Monday, April 16, 2012

Birdapalooza Thursday Lab

Common Grackle
Diagnostics: CALL [squeaks, croaks, whistles, "swaaaak"]
Glossy blackbird; medium sized; iridescent purple sheen on back, head, neck, and breast


Picture Credit Jay Paredes

Birdapolooza - Thursday Lab

Newport News Park, Newport News


American Coot
A dark-gray, chicken-like bird with a black rounded head and  white bill and forehead. At close range you can see a small patch of red on the forehead.


Carolina Chickadee
Black cap and bib separated by white cheeks. Back, wings, and tail are a soft gray.


Cedar Waxwing
Pale brown on the head and chest. Soft gray chest and wings. Pale yellow belly. Bright yellow tip on tail. Narrow black mask outlined in white on face. Red, waxy tips on wing feathers.


Common Grackle (Immature)
Dull, dark brown body. Pale brown iris that turns yellow as it grows older.


Hooded Merganser (Male and Female)
Male: White chest outlined in black and white stripes. Black face and back. Yellow eyes. Rusty sides.
Female: Brownish head and tail. Blackish-brown wings. White patch at base of wings. Brown eyes.

Lions Bridge, Newport News

Bufflehead (Male)
Glossy, purple-green head with large white patch on the back. Black back and white underparts. Wings have a large, white patch.


Field Sparrow
Unstreaked chest. Gray face with white eyering. Pink bill.

Birdapalooza- Thursday


Newport News Park
4-16-12


Green Heron

Description: Small heron, greenish black cap, greenish back and wings fading from grey black into bluish color, brownish neck with white vertical line extending down. Bill is long and sharp.


Prothonotary Warbler


Description: very small warbler, bright orange yellow head, greenish back with blue gray wings.

Muscovy Duck


Description: Large duck, black and white with iridescence, white on head and neck, bill color can be varied, red wattles are around the bill.


Domestic Duck 

Description: White duck with brown patterning around the chest and light brown around head. Bill is orange in color.


Swan Lake Richmond
4/15/12

Canada Goose Hybrid 

Description: Body similar to canada goose but was in an area with inhabited by greylag geese.

Birdapolooza

Wow - one day to go in Birdapolooza and the score is too close to call! Tuesday's lab has 59 bird species. Thursday's lab has 64 species. Everyone has one more day to contribute to birdapolooza. We can't wait to see which class ends up with the largest count.

Birdapalooza Tuesday Lab

Newport News Park, Mariners Museum Park and Deer Park. 4/14/2012

1. Boat-tailed Grackle: Black bird, smaller than a crow.

2. Red-bellied Woodpecker: red on head, black and white checkered back.

3. Pied-billed Grebe: Small, duck-like, short beak with black at tip.

4. Downy Woodpecker: small, black and white body, usually red on head, tail bars, similar to Hairy. Smaller beak.

5. Yellow-throated Vireo: Small, yellow down chest, white mid body to tail.

6. Brown-headed Cowbird: Medium sized, black body, brown head. Water drop call.

7. Fish Crow: Medium sized black bird, similar to American Crow, Uh Uh call.

8. Muscovy Duck: Large black and white body, red warty tumors on face.

9. Purple Finch: Similar to house finch, small body, heavy red coloring.

10. Barn Swallow: Blueish body, half rust half white chest, small.

11. Bald Eagle: Large brown body, white head and tail.

12. Mallard Hybrid: half mallard, half unidentified, product of rape.

13. Greylag Goose: Large grey body, orange bill, sits high in water, white rump.

14. Brown Pelican: Large body and bill, yellow forehead.

15. Killdeer: Smallish bird, grey on back white on chest, black stripes across face and chest.

16. Pileated Woodpecker: Large black and white body, red crest. Black stripes across white face.

17. Hooded Merganser: Black white and grey body, long slender bill, large crest with white that does not extend around its entire head.

18. Domestic Duck: White body, orange bill

19. Field Sparrow: small, greyish body, stripes on face.

20. House Finch: Small body, similar to purple finch, less red.

Heard
21. Brown Thrasher: peek-a-boo call, yellow eye, brownish body, long tail, white chest with streaks

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



22. Eastern Towhee: Drink your tea call, sparrow, red eye, black, white and orange body.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Pipilo_erythrophthalmus_-Quabbin_Reservoir,_Massachusetts,_USA_-male-8.jpg



23. Northern Parula: Achoo sneeze call, grey back, white and yellow chest, white around eyes.




24. Ovenbird: Teacher teacher call, heavy black barring on chest, grayish yellow-brown body, two dark stripes on top of head.



http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Ovenbird/id