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Golden Eagle, Tolay Lake Regional Park, Petaluma

6/28/2015

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PicturePretty sure this is a Golden Eagle

A Golden Eagle, being harassed by some small birds, made a couple of low passes over my position, while on a hike in Tolay Lake park.


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Golden Eagle, Tolay Lake Regional Park
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Small bird still pursues the eagle.
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Female Western Bluebird, Tolay Lake Regional Park
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Meadow Lark
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Lots of Meadow Larks, but all from a distance
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Black Phoebe, Tolay Lake
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California Poppies, Tolay Lake
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Goldfinch were chattering and feeding among the tall grasses
PictureLoggerhead shrike in flight, Tolay Lake Regional Park
Thinking two chunky birds at the top of a bare tree in the park were scrub jays, I didn't give them much attention, just snapped one photo, but when they took off, I realized they were not Jays - they were Loggerhead Shrikes! - Tolay Lake Regional Park is one location where they are known to be seen!  Hopefully, I can get some better photos on a return visit.

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My one still photo of the intriguing Loggerhead Shrike, Tolay Lake Regional Park
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A Tern flew over the park
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This female Kestrel was actively hunting near some trees
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The woods were full of house wrens
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House wren, possibly a juvenile, Tolay Lake Regional Park
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Ash-throated Flycatcher, Tolay Lake
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White-breasted nuthatch, Tolay Lake
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Red-tail hawk, Tolay Lake Regional Park




Surprised a red-tail hawk when I turned a bend in a wooded section of the park
  - it jumped high in this tree and strained to get a good look at the intruder.
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Red-tail hawk finally taking to the air
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Red tail, zooming away
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Some of the tree swallow nests were still active, here is an adult bringing a beak full of bugs to a nest - the chicks could be heard chirping inside
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Another view, Tree swallow bringing food to a nest. Tolay Lake Regional Park
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Violet-green swallow chick at apple tree nest

6/26/2015

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One year, western bluebirds were in this tree nest; this year, earlier, a pair of oak titmouse raised their young; now the Violet-green swallows are using it!
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Violet-green swallow chick at nest opening, lower orchard
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Adult female Violet-green swallow swooped in to deliver a meal to its chick
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Violet-green swallow nest in back orchard, near the back yard - here the female shoots out - whenever they visit, the sound of the chicks is audible
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Female takes waste droppings out of nest
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Here is the male delivering a meal, both parents are involved in frequent visits
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Violet-green swallow nest parents take a break
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Pygmy nuthatch, back yard
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Red-breasted nuthatch, back yard
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Fledgling Red-breasted nuthatch waits for a meal
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White-breasted nuthatch at one of the suet feeders, back yard
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A pair of tree swallows have an active nest in the lower orchard, in one of the nest boxes
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Young quail disappear quickly and easily into the dry grasses, back orchard
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A young hawk? Red-shouldered hawk on one of the tall trees bordering the back orchard
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Nesting Osprey, Watsonville Wetlands

6/22/2015

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PictureMale Osprey in flight





This was a real treat on my visit with Andrea, to go with a small group to photograph the resident nesting Osprey - there was supposed to be a five day old chick in the nest, but it was too small to make an appearance.

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Osprey! Watsonville Wetlands
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Catching a nearby tree limb perch
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This is the male Osprey
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Osprey, Watsonville
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White Pelican at the slough, Watsonville Wetlands
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White Pelican flying overhead, Watsonville Slough
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Small tree swallow stopped for a nice pose, Watsonville Wetlands near the nesting Osprey
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Earlier in the day, in the midst of the Watsonville farmlands, a couple of barn swallows sat nicely for the camera


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Barn swallow
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One of an obliging pair of barn swallows
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Wilder Beach State Park, Santa Cruz

6/22/2015

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Pigeon Guillemot with some breeding holes in the cliffs
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Pigeon Guillemot - with bright orange feet!
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Pigeon Guillemots on the rocks
PictureActive cliff nest, Wilder Beach State Park


Pigeon Guillemot still had active nest holes in the cliffs above the beaches

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Pigeon Guillemot in flight
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Cormorant in the water, Wilder Beach State Park
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Brown Pelican and cormorants napping and grooming
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Seals and sea lions napping on an off shore rock
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Northern Harrier, Wilder Beach
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Lots of white-crowned sparrows
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Also an Ash-throated Flycatcher
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Birding in Corralitos, Watsonville & the Santa Cruz area

6/21/2015

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A fantastic visit to Andrea's - birds galore!!!
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The California Thrasher is a bird unique to California and Baja - due to habitat destruction, its numbers are in jeopardy.  Seemed to be thriving in Corralitos, however!

