrow has a quail-like face pattern. Before I acquired a DSLR I took this photo with a 2 megapixel pocket camera through a spotting scope from inside our New Mexico living room:
I photographed this Rufous-crowned Sparrow in the Grand Canyon. Its features include its large size, ground-dwelling habits and prominent white eye ring:
The Black-chinned Sparrow is another bird I found in the Grand Canyon. Its plain gray head makes it look somewhat like a junco:
Juncos are considered part of the sparrow clan. Adults lack the streaking so typical of other sparrows.
The Dark-eyed (Slate-colored) Junco is a common winter bird in the northern central and eastern states. It is commonly called "snowbird.":
Juncos exhibit several other color patterns, including these Dark-eyed (Pink-sided and Gray-headed) Juncos, which I photographed in New Mexico:
The introduced old-world House Sparrow deserves mention here:
A field guide to sparrows could be effectively rendered in black and white. One must rely upon size, shape, habitat, habits, song and, most important, plumage patterns of their heads and undersides.
A female Red-winged Blackbird might pass as a sparrow, but take a close look at its substantial pointed bill, an indication that it is omnivorous, adapted to eating insects as well as seeds and grain:
A female Rose-breasted Grosbeak may be sparrow-like, but is much larger and has (duh) a huge bill:
Winter Indigo Buntings can look somewhat like sparrows, but lack prominent streaking:
A female Purple Finch might cause confusion, but its voice, conical bill, heavier body and habit of feeding as flocks in the treetops help distinguishing it from sparrows, most of which are more commonly found on or near the ground:
The tiny Pine Siskin has a thin bill and rather plain face pattern, usually shows some yellow in its wings, and may be seen extracting seeds from spent flower heads, often in the company of goldfinches;
Song Sparrows vary considerably but have a basic distinguishing facial pattern:
The large size and rufous (but sometimes slate gray) color helps identify a Fox Sparrow, so often found scratching noisily among the dry leaves:
The Vesper Sparrow's belly is sparsely streaked and it has white outer tail feathers and a rusty patch on its shoulder:
The Savannah Sparrow is a bird of open fields and shrubby borders. Its coarse streaks may resemble those of a Song Sparrow but it is smaller and has a proportionately shorter tail. Its face pattern and the usual presence of yellow over the eye also helps in recognizing it.:
The Swamp Sparrow likes wet places and has rich chestnut brown on its wings and tail, a reddish cap (in summer) and a white throat:
Lincoln's Sparrow may lurk in the underbrush. Note that the buffy brown cast to its "whisker," upper breast and sides of its belly, underlying narrow stripes. It often raises its small crest:
White-crowned Sparrow is large and distinctive:
Immature White-crowned Sparrows may retain a brownish crown for a couple of years:
The White-throated Sparrow usually has yellow in front of its eyes in addition to its distinctive throat:
The reddish cap and a black line that goes all the way through the eye identifies a Chipping Sparrow in its summer plumage:
The demure Field Sparrow has a long tail, pink bill and bland face. Its song often gives away its location:
The American Tree Sparrow is a northern species that visits Illinois in the winter. It has a reddish brown cap and line behind its eye as well as a central dark breast spot:
The otherwise plain face of the Clay-colored Sparrow has a contrasting brown cheek patch with a dark border, and light gray extends up the back of its neck:
Grasshopper Sparrow is a small and short-tailed bird of the prairie with a big bill, white eye-rings, and looks flat-headed. :
The rare and secretive Henslow's Sparrow is also small and has a greenish cast to its head:
The reclusive Nelson's Sparrow sports lively shades of orange on its face and breast:
A resident of the southwest, the Black-throated Sparrow exhibits a unique face pattern. I took this photo in the eastern foothills of Albuquerque, New Mexico:
The Lark Sparrow has a quail-like face pattern. Before I acquired a DSLR I took this photo with a 2 megapixel pocket camera through a spotting scope from inside our New Mexico living room:
I photographed this Rufous-crowned Sparrow in the Grand Canyon. Its features include its large size, ground-dwelling habits and prominent white eye ring:
The Black-chinned Sparrow is another bird I found in the Grand Canyon. Its plain gray head makes it look somewhat like a junco:
Juncos are considered part of the sparrow clan. Adults lack the streaking so typical of other sparrows.
The Dark-eyed (Slate-colored) Junco is a common winter bird in the northern central and eastern states. It is commonly called "snowbird.":
Juncos exhibit several other color patterns, including these Dark-eyed (Pink-sided and Gray-headed) Juncos, which I photographed in New Mexico:
The introduced old-world House Sparrow deserves mention here:
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