Cow Birds

I got to go birding again.  This time we started in Suisun City and headed out Hwy 12 and continued onto Hwy 16.  It was cold and foggy when we began at around 8 am.  I drove by myself because, at the time, I thought I needed to be back to pick up parents, but that got cancelled.  So, what did I see?. Well, at first, nothing.  I'm glad I was in the car as the temperature was 39 degrees.  The bad news is I didn't get any pictures of birds.  They were just too far away. The good news is eventually I did see some cool birds. I did get to see goldfinches which there were over 100 lined up winged feathers to feathers sitting on a wire giving off a yellow glow all around them.  It was amazing.  I also saw a couple of red tail hawks. There was a meadowlark and shrike sitting next to each other which was quite a striking site since they both have a completely different look.  Lastly I saw a burrowing owl peaking out of his home in the side of the mound of dirt on the side of the road.I could only see one big yellow suspicious eye looking around at all of us. 

© keefee

This handsome little finch, the state bird of New Jersey, Iowa, and Washington, is welcome and common at feeders, where it takes primarily sunflower and nyjer. Goldfinches often flock with Pine Siskins and Common Redpolls. Spring males are brilliant yellow and shiny black with a bit of white. Females and all winter birds are more dull but identifiable by their conical bill; pointed, notched tail; wingbars; and lack of streaking. During molts they look bizarrely patchy.

Lake Hennessey

This is my first birding adventure since I retired.  I was very nervous about getting out as I didn't know anyone, wasn't sure where I was going, and had to get up earlier (it's cold in the early morning!) than has been my habit since retiring.  I was on my own.  My thoughtful husband woke me at 6 am to ask me if I was going.  I had talked myself out of it, but decided it was fate if he was waking me.  .  So, I packed up my supplies:  healthy food, warm clothing, and viewing equipment, and headed out the door.  As it turned out, I arrived at the meeting place with 5 minutes to spare after missing the spot only once and making the loop around to Sweeney's in Napa.  After figuring out logistics, I was the designated driver of 4 other birders.  One fellow came from as far as Berkeley.  There were around 20 people in the group as we arrived at Lake Hennessey.  Off we ventured to see what we could spot.  Four or five in the group had scopes and everyone had binoculars.  So, without further ado, these are the birds I was able to spot, snap a picture, and remember the name.

 

© Raymond Lee

The Bald Eagle has been the national emblem of the United States since 1782 and a spiritual symbol for native people for far longer than that. These regal birds aren’t really bald, but their white-feathered heads gleam in contrast to their chocolate-brown body and wings. Look for them soaring in solitude, chasing other birds for their food, or gathering by the hundreds in winter. Once endangered by hunting and pesticides, Bald Eagles have flourished under protection.

This is a great egret.The elegant Great Egret is a dazzling sight in many a North American wetland. Slightly smaller and more svelte than a Great Blue Heron, these are still large birds with impressive wingspans. They hunt in classic heron fashion, standing immobile or wading through wetlands to capture fish with a deadly jab of their yellow bill. Great Egrets were hunted nearly to extinction for their plumes in the late nineteenth century, sparking conservation movements and some of the first laws to protect birds.

The Red-breasted Sapsucker is a denizen of the coniferous forests of the northern Pacific Coast, usually found at middle or lower elevations.  We were lucky to see this one today.

Also I spotted a kinglet (I didn't get a picture) which I noted looked like a hummingbird without the long skinny beak and when I mentioned it to the person standing next to me was told it was a kinglet. I surprisingly identified the same bird again while visiting my brother in Napa.  I felt so proud of myself.  I did learn from my Lake Hennessey adventure - well worth my initial jitters !Now I have to get better at picture taking. Oh, and the bonus was I walked over 10,000 steps that day!

Fall Find

This bird was spotted on our trip to Indonesia while on Komodo Island.  We didn't see many komodos here, but this fellow was worth it.  This is a wallacean drongo.   It seems as unique to me as each of the students I have this year.  They each bring such sweetness and beauty to our environment. 

• Dull blue-black plumage with greenish gloss
• Well developed feathers at base of bill extending forwards over culmen
• Long and deeply forked tail, tips slightly upcurved
• Thick, heavy and highly arched bill, ending in strong downward curve
• Red bill

Sexes similar but females slightly smaller. Juveniles have a dark brown eye.
The different subspecies differ mainly in size, bill size and glossiness. The only drongo in its range. Feeds on insects. Perches under canopy, sallying from a branch to seize insects.
Usually seen singly or in pairs, on Sumba sometimes in bigger groups of up to 10 birds. Often near groups of Crab-eating Macaques on Sumba.
Only a few data about breeding on Flores. One nest was 10m above the ground, eggs were laid from October to December.
A resident species.

Wallacean Drongo

Dicrurus densus


The Wallacean Drongo or Greater Wallacean Drongo (Dicrurus densus) is a species of bird in the Dicruridae family. It can be found in the countries of Indonesia and East Timor. Contrary to the independence of East Timor, the Wallacean Drongo continues to be considered an endemic. It breeds in both countries. Its natural are subtropical or tropical moist lowland , subtropical or tropical mangrove forests, and subtropical or tropical moist montane forests.

Blue Jay of May

 

I've been trying to capture this fellow for quite some time.  He's been hanging out here the last few days.  He makes quite a lot of noise. He reminds me of a couple of my students.  He pulled a baby bird from out cypress trees and ate it.  Here's some interesting information about blue jays:

© MMATM

The “blue jay” of dry Western lowlands, the Western Scrub-Jay combines deep azure blue with dusty gray-brown and white. The rounded, crestless head immediately sets it apart from Blue Jays and Steller’s Jays. These birds are a fixture of dry shrublands, oak woodlands, and pinyon pine-juniper forests, as well as conspicuous visitors to backyards.

