Jeff
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We spotted a Downy woodpecker while out walking. My wife and I tried to note the distinguishing characteristics to help with identification: It was pretty small, less than a robin. It was only black and white and no red markings so she is a female. Her beak was black and fairly small compared to the head size. The chest was all white and no other markings there. The back was mostly black but several lines of white spots next to each other on her wings. She was upright in a tree branch and definitely searching for food. Although not loudly drumming she did forcefully put her beak into the branch and seemed to me looking for insects. All these observations made the ID a cinch once I searched for her on Merlin. It helps to at least say out loud the characteristics and list everything you can think of. I now know that I really did see a Yellow bellied sapsucker the other day but didn't list enough characteristics to nail the ID at that time.
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The first is the area around my house and neighborhood. It mostly its open with scattered trees. So we have typical birds like robins, sparrows, crows and juncos. Near our house we have some house finches. In the boulevard between the roads I can see killdeer. For my second area I went to a park reserve nearby where there are several lakes and ponds. In the land between the water I can see all of the same birds as above but in the ponds I was able to see Canada geese, Mallards, a hooded Merganser, a green winged merganser and I think a Ring necked duck. These last 3 were likely migrating thru but I will have to check back to be sure they are not residents. Obviously the birds stick to the area to which they are most adapted. They were all foraging in their particular way. The robins are looking for worms and maybe some berries. The ducks are getting plant material from the pond. It is really quite true to say that if you want to find a particular bird you need to know what it eats and where that may be found.
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We were recently on vacation in the Gulf Coast of Alabama and were able to see a variety of gulls - something we don’t see much in Minnesota Of course we saw the larger and very familiar Herring Gulls that even we recognize by their shape and behavior. But then we also I saw some slightly smaller gull -like birds that had black heads and so I thought I would look them up and make an ID. But when I got home I see that I should have looked closer - it could have been a Laughing Gull or a Franklin's Gull. The difference in wing marking would have helped me make the distinction. Next time I will have to look closer.
Viewing 3 posts - 1 through 3 (of 3 total)