Browsed by
Tag: White-Breasted Nuthatch

My Birding Day: South Lake Tahoe

My Birding Day: South Lake Tahoe

Comments 0 Comment
Fallen Leaf Lake, 2018

I haven’t written a post in a few weeks, partly because the Bay Area is warming up and I don’t do very well in the heat. The birds don’t particularly like the heat either. Birders mourn the summer blues where birding gets a little dull between migration and breeding seasons. It’s also straight up uncomfortable if you’re outdoors in the hottest part of the day.

This weekend I escaped to Tahoe on a whim to help cope with the heat and enjoy the 30-degree temperature difference. I love Tahoe and the mountains. The trees are different, the air is fresh, and new birds pop out here and there. I’m still trying to find the birding hotspots around the Tahoe area, but my go-to place is always Fallen Leaf Lake.

Lodgepole Chipmunk

Lodgepole Chipmunk, Fallen Leaf Lake, 2019

This lake is much smaller than Lake Tahoe, but it’s less crowded and more peaceful. Lodgepole Chipmunks are frantically running around and Mountain Chickadees are delightfully singing their bluesy tunes. I always find White-headed Woodpeckers, all three nuthatches (Red-breasted, Pygmy, and White-breasted), and Brown Creepers. This summer trip yielded plenty of Western Wood-Pewees and Warbling Vireos. Although not bursting with concentrated birding activity, Fallen Leaf Lake offers a beautiful hike. If you go early enough, you can walk quite a ways without running into people.

Western Tanager

Western Tanager, Van Sickle Bi-State Park, 2019

We checked out another park for the first time that crosses state lines: Van Sickle Bi-State Park. Colorful Western Tanagers popped out against the trees, a House Wren sang its heart out despite our close presence, and Steller’s Jays were busy eating enormous ants off the ground. My favorite moment was hearing a Fox Sparrow sing. These sparrows are present in the East Bay, but only in the winter and thus they are pretty quiet. The song was so captivating that I had to capture a recording on my phone for later submission on my birding checklist. I will definitely check out this Nevada site again and venture out further than a quarter mile from the parking lot!

House Wren

House Wren, Van Sickle Bi-State Park, 2019

Overall a great quick trip that gave us respite from the recording-breaking Bay Area heat.

My Birding Day: Sycamore Grove Park

My Birding Day: Sycamore Grove Park

Comments 0 Comment

Dark-Eyed Junco

Dark-Eyed Junco, Sycamore Grove Park, 2019

It was supposed to rain today. The dark clouds were looming overhead accompanied by chilly winds. Despite the risk of getting wet, we ventured out to Livermore to a local park – Sycamore Grove Park – in search of the rare Blue-gray Tanager. This species is native to southern Mexico through the northern section of South America. It is quite possible that this particular bird is a pet-escapee, in other words, a pet that was released (intentionally or accidentally) back into nature. Nevertheless, birders have flocked to this location to get a glimpse of this bird living its life in Livermore. We tried to locate this bird on a previous birding trip, but after six hours of hunting we gave up.

Blue-Gray Tanager

Blue-Gray Tanager, Sycamore Grove Park, 2019

We found our target bird while eating lunch. An added bonus was watching it sing briefly. Now feeling calm, I was able to really enjoy all the bird activity around me. The theme of the day was immature or recently fledged birds foraging. Lots of little ones were scurrying around, flapping their wings, constantly calling out to their parents for food. Some young birds simply perched in place, such as this Mourning Dove.

Mourning Dove

Mourning Dove, Sycamore Grove Park, 2019

Other birds were still being fed by their parents, such as this Oak Titmouse and White-breasted Nuthatch.

Oak Titmouse

Oak Titmouse, Sycamore Grove Park, 2019

White-Breasted Nuthatch

White-Breasted Nuthatch, Sycamore Grove Park, 2019

The Dark-eyed Juncos I watched were still young but able to forage on their own with parents nearby. They were hopping around, trying little bits of this and that to learn what’s edible or not.

Dark-Eyed Junco

Dark-Eyed Junco, Sycamore Grove Park, 2019

It was a fun afternoon with so much dense birding that we stayed by the parking lot for nearly two hours. Despite it being Memorial Weekend, this normally-busy park was empty of visitors, allowing for a peaceful birding experience.