Luv2bird

Species insider - Steller's Jay

2011-10-08T15:18:00.000-07:00

Steller's Jay

Cyanocitta stelleri ORDER: PASSERIFORMES FAMILY: CORVIDAE

A large, dark jay of evergreen forests in the mountainous West. Steller’s Jays are common in forest wildernesses but are also fixtures of campgrounds, parklands, and backyards, where they are quick to spy bird feeders as well as unattended picnic items. When patrolling the woods, Steller’s Jays stick to the high canopy, but you’ll hear their harsh, scolding calls if they’re nearby. Graceful and almost lazy in flight, they fly with long swoops on their broad, rounded wings.

Keys to identification Help

Crows and Jays

Typical Voice

Size and Shape
Steller’s Jays are large songbirds with large heads, chunky bodies, rounded wings, and a long, full tail. The bill is long, straight, and powerful, with a slight hook. Steller’s Jays have a prominent triangular crest that often stands nearly straight up from their head.
Color Pattern
At a distance, Steller’s Jays are very dark jays, lacking the white underparts of most other species. The head is charcoal black and the body is all blue (lightest, almost sparkling, on the wings). White markings above the eye are fairly inconspicuous.
Behavior
Like other jays, Steller’s Jays are bold, inquisitive, intelligent, and noisy. Steller’s Jays spend much of their time exploring the forest canopy, flying with patient wingbeats. They come to the forest floor to investigate visitors and look for food, moving with decisive hops of their long legs.
Habitat
Look for Steller’s Jays in evergreen forests of western North America, at elevations of 3,000-10,000 feet (lower along the Pacific coast). They’re familiar birds of campgrounds, picnic areas, parks, and backyards.
Field MarksHelp
- Zoom In
  Steller's Jay
  Adult Pacific form
  Blue body, wings, and tail
  Prominent dark blackish crest
  Blue wings with black barring
  Blackish face without white
  © John Riutta, Scappoose, Oregon, May 2008
- Zoom In
  Steller's Jay
  Adult Pacific form
  Medium length, heavy bill
  Blackish face and long blackish crest
  Grayish black back
  Blue body, wings, and tail
  © Bob Scott, British Columbia, Canada, June 2009
- Zoom In
  Steller's Jay
  Adult Pacific form
  Blue body, wings, and tail
  Blackish face and long blackish crest
  Moderately long square blue tail
  Strong black bill
  © quasimodo4502, San Francisco, California, November 2008
- Zoom In
  Steller's Jay
  Adult
Range Map Help
Range map by www.eBird.com
Similar Species
Zoom In
Adult
- Pale gray underparts
- Pale face with black patterning and collar
- Blue crest and back
- Wings and tail blue with white and black markings
© Gary Mueller, December 2008
- Zoom In
  Blue Jay
  Adult
  Pale gray underparts
  Pale face with black patterning and collar
  Blue crest and back
  Wings and tail blue with white and black markings
  © Gary Mueller, December 2008
- Zoom In
  Western Scrub-Jay
  Adult
  No crest
  Blue crown, nape, wings, and tail
  White, striped throat
  Pale gray underparts
  Grayish or brownish back
  © lee.karney2, San Francisco, California, February 2007
- Zoom In
  Pinyon Jay
  Adult
  Pale blue overall
  No crest
  Fairly short tail
  © David F. Smith
- Zoom In
  Western Scrub-Jay
  Adult
  No crest
  Blue crown, nape, wings, and tail
  White, striped throat
  Pale gray underparts
  Grayish or brownish back
  © lee.karney2, San Francisco, California, February 2007

Pileated Woodpecker - Remember Woody the Woodpecker? Yes, that's it!

2011-08-04T16:49:00.000-07:00

Having relocated back to my home state of Washington, to the beautiful Pacific Northwest, the one thing that is not lost is the birder in me - quite the opposite.

I moved into a roommate situation that worked from August to early March then I needed a place of my own - away from the hubbub of an off-Broadway Capitol Hill apartment.

I bid farewell to my murder of Corvid friends and they in turn finally came upon my stoop the very last day as I was moving,.

A lone crow came to eat from my hand.

No, she didn't want the usual fare of peanuts I lain upon the railing, but she was interested in a piece of salami I was eating and scooted closer - tilting her head, a curtsy, then she blinked.

I knew I was suckered and handed it to her. She politely took it and flew off to a nearby pole.

I found a new sense of wonder. I asked myself "I wonder what species I will see first when I get there."

I relocated to a quieter, private apartment in a virtual Bavarian flashback called Firdale Village - a small niche community in southwest Edmonds on the border of Shoreline - a delightful place where the evening breeze blows pleasantly in from the Puget Sound.

