The other day while hubby and I were sitting in our office he tells me there are quail outside our window. I love quail and have photographed them on many occasions. But there were also a number of European Starlings. I realize they are a very common bird, but it is their winter markings which I enjoyed so much.
European StarlingThis is an excerpt taken from "Birds of Vancouver and the Lower Mainland" by Campbell-Bovey-Bezener. This bird was first introduced to New York in 1890. A very adaptable bird, it quickly expanded its range and is now common over most of North America. It is a wonderful mimic, it will readily incorporate not only parts of other birds' songs but also city noises, such as dog whistles and squeaky garage doors. This bird prefers to forage for insects in the well-cut grass of backyards, golf courses and city parks and often chooses to build its nest under the eaves of a house, in a lamppost or on a telephone pole. This bird is generally seen Jan-Feb and Sept. - Dec.
The Herring season is upon us and with that comes the Sea Lions. I have posted sea lions before, but yesterday whilst hubby and I were making a trip up to Courtenay we stopped at the side of the road and looked out at the log booms where the sea lions tend to make home. 
These sea lions get huge between 2000 - 3000 lbs. You can hear their bark from a few kilometers away.
Hope you are all having a fantastic day! Happy Tuesday!
25 comments:
I love when you post pictures! It gives me a glimps into another part of the world! You have much cooler things than we do!
Oh sea lions how cool. I love the sounds they make.
Starlings not a favorite bird of mine but the markings are kinda pretty.
I rescued a junco this morning that had flown into the window. Poor little thing I thought he was dead, just laying on the porch. I looked out a couple seconds later and he was sitting up, so out I went to hold him. Put him in tree and looked out a while later and he was on the ground. Then I walked out to pick him up again and off he flew. Yeah!!
Oh I love the photos - that part of the world is so very beautiful.
wow..very beautiful pics of the bird..Did You take them?
Yes HT I did take the pictures....as Jeni said..starlings can be very pesky birds and pick on other birds...but I do love their markings.
Neat pics, RN. I also love quail, but where's the gravy? :-)
Great pics. Not much wildlife here to see. Too close to the city. These make me want to go for a drive to see what we can see.
What lovely pictures - we are waiting for spring and the Starling to come to Norway too. No I know it is hope even if we still have snowy winter weather. Thanks for sharing!
I love the bird photos! I've never seen a sea lion except in the zoo or on TV. Our landscapes are a bit different. I learn so much through blogging.
Wow, very nice taken!
The focus , the sharpness of the photos.. its really great photos (the two first)!!
Great pics! I remember the first time I heard a sea lion I was surprised at how loud they were (not to mention how strongly they smell).
Sometimes I get an urge to move somewhere like where you live just for the wildlife...but in my heart I think that I am a city girl.
Oh, starlings are gorgeous, I had never even seen a picture of one. Sea lions I had seen at SeaWorld, but not in their natural habitat.
Thank you!
These are wonderful! My youngest daughter and I went over to Cambria (about 150-200 mi. S of San Francisco)for a weekend. It's a really neat "artsy-fartsy" little town on the coast. A couple of miles up the road in San Simeon, where Hearst's Castle perches up in the hills, is a place where the sea lions come to give birth. You stand on a short cliff right above them! The photos I have are in my PC which is still sick. We saw a lot of babies - it's amazing they don't get squished! Mama is SO big and clumsy.
~~~I'm glad you enjoyed my heron story. We live in an interesting area - technically a desert, but the lakes are drawing a lot of different species of birds. We have lots of hummers, woodpeckers, and mockingbirds, which I imagine rival the starlings for being obnoxious! I love them because they will actually go after cats they get near their nests. I think that's pretty gutsy! We have a couple of scrub jays (blue jays minus the topknot) that come in for the peanuts we put out...
Hi Smalltown Rn,
Those are special photos, beautiful. You have a great site, I'll be back. I finally succeeded with my blogroll today and linked to you, hope you don't mind. Most of my links are medical so you fit right in.
Regards
jmb
Ooooh sea lions are so wicked. But I'm afraid the only one I've seen are those in a zoo.
Wow, wild life sea lions. Thank you sooo much for sharing the lovelt pics!
Wow, what wonderful photos you have there. Do you still have snow? Ours melted away about a month and a half ago :-(
Helen
Great photos! Those quail pictures are amazing..We see the sea lions at Pier 39 in SF. They are quite the tourist attraction!
:)
what an interesting post...I always learn so much through blogging!!
:-D
Nice pictures! Sea lions are pretty impressive (size-wise) close up.
I'm so glad you don't take all that beauty around you for granted :)
You have such amazing natural beauty surrounding your area!
I love the pics!
Your bird pictures are great! I love birds. I have 2 parakeets and 1 sun conure in my house..I have seen a Bluejay and a Red Cardinal and some Robins in my yard.Our temp. today was
in the lower 70's and sunny.Thanks for sharing with us. Baba
Mary Anne, when I see pictures like these, I realize how much i miss Vancouver Island. These are gorgeous! Qualicum is probably one of the most gorgeous places on earth.
Cheers,
Josie
Such beautiful pictures!! We get a lot of Starlings here too, they're one of our most common birds. I'm just waiting for the Robins to appear...once we see a Robin we know Spring is here! lol Oh wow, how I'd love to see Sea Lions up close like that! Only ever seen them in pictures or on tv. I'm finally catching up with everyone!! xox
Post a Comment