Posts: newtoyou | Ugly Hedgehog

Mikey69 wrote:

Does anyone know what kind of bird this is?

Finally see the key. Leucistic, yes. Jay no. The diameter of eye to bill height is correct for Blackbirds, Icteridae, of which Grackles are kin. About two times greater for bill in Grackles. Same diameter as bill for Jay.
Bill

Mar 17, 2019 23:57:01 #

sippyjug104 wrote:

I came across a colony thousands of ant-like critt... (show quote)

I must admit, the clutter shows well on download.😁🤐
Bill

Mar 17, 2019 22:30:56 #

DWU2 wrote:

How did you take the picture? Were you using something like an MPE-65, microscope, or what? Did you use flash?

If I may, I am Bill. I follow sippyjug (Gary). I suggest going back a few weeks and come forward. He explains in detail his methodology.
Some quite simple and accessable. Enjoy this macro section. Eye-opening.
Bill

Mar 17, 2019 22:21:39 #

Blenheim Orange wrote:

Looking through a lot of photos of Common Grackles, I do see some with thicker beaks than others, some looking just like our leucistic bird here.

Mike

I have a question of you. You have vaccilated on your ID so I am confused. I know this is all futile, because we do not have specimen in hand. I gave a probable ID and my reasoning. And a documentation. Now the question. Will you do the same?. I am always open to being proven wrong in the name of science, but not in the name of dogma. A reread of these proceedings is confusing, as I said.
Bill
Bill

Mar 17, 2019 21:56:48 #

Ant - Profile View

sippyjug104 wrote:

This is one of the ants that I found while scouting in the woods. I posted a view of its face earlier today. It is very small and I believe from its markings, size, habitat and size of its colony that it is an Argentine Ant which are considered to be an invasive species displacing many of the native ants.

These things, I found by looking deeper, have the reputation of being the "worst ant in the world".
Highly invasive and disruptive of native fauna.
Bill

Mar 17, 2019 21:40:43 #

Blenheim Orange wrote:

The bill and the eyes are not right for a Gray Jay, are they?

Sibley shows the Brewer's Blackbird (and the Rusty Blackbird) as possible this time of year in southern Wisconsin.

Mike

Shoot. I put on my glasses and looked at range map again. Oops
Two possibles now.
Bill,(no pun intended).

Mar 17, 2019 20:20:52 #

Ant - Profile View

sippyjug104 wrote:

Oh Mark, I'm sure you're right because I saw several which were the larger ones that had wings. This is one of the larger ones that was in the mass of ants and there were several of them although 70-80 percent were the much smaller ones in the cluster of ants.

And the rest of the story. Reproductives are often larger than workers.
They have wings. The winged and larger are future queens, maybe males, too?
Bill

Mar 17, 2019 20:14:31 #

Gene51 wrote:

I'm going out on a limb (

) and going to suggest it is a Brewer's Blackbird that is not quite an adult, but almost. Or maybe a leucistic variant.

http://sandiegobirdspot.com/brewers-blackbird/

I would agree except it is too far north for Brewers, meaning two oddities. Gray Jay already a year round resident.
I still vote variation of a Gray Jay.
My usual caveat, been wrong before.
Document your belief in ID please.
Bill

Mar 17, 2019 20:04:20 #

sippyjug104 wrote:

Thanks, the tiny insects pose the challenge of getting a pin through them and getting them into position for the camera. It is quite difficult for me to get their legs into any position for they are so small and fragile so they end up looking omley-gomley at times like this one is.

The small and large are normal. There may be numerous castes of ants from one queen. Workers control the queen, or rather the food fed to the larva, to produce needed caste numbers. In these, the number of larva nurses increase in spring. They are smaller than normal and can better take care of larva. Spring means more larva produced, so more nurses need.
Holdober and Wilson Ant Book.
Bill

Mar 17, 2019 19:53:05 #

Click Beetle Larva

sippyjug104 wrote:

Thanks again for the education into this exciting micro world. You and several others here have played a huge part in my continued interest and drive to explore and learn more for which I will forever be grateful.

Sometimes I think my prose are too prolex, ( from Catch -22), but this is not a shallow subject. Getting a bit of praise for a bit of information is a good trade.
Bill

Mar 17, 2019 19:41:20 #

Mark Sturtevant wrote:

Thank you,
I don't pick up assassin bugs. No-sir. Heard too many stories of people getting bitten when one just crawls or lands on you. Have not seen a wheel bug (a VERY BIG assassin bug) for some years. If and when I do I will be very excited. But I ain't picking it up.

As I have learned, experience is not the best teacher. BAD experience of another is, if you pay attention.
I was about ten when a wheel bug got me. They are quick. A two week necrotic,( didn't even know the word then), sore the result. Reduviids are hazard to your health.
Bill
PS, wheel bugs common here. I can send early stage nymphs if you like. They must not be released into the wild. Easy to rear, eatamous anybugamous.(Warner Bros. Talk)
Bill

Mar 17, 2019 13:13:46 #

jeep_daddy wrote:

I agree that it's leucistic, but Grackle? I don't think the bill matches quite right. The eye is correct and the tail is close, but see how thick the bill is at the base? None of the Grackles are that large.

I believe body and stance point at Gray Jay. So a color aberation of that?
Deer and squirrels I have seen are pied. A brownish and white. I see black "Gray"Squirrels almost daily. White "Gray" Squirrels where I lived in Queenstown. This would be best sent to your local bird club. Could be a bragger. And I just thought. Location.
Bill

Mar 17, 2019 11:53:47 #

Mikey69 wrote:

About the size of a red-winged blackbird

That fits Gray Jay. I no longer think a young. They are dark.
Bill

Mar 17, 2019 11:51:12 #

Mikey69 wrote:

Does anyone know what kind of bird this is?

I am not much on birds, but this looks to me, by body, bill, size, eye color, and location like a color oddity of a Gray Jay. Perisoreus, one of the subspecies. Or a juvenile.
From Nat. Geo. Birds.
Bill

Mar 17, 2019 11:33:23 #

sippyjug104 wrote:

I came across a colony thousands of ant-like critt... (show quote)

Did they smell lemony?
Bill