Now I find myself more hellbent on identifying species by sound only, trying, in a sense, to organically increase and hone my avian identification skills.

The first species that welcomed me to the little subculture I now find myself a part of was not a sighting, but rather a sound, the pronounced calls of the Pileated Woodpecker (Dryocopus pileatus).

Cornell Lab of Ornithology describes this species as "Nearly as large as a crow, the Pileated Woodpecker is the largest woodpecker in most of North America. Its loud ringing calls and huge, rectangular excavations in dead trees announce its presence in forests across the continent."

From the moment I drove my car into a parking stall at the bottom of my apartment steps, as I opened the car door to start unloading the mass of neatly stacked boxes and clothes, there it was, or should I say "He" was, making those beautiful sounds.

The echoing of a lone male Pileated Woodpecker, possibly calling for its mate or looking for a mate, echoed and billowed out three, four, five times into the canopy of the forest.

As he called out into the tall pines, I smiled. Recalling times I heard a similar sound of a woodpecker hidden in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada. The disappointment of never seeing it was etched in my mind.

A feeling welled up inside me. A sense of pride that I relocated to the perfect stoop from which I would listen to the progressive (and potential) mating rituals of this bird. And what a gift to be happy just to listen.

And, as I expected "He" did not disappoint from the not-so-far-away tree top I could hear his cries.

Three days I listenend intently to his dawn to dusk calls, when suddenly I heard another call.

Could it be?

As I stood on my balcony, pervaying the spread of forest behind my apartment, I sipped from my morning cup of Tully's Italian Roast coffee.

Again, listening carefully I realized a new group of return calls were coming from close proximity to my stoop. Was it a mate, or another male?

Two, three sips of coffee, then another echoing of calls from a lesser distance.

Call number four came from the southeast. At the top of a Douglas Fir he sat silent awaiting an answer.

The tallest of pines rise above my balcony - as far as the eye can see.

A bellowing of quick return calls to him.

Suddenly a fluttering of activity above me. He flew toward her in the pine tree above.

As organically as the mating calls started, so did the orchestration of early morning drumming.

Happy are they to simply do what birds and bees do.

The couple called and drummed for weeks then silently fledged a brood of little "Woody's" above my balcony. What a treat!

March, April, now spring is gone - summer is here - with his echoing calls.

I did finally spot the species through my binoculars, and I checked that one off my Life List.

Rescue, Rehabilitation of Raptors in Pacific Northwest

2011-03-10T15:02:00.000-08:00

Photo courtesy of King 5 News

Recently in the news, around the Pacific Northwest, we have heard stories of a Bald Eagle and Trumpeter Swan being shot. Other birds are found and reported injured by the local news.

Photo courtesy of King 5 News

I have seen several Canada Geese with arrows shot through them wandering amongst their flock.

Photo courtesy LA Times.com

In the spring of 2010 while traveling to the Point Reyes Bird Observatory I saw and reported to a Bay Area wildlife rehab about an injured Red-throated Loon that was swimming near the Treasure Island Yacht Club in San Francisco Bay.

Photo of Red-throated Loon courtesy of www.birdsasart.com

But what motivates people to do these types of acts and abuses toward such beautiful creatures as birds?

I pray for them but then reports just keep coming.

I have a strong inclination to assist wildlife rehabs with fundraising and educational outreach but you must be licensed in most states to handle raptors, especially eagles.

A few stories of rehabiltation of birds deserves praise and the releases are truly inspirational.

K04, or "Kay" as I named her - is very special indeed. She may never fly with her broken wing but if she does it will be because of a wildlife rehab. She came all the way to the Pacific Northwest from Catalina Island California where her life was virtually captured minute by minute by a bird cam. The bird camera is a manufactured type of motion detection and infrared camera placed close to a nest to detect mating rituals, egg hatching, fledgling, and migration patterns of raptors - birds of prey.

Here's the story as it appeared on King 5 News: KING5.com Posted on December 20, 2010 at 2:45 PM

SEQUIM, Wash. - A bald eagle shot on December 15 in Beaver, Wash. is still in critical condition in the intensive care ward of a local veterinary hospital.

"We almost lost the eagle today," said Matthew Randazzo, Northwest Raptor & Wildlife Center Public Relations Director. "The eagle suffered a fractured ulna bone in its left wing from a bullet wound from what we believe to be a .22-caliber rifle in the morning of December 15. There's no way to know its long-term prognosis as of yet."

