Saturday, May 12, 2007

Common Yellowthroat & Another Contest

Okay, I know I wrote in the comments of the previous entry that I would update after breakfast, but truth be told the gorgeous spring day took hold of me. Once outside, there was not going back indoors. I do have enough material for a whole week's worth of entries and I'm not sure when I'll have time to get them up.

First up, the correct answer for the photo id in the eyeball contest was common yellowthroat, a bird we banded at Carpenter Nature Center on Friday. These are those tiny birds in marshy areas that sing "whichity whichity whichity" from the reeds and are very pishable.

Here is the eyeball...

And here is the whole original photo. Aren't they just gorgeous little guys?

I love the macro feature on my Nikon Coolpix 4500, it really can capture the magic of seeing these birds in hand. The photos though make the common yellowthroat look much bigger than it really is.

The winner of the eyeball contest already has a copy of the book, so the prize is still available. So, here's another eyeball contest--however, this one is much more diabolical than the last! Mwa ha ha ha ha ha ha ha:

What bird species belongs to the eyeball? First correct answer in the comments section with a name wins the prize--a paperback Singing Life of Birds with CD (you can use anonymous as a blogger id, but put your name in at the end of the comment if you want the book). The first correct answer with no name wins self satisfaction. Something for everybody!

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30 Comments:

Blogger RuthieJ said...

Looks like a female brown-headed cowbird to me.
Ruthie J

5/12/2007 8:42 PM  
Anonymous Dave Hardin said...

Female Boat-tailed Grackle

LOL

5/12/2007 8:51 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

How about a gray catbird?

Susy W.

5/12/2007 10:22 PM  
Anonymous Suw said...

Because I only know the Scottish vernacular 'Pish' (just substitute another S for the H and you'll have the translation), that pishable page reads like pure parody to me. I'm sure the author didn't mean for it to be so funny, but when read in the appropriate Scottish accent (Glaswegian would be a good one) it takes on a whole new meaning. Especially the title.

5/13/2007 6:43 AM  
Blogger Leanne said...

I'm with Ruthie on the female cowbird. :)

5/13/2007 7:57 AM  
Blogger drew said...

Female indigo bunting.

Drew

5/13/2007 9:38 AM  
Anonymous Laura in Florida said...

Bad news...the mourning doves were attacked last night. One mate and one baby was killed, but one baby survived and I took it to Florida Wildlife Care.

Saddest part, the other mate came back and stood on my patio for hours crying. I had to leave so that I didn't have to listen to it :-(

5/13/2007 4:42 PM  
Blogger birdchick said...

Laura,

I'm so sorry about the mourning dove. Good thing you were there to help at least one of the babies.

FYI to everyone else - It's not a female cowbird or bunting. Keep trying.

5/13/2007 6:39 PM  
Blogger ChicagoLady said...

Juvenile European Starling?

Denise

5/13/2007 9:09 PM  
Blogger Jennifer said...

Dark-eyed Junco?

5/13/2007 9:13 PM  
Blogger RuthieJ said...

Wow, Sharon, you're really testing us! How about female Brewer's Blackbird? Did you take the pic in MN? I've never seen one but they should be migrating through now. My Sibley's points out the "usually dark eye."

5/14/2007 6:19 AM  
Blogger birdchick said...

I told you guys that this was going to be more diabolical than the last. No one has guessed the bird yet. The photo was taken in Minnesota and it's not a bird we normally get into the nets.

It eats insects, not seed.

5/14/2007 6:58 AM  
Blogger Niki said...

Although the head shape doesn't seem to fit... How about Eastern Phoebe?
-Nicole

5/14/2007 7:44 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Juv. European Starling

5/14/2007 9:01 AM  
Blogger Patrick Belardo said...

Chimney Swift?

5/14/2007 9:53 AM  
Blogger birdchick said...

Oooo, Patrick, you're getting warm.

5/14/2007 2:14 PM  
Anonymous Philip Chaon said...

Northern Rough-winged Swallow?

5/14/2007 2:37 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Bank swallow?

-Eva

5/14/2007 3:11 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I'll play this game - it's a House Wren.

Mike H.

5/14/2007 5:12 PM  
Blogger birdchick said...

Eva - you're really, really warm--almost smokin'.

5/14/2007 8:48 PM  
Blogger ChicagoLady said...

Tree Swallow?

Denise

5/14/2007 10:35 PM  
Blogger birdchick said...

Getting even warmer!!

5/14/2007 10:40 PM  
Blogger Susan Gets Native said...

Cliff swallow?

5/14/2007 11:02 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Ok then, Purple Martin.

5/15/2007 6:24 AM  
Blogger Leanne said...

How about a northern rough winged swallow?

5/15/2007 6:50 AM  
Blogger lcarter said...

Female Eastern Towhee?

5/15/2007 7:33 AM  
Blogger birdchick said...

Leanne got it!!

Whoot!

Email me your snail mail and the book is your's. I put up a post with full photos sometime today.

Thanks for all who guessed--this one was tough. I wouldn't have figured it out.

5/15/2007 7:39 AM  
Anonymous Philip Chaon said...

Just wondering, do you need to have a blog to win the prize ?

5/15/2007 4:32 PM  
Blogger birdchick said...

You do not have to have a blog to win the id contests in the blog. You DO need to identify yourself when going for the prize.

It's one thing to make a guess and not leave your name--there's safety in that. If you're wrong, no one knows who you are. It takes more guts to make a guess and put your name to it.

Plus, some readers don't want the prize, just a shot at the id. So, they can guess and let someone else win the prize.

5/15/2007 4:37 PM  
Blogger birdchick said...

Philip Chaon

EMAIL ME RIGHT AWAY AT

sharon at birdchick dot com

5/15/2007 7:08 PM  

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