Tag Archives: male and female

Michael Reinhart found these two Western Bluebirds in fields of Johnny Tuck, Triphysaria eriantha ssp. Rosea, a native wildflower blooming in profusion at Black Point on The Sea Ranch. Here is the male posing in the wildflowers.

And here is the female.

So beautiful to see. Thanks to Mike for allowing me to share his photos with you here. And thanks to Mary Sue Ittner for the ID of the wildflowers.

It's foggy over the ocean, but sunny most places this afternoon. At my place, temps are in the mid 70s. Nice!

Birders think this could be an irruption year for Red Crossbills, when these finches wander into areas they aren't usually seen. They follow their food source, which is seeds found in cones from pines, Douglas firs, hemlocks and spruce trees. Just look at their beaks, specially made to open cones. Nicholas Pinette recently photographed a male.

The females are yellow, and Nicholas was kind enough to send a photo of one in for comparison to the male.

Thanks to Nicholas for allowing me to share his photos with you here.

After yesterday's rain, it's turned cold! Well, cold for the Mendonoma coast. Clouds are zipping by and the ocean swells have been big. No rain predicted for the next couple of days.

Steve Wilcox was the lucky person who had a pair of Western Bluebirds build a nest in his birdhouse. Here are the parents, with the male on the left.

Western Bluebird male and female by Steve WilcoxHere the father brings a tasty bug to his offspring.

Western Bluebird dad with a bug by Steve WilcoxAnd finally Steve got a photo of the newly fledged chick

Western Bluebird chick by Steve WilcoxWestern Bluebirds are thrushes.  When they aren't breeding they like to travel in flocks, being very social birds! To hear their calls, here is a link to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Western_Bluebird/sounds

Thanks to Steve for allowing me to share his photos with you here.

The male Goldfinch in his breeding plumage is a joy to see. Chris Grossman photographed a pair. The female is on the left and it looks like they are gathering nesting materials.

American Goldfinch (Carduelis tristis), Mendocino County, California

American Goldfinches are the latest songbird to breed. They depend on thistle seed and have to wait to see how abundant it will be.

Rick and I have lured them to a thistle feeder and we enjoy seeing them during the spring and summer. Pine Siskins also join them at the feeder, along with a clever Acorn Woodpecker now and then.

To hear the song of a Goldfinch, here's the link to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology: http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/american_goldfinch/sounds

Thanks to Chris for allowing me to share his photo with you here.