"The person who did this is still at large," says Randazzo. "I wish they could see the suffering this innocent animal is going through. We are determined to bring the sadistic person who did this to justice and encourage everyone to send any tips to us."

Tips leading to the capture of the person who shot the eagle can be sent to Matthew@NWRaptorCenter.com and to Fish & Wildlife at 1-877-933-9847. Those interested can follow the story at the Raptor & Wildlife Center's Facebook page.

The video link below is about two fledgling Bald Eagles, one, a female Bald Eagle, known as K04 is depicted here in the nest at Catalina Island California before she ever migrated North to the Pacific Northwest - where she was injured.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qfNEAskGd1E

This second video link is for a Trumpeter Swan that was shot that is being released back into the wild after recovering at a wildlife rescue & rehabilitation center. They all do such great work!

http://www.king5.com/news/Wounded-Swan-Takes-Flight-117370743.html

RESOURCES

Sarvey: http://www.sarveywildlife.org/

NW Wildlife: http://www.northwestwildlife.org/

PNW Raptors: http://www.pnwraptors.com/rescue_family_fun_duncan_bc_vancouver_island.html

PAWS: http://www.paws.org/about-wildlife-center.html

Wildlife Law: http://www.animallaw.info/articles/arusfedwildhistory.htm

Skagit Raptor Census Wrap-up

2011-02-14T14:02:00.000-08:00

Saturday, February 12 proved to be a very windy day in the valley during the census. As a result the total species count and total birds seen were down fifty-percent from last year's numbers according to expert Bud Anderson of the Falcon Research Group

.

Our group took counts along route 8, and our official count was 29 total birds:
21 Bald Eagles
5 Red-tail Hawk
3 Northern Harrier

My out-of-range hits - or raptors seen but not recorded before, after or during the count were:
2 Rough-legged Hawks
1 Cooper's Hawk
1 Peregrine Falcon

Other species for the day were:
Snow Goose
Canada Goose
Cackling Goose
Tundra Swan (NEW LIFE LIST BIRD)
Trumpeter (NEW LIFE LIST BIRD)
Wood Duck
American Wigeon
Eurasian Wigeon
Mallard
Green-winged Teal
Northern Pintail
Double-crested Cormorant
Pelagic Cormorant
Great Blue Heron
American Coot
Ring-billed Gull
Glaucous-winged Gull
Western Gull
Heermann's Gull
Pigeon Guillemot
Mourning Dove
Rock Dove
Northern Flicker
American Crow
Northwestern Crow
Common Raven
Steller's Jay
Black-capped Chickadee
Chestnut-backed Chickadee
Bushtit
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
American Robin
European Starling
Cedar Waxwing
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Song Sparrow
Savannah Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
Evening Grosbeak
Red-winged Blackbird
Brewer's Blackbird
Brown-headed Cowbird
House Finch
House Sparrow

Skagit Flats Winter Hawk Count

2011-02-02T18:21:00.000-08:00

Skagit Flats Winter Hawk Count - REPOSTED from FRG

The Skagit Flats area is one of the premier winter hawkwatching sites in Washington. This area is located in Skagit County about an hour north of Seattle, WA. The word Skagit rhymes with gadget.

The Skagit River is the second largest river in Washington and over the last 8,000 years, has deposited a rich deltaic alluvium that extends well out into Puget Sound. The flat, open delta is famous for its farmlands and agriculture. Primary crops include peas, corn, raspberries, blueberries, winter wheat, seed cabbage and spinach. The Skagit Delta connects with the Snohomish River Delta to the south, thereby creating a vast flat, open area approximately 25 miles long and 10 miles wide.

It is ideal winter raptor habitat. The winter raptor population reaches its peak in mid-February when the Bald Eagles disperse from the upper Skagit River down onto the open fields and salt-water bays. They complement the other main wintering species, including Red-tailed Hawks, Northern Harriers and Rough-legged Hawks.

In mid-February, the Falcon Research Group hosts an annual winter raptor count to determine how many birds of prey occur on the Flats. They began this count in 1985. They divide the area into 26 census routes. Each year, approximately 100 volunteers survey the routes during a two-hour count period. The results are compiled into an annual report.

Results demonstrate that typically 85-95% of the winter raptors are composed of the “Big Four”, Bald Eagle, Red-tailed Hawk, Northern Harrier and Rough-legged Hawk. Other species seen, in generally descending order of frequency, are: Peregrine Falcon, Merlin, Cooper's Hawk, American Kestrel, Short-eared Owl, Sharp-shinned Hawk, Snowy Owl, Common Barn Owl, Gyrfalcon, Prairie Falcon, Great Horned Owl, Golden Eagle, Great Grey Owl, Barred owl.

