Once again I’m a bad person—I lost the email from Stephen Barnard (May 3) in which he describes the subjects of these lovely photos. But I think readers should be able to suss out most of them, so weigh in below with the harder ones:
Somehow Stephen always manages to sneak in a photo of Deets. But I allow them to remain among the wildlife because I know we have some d*g-loving readers:
I believe pics 3 & 4 are of the American avocet, Recurvirostra americana.
I was just going to say:
bird, bird, bird, bird, Deets, bird, bird, bird, bird, bird.
🙂
Well, you wouldn’t have been wrong.
The bird in the Deets photo is a nightjar.
The last two appear to be of Swainson’s hawk, Buteo swainsoni.
The vulture is the turkey vulture, Cathartes aura.
I love the descriptiveness of many scientific names: Recurvirostra: recurved snout; Cathartes: cathartic, induces vomit (they’ll vomit on you if you disturb them).
Bald eagle: Haliaeetus leucocephalus; the specific epithet meaning white head.
Continuing on the vomiting front, there is the blue bottle fly Calliphora vomitoria. I am sure there are other such names.
There’s the yaupon holly, Ilex vomitoria, though apparently the emetic description is an error, like the black racer being called Coluber constrictor, even though it doesn’t constrict.
I found a web site for bad scientific names. The ads are pretty bad too.
Great pix! Those of the Bald Eagle are classics. Deets also looks like a good fellow.
I think some of these are re-runs, but Stephen’s photos are always welcome. Go Deets!
I’m pretty sure that #s 7 & 8 are Canada Geese (Branta Canadensis)
Beautiful photographs!
No – once again your email system’s filtering capabilities have let you down.
Thanks Stephen!
Deets is a fine and handsome beast and well graces this web site.
Will see you 12.30. Will have to ask Phillip for a lift. Regards, HH Dr John Hayman 20 Florence Ave, Kew, VIC, 3101.
phone & fax 03 98175706 mobile 0400 173 408 hayman@johnhayman.net
Deets is a beautiful d*ggie.
I hope our host will consider designating the border collie as the official website d*g. While I am a cat person through and through, border collies have a place in my heart for their intelligence, temperament and good looks. Love that tail!
The first eagle looks a lot like the Muppets character Sam the Eagle. (Colorwise aside – I mean the facial expression.)