perhaps a brown-headed cowbird, northeast georgia usa

[Robert Cohen]

despite its name, this is a semi magnificent bird, at least the ones hanging
around my feeders

i am looking at pictures, there's plenty of 'em to look at on internet

this picture is so far the closest, yet "my" bird's body-look to me is seemingly "smoother" and perhaps larger, but the coloring looks pretty much the same as this picture, link below

i did have it guessed as a kind of raven, because there are so many different ravens, but i'll now take "brown headed cowbird," because we are indeed next to cattle farm, and there may be something to "cow bird" besides the silly name
which is an insult?/sort of parasite? nest pas?

however, my bird nearly looks as dignified as an eagle, the way it was perched today on the top of a metal pole over the feeders, i wanted to salute

http://identify.whatbird.com/obj/107/overview/Brown-headed_Cowbird.aspx

[Howard Lester]

"Robert Cohen" wrote

Sorry I had to leave all that you wrote because, well, what are you asking?
There's no comparison between a Cowbird and a Raven, especially in size. A
7-1/2" Cowbird and a 22-27" Common Raven? As far as I know there are two
Ravens in the U.S: Common and Chihuahuan, n'est-ce pas? (Translation: Isn't
it so?)

Howard in upstate eastern NY

[Robert Cohen]

Hey, yes, the vastly differing size(s)of cowbird and raven, but I also can't totally discount a (perhaps) non full adult participant, though
I defer to your knowledge

please note article in WIKIPEDIA, because that is what first clued me about so many differing ravens, they even list a "brown head," while I'll yield about only two being here in North America


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raven

[Larry Sheldon]

When I first read about this, some time ago (I think I am thinking about
the right one now), I was convinced that it was a Common Grackle.

A Catbird is another possibility.

What color eyes does your bird have?


--
Idioten aangeboden. Gratis af te halen.
h/t Dagelijkse Standaard

ICBM Data: http://g.co/maps/e5gmy

[Robert Cohen]

Yesterday, by way of field glasses enjoyingly watched EIGHT "brown heads" pecking at (eating?) seeds on ground under the feeders, cowbirds (or l'estranger ravens)

please do cite any more of the known species/genus/type with brown heads, and with the black coloring any further POSSIBILITIES>

an apparent kildeer has a white egg in nest in bottom of an ornamental metallic basket type of light fixture on the garage wall outside, i thought the egg was abandoned, but trying to hatch, visiting nest when it doesn't see me

when i moved here approx 7 years ago, i re-planted from front yard an apparent pear tree next to my back porch/now covered "patio"

patio tree is now at least 18--25 feet and blooms awfully thickly because i watered it through droughts

it's also a nuisance attracting bees/wasps, though we have not been ever stung

flying nats (?) and moths are worse than ever

and i think it is a kildeer's nest in same tree

the apparent 24 hour cycle blackish nats are causing crisis, (metamorphised(?) moths are also flying into house

i GUESS they're from that precious pear tree now "forcing" me to have
to take the tree down

hate doing such a deed, but it's nats and moths or us

[Larry Sheldon]

I think you are talking about gnats.

I don't know what part of the planet we are talking about but here in
Eastern Nebraska, the brown-headed cowbirds are bigger than the finches
and such by quite a ways, bit smaller than Grackles, Bluejays, Robins,
and such--no where near crow or raven sized.

There is a brown faced gull, but it is mostly white.....

[Larry Sheldon]

On 5/19/2012 10:23 PM, Larry Sheldon wrote:

> I don't know what part of the planet we are talking about but here in

Now I see the subject line----I would guess that your bird mix is about
the same as ours (although I have noticed that Cardinals in Arkansas
speak with a southern accent).

[Robert Cohen]

Boone Pickens claims on MSNBC that he has drilled Texas to Nebraska near water acquifer(s), and from his experiences there are no problems with water pollution

this is in the context both re fracking and apparently the controversial plan for the keystone pipeline too

it's interesting to see Nebraska rejecting the oil pipeline,
not totally unlike GOP dominated west coast of Florida blocking ocean drilling
off the wide sands coast

be ready for the obnoxious barrages of unlimited political commercials, and not acknowledging that REPUBLICANS are oil obstructionists too

I will not watch television so much, because of what the political commercials
do to my blood pressure

[Larry Sheldon]

On 5/19/2012 11:10 PM, Robert Cohen wrote:
<mercy snip>

Not at all clear how I got tangled with a troll.

