This Southwest Florida Egret is enjoying his breakfast as we wait to enter a wildlife park near Big Cypress Preserve. This bird took the better part of an hour positioning his food before swallowing. Our five day trip in early March got us started on our newly found bird watching.

Hi Everyone, I'm very excited to take this course. I think my favorite "bird" from the wall of birds is the black Caiman.  I didn't realize this was the closest living relative! Today on my walk around the neighborhood I say a mallard - waterfowl.  I also saw a junco making a nest - song bird.  Finally, I have a pair of bald eagles I can see from my home flying around - raptor. My favorite bird around my home is probably the pileated woodpecker.  I love its red crest and big wonky body.  I think it looks like a cartoon :)

We are beginning bird enthusiasts. We have watched them around our yard for years but only recently paid  closer attention. Since we have been home more in the past month, from the first time we saw this (top photo) male American Goldfinch (we think?) at our West Chazy, New York home this March, to when this photo was taken, his color had transformed from a dull olive to a bright yellow. Surprisingly beautiful. We had heard the sound of the Mourning Dove (we think?)  for years before we saw it and knew what it was. We like its smooth plump sleekness.

Finding and identifying birds is an interest you can take anywhere. Some of my favourite bird types are the hornbill and roller. I have included photos I have taken in southern Africa of the lilac breasted roller and red billed hornbill.

Not sure what this beauty is but there were a dozen in our tree in the fall of 2018. This sparked my interest in birds. I charged my camera this evening thinking I may hear birds chirping but it was quite quiet. With all my excitement I forgot to load the camera with the battery !

Hello All! We had several visitors today. The Quail came to visit and one male actually landed on our deck. They are so organized the way they travel together and watch out for the group. A beautiful Red Shouldered Hawk was overhead but the Quail were all safe. Lots of tall poppies and bushes for them. There is an Anna’s Hummingbird that owns several high tree spots and visits often. Once a Scrub Jay was sitting in it’s favorite place and the hummer was not too happy. One of my favorites in the neighborhood is the Dark Eyed Junko. This was the first bird I identified for the Great Backyard Bird Count earlier this year. His call was the first every morning right outside the bedroom window. It took a few days for me to actually see him. All that time I was saying “who is that bird”? This is my first time in the discussion board and what beautiful photos are being posted!

I love watching the humming birds on our sage, but I rarely catch them on the camera. (Long Beach, CA)

Three of our favorite backyard birds who have been steadily visiting our feeders recently : Northern Cardinals; Purple Finches; Goldfinches. Also, we have several species of Sparrows, (House/Chipping/ Fox/Tree), have had a steady flock approximately 10 - 15 each of Cowbirds,Red Winged Blackbirds, along with several Grackles and Starlings .  We still see our Woodpeckers and occasional Chickadees at our peanut feeders when the squirrels have not drained these feeders . We have missed our cool Nuthatches since February, hoping they will return soon !

I wouldn't say that these are my favorite birds, but I do see a lot of them, especially now that I'm paying attention I think they might be mourning doves do birds just bask in the sun?

My wife and I spend winters in Florida (Delray Beach) and the rest of the year on the eastern edge of NYC. This year we did not rush home so are still Florida 'snowbirds' until end of May. There are so many great birds right outside our front door (we face a large lake that has a nearby island) that it is hard to pick and choose among the many residents. Right now the egrets are nesting and looks like getting ready to give birth.  They are very active nest-building along with some tri-colors and great blue herons. And the wood storks (shown in the picture) hold sway in the upper parts of the island canopy.  My wife and I spend winters in Florida (Delray Beach) and the rest of the year on the eastern edge of NYC. This year we did not rush home so are still Florida 'snowbirds' until end of May.  There are so many great birds right outside our front door (we face a large lake that has a nearby island) that it is hard to pick and choose among the many residents. Right now the egrets are nesting and looks like getting ready to give birth.  They are very active nest-building along with some tri-colors and great blue herons. And the wood storks hold sway in the upper parts of the island canopy.  I'd like to be able to share this joy with others.

Of all of the birds i have photographed over the past two years the Bald Eagle is my favorite.  I have been able to photograph 182 species since I started birding April 20, 2018. I hope taking this course helps me even more in able to identify the birds that I hear daily but never seem to find them.

