BellaOnline Forums Hobbies and Crafts Birding Random Avian Flights of Thought

Les.....Mr. Rogers' quote gave me quite a chuckle, and as I sit here thinking about it I realize that even as a mature adult I sure wouldn't mind running through that field and sending all those geese up into the air to escape the crazy woman. That would be fun until either I slip and fall in the goose droppings, or as the birds circle about a big load lands on my head.

Hmmmmm..........maybe I will chase those geese only in my daydreams.....

Muchas gracias Connie for your fluttering, er, I mean flattering words and if Vermie was not already so bright red in the face, you would certainly see him blushing while exhibiting his adorable fluttering flight pattern.

Debbie, Will Rogers was really a one-of-a-kind wit and you and others may get an appreciatively knowing response from the following birdy quote of his that should certainly be true where we live in Mexico (or anywhere): "Live in such a way that you would not be ashamed to sell your parrot to the town gossip."

The other late afternoon by Oriole Tree and environs in around 45 minutes I saw 22 species of birds, highlighted by multiple sightings of Vermies, gorgeous male royal Blue Grosbeaks, five raucous Groove-Billed Anis (wow, do I love black birds, cuckoos or not!) cavorting together. a cuter than heck White-Collared Seedeater and a beyond distinctively lovely Black-Vented Oriole after showing his colors in-flight landing on Hummingbird Tree and then displaying only his posterior to me.

Yesterday in the late afternoon, by where else than Oriole Tree, I experienced a lovely, unexpected treat among the numerous Streak-Backed Orioles, a small flock of House Finch, a few Lesser Goldfinch, an adult male and juvenile male Vermie that was picking off insects from a small marshy area below, a Magnificent Hummingbird, a female and male Blue Grosbeak and a couple of active Western Kingbirds, there was, BING BING BING, a solitary bird that I had not seen this season in Churintzio.

First seeing its distinctive long orange beak and its white neck with black streaks along with its orangish breast, I was delighted to identify a Western Mexican endemic that while common in many areas (like last year I had seen dozens foraging on the ground in the main park in Queretaro City) is only infrequently seen here, as it was a Rufous-Backed Thrush, AKA Rufous-Backed Robin. In the past in Churintzio I had primarily seen them skulking about in the garbage-strewn ravine near the pre-school.

“A Robin Redbreast in a Cage Puts all Heaven in a Rage”- William Blake

The following is a verse from Robert Service's wicked interesting poem, Bird Watcher:

"The man who mighty mergers planned,
And oil and coal kinglike controlled,
With field-glasses in failing hand
Spies downy nestlings five days old,
With joy he could not buy for gold."

A seasonal holiday gift from Vermie to you!

Vermilion Flycatchers an Eye-Catching Bird

With over 400 species, tyrant flycatchers are the most diverse family of birds not only in South and North America but in the entire world. However, their diversity for the most part does not extend to their color and markings as the vast majority of these New World flycatchers are mostly a nondescript drab combination of browns, grays, and yellows and are without "unmistakable" physical features. Some obvious exceptions in color or other outstanding characteristics to that are ornate, scissor-tailed, and the three look-alike species-social flycatchers, boat-billed flycatchers and Great Kiskadees. However, for me not so arguably, the most striking, distinctive, and spectacular is the relatively diminutive vermilion flycatcher, particularly the males.

By chance I “discovered” vermilion flycatchers a few years ago just prior to my becoming a birder. Virtually every time that I was taking a hike on a certain trail from a distance of about 100-150 feet I saw this small bright red bird perched on a post protruding from a pond near my home in the Western Central Highlands of Mexico in the small town of Churintzio, Michoacan. Oftentimes, I observed that it would over and over again briefly leave its perch and fly for a few seconds and more often than not return to that same post. I had no idea what it was as I only knew that it was not the very common for our area house finch whose adult males are varying degrees of red. After seeing it more than a dozen times my curiosity was really peaked as this was one gorgeous and behaviorally interesting bird so I looked it up on the Internet and eventually learned what it was. From that point forward, I was not only hooked on Vermilion flycatchers but also birdwatching as that one little bird taught me that there was so much I needed to learn about nature.

