Auks

If auks could talk

the consensus of the flock would be

“please don’t gawk at us.”

The Crested Caracara

Inside a falcon

Behaviorally a vulture

a big part of Mexican lore

and especially its culture

with elegant features to adore

I really cara cara

for  the noble Crested Caracara.

 

 

 

Toucan or Toucanet?

Who can tell the difference between  toucans and  toucanets?

The two Nanettes can.

The Blue-Black Grasquit

I can’t ever remember the name of this bird

thus I keep having to look it up in my field guide

yet I still can’t grasp it

and when I saw it in the field

to unmask it

blast it!

I forgot to just ask it

but if I did

he’d tell you

he’s a Blue-Black Grasquit.

Birding Was Slow so…

Wow! I saw a Carrier Pigeon!

Wow! I saw a Dodo!

Wow! I saw a Ivory-Billed Woodpecker!

Wow! I saw a Great Auk!

Wow! I saw a Carolina Parakeet!

Wow! I saw a Bachman’s Warbler!

Wow! I saw a Laughing Owl!

Huh? Aren’t all of those extinct?

Sure, but today was very dead

with nothing showing even with my pishing

so I decided instead to do some Extreme Bird Wishing.

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Caciques

Caciques are closely related to orioles and oropendolas

but if you get to see them it all dependolas.

Ranging from Mexico through Central America to South America,

some days it’s really easy to hear and view them

either individually or in various sized groups,

yet on other days you may get to experience nary a single peek

as it seems like they’re playing hide and cacique.

 

The Great Bustard

A huge bird,

with unheard of beard-like feathers,

looking very ugly and weird,

only the much smaller female of the same species

would ever have lusted over a male Great Bustard.

Itty Bitty Pretty Birds

My own personal avian culture

is to like pretty, pretty birds,

most of whom are itty bitty birds.

So for sure I don’t mean vultures.

Antcatchers?

Flycatchers catch flies.

Gnatcatchers catch gnats.

Antbirds don’t catch ants.

Even if they were called Antcatchers,

I think they’d prefer that they can’t.

The Est of Birders and Bird Watchers

The most serious birder will travel anywhere  to see the remotest and mostest

while the most casual bird watcher will stay in their yard to see the cutest and closest.