From My Perch

Exhibit No 2

msci@birdperch.com (Maria Bajema) — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 17:12:00 +0000

The exciting news is that I have my 2nd exhibit in Grand Rapids, Michigan at the Ministry Center of my church.

All spring and summer, I have been continuing my education in printing my own photos, matting and framing them. I needed to develop standards in size and matte style, especially because buying in bulk is the only cost effective way. I experimented with all sizes and several styles with the great help of a friend (former photographer and framer).

I have over 2,400 photos on the web and it was hard to know where to start. I guess I really started with the bird species at the beginning of Sibley's Guide to Birds. I reviewed my loons first, then my grebes, then my herons and egrets, etc. If an image caught my eye, I would try to make a 4x6 print which fits in an 8x10 matte. Next, I made a print for a 11x14 matte. If I had enough pixels (I crop the original image), I would try a print for a 16x20 or 18x24 matte. Since I started taking pictures in 1999 on film, and have moved through 3 digital camera bodies, I often don't have enough pixels in the early images for the larger mattes.

After developing about 100 prints, I had to stop. I had too much stuff! Not all of the prints were good enough for an exhibit. Again, with my friend, I developed a way to evaluate a picture by giving each print a score of 1-3 for each element of color, setting, action and bird portrait. Using this method, we selected 45 frames with pictures of birds and bird eggs. Funny, all prints selected had a score of 10-12. (And now, I will waste less paper and ink and $.)

Some of my favorites are in 16x20 or 18x24 frames (scores of 12, too).

Black-bellied Whistling-Duck
My favorite because it has humor.

Mute Swan
My best photo and luckiest.

Forster's Tern
My most artsy photo.

Mute Swan
My favorite pose and on the back of my business card.

Wood Duck
My favorite bird!

The exhibit has been on display since the middle of September and will hang until early November. If you would like more information, please send me an email.

The references and gear I used for this blog are:
Camera: Canon EOS 40D
Lens: Canon EF100-400mm F4.5-5.6L IS USM
Camera: Canon EOS 10D
Lens: Canon EF28-105mm F/3.5-4.5 II USM
Steiner 10x42 Predator Binoculars
The SIBLEY Guide to Birds

All images © MSCI

Exhibit at Big Bend NP

msci@birdperch.com (Maria Bajema) — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 13:41:00 +0000

Wow, it has been a long time since I published a story. I know there are lots of excuses that you do not want to know but two of the excuses are related to photography.

First, since last fall, all the pictures, that I was taking with my big lens, were somewhat fuzzy (as if I was shaking badly). So, I did not have any pictures about which to write. It wasn't until May that they, my husband and a friend, did some tests on my camera and on my lens. They determined that the lens was no longer taking pictures with a sharp focus. I had had this lens since 1999 and it has been carried many, many miles and it needed re-alignment. I sent the lens to a Canon repair center. It is back and I am taking wonderful pictures again.

Second, I was busy learning how to develop and print my photos.

My husband and I spent 11 days in Big Bend NP in the spring of 2008. We met Dr Rob Dean, a ranger at Big Bend NP, at Post Park in Marathon where we all were birding. In the days following, we met Dr Dean several times at his work in the park. As a result, he viewed my website and subsequently, asked me for permission to use some of my photos in some posters for the Rio Grande Valley Visitor Center.

This was quite a learning experience because it is one thing to take photos with your digital camera, it is quite another to develop your own pictures as a print. With Photoshop CS3 and 7.0, I managed to print some very nice pictures, 43 in all. These became the basis for 3 posters of Doves, Red Birds and Black Birds in the visitor center. The entire project took 5 months and was finished in December.

Below is a picture of the 3 posters.

The Rio Grande Valley Visitor Center was opened in November and at the close of the season in May, Dr Dean wrote:

...we exceeded 13,000 visitors this year. We feel that the success of this season is due to two things - our theme being birds and your images being the dominate draw. The posters highlighting black birds and doves were the dominant features over our bird book display. Adjacent to that was our digital image picture frame which rotated through your images identifying each bird by name. In the viewing room, we hung 18 of your images in black picture frames with the picture of you and your gear and a key identifying those images. These will remain as a permanent fixture in the viewing room and we have others that we will hang to augment those already on the wall.

Some of the photos on permanent display:

Inca Dove

Ash-throated Flycatcher

Common Raven

Cooper's Hawk

Blue-throated Hummingbird

Greater Roadrunner

All images © MSCI

Bird Songs

msci@birdperch.com (Maria Bajema) — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 18:13:00 +0000

It has been a long cold winter in West Michigan, again. But, despite the cold, spring can be heard in the air.

Yesterday, while sitting at breakfast with my husband, I heard a Red-winged Blackbird. I was lucky, too, since the temperatures were in the 50's and I could and did open my window and listened to them sing ALL day. A little later, I saw 6 blackbirds in our willow tree. These birds are the early scouts establishing nesting territories with song, posturing, and other aggressive behavior. Their songs, though, give me great joy and I never tire of listening to them.

Then, this morning as I ran in the rain to get the mail, I heard just one short melodic call. I hurried inside to tell my husband that the American Robin was back (or should I say home). Shortly, afterwards I saw 6 robins on the lawn. All summer long, I have robins singing in the early evening. I have learned to identify individuals by their song. Once, I had a young robin, practicing its songs and he could not reach the high notes. (definitely an alto)

Reflecting back on the other bird comments made in this house, I realize that we hear the birds first, and then we know to watch for them. I heard my first Sandhill Cranes in mid February but only saw them this week.

Even though many birds winter here, their songs are different and happier in the spring. Last evening in the dark, the Canada Geese were flying overhead, calling to each other, and looking for a place on open water on the lake. (a most welcome summer sound.) Since early February, despite the near zero temperatures, the Northern Cardinals, Tufted Titmice, and Black-capped Chickadees have been singing their love songs to each other.

Despite the weather, bird song is in the air and spring is around the corner.

Hope you hear them, too.

All images © MSCI

Bird Name Abbreviations - AOU

msci@birdperch.com (Maria Bajema) — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 15:33:00 +0000

In my previous posting on Feb 4 2009, I gave you the rules for a 6-letter code system developed by Bruce Bowman, Ann Arbor, Michigan and the 16 exceptions to the rules for the American Birding Association (ABA) list of birds.

In summary, here are the 4 rules for the ABA list.
1) One-word names -- use the first six letters or entire word if less than six characters.

2) Two-word names -- use the first three letters of each word.

3) Three-word names (hyphen creates a new word) -- use the first two letters of each word.

4) Four-word names (hyphen creates a new word) -- use the first letter of the first two words and the first two letters of the last two words.

