ON my way to work this morning I almost hit a cardinal. They sure are good looking birds. That is one nice thing about the east, there are a lot more pretty birds here. Not to mention the dive bombing pelicans. I can watch them for hours.
Did you mean a Northern Cardinal Cardinalis cardinalis ? Used to be called Red Cardinal I think. I'd love to see one of those but can't afford to revisit the USA just yet.
No Purple Matins over here. Just Sand Martins (Riparia riparia) & House Martins (Delichon urbica). I've seen some of those crazy Purple Martin houses you lot build for them. Look like great fun. What am annoyed about is that I never really got into birding until after I'd been to North America so missed alot out on alot of good birds. Do remember Clarke's Nutcracker at Lake Louise, Alberta & of course Bald Eagle.
And I thought the House Martins were just a band! As for Cardinals, the males are very handsome. The females less so. Both are much nicer than Blue Jays, which are just a tad too aggressive for my tastes!
we have P. Martins here, nutcrackers up in the high mtn.s, and wishing the Cardinal would head over here farther west, it remains in portions of the S.W. in Arizona but must not like the clean air up our way
Yes, they are a bit grouchy. Owen, when I was young, my parents hung gourds up, painted in gaudy colors, for the Martins to live in. I was told that they kept the mosquito population down, but I could never tell any difference. Out in the country where I grew up, the skeeters would carry you off during most of the summer months, which for us was late March through early November. ERich, do y'all have Mocking Birds?
Jeff: Only on the east side of the cascades and they are everywhere ......... they prefer a more dry climate on that side of Orygun
I've hit several quail in the last couple months. But, not livin' in the South like Slipdigit, I don't stop and bring 'em home for dinner.......
I like the roadrunners in AZ and NM, I actually saw one run down a lizard and eat it. They are carnivores you know... I didn't until then.
Oh I also say the quetzal bird in Guatemala, it was very nice, kind of like a small green flying peacock.
I'd love to see a Roadrunner. The Bee-Eaters that flew over Anzio War Cemetery back in May were gorgeous.
Wessex we have seen em in the deserts of Cli, Ariz and New Mexico, almost everywhere, like blowing tumbleweeds, what a funny character they are. Bee eaters ? pray tell what type of bird is that ? ..... interesting
Here you go Erich. European Bee-eater - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia A great photo of one here, Message - Bird Forum Galleries One in flight. Message - Bird Forum Galleries I've wanted to see them for years . I had several flying around quite low overhead in Anzio War Cemetery. Superb. At Cassino War Cemetery I saw Black Kite. Black Kite - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia At The US Cemetery at Nettuno I saw my first Serin. European Serin - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia At Aquino airfield in the Liri Valley saw my first Montagu's Harrier. Montagu's Harrier - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia On Snakeshead Ridge in the shadow of the Abbey at Monte Cassino I saw Cirl Bunting. The RSPB: Cirl bunting
