"birding" fun - Page 6

**Ashrunner** · #51 12-28-2008, 02:22 PM

Birder beat me to it, but it does look like a Cooper's Hawk. The length of the tail seems a bit much for most other "hawkish" birds. Larger images would help to possibly nail it down for sure, but I'll go with a Cooper's.

**birder** · #52 02-17-2009, 12:53 PM

I'm afraid the winter has left us with sparse bird sightings around our home, but locally I hear there was an incursion of Pine grosbeaks and White-winged crossbills. I've been looking, but just Red crossbills, usual around the house birds, RB nuthatches, BC and Mountain chickadees, but did see the solitary Tounsend's solitaire of the winter day before last. There are lots of C geese, but grazing on the golf courses, no open water here, but waterbird around in plenty where there is (Redheads in Spokane at the gravel pit) especially the Spokane River, Pbg, GBH, dabblers, ect) We have been getting peeks at the sun, and yesterday our yard resident Melospiza Melodia lifted back his head and sang as pretty as a summer morning.:D

**shrike** · #53 02-17-2009, 05:24 PM

Had a very large hummingbird hanging out at the aloe yesterday. Other than that it's been mostly cat food,er.. mourning doves

**Gharbad** · #54 02-17-2009, 05:31 PM

I saw a pileated woodpecker yesterday, sat for a second then flew off. I haven't seen one in a few years.

**birder** · #55 02-17-2009, 06:15 PM

Nice, Pileateds and hummers. Kuba that Pileated is some sight to see. Shrike, no other doves around your place? We have had some hardy Mourning doves stick the winter out here, one was at the feeder yesterday. Their wings make an unusual noise when startled, seems the bird can control this noise, too.

**redhorse** · #56 02-17-2009, 08:09 PM

Wow, hummingbirds in February!!

We've had a downy or hairy woodpecker, a bunch of cardinals (7 males were at the feeders at once, couldn't count the females and a permanent group of mourning doves, finches and sparrows. Then crows & hawks too.

The vultures are even back at my work. They sit on the roof and ledges on the third (top) floor and look at you. It's kind of cool, they are huge!! Makes for a nice break if they are around.

**CharlieC** · #57 02-17-2009, 08:27 PM

The flowering gum in our front yard has just finished flowering - the local rainbow lorikeets seemed to appreciate it when it was in full flower - they were chasing off the smaller scaly-breasted lorikeets. We won't see the lorikeets again until spring when the bottlebrushes flower.

Regards,

Charlie

**shrike** · #58 02-17-2009, 09:04 PM

Hummingbirds are year round here. Ours are nearly sparrow sized, with amazing rotorwash. Kinda like being buzzed by tiny Apaches. Oh BTW Hummingbirds float.

Mourning doves are what we seem to have most of. One glaring oops in Defiance was a mourning dove call - artistic, fitting, haunting, just thousands of miles off base

**birder** · #59 02-17-2009, 09:54 PM

My Charlie, what a beautiful bird. Harsh voices those, though? And quite tame to approach? Shrike I had a fish floating the other day, wasn't a good thing

I would love to see your hummers. Jim Turkey vultures(red head) or Black vultures? Turkey vultures nest out in the sagebrush steppes sw of us, amazing flyers they are, seem to play with the wind.

**CharlieC** · #60 02-17-2009, 10:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by birder

My Charlie, what a beautiful bird. Harsh voices those, though? And quite tame to approach?

Not harsh compared to the Suphur Crested Cockatoos - we get feeding flocks of these flying over - can't miss them. The Rainbow Lorikeets are quite agressive - our local family of Noisy Mynahs just stay out of the way when they are around. You can get quite close to them before they get worried - there's a wildlife park down at the Gold Coast where they are tame - the tourists can feed them by hand.

Regards,

Charlie