The 5th rule is used to resolve any conflicts that remain. If the conflict occurs between species in the ABA list, then both species get a new code. If the conflict occurs between species in both the ABA list and the American Ornithologist's Union (AOU) list of 2048 species, then the AOU species gets a new code while the ABA species keeps the original code. If the conflict occurs between species only in the AOU list, then both species get a new code.

I also applied these rules to the 49th supplement of the AOU list. There are an additional 39 species to memorize with Bowman's rules. These fall into 2 groups.

The first group is where the conflict occurs between species in both the ABA and AOU lists. And as the 5th rule states, only the AOU species gets a new code. There are 13 species to learn and it is always the AOU species. I have placed the ABA species with which the conflict occurs in small print.

Black-banded Woodcreeper = BLBAWC ... (Black-backed Woodpecker = BLBAWO)
Black-chested Sparrow = BLCTSP ... (Black-chinned Sparrow = BLCHSP)
Black-crowned Tityra = BLCNTI ... (Black-crested Titmouse = BLCRTI)
Black-faced Grosbeak = BLFAGB ... (Black-faced Grassquit = BLFAGR)
Blue-chested Hummingbird = BLCTHU ... (Black-chinned Hummingbird - BLCHHU)
Golden-crowned Spadebill = GOCRSB ... (Golden-crowned Sparrow = GOCRSP)
Gray-headed Chachalaca = GHCHAC ... (Gray-headed Chickadee = GRHECH)
Green Hermit = GRHERM ... (Green Heron = GREHER)
Ivory-billed Woodcreeper = IVBIWC ... (Ivory-billed Woodpecker = IVBIWO)
White Tern = WHITTE ... (Whiskered Tern = WHITER)
White-tailed Trogon = WTTROG ... (White-tailed Tropicbird = WHTATR)
White-throated Spadebill = WHTHSB ... (White-throated Sparrow = WHTHSP)
White-thighed Swallow= WTHISW ... (White-throated Swift = WHTHSW)

The second group is where the conflict occurs between species in the AOU list only. And as the 5th rule states, both species get a new code. There are 26 species to learn.

Blue-black Grosbeak = BLBLGB
Blue-black Grassquit = BLBLGQ

Cinnamon Becard = CINNBE
Cinereous Becard = CINEBE

Cuban Parakeet = CUBAPK
Cuban Parrot = CUBAPR

Gray-crowned Woodpecker = GRCRWP
Green-crowned Woodnymph = GRCRWN

Green Manakin = GRMANA
Green Mango = GRMANG

Hispaniolan Parakeet = HISPPK
Hispaniolan Parrot = HISPPT

Rose-throated Tanager = RETHTA
Rosy Thrush-Tanager = RYTHTA

Rufous-breasted Wren = RUBTWR
Rufous-browed Wren = RUBWWR

Ruddy-tailed Flycatcher = RDTAFL
Rufous-tailed Flycather = RFTAFL

Strong-billed Woodcreeper = SGBLWO
Straight-billed Woodcreeper = STBLWO

Strickland's Woodpecker = STRKWO
Striped Woodpecker = STRPWO

White-fronted Quail-Dove = WFTQD
White-faced Quail-Dove = WFCQD

Yellow-billed Cardinal = YWBICD
Yellow-billed Cacique = YWBICQ

This really is an excellent system, if you are into using code.

All images © MSCI

Bird Name Abbreviations

msci@birdperch.com (Maria Bajema) — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 16:43:00 +0000

Six Letter Code for Birds

Wouldn't if be nice if you could write down your list of birds quickly and accurately? Or you are birding and forgot your notebook, and only have one small napkin from breakfast and must write very small to save space? Many birders walk with notebooks in their pockets and make some sort of list of birds that they see. Some birders keep only a life list; some keep lists by state or county or place; some keep lists by day or year. The Yellow-rumped Warbler is seen all over North America, and I think that many birders would like a simple system of standard abbreviations for writing this bird and others on their lists.

I have known for quite some time that bird banders use an alpha code to identify the birds in their work but I have not researched this code. The US Fish &Wildlife, Breeding Bird Survey (BBS), developed its own system. Recently, Bird Watcher's Digest (BWD) published an article on this subject by Kenneth M. Burton in its issue of March/April 2007. Burton made reference to work done by Peter Pyle & David DeSanete of the Institute for Bird Populations (IBP) and in his article he described the rules for the IBP codes. All three of these systems use 4-letter codes.

I wrote some database code to apply the rules (1st order) from the IBP system to the Common/English names of birds in my own database. I discovered that with just the American Birding Association (ABA) list of birds (957 species) there are over 90 instances where two species have the same code, which is 10%. There is another set of rules (2nd order) in the IBP system for dealing with these duplicates or conflicts, and still, there are some conflicts for which there are more rules (3rd order). So, you have to learn all the rules or memorize the list of over 90 codes. (Table 2 in BWD is incorrect.)

Now, these coding systems only use 4 alpha characters and are used for scientific study where the fewest number of characters is important, because the primary constraint is putting characters on a small leg band. But you and I are birders (and probably listers if you are reading this) and we just need a simple set of rules to make our lists quickly in the field, and where we can decipher our notes days or months later. With more research on the web, I found two 6-letter code systems developed by John Shipman, Zoological Data Processing and by Bruce Bowman, Ann Arbor, Michigan .

The simplest rules are by Bowman and I am recommending that code system.

Here are the rules for the Common/English names as found in the ABA official list.
1) One-word names -- use the first six letters or entire word if less than six characters.
e.g. Bananaquit = BANANA, Osprey = OSPREY, Sora = SORA

2) Two-word names -- use the first three letters of each word.
e.g. Elf Owl = ELFOWL, American Crow = AMECRO

3) Three-word names (hyphen creates a new word) -- use the first two letters of each word.
e.g. Little Blue Heron = LIBLHE, Red-eyed Vireo = REEYVI, Florida Scrub-Jay = FLSCJA, Whip-poor-will = WHPOWI

4) Four-word names (hyphen creates a new word) -- use the first letter of the first two words and the first two letters of the last two words. That is 1 - 1 - 2 - 2.
e.g. Northern Saw-whet Owl = NSWHOW, Black-crowned Night-Heron = BCNIHE, Black-and-White Warbler = BAWHWA

In the ABA bird list, with Bowman's rules, there are only 16 species to memorize:
Barn Owl = BARNOW (uses 4 - 2)
Barred Owl = BARROW (uses 4 - 2)

Blackburnian Warbler = BLBUWA (Blackburnian is treated as two words: Black Burnian)
Blackpoll Warbler = BLPOWA (Blackpoll is treated as two words: Black Poll)

