We at In Birds We Trust are very excited about all your support and contributions. It makes us even more dedicated to getting to 100 different birds, and to being responsible about really identifying those birds. This post will finish with our finds from our Turtle Bay excursion. We are about to undertake a new adventure: California Duck Days in Davis (always assuming it isn’t actually hailing when we’re scheduled for our tour!).
We saw some smaller birds at Turtle Bay. We saw a Ruby-crowned Kinglet, pale gray with natty white wing bars. We were not able to see the red crown. He was tiny and chubby, very dear. These birds are constantly busy foragers in trees, and the literature says they sometimes mine the sap wells of sapsuckers, so perhaps our little guy was following the much larger sapsucker about. We also saw Bushtits, equally tiny, a vision of pale grays. They also are always in motion, chattering to each other to keep a foraging flock together. We saw a White-breasted Nuthatch, slightly larger. These are more distinctly marked birds, with a black cap and white breast and face. They move distinctively down tree trunks, poking their sharp beaks into bark cavities for insects, and sometimes hang upside down from branches. And we saw a Bewick’s Wren, small but with a long tail flicking about, a white eye stripe, brownish gray with paler belly. These wrens are also insect foragers, usually on the lower branches of trees and shrubs.
We saw Golden-crowned Sparrows. Sparrows are hard for us to identify because there are just so darn many different kinds. All have the cone-shaped beak and the ground- or low-ranging foraging behavior. These had a black crown with a yellow patch on top, however, along with their white stripes on the wings.
And we saw Turkey Vultures, looming as they do in trees, alert for someone else’s tragedy. The first we saw had a red head so dark it was purplish, a likely sign that breeding was due to begin. It is hard, I (Catherine) know, to feel kindly toward these birds, but I’ve had a soft spot for them every since they caused an epiphany. One of the first times I thought I could hike alone in the wild, I undertook a trail in Pinnacles National Monument east of Monterey. I told the ranger where I was going, asking that she call for land and air support if I wasn’t back before dark. The trail really pushed my afraid-of-heights issues; at one point I actually did a narrow ridge on my hands and knees. But I made it to the top and was immediately treated to the sight of enormous birds, probably as big as Volkswagens, soaring above the ridge. I was immensely moved. When I got back down to report in to the ranger, certain I’d seen the first of the re-introduced condors, she said, ‘Oh yes, the turkey vultures like to soar up there at the end of the day.’ Turkey vultures? I had a religious experience prompted by turkey vultures? Well, I guess so.
Total, to 2/22: 40
Friday, February 25, 2011
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
February 19
Among the stars of our Turtle Bay birding expedition were the Bald Eagles. As the newbies to town, we were mightily impressed when two Bald Eagles flew by, posing in perfect profile for their ‘put me on the stamp’ picture. Then we saw the shiny something next to their enormous nest: a web cam. Turns out that these two eagles are indeed local stars: named Liberty (female) and Patriot (male) They began nesting here in 2004; they hatched their first eaglets in 2006. They were fierce about remaining in their nest even when CalTrans began a highway project just yards from the nest in 2008. The web camera was installed then. Liberty and Patriot have successfully fledged 20 eaglets, and the day after we visited them they laid two additional eggs. You can see them for yourself at www.turtlebay.org/eaglecam.
We saw a juvenile Red-Tailed Hawk, learning from our fellow birders that even before the identifiable red tail, these hawks show black on the leading edge of their wings. These birds soar, apparently effortlessly, with fanned tails and very little flapping. And we saw a Great Blue Heron, that royalty of the marsh. These fishermen stand quietly in the shallow part of the stream, waiting for dinner to be delivered.
And we enjoyed a bounty of woodpeckers. All these birds of the Picidae Family are built to stand upright on tree trunks, and that is where we found them. They use their stiff-pointed tail feathers with their legs to form a tripod to brace themselves against the tree. It is always surprising they don’t knock themselves silly drumming on the trees. We saw a Downy Woodpecker, on the small end of woodpecker range, who was actively poking into the tree for a snack. We saw a Nuttall’s Woodpecker, slightly larger and with a more speckled back than the Downy, but similar behavior. We also saw the Red-breasted Sapsucker, with a blacker head and bright red chin and throat. These are bigger than either of the other woodpeckers we saw. Apparently, they are named for the sap wells they drill in trees in order to attract and trap insects. (Despite our long-held belief that the name was just trash talk in the bird world.)
