We have many pigeons here in Águas da Prata.Some are very pretty like this one. There are also many white pigeons here. Of course we have the dark ones as well.
They are everywhere, on the streets, in our yard, on our roof and in the parks.
This pretty white one is frequently seen on this bridge in the The Praça Basílio Ceschin.
Where is this pigeon's head?
Ah, there it is!
There are many white pigeons in the The Praça Basílio Ceschin.
Here is an all white. Lovely!
This couple are attractively coloured.
Peck! Peck! Peck!
These two, and others, frequent our back yard. Normally the cats would try to kill them, but we have too many dogs around here for that.
Here is Attila, protector of the birds. He pays no attention to the birds in our yard. They are there to eat Jabuticaba or bird seed that Judy throws into the yard.
Photos by Urso Branco
Sunday, September 30, 2007
Pigeons in Águas da Prata
Small Green Birds
This little Green Bird is often seen with the Little Blue Birds and that makes quite a contrast. They are sometimes hard to see because they are the same colours and shadings as the leaves.
Their colours are very much like that of a green budgie and they are the same size as a budgie.
Where is he? Click on the photo to enlarge it. He is right in the middle. Great camouflage eh?
Here he is on a branch with his back to you.
They are really very pretty.
When they come to feed in the "Restaurant Tree" they often come in big gangs. We know that because we hear them. We don't see them.
Photos by Urso Branco
Friday, September 28, 2007
Cat Tail
This beautiful bird is recognized by its large tail and how it uses that tail. When it lands the tail goes straight up just like a cat. Some times when it is walking around it does the same thing. Hence the name, Cat Tail. It is most predominate. They average about 12" in length including the tail. Now that Spring has arrived we see many of them in Águas da Prata.
When they fly their tail spreads out to reveal magnificent white and black tail feathers as seen here.
Usually I see them one at a time. But today I saw two together and a third close by.
They were not as timid as some birds. I was about 4 or 5 meters away and used the telephoto lens to get these photos.
Whatever they were looking for these two searched for it together.
But this one was nearby, about three meters away, hunting too.
They searched for quite some time.
The couple did not seem to worry about the third CatTail because he kept his distance.
These were seen in the the Praça Basílio Ceschin in Águas da Prata We often see them around our house too.
Photos by Urso Branco
Sunday, September 16, 2007
Swallows
These are Bug Eaters. They are probably Swallows of the Hirundo family. They are extremely difficult to photograph because of their aerial acrobatics. They fly very very fast, swooping and diving.
They arrived in Águas da Prata in large numbers last week, in early September. Some stay around all year but the show up in large numbers in Spring.
They are most welcome here because they eat bugs. They eat while flying and there are hundreds of them flying around the trees in the square just a half block from our house.
They are very small and these photos were taken with a telephoto lens. I have many photos of empty sky. It is difficult to track them.
Some times I see dozens and by the time I click the shutter they have flown out of view.
Here are a series of photos showing their aerobatics.
This is a rare photo of them sitting still.
The one time you are sure to see many sitting still is when a storm is beginning. When storms approach they are very busy catching insects. They gather in large flocks on the wires across the street from our house.
On some occasions there wires are so full of swallows some must fly continuously awaiting a place to sit. What a party!
Because they are so difficult to photograph I have not been able to get a good closeup of a swallow.
Photos by Urso Branco
Little Dark Blue Birds
There are dozens of these Blue birds in the square only half a bock from our house in Águas da Prata. They are so dark they look black.
We see them walking on the streets. They are ground feeders. I don't know their name but they just arrived last week in early September.
Here you see them walking in the street.
I don't know what they find but they keep searching.
They gather around this area in a flock of 20 or 30.
I have been trying to get a really good photo of them but they never stand still.
In this photo you get a good idea of the relative size of them.
You can compare them with the sparrows here.
They really look black.
Here you see one in the park.
He was kind enough to stop and pose for me.
I am amazed to see how many there are around town. It takes a certain light to see they are actually blue, but they sure do look black to me most of the time.
Photos by Urso Branco
Sunday, September 9, 2007
Sanctuary - Foz do Iguaçu
In Foz do Iguaçu, in Santa Catarina State, there is a theme park for birds. It is not really a sanctuary but the birds are protected there in a captive environment. They have many visitors there to see the waterfalls and the birds.
We saw many different species ther and these are just a few of them.
We know the names of some of these birds but no all of them.
This heron is just like the one in Águas da Prata. See the post in this blog "Our Beautiful Neighbour" 
There were several Emu's in this park.
There were lots of Toucans also. These same photos are in the post in this blog "Toucans"
Photos by Urso Branco
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