Cool Facts

• The Western Scrub-Jay’s calls are a hallmark sound of the open West. Some 20 call types are known, and perhaps the best description comes from naturalist W. L. Dawson in 1923: “No masquerader at Mardi Gras has sprung such a cacophonic device upon a quiveringly expectant public. Dzweep, dzweep: it curdles the blood, as it is meant to do.”
• Western Scrub-Jays have a mischievous streak, and they’re not above outright theft. They’ve been caught stealing acorns from Acorn Woodpecker caches and robbing seeds and pine cones from Clark’s Nutcrackers. They even seem aware of their guilt: some scrub-jays steal acorns they’ve watched other jays hide. When these birds go to hide their own acorns, they check first that no other jays are watching.

Spring has Sprung

To celebrate Spring, here is a Saddlebill Stork from Tanzania, our only favorite safari. I just bought an exotic looking flower at the nursery that reminded me of the  exotic wildlife we saw in Africa.  The colors, shapes and sizes are always amazing.  Spring is a busy time of mothers taking care of their babies.  I just found out I will be teaching young children again which I am very excited about.  Here is more information on this beautiful bird.  I got it from the San Diego Zoo's children's site.

Area: 

Africa

Habitat: 

marshes, edges of rivers, and lakes

Food: 

fish, crabs, large water beetles and other insects, frogs, reptiles and small mammals

Size: 

Up to 5 feet tall; wingspan about 8 feet

Babies: 

Fuzzy white chicks are fed by their parents for about 3 months

You can tell the sex of a saddlebill stork by looking at its eyes: females' are yellow, males' are brown.

Delightful December

This was taken in Peteluma.  I couldn't believe the bird just sat there and let me snap as many pictures as I wanted.  I believe it is a red-tail hawk.  It was such a delightful day out, just like my next two weeks will be.  If it wasn't for yoga, friends, and these outings, I would quit my job which means retire early and volunteer.  Then I could choose which students to work with.  I love my job, but I don't like some students ruining the experience for other students continuously day after day.  I want to teach, not babysit.  Enough said...

Habitat and Diet

• Red-tailed hawks are birds of prey. They hunt rabbits, squirrels, lizards, mice or other rodents (or any small animal). Their sharp vision allows them to spot their targets from the height of trees or telephone poles. Red-tailed hawks prefer to live in open spaces, such as fields, deserts and mountains, where it can be more difficult for prey to hide. The space also allows the aerial hunter to dive down and catch its prey. Hawks, unlike falcons, dive slowly, feet first, with their talons outstretched and ready to grab their meal.
  

Mating

• These birds of prey mate for life. Their typical mating ritual involves dancing together through the air; a dance that ends with a death-defying stunt. The birds lock their talons together and plummet toward the ground in an uncontrolled fall before separating again. Once mated, red-tailed hawks will often hunt as a team. They also parent as a team, taking turns warming eggs and feeding chicks. Red-tail hawks often choose a territory of their own, living in the same nest and hunting in the same fields throughout their lives.
  

Some Fun Facts

• Did you know that red-tailed hawks are one of the few birds of prey that actually "scream?" According to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, whenever a bird of prey (of any species) is shown hunting or diving in films, the sound effect that is used is almost always a red-tailed hawk cry. Despite fearsome cry and large size, the biggest of red-tailed hawks rarely weighs more than three pounds. Red-tailed hawks also have an impressive life span, averaging 21 years in the wild. The oldest known red-tailed hawk lived almost 29 years.
  

Read more: http://www.ehow.com/info_8309025_redtail-hawk.html#ixzz2o1nMlXJa

Humming Around

While hanging out at my parents' house this weekend and waiting for my dad to connect with the pharmacist, I spotted a hummingbird also hanging out.  I think he was protecting his territory.  When I first glanced out the door, I thought it was another leaf on the peach tree. I think this is a Allan but not sure.

This little fellow reminds me of my students this year.  Sometimes calm and attentive, other times flighty, unfocused, here, there, and everywhere.

Basic Facts About Hummingbirds

Hummingbirds are small, colorful birds with iridescent feathers. Their name comes from the fact that they flap their wings so fast (about 80 times per second) that they make a humming noise. Hummingbirds can fly right, left, up, down, backwards, and even upside down. They are also able to hover by flapping their wings in a figure-8 pattern. They have a specialized long and tapered bill that is used to obtain nectar from the center of long, tubular flowers. The hummingbird’s feet are used for perching only, and are not used for hopping or walking.

 

Diet

Hummingbirds primarily eat flower nectar, tree sap, insects and pollen.
The hummingbird’s fast breathing rate, fast heartbeat and high body temperature require that they eat often. They also require an enormous amount of food each day. Hummingbirds have a long tongue which they use to lick their food at a rate of up to 13 licks per second.

Population

It is difficult to estimate population numbers since there are many different species spanning a large geographic area.

Range

Hummingbirds are found only in the Western Hemisphere, from southeastern Alaska to southern Chile, although most live in the tropics. There are 320 species of hummingbirds, 12 of which summer in North America and winter in tropical areas.

Behavior

Like other birds, hummingbirds communicate via visual displays. Hummingbirds are very territorial and have been observed chasing each other and even larger birds such as hawks away from their territories.