Filters updated

[GV]

"Robert Cohen" <robt...@msn.com> wrote in message
news:57239818-d8d6-4701...@googlegroups.com...
SNIP

> an apparent kildeer has a white egg in nest in bottom of an ornamental
> metallic basket type of light fixture on the garage wall outside, i
> thought the egg was abandoned, but trying to hatch, visiting nest when it
> doesn't see me
>

SNIP
As far as I know, Killdeer are ground-nesters, exclusively!

[Robert Cohen]

On Thursday, May 17, 2012 5:46:57 PM UTC-4, Robert Cohen wrote:

gv, 'kildeer only ground nesters,' and i've read this previously by you i
recall, you're illinoisian

a neophyte/ignoramous (me) should not argue, but i dunno what i've got here if they're not kildeer

my 'kildeer' are definitely tree nesters, so therefore they are not kildeer

hey larry, that germanic/northern european lingo signature thing is to me a troll thing

"troll" is subjective

should i regret political comments and insertions because people are really fed up with diaarhea/political rantings

gresham's internet rule: people are turned off by such extraneous
garbage as idiot-ology

i myself can not refuse replying to refuse

heckfire, i sorta try to give back almost as good as i get from the arrogant s that feels insulting

you're the nebraskan, and naturally i ask what kind of rhubarb is going on over there with the Keystone controversy reported in media

gov romney's new tv commercial starts out that he's by deity gonna build keystone, tell me if there has been a reaction by omaha/lincoln/johnny carson's town conservation obsessives , especially seemingly GOP mossback voters

remember how i pushed building dams to make employment, and do something about the flooding in midwest/

well, in the 1930s Senator George Norris of Neb is credited with being a prominent advocate of TVA (generate hydro electricity and control of flooding)

what's that to do with birds?

well, birding shouldn't be contaminated by trolls a la me

so i'll apologize for whatever i post that offends

plunk/ignore me

it's fine by me if nobody replies to any f'ing thing i post anywhere

if i let such stop me, i could never post another candid feeling or
seemingly irrelevant idea

[GV]

"Robert Cohen" <robt...@msn.com> wrote in message

news:555f882b-8328-4712...@googlegroups.com...
SNIP

>
> gv, 'kildeer only ground nesters,' and i've read this previously by you i
> recall, you're illinoisian
>
> a neophyte/ignoramous (me) should not argue, but i dunno what i've got
> here if they're not kildeer
>

SNIP

Here's a link to killdeer pictures (including eggs) and info on behavior:

http://www.birdwatching.com/stories/killdeer.html

It's from a source many consider reputable. hth

[Robert Cohen]

re my semi preposterous if not phony killdeer sightings

linked picture looks much like my pretty "killdeer" to me

http://www.birdjam.com/birdsong.php?id=18

i read the essay, and grant he knows of what he lovingly writes

he doesn't exclude above ground nest possiblities, does he?

meanwhile, as mentioned: on the outside garage wall, at the bottom of a common
metallic black basket ornamental lighting fixture, a "bird" is currently sitting
on at least one egg in a "perfect" little nest of handy pine straw

i have strawn if not strewn plenty of pine straw hereabouts, about $3.50
per bale at w mart trailer, i musta bought at least 300+ pine straw bails over 30 years, i think it's from rural maine and not rural jawja usa

from kitchen window, the nest is no more the 4 feet away

bird probably easily hears talking, including the obnoxious blare of television too

why in heck has she made a nest there

because it's near leaky water spicket

about 25 yards from feeders

insects, bees/wasps and flies, do no seem to scare the bird away

this bird apparently likes to nest amazingly, illogically close to humans

and just yesterday, i was painting with KILL base <really> rusted sun umbrella holder outside, and probably the avian bomber was a "killdeer" that made fairly courageous dive at my back

if a legible live video/picture can be taken through transparent window glass by 15 dollar Microsoft internet camera, then ...

but i'll also try to take legible pictures with wife's apple phone camera also

[GV]

"Robert Cohen" <robt...@msn.com> wrote in message

news:9d8dbd54-8cc6-4f78...@googlegroups.com...

