thistlebloom
Garden Master
- Joined
- Dec 1, 2010
- Messages
- 16,473
- Reaction score
- 17,414
- Points
- 457
- Location
- North Idaho 48th parallel
Oooh, he is beautiful!
Picture Of The Week (POW) Information & Submissions
- Thread starter vfem
- Start date
jackb
Garden Master
digitS'
Garden Master
Wow! I not only have photographer jealousy, I have birdwatcher jealousy!
It isn't anything new re: Cardinals. I started off my higher ed as a North Idaho College Cardinal. I could NOT understand it! Why have a mascot that wasn't within a thousand miles of campus??!
What is new ... or new to me ... is that the Western Tanager has been reclassified out of the Tanagers and into the Cardinal family! Of course, the Scarlet Tanager is much more brightly colored than the Western and he lives in Cardinal Country! So, pretty yellow & red Western Tanager or not - the East has the most brilliant red birds hands down! https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Western_Tanager/id
I don't think westerners can claim much on the blue side of the spectrum, either! Since the East has several Buntings, the Blue Jay and Eastern Bluebird. Pointing out Steller's Jay hardly rises to stellar heights ... About the only thing that soothes my green eyes for colorful birds is that we have TWO Bluebirds locally. And for orange, I think I once saw a Varied Thrush!
Steve
who understands that the Audubon people recently identified a Western Tanager in NYC's Central Park. The turncoat!!
It isn't anything new re: Cardinals. I started off my higher ed as a North Idaho College Cardinal. I could NOT understand it! Why have a mascot that wasn't within a thousand miles of campus??!
What is new ... or new to me ... is that the Western Tanager has been reclassified out of the Tanagers and into the Cardinal family! Of course, the Scarlet Tanager is much more brightly colored than the Western and he lives in Cardinal Country! So, pretty yellow & red Western Tanager or not - the East has the most brilliant red birds hands down! https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Western_Tanager/id
I don't think westerners can claim much on the blue side of the spectrum, either! Since the East has several Buntings, the Blue Jay and Eastern Bluebird. Pointing out Steller's Jay hardly rises to stellar heights ... About the only thing that soothes my green eyes for colorful birds is that we have TWO Bluebirds locally. And for orange, I think I once saw a Varied Thrush!
Steve
who understands that the Audubon people recently identified a Western Tanager in NYC's Central Park. The turncoat!!
jackb
Garden Master
Well, we still have the blue birds hanging around. They watch the other birds on the suet feeder, but won't go near it. The other birds drop pieces of suet on the ground, then the blue birds go down and get it, kind of bird symbiosis. Go figure. Occasionally, we see yellow canaries, there are blue jays, very rare Baltimore orioles, evening grosbeaks when there are berries on the trees. Then, of course, the wrens, titmice, juncos and chickadees. They do brighten up our cold boring winter days, and, it costs so little to feed them so that they hang around. Woodpeckers galore are flitting around out there tapping on the trees and hanging on the suet feeder, and of course, my favorite slippery little nuthatches.
jackb
Garden Master
They seem to enjoy being in the spotlight.
sumi
Rest in Peace 1980-2020
Congrats @jackb for bagging the POW again!Winter, we've only just begun, and it is a long long time till spring. I could just strangle Bing when I hear White Christmas.
View attachment 17898
jackb
Garden Master
Thank you again, I am doubly honored.
catjac1975
Garden Master
- Joined
- Jul 22, 2010
- Messages
- 9,030
- Reaction score
- 9,181
- Points
- 397
- Location
- Mattapoisett, Massachusetts
Jack-What camera are you using. I am looking for a new one.
jackb
Garden Master
Cat, I am using an older model Nikon Coolpix that I have had for several years. It is tiny and rugged so I can carry it in my pocket when I am hiking. Also, I have a large quality digital SLR that I use for more serious work, but I find myself using mostly the little Nikon. It does wide angle and close up photography and is simple to use. That said, the little old professional photographer who taught me photography always told me: "It is not the equipment, it is how you use it."
Last edited:
