Seen in my backyard
Aug 18, 2018 23:27:15 #
here are a few shots I took in my back yard last spring with my new Sony RX10IV when my ocatillo cactus was blooming. All are hand held jpegs (automatic mode)...now I'm learning other modes thanks to information gleaned from UHH.
some sort of humming bird
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probably his wife
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some sort of bird
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I think this a butterfly... guess he liked lantana b etter than ocatillo!
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Aug 19, 2018 01:12:32 #
Aug 19, 2018 06:25:30 #
Aug 19, 2018 08:19:14 #
Aug 19, 2018 10:02:47 #
I'd say your wonderful shots of the Hummer are an Anna's Hummer. The other bird is a Black Headed Grosbeak probably an immature one or a female...and the last one maybe an Audubon's Warbler. I'm no expert so I am ready to be corrected....but lovely shots all! Congratulations Monarch Butterfly?
Aug 19, 2018 11:14:51 #
Aug 19, 2018 14:34:02 #
Thank you all for looking at my early attempts at photographing birds and bugs. Glad to know what the two birds were...they must have been migrating as I have never seen them again (the hummers stick around all year). The butterfly is not a monarch but some species I’ve never seen before or since.
Aug 19, 2018 15:37:05 #
Mustanger wrote:
I'd say your wonderful shots of the Hummer are an Anna's Hummer. The other bird is a Black Headed Grosbeak probably an immature one or a female...and the last one maybe an Audubon's Warbler. I'm no expert so I am ready to be corrected....but lovely shots all! Congratulations Monarch Butterfly?
Not quite enough field marks for me on the hummer but it sure could be a female Anna's, concur with the Black-Headed Grosbeak and the Yellow-rumped Warbler. Yellow throat makes it the Myrtle variation. I agree, it is a good shot on the Monarch.
Aug 19, 2018 19:51:22 #
Aug 19, 2018 23:31:12 #
safeman wrote:
Not quite enough field marks for me on the hummer but it sure could be a female Anna's, concur with the Black-Headed Grosbeak and the Yellow-rumped Warbler. Yellow throat makes it the Myrtle variation. I agree, it is a good shot on the Monarch.
I just looked up the differences of the Myrtle & Audubon Warblers....the Yellow throat is the indicator for the Audubon variety....The Myrtle species has a white throat...they do interbreed in a very narrow strip in Canada where the two ranges overlap a tiny bit.
Aug 20, 2018 00:22:23 #
My bad. You're right it was a senior moment for me. Happens more and more lately.
It seems that the Myrtle/Audubon warbler complex is still listed as Yellow-rumped Warbler but there is evidence to suggest that the complex should again be split into three distinct species or maybe even four. In my day species identification involved collecting (shooting) large numbers of "specimens", comparing plumages and measurements and by observation (collecting) evidence of interbreeding. Now it is accomplished by netting large numbers of specimens taking DNA samples from them and releasing them back into the wild. Much less stressful on the specimens and considerably more accurate. In some areas we have improved. It's kind of frustrating for we birders though, my life list continues to go up even though I am seldom able to get into the field any more.
Again my apology for miss-calling that bird.
It seems that the Myrtle/Audubon warbler complex is still listed as Yellow-rumped Warbler but there is evidence to suggest that the complex should again be split into three distinct species or maybe even four. In my day species identification involved collecting (shooting) large numbers of "specimens", comparing plumages and measurements and by observation (collecting) evidence of interbreeding. Now it is accomplished by netting large numbers of specimens taking DNA samples from them and releasing them back into the wild. Much less stressful on the specimens and considerably more accurate. In some areas we have improved. It's kind of frustrating for we birders though, my life list continues to go up even though I am seldom able to get into the field any more.
Again my apology for miss-calling that bird.
Aug 20, 2018 10:54:43 #
safeman wrote:
My bad. You're right it was a senior moment for me. Happens more and more lately.
Again my apology for miss-calling that bird.
Again my apology for miss-calling that bird.
Don't apologize my friend....that is how we all learn. You caused me to delve deeper into the Warbler lore & I learned a whole lot that I never was aware of before! I am in your debt sir! Walt
Aug 20, 2018 10:58:02 #
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