@Daenerys Great Northern Shrike pic D! What a neat bird. That white over the bill is a key character of Northern. On Loggerhead the black mask connects narrowly over the bill, and the mask is thicker, being above the eye as well. Northern has no black mask above eye. Way bigger bill on Northern. They can take birds nearly as big as themselves with that hooked beak. I saw a Loggerhead ride a Tanager to the ground once, but it fought back and got away. The Northern don't get as far south as me... this is what you get for living in snow! Lucky you!

Was your photo taken from under water?

Here's my first photo of the new year, a northern shrike:

We were driving around to see what we could see, I told hubby I was scanning the tree tops for shrikes and not a minute later I spotted this one. It was pretty far away so not sharp, but I rather like the softness of it. Kind of a contrast with the bird's behavior.

@edg I LOVE these Saguaros like this. Corny as it may seem in one way. I have seen these in person there (in AZ) and it looks great! Its like a living cartoon, a giant cactus in Christmas lights. Its like Disneyland. Thanks for reminding me...

Better late than never. These are Saguaro cacti in front of neighbor's houses. Northerners decorate trees. Desert dwellers decorate cacti.

@boriscleto GREAT pics BC! Love that Goldeneye! The Troupial is nice too, as is the Wood Duck. Is that a Ringed Teal maybe (not a U.S. native waterfowl)? There is someone in the teeny town I live near that has those blue frogs, one of the 'poison arrow' frog group from Central and So. America. Hers are captive raised, safe to handle, as after 20-30 generations in captivity they lose toxicity. I kept some of the wild red and black ones in late 60's and early 70's. You had to be careful with them, gloves, no open cuts. I think most around nowadays are 'de-toxified'.

So I took my camera and new lens to the zoo. First time I've really used the camera since July.

@dystopian Happy New Year, y'all! Rec'd!!

Here is the Loggerhead Shrike - they are in steep decline in many areas.

This is a meadowlark. Probably an Eastern. Meadowlarks are incredibly difficult to ID in winter when in fresh plumage. Where I live you can have both Eastern and Western in the same flock. When they sing, you can ID them from a mile. Put a silent one in front of most birders and besides using range or what they know is in their area, most are just guessing.

This is a White-winged Dove family outing to the birdbath, no doubt juniors first visit. The male is on the right, female in center, the juvenile on left in water. In breeding colors the male has a mauve haze over crown, nape and sides of neck the female lacks. His bare blue skin around eye is larger and the base of upper mandible is bluish. The females bare skin around eye is barely bluish, the base of upper mandible has pinkish in it. The juvenile has pale or colored bill, no bare skin around eye, barely a hash mark at lower cheek. The parents escort it to the bath to show it what it, and water is about.

Thanks all for the great photos!

Peace and love