Besides our backyard birds, was able to catch this Bluebird on a Winter walk down the Fox River Trail in N. Illinois , in January a few years ago. Typically we do not see these beauties until late April, so getting our blue bird boxes ready now !!!!

Just posting this in the hopes it removes all the email I’ve been getting!

Some of my favorite birds is the Atlantic Puffin like how they sound and they like to spend most of the time out in the water. American Oystercatcher is another favorite that I get to see when I get up early and go to the beach. I don’t have many good photos to put here

One of favorite birds are the snowy egrets and herons.  I like how they walk in the water looking for fish and frogs.

My favorite bird to watch from our patio is the American Goldfinch  ... they come back every year and grace us with their flying acrobatics and their beautiful colors.  Sadly, I am not able to take photos as I don't have such equipment, but they are a joy to watch.

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• Roseatte Spoonbills are nesting here in St. Marys GA right now. Beautiful Wading Birds.
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• Great Horned Owl posing in St. Marys GA
• And my favorite from the Wall of Birds, the American White Pelican. Amazing because it lives in two very different habitats - here in St. Marys Ga in the winter, and in Canadian and mid-west US lakes in the summer.  They work together to herd fish and then scoop rather than dive on them like other Pelicans.

I am enjoying the course.  I just retired and have not had the time I would like to have to learn more so I am starting with this class.  I want to be a photographer of birds and have taken many pictures of birds but I have a long way to go.  I was driving home from a hike not far from my home in Wayne, PA and saw two black vultures just having a meal!  I have never seen vultures in such an urban area before.  I saw what I think was a swallow on a hike this weekend but did not have my camera so I will go back and get a picture to help me narrow down the bird.  Ususally they are flying so fast it is hard to get them in focus.  This place had nesting boxes and they were perched so I think I will be able to get a picture.  I do have lots of visitors to my feeders and this week the cardinals, downey woodpecker and the Red-winged blackbirds have been busy.

I live in Cambridge, Massachusetts in a pretty densely populated area and most of the birds I see are the very common sparrows and such but I am hoping to spot something interesting to post here. I have been enjoying the lovely little song of the Song Sparrow perched the shrubs along the Charles River where I walk often.

Sandhill Cranes are common here in Winter. Greetings from Chattanooga, Tennessee, USA

The Wall of Birds is aninteresting graphic learning experience. I particularly liked exploring the fossil record birds depicted along the lower margin. I may not remember the names after one or two visits, but more visits willl help to solidify my knowledge. I like being able to click on teh bird and use the popup description. The species living today have a sound recording, which is helpbul. i appreciated seeing the river pelican depicted, since they are a winter visiter here in Chattanooga, TN. For birds in my neightborhood, I would include the little Screech Owl, though they are quiet right now. In past years i have heard them frequently and seen them ocasionally. Trips to nearby marshes yield frequent views of Great Blue herons, as well as ocasional Great Egrets and Green Herons. Mockingbirds are common and they are a symbol of the State of Tennessee.

I have been worried about the decreasing number of birds at our feeders. So I bought more feeders and spaced them out on our property. This spring a group or small flock of Red-wing Black Birds found us and decided to stay. I have seen them fly after the Red tailed hawks and chase them away. We seem to have a lot of male birds but I have not seen any females, is it possible they are already on nests? I love the beautiful wild birds but I am very ignorant on their songs so I am taking this class and hope to improve. I will try to get some photos.

Greetings from North India! I have always been fascinated with these beautiful creatures we are surrounded with and living in an area which has seen some really harsh changes in its atmosphere (pollution in every direction) led most of the birds to leave their habitats thus leaving our surroundings silent. To have a glimpse of these visitors from different areas around the globe I had to make my way towards the outskirts into the vast green man made vegetation we are fortunately surrounded with, were the birds still make their visits and are abundant if we have a broad and a close vision. But during this period of global lockdown which has led most of us to stay in our shelters has given nature a wonderful time to revive itself and it has certainly shown us some of the remarkable positive changes in way too less time and my neighborhood is again filled with the day long chirps of these beautiful birds. some of which have been shown under: a) Coppersmith Barbet (Megalaima malabarica)

This week I have seen a bald eagle, a chickadee (a songbird?) and a robin. I am not sure what group the robin belongs to? I have also see trumpeter swans and geese as our community hosts a bird sanctuary by and in the river. I am loving learning more as my bird knowledge is very limited!!!