Tag Archives: Cornell Lab of Ornithology

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Black Phoebes are insect eaters so this flycatcher Michele Melio photographed might be on the lookout for a passing bug.

Black Phoebes make their nests out of mud so they need to be close to a water source. Those who reside year round here have the Pacific Ocean, a handful of rivers, and many seasonal creeks for their needs. They have a whistling call that you can hear at this link to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Black_Phoebe/sounds

Here is a closeup of a Black Phoebe, this one taken by Craig Tooley.

Thanks to Michele and Craig for allowing me to share their photos with you here.

It's a cool, sunny day. Fog covered the Pacific Ocean for a while and there are some clouds passing by. Dry weather is predicted through the weekend, with rain the first of the week.

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Several coast photographers have photographed Belted Kingfishers lately. Eric Zetterholm caught one just taking flight.

Here Ron Bolander photographs one flying.

And Craig Tooley found one resting on a branch.

Here's what the Cornell Lab of Ornithology has to say about these birds:

"With its top-heavy physique, energetic flight, and piercing rattle, the Belted Kingfisher seems to have an air of self-importance as it patrols up and down rivers and shorelines. It nests in burrows along earthen banks and feeds almost entirely on aquatic prey, diving to catch fish and crayfish with its heavy, straight bill. These ragged-crested birds are a powdery blue-gray; males have one blue band across the white breast, while females have a blue and a chestnut band."

So Craig's photo shows a female, as does Eric.

Here is a link to their rattling calls: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Belted_Kingfisher/sounds

Thanks to Eric, Ron and Craig for allowing me to share their photos with you here.

The rain is over though everything is nice and damp from the deluge. Sunny skies have returned. I checked the lagoon of the Gualala River yesterday and it has filled up from the rain - nice!

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Craig Tooley recently found one of my favorite birds, the Pileated Woodpecker. I heard one calling in the Anchor Bay area this morning.

These prehistoric-looking birds are quite large - their wingspan can be 29 inches. The red streak on the woodpecker's cheek tell us this is a male. They have a very unique call, which you can hear at this link to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Pileated_Woodpecker/sounds

The folks at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology have created a fabulous, free app that you can upload to your smart phone. It's called the Merlin Bird ID  app, and I've been having so much fun with it! You hold your phone up to birdsong and the app identifies the bird, showing you a photo along with the name. You can find it at this link: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/merlin-bird-id-by-cornell-lab/id773457673

The Merlin app is brilliant and sure to be a hit with youngsters too!

Thanks to Craig for allowing me to share his photo with you here. To see much more of Craig's nature photography, here is the link to his website: http://www.ruffimage.com

Today is simply lovely here on the Mendonoma Coast. Clear skies and a gentle breeze. Two Finback Whales were seen yesterday morning, which means there is a lot of feed - anchovies! - in the ocean. We're hoping to see our first Blue Whale of the season any day.

 

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Craig Tooley has been out in Nature, training his camera on a beautiful male Northern Flicker.

Northern Flickers are woodpeckers. They are often seen on the ground as they eat ants and beetles. They use their beaks to dig the insects up. Craig's photos shows the orange-red color on the flicker's wings. If you were in the eastern part of the US, the flicker's wings would show yellow. So the flickers here are Red-shafted Northern Flickers. The red feathers on this flicker's face show us he is a male.

To hear the calls of these woodpeckers, here is a link to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Northern_Flicker/sounds

Thanks to Craig for allowing me to share his photos with  you here. To see much more of Craig's nature photography, here is the link to his website: http://www.ruffimage.com

It's beautiful here on the Mendonoma Coast today. Sunny, mild with a gentle breeze - nice!