“Vermies” as my wife, Maria, and myself excitedly and affectionately call them when we see them-which as area “residents” is quite often- are stocky approximately 6" birds weighing about a half of an ounce and in Mexico are sometimes very appropriately referred to as “brasitas de fuego”/ little coals of fire. They are one of only a few species of flycatchers that are sexually dimorphic, meaning that there are distinct external differences between the sexes. The adult males are astoundingly gorgeous with their bright scarlet crowns, throat, and underparts, a distinctive black “Zorro” mask-like eye-line, gray/dark brown to black backs, wings, and tails and a black straight short bill. Lovely but less distinctive, the females are mostly grayish brown with streaks of white with a wash of salmon or yellow on the belly and display a white eye-line.

These monogamous songbirds range from Southeastern California through the Southwest U.S. to Western Texas down into Mexico and Central America and locally in South America. Interestingly, occurring in the Galapagos Archipelago they are also known as Galapagos and Darwin’s flycatchers. Singly or in pairs, they are most often found in open arid or semi-arid terrain near riparian areas at streams, ponds, or lakes with scrub and brush vegetation.

Typically they are seen conspicuously perching at low to mid-levels on bushes and trees with their tails distinctively dipped. A breeding male will perch about 90% of the time during daylight hours. I also see them very often perching on fences, gates, posts, and wires normally near a body of fresh water. Their prey consists largely of flying insects like flies, grasshoppers, crickets, beetles, and in some areas honey bees.

Just as male vermilions are physically more striking than are the females, so are they behaviorally. When wanting to mate the flashy male will frequently bring to its intended female partner a “showy” insect, frequently a colorful butterfly. Highly territorial, to signal that the area is taken to both its competitors and its intended mate, the male will acrobatically fly about sixty feet high and while singing/calling with rapidly beating wings will then flutter downward. Their song is a series of rapid chirps( “pip-pip-pip-pip”) repeated about ten times followed by a trill (“peeeeeent”); while perched their calls may continue into the night in an attempt to attract females. Even when not trying to show off for a female, the male will often sing in flight. Moreover, I have learned that one easy way from a distance to identify vermilion flycatchers, both males and females, is that when foraging for prey while in flight they will persistently hover.

Very common in their range, vermilion flycatchers are listed as being a species of “least concern” as they are not considered to be endangered, especially in Mexico and Central and South America. Quite unfortunately, in my part of Mexico I have seen in pitifully small cages colorful or attractive songbirds like streak-backed orioles, male Northern cardinals, house finches, and Northern mockingbirds that are captured illegally being sold as “pets.” Fortunately, I have never seen one of our precious vermies in such a barbarically inhumane captive circumstance. That is more than likely due to the fact that, unlike the cardinals, in captivity this most beautiful of flycatchers found in North America (and perhaps even South America) invariably loses its color.

Hence, that is just one reason that the next time and, hopefully, every time thereafter that we go birdwatching together, I should hear Maria excitedly, accurately, appreciatively, and repeatedly call out “vermie, vermie, vermie!” Ideally, that is, for all of the vermies that we visually experience which sometimes is as many as ten or more distinct sightings per outing, especially if we go to "Double Lake" which quite often has an abundance of them along with Western kingbirds (another species of flycatcher) by its shores. If not all, then at least for all of those distinctive, (and now for us) unmistakable and gorgeous males of the species.

What a fascinating bird, as well as great experiences shared. Thank you, Les!

