Among Friends

[cowboy sam]

Good Happy Wednesday to All

Still have a lot of snow on the ground  but driveway,etc  by my house  are cleaned off  so its a good day  with the sun peeking in/out of clouds.

With all the snow..i am thinking about all the years kids used to use sleds,cardboard,etc  to sled down on my hill in the back yard..

now they are all grown  and no one sleds down it now.

[just bee]

@cowboy sam 

That must have been a time when kids didn't have to worry about getting their phones wet. 

[Bird mama]

Good Morning, the bird of the day is the Flame Faced Tanager.

Current conservation status is Least Concern and the population trend is decreasing. It is facing population declines due to habitat destruction.

The Flame Faced Tanager (Tangara parzudakii ) is a species of bird in the tanager family Thraupidae.  It is endemic to South America and is found in the eastern Andes of Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Venezuela.  Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montane forests. It is a distinctive-looking species with black and opalescent green upperparts, opalescent green and buff underparts, and a deep red and yellow face. 

It is omnivorous and feeds on fruit and arthropods. Foraging is conducted nearly exclusively on mossy branches. Breeding occurs in the rainy season. Eggs are laid in clutches of two, and are white with pale brown flecking concentrated on the larger end. Fledglings are fed by both parents.

The Flame Faced Tanager is a distinctive-looking medium-sized species of tanager, being on average 5.5–5.9 inches in length.  Both sexes of the species look similar.  The body is mostly black and silvery green. The auricle, malar surface, and forecrown is deep red, while the crown and nape is yellow. The underparts are mostly opalescent green mixed with buff. The central belly is pale cinnamon buff, while the flanks and undertail coverts are darker. The lower back and rump are opalescent golden, frequently with a bluish tinge. The iris is dark brown, the bill is black, and the feet are dark gray. Immatures have a dull yellow instead of red on the head. The throat is pale buffy gray, while parts that are black in adults are dull dusky. Overall, the plumage is duller than in the adult.

The Flame Faced Tanager is most often found either in pairs or groups of 3–7 birds. It is also often found in mixed-species flocks, which are composed mostly of other tanager species. 

It feeds on fruit, arthropods, flower buds, and nectar. Foraging is mainly done in the canopy. Preferred types of fruit include species of Miconia and Cecropia. More than half of fruit is collected through gleaning, but can also be collected through probing or other techniques. Arthropods are collected almost entirely from fully and partially moss-covered branches, through a variety of methods such as gleaning and probing.

Nests are built entirely by the female, in locations that were concealed from all sides. The male waits beside the female while nest building is ongoing, but does not directly help her. Nests are bulky, open cups made of stiff fibers, pieces of fern, moss, and other organic material. The nest is internally lined with dead leaves from Chusquea species, dried bromeliad leaves, and pale fibers. Three nests measured in Ecuador had an average outer diameter of  4.8 in., inner diameter of 2.4 in., outer height of 3.9 in. and inner height of 1.8 in.

The clutch size is two eggs, which are incubated by the female. Males feed the female berries while she is incubating. Eggs are white, with pale brown flecking that is densest at the larger end. Nests with fledglings have been observed in May. Fledglings are fed by both parents. Common food items given include arthropods such as katydids, butterflies and moths and spiders, and mashed fruits, including berries. Nests inhabited by fledglings are also regularly probed, which helps remove parasites. Fledglings are born without feathers.

Eating banana

Parent feeding juvenile

[Bird mama]

@Epicurean   It's been too long since you've posted.  Is everything okay?

[cowboy sam]

lol! yep it was a time before there was even a cell phone  was avaliable to even know them...

l

Lawdy...thats a long time ago like you said...maybe i should be one of those 3 ladies in commercial  where they order cushions from amazon to put in sleds  and go sledding down that hill

Do they even sell sleds  anymore??  If so do ya want to go sledding with me????

[just bee]

---

@cowboy sam wrote:

lol! yep it was a time before there was even a cell phone  was avaliable to even know them...

l

Lawdy...thats a long time ago like you said...maybe i should be one of those 3 ladies in commercial  where they order cushions from amazon to put in sleds  and go sledding down that hill

Do they even sell sleds  anymore??  If so do ya want to go sledding with me????

---

@cowboy sam 

How good is our insurance?

I think the last time I went down a snowy hill on a piece of cardboard it was 1970. 

[viva923]

Birdmama, yesterday the yard was full of robins. they were super fat-at first it looked like regular birds but side view nope those were robins. wonder why they were still in this area.

last appt with foot insert guy-just go back in 1 year to make sure all is ok with the 2 inserts. like a yearly oil change.

ok guys later

[Bird mama]

You know @viva923  there was a time here in SE Michigan when we associated Robins with the coming of Spring.  Over the last few years I see large groupings in January and February.

I had an influx of Starlings in the spring.  They love to bathe in the birdbaths as much or more than Robins.  Love to watch the young take baths.

I though they moved on to wherever it is that they go at this time of year.  Not very scientific of me is it, lol.

I'm having large groups visiting in the last few days that look like those murmurations.

Okay I am not seeing as many as are show in this ^^ picture.  I am however getting at least 100 that swarm around, forage in the backyard and front yard and swarm around houses around me.  Happens mid-morning and then they disappear.

I think climate change is messing up migrations.

[cowboy sam]

@viva923 

Wow! on  seeing all those robins

Sounds like your feet are liking those new inserts  and are happy

[cowboy sam]

hmmm...our insurance? I don't know but i have a high deductable to keep insurance lower.grr
Moved onto this property in 1972!