# Today in nature I saw **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [July 20, 2020, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854 "2020-07-20T18:22:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 140
**Author:** ![carnut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnut/32/3531_2.png) [@carnut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnut)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2023, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/2784 "2023-11-19T02:57:11Z")
> [@Treppenwitz](#): > > it has the red eyes of a true albino grey squirrel. Sure looks like it from here. I’ve seen several albino squirrels from fairly close up. There used to be a family of them on my university campus and I had one who ranged through my neighborhood a few years ago. The red eyes are lighter in color than leucitic animals. As captured in your photo, the skin right around the eyes tends to look pink. ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2023, 7:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/2785 "2023-11-19T07:48:06Z")
> [@romansperson](#): > > In other nature news, today was woodpecker day at the watering hole! Great shot! Oddly enough, now that I think about it I’m not sure I’ve ever seen a woodpecker (any woodpecker) drinking before. Back in 2021 at the same sapsucker spot we had a hybrid Red-naped x Red-breasted sapsucker: [![](https://i.imgur.com/m0KpMtE.jpg) ](https://i.imgur.com/m0KpMtE.jpg) Which is pretty much dead on [what you’d expect a cross to look like](https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Red-naped_Sapsucker/species-compare/65053401). Went back and looked for the sapsucker the day after I took those earlier shots and couldn’t find it again. But did see a couple of Nuttall’s Woodpeckers (it’s a great spot for those as well) and a Downy. Male Nuttall wouldn’t pose, but I did get the female probing for food with her tongue. Also a nice male winter migrant Townsend’s Warbler. John Townsend and Thomas Nuttall were buddies that were traveling together when Townsend found and described the Townsend’s warbler. But you’re not supposed to name birds after yourself - it’s considered gauche. So Nuttall who was standing right there named it after Townsend for Townsend, even though Townsend described it - a very shady dodge if you ask me 😀. Meanwhile Nuttall’s Woodpecker was named by Thomas Nuttall’s protege William Gambel. Nuttall then returned the favor, naming Gambel’s Quail after Gambel. The taxonomic nepotism was rampant! [![](https://i.imgur.com/K2wDIJ7.jpg) ](https://i.imgur.com/K2wDIJ7.jpg) [![](https://i.imgur.com/ADLJYTg.jpg) ](https://i.imgur.com/ADLJYTg.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![romansperson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/romansperson/32/17100_2.png) [@romansperson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/romansperson)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2023, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/2786 "2023-11-19T15:53:05Z")
> [@Tamerlane](#): > > Great shot! Oddly enough, now that I think about it I’m not sure I’ve ever seen a woodpecker (any woodpecker) drinking before. That’s what struck me about it - I’ve seen the downies occasionally take a drink there, but never any of the others. It’s very dry here, so I suspect their usual sources of liquid are not in very good shape at the moment. Very cool about the woodpecker cross! And it looks like all those names you mentioned in your post are going to go away: > **[American Ornithological Society Will Change the English Names of Bird Species...](https://americanornithology.org/american-ornithological-society-will-change-the-english-names-of-bird-species-named-after-people/)** > > Today the AOS announced that in an effort to address past wrongs and engage far more people in the enjoyment, protection, and study of birds, it will change all English bird names currently named after people within its geographic jurisdiction. ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2023, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/2787 "2023-11-19T16:42:40Z")
> [@romansperson](#): > > And it looks like all those names you mentioned in your post are going to go away Yeah and it’s probably a good idea overall. But it will take a little bit of mental adjustment for older folks like me. There’s a fair bit of those - for example I just counted seven NA warblers that will need to be renamed. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2023, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/2788 "2023-11-20T15:36:59Z")
My little brother sent me this picture he took of Hooded Mergansers, one of my favorite ducks. Wood ducks and Canvasbacks are two other favorites. [![](https://i.imgur.com/0fI4J9v.jpg) ](https://i.imgur.com/0fI4J9v.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Treppenwitz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treppenwitz/32/3445_2.png) [@Treppenwitz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Treppenwitz)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2023, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/2789 "2023-11-20T19:20:37Z")
