balconybirds

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I put a cam by this tree because I wanted to try and get footage of a Tree Creeper. They are tiny birds that meander up the trees instead of down as the Nuthatches do, and they are so well camouflaged that they are hard to spot and photograph. Well, this week I got one, you'll see it at the end of the clip. Trees are habitats day and night, and it feels like we can't have enough of them! (Music is once again copyright-free, called "Simple, light and bright piano songs" and this was the Ceyomur CY75 trailcam.)

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suomen_linnut

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beak overgrowth in birds can be caused by a variety of things and isn’t good for them of course, however nuthatches with beak overgrowth just kinda look like they got upgraded. nuthatch v2. ready to dig beneath ALL the bark and find ALL the bugs

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this unique ‘blonde’ canada goose shows off one of a kind coloration due to leucism, a genetic mutation that results in a partial lack of melanin. the condition is frequently confused with albinism, but albino animals have a full lack of melanin; albino birds will most likely display all-white feathers, pink skin, and red or pink eyes.

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Me and mom learned new English word.

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this northern cardinal has the bright red hues the males of the species are known for, but lacks the signature black ‘mask’. it’s likely that this bird’s unique appearance is due to leucism (a partial lack of melanin) or a similar genetic mutation. leucism is not inherently harmful to birds, but can impact their lives in many ways; melanin strengthens feathers, so some birds with leucism may have more brittle feathers. additionally, some birds may have trouble finding a mate or suffer from increased attention from predators (particularly all-white birds); however, as this cardinal’s differences are fairly minor, he likely goes about life as any other cardinal would.

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Big Red and his merry gang of friends in some photos from yesterday. Cams are out and ready today too - with snow on the ground and beaming sun, perfect conditions to harvest wonderful bird footage. I have to work today but the mood is definitely Christmassy with all that beauty outside.

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A Nuthatch is so smart, you can almost "see" it thinking.

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Northern Carmine Bee-eater (Merops nubicus), family Meropidae, order Coraciiformes, riding a Kori Bustard (Ardeotis kori), family Otididae, order Otidiformes, central Africa

The Kori Bustard is the largest flying bird in Africa.

photograph by Rich Lindie

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A Tufted Titmouse never likes to come close...except for peanuts and sunflowers.

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WISDOM UPDATE

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Double-barred Finch (Stizoptera bichenovii)

© Meng-Chieh (孟婕) FENG (馮)

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[2944/11080] Desert owl - Strix hadorami

Order: Strigiformes (owls) Family: Strigidae (true owls)

Photo credit: Itamar Donitza via Macaulay Library

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🪶🔥short-eared owl🔥🪶

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bask.

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After doing this for about 8 years now, sometimes I feel like I am getting a bit snobby when it comes to the bird photos I post. I know there can’t always be super exciting visitors, and this year seems to be especially odd too. So today here are some of the humble regulars but also a spectacular special guest because there happened to be one today.

House Finches are some of the most loyal feathered friends around here, they stay year-round and also raise their babies here. The colors of the males can vary a lot, all according to what they eat. I love checking out all the details on their heads, the textures and colors are wonderful. Another regular, at least in the fall and winter, is the Goldfinch. Tiny feisty fellows who are not shy to show attitude towards their own or other birds when it comes to food, so this photo was perfect.

The special visitor today was Count Grackula again. I guess he is hanging around somewhere here, maybe waiting for temps to go up a bit again. Stay warm and have a lovely weekend.