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The California Thrasher
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Thrasher with a sunflower seed
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Pacific Slope Flycather, side yard, Corralitos
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Same bird, different position
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Lots of quail!
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Mourning dove, front yard, Corralitos
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Juvenile or female Black-headed grosbeak, front yard
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Probably juvenile black-headed grosbeaks
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North Flicker in the front yard, Corralitos
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Northern Flicker at a water bowl
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Male Hooded Oriole with a bug - front yard
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Female or juvenile Hooded Oriole
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Male Hooded Oriole, front yard
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Male Hooded Oriole seemed to like this flower!
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Small fluffed up hummer near one of the feeders
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With summer, birds & animals try to chill out on the hot days

6/17/2015

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Mourning dove, front house bird bath
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Spotted Towhee, under shade trees in backyard
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Pygmy Nuthatch, adult, staying cool in backyard







A mother deer with her twin fawns in the lower orchard
; mother parks her fawns in the shade.
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Fawn, lower orchard
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Pacific Slope Flycatcher in the backyard - after months of not seeing this bird at all, two sightings in one week
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An Oak Titmouse in the back orchard checks out the active swallow's nest in one of the nest boxes
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Black-headed grosbeak in the shaded canopy
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Juvenile Red-breasted nuthatch at one of the hanging water bowls in the back yard



Brief Evening walk in the Laguna - Northern Mockingbird in full-throated song, in the last light of the day
and a Great Egret flies overhead towards its nightly roost.
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Great Egret in flight, the Laguna
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Northern Mockingbird, the Laguna
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Juvenile Bushtit, the Laguna
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Song sparrow sings to the ending of the day, the Laguna


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The Hour of the Quail

6/15/2015

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An early evening walk through the orchards, and found many quail about, and even some chicks!
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The fearless male California quail, lower orchard
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California Quail
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Quail chicks, perfectly camouflaged for the summer conditions in the orchards
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This male appeared, right after the chicks disappeared into the grasses, ready to take on any predators

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Another scout quail
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Female, her less vibrant coloring giving her perfect cover
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Only a few spring wildflowers remain in the orchards
Finally, the Pacific Slope Flycather - I think this is a young bird, in the lower orchard along a privately wooded area.  Small migratory summer visitor, olive colored, likes to hang out in wooded canopies, difficult to see until it moves.  Has a distinctive two tone whistle-like call.
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Pacific Slope Flycatcher
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Young Pacific Slope Flycatcher, lower orchard
Also, in the same area, I heard and finally saw some brown creepers.  I think there is a nest in here somewhere, but I could never pinpoint it.  Here is a brown creeper with a beak full of bugs, surely going to a nest.  (below)
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Brown Creeper, with bugs
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Closer look, the bugs look like small beetles



I found a cherry tree in a thickly wooded area next to one of the orchards - must be the lone survivor - Cherry Ridge is named after the cherry trees that were first planted here, but did not thrive, hence the change to apples, and now many orchards have been converted to grapes.
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Cherries on Cherry Ridge
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Male Western Bluebird, lower orchard
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Anna's hummer in the lower orchard
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Cherryridge Summer birds, part two

6/13/2015

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The resident red-tail hawk makes a low pass...
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Red-tailed Hawk
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Savannah sparrow in the back yard!
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Female turkey takes a dust bath in the back orchard
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Stirring up the dust!!!
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Goldfinch in the canopy near the feeders, back yard
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Chestnut-backed chickadee with a sunflower seed
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The seed is firmly grasped by both feet on a stout tree branch
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And is hammered until the seed is broken open
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This beautiful male goldfinch has an extra long toenail!
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The male black-headed Grosbeak
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Oak Titmouse at he suet feeder
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The female black-headed grosbeak
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Much more shy, the female black-headed grosbeak, getting some water
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The resident Red-shouldered hawk, fluffed up on a nearby utility pole
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The Pygmy Nuthatch

6/11/2015

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PicturePygmy Nuthatch adult, backyard
Cutest small bird award?  Lucky enough to have a small flock of pygmy nuthatches come by the backyard suet feeder every year, bringing their newly fledged chicks.

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Pygmy nuthatch fledgling - yellow on the beak is an indicator of a young bird
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Pygmy nuthatch fledgling just after a suet feeding
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Baby pygmy nuthatch
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Fledgling and adult, backyard
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Delivering suet
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Pygmy nuthatch fledgling, backyard
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Baby nuthatch soliciting a meal
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Fledgling Pygmy nuthatch
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Some summertime Cherryridge backyard birds

6/8/2015

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White-breasted nuthatch
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Nuthatch ready to shoot over to suet feeder
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Juvenile male Anna's hummer? Backyard
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Chestnut-backed chickadee struggles with a large piece of suet
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Quail are regular visitors, for the seeds and water
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Pygmy nuthatch dropping by with their young fledglings
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Red-breasted nuthatch, a suet lover
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Apples start to form on the orchard trees
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One of the fawns from last year, now a young adult
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A favorite perch of the resident Red-shouldered hawk, on the post holding the cable feeder which overlooks the backyard
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Red finch, loves the sunflower seeds
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Black-headed grosbeak at the sunflower seed feeder
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Same bird, different angle
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Dark-eyed junco, a year round backyard regular
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Goldfinch and pine siskin on the nyjer feeder
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Last but not least, the wild turkey
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    Walking through
    California coastal parks and redwoods, and sometimes beyond, with a Nikon DSLR & telephoto lens (completely amateur)


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