I have to say, them is seriously pretty ducks. In more bird news - out on the bike today a (European common) buzzard appeared from some woods to my right, and flew no more than 10 meters in front of me for maybe ten seconds, before landing on a branch that spanned the road - and I cycled under, no more than two meters away. Fabulous. There’s a special freedom about riding a bike, and on those rare occasions when you ride with wildlife, it’s magical. In more interesting bird news… That was when I was riding back from Brockham, in south Surrey; the fields just to the south of Brockham are low-lying, flat, cattle pasture - and there were three cattle egrets feeding there. As the egret flies, this is about 20km from the colony I found in Lingfield (post 1133 et seq). So that raises an interesting question in my mind - were these guys from the Lingfield colony, or is this (part of?) a separate colony? How far would an egret commute for a meal? 20km sounds like an awfully long way to go for lunch. There was a time when little egrets were exotic and rare round these parts; then, all of a sudden, they were all over the place. I’m wondering if we’re about to see that pattern repeat with CEs. I didn’t have much time at all today to hang around. Later in the week I’ll go back and ride down a couple of the little roads round there and see what I can find. j ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2023, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/2790 "2023-11-20T20:15:12Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > Hooded Mergansers, one of my favorite ducks Love mergansers of all sorts, particularly their toothy mouths. Very nice pic. > [@Treppenwitz](#): > > As the egret flies, this is about 20km from the colony I found in Lingfield (post 1133 et seq). So that raises an interesting question in my mind - were these guys from the Lingfield colony, or is this (part of?) a separate colony? How far would an egret commute for a meal? 20km sounds like an awfully long way to go for lunch. No way to say, really. [When in full migration mode Cattle Egrets can apparently move at an average ground speed of 43 km/hr](https://www.heronconservation.org/herons-of-the-world/list-of-herons/cattle-egret/). So a quick 20 km flight in the morning to a feeding ground is not necessarily a huge deal for them. However assuming they aren’t in a partial migration mode, I’d guess you are more likely looking at two different flocks. No real reason to travel 20 km if there is food closer to a roost and they are usually communal feeders, so I’m not sure if a group splitting off from a main flock would make a lot of sense. ---
**Author:** ![Treppenwitz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treppenwitz/32/3445_2.png) [@Treppenwitz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Treppenwitz)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2023, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/2791 "2023-11-20T21:18:35Z")
Thanks for the link. I presume the Lingfield colony does migrate - I cycle through Lingfield maybe 30 times a year, and there do seem to be longish periods when they’re not around, and periods when they are around. I need to be more observant about when. The two locations are very similar (unsurprisingly) Lingfield: https://www.google.com/maps/embed?pb=!4v1700514520066!6m8!1m7!1sfk1M5TQmwFLwqRYSXjHesw!2m2!1d51.18579420127251!2d-0.01478452985931582!3f175.07304079696388!4f16.04285491212481!5f0.7820865974627469 Brockham: https://www.google.com/maps/embed?pb=!4v1700514377806!6m8!1m7!1spM4X59UoIyByZqpVhzaKYQ!2m2!1d51.21683670507491!2d-0.2933687259695693!3f294.83985455452915!4f10.159987648289885!5f0.7820865974627469 Both are cattle pasture. However, it’s a fairly uncommon terrain round these parts - I can really only think of two other local cattle pastures like this, and one is essentially an extension of the Lingfield site. (The third location where I’ve seen them was a pan-flat muddy horse paddock.) Interesting times. I need to be extra observant as I ride. j ---
**Author:** ![KRC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/45deac/32.png) [@KRC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KRC)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2023, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/2792 "2023-11-24T19:59:57Z")
I went to Maine and saw a lot of water birds, including an eider, but no loons. Later I went to Alaska and saw, among other things, a trumpeter swan family–but still no loons. So what landed a few days ago just outside town where no one expected it? [https://www.flickr.com/photos/153498892@N04/53340215603/in/dateposted-public/](https://www.flickr.com/photos/153498892@N04/53340215603/in/dateposted-public/) ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2023, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/2793 "2023-11-24T21:01:48Z")
Nice picture! I saw swans in Alaska too, but don’t think I’ve seen a loon ever. ---
**Author:** ![carnut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnut/32/3531_2.png) [@carnut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnut)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2023, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/2794 "2023-11-25T02:28:17Z")
So where was the loon? They head to warmer coastal areas at this time of year. You might see some in coastal Alaska right now, but you also might see them heading for Baja. ---
