• Menu
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Before Header

  • About Us
  • Lexicon
  • Contact Us
  • Our Store
  • ↑
  • ↓
  • ←
  • →

Balloon Juice

Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

A snarling mass of vitriolic jackals

Republican obstruction dressed up as bipartisanship. Again.

Authoritarian republicans are opposed to freedom for the rest of us.

It’s the corruption, stupid.

When do we start airlifting the women and children out of Texas?

Seems like a complicated subject, have you tried yelling at it?

I like you, you’re my kind of trouble.

T R E 4 5 O N

Despite his magical powers, I don’t think Trump is thinking this through, to be honest.

White supremacy is terrorism.

Hot air and ill-informed banter

Not all heroes wear capes.

I see no possible difficulties whatsoever with this fool-proof plan.

Wow, I can’t imagine what it was like to comment in morse code.

JFC, are there no editors left at that goddamn rag?

Republicans don’t want a speaker to lead them; they want a hostage.

Reality always lies in wait for … Democrats.

It’s time for the GOP to dust off that post-2012 autopsy, completely ignore it, and light the party on fire again.

Why is it so hard for them to condemn hate?

Proof that we need a blogger ethics panel.

Incompetence, fear, or corruption? why not all three?

We are builders in a constant struggle with destroyers. let’s win this.

Happy indictment week to all who celebrate!

Anyone who bans teaching American history has no right to shape America’s future.

Mobile Menu

  • Winnable House Races
  • Donate with Venmo, Zelle & PayPal
  • Site Feedback
  • War in Ukraine
  • Submit Photos to On the Road
  • Politics
  • On The Road
  • Open Threads
  • Topics
  • Balloon Juice 2023 Pet Calendar (coming soon)
  • COVID-19 Coronavirus
  • Authors
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Lexicon
  • Our Store
  • Politics
  • Open Threads
  • War in Ukraine
  • Garden Chats
  • On The Road
  • 2021-22 Fundraising!
You are here: Home / Photo Blogging / On The Road / Albatrossity / On The Road – Albatrossity – Chunky birds – week 2

On The Road – Albatrossity – Chunky birds – week 2

by WaterGirl|  March 7, 20225:00 am| 15 Comments

This post is in: Albatrossity, On The Road, Photo Blogging

FacebookTweetEmail

On the Road is a weekday feature spotlighting reader photo submissions.

From the exotic to the familiar, whether you’re traveling or in your own backyard, we would love to see the world through your eyes.

Submit Your Photos

It’s chunky birds Monday.  On Tuesday arrive takes us to the Ukraine research facility in Antarctica, followed by churches with Big R, we head to the Redlands with BillinGlendale, and The Dangerman finishes off the week with lighthouses.

Albatrossity

Week 2 of the Chunky Bird series has an international flavor, featuring birds from North America, Tanzania, and New Zealand, as well as one bird who travels to and from Alaska to NZ twice a year.

On The Road - Albatrossity - Chunky birds - week 2 9
Near Manhattan KSMarch 1, 2015

Many owls are round and fluffy, but especially in cold weather. This Barred Owl (Strix varia) was waiting for a snow squall to stop before resuming its hunt.

On The Road - Albatrossity - Chunky birds - week 2 8
Near Manhattan KSFebruary 6, 2014

This Eastern Screech-owl (Megascops asio) was also waiting for the snow to end, and amazingly it was waiting in a cedar tree just a few feet from my dining room window. These birds are actually more common than you might imagine, but their small size and cryptic coloration help them stay out of sight. And since they can be prey for larger owls (our neighborhood has both Great Horned and Barred Owl pairs), they don’t tend to make much noise if they know other owls are around.

On The Road - Albatrossity - Chunky birds - week 2 7
Konza Prairie Biological Research StationApril 28, 2017

Another example of “does the camera make me look fat”, this Greater Prairie-chicken (Tympanuchus cupido) male is all puffed up with pride (and testosterone) as he dances for the ladies on a lek on Konza Prairie. By the time you jackals are reading this, the local Flint Hills pastures will be hosting this spectacle, and it is a show that you really should have on your bucket list.

On The Road - Albatrossity - Chunky birds - week 2 6
TanzaniaMay 15, 2018

Another chicken-like bird who looks plump and tasty, this Black-faced Sandgrouse (Pterocles decorates) male halted his amble down a dirt track in the Serengeti to gaze at a carload of strangers and cameras. He must have thought the aliens had finally landed! Interesting fact: this grouse-like bird with the word grouse in its name is not closely related to chickens or other grouse like the prairie-chicken above (Galliformes). Current taxonomies place them in their own order (Pterocliformes), and they are thought to be more closely related to shorebirds than to chickens.

