[texbirds] Glass, diagnostic traits and fun (sort of quiz)

From: MBB22222@xxxxxxx
To: texbirds@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Date: Tue, 2 Apr 2013 14:35:45 -0400 (EDT)
There are a few things I would like to address in these post. I learned a  
lot from my last tern quiz about worries some people might have. Not from 
here  but I received a note from one person stated that only photographers can 
see and  study bird molt at leisure after they flew by; meaning that there 
is no  opportunity (time) to do that in the field if one doesn't own a 
camera.  This is not quite true; be back to that in the moment.
 
It is quite fun to see some Forsterâs and Common Terns right now. As many  
Commons keep showing up things are getting even more interesting. Look here 
-  not quite a quiz as I IDed birds in photos but look and try to find 
differences  between these two terns by yourself, if interested. As you will 
see 
both species  can show dark carpal bar but this is not going to be a big 
deal; molt stage  will.
 
http://www.pbase.com/mbb/image/149491086
 
Perhaps most fun is looking for differences between SY FOTE AND COTE right  
now and for sure great glass (Canon/Nikon long lenses) can help a lot but  
so can great (Leica) scopes and binoculars (from what I see in the field 
there  is no shortage around here of those). And other brands are also great so 
no big  difference. When checking the primary molt even roosting tern, from 
time to  time, when preening or shaking plumage, will expose all or most 
primaries -  enough to check for molt stage and molt limits. Scope and 
binoculars are enough  (plus one can attach P&S camera to the scope) to see and 
study them. This  received comment was about difficulties of seeing molt limits 
(or lack of them)  without opportunity to take photo as I did in posted SY 
FOTE quiz of flying  bird. So here is one roosting FOTE and I added 2 COTE 
for comparison (between  both new posted photos one can see possible 
combinations of COTE molt limits now  - from P10 still old to new one growing 
or 
grown and innermost pp in various  molt stages as well). 
Judge for yourself if you can see and study primaries  on preening bird or 
not. 
 
http://www.pbase.com/mbb/image/149491084
 
Also, perhaps some should consider to join TX-Ornithology  as a little  
bird whispered to my ear that there are plans for some serious posts there. 
This  should really be a great addition to this forum. But on the other hand I 
feel  that most (if not all) topics should be of interest to at least a few 
groups of  people here that might not be reading all serious posts and do 
not want to  express their opinions publicly (orning; just heard this word for 
a first time  and not sure yet how I feel about it) but would like to 
explore one new thing or  two from time to time.
 
Mark B Bartosik
Houston, Texas
http://www.pbase.com/mbb/from_the_field
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[texbirds] Glass, diagnostic traits and fun (sort of quiz)

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