March 2019 – My Birding World

March SoCal Trip

March 31, 2019 Elizabeth Olin Comments 0 Comment

Western Bluebird, Huntington Central Park, 2019

Last weekend I visited my family in Southern California. We hit up as many birding hotspots as we could squeeze in a three-day trip. Spring was definitely in the air as we watched Japanese White-Eyes gathering nesting material, House Wren chasing away squirrels, and songs erupting everywhere.

Mandarin Ducks, Irvine Regional Park, 2019

The most exciting part of the trip was finding two rarities. One was a Gray Flycatcher – a lifer for us – catching bugs at Irvine Regional Park. It was a joy to watch as it hawked insects at dusk.

The other rarity was found at a little neighborhood community trail in Murrieta. A shadowy walk under trees that would eventually lead to a nearby park yielded a Plumbeous Vireo, who made an extremely brief visit with just enough time to snap an identifiable picture before it flew off into the neighborhood never to be seen again that day.

Common Raven, Irvine Regional Park, 2019

Rare birds are fun to see, but I also enjoy visiting the SoCal birds. Western Bluebirds were a brilliant blue, Common Ravens were busy croaking, and Red-crowned Parrots were noisily announcing their presence – which also made me laugh every time they squawked. Happy Spring!

Red-Crowned Parrot, Irvine Regional Park, 2019

Listen Carefully: Lesser Goldfinch Songs

March 22, 2019 Elizabeth Olin Comments 0 Comment

Lesser Goldfinch, Pt. Pinole Regional Shoreline, 2015

I like to walk fast. Zip around here and there. Although when I’m birding, I’m averaging about one mile an hour. But when not birding I’m speedy.

Recently my foot has been giving me problems, and the last couple of days it’s forced me to walk around much slower than I prefer. I take it in stride and try to enjoy the new sights and sounds of an otherwise familiar area. Colors are springing up in gardens and birds are more active as they gather nesting materials and fill the air with songs.

Garden Flower, Berkeley, 2010

Yesterday I spotted a Lesser Goldfinch brightly singing in the early evening in a small tree next to a medical building. Although I was on my way home and my mind was preoccupied with throwing together dinner, I stopped and listened. Familiar dips and crunchy chips filled the air. I heard a Chestnut-backed Chickadee call, but couldn’t find the bird. I heard it again, only to realize that the goldfinch made the call! My attention completely focused on the Goldie and its singing, I heard it demonstrate two more calls: an Oak Titmouse and a Black Phoebe. I ran home and a quick Google search confirmed that Lesser Goldfinches do in fact mimic, although ornithologists are not clear why. What a delightful thing to discover, all because I had been walking slower and enjoying the experience!

Chasing the Harris’s Sparrow

March 19, 2019 Elizabeth Olin Comments 0 Comment

It was the first warm, sunny day in months. I reluctantly slathered on sunscreen, loathing the oily liquid on my skin but knowing that I would be fried to a crisp without it. Binoculars in place, camera ready, energy bar in pocket, we were ready to chase after the rare Harris’s Sparrow.

After getting tips from a birder returning to his car, we set out in the Diablo Foothills to scan all the flocks of Golden-crowned Sparrows, knowing that our target bird was associating with a group of them. I was delighted to see Lark Sparrows, which is not a common sight for me. Their boldly striped face is unique and I was distracted by them for quite a while.

Lark Sparrow, 2019

Another birder joined the search, as is often the case when an unusual visitor arrives, and we split up locations to improve our chances of finding the sparrow. I kept on going back to a picnic area that was calling to me. But after multiple visits to that area, I headed towards another spot that was conveniently located near the restrooms. Our new birder friend stayed at the picnic area. Wouldn’t you know, after we left the little guy showed up! I saw the big camera lens come out and that was my cue to race back to the picnic area. I got there just in time to see it fly off to a distant tree.

Harris’s Sparrow, 2019

I easily spotted the sparrow, who relaxed between leaves. What a beautiful little bird! It had a brilliant white chest with black smudges at the top along with black on its chin and part of its head. I was entranced by its beauty, so much so that I watched it long after our birder friend left. I only stopped watching because it eventually flew away and I lost track of him.

Happy, we went back to the car and shared its location with a birder hoping to catch a glimpse of our rarity. I hope he was able to find it.

The Healing Power of Birds

March 7, 2019 Elizabeth Olin Comments 0 Comment

Steller’s Jay, 2016

It was a sick day. One of those days where you wake up with a stuffy head and can’t think straight. I dragged myself outside and walked to work in the light rain, dutifully making progress towards my daily 10,000 steps. I answered emails and attended meetings in my zombied state. I called my husband to make a frozen pizza for dinner as I witnessed my energy deplete.

Lunch time rolled around and it took all my will power to go outside. Usually I enjoy a bird walk around the campus, but my groggy head complained with each step. Giving up, I turned towards the office to rest, or perhaps take a quick sitting up in my chair. Then I heard it: a Steller’s Jay.

Ten years ago, I would watch with delight as my coworkers fed the jays peanuts at the windowsill. These days, I don’t see them that often anymore. Hearing the cackling squawk of the jay was enough to pop me out of my funk. Checklist initiated. Birding ensued. It was a shorter walk, but it was full of songs and life. Leave it to birds to provide healing energy.

My Birding Day: Rainy Weekend Birding Highlights

March 4, 2019 Elizabeth Olin Comments 0 Comment

Red-Throated Loon, Middle Harbor Shoreline Park, 2019

Friday: It was cloudy out with scattered showers. We decided to check out Middle Harbor Shoreline Park at the Port of Oakland to see if the storms turned up any interesting birds stopping for rest in the Bay Area. We started the walk with only our binoculars, but soon ran back to the car to grab the camera and scope. A loon! A Red-throated loon at that! Despite its white-throated winter appearance, this bird has a distinctive red throat during breeding season. I have yet to witness the brilliant plumage of this particular loon, but hope to see it someday.

Western Gull, Middle Harbor Shoreline Park, 2019

Saturday: Rain, rain, rainy day. We set out to Lake Temescal to see we could sneak in a quick trip. Upon arriving, the rain settled into an annoying mist that instantly dotted up our glasses, binoculars, and camera. The moisture kept the park mostly free of human visitors; however, the bird activity was amazing. Sparrows were dancing about, herons were active, and we even spotted a Belted Kingfisher.

Double-crested Cormorants were eagerly trying to dry off their wings. Their feathers absorb water to allow for faster dives and swims. Absorbing water means fewer bubbles are produced on their wings, which would slow down their underwater speeds. As a trade-off, they need to dry them out, which is why you’ll see them spreading their wings at times.

Double-Crested Coromorant, Lake Temescal Regional Recreation Area, 2019

Sunday: We joined the Ohlone Audubon Society for another bird walk, this time at Quarry Lakes Regional Recreation Area. It was cloudy for the entire trip. It even showered on us for a time, but no umbrellas were deployed, only plastic baggies to cover cameras. The three-mile trip yielded an impressive list of nearly 70 species. Grebes, ducks, gulls, sparrows, swallows, hummingbirds, woodpeckers, thrushes, and more were spotted with this group. I enjoyed the brief pops of color from the Anna’s Hummingbirds that contrasted with the dreary grey that hung over our heads. The highlight of the trip was spotting several Canada Geese that had unusually white heads where we typically see black. This feature shared with nearly half a dozen geese stumped the experts until a phone field guide app yielded pictures that shared the same traits. Everyone was excited to learn about this new field marker.

A Pop of Color from this Anna’s Hummingbird, Quarry Lakes, 2019

My Birding World

A Bird Blog by Elizabeth Olin

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Month: March 2019