kaiju_dino10's Favorites

I was very surprised to see a black colored White-tailed Deer fawn this evening behind my house. I have seen some very dark White-tailed Deer in this area in the past:
http://www.inaturalist.org/observations/816864
but not one like this. These are just quick shots, taken against the light and as the deer were rapidly moving away, but this black fawn can be seen in company with normally colored fawns. I will be trying to get more and better shots in the next few days.

2023년 10월에 찍은 나무와 같습니다. https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/186257520
어째서인지 지자체에서는 '개쉬땅나무'라고 적어놓았습니다. 잘 모르겠어요.

It's same to https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/186257520 (October 2023)
For some reason, the local government wrote it "Sorbaria sorbifolia stellipila", but I don't know well.

Two male Black Scoters have been at this location over a week now. @ericisley and I met there this morning and had lots of close looks at these birds. A real treat to see this species in Austin! The first image shows one of the birds preening and you can see the saw-toothed edges of its upper mandible. Shows how they can hold on to a slippery fish!

COMPARISON OF DOUBLE-CRESTED vrs NEOTROPIC:

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Double-crested Cormorant (Phalacrocorax auritus) is an aquatic diving bird in the Cormorants and Shags (Phalacrocoracidae) family. Conservation Status: Vulnerable (S3) in California. It has prominent yellow lores.
Neck appears kinked in flight. Large, rounded throat pouch is yellow-orange year-round. Eyes often appear blue. Breeding adults have a wispy, white crest, a tuft of feathers curving back from behind the eyes. This dark, long-bodied diving bird floats low in the water with its neck and bill raised. It is often seen standing upright near water with wings spread out to dry. It is larger and has a shorter tail than the Neotropic Cormorant.
The Double-crested cormorant is the most widely distributed cormorant in North America, and the only one likely to be seen inland, even in the desert near bodies of water. At the coast, Double-crested Cormorants tend to nest in trees, unlike Brandt's Cormorants which nest in mud impressions on offshore rocks, and Pelagic Cormorants which nest in sides of cliffs.

Link to a frontal headshot observation in June: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/166923639

Ebird with species description, range map and sound recordings: https://ebird.org/species/doccor/

Audubon Guide to North American Birds https://www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/double-crested-cormorant

National Geographic Field Guide to the Birds of North America, ed. Jon L. Dunn, 7th ed., 2017. pp. 252-253.

National Geographic Field Guide to the Birds of Western North America, ed. Jon L. Dunn, 2008, p. 88-89.

Monterey Birds, Don Roberson, 2nd ed. 2002, sponsored by Monterey Peninsula Audubon Society, p. 108

The Cornell Lab (Birds in U.S. and Canada) https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/ (enter common name) and https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Double-crested_Cormorant

Bird songs and sound recordings from around the world: https://xeno-canto.org/explore?query=Phalacrocorax%20auritus

Merlin Bird ID (great app available for Iphones) by The Cornell Lab (Bird ID help for 8,500+ species) https://merlin.allaboutbirds.org/

Comprehensive Feather I.D. tools and more: https://foundfeathers.org/resources/

Found Feathers (Worldwide): https://www.fws.gov/lab/featheratlas/idtool.php

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COMPARED TO

Link to confirmed observation of Neotropic Cormorant: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/150872644

Neotropic Cormorant (Nannopterum brasilianum) is an aquatic diving bird in the Cormorants and Shags (Phalacrocoracidae) family. "Black body. Immatures have dark brown breast. Orange facial skin comes to a point and is bordered by thin white line. Smaller, longer-tailed and shorter-legged than Double-crested Cormorant. Dives underwater to capture fish. Often perches with spread wings to dry them. Forages by diving from surface and swimming underwater, propelled mostly by feet. Rarely plunges into water from air after prey. May forage in groups, birds beating water with wings to drive fish forward into shallows. Diet: Small fish. Feeds mostly on abundant small fish of shallow protected waters; typical prey about 2" long, up to about 5". Also eats tadpoles, frogs, aquatic insects."

Audubon Guide to North American Birds https://www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/neotropic-cormorant

E Bird https://ebird.org/explore and https://ebird.org/species/neocor/

National Geographic Field Guide to the Birds of North America, ed. Jon L. Dunn, 7th ed., 2017. pp. 252-253.

Field Guide to the Birds of Cuba, Orlando H. Garrido and Arturo Kirkconnell, 2000,
pp. 32, plate 3.

Bird songs and sound recordings from around the world: https://xeno-canto.org/explore?query=Nannopterum%20brasilianum (species not listed)

I.D. Guide on (400) Birds of Cuba (including the 23 Endemics) https://Birds-Of-Cuba.com and https://www.birds-of-cuba.com/Endemic_Birds_of_Cuba.html

Merlin Bird ID (great app available for Iphones) by The Cornell Lab (Bird ID help for 8,500+ species) https://merlin.allaboutbirds.org/

Comprehensive Feather I.D. tools and more: https://foundfeathers.org/resources/

Found Feathers (Worldwide): https://www.fws.gov/lab/featheratlas/idtool.php

The perfect timing.

I had just begun my walk. It was a cold day, having snowed recently. Bundled in my coat, hat, and gloves, I headed down the sidewalk. It was a mundane trek, but turned into a scene of excitement and action when a Marlin made itself known. The large bird circled into a pine tree and disappeared out of sight. I wanted more, so I ran ahead to get a closer look!

With the snow crunching beneath my boots, I searched the tree for the Merlin. My eyes darted from branch to branch before finally, I spotted it. The bird of prey was perched on a limb with something pinned under its talons, a cardinal!

I watched as the hungry predator ripped into its meal, pieces of the unfortunate cardinal raining down from above all while its beautiful red feathers were carried away by the wind. I quickly learned I was standing too close to the action as a bit of cardinal fell on my face!

For the next 15 minutes, the Merlin ate. It left nothing left of its prey. At one point, the Merlin got a feather stuck in its beak and had to shake its head to get it off. The feather drifted down and was caught in a bush.

Finally, when it was all said and done, the satisfied Merlin rubbed its face against the bark. It hopped along the branches and flew away.

They work fast; a catch to nothing but feathers in less than 30 minutes!

Known bird. Favorite duck I've ever seen <3 absolute stunner

You can really see both parents in this fella - patterning is definitely reminicent of buffleheads and his structure fits in perfectly with the goldeneyes.

Captured during visit to Sonso Chimpanzee research facility. A family of 4 chimps studied throughout the day. Mother with 3 young, although only one was suckling the other two - belive adolescent male and female were of hunting age as they helped take down a colobus monkey (unfortunately or perhaps fortunately) i didn't manage to get photos of this but once we caught up with them, as they took to hiding their catch far and deep in the underbrush, I managed to get photos of the skinned meat of the monkey being devoured. One was 'begging' as it tried to get more meat. The youngest baby was giving the tail to eat/play with. They had also eaten from a termites nest which was great to see the famous stick method although one just stuck its mouth to the opening! The day started with finding them having breakfast in a fig tree, moving, grooming, baby feeding/nursing then more grooming before we got to witness the hunt etc.