Spotted Towhee

Spotted Towhee

When I first spotted them with their red breasts, I thought they were Robins!

Here's a Real Robin

Robin

Birds in Alaska

We went on a wonderful cruise in Alaska a few years ago.   These were some of the birds we saw on our excursions.

Bald Eagle

We Saw a Lot of Them!

Many Sea Birds Taking Off. 

One of the More Stationary Birds We Saw

Eagle Totem

Clan House

Yet Another Totem Pole

Another Mystery Bird

Little Brown Bird of Some Sort

If you know what this is, please leave a comment.

Another View

Same Species?  Or Another One?

S

Another View of Same Little Brown Bird - Examining a Cable.





What Bird is This?

Possible Red-winged Blackbird?

Could this be a Red-winged Blackbird?  I shot it from below and it may be that the distinctive red patch is just barely visible.  Click on the image to enlarge it.

A Flock of the Same Birds

Old Photos - Hawk and Quail

I was going through some old photos and found some bird shots.

Red-shouldered Hawk

Here's a hawk that landed on my garage deck.  I had to shoot this from the other side of the house and into the light.  Not a great way to take a photo, but I edited it enough to try to ID it.  I think it's a Red-shouldered Hawk.

California Quail Parent

Keeping an eye on the line of youngsters

We have a lot of California Quail around here.  It's fun to watch them crossing the road.  These old photos were taken when I saw a lot of them in a line on the roof across the street.  By the time I grabbed my camera, a lot of them had dispersed.  There were at least 50 or 60 of them - more than I normally see in a covy.

Western Scrub Jay

These jays are supposed to be pretty intelligent, as far as birds go.  Actually, it's as far as animals go, as their brain/body ratio is about the same as chimps.  Who knew? 

These birds aren't as pushy as the Steller's Jays and don't run the other birds off as much.  But, the Steller's Jays seem to respect them and will vacate the feeders, when the Scrub Jays appear.

There are a few varieties of these jays that vary in color in different western regions.

I like their fancy eyebrows!  Click on the image (like any images on the blog)  to see the details.

Steller's Jay

Scolding

 

These are perhaps the noisiest birds around here.  The photo accurately depicts their normal mode - scolding.  They are bullies and run the smaller birds off, when they can.  But their iridescent blue feathers are amazing.

Years ago I had a Malamute, who could catch these birds.  Unfortunately I didn't react with the expected thanks when she presented me with her first jay.  Eeeek!  After that  I would occasionally find piles of feathers and feet.  The jays seemed to spread the word and  abandoned my yard for years, but they're back now.

I guess they realize my cocker is no threat.