Bird songs, flying things

Still sick and coughing.

Grackles upstairs, red-winged blackbirds downstairs

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Now, this is not to say that I have remained indoors. No, not me. Here are shots of my flying friends. The birds (right) were sitting eating the deer feed!

We had one night where the temperature rose to something like +15 C., and me and my buddy, Oliver, went outdoors. We heard something out there. I figured it was a bird, the way he was chasing it. The sound was amazing.

It was brown, about the size of a robin, and made the silliest sound. I tried to videotape the bird, but couldn't get an image, only the sound. Today's Camera Critters post has to be photos of critters I have captured.

Not flying but bird watching,
and sharpening claws!

However, for those keen birders, I'd love to know what this bird might be! Bearing in mind we live in S.E. Ontario. North America has such a wide variety of birds!

flying in circles

Finally, I went on-line, and found Birdjam. Not bad, at all. Bird songs, in small snippets, organized by type or habitat: warbler, city bird, countryside, wetland, forest. But it didn't help.

If anyone can identify this bird for me, I'd be really grateful!

Hunting birds in winter

I suppose, I mean identifying them!

Hawkish personality

Lots of places to ID them, just ensure that we know what we are talking about!

Here are some good sites, with reputable qualifications...

• The Birds of NA online -search by name
• The Stokes, who also publish a blog
• Birds Forever
• Cornell Lab of Ornithology
• You can search by name, or you can browse by Name and Shape or Taxonomy

Back in 1993, when teaching students how to do research, most would go to the Encyclopedia CD  that their PC manufacturer gave them. 

Some would print an entire file on, say, Blue Jays, and hand it in. 

You just have to laugh. 

They couldn't read the words, as they did a 5-minute presentation of their work.

I love bird watching. Winter has its own limitations. 

Here are some of my (mostly) winter birds. I was looking for some colour as it starts to snow last Saturday as I prepared this post.

Mourning Dove landing

We are seeing much white out there!

Pileated woodpecker

Nuthatch

No. Not a bird
-Bird Hunter!

Blue Jay

Chickadee

Pigeons in town

Mourning Dove

Cedar Waxwing

Red Poll

Guess who?

'Early birds' standing on the ice on the lake

Goldfinch in winter

Goldfinch in summer!

Busy bird. This Woodpecker was chucking cracked corn on the head of the Mourning Dove below! The Dove was eating it up!