Just for fun.
Find and identify the bird(s) in this picture. It was taken in my backyard a couple of days ago.
Find and Identify the backyard bird(s) in the image.
Puzzler #12 Backyard Bird(s)
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Puzzler #7 (New and Improved): Rename that Hawk
Puzzlers were meant to be fun first and a challenge second. I realized that all of that decoding to get to the answer in the original Puzzler #7 – A Hawk by Any Other Name… may have discouraged some. So, here is a modified, more user friendly version of puzzler #7 with no decoding. Instead, I split the post into 2 pages with the answers in ungarbled English on page 2. So, without further ado, I present the new and improved puzzler #7.
In the table below there are some ‘old’ historical bird names for North American raptors that are no longer in common use and which you probably won’t find in modern bird books except perhaps as a historical aside.
In case you are not a bird nut, raptors include hawks, falcons, eagles, vultures and the like. You may have heard of some of these ‘old’ names and know what they refer to. I probably would have got 3 maybe 4 out of 10 had I had to solve this myself.
| OLD NAME |
| Marsh Hawk |
| Pigeon Hawk |
| Sparrow Hawk or Sparrowhawk |
| Chicken Hawk or Chickenhawk |
| Grouse Hawk |
| Goose Hawk |
| Duck Hawk |
| Fish Hawk |
| Squirrel Hawk or Squirrelhawk |
| Starling Hawk |
Bird Puzzler #3: Hide and Seek
I was surprised when I learned this fact about this bird-species that breeds in BC and that is seen fairly regularly in the lower mainland. This puzzler has no pictures, videos or sound recordings – just the following piece of information:
This is the only North American migratory species that, at the turn of the twenty-first century, had not yet revealed the location of its wintering grounds.
These wintering grounds were only finally discovered in 2010 and how it was done is very cool!
Identify that bird!
Clues
(See Puzzlers Page for Instructions)
Clue #1: Gurl bsgra unat bhg arne jngresnyyf.
Clue #2: Qb abg zvfgnxr gurz sbe ynetr, qnex-pbybherq fjnyybjf.
Clue and Answer Decoder
Answer
Gur zlfgrel oveq vf gur Oynpx Fjvsg. N tebhc bs Pbybenqb erfrnepuref gnttrq 4 oveqf jvgu trbybpngbef va 2009 naq, jura 3 bs gurz jrer erpncgherq va gur fhzzre bs 2010, gur frperg bs gurve jvagrevat tebhaqf va gur Nznmba Onfva va gur jrfg bs Oenmvy jnf erirnyrq.
Zl bevtvany fbhepr jnf gur Rneoveqvat.pbz oybt negvpyr ol Anguna Cvrcybj: Oynpx Fjvsg Jvagrevat Tebhaqf Qvfpbirerq (uggc://rneoveqvat.pbz/oybt/nepuvirf/3602).
Bird Puzzler #2: Sounds Like a (Rubber) Duck?
James Yardley [CC-BY-SA-2.0], via Wikimedia Commons
Name the bird making the ‘squeaky toy’ call.
Some people will recognize the call immediately though I probably wouldn’t have guessed the species had I not actually witnessed the bird making it from a few feet away.
Clues
(See Puzzlers Page for Instructions)
Clue #1: Lbh zvtug svaq guvf oveq unatvat bhg va gur fnzr arvtuobheubbq nf gur nafjre-oveq sebz gur svefg chmmyre.
Clue #2: Guvf oveq vf jvqrfcernq npebff Abegu Nzrevpn.
Clue #3: Gur pnyy jvyy bayl or urneq qhevat oerrqvat frnfba.
Clue #4: N cvpgher bs gur orttvat syrqtyvat oveq pna or sbhaq ng gur sbyybjvat yvax: uggc://syvpxe.pbz/tc/94309556@A05/6vSaoz
Clue and Answer Decoder
Answer
Gur oveq vf n syrqtyvat Erq-jvatrq Oynpxoveq.
Urer vf n yvax gb gur shyy erpbeqvat fnirq ba Krab-Pnagb: uggc://jjj.krab-pnagb.bet/137659
The back-story
V jnf jngpuvat oveqf nebhaq gur cbaq ng gur Pbybal Snez jura V abgvprq n whiravyr syrqtyvat Erq-jvatrq oynpxoveq sbyybjvat na nqhyg znyr sebz gur gbc bs n ohfu qbja gb n cynpr va gur ohyehfurf (arfgvat fvgr creuncf) naq onpx ntnva. V fnj gurz ercrng gur onpx-naq-sbegu plpyr gjvpr. Gur znyr nccrnerq gb or whfg n onolfvggre jub jnf abg, ubjrire, srrqvat gur whiravyr. Jura gur whiravyr jnf orttvat sebz gur ohfu-gbc, vg jnf va snpg cbvagrq njnl sebz gur nqhyg znyr. Va gur erpbeqvat lbh pna urne gur znyr fbat frireny gvzrf nf jryy nf gur pbagvahbhf “fdhrnxl” orttvat bs gur whiravyr. Arne gur raq bs gur erpbeqvat, gur nqhyg znyr yrnirf gur ohfu-gbc sbe gur ohyehfurf naq gur whiravyr vzzrqvngryl punatrf gb n 3-flyynoyr “jnvg-sbe-zr” pnyy naq sbyybjf pybfr oruvaq.
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