GracesWarbler

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?

That's fantastic! Where can I buy one? (And good timing too. Good thing you didn't take a couple more month.)

A Snowy Egret hunts for fish in Gilbert, AZ. It kicks its leg to startle fish and grabs one.

A Vermilion Flycatcher at Gilbert Riparian Preserve earlier today. Thanks to the birder who pointed it out to me!

Hey baby, check out this shiny neck. Check out this wide tail. Oh yeah.

Anyone want to go a global birding expedition? I've created a crossword puzzle about just such a journey. You'll travel across all seven continents in search of some of the most magnificent birds in the world. Check it out! (Warning: it may be a little tough, so a feel free to use any birding tools, such as guides and websites.) This is another activity for my bird book, so let me know what you think! Colorful_Intro_to_Birds_expedition1.pdf

I'd like to get into watercolors. Here's some Mallards! Can anyone recommend a good introduction to watercolors? @The Bird Nuts or others? Any good videos, books, or other resources? Thanks!

I'm making postcards! They're on thick, uncoated paper, so people can color them and send them to friends and family. They also have bird facts and colors on the back. Here's a prototype. I'll probably make packs of 20, with 5 different designs in each pack. Any suggestions for revisions?

Great, thanks all! I'll try to keep these details in mind for the future. (I guess this is why I like big, charismatic, colorful birds!)

Hi folks. I saw some little brown birds this morning (9/30) in northern Arizona. The location has some little ponds and plants. Here are some photos of different birds. Are these Song Sparrows? What should I be looking for to ID birds like these? The stripy fronts? Also, in the first photo, is it probably a female (upper) and male (lower), due to the size difference? https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/609443642 https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/609443644 https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/609443643

Don't scream with your mouth full. https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/609443897

Two shots from this morning at my local spot. The sunflowers were mostly done, but the lighting was pretty nice. Some Western Bluebirds: https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/609443605 A Northern Flicker: https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/609443564

Here's an American Coot eating plants at a wetland in northern Arizona:

I made a crossword puzzle! It shouldn't be too challenging. If you give it a try, let me know how it works. I'm going to make a more advanced one with some of my favorite birds. Colorful_Intro_to_Birds_crossword.pdf

Flowers are in bloom in northern Arizona, so I went out to try to get some photos. Getting nicely-posed photos of birds on flowers is tough!

Those are fantastic! Is the calendar just for friends and family, or are you going to make it more widely available?

These are great! I love when birds puff up. Nice! Kingfishers always look like they have too large of heads.