For more information or to read the blog by FRG visit http://204.57.142.147/S_Flats.htm

Seattle, WA Section 2A Christmas Bird Count

2011-01-07T15:10:00.000-08:00

Seattle, WA Section 2A Christmas Bird Count notes compiled by Kevin Purcell:

I (Kevin) coordinated 2A (Capitol Hill, Montlake, Madison Park and Portage Bay) section. I'm grateful for Anne, Mary Anne, Barbra, Jill and Mo for getting up early on New Year's Day to bird. But six people are not enough. If you're a birder in Capitol Hill, Montlake, Madison Park, Portage Bay or First Hill (the really ignored bit of 2A) the CBC needs you. You can bird your local patch: ask me how! (SEE BELOW)

Nothing unusual (as in TWEETERS-ALERTS unusual) was seen in section 2A but some interesting observations and few memorable moments for those counting the birds.

We saw 2329 individual birds across 55 species of bird (ignoring the unidentified gull spp counted). That compares with 2240 individual birds in 50 species in 2009 without about the same amount of effort. Number below in brackets is the 2010 versus 2009 count.

MISSES

No Canada Geese [0 versus 30]. No Pine Siskin [0 versus 21]. No Red-tailed Hawk [0 versus 1]. No Hairy Woodpeckers [0 versus 1]. No Northern Shrike (count week bird in 2009).

HITS

Common Goldeneye [2 versus 0]. Common Merganser [24 versus 0]. Peregrine Falcon [3 versus 0]. Pileated Woodpecker [1 versus 0]. Red-breasted Sapsucker [2 versus 0]. Hermit Thrush [3 versus 0].

Pileated Woodpecker

MORE

Lots more Chestnut-backed Chickadee [49 versus 2]. Lots more Steller's Jay [26 versus 3]. Lots Red-breasted Nuthatch [33 versus 11]. Lots more Golden-crowned Kinglets [120 versus 38]. I'm sure we didn't count most of them. More Band-tailed Pigeons [19 versus 6]. More Bushtit [42 versus 26]. More Gadwall [122 versus 83]. No Winter Wrens this year but a lot of Pacific Wrens [13 versus 3] :-)

Pacific Wren

Saw a Barred Owl in Interlaken rather than hearing a possible Barred Owl in Volunteer.

Barred Owl

LESS

Fewer Brown Creeper [1 versus 9]. Fewer Anna's Hummingbird [7 versus 27]. Fewer Bewick's Wren [14 versus 24]. 300 fewer Crows. Fewer Green-winged Teal [8 versus 21].

We started the count with a male and female Peregrine Falcon having an aerial dispute over Volunteer Park and finished the count (the very last species counted at from Sakuma Viewpoint) with a Peregrine flying across Portage Bay to Montlake Community. A very fine symmetry.

I had mentioned the resident Barred Owl pair in Interlaken Park to our team but cautioned they are difficult to find if they don't call. A pair of our birders were asked by a local dog walker if they were "looking for the owl". The dog walker then pointed to a tree where "the owl often sits". There was the Barred Owl at eye level. We even got a photo.

Interlaken Park

Where are all the Pine Siskins? We had none in the count but we usually see some at VP and the Arboretum. Bizarre. In my daily birding at Volunteer Park I've perhaps seen one small flight of Pine Siskins in the last month.

2A's reliable "oddity" is to go to the SW boundary of 2A at the jetty off Madison on Lake Washington and look out towards the center of the lake just south of SR520. There always seems to be a constant number of Western Grebes bobbing on the lake. Sometimes they look like Buffleheads in binoculars but the Western Grebes are always there during the holidays (in case someone should need a year bird).

Fewer crows streamed across the sky at Montlake Community Center than last year. Later, they appeared but instead of sweeping majestically across the sky in an orderly manner to facilitate counting they came in to land in the trees around the center. I didn't realize there might be a night roost there. That could use some more investigation. Perhaps 300 or 400 American Crow at the roost when we left but accurate counting wasn't easy.

After a record number of Anna's Hummingbirds last year we only saw/heard a couple. Do hummingbirds have bubbles?

Lots of Chestnut-backed Chickadees in the Arboretum: a lot more than I expected. Three Hermit Thrushes along with a good number of Varied Thrushes. Four species of woodpecker including a rather rare (for 2A -- not enough snags) Pileated in Interlaken and an uncommon Red-breasted Sapsucker in Volunteer Park. And 18 Band-tailed Pigeons in the tops of the trees behind the Hebrew Academy.

