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As a native New Yorker, I’ve seen my share of squirrels. Our standard Sciuridae is the Eastern Gray Squirrel ( Sciuridae carolinensis ) and while most of these rambunctious rodents are indeed gray, they sometimes come in other flavors. The Bronx was beset by hordes of Black Squirrels , melanistic members of this common species.
When my friends over at YourBirdOasis sent me a super squirrel-proof bird feeder to review, I had to think about who I knew who could really put the device to the test. After all, I have my local white squirrels well in hand. Another wonderful feature of the Squirrel Buster Plus is the adjustable trigger weight of the spring.
The White-tailed Antelope Squirrel , sometimes referred to as the White-tailed Ground Squirrel or the Antelope Chipmunk , is the rare diurnal mammal in the deserts of the southwestern United States. White-tailed Antelope Squirrels are endearing little squirrels and it is well worth making their acquaintance.
I still know my audience - this is primarily a blog read by birders in North America, who see the term “squirrel” as little more than a synonym for house sparrow, starling, pest and cholera. But bear with me for a second: this post presents a different context for a different squirrel. Anyway, the Eurasian Red Squirrel.
Ferruginous Hawks were known as Rusty Squirrel-Hawks back in the 1800′s and they exist in both a light and dark morph. They are often seen on the ground since their prey consists mainly of rabbit, prairie dog and, you guessed it, ground squirrel. Note the long yellow gape, a characteristic field mark of this species.
When you move on to Montana, you discover that there are worse things that one species of tiny screaming mammal tricking you each year as you try to cope with an influx of songbirds and a winterized memory bank that contains only Black-capped Chickadees and Dark-eyed Juncos (and only about half their calls at that.) You sigh and move on.
Ahead of the first trip, I wasn’t thinking much about mammals, and yet, you cannot miss them, from Nilgais near villages to Indian Flying Foxes in town centres, not to mention those ubiquitous and irresistibly cute Palm Squirrels eating seeds left for parakeets. Larger species, that is, excluding dolphins and whales.
As a birder, I’ve found this place to be a complete treasure trove for many species difficult to see elsewhere. Personally I’ve seen over a hundred species over several birding trips there, the overall species list for the location is approximately 160 – a tally that will only increase. Squirrel Cuckoo. Blue Dacnis.
When our local government called for Michoacán’s residents to stay at home, I said goodbye to some 250 regional species, and shut myself in at home with the other 30 that regularly visit my neighborhood. And on this particular trip, I could see all these species on a single kind of tree. And what species!
Although an attractive bird, this species was not of particular interest to me as I’ve seen it countless times when I lived in South Africa (and is not present there at this time of year anyway), but the area has much more on offer. Red Squirrel The post Wagbachniederung & Saalbachniederung first appeared on 10,000 Birds.
These species are not only beautiful or charming, but have a personal resonance for me. Squirrel Cuckoo : Somebody else’s trigger bird? I was in that same nature reserve, when a Squirrel Cuckoo turned up on the side of the main path. We had dear guests from the Middle East staying with us on Monday, my usual birding day.
This skulking species always manages to elude me. This tree was also where I had enjoyed previous sightings of Speckled Tanager – and eventually a pair of this beautiful species flew in. The call of a Squirrel Cuckoo got me searching in the highest branches of some large trees nearby. Squirrel Cuckoo.
Yes, it’s the same species that so many North American birders have looked for around the San Pedro River (myself included) and like those Arizona birds, our urban Gray Hawks likewise use riparian zones. Hasn’t happened yet but sometimes I see resident Rufous-naped Wrens, Red-billed Pigeons , and a Squirrel Cuckoo or two.
It’s perhaps an easy one for many people to overlook, since they don’t occur in Europe or the Americas, but visit a patch of forerst or bush in Asia or Africa and there should be one or two species around. It can reach quite ludicrous levels in some places, like in Danum Valley where you can see ten different species of a morning.