Black-throated Gray Warbler = BRGYWA (Gray = GY)
Black-throated Green Warbler = BRGNWA (Green = GN)

Common Redpoll = COREDP (Redpoll is treated as two words: Red Poll using 3 and 1)
Common Redshank = COREDS (Redshank is treated as two words: Red Shank using 3 and 1)

Green-breasted Mango = GNBRMA (Green = GN)
Gray-breasted Martin = GYBRMA (Gray = GY)

Leach's Storm-Petrel = LEACSP (uses 4 - 1 - 1)
Least Storm-Petrel = LEASSP (uses 4 - 1 - 1)

Wilson's Warbler = WILSWA (uses 4 - 2)
Willow Warbler = WILLWA (uses 4 - 2)

Yellow-breasted Bunting = YBREBU (uses 1 - 3 - 2)
Yellow-browed Bunting = YBROBU (uses 1 - 3 - 2)

I also applied these rules to the 47th supplement of the American Ornithologist's Union (AOU) list (2041 species). There are an additional 39 species to memorize with Bowman's rules.

There is a 5th rule used in resolving conflicts. If the conflict occurs between species in the ABA list, then both species get a new code. If the conflict occurs between species in both the ABA list and the AOU list, then the AOU list gets a new code while the ABA species keeps the original code. If the conflict occurs between species only in the AOU list, then both species get a new code. No user needs to remember this rule because it is only used in resolving the conflicts.

Let's be realistic. As birders, we are not required to use alpha codes when we bird, but it will speed up writing our notes and provide consistency in our abbreviations. Therefore, most of us will only use codes for the birds we see frequently. Secondly, when learning the code system, I think that adding a hyphen between the abbreviations for each word will make deciphering very simple. e.g. Black-crowned Night-Heron = B-C-NI-HE, Red-eyed Vireo = RE-EY-VI, Barred Owl = BARR-OW. The hyphen helps me see when a new word begins. These hyphens are optional and should be ignored when entering this data into any computer program, but I think you will be able to interpret your lists months later without error (if you can read your hand writing).

I will never need to learn the AOU list and will probably use only 7 codes from the ABA conflict list. The rules are easy to remember, too, when you state them this way: take the first letters of each word, totaling up to 6 letters for all names with three words or less, and then learn the rule for four-word names (which is 1 letter, 1 letter, 2 letters, 2 letters). There are no five-word or longer names in the ABA list. Lastly, 6-letter codes are easier to read than 4-letter codes.

Bowman's 6-letter code system for the ABA list is documented at http://www-personal.umich.edu/~bbowman/birds/sixlettercode.html.

I have been looking for a coding system that is consistent and easy to remember. THIS IS IT!

All images © MSCI

Texas Flowers

msci@birdperch.com (Maria Bajema) — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 13:00:00 +0000

All colors of the rainbow are found in Texas flowers at Big Bend NP, Lost Maples SA, Seminole Canyon SP, Balcones Canyonlands NWR, Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.

Texas Bluebonnet - Lupinus texensis (Pea Family - Fabaceae)

Honey Mesquite - Prosopis glandulosa (Mimosa Family - Mimosaceae)

Guayacan or Soapbush or Texas lignumvitae - Guajacum angustifolium

(Creosote-Bush Family - Zygophyllaceae)

Rough Nama, Sand Bells - Nama hispidum (Waterleaf Family - Hydrophyllaceae)

Tree Tobacco - Nicotiana glauca (Potato Family - Solanaceae)

Free wallpaper (desktop background) for personal use
Click on above picture, then on next picture right-click and set as background

False Day Flower - Tinantia anomala (Spiderwort Family - Commelinaceae)

Guajillo or Thornless Catclaw - Acacia berlandieri (Pea Family - Fabaceae)

Texas Persimmon - Diospyros texana (Ebony Family -Ebenaceae)

Texas Buckeye - Aesculus glabra (Horse-Chestnut Family - Hippocastanaceae)

Mexican Buckeye - Ungnadia speciosa (Soapberry Family -Sapindaceae)

Scarlet Leather Flower - Clematis texensis (Buttercup Family -Ranunculaceae)

Scarlet Leather Flower

Tropical Sage - Salvia coccinea (Mint Family -Lamiaceae)

Green False Nightshade - Chamaesaracha coronopus (Potato Family -Solanaceae)

Antelope Horns - Asclepias asperula (Milkweed Family -Asclepiadaceae)

Prairienymph - Herbertia lahue (Iris Family -Iridaceae)

Prairie Beard-tongue - Penstemon cobaea (Figwort Family -Scrophulariaceae)

Evening-Star Rain Lily - Cooperia drummondii (Lily Family -Liliaceae)

Evening-Star Rain Lily

Candellia or Wax Plant- Euphorbia antisyphilitica (Spurge Family -Euphorbiaceae)

Resurrection Plant or Flower of Stone - Selaginella lepidophylla
(Spike-Moss Family -Selaginellaceae)

This is a desert plant that grows rapidly after rains, but curls up into a dormant ball
when it lacks moisture.

The references and gear I used for this blog are:
Camera: Canon EOS 40D
Lens: Canon EF100-400mm F4.5-5.6L IS USM
Camera: Canon EOS 10D
Lens: Canon EF28-105mm F/3.5-4.5 II USM
Steiner 10x42 Predator Binoculars
The SIBLEY Guide to Birds
Kaufman Field Guide to Insects of North America
Kaufman Focus Guides - Butterflies
Butterflies through Binoculars The East
Butterflies ot the Great Lakes
Caterpillars of Eastern North America
Caterpilliars in the Field and Garden
Peterson Field Guides: Southwestern and Texas Wildflowers
Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
Native Plants of South Texas

All images © MSCI

Texas Wildflowers and Bugs

msci@birdperch.com (Maria Bajema) — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 13:00:00 +0000

It is amazing how often I take a photo of a flower and later find that there are insects enjoying it, too. In some cases, they are camouflaged very well. Can you find them?

Yellow Flax and small fly

White Prickleypoppy and green grasshopper

Texas Spiderwort and cricket-like bug

Scarlet Beeblossom and ant

Neuces Coreopsis and small beetle

Coastal Plain Tickseed and tiny flies

Antelope Horns and two bugs

Prairienymph and bee

All of these photos were taken in Texas. The larger image is free wallpaper (desktop background) for personal use. Click on blog picture, then on the next picture (larger image), right-click and set as background.

