A birding walk

I had a nice birding walk today. One Plover (Pacific Golden Plover) only in each of the fields were I usually see them. Each was showing signs of being less alarmed by me as long as I kept my distance. Though this bird carries the same name as the Plover that migrates non-stop over 5000 miles from Alaska to Hawaii summer there, the once here come in from Siberia. Their route is partly overland so their longest stretch is “only” 2300-2600 miles.

The difference in color for these two is a matter of the sun being on the first and behind the second. Leaving them behind I heard a bird calling and discovered a very photogenic juvenile Kingfisher on a palm frond. I suspect it will grow into its beak.

And big though its beak is it doesn’t begin to rival BigBill – A Plover with an excetionally long beak that I’ve only seen once.

At the Fiesta grounds, our favorite Mariana Fruit Dove was there when I arrived but after I roamed around the grounds a bit and was leaving, it was gone. It is showing pretty much full coloration now. (scroll down to the Mariana Fruit Dove entry 0n Dec 21, 2012 for other pictures of this bird as a chick with its parent)

Then I spotted and took a few shots of a young White Tern still showing some gray around the edges. The chicks are all gray and gradually turn to all white as they mature into adulthood. There were numerous terns soaring but not allowing any good shots.

An Egigi (Micronesian Honeyeater) perched in an ironwood tree and though it kept evading me by hopping from branch to branch I did get a couple of decent shots – one with its wings aflutter as it prepared to change location just as I clicked!

Sparrows (Eurasian tree Sparrow)were all around and never in one spot for long. I got a shot of one on the chain-link fence. They show themselves better in other settings though.

Since it seemed to be a ‘bird’ morning I took a picture of a juvenile Donne Sali from directly beneath it. The lightness of its’ throat and chest marks as a youth as the adults are solid black.

That’s seven of the eight species I frequently see along this same walk. The White-Throated Ground-Dove did not show itself today. I don’t even recall hearing it then though I have heard it a few times while writing this. It has never revealed itself in the growth behind my window though. It will just have to wait for another day.