tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12098451495844556322024-03-13T14:42:23.200-07:00BirdGalAlcatrazBirdGalAlcatrazhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13890249832479900103noreply@blogger.comBlogger60125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1209845149584455632.post-58539609926409910762012-01-31T05:42:00.000-08:002012-01-31T05:42:21.804-08:00Wood Duck WondersI love ducks, as do most birders. From Cinnamon Teals to American Wigeons to Northern Pintails, ducks have endless varieties of looks and patterns that make them wonders to behold. But in my book, nothing tops the Wood Duck. The male Wood Duck, in particular.<br />
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In my former neighborhood, ducks of all kinds were common, but Wood Ducks were scarce. Now that I'm in a new location in Northern California, I'm thrilled that these birds are more commonly seen. I showed a local pair in my last blog post, but this morning, I really hit the jackpot in a nearby pond. Enjoy!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Everybody in the water!</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">How many colors do you see?</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Ducks/i-DDxf5J2/0/M/Female-Wood-Duck-M.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="428" src="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Ducks/i-DDxf5J2/0/M/Female-Wood-Duck-M.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">As usual, the female is drab in comparison. The white eye liner helps a little!</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">The Mr. and the Mrs. out together.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Ducks/i-5QtGn87/0/M/Wood-Duck-2-M.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="428" src="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Ducks/i-5QtGn87/0/M/Wood-Duck-2-M.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Think he knows how good he looks?</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Ducks/i-tTC4Lh7/0/M/Female-Wood-Duck-2-M.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="428" src="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Ducks/i-tTC4Lh7/0/M/Female-Wood-Duck-2-M.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">A closer look at the sweet and modest female.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Ducks/i-PQhGjJX/0/M/Wood-Duck-M.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="436" src="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Ducks/i-PQhGjJX/0/M/Wood-Duck-M.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Behold, Adonis!</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Ducks/i-wT9z7jB/0/M/Wood-Duck-5-M.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="404" src="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Ducks/i-wT9z7jB/0/M/Wood-Duck-5-M.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Time to go ashore for a sun snooze.<br />
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<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">I hope your days are filled with more wonders of nature and I wish you Wood Ducks in your future. Good birding!</span></div></td></tr>
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</div>BirdGalAlcatrazhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13890249832479900103noreply@blogger.com28tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1209845149584455632.post-46736780556261866852012-01-07T16:22:00.000-08:002012-01-07T16:22:17.343-08:00Ducks AplentyOne of the nicest things about this time of year is that wintering ducks are around in force. But unlike a typical year, there's one very unusual duck visiting Central California, a misplaced Falcated Duck, which should be at home in Asia. Birders are arriving from all over the U.S. and Canada to get a look. It's been hanging out with all the other wintering ducks at the Colusa Wildlife Refuge. I went up there last weekend and got to see it myself. It was pretty far off so my photo is a bit blurry, but this is it:<div><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Ducks/i-736vVgr/0/M/Falcated-Duck-3-M.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="378" src="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Ducks/i-736vVgr/0/M/Falcated-Duck-3-M.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br />
<div><a href="http://www.ajc.com/news/nation-world/rare-asian-duck-draws-1293983.html">Here's a link to story on it with a better photo</a><br />
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</div></div></div><div>The Falcated Duck was a big thrill, but just a couple of weeks ago I was able to capture this male and female Wood Duck pair at a local stream just walking distance from my house.</div><div><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Ducks/i-fGjS68t/0/M/Wood-Ducks-2-M.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="428" src="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Ducks/i-fGjS68t/0/M/Wood-Ducks-2-M.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br />
</div><div>And in this same stream just days ago, I came upon this Common Goldeneye. It's not common to me, as I've only ever seen one once before and at quite a distance, so I was happy to capture this female.</div><div><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Ducks/i-CzbTk8d/0/M/Female-Common-Goldeneye-M.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="376" src="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Ducks/i-CzbTk8d/0/M/Female-Common-Goldeneye-M.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br />
</div><div>Other ducks I'm seeing lots of include Northern Pintails . . .</div><div><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Ducks/Northern-Pintails-2/1080951560_PKUFt-M.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="394" src="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Ducks/Northern-Pintails-2/1080951560_PKUFt-M.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br />
</div><div>Northern Shovelers . . .</div><div><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Ducks/Northern-Shoveler-Flock/1080962745_dbYpv-M.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Ducks/Northern-Shoveler-Flock/1080962745_dbYpv-M.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br />
</div><div>Gadwalls . . . </div><div><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Ducks/Gadwall-Male/1190320909_QvW3H-M.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="386" src="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Ducks/Gadwall-Male/1190320909_QvW3H-M.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div>a beautiful male Mallard . . . </div><div><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Ducks/i-sZz6zDf/0/M/Mallard-Male-Close-Up-M.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="428" src="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Ducks/i-sZz6zDf/0/M/Mallard-Male-Close-Up-M.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br />
</div><div>and one very special little female Mallard with a bit of downy fuzz on her bill.</div><div><br />
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</div>BirdGalAlcatrazhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13890249832479900103noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1209845149584455632.post-38627095936665830482011-08-28T14:27:00.000-07:002011-08-28T14:27:03.796-07:00Those Rascally RaptorsI was sorting through some photos this morning and realized I have quite a few images of birds of prey that I've taken here and there but have never gotten around to posting. Some of these shots are marginal at best because I'm pretty lousy at stop-action photography -- something that comes in handy when a hawk soars over your head. Some of the shots are a bit blurry at the edges as well because I've yet to get a 500mm lens that would be a big help with birds too far away for my current lens. But I'm posting them anyway. Also, I readily admit that I'm not only terrible at gull IDs, I'm also lousy with hawk IDs. If any of you want to chime in and correct me on any of these photos, I'd be grateful. <br />
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So here's a shot of the one hawk I'm absolutely certain I've correctly ID'ed, the Red-tailed Hawk. Pretty obvious, right? I wish they were all this easy.<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Looking down at me with curious look on its face is what I believe is a Red-shouldered Hawk.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Perching high in a tree is a White-tailed Kite. It's very hard to see here, but this bird has an amber colored eye inside that black ring. (Here's where I really need a 500mm lens, Santa.)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Hawks/White-tailed-Kite-2/1121828939_fDgkP-M.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="448" src="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Hawks/White-tailed-Kite-2/1121828939_fDgkP-M.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This rascally raptor circled and screeched for days in the airspace over my neighborhood, presumably trying to find a mate. Here it is perched on a giant star a neighbor has high in a tree that lights up each December. I'm pretty sure this is a Red-shouldered Hawk, but don't put money on it.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Hawks/Hawk/1190518734_8i9aw-M.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Hawks/Hawk/1190518734_8i9aw-M.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This fine fellow (or gal?) perched on my back fence is a Red-shouldered Hawk also, though not the same bird as in the prior picture, to my knowledge. These two photos were taken months apart, so I don't think it's the same hawk.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Hawks/Red-tailed-Hawk/1160014142_kyqhs-M.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Hawks/Red-tailed-Hawk/1160014142_kyqhs-M.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This lovely perching raptor is a juvenile White-tailed Kite. That black eye ring is already present. As it matures, the buff coloring you see will fade and you'll see a mostly white bird with gray wings. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Hawks/Juvey-Kite/1179090661_8cwRR-M.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="420" src="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Hawks/Juvey-Kite/1179090661_8cwRR-M.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">These next two photos were taken just a second or two apart. They appear to be floating because I had to lighten them considerably to see anything since they were taken on a dark, rainy day. I took the first one of the hawk perched on the pole and was about to take another when it swooped down to grab the prey it spied below. Thus you see the second shot of the bird diving straight down, a shot I'll never get again in 100 years. I believe this is a dark morph Red-tailed Hawk. But I'll be the first to admit that I have no idea if that's right or not.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Hawks/Red-tailed-Hawk-Best/1126682026_Qytrt-M.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="442" src="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Hawks/Red-tailed-Hawk-Best/1126682026_Qytrt-M.