> On Monday, May 21, 2012 10:01:33 AM UTC-4, GV wrote:
>> SNIP
>> >
>> > gv, 'kildeer only ground nesters,' and i've read this previously by you
>> > i
>> > recall, you're illinoisian
>> >
>> > a neophyte/ignoramous (me) should not argue, but i dunno what i've got
>> > here if they're not kildeer
>> >
>> SNIP
>>
>> Here's a link to killdeer pictures (including eggs) and info on behavior:
>>
>> http://www.birdwatching.com/stories/killdeer.html
>>
>> It's from a source many consider reputable. hth
>
> re my semi preposterous if not phony killdeer sightings
>
> linked picture looks much like my pretty "killdeer" to me
>
> http://www.birdjam.com/birdsong.php?id=18
>
> i read the essay, and grant he knows of what he lovingly writes
>
> he doesn't exclude above ground nest possiblities, does he?
>

SNIP

No, he doesn't exclude anything but here's another site that also doesn't
mention anything but ground and flat rooftop nestings. It's from Cornell
University so I'd consider it pretty reliable:

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/killdeer/lifehistory

Also, you mentioned that the egg was white so I'm guessing that it doesn't
look like the killdeer eggs pictured at either of the sites I posted.

[Robert Cohen]

On Thursday, May 17, 2012 5:46:57 PM UTC-4, Robert Cohen wrote:

On Thursday, May 17, 2012 5:46:57 PM UTC-4, Robert Cohen wrote:

On Thursday, May 17, 2012 5:46:57 PM UTC-4, Robert Cohen wrote:

tuesday may22

to: gv

the cornell write up does not match mine EXCEPT the 'like to habitate
near human habitants'

ripley believe or not:

my 'kildeer' look very similar if not the same as the cornell's


but everything else described is NO

so what other birds look much like 'em?

hooked up an ole laptop and its camera is duct taped to kitchen window pane/frame

but outa town on friday for awhile

so gotta hurry audoban-wannabe experiment

could make panda birth at atlanta zoo like a routine panda birth

[Robert Cohen]

On Thursday, May 17, 2012 5:46:57 PM UTC-4, Robert Cohen wrote:

it's NOT a kildeer nest i'm trying to video, plus it IS a
white egg besides

it's a small dark mother 9or father)bird, can't i.d. it, i saw her run away from me yesterday

there have been at least two windy, thundering rainstorms of which the nest has survived better than the shaky satellite tv

[Robert Cohen]

I am, at Anna Maria Island next to Bradenton FLORIDA, WEST COAST

i suppose the sea gull population prevails, nothing else is close

A description before i forget

they have black heads/necks

LONG BEAKS

WHITE breasts and underneath is white

their amazing flapping wide wings are gray blah

do not seem to fear people on the beach

another sighting is

pelicans (I suppose)

but up close they just aren't beautiful birds

fun enough to look at


lastly: i was on edge of ocean, feet in shallow water, and an anomalous black bird swooped/buzzed me very close

i have no other ideas but i do perceive it was unusual, as i haVE viewed no black birds at a beach ANYWHERE,

it wasn't large but not small either

TOO QUICK TO OBSERVE ANYTHING MORE DESCRPTIVE

ANY SUGGESTION WHAT IT WAS?

[Robert Cohen]

On Thursday, May 17, 2012 5:46:57 PM UTC-4, Robert Cohen wrote:

re "pelican"

i have looked at beaucoup internet pictures of pelicans, and cannot identify
what I plainly saw, no more than 30 feet away sitting next to pier on a vertical log/post/balustrade/whatever

well, this bird is surely a fisher, but it had a face that was
"flat," not pretty, and pelicans are (all?) with (cartoonish)
curving beaks

yet its body certainly seemed like that of a pelican (w/o the curving 'mouth')

I cannot satisfactorily identify the bird off the pier to the popular ROD & REEL RESTAURANT, and it will bother me until i know what the
bird is