Blog Archives

Pileated Woodpecker, Occidental Road

10/29/2015

Heard a lot of whooping sounds, and discovered this pileated woodpecker on this tree - then to my astonishment, it jumped onto a nearby grapevine for a grape snack.

Pileated woodpecker in the grapevine

The grape eater

In the same area near Occidental road, a varied thrush

The red-breasted sapsucker

Another view, the red-breasted sapsucker, near Occidental road

Townsend warbler, near Occidental rd

Brown creeper, also near Occidental rd

Northern Flicker, Ragle Ranch Park

A walk with the camera through Ragle Ranch Regional Park in Sebastopol

Bushtit, Ragle Ranch Park

Still a fair amount of blackberries in the park, which the small birds were eating

Song sparrow, Ragle Ranch Park

Red-shouldered hawk in the park

Female Nuttall's woodpecker, Ragle Ranch Park

Female Western Bluebird, near the main entrance to the park

Also near the main entrance, an acorn woodpecker storage tree, getting heavy use right now.

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Front yard birds

10/23/2015

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Chestnut-backed chickadee, Camp Meeker

Chickadees show up at my front yard feeders and water bowls, bringing other small birds with them.

The chickadees always travel in groups, & other small birds often join them for security in numbers.

Ruby-crowned kinglet coming down out of forest canopy to feeders, front yard, Camp Meeker (you can see tiniest hint of red feathering on his head)

Ruby-crowned kinglet, camp meeker

Out of focus shot, Townsend Warbler. front yard - a few times this warbler has been with the chickadees when they visit.

A few small groups of Pygmy Nuthatches showing up a couple of different times a day, always when the chickadees are also there.

Pygmy nuthatch cautiously approaching the feeders

Partly shaded Pygmy Nuthatch, Camp Meeker - hopefully better photos to come!

Chestnut-backed chickadee at the hanging water bowl, front yard

Female Anna's hummer, front yard

Another view, female Anna's hummingbird

The sparrows have been in the yard, once the bird bath happened. Here is a fox sparrow, drinking with the Buddha. Robins also use the bird bath in the mornings.

Fox sparrow - a large ground foraging bird

Stellar Jay on the fence, they were the first to appear of all the birds, along with the scrub jays

Also, the dark-eyed juncos have to be the most numerous. This is a male on the porch.

Hermit Thrush

And the very handsome golden-crowned sparrow, camp meeker

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Juvenile White-tailed kites at the Laguna

10/20/2015

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Several juvenile white-tailed kites perching and grooming at the Laguna, until one took off to do some hunting.

Juvenile white-tailed kite grooming

Juveniles have amber eyes and buffy coloring

Grooming

Juvenile white-tailed kite in flight, the Laguna

Juvenile white-tailed kite on the hunt in the Laguna

Male Western Bluebird, also hunting, at the Laguna

Female Western Bluebird in nearby tree

Photogenic white-crowned sparrows still in evidence in the park

Two hot air balloons drifting in the skies over the Laguna

More yellow-rumped warblers showing up at the Laguna

Quick trip to Bodega Bay

Two American coots, Hole in the Head, Bodega

Small kinglet, owl canyon, Bodega Bay

Female Downy woodpecker, owl canyon, Bodega Bay

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Adobe Creek, and Schollenberger Park, Petaluma

10/15/2015

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Female Downy woodpecker, Adobe Creek

While checking out Schollenberger Park in Petaluma, I discovered a small wooded environment adjacent to the park, squeezed between the industrial parks in the area, known as Adobe Creek.

At the time I was there, a few small woodpeckers were vying for territory on the best trees.

Same female Downy checking out a tree opening

Woodpeckers often put their heads close to tree, to hear insect activity?

Shy black phoebe, Adobe Creek

Also, the male Downy, with his small red cap made a brief appearance

Male Nuttalls' woodpecker, Adobe Creek

Male Nuttalls' woodpecker

The Schollenberger side of the park, this white-crowned sparrow

An adult white-tailed kite sat on a man-made perch in the park

Goldfinch collecting seeds from the dry grasses

California Towhee on a woodpile, Schollenberger Park, Petaluma

Back at Camp Meeker, a hermit thrush checks out the bird friendly area near the front deck

Hermit thrush in nearby redwood tree, camp meeker

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Marbeled Murrelet, Bodega Bay

10/9/2015

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My first sighting of this small sea bird, but known to all as a species endangered by the loss of old growth forest (like the spotted owl), and adversely impacted by logging.

Marbeled murrelet, Bodega Bay

Same bird, different view - the marbeled murrelet nests in old growth forests.

Many terns were diving in the bay, along with pelicans.
I believe these are common terns.

Possibly juvenile common tern, going in for a dive, Bodega Bay

Splash, and a fish!

Common Loon nearby, surfaced with a small sea snake

Clark's grebe, Bodega Bay

Brown Pelicans also getting in on some fishing action

Brown Pelican, Bodega Bay

On the shore, the white-crowned sparrow, Bodega Bay

And the everywhere present Savannah sparrow

Female Kestrel gives me the "back off" look, as I get too close with the camera, Bodega Bay

Snowy Egret, Bodega Bay

Not to be missed, the marbeled godwits, Bodega Bay

Some inland areas around Bodega Bay are known in the birding world as "vagrant traps," meaning unusual species are often seen there. It can get rather crazed with whole troops of birders descending on the area at certain times, so I don't frequent it too often. But the other day, it was quiet and no one else was there, so I braved a venture up the well-traveled and trampled path that is known as Owl Canyon.

Chestnut-sided warbler, vagrant to the Bodega Bay area

Chestnut-sided warbler, either a female or first year male, at Owl canyon, Bodega
(the male is very colorful, with the alluded to chestnut coloring.)

See Colin Talcroft's local birding website:
http://www.colintalcroft.com/Sonoma_County_Bird_Watching_Spots/SCBWS_front_page.html

Black Phoebe, Hole in the Head, Bodega

Some yellow-rumped warblers showing up

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Family of white-tailed kites, Tolay Lake Regional Park

10/4/2015

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White-tailed kite, Tolay Lake Regional Park

I counted six white-tailed kites, all perched close to each other in one of the small wooded areas of the park. Some of them are juveniles, probably from this year.

They seemed to be a darker variety from the ones at the Laguna.

Adult white-tailed kite, Tolay Lake

Juvenile white-tailed kite

Buffy streaks on breast feathers indicates a juvenile white-tailed kite.

Juvenile spooked by my approach

White-tailed kite, juvenile, struggling for a perch

Fluffed up adult white-tailed kite at Tolay Lake Regional Park

At the beginning of my walk, a house wren near one of the barns, with the bright fall sun behind it.

The park was full of Savannah sparrows

Savannah sparrow, Tolay Lake Regional Park

Also, the extremely shy Meadow Lark

Same meadow lark, different view

While talking with some fellow hikers in the park, this Northern Harrier flew over

Short-eared owl? Tolay Lake

Also, in the thick branches, this owl. Since I had seen a great horned owl in this same location last year, I thought it was the same bird.
However, since there are no ear tufts, it might be a short-eared owl.

White-crowned sparrow in full song, Tolay Lake

On the way out of the park, near a private pond, this worried looking kildeer

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Return of the golden-crowned sparrow

10/1/2015

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I've been hearing this bird's beautiful lilting whistle call in the parks, and finally started seeing them, this one checking out my front yard bird bath and feeder. A largish migratory sparrow, it arrives in late summer and leaves by late spring.