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Hawks/Diving-Red-tailed-Hawk-2/1126682053_rGzxw-M.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Hawks/Diving-Red-tailed-Hawk-2/1126682053_rGzxw-M.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">In these next two shots, a Northern Harrier is flying over an open field hunting for prey below. This is another raptor ID I'm sure of because that white band across its rump is a dead giveaway.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Hawks/Northern-Harrier/921417028_NvXxA-M.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="440" src="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Hawks/Northern-Harrier/921417028_NvXxA-M.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Here we have my favorite raptor of them all, the American Kestrel. This is our smallest falcon and his beautiful field marks and distinctive blue/gray wings, reddish brown tail and black sideburns make him the handsomest guy around. Not the sharpest picture, this was taken through my car windshield.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Hawks/American-Kestrel-4/1191645735_itDbz-M.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="390" src="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Hawks/American-Kestrel-4/1191645735_itDbz-M.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Here we have a White-tailed Kite in action. While the Northern Harrier glides over grassland to hunt, the White-tailed Kite hovers in mid-air while it locks on to its prey below and then dives down to grab it.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Hawks/White-tailed-Kite-2/1191925819_arbJe-M.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="432" src="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Hawks/White-tailed-Kite-2/1191925819_arbJe-M.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Another American Kestrel, this one with the prey it just grabbed.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Bests/American-Kestrel/1128422722_X2Hrk-M.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="434" src="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Bests/American-Kestrel/1128422722_X2Hrk-M.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Here's a closer look at a Red-tailed Hawk. This was another instance where I was about to take a photo of a perched hawk and it suddenly took flight, in this case almost directly over my head!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Bests/Red-tailed-Hawk/1034793011_482so-L.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Bests/Red-tailed-Hawk/1034793011_482so-L.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I hope you've enjoyed these photos and your comments and corrections are always welcome. Good birding!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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BirdGalAlcatrazhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13890249832479900103noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1209845149584455632.post-40440118851099287062011-07-29T06:47:00.000-07:002011-07-29T06:47:55.096-07:00Just A Few FavesIf you read my last blog post, you know that I've moved to a new city, which explains why I'm such a laggard posting here. And yes, I'm still unpacking, still muttering, still wishing I could just go birding for a day and I can't. I have to be "responsible." So here's a visit to some of the images I've taken in the recent past, some of which I've never managed to post and some which are probably repeats; I honestly can't remember. Heck, I can barely remember where I left my car keys, as my "everything in its place" mantra has gone right out the window in a new house where routines have yet to be established.<br />
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But in the midst of what is still general chaos for me, I find a little sense of order is regained by looking at some of my images. I can remember where I was when I took each and every one of these images. Fancy that! I don't know where I put the damn measuring tape or that pair of pliers, but I know exactly where I was when I took each of these photos. That makes me feel a bit better. I hope you enjoy looking at them!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Wild-Birds/Says-Phoebe-4/1191636480_coMBS-M.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="462" src="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Wild-Birds/Says-Phoebe-4/1191636480_coMBS-M.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><b>A lovely Say's Phoebe taken at<br />
Grizzly Island Wildlife Area, CA</b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Backyard-Birds/June-Goldfinch/906496141_whByN-M.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Backyard-Birds/June-Goldfinch/906496141_whByN-M.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><b>American Goldfinch in my San Rafael backyard.</b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Backyard-Birds/Red-breasted-Nuthatch/1118598463_yRhZV-M.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Backyard-Birds/Red-breasted-Nuthatch/1118598463_yRhZV-M.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><b>Breakfast for a Red-breasted Nuthatch, also<br />
in my backyard.</b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Wild-Birds/i-N52SGZr/0/M/Wilsons-Warbler-3-M.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="428" src="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Wild-Birds/i-N52SGZr/0/M/Wilsons-Warbler-3-M.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><b>This Wilson's Warbler gave me a good look<br />
at Point Reyes National Seashore, CA.</b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Hummingbirds/i-XqRmNCL/0/M/Annas-Hummer-2-M.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="418" src="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Hummingbirds/i-XqRmNCL/0/M/Annas-Hummer-2-M.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><b>An Anna's Hummingbird in a treetop,<br />
Corte Madera Creek, CA</b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Hawks/American-Kestrel-4/1191645735_itDbz-L.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="390" src="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Hawks/American-Kestrel-4/1191645735_itDbz-L.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><b>This shot of an American Kestrel was taken<br />
through my windshield at Grizzly Island<br />
Wildlife Area, CA.</b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Hawks/White-tailed-Kite-2/1191925819_arbJe-M.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="432" src="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Hawks/White-tailed-Kite-2/1191925819_arbJe-M.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><b>A White-tailed Kite about to descend upon its<br />
prey in American Canyon, CA.</b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Wild-Birds/YRW/1202819987_nXSY7-M.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="410" src="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Wild-Birds/YRW/1202819987_nXSY7-M.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><b>A lovely "butterbutt" or Yellow-rumped Warbler perched<br />
among the cattails at the Las Gallinas Wildlife<br />
Ponds in San Rafael, CA</b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Wild-Birds/Red-winged-Blackbird/1190288924_7Go75-M.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Wild-Birds/Red-winged-Blackbird/1190288924_7Go75-M.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><b>This Red-winged Blackbird was eating berries in<br />
a shopping center parking lot in Corte Madera, CA.</b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Wild-Birds/UID-Sparrow/1118599110_Kg3ZE-M.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Wild-Birds/UID-Sparrow/1118599110_Kg3ZE-M.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><b>And here's a little Chipping Sparrow by<br />
Corte Madera Creek in CA.</b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Wild-Birds/Song-Sparrow-2/1190845359_UuCgh-M.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Wild-Birds/Song-Sparrow-2/1190845359_UuCgh-M.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large; font-weight: bold;">This sweet Song Sparrow was flitting among </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large; font-weight: bold;">the rocks on the jetty at the</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large; font-weight: bold;">Loch Lomand Marina, San Rafael, CA.</span><br />
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<div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Thanks for stopping by and good birding to you!</span></div></td></tr>
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</div>BirdGalAlcatrazhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13890249832479900103noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1209845149584455632.post-4894387583036635252011-07-13T18:36:00.000-07:002011-07-13T22:00:52.925-07:00I'm Back & I'm Missing My Shorebirds<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>So where have I been for the last two months, you might ask? No, not off on some exotic vacation. And no, not traveling, unless you consider hauling all your worldly possessions to a new city traveling. Yes, I have moved. And let me tell you, packing up and moving a 3-bedroom house, home office, garage and storage outbuilding where you've lived for 27 years is no easy task. I'm still unpacking.<br />
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Now that I'm no longer living in a coastal area, I'm missing my shorebirds a lot. So I decided to take a little trip down memory lane to remind myself what some of these beauties look like. Care to join me?<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Waterfowl/Black-bellied-Plover2/1103591737_GeuHX-S.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="450" src="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Waterfowl/Black-bellied-Plover2/1103591737_GeuHX-S.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">This is a Black-bellied Plover. Funny, its belly doesn't look black . . . </span></b><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">because it's in its</span></b><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> summer dress. Just wait for winter, when it will </span></b><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">show off</span></b><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> its impressive black belly.</span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Waterfowl/Greater-Yellowlegs/1176022578_Uhwhd-S.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="430" src="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Waterfowl/Greater-Yellowlegs/1176022578_Uhwhd-S.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">A Greater Yellowlegs takes a stroll looking for tasty morsels.</span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Waterfowl/Long-billed-Curlew-3/1201962511_f6LQx-S.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Waterfowl/Long-billed-Curlew-3/1201962511_f6LQx-S.