Thursday Field Birds: Noland Trail

We walked a mile or so down the Noland Trail by the Mariners' Museum.

BIRDS WE'VE SEEN BEFORE:

Carolina Chickadee

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Carolina_chickadee/id/ac
black cap, black throat, white stripe in between, very small bird

Mallard  (male and female)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mallard
Green head (sometimes appears blue), blue wing patch

Ring-billed Gull

http://www.camacdonald.com/birding/DesJardin/Ring-billedGull.htm
Black ring around the bill

Pied-billed Grebe

http://www.animalspot.net/pied-billed-grebe.html
Diving bird, chicken-like head, white, stubby bill with black ring

Great Blue Heron

http://www.tigerhomes.org/animal/great-blue-heron.cfm
Biggest heron in North American, black stripe across head, white on head, grey body

Female Hooded Merganser

http://ecobirder.blogspot.com/2011_04_01_archive.html
Fan shaped feathers behind head with large white patch (doesn't extend all the way around the head), females just rust colored

Double Crested Cormorant

http://urbanhawks.blogs.com/photos/cpbl/doublecrestedcormorant.html
Diving bird with long snake-like neck, ice blue eye, frequently seen sunning itself like in the picture above

SEMI-/NEW BIRDS

Red-tailed Hawk

http://ecologyadventure.edublogs.org/species/birds/red-tailed-hawk/

There were 2 Red-tails that were perched up in a tree on the way off of the trail..

• The main distinctive feature is the red tail;  While most of the hawks look similar, this bird stands out with a solid rusty tail.

Brown Thrasher

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

Distinctive features:

• a long tail that is pale compared to the back 
• dark streaking on pale chest
• a "mustache" under the beak
• grayish colored cheeks
• reddish brown back
• 2 pale colored "bars" on the wings

Carolina Wren

http://bigdogsbirdblog.wordpress.com/2010/03/04/79/

It was difficult to see this bird, as he/she was flitting around in a bush near the edge of Lake Maury...

Distinctive Features:

• white "eyebrow" 
• white spots on the wing edges
• pinkish toes/legs
• buff colored chest
• bluish beak

Turkey Vulture

http://cabezaprieta.org/bird_page.php?id=1690

Distinctive Features:

• "Naked" red head
• black chest with a brownish colored back

Northern Cardinal: (male and female)

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Northern_cardinal/id/ac

Distinctive Features:

• Male: Overall reddish color with a black "mask" around the beak
• Female: Brownish color overall with slight red tints and similar dark "mask" around the beak
• Both have a triangular crown and a short thick beak