Mute Swan

   Today I had to go to Olive Branch, Mississippi on business. During the trip I drove through a small city park. In the pond, along with the Mallard ducks (Anas platyrhynchos) and the Canada Geese (Branta canadensis) and a couple of Snow Geese (Chen caerulescens), I spotted something a great deal larger than anything else on the pond. Very unusual here and a delight to see and photograph, an adult Mute Swan (Cygnus olor). Very impressive.

Mute Swan

   These are truly majestic water birds. The white body and long white neck glide through the water. The way to differentiate it from other swans is the diagnostic color pattern of the head. The adult has an orange beak and a black face. This bird is very unusual for this area, which is why I took a picture. I saw this one in Desoto County in northern Mississippi. Last year Berry and I spotted one behind a storage building here in Memphis.

Robert

photos courtesy of rfowler

Lovely Figs

   The Northern Mockingbirds (Mimus polyglottos) living in our magnolia tree are enjoying the figs as the first crop ripens in the sun. I walked near the fig tree and spooked someone. A mockingbird squawked sharply and flew from the fig tree to a branch of the magnolia. Moving up under the shade of the tree and looking up, I could see what had been happening. And I knew who the culprit was.

Part of a Pecked Fig

   The mockers may nibble some of my figs. They are delicious. I planted it in the yard to share the fruit with the birds. Just yesterday I snagged a dozen figs off the tree and served them with ice cream when my family came to dinner. Bon appetit, indeed!

Robert

photo courtesy of rfowler

Differentiating Vultures

   I had to go to the little nearby town of Oakland, Tennessee on business yesterday. During the trip I saw a Black Vulture (Coragyps atratus) soaring over the pine trees along the side of the highway. Turkey Vultures (Catbartes aura) are much more common around Memphis, which is why I mention the Black Vulture here. Vultures, or buzzards are enormous birds, larger than the average house dog, jet black with seven foot wingspans. They are carnivores which predate on carrion; their beaks are shaped like a can-opener so they can tear open roadkill quickly.

Black Vulture

   These two buzzards are easy to differentiate when they are airborne. The "black" vulture has white or gray fingers at the ends of its wings. The "turkey" has white or gray feathers all along the trailing edge of its entire wingspan. So, just catch your vulture in flight and let it totter to one side in the wind. Easy, easy.

Turkey Vulture

Robert

photos courtesy of wikipedia

On the cylinder

In the wintertime we have three kinds of woodpeckers visit our backyard. They tap the pines for sap. I put bread inside a metal cylinder and hung it outside of my office. Today it was used by one of our woodpeckers.

It was the Red-Bellied Woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus). It was a juvenile. He pecked inside the holes for bread, then flew to a pine tree.

Robert

photo courtesy of lwilliams

Lady's Night

   We fill our birdbath each day with fresh water and in the 100 degree heat it is irresistable to birds. In the span of several minutes there were two female American Robins (Turdus migratorius), a large Common Grackle (Quiscalus quiscula), a Northern Mockingbird (Mimus mimus) and two special guests this afternoon, two female House Finches (Carpodacus mexicanus). Yes, it was "Lady's Night" at the birdbath.

Female House Finch

   At first I blew off the female House Finches as just a couple of female English Sparrows (Passer Domesticus). We have a family of English Sparrows living in a birdhouse on the west side of the house. Then, Berry noticed the brown stripes on the breast and the shape of the beak and declared it to be the female version of the House Finch. Add that to the list of birds who have visited ye olde watering hole at our house.

Robert

photo courtesy of helman

Cooper's Hawk right down the Block

   I was driving home, coming down my own street and there was a puddle of water where a neighbor had been watering his thirsty lawn. As I approached, I spotted a juvenile Cooper's Hawk (Accipter cooperii) standing in the middle of puddle, drinking fresh water.

Cooper's Hawk

   This magnificent bird is a medium sized hawk with gray wings. This one had a slight orange tinge to its belly. We see them often in the countryside, but this is the first one I have seen inside metropolitan Memphis.

   We have a small wading pool in the backyard for the dog to stay cool in the summertime. I wonder... from the sky, this little Coopers Hawk could easily have seen the reflection of light off the water. He is certainly welcome at our house anytime.

Robert

photos courtesy of dlink