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">A Long-billed Curlew forages in shallow water, showing off</span></b><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> its amazing </span></b><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">curved bill. I love the way this photo captures the two-toned</span></b><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> water color of the</span></b><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> late</span></b><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> afternoon sun.</span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Waterfowl/i-6JH2rQP/0/S/Western-Grebe-S.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="392" src="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Waterfowl/i-6JH2rQP/0/S/Western-Grebe-S.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><b>A Western Grebe motors around the harbor at a local marina. </b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><b>The boaters are</b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><b> used to seeing these lovely, slender birds as they</b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><b> dive for food </b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><b>and hang around the docks.</b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Waterfowl/i-gDCwg8J/0/S/White-faced-Ibis-3-S.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="384" src="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Waterfowl/i-gDCwg8J/0/S/White-faced-Ibis-3-S.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">A pair of White-faced Ibises, and though not the best photo, </span></b><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">wonderful to see </span></b><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">with their long, slender bills as they forage in </span></b><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">local waterways.</span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Avocets/American-Avocet-3/1245228021_pr6Qb-S.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="416" src="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Avocets/American-Avocet-3/1245228021_pr6Qb-S.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">An American Avocet just coming into its breeding plumage. The </span></b><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">cinnamon color</span></b><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> will get deeper and darker as the summer progresses until </span></b><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">it peaks and begins</span></b><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> fading</span></b><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> back to its winter black and white colors.</span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">In case you can't recall which is the Great Egret and which is the</span></b><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> Snowy, here's </span></b><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">your clue as to why one is called the Great Egret.</span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Waterfowl/i-CQ7k44x/0/S/Red-throated-Loon-3-S.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="428" src="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Waterfowl/i-CQ7k44x/0/S/Red-throated-Loon-3-S.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><b>This young beauty was a life bird for me right off the fishing pier by</b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><b> the Golden</b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><b> Gate Bridge where it zigged and zagged with astonishing</b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><b> speed </b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><b>chasing fish just</b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><b> below the surface of the water. It was a moment </b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><b>I'll never forget</b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><b> as it surfaced in</b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><b> front of me, tilting its head with a fish</b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><b> disappearing down its gullet in a flash not</b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><b> 6 feet</b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><b> in front of me on the pier. Amazing stuff.</b></span><br />
<div style="font-weight: bold; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I've been away awhile and I hope to be back with a bit more regularity, but I'm still getting</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">used to a new routine and it's a challenge. Best to all my birder friends and others who</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">stop by for a look. I appreciate your visit and hope you'll say hi after I've been gone so</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">long. Best to you and yours and do say hi if you have a moment!</span></div></td></tr>
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</div>BirdGalAlcatrazhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13890249832479900103noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1209845149584455632.post-20114214217141157142011-05-08T14:45:00.000-07:002011-05-08T14:45:23.565-07:00Cute Alert: "We Love Our Mommy!"Happy Mother's Day!<div><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Geese/i-KFF7PjN/0/M/trio%20&%20mom-M.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="432" src="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Geese/i-KFF7PjN/0/M/trio%20&%20mom-M.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Geese/i-Fr4d4kH/0/M/goslings%20(3)-M.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="428" src="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Geese/i-Fr4d4kH/0/M/goslings%20(3)-M.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Geese/i-TZG9Cnj/0/M/goslings%20(5)-M.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="428" src="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Geese/i-TZG9Cnj/0/M/goslings%20(5)-M.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Geese/i-kZwFstV/0/M/goslings%20(6)-M.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="428" src="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Geese/i-kZwFstV/0/M/goslings%20(6)-M.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Geese/i-pWr4jRN/0/M/goslings%20(7)-M.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="428" src="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Geese/i-pWr4jRN/0/M/goslings%20(7)-M.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Geese/i-Tz34VcZ/0/M/goslings%20(2)-M.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="428" src="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Geese/i-Tz34VcZ/0/M/goslings%20(2)-M.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br />
</div>BirdGalAlcatrazhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13890249832479900103noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1209845149584455632.post-66129057218745815332011-05-05T11:14:00.000-07:002011-05-05T11:14:00.351-07:00So While I Was Out Birding ...How many times has this happened to you? You're out birding, and you see something else . . . a flower, a cloud formation, some mushrooms, maybe a squirrel or a snake . . . and you experience that amazing "wow" nature moment.<br />
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Boy, did that ever happen to me today! Check this out:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Animals/Fish/i-HHW2Dkv/0/L/fish%20(14)-L.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="428" src="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Animals/Fish/i-HHW2Dkv/0/L/fish%20(14)-L.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">See that? Maybe not. Look a little closer. Wow! Look at those FISH!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Here I am, wandering along a path at one of my favorite birding locales at the Las Gallinas Ponds in Marin County, and the sound of these behemoths is what made me turn around and say, "What in the heck is making all that racket in the water?" I thought it must be river otters, which I've seen here before. But this was LOUD. Like a three-year-old in a bathtub loud! So look now at what I saw:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Animals/Fish/i-KQ6cMP9/0/M/fish%20(7)-M.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="428" src="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Animals/Fish/i-KQ6cMP9/0/M/fish%20(7)-M.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Animals/Fish/i-wSbRTF6/0/M/fish%20(6)-M.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="428" src="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Animals/Fish/i-wSbRTF6/0/M/fish%20(6)-M.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Do you believe this? These fish were HUGE! Like two-feet-long huge! And they thrashed and splashed and crashed to beat the band!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Animals/Fish/i-MRKN6fd/0/M/fish%20(15)-M.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="428" src="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Animals/Fish/i-MRKN6fd/0/M/fish%20(15)-M.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Animals/Fish/i-F2TX4Mk/0/M/fish%20(4)-M.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="428" src="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Animals/Fish/i-F2TX4Mk/0/M/fish%20(4)-M.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">They practically climbed up on the rocks. I've never seen anything like it!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Animals/Fish/i-zVpXQ7f/0/M/fish%20(12)-M.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="428" src="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Animals/Fish/i-zVpXQ7f/0/M/fish%20(12)-M.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Animals/Fish/i-pbcbQKP/0/M/fish%20(13)-M.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="428" src="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Animals/Fish/i-pbcbQKP/0/M/fish%20(13)-M.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">But now that I've done a little bit of research, I know that these are spawning carp, just one of a gazillion aquatic species who reproduce this way. Says Wikipedia: <span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i>Most fish reproduce by spawning, and so do most other aquatic animals, including <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crustacean" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; color: #0645ad; text-decoration: none;" title="Crustacean">crustaceans</a> such as crabs and shrimps,<a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mollusc" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; color: #0645ad; text-decoration: none;" title="Mollusc">molluscs</a> such as oysters and squid, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Echinoderm" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; color: #0645ad; text-decoration: none;" title="Echinoderm">echinoderms</a> such as sea urchins and sea cucumbers, amphibious animals such as frogs and turtles, <a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aquatic_insect" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; color: #0645ad; text-decoration: none;" title="Aquatic insect">aquatic insects</a> such as mayflies and mosquitoes, and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coral" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; color: #0645ad; text-decoration: none;" title="Coral">corals</a> (which are small aquatic animals and not plants).</i></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i><br />
