[steamloco76]

A very skittish male northern cardinal landed, briefly, in our old pine tree.
K-3 DFA 150-450 @ 450mm, f6.3 1/180th ISO 500 AF540FGZ flash, handheld

Attached Images

 

[Thagomizer]

Not close enough to some Sandhill Cranes:



Somewhat less too far away from a Cormorant:



Both taken with DA 55-300 on K-S2, Manitoulin Island, August, 2017.

[Arjay Bee]

Bird on a gun

[OrchidJulie]

Bird on a gun

Is that a mynah? I know they're native in Australia but we actually have a naturalized population of them here in south Florida. I see them from time to time (never when I have a camera in hand, of course), often hopping about in the parking lot at the post office. Took me a while to ID them and learn that they're naturalized here. No one knows exactly where they came from, possibly escaped pets or escapees from some hurricane-damaged aviary. Either way, they're quite at home here.

[Arjay Bee]

Is that a mynah? I know they're native in Australia but we actually have a naturalized population of them here in south Florida. I see them from time to time (never when I have a camera in hand, of course), often hopping about in the parking lot at the post office. Took me a while to ID them and learn that they're naturalized here. No one knows exactly where they came from, possibly escaped pets or escapees from some hurricane-damaged aviary. Either way, they're quite at home here.

I think so - very common here.

[Des]

Is that a mynah? I know they're native in Australia

It's a Common Myna (Acridotheres tristis), also called Indian Myna. They are not native to Australia. They were introduced to Australia from India in the 1860s and have become a terrible pest and a major threat to native species (they drive out native species from nesting and feeding sites).

I like the photo but I hate the bird!

[rod_grant]

What Des said.

I have a neighbour who traps them and removes them from the gene pool. He needs to up his game: there are too many in our area, so he has a lot more work to do.

[OrchidJulie]

It's a Common Myna (Acridotheres tristis), also called Indian Myna. They are not native to Australia. They were introduced to Australia from India in the 1860s and have become a terrible pest and a major threat to native species (they drive out native species from nesting and feeding sites).

I like the photo but I hate the bird!

Thanks for the additional info. Interesting. I don't think they have become "pest" status here. Yet. One sees them here and there, but not in large numbers. Of course we have plenty of other non-native "pest" animals and plants, some of them of great concern. Like pythons, but that's fodder for another thread.

[smf]

Grackle

[/url][url=https://flic.kr/p/2iL5sAv]Backyard Grackle[/url] by [url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/stumfrohm2011/]Stuart Frohm[/url], on Flickr" target="_blank">

[Des]

One sees them here and there, but not in large numbers.

I guarantee they will be in large numbers eventually! There are some efforts going into reducing their numbers here, e.g.
Buy or Build a Myna trap – CVCIA Landcare
https://www.cardinia.vic.gov.au/info/20018/parks_and_environment/211/trapping_indian_mynas

I have a neighbour who traps them and removes them from the gene pool. He needs to up his game: there are too many in our area, so he has a lot more work to do.

Good on him! Mynas are in our area, but so far not on our place. We think that our family of (highly territorial) Little Wattlebirds help in keeping them out.

[OrchidJulie]

I'll have to pay more attention to them, obviously! I had no idea they are pests Down Under!

[steamloco76]

Male northern cardinal, K-3 DFA 150-450

[rod_grant]

New Holland Honeyeater - KP & 55-300PLM @ 300mm - through glass (window pane!!)

[steamloco76]

Carolina wren "Teakettle, teakettle, teakettle TEA"

[steamloco76]

Dark eye junco