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Tag: White-Crowned Sparrow

Neighborhood Surprise

Neighborhood Surprise

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I am a creature of habit. I’ll often return to the same, familiar spot repeatedly. In my new neighborhood, that means circling a little park on a near-daily basis. So far, this tiny area has yielded 53 birds since June. That’s a lot more than I would have expected for a manicured lawn with very few trees.

I left for my walk around the park to satisfy my habitual morning routine, yet this time, something was tugging at me to explore a bit more. Outside of the neighborhood is another housing development, but next to that is a marshy field encased in wire fencing. It’ll likely be slated for development at some point. But for now, something urged me to check it out.

I was first drawn in by the seets of sparrows, but they were difficult to locate. The grasses and weeds had grown long, offering cover for foraging sparrows. Once in a while, a sparrow would poke out just long enough for a brief look through the binoculars. White-crown Sparrows, a Song Sparrow, and Savannah Sparrows dominated, until we heard the buzzy seet of a Lincoln’s Sparrow – county lifer #99. Four Lincoln Sparrows eventually popped into view. I looked closely just to make sure there were no Vesper Sparrows sporting a white eye ring among them. I’m not sure if we get Vesper Sparrows here, but it’s good to look anyways!

This little marshy area also housed a couple of Marsh Wrens – a pleasant surprise given that the surrounding area is either housing development or endless fields of almond trees.

We accidentally startled a couple of birds that were rather shorebird-like. My first thought was that they were dowitchers, but this habitat didn’t match up. After searching a bit (and again accidentally flushing them due to their terrific camouflage), I was delighted to figure out that they were Wilson’s Snipes. Now that’s a treat! I hope we didn’t scare them too much and that they will stick around. I’ll have to be more careful when birding along the fence next time.

Spring Is In The Air!

Spring Is In The Air!

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Bushtit

Spring is in the air! Flowers are blooming, warmth from the sun pokes through chilly winds, and the world is filled with bird chatter.

Springtime brings on the breeding season, so birds are doing their best to show off brightly-colored plumage, inviting nesting territories, and belting out their best tunes. It’s a birder’s paradise and a welcome change from a cold, gloomy winter.

Now is also a great time for patch birding – observing birds in the same area over a span of time. A patch could include your backyard, your neighborhood, a favorite hike in a park, basically any place where you become familiar with the surroundings and eventually start to notice patterns.

I consider a neighborhood walk as my birding patch. During the winter, a single White-throated Sparrow would appear with a flock of White-crowned Sparrows in a bush in front of a certain house. I’d only see it before the noon hour. I noticed that the larger flocks of Bushtits have reduced in size, sometimes with a single Bushtit or a pair foraging alone. I followed on and found it building its hanging nest, which I now check on periodically. From my window, I noticed the neighborhood pigeon pair starting to fly back and forth to a certain spot on a nearby building. A closer look confirmed nesting material was being transported in their beaks – a sign of nest building.

Patch birding is a great way to get to know your community of birds, and what better time to begin than in the spring with all its highly visible activity!

Fall is Here!

Fall is Here!

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Golden-Crowned Sparrow

Golden-Crowned Sparrow

After a scorching summer with record-breaking heat and long days of choking smoke, fall is finally peeking through. The sun is casting its light from a different angle, colors are more saturated outside, and the days are getting shorter and cooler. These all signal the beginning of my favorite season of the year.

White-Crowned Sparrow

Singing White-Crowned Sparrow

Fall migration has largely settled down, so now can I switch into a more relaxed pace of enjoying our winter friends and their behaviors. The days of the White-crowned Sparrow finally kicked off and I hear their cheerful song from my window in the morning. Sometimes I catch the solemn song of Golden-crowned Sparrow mixed in with the morning chorus. Crows are starting to merge into large gatherings to roost in their communities. More and more peeps (sandpipers) are showing up to winter in the Bay Area.

Least Sandpiper

Least Sandpiper

Now is a great time to brush up on waterfowl, gull, sandpiper, and sparrow IDs. Fall becomes more of a visual birding experience rather than a listening exercise, as many birds fall quiet and resort to whispered calls and chirps. I look for rustling leaves and try to figure out if it’s the wind or a bird hiding in a bush.

Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher

Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher

A group of smaller birds suddenly flying away may indicate a raptor nearby.

Northern Harrier

Northern Harrier

And while you’re looking up for a raptor, you may spot a flock of American White Pelicans floating against a clear blue sky.

American White Pelicans

American White Pelicans

Enjoy the fall, stay safe, and stay healthy. Birding is a magnificent way to relieve the stress of these times.

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Vegas, Baby!

Vegas, Baby!