On The Road - Albatrossity - Chunky birds - week 2 5
CaliforniaApril 14, 2018

Speaking of shorebirds, this chunk-style cutie is a Black Turnstone (Arenaria melanocephala) is only found on the western coasts of North America, unlike its cosmopolitan cousin the Ruddy Turnstone.

On The Road - Albatrossity - Chunky birds - week 2 4
TanzaniaMay 20, 2018

Another well-rounded shorebird, this Chestnut-banded Plover (Charadrius pallidus) is a resident of saline lakes in the Rift Valley of eastern Africa. This is not an abundant species (estimated at fewer than 20,000 individuals total), so I felt fortunate to see one.

On The Road - Albatrossity - Chunky birds - week 2 2
New ZealandJanuary 6, 2015

Here is the current reigning world-champion chunky bird, the Bar-tailed Godwit (Limosa lapponica). In preparation for a phenomenal migration (from the southern coast of Alaska, making a 7000 mile long nonstop flight to New Zealand and Australia), the body weights of individual birds of this species include up to 55% fat. That high-octane fuel is all depleted after that 7-8 day nonstop flight. Neither WeightWatchers nor Jenny Craig diets can take you from 55% body fat to 0% in a week!

On The Road - Albatrossity - Chunky birds - week 2 3
TanzaniaMay 17, 2018

This bird may not be chunky, but it has a chunky-looking head! The Hamerkops (Scopus umbretta, literally dark-brown hammerhead)) is a wading bird, but is not closely related to storks and herons. Its closest relatives seem to be the pelicans.

On The Road - Albatrossity - Chunky birds - week 2
Near Manhattan KSNovember 24, 2019

Closer to home, and more in the category of cute yellow chunky bird, is this first-year male Common Yellowthroat (Geothlypis trichas). By the next spring he would have been sporting that black bandit mask, but you can start to see its five-o’clock shadow on his cheek even in this fall portrait.

On The Road - Albatrossity - Chunky birds - week 2 1
CaliforniaApril 17, 2018

Truly one of the cutest chunky birds in North America, this Pygmy Nuthatch (Sitta pygmaea) ends the list for today. These little guys flit through the coniferous forests of western North America, making an amazing variety of bips, kips, toots and squeaks as they go.

FacebookTweetEmail
Previous Post: « Late Night Sad Trombone Open Thread: The Peepul’s Konvoy on the Beltway
Next Post: COVID-19 Coronavirus Updates: Sunday / Monday, March 6-7 »

Reader Interactions

15Comments

  1. 1.

    mrmoshpotato

    March 7, 2022 at 7:02 am

    Another chicken-like bird who looks plump and tasty

    “Eat me! Oh wait, I didn’t mean…”

    Great pictures. Thanks for sharing.

  2. 2.

    Scuffletuffle

    March 7, 2022 at 7:03 am

    Your owl pics are just stunning! When i have seen screech owls up close, they look like clockwork toys, so very cute!

  3. 3.

    Betty

    March 7, 2022 at 7:44 am

    The pygmy nuthatch truly is adorable. Such a nice collection of chunky birds.

  4. 4.

    stinger

    March 7, 2022 at 7:50 am

    Every shot a masterpiece, every bird so fascinating!

  5. 5.

    Torrey

    March 7, 2022 at 8:25 am

    Amazing pictures! As always, your bird pictures lift the spirits. And, as stinger said, every shot is indeed a masterpiece.

  6. 6.

    mvr

    March 7, 2022 at 9:02 am

    Another great bunch of photos.  Thanks!

    Made a screech owl box and hung it on our oak tree. Now inhabited by squirrels as far as I can tell.  OTOH the squirrels are getting so fat from spilled bird seed they may not be able to fit soon. As it is they are having trouble jumping onto tree trunks because their bellies are hitting before their feet can grab on.

  7. 7.

    Kattails

    March 7, 2022 at 9:55 am

    There’s nothing like hearing a screech owl cut loose, close by on a dark night, to get every hair follicle on your body on alert.

    Wonderful photos as always. I’m fond of barred owls with their big dark eyes. This one does look cuddly until you notice the talons hiding under the fluff…

  8. 8.

    MelissaM

    March 7, 2022 at 9:59 am

    That prairie-chicken, from the orange eyelashes to the bracelets, is sure looking for a good time!

