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This blog is predominately about camera trapping in California. We camera trap to save our souls and to teach primary school students about biology and conservation. We will also touch on other camera trapping news and musings, sets from afar, mediocre herpetology, sucky birding, and other natural history discussions.

Wednesday, November 30, 2011

450+ images and all I got was this flipping bird

Title says it all, but I turned all the images into a short movie.




Sigh*

Just way too much open space for the IR sensor to wig out on.  Lesson learned. But there were a few images in there of one living chordate.


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This is one of the Carpodacus finches, likely Carpodacus mexicanus, the House Finch. While a common bird this is the first time I have gotten them on camera trap and actually the first time I have "seen" them at Younger Lagoon at all.


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Thanks to local birding legend Steve Gerow for the ID help. I was not sure if it was a House Finch or a Purple Finch and really how to tell the difference between the two. Steve wrote:

"but the impression I get of the general structure ... is much more like House Finches, with a smaller rounder head, short bill with just about the right curve to the culmen, etc.  Purple Finches almost always look larger headed, with a squarer or more angular head shape, and a longer bill that is not so curved.."

Conclusion: I have a lot of room for improvement in my birding skillz and my non-amphitheatre style trap set placement skillz.

4 comments:

  1. Hey man, look at the positive side -- there was probably a 1 in 450 chance a bird would appear while the cam was filming, and YOU GOT IT!

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  2. Dude - you're not supposed to show these sets. They're best when "disappeared" into the depths of the hard drive, never to be seen again... :)

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  3. Yeah ... was going to just lose it down the rabbit hole, but figured I needed to throw the birder readers a bone.

    But don't worry there is plenty down there in that rabbit hole never to see the permanence of the internets.

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  4. what? RT doesn't get coyote pups, ridiculous bears and puma for every set???

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