Today’s photos are by a father-and-son team, reader James Blilie and his 12-year-old son Jamie. The first batch is from Jamie, and James’s photos are at bottom. Their notes are indented:
These [first batch below] were all taken this summer by my 12-year old son Jamie. All were taken in Oregon and (mostly) Washington state, in June and July 2016. Most were taken on our place in rural Washington.
A western bluebird (Sialia mexicana), bringing chow for the kids
A dog-day cicada (Tibicen canicularis). Jamie caught it (and immediately released it) on our place. We have lots of these.
A house wren (Troglodytes aedon), taken on Orcas Island, WA.
This is (we think) a purple finch (Haemorhous purpureus).
A golden-mantled ground squirrel (Callospermophilus lateralis), taken at 6500 feet in the Oregon Cascades.
A western fence lizard (Sceloporus occidentalis); we have lots of these too.
A California Quail (Callipepla californica) cock. Jamie pursued this guy around our place for about 20 minutes to get these shots.
And then I [James] have a few of my own shots (same time and place as Jamie’s photos):
A family of raccoons (Procyon lotor) in my friends’ back yard, Seattle, WA.
Mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) at sunset under Mt. Adams, Washington State.
#51008 is an old log of (probably) subalpine fir (Abies lasiocarpa), 6500 feet elevation, Oregon Cascades.
Two rufous hummingbirds (Selasphorus rufus) fighting over a feeder.
Rufous hummingbird at rest.
Great pics, especially love the California Quail.
and I’ve given up trying to differentiate between H. mexicanus and H. purpureus. I just call them all Purple House Finches (very scientific of me, no?) We get both where I live, but I can’t tell the difference between them unless they’re both at the feeder at the same time.
I always look at the very top of the head, if I can get a good view of it. If it’s brown, it’s a house finch. If it’s pink, it’s a purple finch.
I actually find the females much easier to tell apart than the males. The female purple finch is a much richer brown than the female house, and has a distinctive white stripe over the eye. She looks at lot like a miniature female rose-breasted grosbeak, actually. Always stands out from the female house finches.
I ashamedly admit to overlooking the females of several species as “LBJ’s”, or little brown jobbers; for two years I thought “meh, more sparrows” until I realized half my “sparrows” were actually pine siskins. D’Oh!
Nice work by both Blilies. I think that’s a Purple Finch too. Even the brightest male House Finches typically have some brown streaking on the underparts.
I read ‘brown streaking on the underparts’ as ‘brown streaking on the underpants‘, and just about spewed my coffee.
Excellent imaging.
You’ve documented that both ends of the bluebird are functioning properly. 😎