- Thread starter
- #51
Quote:
I wish I was that pretty!
Lol it is hard to get good bird picks!
Lol it is hard to get good bird picks!
Wild Bird Thread!
- Thread starter Chicken0Boy
- Start date
Quote:
I wish I was that pretty!
Lol it is hard to get good bird picks!
HAAAA! I totally misunderstood! Major Blond Moment!
I thought you were being silly!
That pic came from google images.
Lol it is hard to get good bird picks!
HAAAA! I totally misunderstood! Major Blond Moment!
That pic came from google images.
We are wild bird crazy! This place is like an zoo aviary. We keep bird seed, thistle, plants, bushes, flowers, hummingbird syrup, and plenty of clean fresh water.
Since all my silkies free range, the wild birds alert them to every potential threat. I especially love the crows which stay on the outskirts and freak out when a hawk is near. Same with blue jays. If it weren't for the wild birds I doubt I'd be able to free range my little silkies. Tell ya what...bird seed is expensive!
We mix it with 50# bag of scratch to stretch it and save money. They love it.
Since all my silkies free range, the wild birds alert them to every potential threat. I especially love the crows which stay on the outskirts and freak out when a hawk is near. Same with blue jays. If it weren't for the wild birds I doubt I'd be able to free range my little silkies. Tell ya what...bird seed is expensive!
We mix it with 50# bag of scratch to stretch it and save money. They love it.
Quote:
Wow Suebee, I never thought of that! My Silkies are still chicks and I am torn about whether to free range them or not. I'm in a very woodsy area and one neighbor has mentioned various predators getting his chickens. BUT, I feed the wild birds here constantly, so they are always in my yard. I never thought about them giving warning signals. Do the chickens listen to the warnings, or is it just that you hear them and keep guard?
Wow Suebee, I never thought of that! My Silkies are still chicks and I am torn about whether to free range them or not. I'm in a very woodsy area and one neighbor has mentioned various predators getting his chickens. BUT, I feed the wild birds here constantly, so they are always in my yard. I never thought about them giving warning signals. Do the chickens listen to the warnings, or is it just that you hear them and keep guard?
- Thread starter
- #55
I saw "that" cardinal! I also saw a very bright blue jay yesterday!
okay ..... seen everything mentioned so far.....but has anyone seen an American Woodcock?
Saw first one yesterday. Never seen a beak like that on anything before.
I love listening.............. I can locate a cardinal, Cedar waxwing, or anything different or unusual by just listening.
We live in an area with a mixture of forest, meadow, creeks, farmland, and everyday I am amazed at the birdlife
that passes through that I get the pleasure of seeing.
Saw first one yesterday. Never seen a beak like that on anything before.
I love listening.............. I can locate a cardinal, Cedar waxwing, or anything different or unusual by just listening.
We live in an area with a mixture of forest, meadow, creeks, farmland, and everyday I am amazed at the birdlife
that passes through that I get the pleasure of seeing.
going to have to dig up my birds picts form ornithology... oh... feathers (even blue Jay) -appear- blue according to our professor and research he's done on it. Some bird's feathers iridescent blue in light, others are black and then 'built' when all the hooks are lined up - to be blue then.
Take apart a blue jay feather or look at an iridescent bird under non white light compared to a 'true blue' dot...
Here's a link to a non subscription site: http://www.birds.cornell.edu/allaboutbirds/studying/feathers/color/document_view
Take apart a blue jay feather or look at an iridescent bird under non white light compared to a 'true blue' dot...
Here's a link to a non subscription site: http://www.birds.cornell.edu/allaboutbirds/studying/feathers/color/document_view
Structural Colors
Adding to the diversity of avian colors are colors produced by the structure of the feather. The best known example is the gorget (throat feathers) of many hummingbird species. The iridescent colors of the gorget are the result of the refraction of incident light caused by the microscopic structure of the feathers. The refraction works like a prism, splitting the light into rich, component colors. At certain angles little or no light is reflected back to the viewer and the gorget can appear black. As the viewing angle changes, the refracted light becomes visible in a glowing, shimmering iridescent display.
Many species of birds have feathers that exhibit iridescent colors, including the Purple Gallinule and Tricolored Heron pictured at the top of this page.
Not all structural colors are iridescent. Tiny air pockets in the barbs of feathers can scatter incoming light, resulting in a specific, non-iridescent color. Blue colors in feathers are almost always produced in this manner. Examples include the blue feathers of bluebirds, Indigo Buntings, Blue Jay's and Steller's Jays.
The blues seen in the feathers of these 3 species are structural colors. (Left to right: Indigo Bunting, Mountain Bluebird and Stellar's Jay)
If you find the feather of a Blue Jay or Steller's Jay you can see for yourself how this works. First, observe the feather in normal lighting conditions and you will see the expected blue color. Next, try back-lighting the feather. When light is transmitted through the feather it will look brown. The blues are lost because the light is no longer being reflected back and the brown shows up because of the melanin in the feathers.
The feather structures of many species also reflect light in the ultraviolet range. Some birds can see into the UV range so they may appear quite different to each other than they do to us.
-drat the sky has opened up here- cant get to the office to get the pictures... (BBL)
Adding to the diversity of avian colors are colors produced by the structure of the feather. The best known example is the gorget (throat feathers) of many hummingbird species. The iridescent colors of the gorget are the result of the refraction of incident light caused by the microscopic structure of the feathers. The refraction works like a prism, splitting the light into rich, component colors. At certain angles little or no light is reflected back to the viewer and the gorget can appear black. As the viewing angle changes, the refracted light becomes visible in a glowing, shimmering iridescent display.
Many species of birds have feathers that exhibit iridescent colors, including the Purple Gallinule and Tricolored Heron pictured at the top of this page.
Not all structural colors are iridescent. Tiny air pockets in the barbs of feathers can scatter incoming light, resulting in a specific, non-iridescent color. Blue colors in feathers are almost always produced in this manner. Examples include the blue feathers of bluebirds, Indigo Buntings, Blue Jay's and Steller's Jays.
The blues seen in the feathers of these 3 species are structural colors. (Left to right: Indigo Bunting, Mountain Bluebird and Stellar's Jay)
If you find the feather of a Blue Jay or Steller's Jay you can see for yourself how this works. First, observe the feather in normal lighting conditions and you will see the expected blue color. Next, try back-lighting the feather. When light is transmitted through the feather it will look brown. The blues are lost because the light is no longer being reflected back and the brown shows up because of the melanin in the feathers.
The feather structures of many species also reflect light in the ultraviolet range. Some birds can see into the UV range so they may appear quite different to each other than they do to us.
-drat the sky has opened up here- cant get to the office to get the pictures... (BBL)
I have always wanted to see a killdeer!
The best place to see them is large open fields
The best place to see them is large open fields
Lol it is hard to get good bird picks!
You have to work at it:
You have to work at it:
Last edited:
Suebee, I listen to everyone in the woods, too. I always check if the woods suddenly go quiet or I hear crows.
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