</i></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Animals/Fish/i-ZcLVPCV/0/M/fish%20(8)-M.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="428" src="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Animals/Fish/i-ZcLVPCV/0/M/fish%20(8)-M.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I knew about spawning, but have certainly never witnessed it. Are they all this vigorous? Beats me.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I'm amazed at how these enormous fish -- I'd estimate these at about two feet in length -- come almost completely out of the water to broadcast their eggs/sperm. You can't tell the males from the females, but there's obviously some benefit from being close to shore when it comes to reproductive success. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Animals/Fish/i-8LNvCwL/0/M/fish%20(11)-M.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="428" src="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Animals/Fish/i-8LNvCwL/0/M/fish%20(11)-M.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">These creatures look almost prehistoric, don't they? For these shots, I'd climbed down among the rocks and was practically on top of them. You would not believe how loud their thrashing and splashing was. It was like a high school water polo match, but these guys weren't in Speedos.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Animals/Fish/i-VMh77Cd/0/M/fish%20(10)-M.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="428" src="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Animals/Fish/i-VMh77Cd/0/M/fish%20(10)-M.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Animals/Fish/i-FTNrVcB/0/M/fish-M.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="428" src="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Animals/Fish/i-FTNrVcB/0/M/fish-M.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I went on to enjoy some excellent birding on this day, but that's another post. For now, I'm just going to leave you with a couple more pictures of this amazing sight that I never imagined I'd see as I set out birding yesterday. Just goes to show you, nature rules, as always.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Animals/Fish/i-wDHcrdW/0/M/fish%20(2)-M.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="428" src="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Animals/Fish/i-wDHcrdW/0/M/fish%20(2)-M.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Animals/Fish/i-htTj5Hg/0/M/fish%20(3)-M.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="428" src="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Animals/Fish/i-htTj5Hg/0/M/fish%20(3)-M.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Animals/Fish/i-Xp7MD74/0/M/fish%20(9)-M.jpg%20" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Animals/Fish/i-Xp7MD74/0/M/fish%20(9)-M.jpg%20" /></a></div>BirdGalAlcatrazhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13890249832479900103noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1209845149584455632.post-23989873628722151232011-05-04T06:44:00.000-07:002011-05-04T06:44:13.726-07:00Ooh, Baby, Baby!Yep, it's that time of year when my local waterways and tidal marshes abound with fuzzy babies in the form of Mallard and Canada Goose chicks. So to give your "ooh" and "awww" vocal chords a bit of a workout, here is the first of two posts devoted to the babies. This one features the Mallard chicks. My next post will feature the Canada Goose chicks, so stay tuned. Hard to say which are cuter, so you'll have to decide for yourself.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I'm pretty sure I'm cuter than my brothers & sisters.</span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Ducks/i-PPSCz8h/0/M/ducklings-M.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="408" src="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Ducks/i-PPSCz8h/0/M/ducklings-M.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Hey, stop pushing & shoving! I'm telling Mom!</span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Ducks/i-Rf9txGg/0/M/mom%20&%20kids-M.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="366" src="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Ducks/i-Rf9txGg/0/M/mom%20&%20kids-M.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">But I didn't do anything, Mom! They started it!</span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Nanner, nanner, nanner, you got in trouble!</span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Now I'm going to show you how I dance.</span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">You put your left foot in . . .</span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Ducks/i-Sznbwsh/0/M/duckling%20(2)-M.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="428" src="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Ducks/i-Sznbwsh/0/M/duckling%20(2)-M.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">You take your right foot out . . .</span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">And that's how we do the Hokey Pokey!</span></b></td></tr>
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</div>BirdGalAlcatrazhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13890249832479900103noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1209845149584455632.post-54325051506822315512011-04-29T07:23:00.000-07:002011-04-29T07:23:52.635-07:00Hummer Love!Spring is here, and so are the hummers. Enjoy!<br />
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</div>BirdGalAlcatrazhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13890249832479900103noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1209845149584455632.post-29166133385508376352011-04-19T17:29:00.000-07:002011-04-19T17:29:06.359-07:00Rachid, Laura & Jann's Excellent Adventure<div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;">For all you Twitter folks, this title refers to @rachidH, @DrMarm and @BirdGalAlcatraz getting together yesterday for a fantastic TweetUp to explore some of the flora and fauna of the San Francisco Bay Area and Marin County, CA.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Laura & Jann have met for photo outings before, but this is the first time we've had the pleasure of meeting our long-time friend, Rachid, face to face as he traveled to San Francisco to visit family here. Many of you know Rachid from Twitter and joined us in fretting for his safety and whereabouts during the Egyptian Revolution since he had arrived in Cairo the day before all hell broke loose. We were all gratified when we finally got a tweet from him some days later that he was safe in Dubai.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">We had a wonderful adventure yesterday visiting Muir Woods, Stinson Beach, Olema and some favorite birding haunts in Marin County. Here are some of the birding photos of this most Excellent Adventure, which included more than one life bird along the way.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">First up, a pair of House Sparrows who decided that a shallow dirt bowl outside the restaurant where we had lunch was the perfect place to hunker down for a nice dust bath.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Wild-Birds/House-Sparrow-3/1257833364_ktxgQ2j-M.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="448" src="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Wild-Birds/House-Sparrow-3/1257833364_ktxgQ2j-M.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Wild-Birds/House-Sparrows/1257839761_qKCWQ5j-M.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="428" src="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Wild-Birds/House-Sparrows/1257839761_qKCWQ5j-M.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We then headed over to the wastewater treatment plant in San Rafael where we thought it likely we'd see some waterfowl and maybe a wild bird or two. We weren't disappointed. First, a Great Egret flew in and landed at the water's edge and began looking for food immediately. We also got some good looks at Red-winged Blackbirds which were abundant.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Wild-Birds/Red-winged-Blackbird-2/1257839881_xHkZBnB-M.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="404" src="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Wild-Birds/Red-winged-Blackbird-2/1257839881_xHkZBnB-M.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Wild-Birds/Red-winged-Blackbird-3/1257839904_dNM7tPn-M.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="414" src="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Wild-Birds/Red-winged-Blackbird-3/1257839904_dNM7tPn-M.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Walking around the main ponds on the site, we were buzzed by Barn Swallows whirling everywhere overhead and across the water. Rachid spotted this pair that actually perched long enough for us to catch a few shots before they took to the air again.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Wild-Birds/Barn-Swallows/1258229055_6rH7dJG-M.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="392" src="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Wild-Birds/Barn-Swallows/1258229055_6rH7dJG-M.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Wild-Birds/Barn-Swallows-2/1258229089_sKGRWQK-M.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="392" src="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Wild-Birds/Barn-Swallows-2/1258229089_sKGRWQK-M.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Then there was one little Song Sparrow all by its lonesome, singing its heart out.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Wild-Birds/Song-Sparrow/1258235565_cdnVTL6-M.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="438" src="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Wild-Birds/Song-Sparrow/1258235565_cdnVTL6-M.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">And although this Steller's Jay wasn't in the same location, we did manage to grab of few pics of this guy on the grounds at Cavallo Point, part of the former Fort Baker right near the base of the Golden Gate Bridge on the north side.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Wild-Birds/Stellers-Jay/1258235624_LvNrfMC-M.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="404" src="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Wild-Birds/Stellers-Jay/1258235624_LvNrfMC-M.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">As we headed out toward the large fishing pier near Cavallo Point, we noticed perhaps a dozen black & white somethings floating in the water, their heads tucked down, sleeping. Laura asked, "What are those?" as I slowed the car down, wondering myself. At first I thought they might be Greater Scaups because I couldn't see them quite close enough. Here are two of them:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Waterfowl/Sleeping-Grebes-2/1258321391_b3Sjgtg-M.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="392" src="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Waterfowl/Sleeping-Grebes-2/1258321391_b3Sjgtg-M.