GracesWarbler

Scissor-tailed Flycatchers have a special place in my heart! I'd been interested in birding for a while, but this photo really got me into the hobby. I didn't know what bird this was, but noticing its cool tail was a neat moment. This is from Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center in Austin.

Thanks for playing, @Kevin and @lonestranger! It's fun to see people test the things that you've made. You're right on all counts. I'd love to get some feedback. Do you think any of the clues are confusing or too obtuse? For the second puzzle, I wanted to highlight some fascinating or notable birds from around the world. Does the "birding expedition" theme work for you? For the first puzzle, I got some feedback that the "Gray _______" clue was too hard. I wanted an easier puzzle that focuses on basic bird "types," and thought that "parrot" was a good addition. For the second puzzle, a few of the birds (like the Arctic Tern) are mentioned earlier in the book that this will be in, but in general it's meant to be harder. To help, I added the note that birders often use websites or guides. Is the difficulty about right? If anyone is looking for more, I've attached Global Birding Expedition 2! Crossword3_Expedition2.pdf

Hi folks. It's time to make calendars, and I want to double-check a couple birds. 1. A cormorant in Gilbert, Arizona on November 11. This is a Neotropic, right? I'm looking at the angle of the lower beakline. Are there any other clues? 2. A sparrow in northern Arizona on September 17. It looks like a Lincoln's Sparrow, but I want to double check. Thanks!

Birds!

Finally going through some photos from July. Here's a baby coot, just after getting fed by its parent.

A pair of Common Ravens near Dante's View in Death Valley, from about a month ago. Check out that lovely water in the background, from Hurricane Hillary earlier this year!

Stuck inside on a rainy day? Want to try a BirdSearch or CrossBird (i.e. wordsearch or crossword)? If so, you're in luck! I've consolidated some of my puzzles onto this page: https://colorbird.org/activities/. Feel free to print some out or share with a curious friend or relative.

I'm no expert, but I make bird calendars each year for friends and family. I think that calendars look better without borders, but it's your calendar, and you should make it the way that you want. I've never had any problems with colors. I just upload the .jpg photos that I like and the printing company does a good job with it. Of course, I'm a little colorblind, so maybe I just don't notice! As for where to print, I search around online for good deals on calendars. Depending on the year (and even the week, depending on deals), some sites offer better deals than others. In past years, I've used Shutterfly, Snapfish, Vistaprint, and I think Nations Photo Lab. I liked all of those except Snapfish, which had some white space above/below the photos that I couldn't remove. I haven't made next year's calendar, so I don't know about current deals. Have fun!

Got a fish! https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/611533651 Coming in for a landing! https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/611533652

I organize my photos by trips. For example, a morning trip to a local birding spot gets its own folder. Later, if I'm not lazy, I also sort groups into folders by general type, then species: https://michaelerb.smugmug.com/Birds

Hi folks. Here's a photo I took on August 14, 2021 in northern Arizona. I have it listed as a Yellow Warbler, but want to double check. The Yellow Warbler photos I see online are bright summery yellow, whereas this one is a darker shade. If it is a Yellow Warbler, what is the reason for this slightly different color? Is it a female or is it just lighting? Thanks!

This is from a couple weeks ago, but I liked this sequence of Rock Pigeon courtship. Spoiler alert: he was not successful, and she flew off. In the final picture, his throat feathers are deflating. https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/611533639 https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/611533641 https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/611533637 https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/611533640

Happy Thanksgiving, all! I turned some of my coloring book illustrations into colorable postcards! They also have fun bird facts on the back. Check them out at https://www.etsy.com/shop/colorbirdbooks.

I got my calendars, @The Bird Nuts! I love the little details in each image, like snails and dragonflies. I think these are my two favorites:

@The Bird Nuts Looking forward to my calendar! Which bird was your favorite to paint?