@gannet In some ways, maybe. I looked at the Wikipedia articles for both species, and …

@gannet In some ways, maybe. I looked at the Wikipedia articles for both species, and it looks like the Monk parakeets are better suited for urban environments just from the fact that they build nests instead of using holes in trees.

The Monk parakeet article doesn’t mention what they eat, so I’d have to read up more to guess whether they occupy a similar niche in that aspect.

On Wandering.shop

A house finch, perched in a juniper tree. I couldn’t believe it stayed put long …

A house finch, perched in a juniper tree. I couldn’t believe it stayed put long enough for me to go inside, get my camera, come back out, and take seven pictures. Google conveniently linked them together in this animation.

#photography #birds #animation

On Photog.Social
On iNaturalist

Fly away!

Fly away! This crane was standing on the road around, swaying back and forth and looking upward like it was dancing or something, until it finally decided to fly off

Photo taken at: Madrona Marsh Preserve and Nature Center

Fly away! This crane egret was standing on the road around #MadronaMarsh, swaying back and forth and looking upward like it was dancing or something, until it finally decided to fly off.

#EarthDay #birds #nature #wings #california #marsh

On Instagram
On PixelFed.Social
On iNaturalist (alternate shot)

We’ve had a wet winter, so the seasonal marsh has actually filled up a lot …

We’ve had a wet winter, so the seasonal marsh has actually filled up a lot more than it has for the last few years. In addition to the full ponds (including two on either side of a road that was still muddy) I saw a lot of birds, including a crane that was swaying back and forth until it took flight, lots of ducks and geese.

A few more photos on Flickr if you’re interested

#marsh #nature #birds #photography

On Photog.Social

Hyperactive Parrots and Stoned Wallabies

Apparently opium affects parrots the way caffeine affects humans, and hyperactive parrots in India are trashing the poppy fields trying to get their fix.

#weird #animals

On Wandering.shop

@Satsuma replies:

cant decide if this is more or less funny than the high on opium wallabies making crop circles on Australian poppy farms

Wow!

I think wallabies and crop circles win! πŸ˜‚

On Wandering.shop

Birds of Madrona Marsh

Birds of Madrona Marsh in Torrance, California.

It’s a seasonal marsh, where the low-lying parts stay wet most of the year, but the rest dries out ever summer and floods during winter rains.

I spotted ducks, doves, geese, these black birds with bright red wings that sound like a smoke detector battery alert, this white bird that looked like it was fishing, plus dragonflies, a huge bee, and I heard (but didn’t see) frogs.

Full album (21 pics) on Flickr

#birds #photos

On Photog.Social

Actually the croaking frogs might have been quacking ducks in the distance, now that I think about it.

On Photog.Social

I think the white bird might be a snowy egret, and that red-winged black bird turns out to be… a red-winged blackbird. πŸ˜„

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snowy_egret
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red-winged_blackbird

On Photog.Social

A real bird photobombed the boat ride view of LEGO construction. It held still for a while, and when it finally moved, one of the younger passengers exclaimed, “It’s real!”

A real bird photobombed the boat ride view of LEGO construction. It held still for a while, and when it finally moved, one of the younger passengers exclaimed, β€œIt’s real!”

Photo taken at: LEGOLAND California

A real bird photobombed the boat ride view of LEGO construction. It held still for a while, and when it finally moved, one of the younger passengers exclaimed, “It’s real!”

On Flickr
On iNaturalist (later)