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Then one of them raised its head and that long, distinctive neck and bill emerged, announcing that we'd come upon a whole flock of sleeping Western Grebes. I'm so used to seeing them at a distance, diving and disappearing in a flash, that I could scarcely believe that a whole flock of them was just lolling about nearby in the harbor. Here are a few more looks:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Waterfowl/Western-Grebe/1258237775_6JH2rQP-M.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="392" src="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Waterfowl/Western-Grebe/1258237775_6JH2rQP-M.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Waterfowl/Western-Grebes/1258321445_7NNKXF8-M.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="372" src="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Waterfowl/Western-Grebes/1258321445_7NNKXF8-M.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Waterfowl/Western-Grebes-3/1258323217_s6JFsdR-M.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="428" src="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Waterfowl/Western-Grebes-3/1258323217_s6JFsdR-M.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We then walked out onto the fishing pier where we saw many Western and Ring-billed Gulls, along with a few Double-crested Cormorants in the water, diving and searching for dinner. Rachid and I both did a double take when we spied another fish chaser much lighter in color, popping up and diving repeatedly. At first we thought it was a juvenile cormorant, but after consulting some field guides, it was clear we had the prize of the day: a juvenile Red-throated Loon, and a lifer for all of us. We got some very good looks as you'll see from these shots:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Waterfowl/Red-throated-Loon/1257848386_jwHJmG4-M.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="428" src="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Waterfowl/Red-throated-Loon/1257848386_jwHJmG4-M.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Waterfowl/Red-throated-Loon-2/1257848440_Hf5pZvQ-M.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="428" src="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Waterfowl/Red-throated-Loon-2/1257848440_Hf5pZvQ-M.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Waterfowl/Red-throated-Loon-3/1257848486_CQ7k44x-M.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="428" src="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Waterfowl/Red-throated-Loon-3/1257848486_CQ7k44x-M.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">It truly was a most excellent adventure made even more special by having the opportunity for Twitter friends to meet IRL - in real life, for those of you who don't know the shortened language of Twitter. We had an absolute blast and look forward to doing it again in the future. Rachid will be posting some of his photos on Twitter in the days ahead and you also won't want to miss Laura's next blog post (probably Saturday) where she'll share some of her great shots as well, including Muir Woods. Check out her blog at http://www.drmarm.wordpress.com.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div>BirdGalAlcatrazhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13890249832479900103noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1209845149584455632.post-5548750257152886112011-04-15T09:56:00.000-07:002011-04-15T09:56:28.613-07:00The Wily WilletWillets are fairly common shorebirds on both the East and West coasts, but they're often shy and easily flushed if you encounter them feeding along tidal marshes. I've had many fly away before I could even raise my camera. But here I'll share some images I got when I had what must have been a mighty hungry Willet, because it let me get up close and personal.<br />
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Willets are mostly solitary foragers, hunting and pecking with purpose, looking for a good meal. You'll see one shot in this series where the Willet is accompanied by two Least Sandpipers that it doesn't seem to even notice. I was happy to capture this image because it convincingly demonstrates how tiny the Least Sandpipers are in comparison, something my solo shots of them never convey. Enjoy.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Willets/Adonis-Willet/1188688900_sZzsP-M.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="376" src="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Willets/Adonis-Willet/1188688900_sZzsP-M.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Adonis Willet</span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Willets/Willet-Snack-4/1165907519_eptEN-M.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="386" src="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Willets/Willet-Snack-4/1165907519_eptEN-M.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">A tasty morsel</span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Willets/Willet-Snack-6/1165909153_sbh4d-M.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Willets/Willet-Snack-6/1165909153_sbh4d-M.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><b>Sorta like aquatic popcorn</b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Willets/Willet-Snack-7/1165909205_cUerM-M.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="380" src="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Willets/Willet-Snack-7/1165909205_cUerM-M.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">So many of these yummy little things</span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Willets/Willet-Snack-3/1165907460_Hc3hY-M.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="410" src="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Willets/Willet-Snack-3/1165907460_Hc3hY-M.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Whoa, now I've really scored!</span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Willets/Willet-Snack-2/1165907389_48fau-M.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="382" src="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Willets/Willet-Snack-2/1165907389_48fau-M.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Hmm, now how do I eat something as big as my head?</span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Willets/Teeny-Tiny-Peeps/1191094942_ay6gm-M.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Willets/Teeny-Tiny-Peeps/1191094942_ay6gm-M.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">These tiny peeps - I'll pay them no mind</span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Willets/Talking-Willet-2/1106577626_3Z3VQ-M.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="404" src="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Willets/Talking-Willet-2/1106577626_3Z3VQ-M.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Nothing like a good burp after a big meal - see my tongue?</span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Willets/Willet/1190892784_k7J6K-M.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Willets/Willet/1190892784_k7J6K-M.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">A pause for reflection before I take off</span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Willets/Willet-Wing-Display/1002385970_RZNDX-M.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Willets/Willet-Wing-Display/1002385970_RZNDX-M.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I'm outta here for now, but I'll be back in the morning!</span></b></td></tr>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>BirdGalAlcatrazhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13890249832479900103noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1209845149584455632.post-74024298636450673812011-04-13T06:36:00.000-07:002011-04-13T06:36:41.660-07:00Peekaboo<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Wild-Birds/Cliff-Swallows/906611859_DRoLd-L.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Wild-Birds/Cliff-Swallows/906611859_DRoLd-L.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Wild-Birds/Cliff-Swallow/921416954_65Hh2-L.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Wild-Birds/Cliff-Swallow/921416954_65Hh2-L.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Wild-Birds/Cliff-Swallow-2/921416540_mmqkY-L.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Wild-Birds/Cliff-Swallow-2/921416540_mmqkY-L.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div>BirdGalAlcatrazhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13890249832479900103noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1209845149584455632.post-47316258742008203902011-04-06T09:03:00.000-07:002011-04-06T09:03:01.223-07:00Wings, Wings, Wings<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Egrets/Egrets/1241333388_cKJLs-M.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Egrets/Egrets/1241333388_cKJLs-M.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Snowy Egrets forage in the shallow water.</span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Waterfowl/Flying-Pelican/1049461518_eGHDf-M.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Waterfowl/Flying-Pelican/1049461518_eGHDf-M.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">An American Pelican soars over my head.</span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Waterfowl/UID-Peep-Wing-Display/1241253031_rikXo-M.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="458" src="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Waterfowl/UID-Peep-Wing-Display/1241253031_rikXo-M.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">A Least Sandpiper uses its wings to hop along the shore.</span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Hawks/White-tailed-Kite/1185510408_hKotg-M.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="410" src="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Hawks/White-tailed-Kite/1185510408_hKotg-M.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><b>This White-tailed Kite is about to dive for its unsuspecting lunch below.</b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Waterfowl/IMG3392/1186254213_mjLQW-M.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Waterfowl/IMG3392/1186254213_mjLQW-M.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Willets and Marbled Godwits take to the air as a Northern Harrier shows up.</span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Avocets/Avocet-Wing-Display-2/1070268739_kt5Td-M.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Avocets/Avocet-Wing-Display-2/1070268739_kt5Td-M.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><b>An American Avocet stretches a bit.</b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Geese/IMG7269/1141083219_bXQmz-M.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Geese/IMG7269/1141083219_bXQmz-M.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><b>This Canada Goose appears to be conducting an imaginary orchestra.</b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Hawks/IMG2124/1019738087_MRUnG-M.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Hawks/IMG2124/1019738087_MRUnG-M.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><b>A Red-tailed Hawk looks over its shoulder at you!</b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Waterfowl/Wings/1241248100_nMqfq-M.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Waterfowl/Wings/1241248100_nMqfq-M.