    You mentioned you live in a “neighborhood.” My question is, how close are houses or what are trees like to see that screech owl? Surely not common suburbia? Can *I* possibly see something more than robins and sparrows in my yard? (I know I can – I found an owl pellet just outside our back door. Given the power lines around our house, there are no trees near the back door, so the owl must have been on our gutter to hork up the pellet where it was. Super cool to dissect!)

  9. 9.

    Yutsano

    March 7, 2022 at 10:06 am

    I never knew how much I needed floofy owls in my life until just now. Fantastic photo essay Albatrossity!

  10. 10.

    arrieve

    March 7, 2022 at 10:12 am

    Always a great start to the day, this time with owls!

  11. 11.

    Albatrossity

    March 7, 2022 at 11:22 am

    @MelissaM:

    how close are houses or what are trees like to see that screech owl? Surely not common suburbia?

    This neighborhood is right at the edge of town; I can chuck a rock off my back deck and it will be out of the city limits when it lands. And the land behind us is a 40 acre woodlot, mostly cedars but with elms, hackberries, walnuts and locust as well.

    Screech-owls, like other smaller owls, like conifers. Urban cemeteries with conifers are a good place to find them.

  12. 12.

    BigJimSlade

    March 7, 2022 at 12:17 pm

    Great pictures as always! I really like the moodiness in the Black Turnstone shot. And what journey the Bar-tailed Godwit makes! Reminds me of the old line, “I just flew in from (Alaska, in this case) and, boy, are my arms tired!” Puts that to shame!

  13. 13.

    MelissaM

    March 7, 2022 at 12:24 pm

    @Albatrossity: Good to know about the urban cemeteries. We do have one, dating back to close to town origination, but the trees are all original and are either dying or coming down in storms and are not being replaced, which makes me sad. I’ll have to head over there late some spring or summer evening and see what I can see.

  14. 14.

    StringOnAStick

    March 7, 2022 at 2:14 pm

    Pygmy Nuthatches are so fun to watch.  I recall standing quietly by a western juniper and having one work his way up and down the trunk, his piping calls going up in time and excitement level as he found insects to eat.  Such a fun memory!

  15. 15.

    stinger

    March 7, 2022 at 5:37 pm

    @StringOnAStick: That’s a sweet story!

Comments are closed.

Primary Sidebar

Fundraising 2023-24

Wis*Dems Supreme Court + SD-8

Recent Comments

  • patrick II on Squishable Open Thread (Mar 22, 2023 @ 12:31pm)
  • Matt McIrvin on Squishable Open Thread (Mar 22, 2023 @ 12:30pm)
  • kindness on COVID-19 Coronavirus Updates: March 22, 2023 (Mar 22, 2023 @ 12:30pm)
  • Tom Fitz on Squishable Open Thread (Mar 22, 2023 @ 12:30pm)
  • WaterGirl on Squishable Open Thread (Mar 22, 2023 @ 12:30pm)

🎈Keep Balloon Juice Ad Free

Become a Balloon Juice Patreon
Donate with Venmo, Zelle or PayPal

Balloon Juice Posts

View by Topic
View by Author
View by Month & Year
View by Past Author

Featuring

Medium Cool
Artists in Our Midst
Authors in Our Midst
We All Need A Little Kindness
Classified Documents: A Primer
State & Local Elections Discussion

Calling All Jackals

Site Feedback
Nominate a Rotating Tag
Submit Photos to On the Road
Balloon Juice Mailing List Signup
Balloon Juice Anniversary (All Links)
Balloon Juice Anniversary (All Posts)

Twitter / Spoutible

Balloon Juice (Spoutible)
WaterGirl (Spoutible)
TaMara (Spoutible)
John Cole
DougJ (aka NYT Pitchbot)
Betty Cracker
Tom Levenson
TaMara
David Anderson
Major Major Major Major
ActualCitizensUnited

Join the Fight!

Join the Fight Signup Form
All Join the Fight Posts

Balloon Juice Events

5/14  The Apocalypse
5/20  Home Away from Home
5/29  We’re Back, Baby
7/21  Merging!

Balloon Juice for Ukraine

Donate

Site Footer

Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

  • Facebook
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • Comment Policy
  • Our Authors
  • Blogroll
  • Our Artists
  • Privacy Policy

Copyright © 2023 Dev Balloon Juice · All Rights Reserved · Powered by BizBudding Inc

Share this ArticleLike this article? Email it to a friend!

Email sent!