bird watching
grrlscientist | May 12, 2010tags: Summer Tanager, Piranga rubra, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
[Mystery bird] Summer Tanager, Piranga rubra, photographed at Quintana Neotropical Bird Sanctuary, Brazoria County, Texas. [I will identify this bird for you in 48 hours]
Image: Joseph Kennedy, 21 April 2010 [larger view].
Nikon D200, Kowa 883 telescope with TSN-PZ camera eyepiece 1/400s f/8.0 at 1000.0mm iso400.
Please name at least one field mark that supports your identification.
For those of you who know exactly what this bird is, I have several questions for you: first, How is this species distinguished from a…
grrlscientist | May 11, 2010tags: Swainson's Thrush, Olive-backed Thrush, Catharus ustulatus, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
[Mystery bird] Swainson's Thrush, also known as the Olive-backed Thrush, Catharus ustulatus, photographed at Quintana Neotropical Bird Sanctuary, Brazoria County, Texas. [I will identify this bird for you in 48 hours]
Image: Joseph Kennedy, 27 April 2010 [larger view].
Nikon D200, Kowa 883 telescope with TSN-PZ camera eyepiece 1/400s f/8.0 at 1000.0mm iso400.
Please name at least one field mark that supports your identification.
Review all mystery birds to date.
grrlscientist | May 10, 2010tags: Bald Eagle, White-headed Sea Eagle, Haliaeetus leucocephalus, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
[Mystery bird] Bald Eagle, also known as the White-headed Sea Eagle, Haliaeetus leucocephalus photographed in Lyman County, South Dakota. [I will identify this bird for you in 48 hours]
Image: Terry Sohl, 17 January 2010 [larger view]. You are encouraged to purchase photographs from this photographer. I am happy to email his contact information to you.
Canon 50D, 400 5.6L lens.
Please name at least one field mark that supports your identification.
This is an immature Bald Eagle, as you…
grrlscientist | May 9, 2010tags: Brubru, Nilaus afer, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
[Mystery bird] Brubru, Nilaus afer, photographed Serengeti National Park, Tanzania, Africa. [I will identify this bird for you in 48 hours]
Image: Dan Logen, 15 January 2010 [larger view].
Nikon D300, 200-400 VR lens, at 400 mm. ISO 500, 1/800 sec, f/5.6, Exposure compenstation +1.
Okay, this lovely little bird's ID will drive you crazy (although it is possible that either Adrian or Carel might be able to figure it out), so I will be most pleased if you manage to correctly identify this bird's taxonomic family.
Please name at…
grrlscientist | May 8, 2010tags: Baglafecht Weaver, Ploceus baglafecht, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
[Mystery bird] Baglafecht Weaver, Ploceus baglafecht, photographed Arusha National Park, Tanzania, Africa. [I will identify this bird for you in 48 hours]
Image: Dan Logen, 15 January 2010 [larger view].
Nikon D300, 600 mm lens, ISO 400, f/7.1, 1/640, Exposure compensation +.7
This African bird has a truly peculiar scientific name (can anyone tell me how it got this weird name?), but if you can't identify the species, you can at least tell me which taxonomic family this bird is placed in.
Please name at least…
grrlscientist | May 7, 2010tags: American Avocet, Blueshank, Recurvirostra americana, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
[Mystery bird] American Avocet, also known as the Blueshank, Recurvirostra americana, photographed at Bolivar Flats Shorebird Sanctuary, Houston, Texas. [I will identify this bird for you in 48 hours]
Image: Joseph Kennedy, 6 June 2007 [larger view].
Nikon D200, Kowa 883 telescope with TSN-PZ camera eyepiece 1/640s f/8.0 at 500.0mm iso400.
Please name at least one field mark that supports your identification.
This bird has a peculiarly-shaped beak.
Can you tell me the technical (…
grrlscientist | May 6, 2010tags: Painted Bunting, Rainbow Bunting, Passerina ciris, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
[Mystery bird] Painted Bunting, also known as the Rainbow Bunting, Passerina ciris, photographed at Quintana Neotropical Bird Sanctuary, Brazoria County, Texas. [I will identify this bird for you in 48 hours]
Image: Joseph Kennedy, 27 April 2010 [larger view].
