No problem. They are kind of rare. I was riding on the hood of the skidder out of the woods the other day and actually saw a pair of them, male and a female. Never saw a female before. They are nearly as pretty as the male.
We've been in this area for over 12 years and it's the first we've seen one. Was the bird in the picture I put up a male?
From Wikipedia....... Adults of both sexes have pale horn-colored, fairly stout and smooth-textured bills. Adult males are crimson-red with black wings and tail. The male's coloration is intense and deeply red, similar but deeper in shade than the males of two occasionally co-existing relatives, the northern cardinal and the summer tanager, both which lack black wings. Females are yellowish on the underparts and olive on top, with yellow-olive-toned wings and tail. The adult male's winter plumage is similar to the female's, but the wings and tail remain darker. Young males briefly show a more complex variegated plumage intermediate between adult males and females.
Wow, talk about timing. Took the Mrs. on the motorcycle last night to look at a some waterfalls and while exploring I saw one of these zip by and had never seen anything like it before. Very cool
Interesting! I, or my wife, will try to get a picture of a new, "regular" bird at the feeder on our back porch. They are very similar.
We have one of the most "traveled" bird migratory areas in the nation here in Southern NJ. Yes, there here also. Few and far between but they do arrive. That beautiful bird can also be mistaken for an Baltimore oriole to the untrained eye. Their bodies are very red where the Oriole is orange. Very nice and good pic! I have some good pics of some tweeters in our back yard, we'll have to do a birdie thread!
I "only" know that because I work with one of the NJ past presidents of the Audubon society, he's our environmental specialist and pollution response leader. I'm not a "super bird watcher" at all, but I've learned from "rub off" method working near him for years. Our CG base is a sanctuary also for the migratory birds, we have beaches closed to "EVERYONE" because of certain birds! . This guy goes to South America to watch a specific Humming bird every year.
I've been trying to get a picture of the two birds that are similar to your picture Zap. But have missed them. I did get a few shots of these two though. Trying not to scare them away so had to take it through the glass door. Do you know what they are?
I have some mallard drakes that sleep on my dock overnight at the cottage. From what they leave on the dock, I can tell you that they too are quickly becoming a threatened species!
Here is a shot with the same speckled brown bird on right side and what must be her male mate with orange. Of course us males are always colorful and dam good looking! Arent we men?! Sorry about the picture quality, the roof makes it dark, tough to see the colors. Here is one with someone else who wants these two to make some room.