All the Birds You Knew

Today, we're going to discuss the birds that live around these waters and you can tell me if I've identified them correctly.  When I don't feel like doing my walking workout, I head out with the camera instead. ;)   
Based on my research, this would be a Mallard Drake, (Anas platyrhynchos).  Correct? I rather like the grin on his face. Plus, he was one of the few birds that would HOLD STILL for a moment.

He had enough of me and ambled off, at first.

When driving, objects in the rear-view mirror are closer than they appear.  The same is true of telephoto lens, and you should always keep a close eye on your subject because when I realized how close he actually was, I fell backward on my butt.

Here's a Common Moorhen (gallinula chloropus)at the waterside. I have some picts of the mother with baby chicks. Unfortunately, these pictures did not turn out real well. I think I'll go back and try to get some more shots.

And last, but not least... Is this a shrike?  I had to crop the picture to enlarge it, as it's slightly fuzzy. He had  pale gray plumage along the head and neck. At first, I thought it was some type of hawk. I have never seen these birds in the wild, but something about those eyes and that beak had me online and searching for an answer. I can't find any other bird that looks like him. Are they really endangered?  Hub thinks its a shrike, but does anyone know for sure?

and this is where I found the lil guy.. see the white dot? ;)

Comments

[Nils]

I dunno if it's a shrike or not, but you can tell just by looking at it that it's a BAD bird. Totally evil. Just look at that malevolent face. That face is saying "Me and my gang will be visiting that statue you worked so hard to clean up."

Scary bad bird.

[Leanne]

That does look like you ID'd it right to me!

There's a shrike photograph on enature.com, it looks just like yours, a Loggerhead I think he's called. How neat, I love new birds!

I took a photo of a couple of birds I can't identify last year on vacation down in FL. I'd love it if you could tell me what they are (if they're familiar to you!)

There's a duck-bird guy, right above the castle. Also, a red-beaked scavanger who was fun to feed, then I saw that multi colored (gray back/head, plum chest) bird and I guessed it was a heron of some kind - do you know?

I couldn't put the link in - darnit, uhm, go to /archives/2005/04/12/vacation-photo-album/

Just in case you're bored. ;)

[benning]

Nahhh, Nils. Not a Bad Bird. Look at him again! That's a Super Hero Bird!

Let us know if you figure out what sort of bird that is.

[doubleknot]

Great bird pictures. Afraid I am no help with identifying them. I know a blue jay and a cardinal, etc when I see them but have to have a bird book in hand to name ones I don't see all the time.
Glad you had a photo walk - hope your fall didn't bruise anything.

[Sue]

Great shots Laura, I love seeing new birds although I am not really great at identifying them.

[Florida Cracker]

Loggerhead shrike.
Go to this post of mine for another view:
http://pureflorida.blogspot.com/2005/09/loggerhead-shrike-lanius-ludovicianus.html

Nice mallard, he's beautiful. Such personality...real Floridaquackers.

[InterstellarLass]

Very nice! I probably would not have been able to identify that bird. Shrikey!

[Nils]

Wait - maybe it's not a shrike. Maybe it's a heron! You know, BEFORE it gets into your goldfish pond ...

And as for this bird being a super-hero, benning ... I beg to differ. Tell me he's not this guy:
http://www.imdb.com/gallery/ss/0317705/Ss/0317705/TI-111.jpg?path=gallery&path_key=0317705

[Laura]

Alrighty... regarding our superhero bird..

Nils, when I first saw him, I thought it looked CUTE.. not malevolent or evil. You have got to turn off the cartoon channel when you're writing. (g) Geezus, you. And those herons have not been back lately. HMMMM, I wonder why.

Actually, if you'll head over to Cracker's site to see his link on the shrike, there's a story behind it.. how the bird impales living things on barbed wire fences.
So cute or not, this lil guy ain't nothing to mess with.

Now I'm wondering why they're endangered and I aim to find out. Probably from Canadian developers in Florida....

I'm heading out this evening to see if I can find him again.

Glad you all enjoyed the picts. And Welcome, Benning!
For the record, I'm not a "birder", but I do recognize some of the local ones, especially the friggin mockingbird that keeps hitting my head.
"There is a REASON my cats are super fat!!!"
yes, that is what I yell at him...

[Nils]

Mockingbird? Or Woodpecker ...?

[Laura]

Nils, don't you have a boat to destroy with a chainsaw or something...

[Utenzi]

Such pretty ducks, Laura. I saw a duck over the weekend that I'd never seen the like of before. I've not posted a picture yet but no doubt I will next week. It was a pretty creamy color--very pretty.

The wing markings on that bird do look like a mockingbird's but the heads wrong for that type. I love the way that mockingbirds look, but the sound drives me up a wall. I have a lot of them around my house, Laura.

[Sandy of AIP]

Yep that's a male mallard duck, but that's the only one I know...the little bird is cute.