Today I saw:

[turttle]

Originally Posted by recurve

Ring necked pheasants were introduced from china over many introductions as a game bird. The first were actually a gift from the Chinese embassy to Thomas Jefferson if I remember correctly. They are well established in the grain belt Iowa, North, and South Dakota but most states rasie and stock them as a put a take resource. They origanally thrived east of the Mississippi in agricultural areas but the use of large scale row crops and the loss of hedgerows have cut down on there survival.

Cool! Thanks for the info, recurve. So they stock and release pheasants for the hunters like they stock and release trout for fisherman? Who pays for all of that? Rhetorical question.

[Sage]

Their feathers were prized for ladies hats.

[recurve]

Originally Posted by turttle

Cool! Thanks for the info, recurve. So they stock and release pheasants for the hunters like they stock and release trout for fisherman? Who pays for all of that? Rhetorical question.

The revenue from the sale of hunting and fishing licenses and permits make up the bulk of most states DNR budget as well as federal aid from the Pittman & Robertson and Dingle & Jhonson Acts. Private game clubs also raise and release birds some of them manage to survive the hunters but not many escape the natural predators.

[Sage]

A beautiful European Starling, adult, winter non-breeding plumage

[dapjwy]

Originally Posted by Sage

A beautiful European Starling, adult, winter non-breeding plumage

Attachment 34416

It is an attractive picture of a non-ntive bird that wreaks havoc on the ntive cavity nesting birds.

[Sage]

I'm sorry. My lens finds the beauty in any bird or bug~

[turttle]

Starlings are beautiful, and so is the photo. It wasn't their fault they got introduced here. Not that I want them around, but I don't kill them and I can enjoy watching them.

I finally got a photo of my unknown bird. It is unfortunately only from the front, so no wing markings. I shall try to get a better shot. I think it is probably a female yellow rumped warbler, though the throat is really white and not yellow. I have had yellow rumped warblers here in the past,, though not frequently. I am open to other ideas on its identity.

I just put a bunch more bird photos in my journal, too. No point in double posting.

this year's unknown

last year's yellow rumped warbler, just to show I have them in my woods.

[turttle]

Originally Posted by Sage

Their feathers were prized for ladies hats.

My daughter had a book titled "She is wearing a dead bird on her hat!" that was about the founding of the Audobon society. It was amazing the things women wore on their hats. Thank goodness the birds gained protection from such exploitation.

Apparently bobwhites are becoming threatened, speaking of game birds. There was an article in Living Bird about how their numbers have fallen precipitously in the past decade, but the conservation groups don't care because they are "game" birds. Loss of grassland habitat as the major cause. I imagine that has affected pheasants as well. I don't think they raise and realize bobwhites, though, since they are native and should be there anyway.

[Sage]

Turttle, your birdie is very cute! Aside from our bird guide books, I go to the Cornell sites, or just google "Cornell" and possible bird name. The Cornell sites give names of similar birds which is helpful.

Funny about your daughter's book title, but way too true for way too long,

[disuhan]

Originally Posted by turttle

I finally got a photo of my unknown bird. It is unfortunately only from the front, so no wing markings. I shall try to get a better shot. I think it is probably a female yellow rumped warbler, though the throat is really white and not yellow. I have had yellow rumped warblers here in the past,, though not frequently. I am open to other ideas on its identity.

Definitely a yellow-rumped warbler. I'm not great with sexing them in winter, but their plumage will vary sometimes quite a bit between individuals. Nice shot!