Hermit Thrush

Varied Thrush

The oddest thing I saw was a flight of six swans (spp ... not a specific ID) "the wrong side" (in Section 3) of SR520 Bridge for our count. They dropped down to the level of the "high rise" and disappeared as I called them out to the rest of the group. I hoped they’d cross 520. But we looked for them in vain. I suspect they thought I might have lost my mind at that point. But it was fun. And it will be even more fun next year if you join in.

Kevin Purcell (Seattle, WA)
kevinpurcell@pobox.com
http://kevinpurcell.posterous.com/
http://twitter.com/kevinpurcell

Madison Park

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I was interested in the ice skating enthusiasts and took pictures with my iphone.

Dad is close by

Hockey chicks rule!

BOHEMIAN STYLE

2010-12-02T16:40:00.000-08:00

BOHEMIAN & CEDAR WAXWINGS - Note rufous colored under tail coverts on Bohemian's

Meep, Meep, Tweeters,

Sunday proved very fruitful for viewing the BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS at Magnuson Park eating berries, catkins, and crabapples, and for seeing other birding enthusiasts doing the same exact thing. I found easy access to Magnuson Park via University to Sand Point Way then turned right on NE 65th Street simply following park signs to Kite Hill. I parked near the boat launch & Kite Hill and walked down to the beach near the lifeguard stand & floating dock to view shorebirds first. Among the waves were a large raft of COMMON GOLDENEYES, & BUFFLEHEADS. One COMMON MERGANSER appeared to be a hen but upon closer inspection was in fact a drake in eclipse plumage. A pair of GADWALL swam close to the boat launch as did several MALLARDS, AMERICAN WIGEON, and a quad of PIED-BILLED GREBES could be seen diving for mussels. Among the Glaucous-winged & mix of hybrid Gulls on the floating dock I spotted a lone HERRING GULL, and what looked like a dozen SANDERLINGS in winter plumage. I continued birding north along the paved trail toward the submarine field and suddenly spotted and heard the characteristic “zee," “zeet," and “scree," “zirr” from flock of 12 mixed CEDAR & BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS flying NE over my head into a crabapple tree along the southwest side of the path. A few remained in the tall poplar trees next to lower walk path near the beach approximately 100 yards ahead of me northwest of the submarine field to the west of the out buildings along the gravel service drive. Upon approaching, I could see two fellow bird enthusiasts I had seen & spoken to back at the Kite Hill parking lot, one was attentively using binoculars & the other changing camera lenses apparently trying to capture images of the few birds left atop the trees. I approached them to discuss the departure of the flock as we caught the last glimpse of them flying overhead. The undeniable “scree” and “zirr” could be heard as they departed. We bumped into two more birders as we headed back to our cars. I wish to thank all those who gave detailed reports on location – I am much obliged.

“Watch the birdie.”
Jill Routh Rucker a.k.a. Luv2bird
Seattle, WA

Six New Life List Birds & Orca

2010-11-16T10:51:00.000-08:00

Keystone Ferry - Last car on

Lucky rainbow & Orca seen too.

Clinton Ferry Terminal

Fort Worden State Park

Cathalmet

Coupeville

Sophie Trouble getting a whiff & Janet.

I'm so exhausted from travel that I haven't had time to add new blog post but I wanted to let all tweeters know my sightings from Island County in Washington State.

I recently added six new life list birds including a BLACK SCOTER (seen on north side of SR 104 Hood Canal), PACIFIC & YELLOW-BILLED LOONS (Southside of Port Townsend/Keystone ferry terminal), COMMON LOON (Port Ludlow Inn resort lagoon), ANCIENT MURRELET (east side of Coupeville ferry terminal) & BARROW'S GOLDENEYE (southeast side of Clinton ferry terminal deck).

Black Scoter, White-winged Scoter, & Surf Scoter

American & Eurasian Wigeons mixed with Gadwall

Female Surf Scoter

Chetzemoka Life Boat & Buoy rest near Point Wilson Light Station

Pair of Black Scoters

Barrow's Goldeneye

Point of Interest near Fort Worden

Black-tailed deer/Blacktail deer (Odocoileus columbianus)

Eared Grebe near Shine Tidelands State Park - Hood Canal WA

Common Loon

Port Townsend Bell Tower

Boats displayed in Port Townsend long house

In addition on the Port Townsend/Keystone to Coupeville run, a fellow ferry rider, her daughter & I spotted an Orca breeching off the north west side of the stern. I noted a large flock of gulls circling above the water and honed into the location using my binoculars to see the dorsal fin as it was swimming. A nice welcome to the Pacific Northwest - indeed!

"Watch the birdie."