We saw American Goldfinches, social and busy little creatures, although not as bright a yellow as they will become when fully breeding. Even so, it is easy to see why they are sometimes called the Wild Canary. We also saw Yellow-rumped Warblers, who have a yellow throat in addition to that rump. These are cheerful birds, with their slow warbles and their tendency to come in bunches.
We saw Spotted Towhees, also called Rufous-sided Towhees. They wear black hoods with streaky chestnut and white markings. We also saw California Towhees, plainer gray-brown, with a ‘chip…chip….chip’ call. These Towhees are overgrown sparrows with the large, seed-cracking bill of the sparrow.
Total to 2/19: 34
We saw a juvenile Red-Tailed Hawk, learning from our fellow birders that even before the identifiable red tail, these hawks show black on the leading edge of their wings. These birds soar, apparently effortlessly, with fanned tails and very little flapping. And we saw a Great Blue Heron, that royalty of the marsh. These fishermen stand quietly in the shallow part of the stream, waiting for dinner to be delivered.
And we enjoyed a bounty of woodpeckers. All these birds of the Picidae Family are built to stand upright on tree trunks, and that is where we found them. They use their stiff-pointed tail feathers with their legs to form a tripod to brace themselves against the tree. It is always surprising they don’t knock themselves silly drumming on the trees. We saw a Downy Woodpecker, on the small end of woodpecker range, who was actively poking into the tree for a snack. We saw a Nuttall’s Woodpecker, slightly larger and with a more speckled back than the Downy, but similar behavior. We also saw the Red-breasted Sapsucker, with a blacker head and bright red chin and throat. These are bigger than either of the other woodpeckers we saw. Apparently, they are named for the sap wells they drill in trees in order to attract and trap insects. (Despite our long-held belief that the name was just trash talk in the bird world.)
We saw American Goldfinches, social and busy little creatures, although not as bright a yellow as they will become when fully breeding. Even so, it is easy to see why they are sometimes called the Wild Canary. We also saw Yellow-rumped Warblers, who have a yellow throat in addition to that rump. These are cheerful birds, with their slow warbles and their tendency to come in bunches.
We saw Spotted Towhees, also called Rufous-sided Towhees. They wear black hoods with streaky chestnut and white markings. We also saw California Towhees, plainer gray-brown, with a ‘chip…chip….chip’ call. These Towhees are overgrown sparrows with the large, seed-cracking bill of the sparrow.
Total to 2/19: 34
Sunday, February 20, 2011
February 17
We saw more than ducks on our Turtle Bay expedition. We saw Canada Geese, sometimes called Honkers because of their familiar call. Equally familiar are their heads, looking like a black stocking with a white chin strap. We have a history with cousins of these geese: A small race of Canada goose, the Aleutian goose, is an endangered species success story. These Aleutian geese travel every year from islands in the Aleutian chain to the rich forage of California. By the early years of this century they were nearly extinct, largely due to the introduction of foxes onto their breeding islands in the Aleutians (placed there so that the fox coats would grow more lushly for a harvest for coats and hats). With the elimination of the foxes and some protection to their wintering grounds in California, they have rebounded in great numbers. We have travelled to Crescent City in the past for a goose festival, the high point of which is watching hundreds of the geese lift off at dawn, heading for the Aleutians after carbo-loading in the grain fields of Crescent City. We’ve had a fondness for the Canada goose ever since.
We saw European Starlings in Turtle Bay. These were introduced in 19th century New York from Europe, and are generally thought to be a pest, dislodging other cavity-nesting birds like nuthatches and flickers. Still, their speckled looks are cheerful. And there were Scrub Jays, long-tailed blue-gray birds. These are corvids, related to crows, magpies and ravens. And they have a bad reputation, especially for eating the eggs and young of other birds as well as crop nuts. But they are easy to spot, and welcoming as they bob and bow on their perches.
We saw Great Egrets, those elegant white birds with big yellow bills and black legs and feet. These birds were decimated by hunters seeking their plumes for hats, but have since recovered. They are patient fishermen, standing and waiting for what swims by, but will also eat frogs and other small creatures. There were Double-Crested Cormorants; their double crests not visible on this day. They are recognizable, however, for their stance with beak tilted to the sky, and for their habit of spreading their wings as they stand, apparently to dry. And we saw a Belted Kingfisher, apparently fishing companionably with a Great Egret. These stocky birds with their big heads look on patrol as they perch watchfully on the riverbank.