Nikon D200, Kowa 883 telescope with TSN-PZ camera eyepiece 1/320s f/8.0 at 1000.0mm iso400.
Please name at least one field mark that supports your identification.
Review all mystery birds to date.
grrlscientist | May 5, 2010tags: Indigo Bunting, Passerina cyanea, Guiraca cyanea, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
[Mystery bird] Adult female Indigo Bunting, Passerina (Guiraca) cyanea, photographed at Quintana Neotropical Bird Sanctuary, Brazoria County, Texas. [I will identify this bird for you in 48 hours]
Image: Joseph Kennedy, 27 April 2010 [larger view].
Nikon D200, Kowa 883 telescope with TSN-PZ camera eyepiece 1/350s f/8.0 at 1000.0mm iso400.
Please name at least one field mark that supports your identification.
Review all mystery birds to date.
grrlscientist | May 4, 2010tags: Blue-headed Vireo, Vireo solitarius, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
[Mystery bird] photographed at Quintana Neotropical Bird Sanctuary, Brazoria County, Texas. [I will identify this bird for you in 48 hours]
Image: Joseph Kennedy, 27 April 2010 [larger view].
Nikon D200, Kowa 883 telescope with TSN-PZ camera eyepiece 1/1000s f/8.0 at 1000.0mm iso400.
Please name at least one field mark that supports your identification.
The Blue-headed Vireo is a common and vocal bird of northeastern forests. Formerly lumped as a "Solitary Vireo" with the more western Plumbeous and Cassin's…
grrlscientist | May 3, 2010tags: Sora, Sora Rail, Sora Crake, Porzana carolina, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
[Mystery bird] Sora, also known as the Sora Rail or sometimes as the Sora Crake, Porzana carolina, photographed at Brazoria National Wildlife Refuge, Texas. [I will identify this bird for you in 48 hours]
Image: Joseph Kennedy, 27 April 2010 [larger view].
Nikon D200, Kowa 883 telescope with TSN-PZ camera eyepiece 1/250s f/8.0 at 1000.0mm iso400.
Can you tell me why this bird's tail is so short?
A short tail is reportedly found in birds that specialize in fast flight, such as loons, ducks, grebes and…
grrlscientist | May 2, 2010tags: Lake Victoria Weaver, Victoria Masked-Weaver, Entebbe Weaver, Gambian Black-headed Weaver, Yellow-backed Weaver, Yellow-collared Weaver, Black-headed Weaver, Ploceus melanocephalus, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
[Mystery bird] Black-headed Weaver, also known by numerous other common names, including the Yellow-collared (or Yellow-backed) Weaver, Gambian Black-headed Weaver, Victoria Masked-weaver, Lake Victoria Weaver, or the Entebbe Weaver, Ploceus melanocephalus, photographed Ndutu Safari Lodge, Tanzania, Africa. [I will identify this bird for you in 48 hours]
Image: Dan Logen,…
grrlscientist | May 1, 2010tags: Black-fronted Bush-Shrike, Black-fronted Bushshrike, Chlorophoneus nigrifrons, Telophorus nigrifrons, Laniarius nigrifrons, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
[Mystery bird] Black-fronted Bush-Shrike, Chlorophoneus (Laniarius) (Telophorus) nigrifrons, photographed in the East Usambara Mountains, Tanzania, Africa. [I will identify this bird for you in 48 hours]
Image: Dan Logen, 12 January 2010 [larger view].
Nikon D300, 600 mm lens, ISO 800, F/5.6, 1/200 sec.
This is a challenging bird to identify, so I am asking you to instead try to identify the taxonomic family.
Please name at…
grrlscientist | April 30, 2010tags: Rod-breasted Grosbeak, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Pheucticus ludovicianus, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
[Mystery bird] Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Pheucticus ludovicianus, photographed in a Houston backyard in Texas. [I will identify this bird for you in 48 hours]
Image: Joseph Kennedy, 21 April 2010 [larger view].
Nikon D200, Kowa 883 telescope with TSN-PZ camera eyepiece 1/250s f/8.0 at 1000.0mm iso400.
Based on this bird's beak shape, what sort of diet would you expect it to have?
