Birding bloopers #6
I have been featuring some birding bloopers – or badly misidentified birds – over recent days. This one is from the contributors to the Birding-Aus forum and comes from Eddie in Voss, Norway.
My best blooper (there have been many, but this is the best one) happened many years ago. I was half way up a mountain overlooking a lake when I saw something pink moving in the reeds.
I wasn’t birding at the time so my binoculars were in my car, but it must have been a Flamingo. I dashed back to my car and headed down towards the lake. On getting there the “bird” was still present, but it wasn’t a bird. It was a pink plastic bag that had caught on a broken reed.
From the mountain it looked like a long legged bird with a pink body. The movement was caused by the bag and the reed swaying in the wind.
I don’t know what was more pink – the plastic bag or my face.
Good one, Eddie – and thanks for permission to use your embarrassing moment.
You can check Eddie’s website Birdwatching in Norway by clicking here.
To read more birding bloopers click here.
I and the Bird #43
The latest edition of the birding carnival I and the Bird #43 has been posted over at Earth, Wind & Water.
This time I and the Bird goes to the movies. Each link has some connection to a well known movie.
Plenty of links to interesting posts about birds. And of course, my contribution is there to read too, though I almost missed the deadline again.
Links:
- I and the bird home page.
Birding bloopers #5
I’ve been featuring a number of birding bloopers on this blog. These bloopers are essentially misidentifications of birds and are often quite hilarious and always embarrassing.
Simon contributed this gem to the Birding-Aus forum:
Recently while showing an overseas visitor around my local area I screeched to a halt when I spotted a Black-shouldered Kite perched in a dead tree by the roadside.
We reversed some 100 metres to gain a view of it again, and to my total embarrassment there before us was a white plastic bag caught on the uppermost snag.
Just had to laugh !
Thanks to Simon for permission to use this one.
For more birding bloopers click here.
Spotted Turtledove comes to drink
Spotted Turtledove
It is interesting to see the parade of birds coming to drink at our bird baths, especially on a hot day. We’ve had many really hot days in the last few months, with many days over 40C (104F) and some as high as 46C (115F). It is the birds that suffer terribly during these stiflingly hot days so we feel pleased that we are offering them just a little respite from the oppressive conditions.
Introduced Species:
Spotted Turtledoves, an introduced species in Australia are one of those quiet, unassuming species that cause very few problems in our parks and gardens. They are found in coastal eastern and south eastern Australia as well as parts of south western Western Australia and Tasmania. Here in Murray Bridge they are relatively common throughout the city in parks and gardens. They are a breeding resident species in our garden. They don’t often come to the water to drink, but hot days are an exception.
Spotted Turtledove
Birding bloopers #4
4 Comments »21st February, 2007; Category: Birding bloopers
Several weeks ago I wrote about other birders and the various birding bloopers that they were brave enough to admit to on-line. Now its my turn – unfortunately.
Yesterday while driving down a road near my home I passed a bright yellow bird-like bundle obviously dead on the road. As I went by I immediately thought of a male Golden Whistler. How sad to see such a beautiful bird become a road kill victim was my immediate reaction. But the colour seemed a little wrong. Perhaps some hapless pet Canary had escaped and wasn’t quick enough.
On my return trip five minutes later I slowed down to have a good look. (It is a very quiet road.) Imagine my horror – and relief – to find that it was only a banana peel.
See also: