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Pet cats are certainly a problem for local wildlife, especially small mammals and birds (and herptiles, I suppose). The main impact of pet cats on local ecosystems is probably that they're a source for feral cats, which are much more damaging. A well-fed, never-had-to-hunt, never-learned-to-hunt housecat is not going to kill nearly as many small birds as a feral cat that actually has skills and strong motivation.
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Dec 4, 2014 05:28
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| # ? Apr 25, 2024 12:52 |
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One of the problems with well fed, never had to hunt to survive cats is they actually have the luxury of killing more. Feral cats kill what they need to survive and they're hungry and that contributes to more mistakes. Happy housecats can hunt as a sport, and have the luxury of a full belly - they may not take the same risks, have more time and can calculate better on a content tummy. They can be more damaging than you might think. They have all the time in the world to kill stuff. Ferals have to do it to survive. Different mindset. Different results. One isn't necessarily better or worse than the other. You could argue that feral cats live shorter lives too with less care, so they may kill less over their lifetime than a really good killer pet cat. Maybe? 
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Dec 4, 2014 05:52
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I love cats. I have one who never leaves the house. People around here don't understand why I am so opposed to the "spay/neuter and release" program they are trying to push on the county. Such a disaster for native wildlife. We have enough invasives in Florida as it is.
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Dec 4, 2014 18:28
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It's really not a popular position--and for good reason, killing animals should never be approached lightly--but feral cats need to be put down, not sterilized and released.
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Dec 4, 2014 18:33
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On a "holy poo poo this is amazing" note: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UvrAGHGJIpE http://fox6now.com/2014/12/02/caught-on-camera-great-horned-owl-spotted-swimming-in-lake-michigan/ posted:CHICAGO — A Chicago-area photographer and birder captured a most unusual sighting — an owl swimming (yes, swimming) in Lake Michigan. Yes, the owl lived: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8KtR_i121M8
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Dec 4, 2014 18:36
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Kenshin posted:On a "holy poo poo this is amazing" note: Wow. I love the look on its face in the second video, very "gently caress today. gently caress tomorrow. gently caress you. gently caress everything."
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Dec 5, 2014 00:35
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Hahaha that's amazing.
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Dec 5, 2014 00:48
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If anyone's looking for binoculars, B&H has a killer one-day deal on Zeiss Conquest 10x40's ($550). This is almost half off of binoculars that are already a great value. If you're really new to birding, I'd probably recommend 8x binoculars (and there are certainly cheaper options out there), but this is such a good deal I don't think you'd regret it. I have these bins and can wholeheartedly recommend them. I'll just post this link if you have general binocular buying questions.
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Dec 5, 2014 19:56
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Kenshin posted:On a "holy poo poo this is amazing" note: That's great. I didn't get as clear a look at it, but I saw that happen with a Long-billed Curlew on Humboldt Bay. Two peregrines were ganging up on it, and its only way to escape was taking a swim. 
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Dec 5, 2014 23:39
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Please help with an ID birding thread, I cannot find this in my Sibley guide but it's probably because I don't know where to look, and neither Merlin Bird ID nor Backyard Bird Finder helped. I took a picture of it this morning around 9:30am at Three Forks Natural Area in Snoqualmie, WA. It looked like around the size of a finch or large sparrow. This was the only shot I got of it before it flew off. 
Kenshin fucked around with this message at 23:23 on Dec 7, 2014 |
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Dec 7, 2014 23:21
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Kenshin posted:Please help with an ID birding thread, I cannot find this in my Sibley guide but it's probably because I don't know where to look, and neither Merlin Bird ID nor Backyard Bird Finder helped. Have a look at Brewer's / Rusty blackbird. Range is more Brewer's, but colouration is more female Rusty.
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Dec 7, 2014 23:34
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Kenshin posted:Please help with an ID birding thread, I cannot find this in my Sibley guide but it's probably because I don't know where to look, and neither Merlin Bird ID nor Backyard Bird Finder helped. Not sure. Looks like Brewer's blackbird immature can have the light eye but juv/female type plumage. However, when looking for online images I noticed this photo that's a possible hybrid. The bird they mention was noticeably bigger than a brewer's, but with a smaller bill than great-tailed grackle. Do you have any other photos?
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Dec 7, 2014 23:38
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The colors just don't seem right for either of those--it has the eyes of the Rusty blackbird but sort of the coloration of a very light Brewer's. I suppose Lek could be correct and it's a hybrid? That was the only shot I got off before it took off, and it was 40-50 ft away.
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Dec 7, 2014 23:45
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Kenshin posted:The colors just don't seem right for either of those--it has the eyes of the Rusty blackbird but sort of the coloration of a very light Brewer's. I suppose Lek could be correct and it's a hybrid? It's more the eye stripe that makes me think rusty, female brewers can sometimes have a pale eye.
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Dec 8, 2014 00:03
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Linedance posted:It's more the eye stripe that makes me think rusty, female brewers can sometimes have a pale eye. Ok, probably just an extra-light female brewer's blackbird then.
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Dec 8, 2014 00:24
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Kenshin posted:Ok, probably just an extra-light female brewer's blackbird then. Maybe 
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Dec 8, 2014 00:51
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First Christmas Bird Count of the season yesterday. We had so many people that we actually split into 3 teams in our territory (which is already a subdivision of the overall circle). Kind of funny when things are subdivided in this way- not every group sees as much which leads to the feeling that it's not a good day, but when we tallied everything up our small area (approximately 1.5mile square) had 116 species! Best bird for us was a seasonally rare Western Tanager. At least the weather was great- might not be so lucky for next weekend's count.
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Dec 15, 2014 18:12
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I'm doing a count next weekend here in the Florida panhandle. Weather should be OK and I'm doing a very under-birded area so I'm looking forward to it.
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Dec 15, 2014 22:32
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Hi I really like birds! I've thought about getting into birding casually, but I haven't yet. I think birds are really cool and I hike a lot and birds are one of my fav things about going on hikes, other than trees. Recently I saw a really cool woodpecker in eastern/central Maryland, who had a reticulated look, like rings around the neck / upper body. It was white and brown as far as i could tell, it had the cool punk rock red mohawk thing, and there was a ring or two around the neck/upper body. What kind of woodpecker would this likely be? Is this enough info to ID that bird?
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Dec 16, 2014 02:59
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alnilam posted:Hi I really like birds! I've thought about getting into birding casually, but I haven't yet. I think birds are really cool and I hike a lot and birds are one of my fav things about going on hikes, other than trees. Cool, I'm pretty much the same way. I've always loved the outdoors, and plants, trees, and wildlife. My partner is huge into birding and it's rubbed off on me. Birds are really cool, especially when you start paying attention to them. Was your woodpecker huge, dark, and tearing the poo poo out of a tree, with a massive red mohawk? If so, probably a pileated. By the sounds of it though it was more likely a red-bellied woodpecker. Could be a northern flicker, if it was more brown, had a spotty breast, and only a small red dot on the back of its head.
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Dec 16, 2014 03:30
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Oh yeah, pretty sure it was the red-bellied one. Cool thanks  Kenshin posted:On a "holy poo poo this is amazing" note: That's great video, but why did they scare the falcons away? I mean I love owls too, but I thought you were supposed to let nature take its course, do not come between the nazgul and its prey, etc.
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Dec 16, 2014 17:08
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It's unlikey the owl was prey for the falcons, they were harrassing it. Sure, a falcon would eat a great horned if it got the chance, but most cases of a smaller bird attacking a larger bird in flight are mobbing or harrassing. It's get that fucker-away-from-my-home behaviour more than I'm-gonna-eat-you behaviour.
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Dec 16, 2014 17:15
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For the woodpeckers, Downy or Hairy woodpeckers have a fairly blocky black and white look, while Yellow-bellied Sapsucker is doesn't have quite the clean pattern but fits the description of a reticulated back and striping on the head/neck.
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Dec 16, 2014 17:25
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Actually I think it may have been the yellow-bellied sapsucker, now that I look at one. I didn't get super close, but the pattern around the head looks more in line with what I remember.
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Dec 16, 2014 17:37
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do any of you ever harness your birds and go jogging/biking while the bird flies along, or rides on your shoulder?
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Dec 16, 2014 21:11
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froward posted:do any of you ever harness your birds and go jogging/biking while the bird flies along, or rides on your shoulder? I take one of my parrots out to local parks, though, during the summer. Her wings are clipped.
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Dec 16, 2014 21:13
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froward posted:do any of you ever harness your birds and go jogging/biking while the bird flies along, or rides on your shoulder? No, but my friend once found a juvenile crow hiding under a car beset by several cats on the way back from the pub. He picked it up and carried out away to safety. When he let go of it, it hopped onto his shoulder and rode there until he got back to his flat, where he had to take it down and put it by a tree.
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Dec 16, 2014 21:56
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Linedance posted:No, but my friend once found a juvenile crow hiding under a car beset by several cats on the way back from the pub. He picked it up and carried out away to safety. When he let go of it, it hopped onto his shoulder and rode there until he got back to his flat, where he had to take it down and put it by a tree. 
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Dec 16, 2014 22:16
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hi, i have two love birds. they don't really have a name but they keep great company. i wish i could bond more with these little cute birds... any advice, doesn't have to be hands-on holding. just you know hanging out with these cute birds.
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Dec 17, 2014 00:38
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Mapparu posted:hi, i have two love birds. they don't really have a name but they keep great company. i wish i could bond more with these little cute birds... any advice, doesn't have to be hands-on holding. just you know hanging out with these cute birds. Please go to Bird Crazies as that is where parrot owners post.
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Dec 17, 2014 00:42
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Not that it shouldn't be clear from the OP what this thread is all about, but maybe an update to more clearly state what this thread is NOT about, now that we're in PI.
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Dec 17, 2014 00:47
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I updated the title, hopefully that'll help. Sorry!
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Dec 17, 2014 00:50
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apologies as i am new to pet island
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Dec 17, 2014 00:51
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it's cool man 
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Dec 17, 2014 00:51
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No worries- we are the weirdos here! (not only here)
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Dec 17, 2014 00:58
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BetterLekNextTime posted:No worries- we are the weirdos here!
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Dec 17, 2014 00:59
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hi is this the barding thread
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Dec 17, 2014 00:59
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can i just say i saw seagull today holding a zliplock with a bag of brea in it and he was just walking around, stopping every second to eat some bread and keep walking...
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Dec 17, 2014 01:10
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seriously tho birds rule, and i want to learn how to look at them better should i go on a birding walk with the local audobon society or ? i should look into that. any birders here in western PA?
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Dec 17, 2014 01:16
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| # ? Apr 25, 2024 12:52 |
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alnilam posted:should i go on a birding walk with the local audobon society or ? i should look into that. any birders here in western PA?
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Dec 17, 2014 01:17
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