Tag: bird

Hey “Tiny”

On By Mike and Christy14 Comments

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Getting face-to-face with a male Calliope Hummingbird who we  affectionately call  “Tiny”.

As in…… hey, Tiny is here, when we see them perched in the trees or at the hummingbird feeders.

Calliopes are smallest bird around yet unmatched in energy, spunk and attitude and this guy was no exception especially.  Especially on attitude.

Named after Calliope the muse of eloquence and epic poetry “Tiny” is poetry indeed.

Upland Sandpiper

On By Mike and Christy4 Comments

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It’s hard to believe but the  Upland Sandpiper will begin its journey south less than a month from now. Upland Sandpipers breed in the northern prairies yet spend most of the year (8 months or so) in Central and South America. Standing about a foot tall with that big eye and relatively short bill these birds forage on foot through short grass habitats looking for insects.

“Upland Sandpiper’s association with native prairie is so strong that scientists consider it to be an “indicator species,” along with Sprague’s Pipit and Baird’s Sparrow, that can indicate the quality a habitat. Thus, the absence of these three birds in a patch of prairie would indicate to biologists that there is likely a problem with the habitat.“1

We were thrilled to be able to watch this bird foraging for several minutes before they moved into the tall grass a short distance away and disappeared from sight. Now you see them now you don’t.

Reference:
1. All About Birds: Upland Sandpiper.

Red-naped Sapsucker

On By Mike and ChristyLeave a comment

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A Red-naped Sapsucker appeared out of the aspen forest to perch on the shrubs for just a moment before flying off into the forest.

“Red-naped Sapsucker nest holes make good homes for other species. Many species that nest in holes don’t have a specialized bill needed to carve out their own home, including Mountain Bluebirds, nuthatches, and chickadees. The small holes excavated by sapsuckers provide safe places for smaller hole-nesting birds to nest.“1

Reference:

  1. All about birds: Red-naped Sapsucker.

Atomic Fireball: aka Flame

On By Mike and Christy2 Comments

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We hear the Western Tanagers calling every morning and evening from late May until early August and despite the brilliant colors of the males good looks are few and far between as they move quickly in the upper story of the conifers nearby.

The brilliant red color of the Males is unique.

“While most red birds owe their redness to a variety of plant pigments known as carotenoids, the Western Tanager gets its scarlet head feathers from a rare pigment called rhodoxanthin. Unable to make this substance in their own bodies, Western Tanagers probably obtain it from insects in their diet.”1

This day we got a nice look at this male, which we have fondly dubbed flame, perched in the midlevel of the trees.  What a beautiful bird.

 

Reference:

1.https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Western_Tanager/overview