schultz@inuxc.UUCP (Paula Schultz) (05/14/84)
This weekend I was driving through Beautiful Brown County in Indiana and I saw several Woodpeckers, a pair of quails, a Northern Oriole, an Indigo Bunting, and a pair of Hawks who were too high to distinguish type (probably either Red-Tail or Red-Shoulder). Does anyone on the NET care about birds? If so, please let me know.
dxp@pyuxhh.UUCP (D Peak) (05/14/84)
Yes some people do care . However I don't really know how much we
can get out of this news group. Let me explain:
I find enjoyment in "bird watching" by watching ,its a difficult
emotion to put into words.I enjoy the warmess I feel that the birds
show no sign of flight while I'm watching them ,its almost as if they
accept my presence.
I'm fairly fortunate where I live in that I live on a hill where birds
come fairly close to the house and I can do my watching from my living
room with my 8-16x binoculars.
I must admit I very much a beginner and an amatuer at that,but can any
one explain why the US robin differs so much from the british robin.
The US one looks as it belongs to the thrush or finch family whilst
the british one looks like a member of the sparrow family.
Dave Peak(pyuxhh!dxp)
BTW - This weekend we had several finches,some blue jays and a red tailed
hawk in the neighbourhood.dxp@pyuxhh.UUCP (D Peak) (05/15/84)
Sharon ,
I was VERY interested in your article stating the nesting of an
osprey in Highlands as I live there.Do you have any info that I could follow
up on eg article in local paper ?
Thanks in advance,
Dave Peak(pyuxhh!dxp) sebb@pyuxss.UUCP (05/15/84)
I happen to love bird watching. I've been doing it ever since I was 10. I would like to find out more about the Audubon Society. Is anyone out there a member?? How can I join? Do they have walks and hikes in interesting bird-y places. For instance the chapter near my parents had a trip to Iona Island(part of West Point) to see the bald eagles who showed up there. And I heard a rumor that there's an ospery nesting in the Highlands(for those of you in NJ). Does the Audubon Society keep you in touch with that kind of interesting stuff? My dream for a long time has been to travel all over the world and see all sorts of marvelous birds. Unfortunately I don't have the money for that. Oh well, maybe some day. Sharon Badian
mdash@sfjec.UUCP (M.D.Scheer) (05/15/84)
Two pileated woodpeckers in Shelburne, Vermont
lincoln@eosp1.UUCP (Dick Lincoln) (05/16/84)
> Does anyone on the NET care about birds? If so, please let me know.
Yes, many care. My wife and I care enough to leave our almost 2 acres
of "lawn" unmowed each Spring until the gorgeous migrating goldfinches
have had their fill of our abundant dandelion crop.
How dare you imply we have any other motive for doing so!?jgpo@iwu1a.UUCP (John, KA9MNK) (05/18/84)
>> I must admit I very much a beginner and an amatuer at that,but can any >> one explain why the US robin differs so much from the british robin. >> The US one looks as it belongs to the thrush or finch family whilst >> the british one looks like a member of the sparrow family. Good eye! The American robin (Turdus migratorius) *is* a thrush. When the first Europeans arrived in the New World they saw our thrush and said, "By Jove, that bird resembles our robin redbreast! It must be the New World version." And that's why T. migratorius is named Robin. I don't know right off hand what family the European robin is in. John Opalko AT&T Bell Labs Naperville, IL PS: On my walk around the grounds the other day I espied a rosy-breasted grosbeak and either a kinglet or a Western common bushtit. There's also been a male mallard taking afternoon naps on the fountain in our pond (right over the hole) for the past couple of weeks. Is he in for a surprise if they ever turn that thing on!
jay@umcp-cs.UUCP (05/18/84)
I'm never sure just what to get excited about when I peer through my binoculars at the activity overhead. I've called the Audubon Society on several occasions, whenever I see something listed in Peterson's Field Guide as being rare to the area but the people I talk to are never impressed. (I suppose if these birds deign to visit my backyard, some of their relatives must be flocking elsewhere close by as well). Nevertheless, I am delighted to say that I saw for the first time (in my backyard - I've seen them elsewhere) an Indigo Bunting couple pecking away at my new mown lawn. They were there for about a half hour until a loose dog scared them away (see arguments in net.pets for more on why animals should/should not be tethered). A couple of other birds of note: an American Redstart darting about on my half-dead honey locust, a Swainson's Thrush (or two) hopping around on the ground (they'll be gone soon), a Wood Thrush (for its song, my personal favorite), and some Yellow-Rumped Warblers. All of these are season and will soon leave my neighborhood. Then, all there'll be left are the crows, grackles, starlings, and house sparrows, none of whom get the courtesy of capitalzation. Fortunately, there are still the Robins, Mockingbirds, Catbirds, Cowbirds, Chickadees, Titmice, House Finches and other summer residents of my niche in Silver Spring, Maryland. -- Jay Elvove ..!seismo!umcp-cs!jay
dxp@pyuxhh.UUCP (D Peak) (05/22/84)
I thought that this last weekend was going to be shot as far as bird watching
was concerned ,due to the fact that I was on the beach saturday and sailing
on sunday.However I was pleasantly surprised.
On sunday whilst sailing we got to see lots of cormorants close up without
the aid of binoculars.We saw them perched on buoys and were able to sail
within 20' of them.There were also lots of them on the move skimming about
2' above the water.
But the thing that really made my day was when we got back to the marina.We
were tidying up the boat and I noticed quite a few swallows flying close by.
I then spotted two of the swallows(cliff swallows in NJ ? in May) perched on
a ladder hanging from the dock.The two were approx 12' away and we sat
watching each other for about 15 minutes until they were distracted by
people walking on the dock and flew away.It looked like they have a nest
under the dock.I'm looking forward to seeing them when I go sailing in
another 2 weeks.
Dave Peak(pyuxhh!dxp)
sebb@pyuxss.UUCP (S Badian) (05/23/84)
I found out where the ospery is nesting, sort of. I haven't gone out to see it yet. I don't know if it really exists. But it is supposed to be nesting near a maintenance building near the border of the park in the Highlands and the military installation there. I looked on a map and it doesn't look like it's too hard to find. You take this one road all the way to the end and you shouldn't have to go too far to find the ospery. If you do find it, please tell me! Sharon Badian
schultz@inuxc.UUCP (Paula Schultz) (06/18/84)
I saw a pair of great blue herons flying over Interstate 65 between Whiteland and Franklin yesterday (6/17/84). Has anyone else seen any unusual birds lately? It has been pretty quiet out there in net.land. Paula Schultz - Indianapolis, IN
schultz@inuxc.UUCP (Paula Schultz) (09/05/84)
This weekend I went to Camp Atterbury State Wildfowl Resting Areas where I saw approximately 200 Canada geese, several shorebirds (I'm not sure what kind because I am not very good with shorebirds), and a great blue heron. Atterbury is a really good spot for watching the migrating birds. The birds stop by this area and rest for a few hours/days before resuming their flights south. It is a resting spot for sandhill cranes also. There are two main lakes where the birds stop and observation towers have been built for viewing. My favorite spot! P. J. Schultz Indianapolis