@QMS . I'm fascinated by the shape of the bee-eater bills as opposed to those of the other birds. I know natural evolution did it for a da##ed good reason.

#1 #1

we have a couple birds of unknown heritage that are so anxious
to fill the skies with light and song that they can't wait for first
light so make up the void with songs to chase away the sleepy
these are very loud and shrill cries at about too early thirty
maybe a wren and a cardinal trying to out shriek each other
waking up their fellow bird brethren and us mere humans

Ahh, summertime, when the windows are open
night time is shortened, and the temperatures rise
your head is thick, and the pillow is fine
so hush little birdies, don't you cry

thanks for the bird shots!

@Socialprogressive @Socialprogressive About those bird beaks...

Every birds beak reflects how it makes a living. Want to place a bird in its proper family? Look at the bill. Bill and feet are how we determine what family a bird belongs in. The first step to an identification. My 1902 is it Ridgeway Birds of America has those museum line drawings of just the feet and bills of each family.

I would say there are many families of birds with beaks similar to the Bee-eaters. No other family has a bill like Toucans. Therefore the toucan bill is more highly specialized, and more highly evolved, than the bee-eaters. I would imagine it is fantastic for carrying soft over-ripe fruit back to the nest without losing it on the way. I think they are real big on bananas, the carrying of which would be quite messy and probably wasteful of energy without that nice banana boat. In any case, I think we would find that each birds bill is perfectly designed for how it makes a living.

If we look more closely at bills we find out we can tell apart some of the most difficult ID problems, by their bills. Almost every sandpiper has a different bill. Because they each make a living differently. Semipalmated or Western? Look at the bill, they are structurally unique. Most of the difficult Empidonax flycatchers, called the bane of birdwatchers, can be sorted by fine details of the bills, once you have it narrowed down to any two or three species. Of course all call differently but they will never do so when you need one to.

So whether at maxi or micro level, bill details are critical. I see the Grants at Princeton have a new work just published. They are the Darwin's Galapagos Finch world experts that showed how rapidly their bills were evolving in response to wet or dry season and seed sizes in their Pulitzer Prize winning most awesome "The Beak of the Finch". Which I would recommend to all to read, even those not interested in birds. You could skip a chapter or two of the heavy data stuff, but not the last bits where other examples of evolution occurring dang near instantly compared to the glacial speeds we were taught it happens at.

Look around at the bird world at some of those bills... Shoebill, Skimmers, note how parrot and falcon bills are so similar, curlews or ibis, Spoonbills, Flamingos, Wood Stork (and check out the nano-second reaction time of that baby!), nightjars, stop me any time. It is a dizzying array of variation covering seemingly every possibility imaginable. Surely one of the winners is something I would love to see, down there in Kiwi land, the Wrybill. How often to you get to say bilaterally asymmetrical? Nothing like it. All perfectly evolved to do what they do best. Some more so than others... One must be careful when evolving to not over do it and over-specialize, or you might go extinct.

thanks again for the great bird photos SP!

#4
I find it interesting that some birds have beaks that seem specially designed like the Bee-eater and others look like the got the luck of the draw like the Toucan.
Thanks for the Richie Havens.

@orlbucfan

In some ways the camera does paint with light and colour. The camera has so many possibilities of interpretation. It has been my steady companion and joy for decades, in both b&w and colour. Thank you for your appreciation.

#5 of how you do it, jb, but your photos make me think of paintings.
On here for my weekly fix. Even the spider (shudder) looks great. Hope everyone is staying cool, hydrated, and sane. Rec'd!!

@Socialprogressive

It was early evening light, at one of the passing moments of sun.

#5
on the Purple Oxalis, Janis.

@dystopian

it is contagious. The sign you suggest posting might make a nice epitaph to my life ; ).

You be well too.

#5 Beautiful photo Janis! Great colors, and composition. Outstanding! I presume you have a sign for the door that says 'artist at work'?

We have two Oxalis here, one with purple flowers called Wood-Sorrel, and Yellow Wood-Sorrel. We get them both in the yard. Pretty little natives easy to overlook if not in bloom.

Thanks for the wonderful image!

be well!

@janis b
thanks for all you are doing and keeping me want to live a little longer.

#6

I am happy that you find pleasure here on Friday evenings.

Little pleasures, no ; ).