We saw groups of Tree Swallows. The exact species of swallow would be difficult for us to distinguish were we not with experienced birders. Swallows generally have poorly developed legs and feet and rarely are seen on the ground. They swoop and turn and climb and turn, apparently with their mouths wide open to scoop up those tasty insects. There were Mourning Doves, with their small heads, and their evocative coo-coos.
There were Black Phoebes in the trees, with their black head and chest and white belly, a member of the Tyrant Flycatcher family. We presume that they are called Tyrants because of their alert posture, looking for insects. And on the edge of the parking lot, some Brewer’s Blackbirds, scooting along the verge as they forage for food. They are modest little birds, black (males) and brown (females).
Total, to 2/17: 24
We saw European Starlings in Turtle Bay. These were introduced in 19th century New York from Europe, and are generally thought to be a pest, dislodging other cavity-nesting birds like nuthatches and flickers. Still, their speckled looks are cheerful. And there were Scrub Jays, long-tailed blue-gray birds. These are corvids, related to crows, magpies and ravens. And they have a bad reputation, especially for eating the eggs and young of other birds as well as crop nuts. But they are easy to spot, and welcoming as they bob and bow on their perches.
We saw Great Egrets, those elegant white birds with big yellow bills and black legs and feet. These birds were decimated by hunters seeking their plumes for hats, but have since recovered. They are patient fishermen, standing and waiting for what swims by, but will also eat frogs and other small creatures. There were Double-Crested Cormorants; their double crests not visible on this day. They are recognizable, however, for their stance with beak tilted to the sky, and for their habit of spreading their wings as they stand, apparently to dry. And we saw a Belted Kingfisher, apparently fishing companionably with a Great Egret. These stocky birds with their big heads look on patrol as they perch watchfully on the riverbank.
We saw groups of Tree Swallows. The exact species of swallow would be difficult for us to distinguish were we not with experienced birders. Swallows generally have poorly developed legs and feet and rarely are seen on the ground. They swoop and turn and climb and turn, apparently with their mouths wide open to scoop up those tasty insects. There were Mourning Doves, with their small heads, and their evocative coo-coos.
There were Black Phoebes in the trees, with their black head and chest and white belly, a member of the Tyrant Flycatcher family. We presume that they are called Tyrants because of their alert posture, looking for insects. And on the edge of the parking lot, some Brewer’s Blackbirds, scooting along the verge as they forage for food. They are modest little birds, black (males) and brown (females).
Total, to 2/17: 24
Friday, February 18, 2011
February 15
In Birds We Trust joined the Wintu Audubon Society on Lincoln’s Birthday for a ramble around Turtle Bay in Redding. We were impressed, as always, at the coots in evidence. No, not those ubiquitous black water birds that flock to marshy areas throughout California. We found those, of course. (The avian coots were swimming as usual, pumping their heads back and froth, showing off their white beaks.) In addition, we found a plenty of knowledgeable, generous human coots of both genders, who provide their time, experience, and learning to willing neighbors, apparently for the joy of sharing something good. Turtle Bay itself is right in downtown, in the shadow of the spectacular Sundial Bridge. It is thoroughly worked over territory on the Sacramento River. Loggers floated enormous logs to the Bay in the early years of the century, down the Pit River to a mill located here. And dam-builders mined gravel here in the 1930’s and 40’s to build Shasta Dam. Today a bicycle and walking trail winds along the bay and river, ideal for birding.
Large portions of this birding were all about ducks. We saw dabbling or puddle ducks. These are always charming as they upend, showing their rumps, to find water plants and animals. We saw Mallards (metallic green head on the males), Gadwalls (chestnut and black colors with white bellies), and American Wigeons (natty white caps on the males and a green stripe through the male’s eye).
We saw pochards or bay ducks, who are divers and whose feet are set further back on their bodies than the dabblers. We learned to recognize Canvasbacks (chestnut heads on the males and whitish backs and sides) by their very sloping foreheads. We saw Ring-necked ducks, whose necks aren’t ringed but their beaks are (dark heads that are a little peaked); and Lesser Scaups (dark head nearly purplish, no white ring on the bill).
