Ivory-Billed Woodpecker... Extinct?

[Angry Ewok]

I was birdwatching today, and I kept hearing a pair of woodpeckers. I couldn't find them, so it got me thinking about the Ivory-Billed... Isn't this an amazing creature?

I'm hoping someday, someone can find flock of these things hiding in a swamp.

[dragonboy]

Was Woody an Ivory-Billed Woodpecker? The one in the pic looks a lot like him!

I'm fascinated by Birds Of Prey, do you get any/many where you are Angry? I shall never forget seeing Golden Eagles in Scotland & Black Hawks flying over the skyscrapers in HK.

[Angry Ewok]

We have a handful of predators... Hawks, falcons, and owls. Today I was lucky enough to see three falcons circling over the house. One was remarkably huge - I thought it was a hawk, at first,




I'm still very much an amateur photographer, so when it comes to highspeed stuff, most of my stuff is just snapshot. I do get some nice ones, though, on occasion.

Here's what I was watching when the falcons appeared out of nowhere, in fact...

[dragonboy]

Fantastic pics Brad! Thanks for sharing  :)

Rats was an avid bird-watcher/nature rambler, shame he's not around any more.

I took a falconry course once when I was young. I'm not sure how I feel about it now as I would far rather the birds were free but I remember it being an amazing experience.

[dragonboy]

My Mum & Dad's villa in Spain has Buzzards circling overhead on & off throughout the day.

I once saw a Peregrine off the coast of Swange, UK...that was pretty amazing.

[ycartrob]

Amazing pics Brad!

Mr Hawk has been visiting our backyard a lot lately.
(sorry about the blurriness)

[The Big Come Up]

My Mum & Dad's villa in Spain has Buzzards circling overhead on & off throughout the day.

I once saw a Peregrine off the coast of Swange, UK...that was pretty amazing.

I saw an Albatross once while I was sailing, then I shot it with my bow...bad decision


...very poor literary humor

[Angry Ewok]

That Hawk is incredible looking... I'd go bananas if one of those things landed in our backyard - we have two cats, and those red-tails have been known to pick up small domestic animals for a to-go meal.

Yesterday, I was able to get a pretty good photo of one of the three falcons...



I saw it again this morning, but couldn't get a good picture. The other two falcons are average size, but this fella is a beast.

While I was studying for my mid-term, I was able to spot a Downy Woodpecker. Check out this little cutie...



I also snapped a photo of a female Red-Bellied Woodpecker only a few moments later...



Oh, and this is the only time I've ever been able to photograph a Pileated Woodpecker. These things are the size of crows. Getting to be somewhat rare.

[dragonboy]

Brilliant pics again Brad! So Woody was a Pileated Woodpecker?

[aMD]

i miss rats.  

:-/

[Angry Ewok]

So Woody was a Pileated Woodpecker?

Looks more like a red-headed woodpecker to me...

[LizKing531]

There's nothing like being woken up from a restful nap in the woods like one of those bad boys hammering away on the tree above your head


There's been a good number of hawks hanging around my work.  They like to sit on top of the street signs.  I almost ran off the road the first time I drove by a speed limit sign with a hawk perched on top

[Dorothy_Mantooth]

that ivory billed wood pecker is a baller

[easy jim]

are these taken on digital cameras?

wow

[pawpaw]

Those are great pictures Brad! That's one thing (of several) about living in a city that gets to me sometimes...not seeing or hearing many birds. We've got a pretty cool flock of wild parrots, but other than that, it's pretty much pigeons.

I hate pigeons, and I don't know what it is about pigeons here, but the worst, dirtiest neighborhoods for humans also have the gnarliest pigeons...one foot, one eye, half a wing missing. And they're the laziest damn birds in the world. They'll sit in the middle of the sidewalk and wait until you've almost stepped on them, and then flap their wings just enough to get their fat asses a few inches out of the way.

I grew up in the Central Valley of California, a big agricultural area, rice country, so there were always HUGE flocks of migratory fowl, herons and cranes, some pheasants. The overgrown riparian habitat near the rivers and man-made irrigation canals had dozens of types of birds...as a kid I used to love to go out with my Dad (who farmed) when he worked to watch the birds. There were also tons of rodents, which meant a lot of hawks hunting. It was fun to be a kid up there.

[Angry Ewok]

are these taken on digital cameras?

Yep! I use an 11 megapixel Olympus E-510 with a 150mm zoom. I haven't had it very long, so I've got some learning to do.

I hate pigeons, and I don't know what it is about pigeons here, but the worst, dirtiest neighborhoods for humans also have the gnarliest pigeons...one foot, one eye, half a wing missing. And they're the laziest damn birds in the world. They'll sit in the middle of the sidewalk and wait until you've almost stepped on them, and then flap their wings just enough to get their fat asses a few inches out of the way.  

I don't like pigeons either. Thankfully, the red-tail hawk population keeps the pigeons in check.

[Angry Ewok]

Here are two photos I snapped this morning... I just happened to look up and see the Alabama state bird! The Yellowhammer! (also known as the Yellow-shafted Flicker)



This beauty flew over to her mate, and the two pecked around for a little while...