BIRDCHAT for Thursday, April 24, 2008

Messages are displayed in the order they were received.  Subject  From  Time   Guatemala - In search of the Belted Flycatcher   Carol Anderson   3:46am   Re: mystery HB with link   Virginia Nufer   8:13am   Remembird   Steve Sosensky    1:50pm   FW: [wisb] The dinosaur-bird connection   Chuck Hagner    2:52pm   Concrete Bird Houses   David M. Gascoigne   3:06pm   Interesting Red-winged Blackbird behavior   Ken Blackshaw   3:21pm

To use email addresses replace '(AT)' with '@'. This is done to confuse the spam 'bots.

[ << | >> | ^^ ]

Subject: Guatemala - In search of the Belted Flycatcher
From: "Carol Anderson" <mayancarol(AT)gmail.com>
Date: 24 Apr 2008 3:46am

Folks,

I went on a birding trip yesterday across the lake to a spot called
Buenaventura. The property is owned by Richard Rivera, a fellow birder, and
is exquisitely beautiful. We did not find the Belted Flycatcher but we saw a
Blue Hooded Euphonia, Band-backed Wren, many Bushy-crested Jays, the
Stripe-headed Sparrow and lots lots more. I was unable to digiscope photos
because of the incline and just how enfolliated it all is but it was a
beautiful spot and I think you will enjoy a glimpse of this video. Please
feel free to comment or rate the video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bqyGAnekEs0

-- 
Carol C. Anderson
San Pedro La Laguna
Guatemala
mail to:
mayancarol(AT)gmail.com
www.monterey-bay.net/birds

BirdChat Guidelines: http://www.ksu.edu/audubon/chatguidelines.html
Archives: http://listserv.arizona.edu/archives/birdchat.html


[ << | >> | ^^ ]

Subject: Re: mystery HB with link
From: "Virginia Nufer" <nuferv(AT)ohsu.edu>
Date: 24 Apr 2008 8:13am

Helen,
 
It still looks like an Anna's to me.  In the past several years I have
had two individuals with deformed bills.  Both were males so it was easy
to determine species.  This winter's visitor was really bad as it also
couldn't direct its tongue forward; it darted off to the side.  The only
way he could feed was to stick the beak into the tube and let the liquid
dribble into his mouth.  (In the winter, when there are no wasps, I use
a dripper-type feeder.  In the summer I change over to a saucer type.) 
Anyway, the views that don't show the curve sure appear to be the more
likely Anna's.
 
Virginia
Portland, Oregon, USA

>>> Helen <helaue(AT)SHAW.CA> 4/19/2008 10:45 AM >>>

Sorry for breaking the rules by sending a message with attachments 
yesterday.  I am resending the message today with a link to three 
pictures of a hummingbird that has been feeding off our flowering 
currant regularly for several days now.  We live on Vancouver Island, 
about 20 min  north of Nanaimo or 2 hours north of Victoria a few feet

above sea level about 70 yards from a bay in the Georgia Strait.  There

are basically two species of hummingbird in this area, the Rufous, 
which is by far the most common in the summer, and Anna's, which is a 
year-round resident in small numbers.  A very rare visitor is the 
Black-chinned.  There have been a couple of sightings of this species 
within 10 miles of here within the last month.

To see the pictures go to the website:  
http://members.shaw.ca/halaue/Nanoose_Birdlist/MysteryHB.html 

I need help in identifying the bird in the pictures.  It has no rufous

coloration anywhere, so it does not seem to be a Rufous HB.  That 
leaves Anna's (female) as the most likely candidate.  However, note the

rather strongly curved bill.  All three HB species mentioned above have

rather straight bills according to the illustrations in the books.  How

variable can bill curvatures be?

Thanks,

Helen Laue
Nanoose Bay, BC
Canada
email: helaue(AT)shaw.ca 

BirdChat Guidelines: http://www.ksu.edu/audubon/chatguidelines.html 
Archives: http://listserv.arizona.edu/archives/birdchat.html 

BirdChat Guidelines: http://www.ksu.edu/audubon/chatguidelines.html
Archives: http://listserv.arizona.edu/archives/birdchat.html


[ << | >> | ^^ ]

Subject: Remembird
From: Steve Sosensky <steve(AT)optics4birding.com>
Date: 24 Apr 2008 1:50pm

Hi Chatters,

We're considering carrying the Remembird devices but are looking for 
any comments from people who have had experience with them. If you 
want to answer off-list, I'll post a summary of the responses.

