We begin with four Peruvian bird photos from reader Karen Bartelt:
First two taken at Machu Picchu, second two on the coast south of Lima:Rufous-collared sparrow, Zonotrichia capensis:
Blue-and-white swallows, Notiochelidon cyanoleuca:
Inca terns, Larosterna inca:
Peruvian pelicans, Pelecanus thagus:
And two birds from Ecuador:
Here are two of many I snapped in the Galapagos in early April, ’05. Both are mating poses – part of the mating dance in the case of the blue-footed booby (Sula nebouxii] (have also seen it written bubi?) and the magnificent frigatebird [Fregata magnificens] trying to attract the females circling (way) overhead with that spectacular inflatable red pouch.No claims to being a professional photographer, by the way!
Finally, reader Karen Welsh shows us the aftermath of an ice storm two years ago in Canada:
If you’re really desperate for wildlife photos – these are not of life but certainly it was wild! Toronto was hit by an ice storm two years ago that coated the city in thick ice that didn’t melt for days. Hundreds of thousands were without hydro (Canadian term for power) for days, even weeks. And the city lost about 20% of her tree canopy. But in the meantime it certainly was beautiful. That’s a clock tower not a church spire in case you’re wondering.
These are all great photos, and I’m particularly enthralled by the rufous sparrow’s head — Is that a naturally peaked pate or the effect of a gentle breeze? The sparrow’s overall coloring is lovely.
Check out the link: it appears to have a natural Mohawk.
I wonder what the diff between rufous and rufescent is? Never heard the latter term.
These are really common birds in Central and South America. They always have that little peak.
Great pelicans!
And yes I remember the ice storm. Only Xmas Day we haven’t hiked the Bruce in maybe 10 years. Too many dangerous cracking branches overhead. We fortunately didn’t lose hydro, although many nearby did. It was beautiful, though.
It was treacherous walking in Toronto for days. Stepping over huge branches and hearing them cracking above. Luckily my building was an oasis of light surrounded by darkness. And Xmas? Transferred to my apartment b/c my brother’s house had been hit by a limb knocking out the hydro lines!
The pelicans look like they are looking at something and complaining about it: “Oh I know, the colour is ghastly!” “Yes, yes, that is an awful colour.”
Beautiful everybody! 🙂
The boobies and frigates remind me of the Galapagos Islands where they are common. Impressive color!
That is where I took the photos.
I usually only feel sympathy for fallen, broken, rotten, light hit trees.
Now I can add an ice storm hit tree in that last picture – a twisted fate.
Believe it or not that tree survived. But we heard the buzz saws for at least a year cutting up the downed limbs and removing the trees that were now dead.
Very hard on the wildlife but I would guess ice storms are not often this far north. Seems they happen almost every year down Texas way.
I too wonder — where do the birds go? Why don’t we see more dead birds, any dead birds? Really no where to hide. Poor things.
I’m puzzled (more amused) by Canadian usage of ‘Hydro” for power or electricity. Yes, over 60% of their electricity is supplied by hydro, but it is also 15% nuclear, 13% coal, and 6% natural gas. Is this just a historical accident?
Nick, it’s probably more of an Ontario and Quebec term than say Alberta. I pay my electricity bill to Toronto Hydro. Then there’s Hydro One for all of Ontario and in Quebec it’s Hydro-Quebec. I grew up hearing my parents refer to a blackout as “the hydro’s off.” I’m guessing the term hydro in Ontario started with Niagara Falls providing the electricity in the early 1900’s.
Lovely photos folks. The ice storm photos made me cold. brrrr…
Great pics, Karen B.! I’ve been watching Rufus-collared Sparrows on a couple of Brazilian web-cams, lately–nice to see a detailed view of one. And that gull is so cool!
Karen W., brrrr. I hate ice storms! But the do make for beautiful photos. The light in that first shot is just fabulous when you click/wait/click-again to enlarge it!
Thank you, Diane. No special effects. It was the sun setting!
Well, part of getting a great photo is being in the right place at the right time!
(And keeping quiet about it if it was totally serendipitous. 😀 )