BigOly - 2-11-2011 at 05:16 PM
I always thought the name of this bird, for some reason, referred to fire, like maybe firebird. From it's colors that seemed to make sense to me.
But NO!
In greek and latin the name of this bird, Pyrrhuloxia means "bullfinch with a crooked bill". Like many birds, these beauties benefit farmers by
destroying great numbers of cotton worms and weevils.
mulegemichael - 2-11-2011 at 05:30 PM
arent they just a gorgeous bird????..in la ribera they are everywhere but none here in mulege....just a bit too cold i think
Ken Bondy - 2-11-2011 at 05:30 PM
Beautiful images BigOly!!
Sallysouth - 2-11-2011 at 07:57 PM
Wow! Stunning , Bigoly!!
David K - 2-11-2011 at 08:01 PM
Just great!!!
goldhuntress - 2-11-2011 at 09:26 PM
Nice pics, as usual! I saw a bright red Cardinal once near Agua Verde, just for a moment and it was gone. I hope you post one of those. I just looked
up Pyrrhuloxia and the common name is Gray Cardinal.
Russ - 2-12-2011 at 06:04 AM
Cypress - 2-12-2011 at 06:09 AM
BigOly, Neat! Thanks.
jahImpala3 - 2-12-2011 at 08:31 AM
Thanks for all the bird photos and information
Munismom - 2-12-2011 at 08:36 AM
BigOly, have you been to the Madera Canyon Area in the Green Valley, Tubac Az area to photograph the birds that migrate into the area for the Spring
and Summer. Your photo's are outstanding!! Would like a complete book of all that you have taken.
mcfez - 2-12-2011 at 08:49 AM
Absolute perfect shot of the bird. Well done.
Any idea how this bird nest?
Osprey - 2-12-2011 at 09:27 AM
The Cabo Riviera marina project here took out most of the 800 acres of cover/scub/thornbush near our beach. The uncountable numbers of cardinals and
pyrrhuloxia down near the beach lost their home range, left the area. A few stuck around, came up the hill into town. I changed the feed for them and
now I see some in my yard now and then. My camera is more than ready but my dogs and cats make it very hard to photograph skittish birds.
BigOly - 2-12-2011 at 10:11 AM
Mcfez, pictured here is a pair, male and female. They form a very strong bond. They are not weaver birds like orioles but usually make a bowl like
nest of dry grass in thick brush. When danger aproaches the nest they both fly to the top of a nearby tree and sound the alarm vocally and jump up
and down acting mean as a bird can be. Common Ravens see this behavior as "dinners ready" and take a huge toll on eggs and babies.
BigOly - 2-12-2011 at 11:06 AM
Osprey, Seems like a lot of folks think the desert just goes on and on forever. Many birds are very habitat specific like the black chinned (not
Black Throated)sparrow. To the untrained eye a sparrow is a sparrow. There are many types of sparrows in baja and habitat destruction is thinning
some species to the brink of being endangered. How many nomads know for a fact they have ever seen the beautiful Black Chinned Sparrow?
Iflyfish - 2-12-2011 at 11:34 AM
Amazing clarity! Beautiful photos. Thanks
Iflyfish
Mexitron - 2-12-2011 at 02:43 PM
Nice pics! And learned a new bird too.
Marc - 2-12-2011 at 06:09 PM
The first one is sitting a nasty thorn branch.
vandenberg - 2-13-2011 at 11:12 AM
Get cardinals and grey cardinals in my yard at times here in Nopolo. Getting rarer though. Loreto Bay destroyed a lot of habitat and even quail are
sparse. Used to have several coveys at the time rummaging around the yard.
Bob H - 2-13-2011 at 12:50 PM
Absolutely wonderful images of this beautiful bird! Thank You!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pyrrhuloxia
[Edited on 2-13-2011 by Bob H]