DSLR Photography Forum

Enjoy!

Cheeky little birds - but I would love to run a comb through the feathers! are they always so spiky?

We'd call the bird a Starling. I must admit I never heard it called an Ice Picker before though some people refer to them as 'flying rats' here in the UK. I like watching them actually, their antics can be fun and their plumage is very colourful in certain light. Usually sleek feathers but they can appear spiky if they're wet and wind blown.

Here's an English one



Pol

Polly, I am not sure if these are the same birds. These guys have yellow beaks... Nice shot!

Both birds look really beautiful! Their feathers (plumage) are so uniquely coloured and I love the sheen...

Janika Wrote:Polly, I am not sure if these are the same birds. These guys have yellow beaks... Nice shot!

I'm as sure as I can be that they're the same species. The Starling's Sturnus vulgaris plumage changes according to seasons and male and female beaks are slightly different.

Here's a link to a UK site which shows and explains the variations. They were in decline in the UK for a few years but they're increasing in numbers again now.

Is that the same as the ones you see? Have you any links with details about the "Ice picker"? I can't find any info anywhere. Where are you located, are you in Canada?

Pol

Excellent bird shots! I too see them different, but then what do I know of birds?

Female red winged Black birds look very similar to these, but only the female, as the male is black.

Here is one:

Wow, the colours are pretty cool!

We don't have them here... .....at least not in my village...

They are beautiful birdies, the detail in the feathers is just amazing...

All pictures great!!

Glad you like it, Today I was out again and saw some more birds. I'll share those later today.

Polly Wrote:

Janika Wrote:Polly, I am not sure if these are the same birds. These guys have yellow beaks... Nice shot!

I'm as sure as I can be that they're the same species. The Starling's Sturnus vulgaris plumage changes according to seasons and male and female beaks are slightly different.

Here's a link to a UK site which shows and explains the variations. They were in decline in the UK for a few years but they're increasing in numbers again now.

Is that the same as the ones you see? Have you any links with details about the "Ice picker"? I can't find any info anywhere. Where are you located, are you in Canada?

Pol

I'd have to say the bird Janika posted does look similar to a starling (here in Canada) yours is a closer resemblance to the ones here. If indeed the ones Janika posted are starlings then I'm baffled. I've never seen one with colour like that. Those image however do look like there is some heaving saturation done in processing. Flying rats is a good description.

Petographer Wrote:I'd have to say the bird Janika posted does look similar to a starling (here in Canada) yours is a closer resemblance to the ones here. If indeed the ones Janika posted are starlings then I'm baffled. I've never seen one with colour like that. Those image however do look like there is some heaving saturation done in processing. Flying rats is a good description.

The colours of the plumage and beaks of Starlings depends very much on Season, gender and age of the bird. Juveniles are dull and brownish in colour then the feathers develop their typical colours during the first year. By the time they reach their first Winter they have the multicoloured plumage but usually still have a blackish beak.

The adult birds have a yellow beak with a pink base for the females, blue base for the males.

They're actually very photogenic birds, especially when the ambient lighting picks out the colours and sheen of the purple, blues and green and the gold bars on their wings. You'd probably be quite surprised to see just how colourful they are, without increasing any saturation, if you could manage to get some shots of Starling in good light.

I'm attaching 3 shots, first 2 of a young bird probably it's first Winter. It was quite relaxed and friendly, allowed me to be quite close. Third shot shows a young one having an 'argument' with a more mature bird over which of them should have the top perch on an old log where I'd left peanut cake and fat for them. You'll note the colourful plumage - no extra saturation was used. They really are very colourful but not necessarily immediately so obvious to the naked eye unless you're quite close to them.

First shot - raiding the peanut feeder



Second shot - this is where he would go for a short rest between sessions at the peanut feeder.



Third shot - shows the older bird at the top (yellow beak) and the younger one below. Poor quality shot as it's just a crop from a quick grab shot. I'd been hoping to get one of them having a mid-air spat but wasn't quite fast enough.




Pol

Ahhh yes. now I see a much closer resemblense to Janika's shots. Good shots Pol.

Polly; I have a shot from last year that looks like your birds. You can clearly see the lill, white dots at the end of the feathers. I've yet to edit that shot, but will post it later. I saw some other shots on one of the other sites I go to and they called these Ice pickers, so I assumed that's how they are called here as a non Latin name.

John
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Edit:

Ok, so here is the shot, but the quality is not very good as I shot this with a lill pocket camera. last year.

Janika Wrote:I saw some other shots on one of the other sites I go to and they called these Ice pickers, so I assumed that's how they are called here as a non Latin name.

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They get lumbered with all sorts of nicknames here too, many of them unprintable because they're quite greedy, bossy, noisy - often arrive in flocks of maybe 10-20 and grab as much as they can access from the garden feeders. I must admit "Ice Picker" is a good name for them with that long/sharp/pointy beak .... handy for 'picking' their way through the ice on the water. they sometimes squabble over the birdbath in our garden too - I love watching them. We place their favourite food supply in a coener away from the feeders that are visited by the smaller birds and that seems to work out ok for everyone.

Do you see Siskins where you are? I'm attaching a couple of shots, one male (with the black head and brighter colours) one female, perched on the Niger (aka Nyjer) feeder. They're a type of Finch - pretty little birds.

First one - the male



Second shot - the female.



Pol

Polly; Those are wonderful colors and yes they are usually known here as Finches.

The most popular birds here are the Chickadees and the Robins. They are here all year, including the Winter months.

Here are just a few from yesterday: Hope you like em?!








I'll post some Robin shots later. Our Robins are huge and mostly stay on the ground, just running around, instead of the tree branches, but you can see them on the trees also on occasions...

Janika Wrote:Polly; Those are wonderful colors and yes they are usually known here as Finches.

The most popular birds here are the Chickadees and the Robins. They are here all year, including the Winter months.

I'll post some Robin shots later. Our Robins are huge and mostly stay on the ground, just running around, instead of the tree branches, but you can see them on the trees also on occasions...

Beautiful shots! It looks like a Marsh Tit - is that so?

I've never seen an American Robin myself though I gather there are occasional sightings over here. A year or two ago a group of birders travelled a couple of hundred miles to see one, got themselves all set up with their scopes and were watching it feeding on the ground when a Sparrowhawk suddenly swooped down, snatched it and kinda did what Sparrowhawks do to their prey. Sick or what, eh

There's a very good BirdForum board, largest on the .net, huge gallery. Well worth registering (free) if only for browsing their galleries. Here's the link. - I'm not 'Pol' in there - I have a different nickname and tend to lurk there more than I post.

Pol

Polly Wrote:I've never seen an American Robin myself though I gather there are occasional sightings over here. A year or two ago a group of birders travelled a couple of hundred miles to see one, got themselves all set up with their scopes and were watching it feeding on the ground when a Sparrowhawk suddenly swooped down, snatched it and kinda did what Sparrowhawks do to their prey. Sick or what, eh

Pol

I've found the link to the BBC report of the incident of the American Robin and the Sparrowhawk.

Here's the link - poor bird should've stayed over there on his own side of the pond, eh. :o

Pol