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><b>A Killdeer tests its wings.</b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Ducks/Mallard-Wing-Display/906636958_VPJSP-M.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Ducks/Mallard-Wing-Display/906636958_VPJSP-M.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><b>This Mallard offers a lovely display of its beautiful wing.</b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Waterfowl/Forsters-Tern-2/1139948440_FhtpD-M.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="386" src="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Waterfowl/Forsters-Tern-2/1139948440_FhtpD-M.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">A Forster's Tern blends in with the slate colored water below.</span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Ducks/Northern-Pintail/1141197171_4wXSt-M.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="430" src="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Ducks/Northern-Pintail/1141197171_4wXSt-M.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">This Cinnamon Teal female just woke up from an afternoon nap.</span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Ducks/Bufflehead-Takeoff/1190839077_PNTum-M.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="402" src="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Ducks/Bufflehead-Takeoff/1190839077_PNTum-M.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><b>Buffleheads start to take flight.</b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Gulls/Get-Yer-Own-Fish/1165898660_apyAs-M.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="392" src="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Gulls/Get-Yer-Own-Fish/1165898660_apyAs-M.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">One Western Gull with a fish attracts attention and flapping wings.</span></b></td></tr>
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>BirdGalAlcatrazhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13890249832479900103noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1209845149584455632.post-27884294311342865572011-03-30T07:15:00.000-07:002011-03-30T07:15:36.325-07:00"Good Godwit"One of my favorite shorebirds, the Marbled Godwit, is listed as "uncommon" in Sibley, but you wouldn't know that here in the San Francisco Bay Area. Marbled Godwits, Amercian Avocets, Black-necked Stilts and Long-billed Curlews are abundant in this area. Here are some Marbled Godwit images taken here recently, plus some nice close-up shots I got a couple of weeks ago on the beach next to the Huntington Beach Pier in my old home town in Southern California.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Godwits/Marbled-Godwit/1188865457_HjEQK-L.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="470" src="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Godwits/Marbled-Godwit/1188865457_HjEQK-L.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Godwits/Marbled-Godwit-Pair/1188865503_2nVuZ-L.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="452" src="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Godwits/Marbled-Godwit-Pair/1188865503_2nVuZ-L.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Godwits/Marbled-Godwit-2/1232701406_azqqK-L.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Godwits/Marbled-Godwit-2/1232701406_azqqK-L.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Godwits/Marbled-Godwit-3/1232701391_9j9bu-L.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="496" src="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Godwits/Marbled-Godwit-3/1232701391_9j9bu-L.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div>BirdGalAlcatrazhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13890249832479900103noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1209845149584455632.post-53923562143754572362011-03-13T06:05:00.000-07:002011-03-13T06:05:10.698-07:00Love Those Black-necked StiltsBlack-necked Stilts are one of the most common shorebirds seen around the coastal waters here off San Francisco Bay. Along with American Avocets, they frequent the nearby tidal marshes and ponds and feed on tiny invertebrates they find there. Here are some Black-necked Stilts I think you'll enjoy.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Stilts/Water-Droplet/1111559027_g9q47-M.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Stilts/Water-Droplet/1111559027_g9q47-M.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Stilts/Black-necked-Stilt-3/1191566777_Jj9dq-M.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Stilts/Black-necked-Stilt-3/1191566777_Jj9dq-M.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Avocets/Avocet-Stilt/1106570509_XoauX-M.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Avocets/Avocet-Stilt/1106570509_XoauX-M.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"></div><div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: left;">When I'm out photographing birds, the Black-necked Stilt is the bird I'm most often asked about by passersby. They all want to know what that cute little bird with the red legs is. The red legs are undoubtedly the most distinctive feature of these guys, but those long legs allow them to wade in the water and have the perspective to see what they're going after. I frequently see them feeding alongside American Avocets, as shown above.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">While the American Avocets sweeps its bill from side to side to find prey, the Black-necked Stilt has a more direct approach -- it carefully eyes what's before it and takes a snatch-and-grab approach. Here are a few shots that demonstrate the technique.</div><div style="text-align: left;"></div></div></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Stilts/Black-necked-Stilt/1214017057_ZeoyS-M.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Stilts/Black-necked-Stilt/1214017057_ZeoyS-M.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Stilts/Face-First/1214035803_2yvxP-M.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Stilts/Face-First/1214035803_2yvxP-M.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Stilts/Face-First-2/1214035818_HSAS6-M.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="410" src="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Stilts/Face-First-2/1214035818_HSAS6-M.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Black-necked Stilts do sit, but more often they sleep standing up, perched on one leg, usually in pairs or small groups. Check out these guys dozing in the water and the Three Amigos on shore in the shot following and their reflection in the water.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Stilts/Black-necked-Stilts/1148177062_o5LCr-M.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Stilts/Black-necked-Stilts/1148177062_o5LCr-M.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Stilts/Black-necked-Stilt-Trio-2/1146207625_i5d55-M.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="428" src="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Stilts/Black-necked-Stilt-Trio-2/1146207625_i5d55-M.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">And here's a shot of a Black-necked Stilt with somebody who isn't even a cousin -- a Black-bellied Plover, another shorebird I love but don't see too often. (It's in its winter suit, but will have an actual black belly come summer.)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Stilts/Stilt-Plover/1106574631_b38Ty-M.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Stilts/Stilt-Plover/1106574631_b38Ty-M.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">And here are a couple more shots that give you a really good look at how gorgeous this bird is. By the way, you may have noticed that some images show the bird with a brownish back, rather than the jet black in the others. That's the female with the brownish/ black coloring.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Stilts/Black-necked-Stilt-2/921381236_CtiCV-M.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Stilts/Black-necked-Stilt-2/921381236_CtiCV-M.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Stilts/Black-necked-Stilt-2/1111558987_PyGCn-M.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Stilts/Black-necked-Stilt-2/1111558987_PyGCn-M.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The stark black and white coloring of the Black-necked Stilt sure isn't apparent when they're babies. How's that for a set up? Are you ready now to see some chicks? Prepare yourself to die from the cuteness!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Stilts/Black-necked-Stilt-Chick/921380632_b72bW-M.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Stilts/Black-necked-Stilt-Chick/921380632_b72bW-M.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/One-Big-Birding-Day/Stilt-Chick-3/966314852_LMAVQ-M.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/One-Big-Birding-Day/Stilt-Chick-3/966314852_LMAVQ-M.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/One-Big-Birding-Day/Stilt-Chicks/995876341_Y5EUu-M.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/One-Big-Birding-Day/Stilt-Chicks/995876341_Y5EUu-M.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">What, you're still here? You survived the onslaught of the adorable? Well, this is mom and did she ever give me an earful when she saw how close I got to her babies.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/One-Big-Birding-Day/Black-necked-Stilt-5/966299515_HZ76p-M.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/One-Big-Birding-Day/Black-necked-Stilt-5/966299515_HZ76p-M.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I'm very lucky to live in an area where Black-necked Stilts are year-round residents. Some of the Western states will see them in summer as will the southeastern coast of the U.S., but you folks in the Midwest are just outta luck when it comes to seeing these beauties. Black-necked Stilts are one of the San Francisco Bay Area's treasures. I hope you've enjoyed looking at these images as much as I enjoy photographing these beautiful birds. Thanks for stopping by.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div>BirdGalAlcatrazhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13890249832479900103noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1209845149584455632.post-32319076661932477972011-03-06T10:41:00.000-08:002011-03-06T10:41:43.066-08:00Ducks: A Dapper Dozen<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Thanks to some great weather most of the season in coastal Northern California, I was fortunate to get some good looks at a lot of ducks that are common to many coastal waters. I'm sharing a dozen of them here. I hope that you delight as much as I do in their colorful plummage as they motor around our local waterways foraging and showing off their colors.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Ducks/Northern-Shoveler-2/1146288107_vMBcW-M.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="392" src="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Ducks/Northern-Shoveler-2/1146288107_vMBcW-M.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">A male Northern Shoveler with that intense yellow eye.</span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Ducks/Cinnamon-Teal/1157239347_diSzN-M.