A Trilogy of Parrot Jokes

Q. What do you call a parrot that repeatedly says glot, glot, glot?
A. A Polyglot

Q: What do you call a parrot that flew away?
A: A Polygon

Q.What is a male parrot called that has many wives?
A. A Polygamist

"A day and then a week passed by:
The redbird hanging from the sill
Sang not; and all were wondering why
It was so still—
When one bright morning, loud and clear,
Its whistle smote my drowsy ear,
Ten times repeated, till the sound
Filled every echoing niche around;
And all things earliest loved by me,—
The bird, the brook, the flower, the tree,—
Came back again, as thus I heard
The cardinal bird."

Taken from the poem "The Cardinal Bird" by William Davis Gallagher


Nothing sets the stage for the holiday season for me like a bright red Northern Cardinal in the snow.

Debbie, Rojee el Bandido (the redbird/male Northern Cardinal whose personality and seasonal song permeates our humble mostly adobe abode) with his effervescent sentient being demonstratively illustrates what Gallagher wrote.

Speaking of redbirds/cardinals, in late March/early April, 2014 I will be birding in El Fuerte (Sinaloa), the Copper Canyon (Chihuahua) and Alamos (Sonora) and one of the species at the very top of my "target" list that I would be thrilled to see is a Pyrrhuloxia.

Pyrrhuloxia's are often referred to as the "desert cardinal." The male is mostly greyish but just above and below his beak is bright red along with having a breast, crest,wings and tail splashed with red. They primarily occur alongside Northern Cardinals in the dry country of the American Southwest and Northwestern/Northcentral Mexico.

Oh Pyrrholoxia,
How I long to see ya.

BARRIERS TO OPTIMAL BIRDING WHERE I LIVE (in order of occurrence and explanation when required)

1. Night/Darkness- Unless you go owling!
2. Wind-Throughout the year, Churintzio makes Honolulu, Boston, and Chicago, the windiest cities in the U.S., seem calm in comparison. The smaller birds in particular when the winds are strong are nowhere to be seen as they are holding on for dear life deep inside bushes and shrubs.
3. Overcast Conditions
4. Rain
5. Mud-during the rainy season at times most of the trails are virtually impassable unless one is will to walk, er, I mean trudge, mas o menos, ankle deep in mud for extended periods of time.
6. Festivals, feasts, holidays, processions and celebrations-HUH? AY CARAMBA! Mexico is well known for its plethora of celebratory events. In Churintzio, most of, if not all of those occasions include seemingly non-stop BOOM BOOM BOOMS in the form of rocket cannons and myriad types of fireworks. The birds in the nearby trails get rattled by this constant noise and temporarily disappear, many heading far off into the hills. So, it's off to the hills for me too during those times!
7. Cattle-They oftentimes are massed on the trails and most of the time they will move out of the way on their on volition when I want to pass by them. However, if there are calves, the mothers or bulls may get extremely hostile and aggressive and sometimes, discretion is the better part of valor and I exit stage left (or in whatever direction they don't inhabit, preventing me from getting to my original destination).
8. Snakes of the venomous variety- If one stays on the trails, snakes if they are seen are easy to avoid as they typically aren't looking for trouble. However, if one leaves the trails and goes into the high grass, who know what one may unexpectedly encounter. So, although I have never had to use it, I carry with me at all times when birding a bottle of anti-venom in case I ever get bit by local inhabitants like coral and rattle snakes. Unlike many of the locals of the human variety, I do not carry with me a machete as many times I have seen beheaded snakes, whether or not they were venomous!
9. Mexican military-One time I was stopped by army personnel three times while birding/hiking on the trails as a high ranking officer involved in drug interdiction was assassinated a couple days before by some "bad guys" affiliated with drug trafficking in Michoacan.
10. Household chores-Nah, doing them is never a barrier to my going birding as I have my priorities in order and hopefully they can wait until nightfall or beyond!!!

In these parts, extreme cold or heat are not an issue as daytime temperatures rarely get below 50 degrees Fahrenheit or higher than the high 80s.

Where you live, are there any BBs (Birding Barriers) that I have not included?