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ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

Recent content by Cubkin

  1. Cubkin

    Woodpecker ID, West Michigan, US, June 2019

    Hoping someone can give me a more definitive identification.I think this may be a juvenile Downy, but what throws me is that the top of the head is all rusty red. It hangs with the downys, and appears to be about the same size. I've just never seen one with a red head like this. Sorry about the...
  2. Cubkin

    ID from West Michigan feather?

    I'm not sure about that, having only seen one merlin around our neighborhood in almost 40 years.
  3. Cubkin

    ID from West Michigan feather?

    Found this feather by the mailbox, and would love to ID it definitively. In our neighborhood, mostly mixed mature hardwoods, we feed a variety of songbirds. We have barred owls and the occasional red-shouldered hawk. I've also seen a merlin and recently a sharp-shinned hawk. From the size and...
  4. Cubkin

    Spring appearances

    First Baltimore oriole showed up on my hummer feeder this afternoon. The first hummingbird showed up on April 30. What other spring first appearances are you seeing? I think it's great that Michigan has its own state patch sub-forum, but I notice it doesn't get much use. Would love to read more...
  5. Cubkin

    Mysterious grey birds, W. Michigan, USA

    Thanks for the help with this. Fugl especially - thanks for the additional info. We've always had cowbirds around, but usually only a single pair or two. This is the first time I've seen this kind of behavior, so it becomes an educational experience.
  6. Cubkin

    Mysterious grey birds, W. Michigan, USA

    This pair hung around our pine trees for more than an hour this morning, but we still have no idea what they were. They behaved as a mating pair, with the more active one continually craning his head and neck upward, as seen in one of the pictures. They were approx. 9", with a straight tail...
  7. Cubkin

    What brown bird? West Michigan, USA

    Thank you all for your help with this one. Pine Siskin makes perfect sense. I think I was just looking at the wrong picture in the Sibley - the one with a lot more yellow. We're one the edge of their year-round range, but these are the first I've ever seen. And, two days after I took the...
  8. Cubkin

    What brown bird? West Michigan, USA

    Like many birdwatchers, I have problems with brown birds. There have been a number of these around my niger seed feeder this week and I can't figure out what they are. The birds are approx. 5-6", mostly brown speckled, but the outer edges of the wings are pale yellow, and there is a matching...
  9. Cubkin

    Which wren?

    Thank you all for fast response. The "hot tub" is actually a heated dog bowl purchased from a local farm supply. Works great and has held up much better than separate drop-in heating element that only lasted a couple years.
  10. Cubkin

    Which wren?

    There were two of these in my birdbath today, and they've been showing up from time to time through the rest of the year. I'm thinking Carolina wren just from the sheer size and coloration, but I'd like some confirmation, since we are somewhat north of their usual range.
  11. Cubkin

    Help with Northern California Gull

    Saw many like this gull on Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco on 9/21/11 in company with larger Western Gulls. I'm leaning towards adult non-breeding Heerman's Gull, but would like to be sure, since it would be a new one for me. The bird was approximately 18-20" with black legs, dark eye with...
  12. Cubkin

    Woodpecker ID please

    Thanks to everyone for the help with id - I was pretty sure myself that they were downy's, but secretely hoping for an elusive hairy. Another of life's birding disappointments, but I love them anyway!
  13. Cubkin

    Woodpecker ID please

    Downy or Hairy woodpeckers? I keep changing my mind, and I really can't tell. For the sake of scale, the green suet cage is 5-1/2" tall and 5-1/4" wide. Only in the last two years have these been common in my yard after 32 years in the same house. Red-headed and red-bellied woodpeckers are...
  14. Cubkin

    Alaska bird book

    My husband and I will be spending 2 weeks in Alaska (first visit!) in August. Can anyone recommend a single, best bird identification book of a size I can comfortably travel with?
  15. Cubkin

    Robin in the Hood

    Duluth_4_Life, welcome aboard. I don't believe it's illegal in the States to disturb the robin's nest, but you want to do so before finishes the new nest and lays eggs. Every year, a robin tries to build a nest on top of one of our yard lights alongside the back door. When I notice the dried...
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