In the relatively brief period, my group had something on the order of 450 species. They bounce around limbs like jays and scurry like squirrels. In fact, let’s just just go with “squirrel-jays”, because that’s pretty close. I, personally, had around 430. Sunbirds are hummingbird, I guess.
After the fireworks end, I listen for that first bird of the night, count the first species calling at the break of dawn. Having successfully raced to identify more than 700 species in Costa Rica during the final days of 2021 , I suppose I more or less took January 1st off. Not this year.
Still, I did manage to see a decent 65 species in 6 hours, and many of them stayed quite close to me, allowing for some nice photos. The lovely Rufous-capped Warbler is something of a flagship species for this site. Suddenly I saw a ground squirrel creeping up on the Bunting. I am always down for the day when I get home.
In the last few months, Downy Woodpecker s and squirrels have added some holes to the cedar siding of the building. But once you notice birds pecking (or squirrels chewing) in your siding–YOU MUST ACT FAST. ” Effective? But I realize this is not in everyone’s budget.
In pastures of the hot lowlands, they tend to be lines of stunted Gumbo-Limbo trees or some other heavily pruned species. In addition to those birds and the Squirrel Cuckoo pictured above, the following are some of the more common hedgerow species of Costa Rica. Rufous-tailed Hummingbird and other hummingbird species.
Four moments (and species) stand out in my own personal birding renaissance: I put an improvised birdbath in my yard to see if I can get the House Sparrows to stop munching on my lettuce plants, and a stunning Black-vented Oriole arrives to bathe. I start visiting a nearby canyon to see what other species might be around.
Typical of the species. The only harassment came from the resident Red-tailed Squirrel family – which seemed to be more curiosity than anything else, as their nest was just about two feet away. Both species seemed content to observe each other though. This young male Summer Tanager didn’t linger or waste time.
But all of them had to wait before several Red-tailed Squirrels had their (more than) fair share. In the world of creatures small, squirrels are undoubtedly the kings. It consists of a small reserve with a well maintained in site trail (over 195 species recorded, many endemic and rare birds accessible), cozy lodging and a dining room.
We may not have huge numbers of species, but we can find some real specialties. I’ve managed a number of globally endangered or vulnerable species in my own backyard, from Saddlebacks and Stitchbirds to the irrepressible Kaka (which I’m listening to right now). New Zealand can generate some interesting yard birds.
Lassen Volcanic National Park is also home to approximately 57 species of mammals ranging in size from the tiny shrew to the North American black bear. Last June I found adult Nutcrackers feeding young at this location. You can download their bird list here.
By tagging the Parrot and monitoring the area with remote cameras, scientists hope to learn more about this species and how to keep it safe. If you follow baseball, you’ve probably heard of the “ rally squirrel ” and the infamous “ rally monkey.” The bird is so rare and elusive that it was thought to be extinct.
Birds hatch out of eggs, like some species of snakes, who also have no boobs, although with a snake the fact is more readily apparent. Even wild mammals – fawns, squirrels, bunnies, etc. Birds have no boobs. Although it might look like they could have a pair or two lurking beneath all those chest feathers, they actually don’t.
Black-chested Sparrow is one of Paso Ancho’s flagship species. Once I moved to the riverbank, I got to see something else I had never seen before: a Squirrel Cuckoo , drying itself after a good bath. And I, for one, choose not to let the lack of a few species ruin my enjoyment of many more. A Golden Vireo showed up.
With that logic those trees, if left to grow, should produce something of use to at least one or two species of birds. It’s been some years since I’ve seen any Short-tailed Hawks as the entire valley is now overrun with concrete – but I’m trying my best to create some sort of oasis for any species.
