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Post by cats4jan on Apr 7, 2024 19:33:08 GMT
About a year ago, we moved into a house on a field that had been disturbed by a treatment plant burying pipes. The wildlife has been a no show since we moved in. The previous owner had built a garden box on an elevated deck and I put the birdbath right next to where my husband 'plays in the dirt' so he doesn't accidentally step off. There is no railing or anything - it's a little over a foot off the ground, but that's enough for anyone to take a tumble... Today we had our first visitor:Although we are not new to Florida, we have never seen these particular guys close up and don't know what they are.
Can you help?(this photo is untouched)  (the bottom two photos are from the 'live' photos that is an option on an iPhone - I grabbed a screen shot when I found a frame that showed what I wanted to share of his feathers) Please forgive the quality.  He was wet from his bath - and fluttering his wings to dry off |
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Post by cats4jan on Apr 7, 2024 19:48:03 GMT
This is our new garden A far cry from the garden he had when he grew corn in WI and CA we actually had a roto tiller... but this fits our new phase of life - I'm just happy he has some dirt to play in Last year he grew the best yellow and green beans. …and yes, the houses are that close to each other, but it doesn’t bother us because we’ve lived in subdivisions all our life, although we always had a little more land. The up side, the community mows and waters our grass and maintains our landscaping.  |
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Post by jackscrap on Apr 7, 2024 21:29:12 GMT
Your iPhone might tell you. Click on the image and swipe up.
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Post by cats4jan on Apr 7, 2024 21:49:33 GMT
Thank you. I’ll give it a try. I have many photos I can use
edit
Well I learned something new today. These phones are sure smarter than me, but in a way, that was just spooky.
On the closeup photo, the phone said Northern Mockingbird.
Not sure they are right, but it looks pretty close. On the others it was trying to identify the landmark because the photos are too far away from bird and the phone was concentrating on the land not the bird.
Jacki, thanks for that info about the phone
edit again…
I found a photo with the exact wing look as my photo, but so many photos don’t look like my guy - but still, I’m going to say Siri is right
Northern Mockingbird
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Post by pontiac1940 on Apr 7, 2024 23:10:21 GMT
it said Northern Mockingbird. I'd agree. All About Birds has an app called Merlin which is good for IDing. Google Lens is good for IDing most birds but it makes mistakes. Just click the Lens icon and drag a pic into the window. It got Northern Mockingbird.  |
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Howard
Established Forum Member
Posts: 485
Open to constructive criticism of photos: Yes
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Post by Howard on Apr 8, 2024 4:15:40 GMT
I use a great app called BirdNET to ID birds from their call.
It hasn't let me down yet and it's an international database and even for Sydney it has around 200 identifiable species. Highly recommended!
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Post by cats4jan on Apr 8, 2024 21:39:47 GMT
Cornell Lab - All About Birds
…is my go-to site, but I figured you guys would be quicker and I was right. However, I didn’t expect the help to be learning another function of my iPhone to identify the bird.
Next thing I know, the iPhone will be making my lunch.
At least, I hope so…
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Post by BuckSkin on Apr 9, 2024 17:05:31 GMT
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Post by cats4jan on Apr 9, 2024 17:15:13 GMT
Well, the wings sure say it, but the beaks seem different. Maybe it's an age or sex thing. Again, sorry about the quality - it's a screenshot |
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Post by BuckSkin on Apr 9, 2024 17:25:00 GMT
ID birds from their call.
I guess you need to be able to hear them first.
I have had bad tinitis since I was 12-yr-old; you finally get to where you ignore the constant crickets singing in your skull.
On top of that, years of shooting big guns and constantly listening to the roar of big diesel engines and plain old old age has left me deaf as a post.
Last summer, I happened to remember that I had a genuine Walker Game Ear and thousands of batteries; I see they have decreased in price substantially from when I got mine years ago.
I fetched it from the drawer, put in a fresh battery, and held the volume button down until it made four tones = TURBO setting.
I had been working outside for years and never heard a bird; I walked outside with the Walker Game Ear and it was like I had parachuted into the Amazon Jungle; thousands upon thousands of birds making their noises; remove the Game Ear and the world was once again quiet as a mouse.
The closest neighbor's house is a good rifle shot away and I could hear their TV like I was in the living room with them; ----- of course, they can hear my TV without any help from a hearing device.
I used to make fun of my grandparents when I could hear their TV half-a-mile from their house; now I am worse. |
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Howard
Established Forum Member
Posts: 485
Open to constructive criticism of photos: Yes
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Post by Howard on Apr 9, 2024 21:45:19 GMT
of course, they can hear my TV without any help from a hearing device. That made me laugh. In fact I think I can hear it too. Glad you found a decent solution. Modern technology put to good use. And I have to drop it in that the Cochlear bionic ear was an Aussie invention that revolutionised hearing aids. Just wish I'd bought shares in the company early on. |
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