bird watching
grrlscientist | September 12, 2008tags: birding, bird watching, bird field guide, birds, Smithsonian Field Guide to the Birds of North America, book review
Several new field guides to the birds have been published in the last few months and The Smithsonian Field Guide to the Birds of North America (NYC: Collins; 2008) by Ted Floyd is one of them. The most obvious distinction that sets this large book apart are the photographs of birds: most field guides rely on paintings instead of photographs. Despite the fact that I prefer paintings to photographs in my field guides, there is plenty in this new field guide to interest…
grrlscientist | June 18, 2008tags: Black-chinned Hummingbird, Archilochus alexandri, birds, nature, Image of the Day
Female black-chinned Hummingbird, Archilochus alexandri, Cave Creek Canyon, AZ.
Image: Dave Rintoul, June 2008 [larger view].
More images from Dave's recent Arizona vacation.
grrlscientist | June 11, 2008tags: Rock Wren, Salpinctes obsoletus, birds, nature, Image of the Day
My good friend, Dave Rintoul, has just returned from a much-deserved vacation camping in the Chiricahuas and Gila Wilderness area and sent a couple images to share with you.
Rock Wren, Salpinctes obsoletus, in Chaco Canyon.
Image: Dave Rintoul, June 2008 [larger view].
grrlscientist | June 10, 2008tags: Canyon Towhee, Pipilo fuscus, birds, Image of the Day
My good friend, Dave Rintoul, has just returned from a much-deserved vacation camping in the Chiricahuas and Gila Wilderness area and sent a couple images to share with you.
Canyon Towhee, Pipilo fuscus, in Chaco Canyon.
Image: Dave Rintoul, June 2008 [larger view].
grrlscientist | June 9, 2008tags: Black-Throated Sparrow, Amphispiza bilineata, birds, Image of the Day
My good friend, Dave Rintoul, has just returned from a much-deserved vacation camping in the Chiricahuas and Gila Wilderness area and sent a couple images to share with you.
Black-throated Sparrow, Amphispiza bilineata, in Chaco Canyon.
Image: Dave Rintoul, June 2008 [larger view].
grrlscientist | May 31, 2008tags: Long-toed Lapwing, Long-toed plover, Vanellus crassirostris, birds, Image of the Day
Fourth in a series of non-passerine images by this photographer.
Long-toed Lapwing, also known as the Long-toed plover, Vanellus crassirostris, which is endemic to southeastern Africa.
Image: John Del Rio [larger view].
grrlscientist | May 29, 2008tags: Hamerkop, Scopus umbretta, birds, Image of the Day
Second in a series of non-passerine images by this photographer.
Hamerkop, Scopus umbretta, also known as the Hammerhead Stork or the Anvilhead.
Image: John Del Rio. [larger view].
grrlscientist | May 22, 2008tags: Oology And Ralph's Talking Eggs, conservation, ornithology, oology, Carrol L. Henderson, book review
People's methods for learning about the lives of birds have varied throughout the decades. Today, birders learn about their feathery subjects by using binoculars, telescopes, sound recording devices and cameras, while ornithologists and molecular biologists add further insight by analyzing avian DNA, transponder data and satellite information. But such powerful technologies have not always been available, so people have relied on other methods to learn about birds. For example, between…
grrlscientist | May 20, 2008tags: peregrine falcon, Falco peregrinus, birds, urban birds, image of the day
Male peregrine falcon, Falco peregrinus, named Eric
who lives and breeds in a city in North America.
who replaced "Erik", the former resident on his current territory in a
city in North America.
Image: John P. Baumlin [larger view].
This image is being shared with you by bird artist, John P. Baumlin, who writes;
I've been following your blog for some time and have been enjoying the bird images you posted along the way and thought you might like to see this one.