The references and gear I used for this blog are:
Camera: Canon EOS 40D
Lens: Canon EF100-400mm F4.5-5.6L IS USM
Camera: Canon EOS 10D
Lens: Canon EF28-105mm F/3.5-4.5 II USM
Steiner 10x42 Predator Binoculars
Peterson Field Guides: Southwestern and Texas Wildflowers
Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
Native Plants of South Texas

All images © MSCI

Texas Animals, Lizards, Bug

msci@birdperch.com (Maria Bajema) — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 13:00:00 +0000

Some criters found in Texas: Big Bend NP, Lost Maples SA, Balcones Canyonlands NWR, Seminole Canyon SP.

Coyote

Jack Rabbit running in the desert

Jack Rabbit sitting in camp

Javalina

Greater Earless Lizard

Zebra-tailed Lizard

Green Anole

Darkling Beetle

All images © MSCI

Purple Asters and Visitors

msci@birdperch.com (Maria Bajema) — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 18:00:00 +0000

I have some purple New England asters growing in front of our deck. Sometimes I sit with the camera in hand and watch the various visitors to the flowers.

Cabbage Butterfly - female with 2 black spots on its wings

Bumble Bee

Free wallpaper (desktop background) for personal use

Click on above picture, then on next picture right-click and set as background

Bumble Bee with pollen sack on its leg

Flower Fly - looks like a wasp but its not

Honey Bee

Honey Bee with a pollen sack on its leg

Clouded Sulphur - male

Clouded Sulphur - female

Virginia Ctenucha - this is a moth

Sweat Bee

Silver-spotted Skipper

All images © MSCI

From Green to Colors

msci@birdperch.com (Maria Bajema) — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 13:00:00 +0000

Wow! I can't believe it is already October and its more than two months since I last published anything in my "green" series. Funny, I am not thinking about green, now, as the summer days are gone! Rather, I am watching the fall colors and doing fall activities: eating orange peaches and yellow pears, blue plums; watching my green tomatoes ripen to orange and then red; picking red raspberries and eating the first red apples of the season. Some maples are showing orange and red; the arrowhead and pickerel weeds in the lake are turning orange and brown; in the fields, soy beans and corn are turning yellow and brown; yellow goldenrod is blooming everywhere; purple New England asters are growing along the roadsides and the skies are bright blue on a cool fall day.

Even on my trip this spring, green was not the only color I noticed....

After visiting Big Bend NP, we drove east to Lake Amistad NRA. Here it rained for 2 days. The result was that the ocotillo actually sprouted leaves in just a few days. Even when I am not in Texas, I am fascinated by this plant. I hope you will put the flower as wall paper on your computer for awhile.

Ocotillo - Fouquieria splendens (Ocotillo Family - Fouquieriaceae)

Free wallpaper (desktop background) for personal use
Click on above picture, then on next picture right-click and set as background

If you are looking for color, you can usually find it everywhere. I always enjoy lichen on rocks.

Dead Tree

Oak Tree blossoms

Canadian Bigtooth Maple

The references and gear I used for this blog are:
Camera: Canon EOS 40D
Lens: Canon EF100-400mm F4.5-5.6L IS USM
Camera: Canon EOS 10D
Lens: Canon EF28-105mm F/3.5-4.5 II USM
Steiner 10x42 Predator Binoculars
Peterson Field Guides: Southwestern and Texas Wildflowers
Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
Native Plants of South Texas

All images © MSCI

For Ever Green

msci@birdperch.com (Maria Bajema) — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 20:30:00 +0000

When we climbed trails up in the Chisos Basin of the mountains of Big Bend NP, there we found plenty of evergreens.

View from Lost Mine Trail

I am not very good at evergreen identification, so I don't know the exact species of the next pine tree but I think it is a pinyon pine.

Pinyon Pine

I did learn that the only place north of the border where the Mexican Drooping Juniper, Juniperus flaccida, grows, is in Big Bend NP.

Mexican Drooping Juniper

We also saw the Alligator Juniper, Juniperus deppeana, which is easily identified by the bark on its trunk.

Alligator Juniper Bark

The The Golden-cheeked Warbler depends on mature Ashe Juniper habitat, Juniperus ashei, found in the Texas Hill country on the Edwards Plateau. This warbler only uses the shedded bark of this tree as nesting material. Only trees 40 to 50 years old, shred their bark.

Ashe Juniper has blue fruit

Mature Ashe Juniper Bark

Even among evergreen trees and plants, you can find color such as the red seed pods on the Evergreen Sumac, Rhus virens, and the blooming evergreen Mountain Laurel, Sophora secundiflora. I found Mountain Laurel in Big Bend NP but the photo is taken in Lost Maples SNA.

Evergreen Sumac

Free wallpaper (desktop background) for personal use
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Mountain Laurel

Free wallpaper (desktop background) for personal use
Click on above picture, then on next picture right-click and set as background

All images © MSCI

Cactus Flowers

msci@birdperch.com (Maria Bajema) — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 15:25:00 +0000

Cactus greens, yellows, purples, oranges, reds ...

Near the end of our stay in Big Bend NP, the cacti were starting to bloom. Here are some of my photos.

Blind Prickly Pear buds

Blind Prickly Pear

Blind Prickly Pear flower turn orange with age

Purple-tinged Prickly Pear buds

Purple-tinged Prickly Pear

Purple-tinged Prickly Pear, spines are 4 inches long

Purple-tinged Prickly Pear

Purple-tinged Prickly Pear

Rainbow species

Hedgehog species

Christmas Cholla with red fruit

Cane Cholla with yellow fruit

Engelmann's Prickly Pear

Engelmann's Prickly Pear

Free wallpaper (desktop background) for personal use
Click on above picture, then on next picture right-click and set as background

The references and gear I used for this blog are:
Camera: Canon EOS 40D
Lens: Canon EF100-400mm F4.5-5.6L IS USM
Camera: Canon EOS 10D
Lens: Canon EF28-105mm F/3.5-4.5 II USM
Steiner 10x42 Predator Binoculars
Peterson Field Guides: Southwestern and Texas Wildflowers
Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
Native Plants of South Texas

Cactus Green

msci@birdperch.com (Maria Bajema) — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 13:00:00 +0000

Cactus greens, purples, yellows...

Of course there are lots of cacti growing in the Chihuanhuan Desert of Big Bend NP. I was surprised at the colors of the plant and at the number of different species, more than in any other park. On top of that, the various species of prickly pear cacti hybridize with each other, so you sometimes can't tell at which species you are looking. So, in general, I have identified the following photos with my best guesses.

Cactus grow every where, where it can get a foothold. It needs some soil and some moisture, and it doesn't have to be very much.

