Tag Archives: Peter Pyle

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We are seeing Brown Pelicans flying north and south. Near Schooner Gulch, Loch Michie got a photo of a young one that puzzled me. He/she had the white tummy of a juvenile, but the feathers on the head looked to be turning white.

I sent Loch’s photo to ornithologist Peter Pyle. Peter wrote, “ That's actually a juvenile, the white still being natal down! So a precocious one. I don't see this often. So far I've gotten 40-50% juveniles this summer which indicates another excellent breeding season for them.”

I sent Loch Peter’s comments and he wrote, “Great info. Thanks so much. That ‘precocious’ bird was cruising like his Granddad’s Cadillac.”

How fun is that?

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

The fog hung around all day, though I had sunshine at  my elevation, 640 feet. Temps are deliciously cool, in the sixties.

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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!