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Western Kingbird, Tolay Lake Regional Park, Petaluma

6/28/2017

1 Comment

 
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There were many kingbirds in the park, they are a type of flycatcher bird.
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Western Kingbird, Tolay Lake Regional Park
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Western Kingbird with a bug.
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Dreamy looking birds....the western kingbird
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Hutton's vireo, the Laguna de Santa Rosa, Sebastopol
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Another view, Hutton's vireo, the Laguna
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Western wood pewee, the Laguna
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Female Downy woodpecker, the Laguna
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Hooded oriole in the park! The Laguna
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Red-shouldered hawk on a branch overlooking the trail, in the Laguna
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Male Bullock's oriole with a bug, on the outskirts of the park
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Juvenile Bullock's oriole, a couple of these youngsters were hanging out in thick tree foliage.
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Juvenile Bullock's oriole
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Juvenile Western Bluebirds, Ragle Ranch Park, Sebastopol

6/21/2017

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A family of western bluebirds, including three or four first year youngsters, were out hunting together in one of the open fields, Ragle Ranch Regional Park, Sebastopol
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Juvenile western bluebird, Sebastopol
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Male California quail, Ragle Park
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Brown creeper, Ragle Park, Sebastopol
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Out at the coast, near the Doran Beach bird walk, this juvenile Wilson's warbler.
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Killdeer, Doran Bird Walk, Bodega
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Near owl canyon, a male Allen's hummer, Bodega Bay
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Male Wilson's warbler, Coleman Valley Rd, near the coast
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Blue-eyed grass, Coleman Valley Rd
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Savannah sparrow, Coleman Valley Rd near Occidental.
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Hummer chicks have fledged

6/16/2017

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Here's the two chicks almost fully grown in the nest, Cotati
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One of the fledged chicks, wing stretch - parent hummer still feeding them at this point, but they are out of the nest and flying short distances.
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Same fledged chick on another branch, Cotati
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While watching the hummer chicks, I notice two hooded orioles doing some foraging nearby.
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Hooded oriole, Cotati
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Also, nearby, a local family of barn swallows bring insects to their fledglings on a neighbor's utility wires, Cotati
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Barn swallow fledgling, cotati
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Parent barn swallow drops off a large bug.
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Northern Mockingbird on neighbor's house, Cotati
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Rare bird sighting, Blackpoll warbler, Bodega Bay

6/13/2017

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This is only the second recorded sighting of this bird in sonoma county - other highly skilled birders were making the I.D., Laura (during her recent visit here) and I were just tagging along.
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Male blackpoll warbler, Owl canyon, Bodega Bay
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Distant shots, and bird was jumping around in thick tree cover, of course.
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Also at owl canyon, a singing Bewick's wren
Later, same day, a walk through Ragle Ranch Regional Park, Sebastopol
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Male Bullock's oriole bringing a butterfly chrysalis to its fledged juveniles.
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Two youngsters waiting close by as male oriole delivers a snack.
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Juvenile or female blullock's oriole, Ragle Ranch Park, Sebastopol
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Male Nuttall's woodpecker, Ragle Park
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Green Heron! Near one of the creek ponds, Ragle Ranch Park, Sebastopol
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Tight shot through thick park foliage, a Hairy Woodpeckers nest, Ragle Park
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Rainy summer's day, Pine Flat Road, Healdsburg

6/11/2017

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Male northern flicker on a utility cable, Pine Flat Rd, Healdsburg
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Bushtit in the rain, Pine Flat Rd, Healdsburg
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Yellow daisies wet with rain, Pine Flat Rd
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Spotted Towhee in the mist, upper pine flat road
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This drenched hawk, probably a red-tail, in the Mayacamas preserve, Pine Flat Rd
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Curious deer by the road
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On the way back down, on the same cable where the flicker had been, was an eye-popping colorful male Kestrel.
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Male American kestrel, hunting from utility cable, Pine Flat Rd
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Cactus flower in front of home at the bottom of Pine Flat RD
1 Comment

More Wood Ducks!!!

6/10/2017

1 Comment

 
PictureMale wood duck
A return trip to the Casini campground pond near Duncan's Mills on the Russian River, to share the wood duck experience with a friend.

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Male and female wood ducks, Casini campground, Russian River
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A juvenile? Or molting adult? Wood duck, Russian River
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"Teen" duckling wood duck, Russian River
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Seeing double, two male wood ducks, Russian River
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Very young wood duckling, Russian River
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Female wood duck, Russian River, Casini campground
PictureDistant shot, the elusive Swainson's Thrush


Meanwhile, journeying further north along the Russian River where it meets the sea, near Jenner - many swainson's thrushes could be hear, but rarely seen.




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Wild succulents in bloom among the rocks, Russian River, Willow Creek RD
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Male goldfinch among the native plants, Willow Creek Rd near Jenner
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Difficult shot against the light, but enough to identify, an olive-sided flycatcher! Willow Creek Rd
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Barn swallow chicks, "parked" on a utility cable, while adults swept the road for bugs, and returned to feed their fledlings, willow creek rd
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On the way out, this beautiful Osprey with a fish, near willow creek rd and highway one!
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The osprey beginning to eat its fish.
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This osprey decided he didn't like the human company so close by, and took off with its fish for another dining spot.
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Assorted birds from different days, and different hikes

6/4/2017

2 Comments

 
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Red-shouldered hawk in flight, Tolay Lake Regional Park
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Two red-tailed hawks, Ragle Ranch Park, Sebastopol
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Acorn woodpecker with a beak full of bugs, Ragle Park, Sebastopol
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Chirping robin, Ragle Park
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Female western bluebird with a bug, Ragle Park
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Male Wilson's warbler on a cloudy day, near the coast, and the russian river.
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Hummingbird chicks hatch!

6/1/2017

0 Comments

 
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Hummingbird chick peers out of the nest.
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Anna's hummer mom returns to her two chicks.
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They're hungry!
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Recent walk, Tolay Lake Regional Park, Petaluma - male Western bluebird on one of the nest boxes.
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Male tree swallow at a nest box - the chicks can be heard chattering whenever a parent gets close.
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Tree swallow in flight bringing a bug for the chicks.
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Female Western Bluebird, Tolay Lake
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Male tree swallow, Tolay Lake Regional Park, Petaluma
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"Scout" quail on a fence post, Tolay Lake
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Still some wildflowers in bloom
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Grasshopper sparrow! Tolay Lake Regional Park, Petaluma
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Small group of two or three grasshopper sparrows in an open field in the park.
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Short tail, no streaks on chest, dark crown with a pale middle stripe - the grasshoppper sparrow
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    Author

    Walking through
    California coastal parks and redwoods, and sometimes beyond, with a Nikon DSLR & telephoto lens (completely amateur)



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