Chisos Mountains from Dugout Wells
with Engelmann's Prickly Pear in front

Blind Prickly Pear

Blind Prickly Pear

Blind Prickly Pear

Pitaya or Hedgehog cactus

Pitaya or Hedgehog cactus

Spiny-fruited Prickly Pear 75 feet up

Spiny-fruited Prickly Pear found only in Big Bend NP

Spiny-fruited Prickly Pear in the setting sun

Purple-tinged Prickly Pear

Purple-tinged Prickly Pear, spines are up to 4 inches long.
I measured it!

Engelmann's Prickly Pear

Engelmann's Prickly Pear

Pineapple species

Prickly Pear with yellow spines in Chisos Basin

None of these photos show the cactus in bloom. When we arrived in Big Bend NP, it was too early but near the end of our 2 week stay, some cacti were blooming. See next blog.

The references and gear I used for this blog are:
Camera: Canon EOS 40D
Lens: Canon EF100-400mm F4.5-5.6L IS USM
Camera: Canon EOS 10D
Lens: Canon EF28-105mm F/3.5-4.5 II USM
Steiner 10x42 Predator Binoculars
Peterson Field Guides: Southwestern and Texas Wildflowers
Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
Native Plants of South Texas

The First Green 2

msci@birdperch.com (Maria Bajema) — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 15:00:00 +0000

Last blog, I also mentioned two other evergreen plants: sotol and century plants. I found these green plants be fascinating.

Sotol from Sotal Vista

Sotol leaves

The dried flower stalks were used as building materials and,
today, as walking sticks.

Close-up of dried sotol flower

Century Plant is the largest Agave species in Big Bend NP.
It blooms once in 20-50 years with bright yellow flowers in and then dies.

The leaves are not really green but rather a blue-gray color.
The hearts of the plant were baked, dried and stored as winter food
by the Native Americans.

Dried stalks can be over 30 feet tall

Close-up of dried century flower

Dried dead plant

Stay tuned for more evergreen plants.

The references and gear I used for this blog are:
Camera: Canon EOS 40D
Lens: Canon EF100-400mm F4.5-5.6L IS USM
Camera: Canon EOS 10D
Lens: Canon EF28-105mm F/3.5-4.5 II USM
Steiner 10x42 Predator Binoculars

The First Green

msci@birdperch.com (Maria Bajema) — Fri, 30 May 2008 17:30:00 +0000

When we arrived in mid-March at Big Bend NP, TX, there still were no leaves on the trees and shrubs. Spring was coming, though the nights were cold with temperatures in the 30's.

The first green plants that I found; yucca, lechuguilla, sotol, century plant, cactus, along with the ubiquitous creosote and ocotillo, stay green year round. Still, I found some green!

Chisos Mountains from Dugout Wells with yucca, creosote, cactus, ocotillo.

Mountain side from Lost Mine Trail in Chisos Basin with century plant,
sotol, creosote.

There are several species of yuccas in Big Bend and
all are members of the lily family.
Torrey Yucca is the most common yucca in the park.

Soaptree Yucca
Inside the trunk and roots is a slippery fluid
that was used by early Americans as soap.
This is the tallest yucca and may be 250 years old.

Thompson Yucca

Lechuguilla is an agave species which blooms once and then it dies.
The leaves are long, tough, and very sharp
which can penetrate clothing and even leather.
It is also called Shin-daggers.

Lechuguilla (lay-che-gee'-ya)
The fibers are still used today to make rope in Mexico.

Dried seed pods

After blooming, the plant dies

Stay tunned for more green stuff.

The references and gear I used for this blog are:
Camera: Canon EOS 40D
Lens: Canon EF100-400mm F4.5-5.6L IS USM
Camera: Canon EOS 10D
Lens: Canon EF28-105mm F/3.5-4.5 II USM
Steiner 10x42 Predator Binoculars

Hunting Birds with Green

msci@birdperch.com (Maria Bajema) — Thu, 22 May 2008 17:42:00 +0000

"What's in a name? That which we call a rose
By any other name would smell as sweet." William Shakespeare

There are 8 birds fairly common to North America that have the word "green" in its English name and all of them can be found in Texas:
Black-throated Green Warbler
Green Kingfisher
Green Heron
Green Jay
Green Parakeet
Green-tailed Towhee
Green-winged Teal
Violet-green Swallow

On this trip, however, we only saw 3 of these, the Green Kingfisher, Violet-green Swallow and Green Heron. But are these green birds really green as their name implies? See below...

Black-throated Green Warbler

Green Kingfisher

Green Heron

Green Jay

Green Parakeet

Green-tailed Towhee

Green-winged Teal

Violet-green Swallow

Well, at least some visible part of each bird is green!

This was the second time only that I saw the Violet-green Swallow and the first time that I was close enough to see the green. They are beautiful birds and it was fun to watch them feed and then visit the Ocotillo to rest.

The references and gear I used for this blog are:
Camera: Canon EOS 40D
Lens: Canon EF100-400mm F4.5-5.6L IS USM
Camera: Canon EOS 10D
Lens: Canon EF28-105mm F/3.5-4.5 II USM
Steiner 10x42 Predator Binoculars
The SIBLEY Guide to Birds

Hunting Green

msci@birdperch.com (Maria Bajema) — Fri, 16 May 2008 14:53:00 +0000

We started our trip south from Minnesota (early March). I know we went north to go south but we had to see the grandchildren first. Much of the grass along the roadsides in Minnesota and Iowa was no longer covered with snow but everything was brown, even the dull green of Michigan was absent. The snow had disappeared entirely and the ponds had lost their ice coverings in northwest Missouri but not a blade of grass grew until we reached Texas. When we arrived in Big Bend National Park in West Texas, even then, there were no green leaves on shrubs or trees and no plants and wildflowers.

My first colors were purple, yellow and red on shrubs that could not be called green. The Feather Dalea is a gray and the Creosote is an olive color.

Feather Dalea - Dalea formosa (Pea Family - Fabaceae)

Creosote - Larria tridentata (Creosote bush Family - Zygophyllaceae)

Creosote bush is an evergreen shrub with small leaves covered with a protective varnish to conserve its moisture. It is found every where in this Chihuanhuan Desert of Big Bend. No animals eat this plant except for the camels brought into the Big Bend area in the 1860 experiment by topographical engineer 2nd Lieutenant William H. Echols. It grows everywhere!

Ocotillo (o-ko-tee'-yo) also grows everywhere in Big Bend NP. It is my favorite plant of the desert but it is not a cactus. Every spring red flowers grow at the end of long thorny branches which usually appear lifeless. These flowers are very important food source for all kinds of insects, hummingbirds and orioles.

