Can anyone tell me what kind of bird this is. Is it on the endanger list? If not I just put it on the list :evil: Its been sitting on the fence all morning eating my bees as they fly out of the hives. Its cold here, 40 degrees, so the bees are not moving fast and coming out one by one. When I go out to chase it away, thinking it wont come back, it flys high into the elm tree and waits. As soon as I go back inside it flys back to the fence for brunch. Sorry for the pictures but it was very high in the tree and I dont have a telephoto lens :'( The bird has a color like a female goldfinch, kind of like a light tan dirty yellow and a real pointed beak. Some of the photos were closer but didnt come out because I was on the trampoline jumping trying to get the photos.
(http://img8.imageshack.us/img8/885/dscf6642.th.jpg) (http://img8.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dscf6642.jpg)
(http://img8.imageshack.us/img8/1392/dscf6646.th.jpg) (http://img8.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dscf6646.jpg)
Ok Just went out to fill up the feeders for the bees and let the queen out of her cage. I saw lots and lots of bee butts on top of the hives and ground> While feeding the bird continued to swoop down and grab the bees. I got a couple more photos of the bird. To me it looks like some sort of a wren. Look how its sitting there eyeballing the hives!
(http://img60.imageshack.us/img60/5227/dscf6651k.th.jpg) (http://img60.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dscf6651k.jpg)
(http://img60.imageshack.us/img60/2209/dscf6652.th.jpg) (http://img60.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dscf6652.jpg)
(http://img60.imageshack.us/img60/5479/dscf6653.th.jpg) (http://img60.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dscf6653.jpg)
Would this be it?
http://profile.imageshack.us/user/dayfurrahman/images/detail/#208/buyukbastankaramu8.jpg
It looks like what we call a cedar waxwing. I don't know the latin name.
It doesn't have the posture or the build of a wren. From what I can tell, it looks like a Great Crested Flycatcher, but the picture was a little bit fuzzy on my computer.
edited to add:
Great Crested Flycatchers are beautiful birds. They are one of the few species that will nest in man-made nesting boxes, and are one of the few who can successfully chase off starlings who try to invade their nests. I have one here that I saw a few days ago, and I hope he finds a mate and breeds here. I don't personally believe they can eat enough bees to do damage to a healthy hive. A flock of cliff swallows, on the other hand, can be a problem because they hunt low over wildflower fields.
I know its not a Cedar Waxwing because I saw some a couple weeks ago and made a post about them. I looke up a "house wren" and think that is what it is. I even found a picture of a house wren with a bee in its mouth. Shame I had to put it on the most wanted list :evil: He or she is still here killing the bees. Although I dont like the little bird I think its amazing how they can deteach the bottom end of the bee, the stinger, and take the rest for its meal.
http://www.rivernen.ca/bird_17.htm
Just found a cool site for bird identification. It shows pictures, sounds, and migration routes.
http://www.allaboutbirds.org/netcommunity/Page.aspx?pid=1189
It is a flycatcher, but I'm not sure which species.
Yea after looking at the sight I posted, just looking at the black and white silhouette, you can see it has the shape of a flycatcher. Now that I know what it is that makes me a flycather catcher.