Young Birder (1 Viewer)

[OwlTalon]

Burrowing owl would be very nice!

Hubert, about the detacthment from my NA sightings, I feel the same way bout you guys! We all have parrallel species. American robin for European robin, Red-tail for Buzzard, Sharpie for Sparrowhawk, Downy/Hairy for Great/Lesser Spotted Woodpecker. There are very few we share! Merlin, Osprey, the gulls (unfortunately, Starling and House sparrow), and Barn swallow, or do you call it European swallow? I still don't know their average airspeed velocity.

Edit: Speaking of airspeed velocity, I found out an answer to a question I have long held with no answer! Snowy owls can attain speeds of roughly 50 mph (80 kmh for our metric-friends) in pursuit flight. I always wanted to know that, makes sense though if they can catch ducks in flight after a chase, waterfowl in escape flight reach 40-50mph. Now I know! Fast for an owl, isn't it? (also, regarding owl intelligence: are they at, slightly above, or slightly below average for a bird?)

 

[Hubert]

No, we call this species like you, Barn swallow.

But I think that there are in Notrh America more species than Europe due to bigger biodiversity.

 

[The Barn Owl]

Do you lot across the Atlantic have Barn or Short-eared Owls? Now they are great birds!

 

[prairiemerlin]

Yea... we have both Barn and Short-eared. Owls are awesome, though I'll have to disagree with OwlTalon... Snowy Owl is not my favorite one. I really like Northern Pygmy-owls and Spotted Owls. How many species of owls have all of you seen? (I've seen 15; Barn, Short-eared, Long-eared, Great-horned, Barred, Great Gray, Spotted, Snowy, Eastern, Western and Whiskered Screech, Elf, Northern Pygmy,Northern Saw-whet and Burrowing.)

~Neil Gilbert, 14

 

[Hubert]

I've seen 4
But as ia said you have more species in N America, in Europe (whole) we have about 13 species, and also in Poland:
Tengmalm's - rare breeder
Short-eared - irregular breeder
long-eared - quite common breeder
Great Grey - accidental (about 12 records)
Ural Owl - regular rare breeder (mountains and NE forests)
Tawny - common breeder
Little - decreasing breeder
Pygym Owl - only mountains and NE forests
Hawk Owl - accidental - i'm going to see this in Saturday :]
Snowy Owl - very irregular winter guest
Eagle Owl - local breeder
Scops Owl - accidental
Barn Owl - decreasing breeder

This is sumary of situation of owls in Poland. ;-)

 

[OwlTalon]

though I'll have to disagree with OwlTalon...

How DARE you!

Hey, everyone has their own opinion. I will agree with you that Spotteds are very nice birds, it's just the combination beauty, power, agility, and fair commonality round my neck of the woods that makes Snowies my fave.

One thing that messes things up is the lackm of continuity between bird names across the Atlantic:
Horned lark-Shorelark
Boreal owl-Tengmalm's owl
Atlantic puffin-Common puffin
Jaegar and Skua (not just Jaeger as some think)-Skua
Winter wren-Wren
And disagreements over definitions of Hawk, Warbler, Sparrow and others.

The neighbors just finished a yelling fight over neighbor 1's cat, which roams feral around the neighborhood. Neighbor 2 was mad about the cat's feces on the lawn, but i hate the cat for other reasons. I have seen it lunging at Golden-crowned kinglets and Dark-eyed juncos, and last week it was carrying something that it dropped when it saw me, a live Hermit thrush (uncommon in my neighborhood) taht quickly took off. This cat is a menace to the local birds!

 

[AmpelisChinito]

Yeah, but I like some british names. NA bird names are too technical sometimes. Alot of them have things like buff-breasted, or red-winged. I like the british names like ruff, fieldfare, brambling; made up names, not words just scrambled together.

 

[OwlTalon]

This is true

 

[Hubert]

Yeah, but both of you live in english-language country. Polish names are totally different than english (even if you translate them into english, it will be sth else).

 

[JRE]

Hey, it's all very well for you chaps to discuss your superb birds, but what about us poor, deprived Brits, eh? Only ever seen Barn, Tawny and Little in the wild.
And OwlTalon - where do you get your ever-changing avatars from?

 

[OwlTalon]

Sorry about the ever-changing bit! I keep finding better ones! I get them from all over, the wonder that is Google helps!

I've done it again haven't I? Sorry if it bothers anyone!

 

[prairiemerlin]

hey OwlTalon,

Here are a couple pictures for you that I took last winter. We had SIX different Snowy Owls in an area of about two square miles, and there were probably even more. I wish they would choose natural perches, but they just seem crazy for telephone poles...

Water balloons, Super Soakers and hoses are GREAT anti-cat weapons, by the way...

--Neil G.

http://www.picvault.info/images/537018117_SNOW1.JPG

http://www.picvault.info/images/537018118_SNOW2.JPG

 

[OwlTalon]

I'll bear that in mind if it comes near my birds again!

 

[JRE]

Sorry about the ever-changing bit! I keep finding better ones! I get them from all over, the wonder that is Google helps!

I've done it again haven't I? Sorry if it bothers anyone!

Yo mean you're using copyrighted photos for your avatar? Isn't that illegal?

 

[OwlTalon]

Hmm...may be. i really don't think so, someone tell me! Just in case, I'll try to get permission, but for now I'll use mine.

Prairiemerlin, I can't view the photos. Can you post them directly?
Also, if I like them, can I use them?

 

[Hubert]

Yasterdey I was in Biebrza Marshes, and I saw three species of owls. Two of them were new for me.

-Tawny Owl
-Long-eard Owl-new
-Hawk Owl-new

and also I saw:
-about 200 goose (three species: Greylag Goose, Bean Goose andWhite-Fronted Goose)
-female Hen Harrier
-White-tailed eagle (probably 3rd winter)
-Sparow hawk
-a lot of Common Buzzards
-Nutcracker
-about 20 lapwings
-Wren
-Great and Blue tits
-kestrel

Non-birds:
-3 elks
-wolfs prints

 

[JRE]

Hey, great going Hubert! :clap::clap:

 

[Wiktoria]

Hubert is real twicher now |;|

I saw today from more interesting (for me):
- Common Goldeneye (3) *
- Eurasian Wigeon (7) *
- Green-winged Teal (12)
- Little Grebe (2)
- Black-throated Diver *
- Larus michahellis (2)
- Larus cachinnans (16)
- Common Buzzard (2)
- Long-eared Owl (16)
- Winter Wren (2) *
- Long-tailed Tit (dozen)
- Common Treecreeper
- Short-toed Treecreeper *
- tits (blue, great, coal, willow) and Godsrests

* new kinds for me

http://forum.przyroda.org/files/thumbs/t_t_138_618_632.jpg

 

[The Barn Owl]

Yo mean you're using copyrighted photos for your avatar? Isn't that illegal?

Yep, it is...

But, if we're being brutally and horribly honest: who cares!?

Realistically you're not gonna get sued!

 

[Ant]

Realistically you're not gonna get sued!

true, unless you (as in anyone) claimes it to be their own work.