Ocotillo - Fouquieria splendens (Ocotillo Family - Fouquieriaceae)

Flower

Branch appears lifeless but it has the following flower on top

These pictures were taken in the 3rd week of March. Still no green on the trees or shrubs. I will continue to hunt for green here in the south.

The references and gear I used for this blog are:
Camera: Canon EOS 40D
Lens: Canon EF100-400mm F4.5-5.6L IS USM
Camera: Canon EOS 10D
Lens: Canon EF28-105mm F/3.5-4.5 II USM
Steiner 10x42 Predator Binoculars

Think Green

msci@birdperch.com (Maria Bajema) — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 20:00:00 +0000

It's March! and here in Michigan, I can start seeing green again. I am tired of the gray-brown trees, the blanket gray skies, the white - now dirty - snow, and the deep black pot holes in the road. Yesterday, I saw my first patch of dull green grass (GREEN!), St Patrick's day fun and green clothes comes mid-month, but, the first leaves on the trees are still more than 2 months away in Michigan. So, soon I will be on the road again, south to Texas, to escape the last cold windy efforts of old man winter and to see the first spring green things in Texas. That way I get to experience spring twice, first in April in Texas and then at home in Michigan in May.

The first color I want to see is green: green leaves, green grass, green plants, green birds. Green birds you ask? Yes, and red, yellow, blue, purple, all the colors of the rainbow too. What green birds? Most hummingbirds have green plumage but it is surprising how many ducks have some brilliant green feathers. When I see these ducks, I always try to capture the light shining so that those green feathers are highlighted.

Think Spring! Think Green!

The references and gear I used for this blog are:
Camera: Canon EOS 10D
Lens: Canon EF100-400mm F4.5-5.6L IS USM
Steiner 10x42 Predator Binoculars
The SIBLEY Guide to Birds

Rails 2

msci@birdperch.com (Maria Bajema) — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 19:15:00 +0000

This past spring (2007), we birded the Rio Grande River from Laredo to Santa Anna NWR, and then up the coast from South Padre Island to High Island. Until now, we had not seen another Clapper Rail since that first siting at Laguna Madre Nature Trail in 2004, and so we drove there one March afternoon.

On one side of the boardwalk, the marsh grasses (from 2004) had changed into wet mud with little vegetation, and the other side was full of tall dried reeds. My thought was that no rail was going to walk through that mud, and then I would never find one on the other side of the boardwalk in the tall dried reeds.

Again, it had been a quiet birding afternoon and we were ready to leave for camp. Suddenly, I heard a rail call and then it came out of the tall reeds into the open, found a crustacean to eat and disappeared. I managed to get several photos, so I was happy. But this rail was still hungry and came out hunting again. This time it stalked much more slowly as if it was posing for me. I took so many pictures that I quit photographing before it went back into hiding. A little later, another rail (I think) came out to hunt. This small wetland of only 4 acres is worth a stop every time!

Next, we travelled up along the coast and camped on the bay side of Galveston Island State Park right at the edge of the marsh grasses. That afternoon, I thought I heard the call of a Clapper Rail just 15 feet outside my door, but I didn't see any movement, and it called only once.

A couple days later, we had 6" of rain and the marsh was very wet. Again, I heard a call in the late afternoon, and so I stood in the doorway watching the marsh through my binoculars. Yes!!! I saw the rail and then another one. These Clapper Rails were moving toward me, into an open area good for pictures. Can you believe it, photographing rails from my camper doorway!

The birding literature says that you can find Clapper Rails along Yacht Basin Road on Goats Island, so we drove along the road slowly, but didn't hear or see any rails. The next day, I asked a birder from the area, if it was still true that Yacht Basin was a good rail location. I was assured that is was worth another drive by and, sure enough, we heard and then saw three Clapper Rails with one chasing another out of its territory.

It was 8 years since the first time we looked for Clapper Rails and we had seen them only once. Now in one trip, we see them in 3 different locations. This certainly will remain one of the high points of our trip.

The references and gear I used for this blog are:
Camera: Canon EOS 10D
Lens: Canon EF100-400mm F4.5-5.6L IS USM
Steiner 10x42 Predator Binoculars
The SIBLEY Guide to Birds

Rails

msci@birdperch.com (Maria Bajema) — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 22:00:00 +0000

I like going "railing", that is, birding for rails.

It was in 1999, when my husband and I took a winter vacation in Texas and found the Laguna Madre Nature Trail, just south of the convention center on South Padre Island. There we became birders! I can't say it was only one event that took us over the hump but rather several. An elderly birder (older than me), standing beside me said, "There's a Least Sandpiper." Like a child birder, I asked "why?" He kindly explained that it was a very small sandpiper about 6" long and had yellow legs and that the other small sandpipers have black legs. It was so simple that I would never forget it.

Then, there was the moment when I looked straight down from the boardwalk and saw a Sora walking out of the marsh grasses into plain view and it stayed long enough for a good photo. Sora is my first rail.

Lastly, there was this birder with a nice scope and he had located a Least Bittern in its view. He made sure that everyone on the boardwalk (a dozen people) had an opportunity to look at this hard-to-find bird. All these events and people, at one small wetland, made us birders.

Everyone, we met there, was friendly and willing to share sightings and birding stories. Therefore, I knew there were Clapper Rails at this wetland and you could hear them (maybe see them) in the early morning and late afternoon. We tried getting to the wetlands early in the morning but I guess it was not early enough for we didn't see any other rails at this place.

My next opportunity to go to Laguna Madre Nature Trail was in 2004. By now, I had seen several birds in the rail family (Rallidae): Purple Gallinule (Florida), Common Moorhen (first in Louisiana), American Coot (everywhere), and Sora (many places), Virginia Rail (Bosque del Apache) but no Clapper Rail.

It was mid-afternoon on a windy day in January. There were not many species of birds to be seen, but my husband and I ended up talking for an hour with fellow Michiganders. Just after they left, we decided to leave too, because we (certainly) would not see any more species. As I walked back to the car, I took one last look out over the marsh and ...!!! There was a Clapper Rail.

I tried to focus the camera on this bird but it was moving quickly through the tall grasses and it disappeared. You could not trace its path because the grasses did not move. Then, there two more Clapper Rails, hunting for food and calling to each other. Wow, not just one rail but three.

From the front view, this rail species is very narrow or thin and after watching these birds for about 10 minutes, the expression "thin as a rail" has a new meaning for us.

I only got one photo that afternoon. but this rail saga will continue.

