birding

Where: Mississauga, Ontario
When: 2025-07-13 2:56pm
Camera: Sony A6700 with Tamron 18-300mm

one of my favorite dudes at the feeder.

The good people at Raven Ridge Wildlife Center shared this post and I found it fascinating how and why the eyes change color so many times. What an studying way to determine the bird's age!

We have recently been admitting a large number of Cooper's hawks, and the finders are often surprised by how quickly we can identify them as nestlings or juveniles. One of the first distinguishing features is the color of their eyes. Did you know that many young birds have blue or light-colored eyes due to their limited exposure to light and lower melanin production in early life? As they mature, their eyes usually darken as melanin production increases.

Melanin is the pigment that determines the color of eyes, skin, and feathers. In young birds, melanin production is still developing, leading to lighter eye colors, often blue or gray. Limited exposure to sunlight in the nest contributes to the lighter eye color of baby birds. As hawks grow and are exposed to more sunlight, their melanin production increases, causing their eyes to darken-typically to yellow or orange-as they transition to adulthood.

While many raptors exhibit this change in eye color, the specific colors and timelines can vary between species. For example, the eye color of a Cooper's hawk changes from bluish-gray to yellow and then to red. This information is valuable to our team, especially when we request pictures, which is why we often ask, "What color are the bird's eyes?"

What color is your favorite? I think those light blue ones suit it very nicely!

A male Blackcap enjoying this years rather poor crop of Blackberries (a very dry summer).

Canon R5 Mk II + RF200-800

Alder Bay, Vancouver Island BC.

Got some pics of these little guys this past weekend.

And caught this Heron hunting eels

And this crow swooping an eagle! Not sure if defending nest or territory.

Fun fact, Coots are rails, not ducks. Funner fact, they are nicknamed jesus birds for their ability to run across the top of the water.

Robin playing cute in considerable shade, Prospect Park, Reading, UK

Canon R5 Mk II + RF200-800, ISO12800 - so a little soft :(

Photo taken in Limay, Bataan, Philippines in Aug 2005. Let us walk right up and take a pic by the side of the road.

I think it was just too hot for it to fly off the sort of distance they normally do, so I was able to get an OK shot, even if with blurred leaves.

Prospect Park, Reading, UK

Canon R5 Mk II + RF200-800mm

Taken on July 5th. Caught these guys up close while they were eating the berries.

July 12th, Southeast PA

Nothing very special for Reading, but they were pretty much flying directly towards the sun, so giving a decent photo. And I adore photos of Red Kites, so you have to suffer another one too!

:3

This is Chalkie (or perhaps son of Chalkie, as I last saw Chalkie a couple of years ago), a popular resident of this corner of Prospect Park, Reading, UK and a leucistic blackbird. I was out early to avoid the full sun, and so was he.

Canon R5 Mk II +RF 200-800mm lens

Shot I took in my backyard, on Vancouver island. This little Junco is a regular at the feeder.

Sonoma County, California

Possible nesting pair picking out the ripe berries on a Blue Elderberry (Sambucus mexicana)

We have a new family nesting in our carport. Looks like worms on the menu.

Photos taken by my wife. Vancouver Island, BC.