Yesterday morning I went out to warm up my truck before heading to work and was treated to the "toots" of a Northern Pygmy-owl. I was pretty sure that it was around this time last year and checked back and I had one calling on March 20 of '08. Same bird? Possibly, huh? One day maybe I'll actually get to see it . . .
In having more fun with Mr. Jefferson's birds, I was looking for a couple he lists as White Curlew and Brown Curlew. Included in his list are Linnaean names as well as names used by the English naturalist Mark Catesby* and, while I had no luck searching for the Linnaean names, I found some images online of Catesby's paintings by searching with his names. When I think "curlew" I think "sandpiper", but I was wrong; here are links to the paintings if the White Curlew and the Brown Curlew. It is clear from the paintings that we're talking ibis. I saw the painting of the white one first and quickly thought that the brown must surely be Glossy Ibis. However, I don't think so. In my opinion, being around both Glossy and White Ibis in Florida (as well as double checking my "Sibley"), it looks to me like Catesby's Brown Curlew is actually a juvenile White Ibis. What do you think? It would be interesting to find a reference that delves into his work deeper . . .
*Catesby's Natural History of Carolina, Florida and the Bahama Islands, published in two volumes in 1731 and 1743, respectively, was the first published work on the flora and fauna of North America.
In having more fun with Mr. Jefferson's birds, I was looking for a couple he lists as White Curlew and Brown Curlew. Included in his list are Linnaean names as well as names used by the English naturalist Mark Catesby* and, while I had no luck searching for the Linnaean names, I found some images online of Catesby's paintings by searching with his names. When I think "curlew" I think "sandpiper", but I was wrong; here are links to the paintings if the White Curlew and the Brown Curlew. It is clear from the paintings that we're talking ibis. I saw the painting of the white one first and quickly thought that the brown must surely be Glossy Ibis. However, I don't think so. In my opinion, being around both Glossy and White Ibis in Florida (as well as double checking my "Sibley"), it looks to me like Catesby's Brown Curlew is actually a juvenile White Ibis. What do you think? It would be interesting to find a reference that delves into his work deeper . . .
*Catesby's Natural History of Carolina, Florida and the Bahama Islands, published in two volumes in 1731 and 1743, respectively, was the first published work on the flora and fauna of North America.
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