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Red Rock Canyon NP

Red Rock Canyon NCA

A look of confusion always crosses people’s faces when I tell them I’m going to Vegas. “What’s not to love?” I try explaining. “I sit at the penny slots and Gabe tries to score free drinks while watching me lose our money!” (Actually, I’m a stingy gambler and set tight limits.) But people know me as a nature-loving bird-obsessed lady and don’t necessarily picture me in the thick of flashing lights, flowing alcohol, and scantily-clad entertainers. And yet, it’s a trip I like to do every few years.

This time we tried a new adventure and peeled ourselves away from The Strip. We rented a car for a day and I had to choose between Clark County Wetlands Park or Red Rock Canyon NCA, two good birding locations. I was pulled by the possibility of adding some desert lifers to my list, so out to the very chilly rocky desert we went.

Woodhouse's Scrub-Jay

Woodhouse’s Scrub Jay

Red Rock is a scenic 13-mile drive with lots of pullouts that lead to trails. The scenery was beautiful with the desert plant life and climbing rocks and canyons, but I was having a hard time locating the birds. They seemed extra wary and skittish, disappearing or halting their calls when we turned our attention in their direction.

There were two spots in particular that finally yielded decent bird activity without having to venture too far from the car: Lost Creek and Pine Creek Canyon. At Lost Creek, we spotted Woodhouse’s Scrub-Jays and heard the unmistakable screechy call of a Juniper Titmouse – the two lifers we would pick up from the trip. A couple of Verdin briefly showed. Spotted Towhees and White-crowned Sparrows were plentiful.

American Robin

American Robin

Pine Creek Canyon had the most variety including Gambel’s Quail heard off in the distance, a shy Cactus Wren that allowed only a brief glance before disappearing into the cactus, and a Ladder-backed Woodpecker that laughed while expertly covered in one of the few trees around. We uncovered a watering hole where a Phainopepla, various finches, and at least a hundred American Robins fluttered back and forth to grab a drink before the sun set. We were glued to the water spot for most of the walk, failing to identify some new calls but excited to watch the activity.

This side trip only whet our appetite to veer off The Strip and explore what Clark County has to offer with birds. Next time we will integrate time to gamble and to see Gambel’s Quail!

My Birding Day: Point Reyes Part I

My Birding Day: Point Reyes Part I

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Red-Breasted Nuthatch

Red-Breasted Nuthatch, Point Reyes Fish Docks, 2019

A little over a week ago, I participated in my first all-day birding field trip, sponsored by Ohlone Audubon Society and led by local expert Bob Toleno. We birded all over Point Reyes, chasing after rare birds, and frequently stopping for photo ops from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. I was completely exhausted by the end, but it was simultaneously exhilarating.

We started the day at Bear Valley Visitor Center where we divided into carpools, did a quick bird count while standing in the parking lot, and watched a Bobcat nearby. It was chilly – the car registering in the 40s – a much welcomed relief from the never-ending heat wave of the summer.

Bobcat

Bobcat, Point Reyes Bear Valley Visitor Center, 2019

I was excited to learn that our first stop would be the Fish Docks. The day before, a Prairie Warbler and Ovenbird had been spotted there. These would be lifers for us, and I was sure that the addition of more than a dozen watchful eyes would guarantee some lifer, if not those two in particular.

We were given a short lecture on bird migration by Bob, one of many tidbits of birding ID and behavior that I would soak up like a sponge for the next 9.5 hours. Birds migrate at night and can’t see below them. When the sun comes up, birds can find themselves over the ocean. In an “oh crap” moment, they will reverse course back northward in search of land, shelter, and food. There are two places nearby that offer just that: Farallon Islands and Point Reyes, particularly the Fish Docks with a tiny concentration of trees. No wonder this spot is a rich treasure of interesting birds.

Every chip, every possible flash of yellow, every leaf movement was scrutinized by the group. Scopes were deployed surveying the ocean, cameras with long lenses were pointing every which way into the bushes and trees. It seemed like every bird was a Red-breasted Nuthatch. Their yank calls permeated the air as they crawled all over trunks and branches.

White-Crowned sparrow

White-Crowned Sparrow, Point Reyes Bear Valley Visitor Center, 2019

An otter was spotted devouring a cormorant. Western Gulls and Common Ravens were nearby for pickings. Aptly-named Elephant Seals – mainly females, kids, and an occasional young male – grunted on the beach. Lots of fun birds were spotted. But no Ovenbird. No Prairie Warbler.

Then came excitement: a report of a Yellow-green Vireo was spotted at another nearby location. We quickly adjusted our itinerary and set off towards the Mendoza Ranch.