We saw sea ducks (which often live in freshwater areas as well as the sea), who are also divers. There were Common Goldeneye, with checkered white on their wings and a round white spot on the cheek of the male. There were Bufflehead, whose head is such a puffball, with a large white patch on the male’s head. And we saw Common Mergansers (reddish bill, long neck, and a tuft of hair that catches the wind. One of our group called it a Lyle Lovett start-up kit), and Hooded Mergansers (darker bill than the Common, and white head patches).
Altogether, we had a satisfying adventure: more of our sightings soon.
Total, to 2/15: 14
Large portions of this birding were all about ducks. We saw dabbling or puddle ducks. These are always charming as they upend, showing their rumps, to find water plants and animals. We saw Mallards (metallic green head on the males), Gadwalls (chestnut and black colors with white bellies), and American Wigeons (natty white caps on the males and a green stripe through the male’s eye).
We saw pochards or bay ducks, who are divers and whose feet are set further back on their bodies than the dabblers. We learned to recognize Canvasbacks (chestnut heads on the males and whitish backs and sides) by their very sloping foreheads. We saw Ring-necked ducks, whose necks aren’t ringed but their beaks are (dark heads that are a little peaked); and Lesser Scaups (dark head nearly purplish, no white ring on the bill).
We saw sea ducks (which often live in freshwater areas as well as the sea), who are also divers. There were Common Goldeneye, with checkered white on their wings and a round white spot on the cheek of the male. There were Bufflehead, whose head is such a puffball, with a large white patch on the male’s head. And we saw Common Mergansers (reddish bill, long neck, and a tuft of hair that catches the wind. One of our group called it a Lyle Lovett start-up kit), and Hooded Mergansers (darker bill than the Common, and white head patches).
Altogether, we had a satisfying adventure: more of our sightings soon.
Total, to 2/15: 14
Monday, February 7, 2011
February 4:
Small groups of red-shafted flickers appear in our foothill yards these days. They are said to be foraging for ants on the ground. They scatter when we come close. The flickers have a loud location call when they scoot up to the trees: keck-keck-keck-keck in a rolling sound. They flash their spectacular red underwings and bob their heads, with their upright posture reminding us that they are woodpeckers, in spite of their ground foraging behavior. We fight a continuing battle with the ants when the weather warms: we wish those flickers good luck with their ant search.
Total: 3
Small groups of red-shafted flickers appear in our foothill yards these days. They are said to be foraging for ants on the ground. They scatter when we come close. The flickers have a loud location call when they scoot up to the trees: keck-keck-keck-keck in a rolling sound. They flash their spectacular red underwings and bob their heads, with their upright posture reminding us that they are woodpeckers, in spite of their ground foraging behavior. We fight a continuing battle with the ants when the weather warms: we wish those flickers good luck with their ant search.
Total: 3
February 1, 2011
Our New Year bird hunt began with a home delivery: two local ravens arrived in the trees around Jaci’s pond. Ravens are large, burly, black all over birds, with a deep, hoarse croak. That croak does sound like the doom of Edgar Allan Poe’s imagination. They are smart birds, although not always reliable. Noah sent a raven to scout for land. When the raven didn’t return, Noah sent the doves instead. They are omnivores, as are we. And they are social. We thought that perhaps they came on New Year’s morning to wish us well in our pursuits; they more likely came to laugh at the domestic ducks who found a thin sheen of ice on the pond and were complaining, nipping at each other, and generally raising a ruckus over ther inability to get onto the pond.
Mid January, Jaci heard them before she saw them. Loud cacophony of honking, trumpeting, whistling, whooping.....then over the pasture and the house in long V's 50-70 Sand hill Cranes stretch north. Like arrows shot from bows, long necks tipped with red heads, Chinese fame tails and legs for rudders, they fly north below the higher gray clouds streaming south. They fly 50 miles an hour, which when you think of it....is about right. Rising with the sun from the Sacramento Delta would put them here at about 10am. All morning they come: three V's in the first half hour. Sounding their way to Tule lake...scooting around the windmills on Hatchet...headed for Chalk Mountain. Cranes are dancers, and when they graze they look like teenagers bobbing along with a boom box under those feathers. They mate for life. What is not to like?