The references and gear I used for this blog are:
Camera: Canon EOS 10D
Lens: Canon EF100-400mm F4.5-5.6L IS USM
Steiner 10x42 Predator Binoculars
The SIBLEY Guide to Birds

It is a Parasitic Jaeger

msci@birdperch.com (Maria Bajema) — Fri, 30 Nov 2007 21:00:00 +0000

I saw my first Jaeger on Monday, Mar. 26, 2007. That story is published in my blog Long-tailed Jaeger in Texas. In that blog and the next two, Long-tailed Jaeger 2, Long-tailed Jaeger 3, I published all my photos and discussed why our tour group decided that this was a Long-tailed Jaeger and not Parasitic or Pomarine Jaeger. As you see from the title, we were wrong.

I can now tell you the story of the verification process:
The day after the tour, my husband and I went to Aransas NWR and while we were in the office, the volunteer told us that the office staff was abuzz with the news that a Long-tailed Jaeger or other jaeger had been seen in the refuge. Someone had reported this to Aransas. Also one person of our group had promised the captain, he would report this sighting to the Texas Birds Records Committee (TBRC).

So, naturally, I expected to get a request for the use of my pictures soon. But by Thursday, I became impatient and published my first blog with the other two a couple of days later. Still nothing, no one called or emailed me.

I thought that when an unusual bird was sighted, that the birders from all over the world would rush to come to see it. At least, that's what I read in the magazines. I did hear that the jaeger was not seen on later tours. So hot news this was NOT!

Finally in July, No one had yet sent any information to the TBRC. Well, I thought, I know how to get some answers for my self and sent my story and pictures to one of the leading ornithologists, who had helped me with identification in the past, and his reply in less than a week was this:

"I hate to bring your sighting down a notch but I think this is a Parasitic Jaeger. I'm certain it's not a Long-tailed, which should have the wing coverts and back distinctly paler gray-brown, contrasting with darker flight feathers above, no white on the underwing (flying and turning photo) and a shorter bill. I'm less certain that it is not a Pomarine, but I think the bill is too slender and the pale forehead is typical of Parasitic."

This was his opinion with just a quick look and I am not disappointed, because any jaeger is a life bird for me. (Just change the name on my list and website. It doesn't change the bird!)

Then the next day, I get an email from Darrin Welchert, biologist at Aransas NWR, requesting information. (Some one's ears were burning with these emails and pictures flying through the whatever and reminded them that there had been this HOT sighting in March.) I sent all my pictures to Darrin, who in turn sent everything to the TBRC. This was the middle of July.

A couple of times, I received emails from other birders, who read my blog or saw pictures on my website, telling me that this was not a Long-tailed Jaeger but I replied that I would correct everything when it was OFFICIAL.

This week I received an email from the TBRC eliminating it as a Long-tailed Jaeger with the following conclusion:
1) length of gonoys too short compared with length of bill basal to gonydal length
2) dark of forehead continuing down well below lores
3) mantle too dark
4) central retrices too short for a bird of this age
5) bird was overall too large
TBRC consensus was that it is a Parasitic Jaeger.

There you have it. It's official. I don't understand some of the above points but it's a Parasitic Jaeger. !

So what's next? Does this get published in some birding magazines? No, the Parasitic Jaeger is a regularly occurring species in the state of Texas and the TBRC will add it to its database of observations but that's that.

Does this mean, our sighting did not make history? We still did, because the Parasitic Jaeger is a first record for Aransas NWR and raises it's species list from 404 to 405. I still have my life bird. Aransas NWF has another species on its list. This remains an incredible birding experience and story.

The references and gear I used for this blog are:
Camera: Canon EOS 10D
Lens: Canon EF100-400mm F4.5-5.6L IS USM
Steiner 10x42 Predator Binoculars
The SIBLEY Guide to Birds

Dragonflies or Odonata

msci@birdperch.com (Maria Bajema) — Mon, 08 Oct 2007 18:30:00 +0000

I have been fascinated with dragonflies ever since a time I was birding at Saul Lake Bog, Kent County, MI in 2002. The meadows were full of dragonflies.

Banded Pennant - Celithemis fasciata (Skimmer Family - Libelludidae)

Free wallpaper (desktop background) for personal use
Click on above picture, then on next picture right-click and set as background

Halloween Pennant - Celithemis eponina (Skimmer Family - Libelludidae)

Widow Skimmer - Libellula luctuosa (Skimmer Family - Libelludidae)

The next morning I was birding from my pontoon boat on the lake and managed to take a couple more dragonfly pictures. I was hooked!

Twelve-spotted Skimmer - Libellula pulchella (Skimmer Family - Libelludidae)

Blue Dasher - Pachydiplax longipennis (Skimmer Family - Libelludidae)

However, it was so difficult that I was not able to take more pictures worth keeping until this summer. I spent two mornings on my pontoon, pushed into the weeds along the shore, and have 5 different species. Dragonflies zigzag back and forth very fast in unpredictable directions. Some sit still for a few minutes but others never seem to rest. Then, since they are really quite small in a photo, you want to be very close the them, but they react to movement by flying farther away. And, of course, they have to pose in the right setting (perch, profile, sunlight, background) for an acceptable picture. (so many requirements, more than with bird photography)

Then, last week I learned a secret from James R Curry's book Dragonflies of Indiana. He captures many of his dragonflies in a net, cools them down to slow their movements, perches them in a suitable setting, and then takes his pictures. Now I know how an other photographer succeeds, but I don't think I will go that far. I'll just run my boat into the weeds and wait.

Calico Pennant - Celithemis elisa (Skimmer Family - Libelludidae)

Halloween Pennant - Celithemis eponina (Skimmer Family - Libelludidae)

It is one thing to manage a good photo, now I need to read, identify and learn more about dragonflies. Oh yes, there are damselflies too! (that is another story) It took me five years to identify the next photo and then only with the help of Kurt Mead, author of an excellent little book Dragonflies of the North Woods.

Prince Baskettail - Epitheca princeps (Emerald Family - Corduliididae)

The references and gear I used for this blog are:

Camera: Canon EOS 10D
Lens: Canon EF100-400mm F4.5-5.6L IS USM
Steiner 10x42 Predator Binoculars
Dragonflies through Binoculars
North American Odonata Website
Odonata Central Website

Butterflies

msci@birdperch.com (Maria Bajema) — Fri, 28 Sep 2007 18:49:00 +0000

On Sunday, I saw a Common Buckeye Junonia coenia on my New England Asters. It co-operated for me by feeding for more than an hour, so that I could watch and photograph (until I could not edit any more images - over 50). My daughter says I saw one in her insect collection 20 years ago but I have not seen one again, until now. It sure is pretty.