Jill Routh-Rucker aka Luv2bird

Shoreline, WA - King County

Raven Aerial Displays

2010-11-02T13:37:00.000-07:00

"I often refer to the Cornell ornithology website for research based information regarding species." - Dan Reiff

www.flickr.com/photos/keithmwilliams/4402138669/

The following is an excerpt from Dan taken off the Cornell website about Ravens & aerial displays:

Pair Formation

No information on when pairs form. Considerable displaying, possibly courtship, occurs in flocks throughout the year, with greatest intensity in fall and winter (Jan and Feb; Dorn 1972, Conner et al. 1976, Heinrich 1989).

Dives and rolls by tucking both wings in; dives and turns by tucking one wing in; turns loops and accelerates with short choppy wingbeats. Aerobatic rolls have been seen in as many as 16% of observations of individual flying birds ( Van Vuren 1984 ). Sometimes makes half-rolls onto back (95% of recorded rolls), occasionally makes full rolls (3%) and double rolls (1%). Aerobatic rolls may serve a socialization function (dominance or courtship display) but are performed throughout the year by solitary individuals and by birds in large flocks and small groups (Dorn 1972 , Van Vuren 1984 ). Observed flying upside down for as far as 1 km ( Evershed 1930, Taning 1931).

Play

Diverse and complex, often involving inventive and learning behaviors: sliding down inclines on belly, lying on side grappling sticks, dropping and catching objects while in flight, hanging upside down by one or two feet, snow-bathing, and giving vocal monologues, caching inedible items, playing tug-of-war or king-of-the-hill with other ravens, pecking predators on tail (Dorn 1972, Ficken 1977, Heinrich and Smolker 1998). All of these behaviors may have some ultimate function, perhaps relating to food acquisition and handling or mate attraction, but they are most common in young birds for whom the immediate function is often not evident.

Ravens are known to approach canids and large predatory birds on the ground from behind and yank on their tails. Tame fledglings engage in this behavior toward both cats and dogs. If a bird avoids a dog when pecking the dog's tail, it will become increasingly bolder and eventually attempt to peck it on the nose (BH). The exploratory behavior may be a mechanism of assessing the reactions and capabilities of animals that may be encountered later at food.

Spencer Island Refuge, Snohomish County Everett, WA

2010-10-10T19:14:00.000-07:00

Weather forecast?

Dense clouds and intermittent rain bursts - yes. Today had a rainy start but a terrific early afternoon ending to meeting my new f2f (face to face) Facebook friend Kate T.

Kate looking for the Sora we heard at Spencer Island Refuge

In September Kate & I discussed meeting to birdwatch but the rain became unsurmountable but eventually we both decided to get together come rain, snow or the dark of night. We met, and set out to see some birds! Yes, that's right - we are bird geeks and love to watch birds!

Example of "A" birder type personality disorder - the "Bird Geekette" who seeks birds come rain or shine!

Great Blue Heron

Song Sparrow

Bald Eagle - Female

Bald Eagle - Male

Spencer Island is a wildlife refuge of reclaimed land that has been turned into a fresh & salt water mixed marsh just north of the mouth of the Snohomish River.

Today was NOT especially forgiving for observing flycatchers, warblers, and sparrows but eventually the rain stopped and the flies and mosquitoes started buzzing around. The bird activity level elevated as they readily gobbling up protein, became more visible, and audible.

The near 4-mile trek took us around the marsh, islands and along the Snohomish River, where hundreds of crew enthusiasists gathered south of Spencer Island to cheer for thier favorite rowing teams during the warm up races.

Crew Team practicing along Snohomish River near Spencer Island Refuge

All rowing aside, the birding was marginally successful given the weather conditions and the following list is the compilation of bird species that Kat & I observed at Spencer Island in Snohomish County, near the city of Everett, WA.

Kat spotted another Bald Eagle and gulls near the Port of Everett, but they are not included on this list.

Canada Goose

Gadwall

American Wigeon

Mallard

Mallard "Swedish" Duck Hybrid

Green-winged Teal

Northern Shoveler

Ruddy Duck

California Quail (H)

Pied-billed Grebe

Horned Grebe

Western Grebe

Great Blue Heron

Styrafoam garbage shaped like a Great Egret :-D

Bald Eagle

Sharp-shinned Hawk

Cooper's Hawk

Red-Tailed Hawk

Merlin ( Dark morph)

Sora (H) RARE

American Coot

Clapper Rail (H) RARE

Killdeer

Short-billed Dowitcher

Little Gull (new Life List bird) RARE

Bonaparte's Gull

Mew Gull

Ring-billed Gull

Western Gull

Mew x Western Gull Hybrid

Glaucous-winged Gull

Rock Pigeon

Mourning Dove (H)