It is a male Peregrine, one of a pair that are…
grrlscientist | May 18, 2008tags: birding, bird books, Bird Field Guide, The Young Birder's Guide to Birds of Eastern North America, Bill Thompson III, book review
One of the most common questions that I am asked is "how can we get our internet- and video game-addicted kids interested in the out-of-doors?" Since I am an internet-addicted semi-adult, I can say that one way to get kids interested in nature is to make it accessible to them, and perhaps the best way to do this is through books. A new field guide was just published whose target audience is kids between the ages of 8 and 12 years old. This remarkable book,…
grrlscientist | May 17, 2008tags: mountain bluebird, Sialia currucoides, birds, Washington state, Image of the Day
Male mountain bluebird, Sialia currucoides.
This bird surprised birders in Washington state by visiting Bainbridge Island one weekend in April 2008.
Image: Eva Gerdts, 2008 [larger view].
grrlscientist | May 16, 2008tags: Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Regulus calendula, birds, Kansas, image of the day
Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Regulus calendula, with insect egg or pupa in beak
Image: Dave Rintoul, KSU [larger view].
grrlscientist | May 15, 2008tags: Yellow-rumped warbler, Dendroica coronata, birds, Kansas, image of the day
Yellow-rumped warbler, Dendroica coronata, After Hatch Year male.
Image: Dave Rintoul, KSU [larger view].
grrlscientist | May 14, 2008tags: Prothonotary warbler, Protonotaria citrea, birds, Kansas, image of the day
Male prothonotary warbler, Protonotaria citrea in breeding plumage.
I went out this morning specifically to see if I could get a good image of a prothonotary warbler and I managed to get one.
Image: Dave Rintoul, KSU [OMG view].
grrlscientist | May 14, 2008tags: bird watching, Bill Thompson
Thanks to the good people at Houghton Mifflin Publishing House, I am meeting Bill Thompson, the editor of Bird Watcher's Digest and author of several books, tomorrow afternoon. Needless to say, I am excited to meet Bill and to see Houghton Mifflin's offices, and to attach faces and voices with the names of those people who mail me their lovely beautiful books and email me appreciative and encouraging messages about my book reviews (Thanks, you guys!)
Houghton Mifflin recently published a book by Bill Thompson, The Young Birder's Guide to Birds of Eastern…
grrlscientist | May 14, 2008tags: books, field guides, bird watching, birding, birds
Image: Bill Thompson, III.
There are a variety of field guides to the birds, for English-speaking parts of the world at least, each with their own particular qualities. I have an extensive collection of these books on my shelves that I use as references. But my own choice of my primary in-the-field guide has changed as my skills have improved throughout my lifetime. So this prompts me to ask you two questions (below the fold);
First; how has your field guide choices changed throughout your lifetime? Would you list the guides you…
grrlscientist | May 13, 2008tags: Lincoln's Sparrow, Melospiza lincolnii, birds, Kansas, image of the day
"Not skulking"
Lincoln's Sparrow, Melospiza lincolnii.
Image: Dave Rintoul, KSU [larger view].
grrlscientist | May 12, 2008tags: Male Eastern Bluebird, Sialia sialis, birds, Kansas, image of the day
"Blue enough for ya?"
Male Eastern Bluebird, Sialia sialis.
Image: Dave Rintoul, KSU [larger view].
grrlscientist | May 11, 2008tags: Turkey Vulture, Cathartes aura, birds, Kansas, image of the day
"Cool morning yoga pose"
Turkey Vulture, Cathartes aura.
Image: Dave Rintoul, KSU [larger view].
grrlscientist | May 8, 2008tags: White-Cheeked Turaco, Tauraco leucotis, birds, Image of the Day
Fourth in a series of non-passerine images by this photographer.
White-Cheeked Turaco, Tauraco leucotis.
Image: John Del Rio [larger view].
The turacos are classified into the bird family Musophagidae, which translates as "banana-eaters". Musophagidae also include the plantain-eaters and go-away-birds. Musophagidae are medium-sized arboreal birds that are endemic to sub-Saharan Africa. They live in forests, woodland and savanna. They have weak flight but run quickly through the tree canopy. Musophagidae are primarily…