The Uncaged Bird -Hummingbird feeder is up!

Wow, I love that bird!

The pelicans are always so dramatic, aren’t they?

We’re so close to the beaches where they hang out that they normally roost on top of the traffic lights and street lights on the main roads!

Is it true that they deliver babies?

Isn't that storks?  

Ogden Nash:

A wonderful bird is the pelican,
His bill holds more than his belly can.
He can take in his beak,
Enough food for a week,
But I'm damned if I see how the hell he can.

Yes storks LOL 

There's a bit of autumn in the air but the pool is still active. 

No birds in this picture, just wanted to share something that is blooming profusely this autumn in my bird garden. I placed it behind the angel as if is fittingly named Monkshood. All I purchased were 3 plants form the Maplewood Garden Club Plant Sale and in a few years they have multiplied and reach about 7' tall. As they are poisonous, the deer avoid them.

Does anyone have bird-watching friends in Alaska? Or would you have noticed any news about birds there? Specifically, short-tailed shearwater birds. 

We (and New Zealanders) call them mutton birds. We're expecting them down here (well, down in Victoria) for breeding season - yes, they migrate to the other side of world! And then they fly back! Only this year, the flocks haven't shown up...

I remember reading something in New Scientist about 6 weeks ago about the summer being so hot that closer to the Arctic Circle, animals and birds couldn't find enough water and were in heat stress. I'm not sure how Alaska fared. 

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-10-25/mutton-bird-mystery-deepens-griffiths-island/11627720

I don't know anyone from Alaska but I'm keeping up with animal and environment news from down under, following Australian Geographic on FB. It's beautifully photographed and a joy to see it pop up in my FB newsfeed.

https://www.australiangeographic.com.au/

The stamina of migrating birds is astounding - these eagles have flown from Russia to Iran and beyond

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-10-26/roaming-russian-eagles-leave-scientists-broke/11642780

joanne said:

The stamina of migrating birds is astounding - these eagles have flown from Russia to Iran and beyond

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-10-26/roaming-russian-eagles-leave-scientists-broke/11642780

 Does it count that I flew from NYC to Bali?

D took these with his new phone. Can you see the bigger turtle and the baby?

If that was a Snapping Turtle, baby would be lunch.

JJ, they’re long-necked turtles. I think the resident eels nip at them, especially the babies, because there are very long times when we don’t see any but we should. But the continuing drought is seriously affecting the source water for the lake, as well as an industrial polluter who’s just been nabbed, so we’re lucky to have anything here really. 

OK, friends - who wants to vote for Australian Bird of the Year? The pics and descriptions are cute (the jabiru, for example, is just one kind and the welcome bird description doesn’t explain why it’s called that). 

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/ng-interactive/2019/oct/27/australian-bird-of-the-year-2019-vote-for-your-favourite

Not fair @joanne, not fair. How can I choose? I love the Frogmouth but I rescued a Sulphur Crested Cockatoo. And yet my love affair with birds began with the much loved parakeet or Budgerigar.

And I am writing to presidential candidate Sen. Elizabeth Warren and informing her that your country has a monopoly on cool birds. Not fair!

I'm going with the Budgie.

So when you read the comments on this cartoon, Morganna, just remember Snitty the environmentalist cassowary and Brenda the civil disobedience penguin (beloved characters here)

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/oct/28/will-the-brave-and-clever-sulphur-crested-cockatoo-win-bird-of-the-year-did-a-cockatoo-write-this

That's hilarious @joanne!

I didn't have my camera in its usual spot so I missed a picture of the first black capped chickadee. Tiny and adorable and with us all winter. I'm sure I'll get one in the next week or so.

Do you think a shiny black cormorant on a post will help make up for the disappointment? (To your left as you view the pic; he blends into the shadows)

A bird quiz! 

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/oct/30/do-you-know-an-owl-from-an-albatross-test-your-bird-knowledge-in-this-quiz

I love this time of the year, in both hemispheres.

joanne said:

A bird quiz! 

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/oct/30/do-you-know-an-owl-from-an-albatross-test-your-bird-knowledge-in-this-quiz

I love this time of the year, in both hemispheres.

 Ummm, not doing too well on this quiz. But in my defense, I am quite the expert on owls.  My painting will be on view at the SOMA Artists Studio Tour this weekend.

To my embarrassment, my hunches were better than my clicked answers I should have trusted my gut!

Your painting is gorgeous - lovely honey tones. 

Thought you’d like this:

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-10-30/how-to-rescue-a-bird-from-a-tree/11655470

We have baby ducklings!!

They followed mama duck over from the very far left corner of the lake this morning, for breakfast. Just at the edge of the lilies closer to us, daddy duck went to meet them so mama could go eat while the single-file of ducklings picked their way through, following her trail. Then they gathered around him and floated towards us, with a late straggler gleefully jumping onto the lily-pads and running over the more solid leaves (I suspect this one isn’t a good swimmer yet). One of its siblings went back to collect him/her.

They’re so cute! And tiny! Not sure of the breed, think they’re swamp hens, but different to ones in my bird book. 

Happy Halloween!

Morganna and friends, you just have to read today’s First Dog on the Moon! Not birds, but cheeky pademelons - and read the comments! 
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/nov/01/pademelons-moved-into-our-garden-and-while-they-were-adorable-they-simply-would-not-leave-and-then-

joanne said:

Morganna and friends, you just have to read today’s First Dog on the Moon! Not birds, but cheeky pademelons - and read the comments! 
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/nov/01/pademelons-moved-into-our-garden-and-while-they-were-adorable-they-simply-would-not-leave-and-then-

 Had a visitor from Sydney. She lives in NYC, is from Australia and goes back a few times a year. I am trying to get her to join and post at least once to say Hi. When I showed her your pictures she flashed her phone with dozens of Rainbow Lorikeet videos. She of course was familiar with First Dog on the Moon. This was one of the friends that my ex husband was planning on visiting. Glad he brought them over. Both women were college professors. One is still teaching at Fordham U. Political Science and the other one taught at Duke, now retired, women's studies. Lively conversation was had by all!

I’ve been playing an online word game with a new friend in Netherlands whose nephew is engaged to a young woman from Perth, Western Australia. The young couple are in Netherlands. It’s so much fun chatting to my friend about the birds, then saying ‘ask B about this, she’ll explain what I mean’.  

In reading up on our birds, I’ve learnt that we have 3kinds of plovers in our area. One kind, quite tall, comes all the way from China just to breed then flies home in March! We do have these quite close to us in this area. Another kind is called the red hooded plover; it has a russet-tinged cap over its coloured head and neck, white face and throat as the other plovers. Shorter legs than the Chinese visitors (maybe two-thirds?). We definitely have these nesting here in the village, as well as the Eurasian plovers which sound exotic but in fact, don’t leave Australia. (The name just means the family is found everywhere) They n’est nearby too. Such riches!  

Yesterday’s brekky group: teal ducks, swamp moor hens, pacific black ducks, mane headed ducks, a couple of small welcome birds, a jewelled pigeon

November and still getting bathers! Saw an enthusiastic Blue Jay.

I realize that I'm not supposed to capitalize the name of birds but I can't resist. They are too special. I tend to freelance with capitalization.

I can't remember - sometimes wild turkeys visit your area, don't they? So, it should be almost time for them to arrive now, yes? I'm guessing they'd frequent the Reservation, and sports fields more than back yards?