lonestranger

I had a hard time deciding between these two Blue Jay photos from yesterday... I couldn't decide between the profile or the direct eye contact....so I decided on them both. Photos hosted on imgur.

I already have accounts at imgur and google for sharing photos but I've gotten most comfortable using flickr. I don't use those websites so much for the storage aspect since ALL of my photos, even the terrible ones, get backed up monthly on an external hard drive. I use those websites for somewhere to host the photos I want to share online, like here at Whatbird. I guess it's the method they're using that bothers me most. It's like they're holding everyone's excess photos hostage and if we don't pay their $50 ransom they'll delete the photos from whatever websites they've been shared on. I think that's a shady business tactic that I am not willing to endorse with my money.

Here is Flickr's page explaining the same changes as mentioned in the article above. https://www.flickr.com/lookingahead I currently have 1685 photos on flickr which exceeds their new limit, yet those same 1685 photos only use 0.2% of the free 1TB limit. Obviously I don't need 1TB of storage, but I want permanent, sharable, storage for my uploaded files so that sites like Whatbird don't look like swiss cheese when flickr forcibly deletes the content I, and many others, have posted here. We often complain when someone deletes a photo at the source because it ruins the flow of the thread it's posted in, especially in the ID forums where a deleted photo makes it impossible for the next viewer to learn anything. I can just imagine what the forums will look like once flickr forces people to delete their photos, or forcibly deletes them for them. Comments like, 'notice the primary projection compared to the tail length' will have no meaning once those flycatcher photos get deleted from flickr to make room for the next new uploaded photo. Just imagine what it would be like if we were still operating on the old forum with years and years of photos that would just disappear one day. Yikes. I wonder how @Administrator feels about the upcoming flickr changes and how he thinks the deleted photos from flickr will affect Whatbird? Also, I wonder if there is anything within Whatbird's powers to preserve the content already posted here so the forums remain coherent when photos inevitably get deleted from their source in the future? So what are our other options if we don't want to pay $50 a year to use 0.2% of what we had for free? Okay, I have shared some of my thoughts and I didn't use foul language once, I think I did very well. I didn't even mention that I think the new owners of FL*%#@*# are being greedy @$$%#&$#@$ 🤬

Welcome to Whatbird, Robert Elwyn. I can't help with the ID of your hummer, but it looks like a young western species to me. Here in the east we usually only get Ruby-throated hummingbirds but there's always a few migrants from the west that cross over the lines on the range maps during the winter months. If I'm right and it is a west coast bird, it may stay in the area until spring if it finds a food source.

I read about this earlier today. I have to keep my opinion to myself if I want to keep using this website though. I don't think I could express my thoughts without using language that would get me banned. 🤬

My nephew lives in the Algonquin Park area and while my brothers, uncle, cousin and I were visiting last month we spent a lot of time handing feeding the birds. Most of the guys were leaning over the railing and holding their hand up in the air to make the feeding easier for the birds. I on the other hand, decided to make things easier for myself and sat down with my hand full of seed resting comfortably on my knee. I'm not a video guy but decided to set up and record the birds feeding from my hand. The following video has had the audio removed and some slow motion effects added around the 1:30 mark. If you've ever hand fed birds before, you already know how big a thrill it is to watch the birds as they land on your hand to feed. If you've never hand fed birds before, well, you're missing out on a big thrill.

I can't help you but perhaps @Administrator can.

That's what says on my beer cozy, and it's so true.

I think there is a certain amount of flexibility regarding the content of the art, and photos too, as long as they are your own art/photos and they're not inappropriate for these forums. I am not a moderator but I don't think anyone would object to a drawing showing bird's early ancestors.

Bumps are generally just a way to bring your post back to the top so that it gets more attention. If someone notices that a post has gone unanswered but don't feel qualified to provide an ID, they will sometimes make a comment, and "bump" is often the comment used.

Don't try to understand too much here, John Sullivan. Just know that you did nothing wrong. I think the intent was to point out that are other threads that your photo could have been posted in, but there is absolutely nothing wrong with starting your own thread when you feel like it.

Welcome to Whatbird, Kathy. I'm going to suggest Eurasian-collared Dove. The placement of the necklace is different, but size and color are close and there's no spots on the belly/breast.

I am far from a hawk expert, but wouldn't a Rough-legged Hawk have feathered legs right down to the toes?

I was curious too. http://www.birds.cornell.edu/crows/birdname.htm Dictionary.com has the little speaker symbol beside the word allowing you to hear someone actually saying the word. https://www.dictionary.com/browse/phainopepla

After looking at what appears to be a clean, straight cut of at least one of the bones, I tend to agree with Creeker. The rest of the bird is probably someone's dinner but I have no idea why the wing would be removed.

Trumpeter Swans IMG_1402 by lonestranger102, on Flickr

I can see Melierix's photos in both posts, the original and in Spyonabird's quote as well. Perhaps a page refresh might help.

I can't comment on the bird's ID but I can tell you that fledglings are very new to flying and will often be seen hopping around on the ground while they get the hang of flying and just as importantly, getting the hang of landing on small branch perches. The parents will be nearby keeping an eye on things but unless the bird is in immediate danger it's best to leave the fledgling alone and just give it the space it, and it's parents need. Here's a link that can be found at the top of the main page of ID forum that offers more info. https://forums.whatbird.com/index.php?/announcement/3-what-to-do-if-you-find-a-baby-or-injured-bird/

Clicking on the link above will take you to the opening page of the forums showing all the different forums, and numbers, as they were saved by the WayBackMachine back in April.

Is it possible that the darker colour is shadow being cast by a partially raised wing?...just tossing out ideas here, not claiming to know what I'm talking about.

I was surprised to that there wasn't a dedicated hummingbird thread already, so I started one. Ruby-throated preening. 0C3A3004 by lonestranger102, on Flickr Battling the bees 0C3A3297 by lonestranger102, on Flickr 0C3A3298 by lonestranger102, on Flickr 0C3A3299 by lonestranger102, on Flickr

No problem, Nighthawk01. I just find it frustrating that the posts from yesterday are now back on page 4 and 5 and the posts from last Sunday are on the first few pages. Just makes it more difficult to navigate to the posts that are of the most interest to me, and most everyone else I would image, and that's the new ones that haven't been seen yet.

I agree 100% with akiley. There were 4 pages of new content for me to sift through all because one person added an unnecessary "agreed" or something similar to almost every post made over the last 4 days. It's one thing to add something useful to older posts, but there is nothing useful in confirming the already confirmed on every post.

It was moved TO the North American forum because it was originally posted in the other ID forum.

The pictures show for me. Try refreshing the page and see if that helps.