Lake Woodruff

6/26/2015

Big birds flock in big groups like the ibis, storks, egrets, and herons.

 6/26/2015

Birds have lots of fun ways of bathing---normal baths, dirt baths, and sun baths.  Sun baths are usually after water baths.  Sun baths are like drying off.  See the black vulture sun bathing above.

6/26/2015

It is important to have good food like this flower for hummingbirds.

The White-Eared Hummingbird

 White-eared hummingbird

Juvenile white-eared hummingbird

The white-eared hummingbird lives in southern North America.  Did you know a hummingbird flaps it wings up to 200 beats per second in courtship display?  I love hummingbirds.

Great Egrets in Juarez Park

2015 SMA Great Egrets

A long time ago people cut the tops of the trees in Juarez Park to try and keep the egrets away.  But now, the trees have grown back and great egrets are coming back to nest and roost.  While they were gone, they went to another town near SMA.  I am happy they are coming back to SMA.  I love how this picture shows the male egret puffing out his feathers to try and get a mate.  

Sorry and Nest

I am sorry that I have not blogged lately.  My family has been visiting and I have been on spring break.  Now I am back!

I have been watching hummingbirds and I have been starting to like them because they are pretty and fast.  Here is a picture of a hummingbird's nest in our courtyard.

Pigeon Petter

Guess what?  I got to pet a pigeon and nobody helped me!  That day it was raining and all of the birds were trying to keep warm.  I found it downtown.  I fed it but it got so full that when I gave it a piece of bread, it shook its head.   

White Winged Dove

The large, plain gray white winged dove has white bars on its wing that you can see when in flight.  We have a lot of these in our courtyard.  This is a picture of one that I took.  

Nectar

My favorite store in SMA is Nectar.  It has bird stuff in it. 

Parrots

A Parrot trick. 

I was at a restaurant and it had many birds. My favorite bird is a big parrot. This is the male and female parrot in the picture.  

Falcons

 A tip about falcons-- every falcon has a black mask.  I drew a peregrine falcon.  This is the fastest animal in the world.

Murmuration

Check out this link to my movie of the bronze cowbirds murmuration!

At Orava Castle, Slovakia

Orava Castle, Slovakia. November, 2014

This is a Golden Eagle. I took it in Slovakia.

Golden Eagle

Man and Golden Eagle, Northern Slovakia November 2014- Photo taken by Craig G.

This man is hunting with his Golden Eagle in Slovakia.  Our friend, Craig, got to go on a hunting expedition with some hunters from Croatia in Slovakia.  They hunt with eagles.  Craig said it was fun.  

Thank you Aunt Stacie for this link to the baby eagle cam!

Cooper's Hawk

I drew this picture of a Cooper's Hawk.  It is eating a blue jay.  A Cooper's Hawk is a raptor.

Falcons, Parrots, Beaks

Did you know that falcons are more closely related to parrots than hawks or eagles!  This is new research to us birders.  But if you look at their beaks, you can see that they're both curved.  

Me with an African Gray Parrott  Walhalla, SC 2014, 

Thank you Nana for taking me!!

The Kestrel

American Kestrel, August 2014, Awendah, SC

A kestrel is a fast bird like the merlin.  They are both in the falcon family.  

The wire that is on the back of the kestrel is called a telemetry wire.  It helps the people know where the kestrel is if it is far away.  

Thank you, Mrs. April for sending me this link.  Everyone needs to see this!!

Thank you all for reading my blog.

Introduction

(Great horned owl in August 2014 in Awendah, SC)

My blog is about birds.  My favorite birds are the raptors.  Raptors are birds that eat meat like vultures, eagles, hawks, falcons, ospreys, owls, and harriers.

(Great horned owl in flight August 2014 in Awendah, SC)

You better move because this owl is going to stick its talons in you!

Did you see this?

Owl Stealing Hats

Red Tailed Hawk

Would you like a red tailed hawk in your face?