Downy Woodpecker

Hairy Woodpecker

Northern Flicker

Steller's Jay

American Crow

Northwestern Crow

Tree Swallow

Black-capped Chickadee

Bushtit

Red-breasted Nuthatch (H)
Bewick's Wren

House Wren

Winter Wren

Marsh Wren

American Robin

European Starling

Yellow-rumped Warbler "Myrtle's"

Spotted Towhee

Fox Sparrow "Pacific sooty"

Song Sparrow

White-crowned Sparrow

Dark-eyed Junco "Oregon"

Red-winged Blackbird

Brewer's Blackbird

House Finch

American Goldfinch

Evening Grosbeak

House Sparrow

Total 59 species

Little Gull - Image courtesy of Ohio Ornithological Society

Merlin - Image courtesy of D. Bruce Volton

Sora - Image courtesy of Ann Nightengale, BC Christmas Bird Count

Yellow-rumped Warbler "Myrtle's" - Image courtesy of www.science.smith.edu

Hey, hey named a street after me in Everett, and they have good mexican food downtown too.

Kennewick WA Business Trip & Birding TOO!

2010-09-25T10:59:00.000-07:00

As part of the City of Shoreline Emergency Management staff I recently attended a four-day statewide conference in Kennewick, WA.

Kennewick is, for those of you who aren't familiar with southcentral Washington, part of an area known as the "Tri-cities" which is made up of three cities, Kennewick, Pasco, & Richland.

All three cities are close to, or on the Columbia River. Some people may be familiar with the hydroplane boat races that occur every year during Seafair in Seattle. Fact is they also hold hydro races along the Columbia River in the Tri-cities, specifically in Kennewick. The event draws thousands of racing enthusiasts to Columbia Park each summer for the "Columbia Cup" series. Many college kids & adults can be seen partying - spring break style.

Although the week was a business trip to attend the Washington State Emergency Management Conference, I did have the opportunity to birdwatch and enjoy the many amenities such as golf at Columbia Park, dinner and wine tasting at Terra Blanca Winery just minutes from our hotel/conference center at the Clover Island Inn, and a wealth of information about emergency planning, response & recovery at the sessions.

Even if I didn't actually drive but was a passenger carpooling with other city staff, the trip did afford opportunities to bird watch, which of course is my passion.

The Clover Island Inn offers easy and nearby river, and estuary sightings of such species as the American and Eurasian Wigeon, Great Blue Heron, Canvasback, American Coot, Gadwall, Mallard, and many warblers, swallows, song birds and shorebirds.

If you are a fisherman then you will want to know that I easily spotted at least 20 humongous sturgeon off the shore near the Sacajawea walking trail on Clover Island.

The lighthouse is a terrific photo op, as was the Columbia River at sunset or sunrise.

The Clover Island Inn restaurant, the Crow's Nest, is convenient hotel dining, but I would sadly give it one out of five stars in a review - and that's being generous. The service was attrocious and the food was worse. Nothing like cold soup & warm salad to ruin epicurious expectations.

However, near the conference center was a local brew pub. A cold glass of Hefewiezen with a lemon wedge garnish & two taco special was especially yummy after a clear sunny day on the links, and didn't break the bank at $5. On my list to check out again would be Ice Harbor Brewing Co. Especially for their delicious, economical specials and for the outstanding table and bar service. I would easily give them 3-4 stars.

Here's some photos of Clover Island Inn and the surrounding amenities.

Traveling from Seattle I spotted many birds from the back seat of my boss's Volvo using 10 x 25 binoculars.

Here are some of the species I found, of which one - the Black-billed Magpie - was a new life list bird for me.

All images courtesy of www.google.com/images.

Yellow-rumped Warbler "Myrtle's" - Sacajawea Trail

American Kestrel - Columbia Park Golf Course

American Wigeon - Columbia River next to Clover Island Inn

Cliff Swallow - Highway underpass I-90 at Cle Elum

Eurasian Wigeon - Clover Island on the Columbia River

Osprey - Toppenish, WA

Golden Eagle - Near Roslyn, WA

Puget Sound Bird Fest Part II - Raptor Demonstration

2010-09-11T17:32:00.000-07:00

Today marked the second day of the Puget Sound Bird Fest held in Edmonds, WA. I participated in several activities but the highlights of my birding adventure and education were the pelagic tour from 8:00 to 10:30 AM and the raptor demonstration by the Sarvey Wildlife Center.

Depicted here from top to bottom of blog post are: Northern Saw Whet Owl, Barn Owl, Great Horned Owl, Peregrine Falcon, Red-tailed Hawk, and the majestic Golden Eagle.