**Author:** ![TRC4941](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trc4941/32/6792_2.png) [@TRC4941](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TRC4941)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2023, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/2795 "2023-11-28T16:05:46Z")
Another exciting walk with the dogs in the woods occurred on Friday. I was walking along the path and the dogs were roaming around sniffing everything in sight. Suddenly I heard an odd, unfamiliar noise. The dogs immediately stopped, perked up their ears and then took off like rocket ships. All of a sudden at least 15 wild turkeys flew up off the ground into the trees. They were huge. I’ve never seen a wild turkey in our woods and now there’s a huge flock. They must have all been celebrating that it was the day after Thanksgiving! I came across a few of them the next day too. We had a little snow fall this past weekend so now I can see their tracks all over the woods. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2023, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/2796 "2023-11-28T16:15:18Z")
> [@TRC4941](#): > > They must have all been celebrating that it was the day after Thanksgiving! We always see the local flock over the Thanksgiving weekend. I had to sit in my Jeep and wait for them to cross. [![](https://i.imgur.com/oazb8t0.jpeg) ](https://i.imgur.com/oazb8t0.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2023, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/2797 "2023-11-28T21:51:38Z")
[![](https://i.imgur.com/RhmPR5X.jpg) ](https://i.imgur.com/RhmPR5X.jpg) [![](https://i.imgur.com/Wq3ZXyW.jpg) ](https://i.imgur.com/Wq3ZXyW.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Treppenwitz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treppenwitz/32/3445_2.png) [@Treppenwitz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Treppenwitz)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2023, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/2798 "2023-11-28T22:23:56Z")
Woah! Stunning! I actually let out a little gasp when I saw it. j ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2023, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/2799 "2023-11-29T00:33:33Z")
Great shot! Today my husband and I were driving home for lunch, when not one but _two_ bald eagles swooped down on to the verge just ahead of us. One picked up a talonful of roadkill and they were on their way again, while we were still opening our mouths to say, “Is that…” “Did you see…” We get a lot of good bird sightings around here but I didn’t know we had a pair of eagles. ---
**Author:** ![romansperson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/romansperson/32/17100_2.png) [@romansperson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/romansperson)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2023, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/2800 "2023-11-29T02:28:37Z")
Steeplechase? ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2023, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/2801 "2023-11-29T02:34:02Z")
I don’t think the deer find those fences a challenge at all… That was a buck that had a harem of five or six does, all grazing in someone’s yard. The buck got separated from them, and didn’t like it, so he jumped back over the fences to be with them. This was on the Animas river trail in north Durango, CO. ---
**Author:** ![squeegee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/squeegee/32/14537_2.png) [@squeegee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/squeegee)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2023, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/2802 "2023-11-29T03:06:57Z")
> [@Kolak\_of\_Twilo](#): > > This Snowy Owl was an unexpected visitor today Coming in very late, but is that the only strikingly white owl species? I remember probably 20 years ago in [Morgan Hill, CA](https://maps.app.goo.gl/B9nURrMRZHG2q4gL6) coming out of a restaurant with friends, and someone looked up to notice the tree by the restaurant had a parliament of white owls above us. We’d have never noticed if the parking lot lights hadn’t illuminated them, maybe not even then. ---
**Author:** ![Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kolak_of_twilo/32/73_2.png) [@Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kolak_of_Twilo)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2023, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/2803 "2023-11-29T03:38:30Z")
Looking in my field guides and online I would say the snowy owl is the only owl in North America that is nearly fully white. The one I saw is either an immature bird or female hence the dark marks. Adult males are almost completely white. Barn owls and some other varieties have large areas of white but not as fully as snowy owls. I don’t know if there are other white owls anywhere else in the world. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854.md?page=139) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854.md?page=141)