Good Saturday morning and welcome to the Weekend! Yeah, yeah … I know … weekends aren’t a whole lot different than weekdays lately, but still … we can find some fun things to do! For me, it’ll be laundry!!! WHOO HOO!!! Damn, it just doesn’t get much more exciting, does it? I feel my heart racing already! But, to kick off the weekend, I have what I hope will be a treat for you … some rare and beautiful birds!
Meet the Secretary Bird …Just look at those lashes!!! This beauty is actually a bird of prey usually found in the open grasslands and savanna of the sub-Saharan region of Africa. Watch her strut her stuff …
There is no consensus about how the Secretary Bird got its name, but it is thought to derive from the crest of feathers. These quill-like feathers give the appearance of a secretary with quill pens tucked behind his/her ears. Look out, though, for this bird has quite a temper!
Now there can be no question where this one got its name … it commemorates the British monarch Queen Victoria, though in my book, no human can even come close to the beauty of this bird.The Victoria crowned pigeon is found in the lowland and swamp forests of northern New Guinea and surrounding islands and is rated as ‘Near Threatened’ on the list of Threatened Species.
Here’s yet another ‘crowned’ pigeon, this one the Blue Crowned Pigeon … look at that vibrant shade of blue!Like its cousin above, it is found in the rainforests of New Guinea and is ranked ‘Vulnerable’ on the list of Threatened Species.
Say ‘hello’ to this Red Adavadat aka the Strawberry Finch, for obvious reasons.These guys are found in the open fields and grasslands of tropical Asia and is popular as a cage bird due to the colourful plumage of the males in their breeding season. It breeds in the Indian Subcontinent in the monsoon season.
The wings and tailfeathers of the Tilhi almost look like they were painted on by a cartoonist!Also known as the Bohemian Waxwing, it is found in the northern forests of the Palearctic and North America. It has mainly buff-grey plumage, black face markings and a pointed crest. Its wings are patterned with white and bright yellow, and some feather tips have the red waxy appearance that give this species its English name.
This next one is a Black-Throated Bushtit, a very small bird, remarkable mainly because of its colourful plumage.It spans a swath starting at the foothills of the Himalayas, stretching across northern India through north-eastern Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, northern Myanmar, Vietnam, and Taiwan.
The Rufous-Crested Coquette is actually a species of hummingbird!It is found mostly in tropical or sub-tropical regions of South America.
This is the Andean Cock-of-the-Rock, the national bird of Peru. The male has a large disk-like crest and scarlet or brilliant orange plumage, while the female is significantly darker and browner. What the heck is it with Mother Nature and the female of nearly every species. The males get all the bright colours, and we get stuck taking care of the babies. No fair!
Well, folks, I’m sorry this is a bit shorter than my usual Saturday fare, but I’m just about out of energy tonight. I hope you enjoyed the beautiful birds and that you find something fun to do this weekend … remember, if all else fails, there’s always laundry! Live dangerously … try folding those towels a different way just to see if anybody even notices!
Adoreable writeup.
Loved reading about birds.
The topic is explained really well.
Keep writing, want to see more from you.
By the way, i write as well.
Do check me out and let me know your thoughts.
https://unfcukwithable.wordpress.com/2020/06/27/how-to-overcome-jealousy-envy-and-insecurity-in-relationships/
Thanks
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Thank you! I’m so glad you enjoyed the post!
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Beautiful birds! We certainly don’t have any of those in the US. The Secretary Bird looks like a fashion model, especially when you tell her she can’t eat that donut! LOL! Thanks for sharing! 🙂
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I’m so glad you enjoyed them! If we have any here in the U.S., they are not in my backyard. Still, I enjoy the wrens and sparrows, and the occasional cardinal that drop by to eat the seed we put out for them. There is also a squirrel who drops in to share the feast every few days! 🐦
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We have baffles to keep the squirrels from hoarding but they get plenty left on the ground by our birds. 😊
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Indeed … birds are very messy eaters!
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Omg, I love all of your shots😍
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I’m so glad! I’m in awe of the photographers who can capture such beautiful wildlife shots!
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Wow, what stunners! Even with all our preening, we humans don’t even come close to rivaling such natural beauties.
