Tag Archives: Cornell Lab of Ornithology

• 2 Comments

•

I hear the calls of Wilson's Warblers most days in the forest at Rick's and my place in Anchor Bay. They are beautiful birds, with their vibrant yellow color. Craig Tooley got this photo recently of a male - the black cap on top of his head is definitive.

You can see he is singing! To hear the calls of this warbler, here is a link to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Wilsons_Warbler/sounds

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

Foggy this morning near the coast, but warm away from the ocean.

• 1 Comment

•

Such a treat to hear a Pileated Woodpecker and an even better treat to get a photo of the largest woodpecker on the Mendonoma Coast. Here's Michael's story:

"I first heard her on the prior Thursday night, never actually seeing her.  I spent the next five nights going back to the same spot. I heard her a few times and it wasn't until last Wednesday I actually found her."

MCOUSTIER@PROTONMAIL.COM

"It took me about six hours of standing in the same spot over those five nights with enhanced hay fever and three ticks.  She is the largest woodpecker in the USA and she was found behind RCMS.” RCMS is our medical clinic in Gualala.

Michael got two other photos I'd like to share with you. The first is a Red-shafted Northern Flicker.

MCOUSTIER@PROTONMAIL.COM

And here is a Red-shouldered Hawk with a juvenile Gartersnake for his/her meal.

 

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

To hear the call of a Pileated Woodpecker - and it's impressive! - you can listen at this link to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Pileated_Woodpecker/sounds

It's a beautiful day here today with gentle breezes. There are many, many visitors here for the holiday!

•

Karen Wilkinson had a rare sighting. Experts confirmed she had photographed a Sage Thrasher, a rare bird sighting here. She wrote, “It was a delightful but windy morning on the bluff and this sighting had me puzzling over an ID.  As I watched it for a while, its posture, behavior, and field marks sort of reminded me of three different birds (hermit thrush, mockingbird, rock wren), but none were right in the moment. I was stumped. After coming home and reviewing photos I'm fairly confident that I was looking at a Sage Thrasher - but I would really appreciate confirmation on this one, since I've certainly never seen one here on the coast.”

I sent Karen’s photos to Peter Pyle and Robert Keiffer who agreed with Karen’s ID. Robert wrote, “Yes, Sage Thrasher!  One of my nemesis species for Mendocino County, so the records are few and far-between for the county.  You cannot see the white wingbars, but the profile, mandible shape, light yellow eye, white tail tips evident, streaked breast, grayish-brown overall are all fitting characteristics. Do you enter your records on eBird?  You definitely should for this observation. Great find!” Karen’s sighting was in Sonoma County, where Diane Hichwa tells me there have been very few recorded sightings over the years. And Karen did post her sighting.

To hear the complex song of a male Sage Thrasher, here is a link to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Sage_Thrasher/sounds

I read on their website that one male was recorded singing for 22 minutes straight!

Thanks to Karen for allowing me to share her photos with you here.

Fog over the ocean kept the immediate coast cool, but it heated up just a little ways away. Low 80's at Rick's and my place in Anchor Bay today!

•

Loch Michie was out photographing near the Point Arena Lighthouse when he saw this Great Blue Heron on the bluffs.

They are so beautiful! They are year round residents of the Mendonoma Coast.

To hear their rather unlovely calls, here is  a link to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Great_Blue_Heron/sounds

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

Today is simply amazing - hot on the ridge, perfect on the bluffs. A walk at Gualala Point Regional Park mid-morning with a visiting friend was wonderful!

•

If you look close at Pam Powell's beautiful photo, you will such exquisite details of this male California Quail.

The black feather on his head? It's actually three feathers!  These birds are pairing off now, and chicks may soon appear. I found this Fun Fact on the Cornell Lab of Ornithology's website:

"Several California Quail broods may mix after hatching, and all the parents care for the young. Adults that raise young this way tend to live longer than adults that do not."

You can listen to their calls at this link: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/California_Quail/sounds

Thanks to Pam for allowing me to share her photo with you here.

It's breezy today and warm. 80 degrees this afternoon!