Comments on: Seasonal Indicators http://www.wqed.org/birdblog/2008/07/26/seasonal-indicators/ A Bird Watcher's View of the World Tue, 06 Jan 2009 08:14:01 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.3 By: Amy F http://www.wqed.org/birdblog/2008/07/26/seasonal-indicators/#comment-2291 Amy F Mon, 28 Jul 2008 12:31:53 +0000 http://www.wqed.org/birdblog/?p=557#comment-2291 I spent a weekend in the summer of 2002 camping with friends in Raccoon Creek State Park; the constant cicada noise all day made it sound as though there were UFOs taking off all around us! I'm glad the periodic broods take <i>long</i> breaks between emergences - even if it means the birds don't have as many of them to feed on. I spent a weekend in the summer of 2002 camping with friends in Raccoon Creek State Park; the constant cicada noise all day made it sound as though there were UFOs taking off all around us! I’m glad the periodic broods take long breaks between emergences - even if it means the birds don’t have as many of them to feed on.

]]> By: Linda Ludwig http://www.wqed.org/birdblog/2008/07/26/seasonal-indicators/#comment-2271 Linda Ludwig Sun, 27 Jul 2008 21:31:16 +0000 http://www.wqed.org/birdblog/?p=557#comment-2271 No, it really does not look like what I saw. I keep hoping the bird will come back so I can get a closer look or try to photograph it. It looked like the head was covered in black feathers. Thank you for the response and the interesting link. No, it really does not look like what I saw. I keep hoping the bird will come back so I can get a closer look or try to photograph it. It looked like the head was covered in black feathers. Thank you for the response and the interesting link.

]]> By: Kate St. John http://www.wqed.org/birdblog/2008/07/26/seasonal-indicators/#comment-2231 Kate St. John Sat, 26 Jul 2008 13:19:21 +0000 http://www.wqed.org/birdblog/?p=557#comment-2231 Cardinals sometimes molt all the feathers off their heads and grow them all back again. There's a discussion about bald cardinals plus pictures at the Hilton Pond website here: http://www.hiltonpond.org/ThisWeek030701.html Does the picture on Postscript #3 look like your bird? Cardinals sometimes molt all the feathers off their heads and grow them all back again.

There’s a discussion about bald cardinals plus pictures at the Hilton Pond website here: http://www.hiltonpond.org/ThisWeek030701.html

Does the picture on Postscript #3 look like your bird?

]]> By: Linda Ludwig http://www.wqed.org/birdblog/2008/07/26/seasonal-indicators/#comment-2229 Linda Ludwig Sat, 26 Jul 2008 13:13:08 +0000 http://www.wqed.org/birdblog/?p=557#comment-2229 I too have a brother who would torment me with the cicadas. How I always dreaded their sound because that meant summer would soon be over. I had the day off yesterday and saw an unusal bird at my feeder outside my window. It looked like a cardinal but had a completely black head and the body looked redder than the male cardinal. It was also quite a bit larger. I tried an internet search and one post said it is a cardinal that had a parasite that caused the feathers to change. Do you know of this? I would very much like to know. I am not handy with a camera when it comes to photographing birds but if I see it again I will try to get a picture. I too have a brother who would torment me with the cicadas. How I always dreaded their sound because that meant summer would soon be over.
I had the day off yesterday and saw an unusal bird at my feeder outside my window. It looked like a cardinal but had a completely black head and the body looked redder than the male cardinal. It was also quite a bit larger. I tried an internet search and one post said it is a cardinal that had a parasite that caused the feathers to change. Do you know of this? I would very much like to know. I am not handy with a camera when it comes to photographing birds but if I see it again I will try to get a picture.

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