Good Viewing,
Steve Sosensky <mailto:Steve(AT)optics4birding.com>
Vice President

www.Optics4Birding.com
19 Hammond Suite 506                                    N  33.65926
Irvine CA 92618                                         W 117.70305
877.OP4.BIRD (877.674.2473) Toll Free             818.522.5261 Cell
949.360.OPTX (949.360.6789) Local

BirdChat Guidelines: http://www.ksu.edu/audubon/chatguidelines.html
Archives: http://listserv.arizona.edu/archives/birdchat.html


[ << | >> | ^^ ]

Subject: FW: [wisb] The dinosaur-bird connection
From: Chuck Hagner <chagner(AT)kalmbach.com>
Date: 24 Apr 2008 2:52pm

------ Forwarded Message
From: Matt Mendenhall <mmendenhall(AT)kalmbach.com>
Date: Thu, 24 Apr 2008 16:33:27 -0500
To: Wisconsin Birding Network <wisbirdn(AT)mailhub.lawrence.edu>
Conversation: [wisb] The dinosaur-bird connection
Subject: [wisb] The dinosaur-bird connection

Hi everyone,
A new paper in the journal Science says that the closest living relatives of
Tyrannosaurus rex are chickens and Ostriches. You can read more on our blog:

T. rex's modern-day relatives
http://bwfov.typepad.com/birders_world_field_of_vi/2008/04/t-rexs-modern-d.html

Matt Mendenhall
Associate Editor, Birder's World
Brookfield
Waukesha County

------ End of Forwarded Message

BirdChat Guidelines: http://www.ksu.edu/audubon/chatguidelines.html
Archives: http://listserv.arizona.edu/archives/birdchat.html


[ << | >> | ^^ ]

Subject: Concrete Bird Houses
From: "David M. Gascoigne" <bateleur27(AT)hotmail.com>
Date: 24 Apr 2008 3:06pm

Hello everyone:
I know that in the UK concrete bird houses have been available for some time. I
believe they were first introduced to combat predation by squirrels; also a
serious problem developed when woodpeckers would listen to the sounds of new
hatchlings in a nest box and chisel their way through the side for an easy
source of protein.
These boxes are typically designed for Blue Tit sized birds; thus, equivalent to
 a chickadee nest box here. I am trying to get a local manufacturer of garden
ornaments interested in creating one. I wonder if anyone has any details
regarding the actual construction of such a box, i.e. dimensions, is there a
removable lid for cleaning, where are mounting holes and/or mounting devices
located etc?
Any specific information that could be passed along to help create the necessary
 mould would be greatly appreciated.
David M. Gascoigne
Waterloo, ON
_________________________________________________________________
Find hidden words, unscramble celebrity names, or try the ultimate crossword
puzzle with Live Search Games. Play now!
http://g.msn.ca/ca55/212
BirdChat Guidelines: http://www.ksu.edu/audubon/chatguidelines.html
Archives: http://listserv.arizona.edu/archives/birdchat.html


[ << | >> | ^^ ]

Subject: Interesting Red-winged Blackbird behavior
From: "Ken Blackshaw" <kenandcindy1(AT)comcast.net>
Date: 24 Apr 2008 3:21pm

On the 22nd of April I observed a male Red-winged Blackbird examining the 
entry hole of a birdbox on my property. Since we all know that Red-wings are 
not hole nesters I can only assume he was up to no good. I'm guessing he was 
thinking of an egg breakfast or even some chicks. The birdhouse is as yet 
unoccupied this season.

Wondering if any of you have observed Red-wings doing anything similar to 
this.

Ken Blackshaw -- (Better, Better & Better)
Amateur Radio W1NQT (Never Quits Talking)
Nantucket Island -- 30 miles at sea

BirdChat Guidelines: http://www.ksu.edu/audubon/chatguidelines.html
Archives: http://listserv.arizona.edu/archives/birdchat.html