White ibis

 

 

 

Probing the grass for yummies.

 

 

 

 

Sometimes I can get close

 

 

… but still can’t get the shot.

 

A rustle in the leaves.

 

A glimpse of tail feathers.

 

A partially obstructed silhouette.

 

Just enough information.  Crimson-collared Grosbeak!  Female.

 

If we could have seen it well, it would have looked like this.

(Not my photo)

 

It’s called crimson-collared because the male looks like this.

(Not my photo)

 

Not very many of them around.

 

 

I’ve been trying

 

 

…to get a good photo of this peregrine falcon.  He’s perched on a water tower.

 

It’s kind of far away.

 

I get as close as I can.

 

We can tell it’s a peregrine.

 

Just can’t get a great closeup.

 

Halftime report

 

 

… on the Great Backyard Bird Count 4 day weekend.

 

It’s a big deal:

Over 7,000 species of birds identified.

192 Countries reporting

 

We’ve been contributing.  30 species today from Anzalduas Park.

 

 

GBBC Halftime Report: Here's What has been accomplished so far.

There's still more fun to be had! Get out, or stay in, and join the world watching birds!

Dear Steve,    It's halftime for the 4-day Great Backyard Bird Count—and the results so far are impressive. Birders from every corner of the world are out, watching, listening, and reporting their birds. Thank you for all your collective effort. Here is a quick run-down of the results as of 6:00 a.m. ET on Sunday, February 18: 400,000+ bird enthusiasts  7,073 species identified 134,101 eBird checklists 103,207 Merlin sightings saved 192 countries reporting There's still more time to count, so let's keep the excitement going and continue to bring the world together for birds!    Scenes From GBBC Weekend   Photos left to right and top to bottom: Orang-headed Thrush in India by Vikram S / Macaulay Library; Snowy Plover in Chile (occidentalis) by Pablo Andrés Cáceres Contreras / Macaulay Library; White-eared Hummingbird in Guatemala by Chuck Babbitt / Macaulay Library; Pileated Woodpecker in Canada by Stephen Taylor / Macaulay Library.    The photos you’ve shared with us from this weekend have been inspiring. Enjoy a few of our favorite scenes from the weekend and see people coming together for birds in this photo gallery.    Explore Gallery of Bird and People Photos   What's in Store for the Second Half of the Count? With 7,073 species at halftime, there's still plenty of birds to find. Let's exceed last year's total tally of 7,538! As a reminder: Even if you've already entered sightings, you can still report birds from the same or different spots. More on how to participate.  We love seeing photos of birders and the birds they love. Keep sharing your bird and people photos! Stay tuned with our gallery if you've uploaded photos -- you might see a familiar face! Don’t forget to make use of Birds of the World during the free access period! This online archive of comprehensive life history information on birds can help you find the answer to any in-depth bird questions. Share the joy of birds and help us spread the word about #gbbc and #gbbc2024 on social media.   A group of friends having fun out birding in Jos Plateau in central Nigeria. Photo by Talatu Tende.   A Brief Look at Global Results The United States and India are checklist stand-outs. Bird lovers are coming out strong in both of these countries, together submitting 2/3 of all total checklists. Columbia and India have submitted the most diversity of bird species. People watching bird feeders in Canada and the United States are reporting high numbers of visitors this winter.    See More Global Results   Snow Geese in Holt Missouri, United States, by Alex Marine / Macaulay Library.   So Many Birds! We are seeing incredible abundance and diversity of birds around the world. Here are a few highlights on big flocks. An estimated 1.8 million Snow Geese were spotted and photographed by Alex Marine in Missouri. Approximately 4.0 million Bramblings were spotted in Germany by Kai Wess. 200,000 Lesser Flamingos were spotted in Tanzania by Akshita Rabdiya.   A peaceful morning of birding by Cynthia Staszak in the United States. Birds and bird enthusiasts never fail to provide good company and inspiration. Thank you for being a part of the GBBC. Have a great day birding!   – Your friends at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Audubon, and Birds Canada  Many thanks to GBBC founding sponsor Wild Birds Unlimited. They’re ready to help you with all your backyard bird needs via their stores and podcast.    The Cornell Lab of Ornithology is a membership institution dedicated to interpreting and conserving the earth’s biological diversity through research, education, and citizen science focused on birds.   You received this email because you are subscribed to Cornell Lab News from Cornell Lab of Ornithology.   Cornell Lab of Ornithology, 159 Sapsucker Woods Rd., Ithaca, NY 14850 Unsubscribe Manage preferences

Ladder-backed woodpecker

 

 

 

…and peanut butter.

 

 

We heard a noise under the house

 

 

There aren’t supposed to be noises under the house.  We called Donald.

 

Donald might be the world’s greatest bug guy.  He’ll take care of any pest problem.  He sprays bugs, traps rats, and relocates possums.  Donald came by and inspected under the house.  He found a point of entry and evidence that a possum had taken up residence.  The situation needed to be dealt with because if left alone, the possum would continue on to work its way up inside the sub floor of the house and make a mess of everything it could get into, so he closed up the entry point and set a critter trap under the house.  He baited it with freshly cut grapefruit from his yard.

 

It didn’t take long.  That night, we heard the possum rustling around directly under the living room while we were watching TV.  Later that night, we heard a “clink”, like a cell door being closed, directly under the bedroom.  We sent a text to Donald.

 

This morning, Donald retrieved the trap.

 

Complete with possum.

 

We don’t want possums under our houses, but in nature possums are good for the environment.  They scavenge.  They eat snakes, rodents, and insects.  This guy got relocated to a nearby wild area.  It should be fine there.  We should be fine here.

 

Thank you, Donald, world’s greatest bug guy.

 

The Christmas Letter

 

 

We got a Christmas Letter from Dave and Sandy.  It’s on my desk.

 

Great friends.  We enjoy them every time we visit.  Pleasant attitudes.  Interesting.  Animated.  Knowledgeable.  A shared interest in birds.  Sandy is younger.  We’ve teased David about being 80, while we still aren’t.

 

Just before that Christmas letter arrived, we got word that a fall and a subsequent cascade of medical events led to David’s untimely death.  Our hearts go out to Sandy and family.  The new reality is inescapable for them.  Me, I can set that Christmas letter aside and not read it yet.  When I do read it, it will be knowing it’s the last time we will ever get something from them together.  I don’t want that part to be over.