picture
grrlscientist | December 26, 2009tags: Intergrade Northern Flicker, red-shafted x yellow-shafted Northern Flicker, Colaptes auratus, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
[Mystery bird] Intergrade (red shafted x yellow shafted) Northern Flicker, Colaptes auratus, photographed at the Black River Riparian Forest in Renton, Washington. [I will identify this bird for you in 48 hours]
Image: Michael C. Hamilton, 9 August 2009 [larger view].
Digiscoped using a Leica 77-mm spotting scope with a Nikon P6000 compact camera.
Please name at least one field mark that supports your identification.
Review all mystery birds to date.
grrlscientist | December 25, 2009tags: birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
[Mystery bird] Christmas Duck, Anas noellus, photographed in a kitchen on the 13th floor of an apartment building in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. Unlike most mystery birds, this individual came with a label indicating that it originated in France. [I might identify this bird for you in 48 hours]
Image: GrrlScientist, 25 December 2009 [larger view].
Please name at least one field mark that supports your identification.
Yes, I did roast this duck a little longer, after so rudely slicing into the leg like that.
Image: GrrlScientist, 25 December 2009…
grrlscientist | December 24, 2009tags: Crimson Rosella, Pennant's Rosella, Platycercus elegans, Australian King Parrot, Alisterus scapularis, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
[Mystery birds] Australian King Parrots, Alisterus scapularis (3 on right), and Crimson Rosellas, sometimes known as Pennant's Rosella, Platycercus elegans (13 on top, left and bottom, also one in lower right side), photographed at Lamington National Park, west of the Gold Coast, Australia. The bird at the bottom is about to jump into the center, to the discontent of the other birds. [I will identify these birds for you in 48 hours]
Image: Matthew…
grrlscientist | December 23, 2009tags: Roseate Spoonbill, Platalea (Ajaia) ajaj, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
[Mystery bird] Roseate Spoonbill, Platalea (Ajaia) ajaj, photographed at Arthur Storey Park, Houston, Texas. [I will identify these birds for you in 48 hours]
Image: Joseph Kennedy, 5 December 2009 [larger view].
Nikon D200, Kowa 883 telescope with TSN-PZ camera eyepiece 1/750s f/8.0 at 1000.0mm iso400.
Please name at least one field mark that supports your identification.
Review all mystery birds to date.
grrlscientist | December 22, 2009tags: Northern Pintail, Pintail, Anas acuta, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
[Mystery bird] Northern Pintail, also known simply as the Pintail, Anas acuta, photographed at Arthur Storey Park, Houston, Texas. [I will identify these birds for you in 48 hours]
Image: Joseph Kennedy, 5 December 2009 [larger view].
Nikon D200, Kowa 883 telescope with TSN-PZ camera eyepiece 1/350s f/8.0 at 1000.0mm iso400.
Please name at least one field mark that supports your identification.
Review all mystery birds to date.
grrlscientist | December 21, 2009tags: Common Redstart, Phoenicurus phoenicurus, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
[Mystery bird] Adult female Common Redstart, Phoenicurus phoenicurus, photographed at La Lanterna in Genova, Italy. [I will identify this bird for you in 48 hours]
Image: Cliff Miles, 11 December 2009 [larger view].
Canon EOS Rebel XT with a 75-300mm zoom lens.
Here's a challenging bird for you to identify courtesy of a friend, who narrowed it down to one of two species (but it doesn't "fit" either species well). He contributed four images of this bird (what I think is the best image is published here) to…
grrlscientist | December 20, 2009tags: Frankfurter Weihnachtsmarkt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany, Expat Life, Frankfurt through my eye, photography
Frankfurter Weihnachtsmarkt (Frankfurt Christmas Market)
Image: GrrlScientist, 20 December 2009 [larger view]
This afternoon, my spouse and I investigated the Frankfurter Weihnachtsmarkt (Frankfurt Christmas Market) in Römerberg and Paulsplatz in downtown Frankfurt. It was five degrees below zero celsius (it felt a lot colder), and it was snowing vigorously -- all of which added to the festive atmosphere. We purchased a variety of flavors of "licorice" ropes -- including…
grrlscientist | December 20, 2009tags: Bronzed Cowbird, Molothrus aeneus, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
[Mystery bird] Bronzed Cowbird, Molothrus aeneus, photographed at Quintana, Brazoria County, Texas. [I will identify these birds for you in 48 hours]
Image: Joseph Kennedy, 22 April 2009 [larger view].
Nikon D200, Kowa 883 telescope with TSN-PZ camera eyepiece 1/800s f/8.0 at 1000.0mm iso400.
Please name at least one field mark that supports your identification.
Review all mystery birds to date.
grrlscientist | December 19, 2009tags: Green Jay, Cyanocorax yncas, Blue Morph, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
[Mystery bird] Blue Morph Green Jay, Cyanocorax yncas, photographed at Laguna Atascosa Refuge, Harlingen, Texas. [I will identify these birds for you in 48 hours]
Image: Joseph Kennedy, 8 April 2008 [larger view].
Nikon D200, Kowa 883 telescope with TSN-PZ camera eyepiece 1/80s f/8.0 at 1000.0mm iso400.
Please name at least one field mark that supports your identification.
You might be interested to read an article I wrote about schemochromes and the physics of blue coloration in birds. This piece was…
grrlscientist | December 18, 2009tags: Frankfurter Sonnenaufgang, Frankfurt am Main, Germany, Expat Life, Frankfurt through my eye, photography, image of the day
Frankfurter Sonnenaufgang (Frankfurt sunrise).
Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
Image: GrrlScientist, 18 December 2009 [larger view].
Are you getting bored of looking at photographs of Frankfurt yet? Well, if so, you would have appreciated this morning's image because the snowclouds were so thick that the city had completely disappeared. I tried to get a picture of that for you, but realized that you would not be able to distinguish that photograph from one taken of…
grrlscientist | December 18, 2009tags: Ashy Drongo, Dicrurus leucophaeus, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
[Mystery bird] Ashy Drongo, Dicrurus leucophaeus, photographed at the small village of Muang Khong, near Chiang Dao Mountain, northern Thailand. [I will identify this bird for you in 48 hours]
Image: Dirk S. Schmeller, November 2009 [larger view].
Nikon d90 with a Nikon lens 80-400, 1/400 s f/16 at 400mm iso400.
Please name at least one field mark that supports your identification.
Review all mystery birds to date.
grrlscientist | December 17, 2009tags: Frankfurter Kirche, Frankfurt am Main, Germany, Expat Life, Frankfurt through my eye, photography, image of the day
Frankfurter Kirche (Frankfurt church).
Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
Image: GrrlScientist, 16 December 2009 [larger view].
Last night, on my way home from my first ever Christmas party in Germany, I happened upon this church in the darkness.
grrlscientist | December 17, 2009tags: Carolina Wren, Thryothorus ludovicianus, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
[Mystery bird] Carolina Wren, Thryothorus ludovicianus, photographed in an abandoned finch nest on the deck outside the home of one of my readers in Powder Springs, Georgia. [I will identify this bird for you in 48 hours]
Image: Rebecca Checkwood, 11 December 2009 [larger view].
Sony DSC-W7, 0.025 sec (1/40) f/2.8 7.9 mm.
Please name at least one field mark that supports your identification.
Review all mystery birds to date.
grrlscientist | December 16, 2009tags: Frankfurter Schneesturm, Frankfurt am Main, Germany, Expat Life, Frankfurt through my eye, photography, image of the day
Frankfurter Schneesturm (Frankfurt snowstorm).
Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
Image: GrrlScientist, 16 December 2009 [larger view].
When I awoke today, it was snowing. By late morning, the snow was falling fairly heavily, as you see in this image, where Frankfurt's distinct "Asparagus" (communications) Tower is barely visible.
grrlscientist | December 16, 2009tags: Golden-crowned Sparrow, Zonotrichia atricapilla, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
[Mystery bird] Immature Golden-crowned Sparrow, Zonotrichia atricapilla, photographed at Vancouver Lake, Clark County, Washington. [I will identify this bird for you in 48 hours]
Image: Lyn Topinka, 13 December 2009 [larger view].
Please name at least one field mark that supports your identification.
A second picture of the same individual, at rest.
Review all mystery birds to date.
grrlscientist | December 15, 2009tags: Frankfurt Sonnenstrahlen, Frankfurt am Main, Germany, Expat Life, Frankfurt through my eye, photography, image of the day
Frankfurt Sonnenstrahlen (Frankfurt sunbeams).
Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
Image: GrrlScientist, 15 December 2009 [larger view].
Whilst coming home from IKEA, where my spouse and I finally made a decision on how to design our kitchen, I photographed this lovely scene. In the distance is the smokestack tower that is located near to, and east of, my flat.
grrlscientist | December 15, 2009tags: European Herring Gull, Larus argentatus, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
[Mystery bird] Leucistic/albino European Herring Gull, Larus argentatus, photographed at Station Orthinologique de l'Ile Grande, just outside of Pleumeur-Bodou/Landrellec, Bretagne, France. [I will identify this bird for you in 48 hours]
Image: TravelGirl, spring or early summer 2006 [larger view].
Canon 5D, 100-400L.
Please name at least one field mark that supports your identification.
Review all mystery birds to date.
grrlscientist | December 14, 2009tags: Western Meadowlark, Sturnella neglecta, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
[Mystery bird] Western Meadowlark, Sturnella neglecta, photographed at Carpinteria Salt Marsh in Carpinteria, California. [I will identify this bird for you in 48 hours]
Image: John Callender, 5 December 2009 [larger view].
Can you ID this bird? Can you identify what type of animal killed it? If so, share your comments.
Please name at least one field mark that supports your identification.
There is still some disagreement as to what killed this bird. The photographer says a raptor did it; a commenter claims a…
grrlscientist | December 13, 2009tags: Double-crested Cormorant, Phalacrocorax auritus, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
[Mystery bird] Double-crested Cormorant, Phalacrocorax auritus, photographed at Whittier Narrows, California. [I will identify this bird for you in 48 hours]
Image: Steve Duncan, 8 December 2009 [larger view].
Nikon D200 w/ Nikkor 300mm f/4 & TC17E.
Please name at least one field mark that supports your identification.
Review all mystery birds to date.
grrlscientist | December 12, 2009tags: Western Kingbird, Tyrannus verticalis, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
[Mystery bird] Western Kingbird, Tyrannus verticalis, photographed at Smith Point, Chambers County, Texas. [I will identify this bird for you in 48 hours]
Image: Joseph Kennedy, 1 November 2009 [larger view].
Nikon D200, Kowa 883 telescope with TSN-PZ camera eyepiece 1/750s f/8.0 at 1000.0mm iso400.
This lovely North American species shouldn't be too difficult for most of you to ID (maybe you can hold your enthusiasm in check for a few hours, David?)
Please name at least one field mark that supports your…