travel
tags: Oriental Dwarf-Kingfisher, Ceyx erithaca, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
[Mystery bird] Oriental Dwarf-Kingfisher, Ceyx erithaca, photographed "somewhere" in Indonesia. [I will identify this bird for you in 48 hours]
Image: a herpetologist photographed this bird while visiting the islands of Indonesia [larger view].
Please name at least one field mark that supports your identification.
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tags: Black-crowned Night-heron, Nycticorax nycticorax, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
[Mystery bird] Juvenile Black-crowned Night-heron, Nycticorax nycticorax, photographed in California. [I will identify this bird for you in 48 hours]
Image: Steve Duncan [larger view].
Nikon D200 w/ Nikkor 300mm f/4 & TC17E.
Please name at least one field mark that supports your identification.
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tags: Great Blue Heron, Ardea herodias, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
[Mystery bird] Great Blue Heron, Ardea herodias, photographed in California. [I will identify this bird for you in 48 hours]
Image: Steve Duncan [larger view].
Nikon D200 w/ Nikkor 300mm f/4 & TC17E.
Please name at least one field mark that supports your identification.
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tags: Eared Diver, Black-necked Grebe, Eared Grebe, Podiceps nigricollis, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
[Mystery bird] Eared Grebe, also known as the Black-necked Grebe or the Eared Diver, Podiceps nigricollis, photographed in California. [I will identify this bird for you in 48 hours]
Image: Steve Duncan [larger view].
Nikon D200 w/ Nikkor 300mm f/4 & TC17E.
Please name at least one field mark that supports your identification.
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tags: Anna's Hummingbird, Calypte anna, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
[Mystery bird] Anna's Hummingbird, Calypte anna, photographed in California. [I will identify this bird for you in 48 hours]
Image: Steve Duncan [larger view].
Nikon D200 w/ Nikkor 300mm f/4 & TC17E.
Please name at least one field mark that supports your identification.
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tags: Brown-breasted Barbet, Lybius melanopterus, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
[Mystery bird] Adult with fledgling Brown-breasted Barbet, Lybius melanopterus, photographed in the Pangani River Camp, Tanzania, Africa. [I will identify these birds for you in 48 hours]
Image: Dan Logen, 9 January 2010 [larger view].
Nikon D300, 600 mm lens, ISO 800, 1/640 sec, f/7.1, Exposure compensation +1.7.
A little known fact about the Pangani River Camp is that it is owned by Massey Swynnerton, whose grandfather was a pioneer ornithologist in Africa. Swynnerton's Robin is named for him. Perhaps…
tags: African Golden-breasted Bunting, Emberiza flaviventris, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
[Mystery bird] African Golden-breasted Bunting, Emberiza flaviventris, photographed in Mikumi, Tanzania, Africa. Surely one of the prettiest little birds in Tanzania. They were quite common farther south, especially around Mikumi National Park. This one was near Mikumi town, not in the park. [I will identify this bird for you in 48 hours]
Image: Dan Logen, 9 January 2010 [larger view].
Nikon D300, 600 mm lens. ISO 500, f/6.3, 1/800 sec. Exposure Compensation 0.
Please name at least one field…
tags: African Orange-bellied Parrot, African Red-bellied Parrot, Poicephalus rufiventris, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
[Mystery bird] African Red-bellied Parrot, Poicephalus rufiventris, photographed at the Pangani River Campground, Tanzania, Africa. This bird flew in with a few friends, hung around for only a minute, then went on. The Pangani River Campground is a wonderful rustic campground along the Pangani River, a couple hours south of Moshi. Fee is $5 per person per night. Lots of birds in the area, and Greater Galagos come out every night. They spent the night eating palm nuts…
tags: Bufflehead, Bucephala albeola, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
[Mystery bird] Bufflehead, Bucephala albeola, photographed in California. [I will identify this bird for you in 48 hours]
Image: Steve Duncan [larger view].
Nikon D200 w/ Nikkor 300mm f/4 & TC17E.
This mystery bird species was chosen by my spouse (today is his birthday) and photographed by a friend who lives in California. I'd like to honor all my mystery bird commenters and photographers by asking you to choose the daily "mystery bird" species for your birthdate. If you have a favorite photograph that you'd like…
tags: Night Heron, Black-crowned Night-heron, Nycticorax nycticorax,birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
[Mystery bird] Black-crowned Night-heron, sometimes known just as the Night Heron, Nycticorax nycticorax, photographed in California. [I will identify this bird for you in 48 hours]
Image: Steve Duncan, January 2010 [larger view].
Nikon D200 w/ Nikkor 300mm f/4 & TC17E.
Please name at least one field mark that supports your identification.
