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Golden Eagle, Tolay Lake Regional Park

9/25/2015

On a very, very hot day, this golden eagle perched for a long time on this tree branch - its beak is open because it is probably 105 degrees where it is sitting, in the full midday sun.

Golden Eagle perched in tall Eucalyptus tree, Tolay Lake Regional Park

After sitting awhile, the golden eagle takes off, and circles my position a few times.

Eagle circles overhead for a few low-flying laps

Golden Eagle, Tolay Lake Regional Park

The photogenic Savannah sparrow, Tolay Lake

The Say's Phoebe have returned to the park - I haven't seen them here since last Fall.

The lizard is still king in this park, at least as long as the super hot summer weather lasts

A noisy gathering of Acorn woodpeckers in one of the small wooded areas of the park, they seemed to be having a drumming competition, each one finding a hollow tree trunk to do rapid drumming with their beaks.

Acorn woodpecker, Tolay Lake Regional Park

American kestrel, too, was in flight even though it was a blistering hot afternoon.

On a cooler morning, different day, in the Laguna

Cedar waxwings in the Laguna for the wild grapes and berries

White-breasted nuthatch with a winged bug

White-breasted nuthatch, looking for a good spot to hide its bug, the Laguna

A family of white-tailed kites, commonly seen in this area of the Laguna, were active and hunting

White-tailed kites have a friendly scrape, in the Laguna

White-tailed kite, hovering while hunting in the Laguna

White-tailed kite, the Laguna

On my way out of the park, this small Pacific Slope flycatcher

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A single rare day of rain, and a flurry of finches

9/20/2015

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Large flocks of goldfinch in the Laguna, filling the park with the movement of birds and bird song.

Chattering and fluttering goldfinch descend on the Laguna

Goldfinch climbing up a plant stalk for seeds

Little goldfinch, the Laguna

Eye to eye with a goldfinch, the Laguna

Male, non-breeding, American goldfinch, the Laguna

Flowers, birds and bees seem to take heart again, after the rain

Among the chattering goldfinch, a Willow Flycatcher, the Laguna

Savannah sparrow checking out the photographer

I had to go to the experts to identify this small yellow bird, it is an immature male common yellowthroat

Immature male common yellowthroat, the Laguna

Another view, immature male common yellowthroat

Female green-winged teals in the pond at the Laguna - the green stripe on their wing feathers is one of their identifiers.

Female green-winged teals with wings folded up

Small black phoebe resting in one of the oaks at the Laguna

Great Blue Heron flies over the park

The red-shouldered hawk, hunting.

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The dry, dry Laguna de Santa Rosa

9/13/2015

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It is alarming where ever I walk now to do birding, at how super dry everything is, with many distressed and dying trees. I can understand how the horrific Lake County fire took off so fast - there is little or no moisture in any of the vegetation to slow any kind of fire down.

A song sparrow in the dry grasses, at the Laguna

Even the Western bluebirds looking a little ragged, from the heat and lack of water? at the Laguna

Western Bluebird poised for action, high on an oak branch, the Laguna

Black Phoebe at the Laguna, also, like the bluebirds, hunting insects

Stunted wild rose, from the drought

Solitary duck in the pond at the Laguna, at least some water here. This looks like a faded male mallard.

A Great Blue Heron was camped out at the pond

Some snowy egrets flew overhead.

A small group of kildeer took turns flying around the pond, at the Laguna.

Yellow warbler at the Laguna

In one of the large oaks in the Laguna, a flock of bright yellow birds were hopping about. Assuming at first they were Wilson's warblers, I realized actually they looked different, and must be yellow warblers - the males have brown stripes on their breast feathers, no black caps like the Wilson's.

Brown stripes in front and yellow eye-ring denote the male Yellow Warbler

Female yellow warblers are more olive green looking, and with a pale eye-ring - the Laguna.

There was also a larger, yellow-colored bird in the branches of the same old oak tree, and I determined it must be a female Western tanager (below),

Female Western Tanager? At the Laguna

As I walked further through the park, there were more female Western tanagers

This part of the park is near a vineyard, where the grapes are close to being fully ripe, something the tanagers seemed to appreciate - here is one with a partial grape.

Beautiful Red-shouldered hawk was perched high in one the oaks, carefully watching me as I captured its image, at the Laguna

Same hawk, from the side, as I moved away from it.

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Merlin in flight, Tolay Lake Regional Park, Petaluma

9/9/2015

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I had already seen quite a few kestrels on my walk, so thought this was another kestrel at first -

Merlin, Tolay Lake Regional Park

Curious Savannah sparrow, Tolay Lake

Quite a few white-tailed kites in the park, luckily one flew rather close overhead

White-tailed kite, Tolay Lake

The red-tailed hawks were fairly active on my visit. This one was on a utility pole as I drove into the park.

Red-tailed hawk, Tolay Lake Regional Park

Walked up to one of the ponds, where I saw another kingfisher!

These are the mated pair of Red-tail hawks that have a nest in the park, Tolay Lake

Warblers are active right now in the redwoods! On my last two walks, I have heard and followed them through the trees.

Male Wison's warbler, near Camp Meeker post office

The male often stops to give a little song - Wilson's warbler, Camp Meeker

Townsend warbler, near the creek bed, Camp Meeker

This is the best photo I could get of another wood warbler - and I believe it is the black-throated gray warbler.

Also, quite a few brown creepers -

Brown Creeper, Camp Meeker

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Short walk through the Laguna, from Occidental Road

9/6/2015

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Scout quail takes a high position, the Laguna

Small group of quail, including some juveniles, tentatively venture out

Belted kingfisher hovering over the pond, the Laguna

Kingfisher dive

Belted kingfisher at the pond in the Laguna - hovering, then diving to catch a fish. It then flew to a nearby branch (below), and seem to struggle for a long time with the fish, swinging it up high to thrash it against the tree.