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Susan Petracco - The Helpful Birder

@thehelpfulbirder

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🦅 Birds and 🐛 Bugs
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All photos my own unless I’m in them 😉

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Puffins seem to be the itchiest birds I’ve ever encountered! iPhone video from Hafnarholmi, Iceland.

#puffins #atlanticpuffin #iceland #icelandbirds #iceland by @thehelpfulbirder

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3 days ago

A majestic elk for this mammal Monday - 13 points? I’m not sure how you count them. This guy was huge and he kept everyone in check. Humans included.

#mammalmonday #elkcountry #ruttingseason taken in Cherokee, North Carolina by @thehelpfulbirder

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17 days ago

A few of my favorite things!

#caterpillars #puffins #butterflies #flycatcher taken in Planet Earth by @thehelpfulbirder

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23 days ago

My first encounter with an Arctic Tern in Iceland - or anywhere for that matter #lifer They’re very common all around the island, and aggressively defend their nesting grounds. I’ll post a story about that too. These birds migrate further than any other species in the world: 44,000 to 50,000 miles (70,000 to 80,000 km) round trip!

#arctictern #icelandbirds #tern #seabirds taken in Reykjanes Peninsula by @thehelpfulbirder

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25 days ago

I’ll just be gone an hour, no more… back in a jiffy…

Florida Scrub Jay

#birding #birdhumor #floridascrubjay #backsoon #floridabirding taken in Florida, USA by @thehelpfulbirder

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25 days ago

I loved seeing Razorbills for the first time while in Iceland. Please swipe for a second image showing the complete photo, which looks like the Razorbill is a lead singer and the three Common Murres are his backup. taken in Lóndrangar by @thehelpfulbirder

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a month ago

Redshanks calling while in flight (photo 1) and perched (photo 2). I think this might be the most common bird species in Iceland. If not in sheer numbers like the puffins, then at least in the frequency of places we saw them.

#redshank #iceland #icelandbirds #icelandwildlife #birdingphotography taken in Iceland by @thehelpfulbirder

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a month ago

I’ve now discovered firsthand what people mean when they say to use scientific names rather than common ones. In Iceland, I saw a lot of what we in North America call Common Murre, shown here in the first photo nesting on cliffs visible from the ferry as we approached Heimaey. The scientific name is Uria aalge, and elsewhere the common name is Common Guillemot.

The second photo is very distant, but this is a Black Guillemot. This common name is the same in Europe and North America. Cepphus grylle is the scientific name.

While related, these are two species who share a similar habitat but belong to in different genera. Now, try birding in Iceland where the people around you speak a different language - in the specific case I experienced it was French - and you’re trying to figure out which one you’re looking at and talking about.

Lesson learned: study ahead, bring a real guide book, or learn French. 😜

#icelandbirding #heimaey #commonmurre #guillemot #icelandphotography taken in Westman Islands by @thehelpfulbirder

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a month ago

Graylag Goose, scroll to the second photo for two goslings. The third photo is the famous Almannagjá Gorge in Þingvellir National Park in Iceland. These birds were nearby, after we walked past these rocks.

#graylaggoose #iceland #icelandbirds #thingvellir #þingvellir taken in Þingvellir - Thingvellir National Park by @thehelpfulbirder

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a month ago

I was so excited to find this mama Eared Grebe with two babies tucked into her wings. And then lo and behold, the dad shows up too!

We get Eared Grebes occasionally in Florida, but in winter the plumage is much different. Still pretty but not this dramatic.

I was not prepared to shoot video, so please forgive the shakiness (it was handheld) and the need to rotate your phone.

#earedgrebe #iceland #myvatn #icelandbirding taken in Lake Myvatn Iceland by @thehelpfulbirder

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a month ago

Mr. and Mrs. Harlequin Duck 🖤🖤🖤 taken in Þingvellir - Thingvellir National Park by @thehelpfulbirder

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a month ago

Eurasian Oystercatchers are very common in Iceland. I don’t see their American cousins very often, so I delighted in these sightings. taken in Iceland by @thehelpfulbirder

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a month ago