Downy Woodpecker

 

 

Fun Woopecker facts:

• Woodpeckers have a third eyelid to help protect their eyes from debris.
  
• A woodpecker's head can strike at speeds up to 15 mpg at over 100 strokes per minute.
  
• The bones between the beak and the skull are joined by a flexible cartilage.
  
• The skull is made of spongy, air-filled bone. The brain is packed tightly into the brain cavity, with little room to rattle around.
  
• The force from each strike is directed towards neck muscles that act as shock absorbers.
  

American Redstart in Jamaica

 

 

 

 

We aren't quite done with Jamaican photos yet. We never got a perfect picture of the American Redstart. He was always darting around and never posed. We called him the falling leaf bird because of an unusual behavior of his. He would "fly" in a spiral pattern that looked just like a falling leaf from the top of a tree to the bottom.

Hopping Dick with a feather out of place

 

The White chinned thrush is endemic to Jamaica and known locally as the Hopping Dick.

A familar friend returns: A Black-crowned Night Heron

 

I know it's not our best black-crowned night heron photo, but we are happy to see an old friend return. Yesterday morning, he returned to the same tree and branch where he spent last spring and summer. He has his breeding plumage: two white feathers that look like a pony tail. We hope his mate joins him soon.

Northern Cardinal at the Feeder

 

 

We are back in Jersey. After a gray week, it was sunny this AM. This male cardinal likes safflower for breakfast. We switch to safflower at this time of year because the cardinals and titmice like it, but grackles and starlings don't (so they say).

Jamaican Shore Birds at Goldeneye

 

Great Blue Heron

White-tailed Tropicbird

Yellow-crowned Night Heron

After 6 days at Geejam, we went to Goldeneye which had fewer trees but more beaches.
There was a reef about 200 feet off shore. A great blue heron would fish there every evening. There was a yellow-crowned night heron perched above our villa the first evening. In the morning white-tailed tropicbirds would soar in the breezes.

Perching birds at Goldeneye

Northern Mockingbird

Olive-throated Parakeet

Jamaican Woodpecker

Jamaican Mango Hummingbird

Olive-throated Parakeet on a ackee tree

 

A group of Parakeets would come by every morning. They always stopped at the Ackee tree but never stayed long. One morning, Mike got his coffee early and was waiting for them.

Jamaica: Not Just 4 Birds

 

One day when walking down the road, we encountered a herd of goats that had escaped. As former goat owners (really), we know that if you restrain the leader of the herd, the others stay nearby. However, it looks like it broke free, taking the rest on an excursion.

 

One morning, a cute dog walked by in the greenery below our cottage. We gave it some left over jerk chicken from the previous day's outing.

Kingbird

 

 

Sad Flycatcher with an ant

 

The Sad Flycatcher is endemic to Jamaica. It's a little smaller and has more yellow than the kingbirds. Here it's eating an ant.

Lizards in Love

 

 

We saw this "cutting lizard", also known as a Venus lizard in a tree. He was making some displays to impress females. Chris was a little impressed, but later he found someone more his type. Reptiles aren't our favorite creatures, but we have to admit it was adorable how long they were cuddling.