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That’s the truth! There is nothing on this earth created by man that can match the beauty of nature!
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I am such a bird lover and these birds are all so beautiful.
🙂
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I’m so glad you enjoyed them!
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Beautiful birds, and beautiful photography!
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I knew you’d like them! Glad you did!
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You say ‘ and some feather tips have the red waxy appearance that give this species its English name……………..but what is the English name. or do I have a sleepless night looking it up,
Cwtch
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It was right there … the Bohemian Waxwing! I do hope you haven’t lost a night’s sleep trying to find the answer!
Cwtch
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Couple of minutes at most. That’s not too long to feel a fool for.
Cwtch
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Well, I don’t feel quite so guilty, then. Whew.
Cwtch
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I will add my thoughts to your rumination about why Mother Nature adorns most of the male birds with bright plumage and less so on the females. The male birds are competing for the female’s attention and use whatever adornment they possess to win her body if not her heart.There might well be less birds in the world if the males could only get mates by using their brains. Mother Nature has often given females less colorful plumage because they need camouflage while protecting their nests. I would venture to say that the gorgeous birds you have shared, be they of the male variety, surely do not lack mates! “A bird doesn’t sing because it has an answer, it sings because it has a song.” – Maya Angelou. Thank-you!
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I just love your explanation!!! My favourite sentence is “There might well be less birds in the world if the males could only get mates by using their brains.” And the Maya quote is, of course, just perfect. Thank YOU!
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Gorgeous birds, Jill. To your lament about drab color and taking care of babies, this may help. In the bird world females are camouflaged for protection. The male is brightly colored so she can find him along with every predator on the planet. In the bird world (by in large) the males and females feed the babies so be happy for the drab female. It is survival.
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I’m glad you liked the birds! Ahhhh … well, that makes it a bit better, I guess. Yes, if faced with a guy with a rifle or a hungry hawk, I guess I’d rather be drab, dull and unnoticeable. 😉
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Love the birds..nature is awesome
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It is, isn’t it! There is nothing that man has created that can compare with the beauty of nature.
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So true..and I hope nature will survive long after we are gone due to our foolishness
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I think it will … it might take a while for it to be fully restored, but it will survive long past our foray into this world.
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Wow, what diversity, what colurs, what funny shapes. The first one seems is wearing stockings. Lol Thank you for sharing Jill. Good luck with the laundry. Shame on me i had not done till now. I also have to mow the grass in the garden.-) Be will and stay save. Michael
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I’m so glad you enjoyed the birds, Michael! The laundry, sadly, is still sitting in about the same place … sigh. No energy these days. Good luck with your mowing! You keep safe and well also, my friend!
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Thank you very much Jill! So true, its a too long distancing now. One can not find real distraction. Best wishs too.
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Beautiful birds, wonderful pictures, thanks for sharing!
Hmm… so, you’re into towels… are you ready for Towel Day?
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I’m so glad you enjoyed the birds! Um … Towel Day? There is such a day? I am obsessive about how towels are folded … I am the Master Towel Folder … so yeah, bring it on! 😉
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Yes, there is such a day:
It’s eight days away —
Wait: did I not leave a link?
It should be here, I think.
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Oh my! I can’t believe I wasn’t aware of that one!!! Thanks for enlightening me, and I will be sure to observe the day … perhaps I will wear a towel on my head all day, or one thrown casually over my shoulder!
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Hoopy! 🙂
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Just beautiful, Jill. Thanks for sharing. 🙂 — Suzanne
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I’m so happy that you enjoyed them!
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These are so wonderful.
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I’m so glad you enjoyed them! We both need some beauty in our lives!
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We so do. x
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Pingback: Saturday Surprise — Beautiful Birds! — Filosofa’s Word – The Free
What a amazing birds! And, no Jill, I’m not going to fold the towels any other way!
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What, not even for Towel Day?
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No, not even for Towel Day!
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😀
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Heh heh … I’m with you on that! I have my method, the towels stack perfectly the way I fold them, and that’s why nobody else is allowed to help with the laundry!
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😎
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Mother Nature sure let her imagination run riot with these lovely birds!
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Beautiful (and sometimes funny) birds. Thanks for the trip around the world.
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