Every bird watcher and nature observer has his or her "lists." Here are mine for Birds, Insects, Mammals, Plants, Reptiles, and Crustaceans, complete with pull down menus.
BIRDS
Categorized by genus/species, placed chronologically by common name
American Coot
American Crow
American Flamingo*
American Goldfinch
American Kestrel
American Robin
American Tree Sparrow
American White Pelican
Bald Eagle
Baltimore Oriole
Barn Swallow
Belted Kingfisher
Black-Capped Chickadee
Black Vulture*
Blue Jay
Blue-Winged Teal
Bobwhite
Broad-Winged Hawk
Brown Creeper
Brown-Headed Cowbird
Brown Thrasher
Bufflehead
Canada Goose
Canvasback
Cedar Waxwing
Chipping Sparrow
Common Grackle
Common Goldeneye
Common Redpoll
Cooper's Hawk
Dark-Eyed Junco
Double-Breasted Cormorant
Downy Woodpecker
Eastern Bluebird
Eastern Goldfinch - See American Goldfinch
Eastern Kingbird
Eastern Meadowlark
Eastern Phoebe
Eastern Towhee
Eurasian Coot*
European Starling
Fox Sparrow
Golden-Crowned Kinglet
Gray Catbird
Graylag Goose
Great Blue Heron
Great Egret
Greater Flamingo*
Hairy Woodpecker
Harlequin Duck
Hermit Thrush
Herring Gull
Horned Lark
House Finch
House Sparrow
House Wren
Indigo Bunting
Killdeer
Lesser Scaup
Lincoln's Sparrow
Mallard (Domestic)
Mallard (Wild)
Mourning Dove
Northern Cardinal
Northern Flicker
Northern Rough-Winged Swallow
Northern Shoveler
Orange-Crowned Warbler
Palm Warbler
Red-Bellied Woodpecker
Red-Breasted Nuthatch
Red-Headed Woodpecker
Red-Tailed Hawk
Red-Winged Blackbird
Ring-Billed Gull
Ring-Necked Duck
Rock Pigeon
Ruby-Crowned Kinglet
Scarlet Tanager
Solitary Sandpiper
Song Sparrow
Spotted Sandpiper
Swamp Sparrow
Tufted Titmouse
Turkey Vulture
White-Breasted Nuthatch
White-Crowned Sparrow
White-Throated Sparrow
Wild Turkey
Yellow-Bellied Sapsucker
Yellow-Rumped Warbler
INSECTS, ARACHNIDS, MYRIAPODS & GASTROPODS
Categorized by family, placed chronologically by common name
Black-Capped Chickadee - Poecile atricapilla - also known as Mésange à tête noire (French), Die Schwarzkopfmeise (German), Черношапочная гаичка (Russian).
I have the worst time trying to catch the Black-Capped Chickadee. Even though they would be considered a common bird in Eastern Iowa, and although they can be seen on a daily basis year-round, they simply do not sit still long enough for a decent picture. Yet, I’ve heard that Black-Capped Chickadees can become surprisingly tame and can be taught to hand-feed with relative ease. As soon as I get a few Chickadees hanging around my yard (I think I need a few large evergreens), I’ll test this theory.
Also, I’ve often heard that taking pictures of black or dark-colored birds is difficult because the light seems to reflect or glare from the dark feathers. As you can see in these photos, the white breast and tail are far clearer than the black head.
Taken with the Canon Digital Rebel XT / 350D and a Sigma 70-300mm Lens on January 19, 2008 at Scott County Park outside Davenport, Iowa.
I know it’s easy to tame chickadees. If you hold out a handful of sunflower seeds long enough, they’ll come to rest on your hand to pick up a seed. They also love peanut butter.
December 30th, 2008 at 11:57 pm
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This blog is about: Iowa, Illinois, Midwest, United States, nature, wildlife, animals, birds, ornithology, insects, bugs, entomology, Davenport, Bettendorf, Rock Island, Moline, Quad, City, Cities
Chickadees are so much fun to watch! Chick-a-dee-dee-dee!
February 2nd, 2008 at 6:58 pmthat last shot is gorgeous, great angle.
February 19th, 2008 at 5:05 pms
I know it’s easy to tame chickadees. If you hold out a handful of sunflower seeds long enough, they’ll come to rest on your hand to pick up a seed. They also love peanut butter.
December 30th, 2008 at 11:57 pm