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="354" src="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Ducks/Cinnamon-Teal/1157239347_diSzN-M.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">A male Cinnamon Teal not quite dozing. </span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">A female Canvasback warily eying the photographer.</span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Ducks/Lesser-Scaup-Pair/1162088223_rSajQ-M.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Ducks/Lesser-Scaup-Pair/1162088223_rSajQ-M.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><b>A male & female Greater Scaup at the marina breakfront.</b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Ducks/Green-winged-Teal-Cinnamon/1157240621_bRovH-M.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="410" src="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Ducks/Green-winged-Teal-Cinnamon/1157240621_bRovH-M.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><b>Cinnamon Teal & Green-winged Teal friends just hanging out.</b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Ducks/Common-Mergansers/1143949856_rzJfH-M.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="376" src="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Ducks/Common-Mergansers/1143949856_rzJfH-M.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">A male & female pair of motoring Common Mergansers<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><b>Jack LaLanne, the American Wigeon.</b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Ducks/Northern-Pintails-2/1080951560_PKUFt-M.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="394" src="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Ducks/Northern-Pintails-2/1080951560_PKUFt-M.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">A pair of Northern Pintails whose bills almost form a heart.</span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Ducks/Gadwall-3/1190843107_WwRfu-M.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Ducks/Gadwall-3/1190843107_WwRfu-M.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">A male Gadwall, lazily paddling at a nearby marina.</span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Ducks/Dozing-Male-Canvasback/1111551520_VhBqB-M.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="416" src="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Ducks/Dozing-Male-Canvasback/1111551520_VhBqB-M.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">A watchful and wary Male Canvasback awoken from his nap.</span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Ducks/Mallard-Close-Up/989711980_xTEVo-M.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Ducks/Mallard-Close-Up/989711980_xTEVo-M.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">A female Mallard who was ready for her close up.</span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Ducks/Bufflehead-Express/1207504211_mxjZm-M.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Ducks/Bufflehead-Express/1207504211_mxjZm-M.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">And finally, there goes the local Bufflehead Express.</span></b></td></tr>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>BirdGalAlcatrazhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13890249832479900103noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1209845149584455632.post-48389512176172832822011-03-02T12:29:00.000-08:002011-03-02T12:29:48.610-08:00Something's Fishy!If you live along a shoreline as I do, gulls are a constant presence and sometimes it's easy to overlook them. But this pair was hard not to notice since they were playing a fun little game of tug-o-war with a fish one of them had managed to land. Check out this adult Western Gull (I think) and first winter Western Gull (I think) as they argue over fish rights. I'm lousy at gull ID (who isn't?) so feel free to correct me in the comments. The captions tell the tale.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Fish-Story/Fish/1201822941_e3xi6-M.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="406" src="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Fish-Story/Fish/1201822941_e3xi6-M.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">"Hey, get lost, this is my fish!"</span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Fish-Story/Fish-2/1201822962_QxB6X-M.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="386" src="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Fish-Story/Fish-2/1201822962_QxB6X-M.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><b>"Mine, I'm tellin' ya!"</b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Fish-Story/Fish-3/1201822996_W67qL-M.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="416" src="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Fish-Story/Fish-3/1201822996_W67qL-M.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><b>"C'mon, get LOST, would ya?!"</b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Fish-Story/Fish-4/1201823005_2hVs3-M.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="372" src="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Fish-Story/Fish-4/1201823005_2hVs3-M.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><b>"Don't even THINK about it!"</b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Fish-Story/Fish-5/1201823037_LKg8n-M.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="380" src="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Fish-Story/Fish-5/1201823037_LKg8n-M.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><b>"Hey, no fair! Give it back!"</b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Fish-Story/Fish-7/1201824619_hi7Zs-M.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="390" src="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Fish-Story/Fish-7/1201824619_hi7Zs-M.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><b>"Damn you, gimme back my fish!"</b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Fish-Story/Fish-10/1201824668_Ztdhc-M.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="372" src="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Fish-Story/Fish-10/1201824668_Ztdhc-M.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><b>"Now buzz off, pal, it's MINE!"</b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Fish-Story/Fish-12/1201826342_Ktx2e-M.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="378" src="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Fish-Story/Fish-12/1201826342_Ktx2e-M.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><b>"Again?! Damn you!"</b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Fish-Story/Fish-16/1201827104_fkdHM-M.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="388" src="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Fish-Story/Fish-16/1201827104_fkdHM-M.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><b>""Hell, I give up. Let's just share!"</b></span></td></tr>
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</div>BirdGalAlcatrazhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13890249832479900103noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1209845149584455632.post-70424832560579936902011-02-20T07:59:00.000-08:002011-02-20T07:59:12.116-08:00Hey, That's No Bird!You're right. It's not. Normally I only post about birds here, but I have to make an exception this time. Because I have to share with you something that's even cuter than a Black-necked Stilt chick - my newest squirrel, Blondie.<br />
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</div>Blondie isn't albino, but instead is leucistic. Do you know what that is? Let's look at more pics of Blondie before I tell you what I've learned about leucism, shall we?<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Nature/Squirrels/Albino-Squirrel-4/1034482452_ZwUua-M.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="448" src="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Nature/Squirrels/Albino-Squirrel-4/1034482452_ZwUua-M.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
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Isn't she cute? I've got some more images to share that really show how light she is compared to my other squirrels, but let me take a brief moment to tell you about leucism. According to Wikipedia, leucism is a condition characterized by reduced pigmentation. Unlike albinism, it is caused by a reduction in ALL types of skin pigment, not just melanin. And that's why Blondie's eyes aren't red, like you see in an albino. More on that in a sec. Time for a couple more pics.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Nature/Squirrels/IMG2325/1166929156_fLwWc-XL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Nature/Squirrels/IMG2325/1166929156_fLwWc-XL.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
You see how light she is in comparison to one of my other regulars? But she's not albino, because she has regular dark eyes. She is leucistic. I'm sure you know about the red eyes in albinos. Know why they're red? Because you are actually looking at the blood vessels in the eye! The lack of melanin production in albinos causes the underlying blood vessels in the eye to show through. Did you know this? I didn't. But Blondie's normal eye color is another signal that she's leucistic, not albino.<br />
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Here are two more pics, one where Blondie almost looks like she's posing and another where she's decided that the other squirrel looks good enough to kiss. Squirrel kisses - who knew?<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Nature/Squirrels/IMG2307/1166923482_JJZMA-L.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Nature/Squirrels/IMG2307/1166923482_JJZMA-L.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>BirdGalAlcatrazhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13890249832479900103noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1209845149584455632.post-52252246865178295332011-02-09T06:09:00.000-08:002011-02-09T06:09:45.990-08:00Requiem For A Scream<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Great-Blue-Heron-Show/GBH-8/1176884968_VHKoW-L.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="330" src="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Great-Blue-Heron-Show/GBH-8/1176884968_VHKoW-L.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Great-Blue-Heron-Show/GBH-4/1176881070_qbp4q-L.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="336" src="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Great-Blue-Heron-Show/GBH-4/1176881070_qbp4q-L.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Great-Blue-Heron-Show/Scream/1182133688_avdks-L.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Great-Blue-Heron-Show/Scream/1182133688_avdks-L.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Great-Blue-Heron-Show/GBH-15/1176886689_gN3ic-L.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="292" src="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Great-Blue-Heron-Show/GBH-15/1176886689_gN3ic-L.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>BirdGalAlcatrazhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13890249832479900103noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1209845149584455632.post-20978196961849479412011-01-24T06:39:00.000-08:002011-01-24T06:39:48.426-08:00Snowy Egret<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Egrets/Snowy-Egret/1164467621_KBGqA-L.