Later on — after seven years at most, in the case of the Black-backed Woodpecker — these first responders are gone and the holes in the snags serve as nesting cavities for martens, and squirrels and Mountain Bluebirds and Flammulated Owls. Conservation black-backed woodpecker endangered species fire olive-sided flycatcher'
Even though there are several spots where different species can take baths at their leisure, this male Lesser Goldfinch ( Spinus psaltria ) decided to evict a Ruby-crowned Kinglet ( Regulus calendula ) that was really enjoying itself! I also added a new surprise species to my yard list, a Northern Mockingbird ( Mimus polyglottos )!
Both Trinidad and Tobago share over a hundred species but within the mix are many that are found on one island and not the other. The disparity in species could be stark, for example if one were to bird on different sides of the planet. I don’t keep lists but one of my guests did and the final tally was 166 species.
The animals aren’t quite so closely packed as Hollywood can manage, and they tend towards slightly smaller species, in general, but still, its impressive. Along with more orangutans and diminutive Common Pygmy Squirrels, we also found a massive cobra one day! This species was my bird of the year last year. What a bird!
On my 21-day Kenyan safaris we reckoned to find around 600 species of birds and around 60 mammals, both impressive totals. In 2023 I attempted to keep a year list of mammal encounters: the list barely exceeded 20 species, while it became complicated by seeing bats and voles that I was unable to name specifically.
They are quite a rare breeding species in Serbia, declining as we speak, but one pair breeds nearby. They are rare breeders here, but at least, this species’ numbers are on the increase. There wasn’t a single European souslik or ground squirrel ( Spermophilus cittelus ).
It is swimming with its body half-submerged (typical for the species and yet, so strange for songbirds) and often diving. This species is reasonably easy to find if you are in the right kind of habitat – but I am rarely in that type of habitat. And in order to see the bubbles underwater, one needs to be right above the bird.
During a week based in Äkäslompolo, a small Finnish town a couple of hundred kilometres north of the Arctic Circle, we struggled to get to 27 species. Reindeer cow A grey Red Squirrel The post Lapland Adventure first appeared on 10,000 Birds. Reindeer , of course, were everywhere, including the middle of town.
These arid hills, cloaked in a mosaic of deciduous scrub and desert vegetation, form a northern outpost for several Neotropical species while also harboring several key endemics and southwestern Nearctic species. I had point blank life views of this tricky species from within a few feet.
Like several of my favorite NWRs, this one was established as a haven for migratory birds, most notably waterfowl, during the bad old days when uncontrolled hunting and habitat loss had put the future of even species we now think of as common in doubt. As a result, early migration season is an excellent time to visit.
In my case, fully half of the eBird hotspots within an hour of my city of Morelia that have more than 100 species registered were my discoveries, and I had a hand in increasing the species list for almost my nearby sites. But two species really stood out. My first Rose-breasted Grosbeak. A male was also present.
I had racked up only twenty-odd species, all of which I’d have to be blindfolded to not see if I spent a year in New York City. I picked out a Red-tailed Hawk bearing a squirrel away to a perch to eat, and got a sharp, crisp view of the messy dismemberment despite the gloom. And the brightness was fantastic. degrees.
While out in my neighborhood, I saw what I believe was a Sharp-shinned Hawk take a pass at one of Rochester’s exotic white squirrels , which turn up this time of year like clockwork. He was pleased to spot all of his target species, from Yellow-breasted Chat to Ovenbird.
This area offers Mexico’s greatest concentration of endemics, as well as very few species an American birder might have already seen up north. But I knew that quite a few charismatic species had failed to turn up. I hoped for a more complete survey of the site’s species. And partly because I want to see it.
There’s an unofficial series of posts on species of birds that occur in threes in T&T (see: bitterns , trogons , antshrikes , spinetails , manakins , hermits , honeycreepers , and resident warblers ). Further along the road the calls of a Squirrel Cuckoo alerted us to the presence of a pair of these beauties.
Members of the genus Pachycereus , there are a couple of species which are quite prevalent here on the southern Baja. Once the fruit is ripe, it becomes a primary source for many species. Our local Mexican Ground Squirrels are quite fond of the Chaparral Prickly Pear , or Nopal Cactus as it is called locally.
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