Discussion Topic |
|
This thread has been locked |
Darwin
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
|
|
Good point Tami. I just didn't feel comfortable ID'ing them. I see flocks of Crows, and there appears to be two distinct size populations, but I just couldn't bring myself to claim them. Maybe photographs! Tony had the idea of finding a feathers on the ground and sending them in for genetic analysis. I've got to start climbing again!!!!
|
|
perswig
climber
|
|
You guys are awesome.
Thanks for letting us hike/ride along - vicarious birding!
Dale
|
|
dee ee
Mountain climber
citizen of planet Earth
|
|
Nice y'all!
Darwin, I would be interested in our total.
|
|
Darwin
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
|
|
Dave(right dee ee?) and Tony;
Between the three of us, a'hem who posted, I get 228 birds. I would like to go over my merging script a little more before "publishing". And maybe some others will contribute. We're all on the West Coast, and I sure would like to hear form those, oh say, in Colorado, gee who could that be?, or Arizona or New Mexico or, a'hem a'hem, the Gulf of East Coast. You know you look out your window and see something we'all out here don't see, like a Scissor-tailed Flycatcher, a Roseate Spoonbill, or even a Cardinal.
(edit): One can only ponder what wonders lie out on the Kenai.
I was looking for a Red-headed Duck the last day of the stby but missed it even though it was only 200 yards from my place of work. But it stuck around, and I saw it yesterday and today. It insisted on staying right in line with the sun, but nonetheless here are some photos.
They really do dive that way.
|
|
Darwin
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
|
|
Timid;
w.r.t Ferruginous Hawk, I think that's a first for the list. Oh and, Golden Eagle. I didn't go through the rest.
Tami,
Do you call them South-West Crows? ;-) Maybe a better name would be Salish Sea Crows.
We have a big fly by for crows going to their roosts here in the U District. Sometimes it's transcendental, other times I have to admit that it gives me the willies. Did you get a beautiful but a little cold and breezy day up there in Vancouver today? We had one of the nicest days of the winter here.
|
|
DanaB
climber
CT
|
|
Fascinating birds, the crow !!!!
Anyone who likes crows and knows what a murder is
is pretty okay in my book.
|
|
SteveW
Trad climber
The state of confusion
|
|
Hurray for Corvidae!!!!
|
|
Darwin
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
|
|
|
Nov 25, 2013 - 11:16am PT
|
Hang with me. This does turn around to being entirely on topic.
I was down in the Bay Area visiting family and friends. We had a tentative trip to Parkline Slabs planned, but what with the short days and just perhaps a glass too many of red wine, we bailed to the Berkeley climbing gym Ironworks. I usually have a hard time with climbing gyms (not fun and too difficult), but I had a blast this time.
Tony, being,the super birder that he is, had heard that there was a Painted Redstart nearby in Berkeley, and we headed up to look for it. After a little search we came upon other birders that led us to the tree with the Redstart. The day had great light, and we had great views of it for as long as we stuck around. Also as we walked up, I notice a fairly heavily loaded touring bike and I immediately looked around trying to figure out who was the birding biker. The biker introduced himself first as Mark Kudrav, and he is on a green (bicycle only) big year. He threw himself into it a WHOLE LOT more than any of us did at least w.r.t time an bike miles invested. I'm not providing the spoilers of his distance covered and #birds, but it's impressive. Check out his blog
http://greenbigyear2013.blogspot.com/2013_11_01_archive.html
He seemed like a really nice guy.
|
|
Darwin
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
|
|
|
Nov 26, 2013 - 12:05am PT
|
bump.
And another friend saw the Redstart today. 2013/11/25
|
|
amyjo
Trad climber
|
|
|
Nov 26, 2013 - 01:09am PT
|
Me too!
Three days ago, in the rain.
Spinning front & back like a weathervane.
Any chance you might know what that Oak was
it was in. The only cones I could find were
really really tiny...
|
|
mouse from merced
Trad climber
The finger of fate, my friends, is fickle.
|
|
|
Nov 26, 2013 - 06:42am PT
|
[Click to View YouTube Video]
[Click to View YouTube Video]Filmed on the 23rd Nov.
This is murder, keeping track of what the local crow gangs are doing.
Last evening, only two days after this aerial melee, I was standing on the corner opposite the park, had my tripod and camera ready and waiting, but saw not one crow!
I saw my son, Scottie, though, come walking up through the murky twilight, and he was taking my picture with his phone!
What I think is happening here with the crows is that their evening roosts vary between the park and some other spots in the city, nearby, but not right there. I have seen them off in the northwest from the Tioga, as well as to the north, and they pull off an aerial gang fight every so often, like the one I filmed from my window.
I don't understand, simply, how they get to be so "choosy"--if that's the word--but it may not be a choice. It may be that there is a good reason they move around, or maybe not.
To meld with the mind of a crow, or the collective crow mind, would be an experience, since they live so long. I'll have to talk to Don Juan abut this.
Here is another tuber on crows, more like what I wanted last night.
[Click to View YouTube Video]
|
|
steveA
Trad climber
Wolfeboro, NH
|
|
|
Nov 26, 2013 - 07:32am PT
|
Crow's--one of the most intelligent of all animals.
|
|
|
SuperTopo on the Web
|
Let us know!