All summer I have been taking pictures of butterflies in my garden. The Monarch Danaus plexippus remains a favorite, especially when it poses on my butterfly weed.

At Luddington State Park, couple of weekends ago, I saw a Monarch caterpillar on its favorite food, a milkweed plant.
I took the next picture on the Keweenaw Peninsula, in Upper Michigan last summer. I thought I was taking a picture of a Monarch and it wasn't until I was reviewing my photos, that I recognized that it was not a Monarch at all! It was a Viceroy Limenitis archippus which mimics the Monarch. I have never before seen a Viceroy in the field. Notice the black bar across the hind wing on the Viceroy.

I also took some pictures of the Red-spotted Purple Limenitis arthemtis feeding on my Purple cone flower. Again, I did not know what butterfly this was. While reviewing my pictures, I remembered a similar butterfly that I had seen in Texas this spring. When seen from the side as in these 2 photos, the Red-spotted Purple is similar to the Pipevine Swallowtail Battus philenor. Their ranges overlap only along the Gulf states in southern US, but I don't keep range maps in my head (that's why I own books). Now that I have worked with my photos so much, I hope to remember the differences between these butterflies.

I don't know if you have the same problem as I have: that it doesn't matter how many times I have studied the flower, butterfly, or bird in a book, it is not until I have see it live in the field that I can remember its identification marks and recognize it the next time.

Happy butterflying! (Yes, it will become an accepted verb soon!)

The references and gear I used for this blog are:

Camera: Canon EOS 10D
Lens: Canon EF100-400mm F4.5-5.6L IS USM
Steiner 10x42 Predator Binoculars
Kaufman Focus Guides - Butterflies
Butterflies through Binoculars The East
Butterflies of the Great Lakes
Caterpillars of Eastern North America
Caterpilliars in the Field and Garden

Summer Insects

msci@birdperch.com (Maria Bajema) — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 18:54:00 +0000

It has been 2 months since I last wrote a blog. I thought it would be easy to publish a short piece about the pictures that I have taken. Instead, I went to visit my 2 grandchildren, not once but twice, and would go today in a heart beat.

Next, I have spent a lot of time working in my garden: I dug up all my bearded-iris and they are waiting for a soil test and then need to be replanted; I dug up all my narcissus and daffodils, which were planted 10 years ago, and now the bulbs were so close together, they could not produce blooms any longer. These I have replanted. Lastly, I also ordered 300 tulips which will arrive in a couple of weeks for planting. Next spring, my garden should look fabulous (I hope).

I did take some pictures though. I always notice birds whenever I am outside but bird-photo ops are not so frequent. Like many birders, I am interested in butterflies, dragonflies and interesting insects or bugs. Here are a few I saw recently.

A couple weeks ago, I saw a small brown and white moth on the ceiling in the hallway of my home. I caught it in a small jar and took it outside to photograph. But I bumped the jar and it escaped. I researched it on line and identified it as a Grape Leaf Folder Desmia funeralis. However, the next day, I saw it on the side of the house near the door and this time I got my picture. I am pretty sure it was the same moth still near the door it had entered the day before. The interesting thing about this moth is that it usually hides underneath the grape leaf.

This summer, I have seen more Honey Bees Apis mellifera than in past summers. I know that honeys bees are dying from unknown causes, so I am happy to see more of them. How could I not photograph this bee, searching for nectar on Purple Loosestrife which, despite its invasiveness, is a very pretty flower.

Free wallpaper (desktop background) for personal use
Click on above picture, then on next picture right-click and set as background

Another bee that I found fascinating, is a Sweat Bee species Halictus. This is a small bee with yellow legs and was perfectly camouflaged on the Brown-eyed Susans.

Last weekend at Luddington State Park, MI, I saw a cicada fly by and land in a pine tree. It, a member of Tibicen species, was not hard to find. Cicadas are one of my favorite insects because of their song, and where I live, they usually start to sing between Jul 1 and Jul 14. Now summer is really here!

Later, on the sandy path, there was another interesting bug with a white and black pattern. According to Kenn Kaufman, this beetle always attracts attention. I had never before seen this beetle, a Cottonwood Borer Plectrodera scalator.

I took more bug pictures than bird pictures this summer.

The references and gear I used for this blog are:

Kaufman Field Guide to Insects of North America
Camera: Canon EOS 10D
Lens: Canon EF100-400mm F4.5-5.6L IS
Steiner 10x42 Predator Binoculars

Great-tailed Grackles

msci@birdperch.com (Maria Bajema) — Tue, 17 Jul 2007 17:28:00 +0000

I have almost finished reviewing my 1,300+ images from our Texas trip and have loaded 350 new photos to my website. Now, there are some stories about these, I want to share.

Everywhere along the Rio Grande Valley and the Texas Coast, the Great-tailed Grackles were in their glory. The male of this species was in full breeding plumage, a blue/purple iridescence or lustrous and changing colors (definitely a kingly color). This particular male just held his ground next to the car as I approached. As a result, I captured his arrogance.

Everytime we sat down at our campsite at Lake Casa Blanca International State Park, Laredo, TX, a male grackle would come to proclaim that this site was his domain. He would stand on the picnic table, fluff all his feathers and send forth his song (loud ruckus) of high pitched notes. To finish his statement, he would puff up his throat and make a long, low growl of hisses, rattles and guttural noises. Then, he would repeat the entire sequence of song and display, even though no female or other male was in sight. So, I am sure this was meant to intimidate us.

Other times we would see several males posturing as if to say "I am king of this mountain here!" or "Don't we sound like the 3 tenors!"

I think that these displays are performed to defend territory or impress a female grackle. She does not have his beautiful colors but when you see her by herself, she has nice browns.

At Galveston State Park, TX, a male grackle put on a display and song. He was only about 15 feet away from where I was sitting in my lawn chair. This time, however, his statement was meant for several females nearby and one male. The funny thing was, all the females ignored him the entire time. Maybe, they heard and saw him but these females kept right on looking for bugs. This is my interpretation of these pictures:

To a female: "Don't you like my new song?"

To a female: "Look at me, aren't I handsome!"

To another male: "I am better looking than you."

To another male: "I am strong, regal and fierce." (This look intimidates me)

To both males and females: "Look at my tail, its the best!"

My husband and I sure enjoyed watching the Great-tailed Grackles and many times wished we had a video camera, so that we could capture their displays and songs (growls) on film to show you and, of course, to prove to you that these birds really do all these things.

The references and gear I used for this blog are:

Camera: Canon EOS 10D
Lens: Canon EF100-400mm F4.5-5.6L IS USM
Steiner 10x42 Predator Binoculars
The SIBLEY Guide to Birds