Total: 2
Our New Year bird hunt began with a home delivery: two local ravens arrived in the trees around Jaci’s pond. Ravens are large, burly, black all over birds, with a deep, hoarse croak. That croak does sound like the doom of Edgar Allan Poe’s imagination. They are smart birds, although not always reliable. Noah sent a raven to scout for land. When the raven didn’t return, Noah sent the doves instead. They are omnivores, as are we. And they are social. We thought that perhaps they came on New Year’s morning to wish us well in our pursuits; they more likely came to laugh at the domestic ducks who found a thin sheen of ice on the pond and were complaining, nipping at each other, and generally raising a ruckus over ther inability to get onto the pond.
Mid January, Jaci heard them before she saw them. Loud cacophony of honking, trumpeting, whistling, whooping.....then over the pasture and the house in long V's 50-70 Sand hill Cranes stretch north. Like arrows shot from bows, long necks tipped with red heads, Chinese fame tails and legs for rudders, they fly north below the higher gray clouds streaming south. They fly 50 miles an hour, which when you think of it....is about right. Rising with the sun from the Sacramento Delta would put them here at about 10am. All morning they come: three V's in the first half hour. Sounding their way to Tule lake...scooting around the windmills on Hatchet...headed for Chalk Mountain. Cranes are dancers, and when they graze they look like teenagers bobbing along with a boom box under those feathers. They mate for life. What is not to like?
Total: 2
In Birds We Trust: A 2011 Challenge
In Birds We Trust (Catherine Camp, Jaci White, and Rhoda Haberman) is a group of friends engaged in a challenge to support a charity. We are birding in support of At The Crossroads. At The Crossroads provides hands-on services to young people at a critical and transitional time in their lives; it does so compassionately, effectively and efficiently. We strongly support the goal of ATC; we admire the creativity and expertise of ATC. We strongly urge you to join us in support of the mission of ATC. We are women 'of a certain age.' We want our next years to be surrounded by young people who believe we have done our best to see them grow and thrive.
We will identify 100 bird species in California over the next four months, participate in at least 3 organized birding events, and take to the fields, streams and backyards as needed in between. We will post updates on this blog about all of our birding adventures - both good and bad! We encourage you to follow our updates, and join us for birding. Above all, we encourage you to support our efforts with a pledge.
You can suppoort our efforts by sending a pledt to www.atthecrossroads.org/campaign/inbirdswetrust1. Or, you can send a check to us directly at 2222 H Street, Sacramento CA 95816.
We are three long-time friends, with a history of birding adventures (and misadventures). Let it be said that our birding history is a bit checkered… some of us have had the tendency to believe that if a kestrel might possibly be there, and the flutter in the tree occurs at the right time of day, well, it must be a kestrel, no matter how fleeting the view. Nevertheless, we have never had a bad day in a marsh. Want to join us? Just contact us and we'll provide the date, the time and we'll bring the smoked oysters and champagne!
In Birds We Trust (Catherine Camp, Jaci White, and Rhoda Haberman) is a group of friends engaged in a challenge to support a charity. We are birding in support of At The Crossroads. At The Crossroads provides hands-on services to young people at a critical and transitional time in their lives; it does so compassionately, effectively and efficiently. We strongly support the goal of ATC; we admire the creativity and expertise of ATC. We strongly urge you to join us in support of the mission of ATC. We are women 'of a certain age.' We want our next years to be surrounded by young people who believe we have done our best to see them grow and thrive.
We will identify 100 bird species in California over the next four months, participate in at least 3 organized birding events, and take to the fields, streams and backyards as needed in between. We will post updates on this blog about all of our birding adventures - both good and bad! We encourage you to follow our updates, and join us for birding. Above all, we encourage you to support our efforts with a pledge.
You can suppoort our efforts by sending a pledt to www.atthecrossroads.org/campaign/inbirdswetrust1. Or, you can send a check to us directly at 2222 H Street, Sacramento CA 95816.
We are three long-time friends, with a history of birding adventures (and misadventures). Let it be said that our birding history is a bit checkered… some of us have had the tendency to believe that if a kestrel might possibly be there, and the flutter in the tree occurs at the right time of day, well, it must be a kestrel, no matter how fleeting the view. Nevertheless, we have never had a bad day in a marsh. Want to join us? Just contact us and we'll provide the date, the time and we'll bring the smoked oysters and champagne!
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