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="438" src="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Egrets/Snowy-Egret/1164467621_KBGqA-L.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>BirdGalAlcatrazhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13890249832479900103noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1209845149584455632.post-20810955592458663472011-01-20T09:25:00.000-08:002011-01-20T09:25:17.108-08:00Red-Letter Day: Black Turnstones, Black OystercatchersOne of my favorite birding spots is along the rocky shore and inlet of San Pablo Bay near San Francisco. It's a spot where I regularly see egrets, gulls, sandpipers, grebes and more. This past Monday -- Martin Luther King, Jr. Day -- I found myself back at my familiar haunt. I was listening to NPR on my iPod as I often do while birding. King's "I Have A Dream" speech was being rebroadcast in its entirety. I was marveling to myself how powerful that speech was and still is when I spied these Black Turnstones and Black Oystercatchers. The Black Turnstone is a lifer for me. The irony of seeing these two "black" birds on this day was not lost on me. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Waterfowl/Black-Turnstone-2/1160233547_tTrf7-L.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Waterfowl/Black-Turnstone-2/1160233547_tTrf7-L.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Waterfowl/Black-Oystercatcher/1160233102_gpnr3-L.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Waterfowl/Black-Oystercatcher/1160233102_gpnr3-L.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Waterfowl/Black-Turnstone-5/1160235523_4YuQu-L.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Waterfowl/Black-Turnstone-5/1160235523_4YuQu-L.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Waterfowl/Black-Oystercatcher-2/1162119322_oTkrh-L.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Waterfowl/Black-Oystercatcher-2/1162119322_oTkrh-L.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Waterfowl/Black-Turnstone-6/1160235573_iLDWK-L.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Waterfowl/Black-Turnstone-6/1160235573_iLDWK-L.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Waterfowl/Black-Turnstone-7/1160235618_QbqPg-L.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Waterfowl/Black-Turnstone-7/1160235618_QbqPg-L.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Waterfowl/Black-Turnstone-8/1160235662_SfPXs-L.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Waterfowl/Black-Turnstone-8/1160235662_SfPXs-L.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>BirdGalAlcatrazhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13890249832479900103noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1209845149584455632.post-1187133069831747222011-01-16T10:05:00.000-08:002011-01-16T10:05:24.699-08:00Green-winged Teals: He Said, She Said<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Ducks/Green-winged-Teal-Ballet-3/1157243184_AF9Xk-L.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="356" src="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Ducks/Green-winged-Teal-Ballet-3/1157243184_AF9Xk-L.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">"So you're saying I'm boring?" he asks.</span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Ducks/Green-winged-Teal-Ballet/1157241497_C6FRt-L.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="376" src="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Ducks/Green-winged-Teal-Ballet/1157241497_C6FRt-L.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">He pouts, noting her exaggerated indifference.</span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Ducks/Green-winged-Teal-Cinnamon/1157241470_ko9Xm-L.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="364" src="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Ducks/Green-winged-Teal-Cinnamon/1157241470_ko9Xm-L.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">"But look at my magnificence!" he cries.</span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Ducks/Green-winged-Teal-Female/1157243193_zohDD-L.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="396" src="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Ducks/Green-winged-Teal-Female/1157243193_zohDD-L.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">"Magnificence?" she says. "THIS is magnificence!"</span></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>BirdGalAlcatrazhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13890249832479900103noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1209845149584455632.post-9301208273982354102011-01-14T07:10:00.000-08:002011-01-14T07:10:19.767-08:00Let's Talk Turkey VultureSo is there an uglier bird in the Americas? I'm hard pressed to think so, and the Turkey Vulture's role in nature as a prime eater of dead things doesn't exactly endear this bird to most people's hearts.<br />
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But the Turkey Vulture is an important contributor to the life cycle of nature. That featherless head and strange bone-colored beak are super efficient when it comes to sticking its head into the bodies of carrion.<br />
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If you're a Turkey Vulture fan, you'll want to know about The Turkey Vulture Society where you can learn more and buy T-shirts and hats and pins -- and even an "I Brake For Carrion" bumper sticker. <a href="http://vulturesociety.homestead.com/">http://vulturesociety.homestead.com/</a><br />
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Speaking of its featherless head and strange bone-colored beak, let's take a closer look, shall we? Ever seen a Turkey Vulture tongue? Now you have:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Vultures/Turkey-Vuture-Preening/1156433433_7iQbN-L.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="390" src="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Vultures/Turkey-Vuture-Preening/1156433433_7iQbN-L.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Wild-Birds/Turkey-Vulture/914308385_zeU7t-L.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="396" src="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Wild-Birds/Turkey-Vulture/914308385_zeU7t-L.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Wild-Birds/IMG8679/945132227_bH33H-L.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Wild-Birds/IMG8679/945132227_bH33H-L.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Vultures/Turkey-Vultures-2/1156433407_MFoVZ-L.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Vultures/Turkey-Vultures-2/1156433407_MFoVZ-L.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Vultures/Turkey-Vuture/1156433422_ywfpp-L.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="392" src="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Vultures/Turkey-Vuture/1156433422_ywfpp-L.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>BirdGalAlcatrazhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13890249832479900103noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1209845149584455632.post-81860077554275928722011-01-10T14:58:00.000-08:002011-01-10T14:58:38.643-08:00Golden-crowned SparrowsNo, I'm not blogging about Golden-crowned Sparrows just to taunt my friends in the Midwest and on the East Coast who don't have these beauties -- it's just that I've had so many lately, it seems selfish not to share! They arrive in the fall and then eat themselves silly through winter. And don't miss the last photo in this series to see just why they're candidates for Weight Watchers by the time they're through! Lifers for many of you, but a commonly seen bird for me, please enjoy these Golden-crowned Sparrow images.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Backyard-Birds/Golden-crowned-Sparrow-2/1151823119_P5Cfq-L.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Backyard-Birds/Golden-crowned-Sparrow-2/1151823119_P5Cfq-L.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Backyard-Birds/Golden-crowned-Sparrow/1148781815_NL7Rx-L.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="388" src="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Backyard-Birds/Golden-crowned-Sparrow/1148781815_NL7Rx-L.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Wild-Birds/Golden-crowned-Sparrow-3/1152986390_Ud2SG-L.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="438" src="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Wild-Birds/Golden-crowned-Sparrow-3/1152986390_Ud2SG-L.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Backyard-Birds/Golden-crowned-Sparrow/855905681_qtDki-L.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Backyard-Birds/Golden-crowned-Sparrow/855905681_qtDki-L.jpg" width="558" /></a></div>BirdGalAlcatrazhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13890249832479900103noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1209845149584455632.post-50306721594530402162011-01-06T13:05:00.000-08:002011-01-06T13:05:29.057-08:00The Bewitching Bewick's WrenHouse Wrens and Marsh Wrens are two of the most common wrens found throughout the United States. But those of us in the Southwest and West have the added benefit of seeing another lovely wren, the Bewick's Wren.<br />
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Named after the famed 18th century British ornithologist, Thomas Bewick, the Bewick's Wren is a small-bodied bird with a slightly downcurved bill. But its big claim to fame is its conspicuous and dashing white eyebrow. It gives it a sort of distinguished, Clark Gable look and makes it an easy bird to spot in your backyard.<br />
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Here are a few photos of this bewitching little bird, including one of its sexy rear end. At least sexy to other Bewick's Wrens, one presumes.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Backyard-Birds/Bewicks-Wren/1134570216_yETiX-L.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Backyard-Birds/Bewicks-Wren/1134570216_yETiX-L.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Backyard-Birds/Bewicks-Wren-Front-2/1118606822_z3rDq-L.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="433" src="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Backyard-Birds/Bewicks-Wren-Front-2/1118606822_z3rDq-L.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Backyard-Birds/Bewicks-Wren/1148781756_xSMzq-L.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="384" src="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Backyard-Birds/Bewicks-Wren/1148781756_xSMzq-L.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Backyard-Birds/Bewicks-Wren-2/1148781788_TVtj9-L.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="354" src="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Backyard-Birds/Bewicks-Wren-2/1148781788_TVtj9-L.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Backyard-Birds/Bewicks-Wren-Rear2/1118619397_VgNDi-L.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://jdorothy.smugmug.com/Birds/Backyard-Birds/Bewicks-Wren-Rear2/1118619397_VgNDi-L.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>BirdGalAlcatrazhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13890249832479900103noreply@blogger.com8