2013 and beyond

It's pretty simple: the most birds seen or heard from one's yard during 2013 will be the "winner". Want in? O.k....then do it despite that.

2013 promises to be a lot less mean but still a carbon-free birding competition, even if slightly less exciting than a MEGA x EPIC hybrid.

Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Doppelgänger





It wasn't in my yard (thankfully) but I did document this Doppelganger (Silly puttius) in Delta County yesterday - it appears as if it was having trouble feeding (it was with a flock of House Sparrows and starlings). I'm thinking it might be a first county record and only the second or third winter record for the U.P. (one was in the Sault in Jan.). But I'm not sure - they are secretive.

Not certain if I'm even going to submit it - I'm thinking it could be a hybrid.

Thoughts?


7 comments:

  1. why would you post pictures of such a horrible thing!

    I'm up now- no need for coffee today

    Oh the horror.. the humanity of it all....

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  2. Damn, that guy is highly attractive, and by the looks of it, pretty intelligent too.

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  3. huh?

    looks like an extra from Deliverance

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  4. I can tell how many birds you're seeing in your yard by the irrelevance of this post. You must be pretty bored.

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  5. Close, but no cigar. I think your right about this being a hybrid. In my experience S. puttius has ears that are centered at eye level and shows more feathering on the fore-crown. Also, this subject exhibits little of the trademark quantum energy and grin patch (excreta consuming type)I'm accustomed to.

    Swampy, you never cease to amaze me with how covert you can be....and using an infant for cover, too! More importantly, whose offspring is that in the foreground? Are you hiding something from us Kaplan?

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  6. I think you're right Rick. He's also missing the clincher field mark of a binoc-wattle hanging from his neck. It's used in courtship displays when this unique species flings the wattle up over it's eyes. This act is usually accompanied by excessive salivation and vocalizations including "uhhh, huh, huh...uhhh, huh, huh" and "berds-ER-kool....berds-ER-kool". I don't believe these activities have ever been captured on video, but have been passed on from reliable sources.

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  7. Rick, what do you mean? The infant is the Doppelganger.

    No skeletons in this closet -- I gave them all to Skye.

    I heard that "uhhh, huh, huh...uhhh, huh, huh" you were taking about Curtis -- when one of the other ones gave it some M&M's.

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