This bird primarily eats seeds, as indicated by the heavy beak and the angulated commissure (that…
grrlscientist | April 29, 2010tags: Brown Pelican, Pelecanus occidentalis, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
[Mystery bird] Brown Pelican, Pelecanus occidentalis, photographed at Bolivar Peninsula, Galveston County, Texas. [I will identify this bird for you in 48 hours]
Image: Joseph Kennedy, 8 April 2010 [larger view].
Nikon D200, Kowa 883 telescope with TSN-PZ camera eyepiece 1/500s f/8.0 at 1000.0mm iso400.
Please name at least one field mark that supports your identification.
Review all mystery birds to date.
grrlscientist | April 28, 2010tags: Gilded Flicker, Colaptes chrysoides, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
[Mystery bird] Female Gilded Flicker, Colaptes chrysoides, photographed sitting on top of a blooming Saguaro cactus on the outskirts of Tucson, Arizona. [I will identify this bird for you in 48 hours]
Image: Terry Sohl, 8 May 2008 [larger view]. You are encouraged to purchase photographs from this photographer. I am happy to email his contact information to you.
Canon 20D, 400 5.6L.
Please name at least one field mark that supports your identification.
Review all mystery birds to date.
grrlscientist | April 26, 2010tags: Sedge Wren, Short-billed Marsh Wren, Cistothorus platensis, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
[Mystery bird] Sedge Wren, formerly known as the Short-billed Marsh Wren, Cistothorus platensis, photographed at Attwater Prairie Chicken Refuge, Eagle Lake, Texas. [I will identify this bird for you in 48 hours]
Image: Joseph Kennedy, 7 November 2009 [larger view].
Nikon D200, Kowa 883 telescope with TSN-PZ camera eyepiece 1/350s f/8.0 at 1000.0mm iso400.
If you can ID this species, can you also tell me what its former common name was and how it came by its new common name?
Please name at…
grrlscientist | April 25, 2010tags: Black-faced Lourie, Bare-faced Go-away-bird, Corythaixoides personatus, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
[Mystery bird] Black-faced Lourie, also known as the Bare-faced Go-away-bird, Corythaixoides personatus, photographed lying motionless in the afternoon sun in Tarangire National Park, Tanzania, Africa. [I will identify this bird for you in 48 hours]
Image: Dan Logen, 17 January 2010 [larger view].
Nikon D300, 200-400 VR lens at 240 mm, ISO 500, f/8 1/1250 sec.
As an added bonus, can you tell me what this bird is doing and why?
Please name at least one field mark that supports…
grrlscientist | April 24, 2010tags: African Wattled Lapwing, Senegal Wattled Plover, Vanellus senegallus, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
[Mystery bird] African Wattled Lapwing, also known as the Senegal Wattled Plover, Vanellus senegallus, photographed at the Kilombero River, Tanzania, Africa. [I will identify this bird for you in 48 hours]
Image: Dan Logen, 9 January 2010 [larger view].
Nikon D300, 600 mm lens. ISO 320, 1/1000 sec, f/7.1 Exposure compensation at 0.
Please name at least one field mark that supports your identification.
Review all mystery birds to date.
grrlscientist | April 23, 2010tags: Great Horned Owl, Tiger Owl, Bubo virginianus, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
[Mystery bird] Great Horned Owl, also known as the Tiger Owl, Bubo virginianus, photographed on the roadside in the Edinburg, Texas in The Lower Rio Grande Valley. This valley occurs at the boundary between the United States and Mexico. [I will identify this bird for you in 48 hours]
Image: ©JRCompton.com/birds: JR Compton, 2008. I encourage you to purchase photographs from this photographer. [larger view].
Please name at least one field mark that supports your identification.
One of my goals for the…
grrlscientist | April 22, 2010tags: Tawny Fish-Owl, Bubo flavipes, Ketupa flavipes, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
[Mystery bird] Tawny Fish-Owl, Bubo (Ketupa) flavipes, photographed at Corbett Tiger Reserve (also known as the Jim Corbett National Park), northeast of Delhi in the foothills of the Himalaya Mountains of India. [I will identify this bird for you in 48 hours]
Image: John Kneeshaw [larger view].
Canon EOS 40D with 300mmAF lens.
Please name at least one field mark that supports your identification.
Review all mystery birds to date.