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tags: Butterbutt, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Dendroica coronata, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
[Mystery bird] Yellow-rumped Warbler, also known as a Butterbutt, Dendroica coronata, photographed on the Katy Prairie, Katy, Texas. [I will identify this bird for you in 48 hours]
Image: Joseph Kennedy, 6 February 2010 [larger view].
Nikon D200, Kowa 883 telescope with TSN-PZ camera eyepiece 1/250s f/8.0 at 1000.0mm iso400.
Please name at least one field mark that supports your identification.
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Note to my readers: I am currently without an internet connection…
tags: Field Sparrow, Spizella pusilla, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
[Mystery bird] Field Sparrow, Spizella pusilla, photographed on the Katy Prairie, Katy, Texas. [I will identify this bird for you in 48 hours]
Image: Joseph Kennedy, 6 February 2010 [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.
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tags: Maasai Barbet, Masai Barbet, Usambiro Barbet, Trachyphonus usambiro, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
[Mystery bird] Usambiro Barbet, also known as the Maasai (Masai) Barbet, Trachyphonus usambiro, photographed outside the visitor's center for the Serengeti National Park headquarters, Tanzania, Africa. They have a wonderful visitor center with a short trail through a Kopje, interpretive signage, and a small pool for birds and mammals to drink at. This bird was hanging out at the pool, drinking and looking for handouts. It was so tame that it would eat from your hand, and one of our…
tags: Common Egret, Great White Egret, Great Egret, Ardea alba, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
[Mystery bird] Great Egret, also known as the Great White Egret or the Common Egret, Ardea alba, photographed in California. [I will identify this bird for you in 48 hours]
Image: Steve Duncan, February 2010 [larger view].
Nikon D200 w/ Nikkor 300mm f/4 & TC17E.
Please name at least one field mark that supports your identification.
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tags: Curlew Sandpiper, Calidris ferruginea, Ruff, Calidris pugnax, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
[Mystery birds] Curlew Sandpiper, Calidris ferruginea, and Ruff, Calidris pugnax, photographed in the Nyumba ya Mungu reservoir, Tanzania, Africa. [I will identify this bird for you in 48 hours]
Image: Dan Logen, February 2010 [larger view].
Nikon D300, 600 mm lens x 1.4. ISO 320, 1/800 sec, f/6.3.
Please name at least one field mark that supports your identification.
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tags: San Lucas Nighthawk, Sharp-Winged Nighthawk,Texas Nighthawk, Trilling Nighthawk, Lesser Nighthawk, Chordeiles acutipennis, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
[Mystery bird] Lesser Nighthawk, also known by a suite of other common names, including San Lucas Nighthawk, Sharp-Winged Nighthawk, Texas Nighthawk, and Trilling Nighthawk, Chordeiles acutipennis photographed on the South Padre Island Convention Center, South Padre Island, Texas. [I will identify this bird for you in 48 hours]
Image: Joseph Kennedy, 30 March 2008 [larger view].
Nikon D200, Kowa 883 telescope with TSN-PZ camera…
tags: animals, fish, ribbonfish, oarfish, Regalecus glesne, sea serpent,marine biology, Mark Benfield, streaming video
A huge oarfish, also known as the ribbonfish, Regalecus glesne, was caught on camera in the Gulf of Mexico, giving scientists a rare glimpse of the bizarre fish in its native deep sea habitat. This is probably the largest bony fish in the seas, and it has the distinctive habit of swimming vertically (head up). Researcher Mark Benfield describes the fish, a likely inspiration for the sea serpent myth.
tags: Orange-crowned Warbler, Vermivora celata, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
[Mystery bird] Orange-crowned Warbler, Vermivora celata, photographed on the Katy Prairie, Houston, Texas. [I will identify this bird for you in 48 hours]
Image: Joseph Kennedy, 6 February 2010 [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.
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The same individual, facing the camera:
Orange-crowned Warbler, Vermivora celata, photographed on the…
tags: Purple Finch, Carpodacus purpureus, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
[Mystery bird] Purple Finch, Carpodacus purpureus, photographed at the Big Sioux Recreation Area near Brandon, South Dakota. [I will identify this bird for you in 48 hours]
Image: Terry Sohl, 4 November 2007 [larger view]. You are encouraged to purchase photographs from this photographer. I am happy to email his contact information to you.
Canon 20D, 400 5.6L.
Please name at least one field mark that supports your identification.
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tags: NASA, Endeavour, International Space Station, spaceship launch, STS-130,Kennedy Space Center, space exploration, physics, astronomy, engineering, streaming video
Space shuttle Endeavour, carrying Commander George Zamka, pilot Terry Virts, and Mission Specialists Nicholas Patrick, Bob Behnken, Steve Robinson and Kay Hire, successfully launched from the Kennedy Space Center in the early hours of February 8, headed for its 13-day STS-130 mission to the International Space Station.