The Raptor demonstration I attended was the first of its kind I have ever been to and seen birds of prey up close. It was quite amazing to see the birds of prey react to the audience and their handlers.

The show combined interaction with the audience, questions, answers, education, and conservation tips.

Sarvey Wildlife Center had five volunteer workers present to handle the birds while Ms. Kestrel spoke to the attentive audience. Slow-paced and fun for kids.

For more information about Sarvey Wildlife Center please visit their website at: www.sarveywildlife.org/

Puget Sound Bird Fest Part I - Three life birds

2010-09-11T17:08:00.000-07:00

Today marked the second day of the Puget Sound Bird Fest held in Edmonds, WA. I participated in several activities but the highlights of my birding adventure were the pelagic tour from 8:00 to 10:30 Am, Trumpeter Swan Society education class from 11-noon, and the Raptor demonstration by the Sarvey Wildlife Center from 12:30 - 1:30 PM.

The pelagic tour started out from the Port of Edmonds and headed due north. Along the breakwater wall, I spotted my first new lifer among several other shorebirds roosting atop the edge of the breakwater wall. The Heermann’s Gull, had an unmistakable red bill and very dark color plumage – like no other gull I have seen before.

As the fishing vessel “Undecided” cruised along our guide Dennis pointed out a flock of Bonaparte’s Gulls, Red-necked Phalaropes, and more mixed flocks of sea birds.

We motored just south of Mukilteo when we spotted the second lifer of the day, a Marbled Murrelet. Soon after Captain Ron made a roundabout toward a flock of Pelagic Cormorants, and other birds floating among fishing vessels nestled together catching Coho Salmon during a fishing derby.

The third lifer, a Rhinoceros Auklet - was spotted heading south back toward Edmonds. Several of us spotted a sea lion and Osprey near Richmond Beach. The morning ended with 21 species. Stayed tuned for Part II - Raptor Demo!

Thank you to our guide Dennis and Captain Ron for a wonderful day out on Puget Sound.

Birdwatching at Seattle's Montake Fill

2010-09-05T17:51:00.000-07:00

Today I took an outing by myself to an area in Seattle just east of the University of Washington athletic complex, near Union Bay, a small waterway leading from Lake Union into Lake Washington known as the Montlake Cut. The Montlake Cut leads kayakers and canoers into the Union Bay. And as they enthusiastically paddle their way around lily pads, they find a newly preserved wildlife habitat that can be seen up close.

This area, once used as a landfill, has been reclaimed and is now a natural wildlife and bird habitat known as the "Montlake Fill."

The Birding Place:

According to the Seattle Audubon, "The Union Bay Natural Area, or 'Montlake Fill,' is one of the premier birding sites in Seattle, because it is an island of wild in a sea of urbanity."

The "fill" is a former landfill located in the heart of northeast Seattle on the banks of Lake Washington. It was built on a peat marsh created when Lake Washington was lowered in the early 1900s. When the landfill closed in 1966, the city capped the garbage with clay, covered by a thin layer of soil. Over the years, the land has settled into gentle hills and valleys landscaped into grasslands, with riparian vegetation and marshes. Various temporary and permanent ponds have formed, surrounded by poplars, willows, cattails, and invasive plants. The University of Washington, which owns and manages the property, is currently trying to seed the site with native vegetation, but much remains to be done.

The Birds

Union Bay Natural Area is noted for its microhabitats, which attract a huge diversity of resident and migratory birds. Some 200 species have been seen here over the years, including such delights as American Bittern, Yellow-headed Blackbird, Peregrine Falcon, Merlin, Green Heron, American Pipit, and Rufous and Anna's Hummingbird. The ponds attract migrating shorebirds such as Wilson's Phalarope, Stilt Sandpiper, Semipalmated Sandpiper, Pectoral Sandpiper, Baird's Sandpiper, and Solitary Sandpiper, along with the more common Leasts, Westerns, and dowitchers. Rarities can turn up at any time and include Black-headed Gull, Clay-colored Sparrow, Black Tern, Barn Owl, Sage Thrasher, Chestnut-collared Longspur, and Lapland Longspur. Waterfowl such as Cackling Canada Geese, Wood Duck, Hooded Merganser, and wigeons (both species) are common. The best feature about this area is that the birds quickly become accustomed to people and allow birders to approach closely.

Directions and Suggestions

From I-5, exit at #169 (NE 45th Street) and head east on NE 45th through the University District to 15th Ave where you turn right, travel approximately 1/4 mile to University Ave and turn left then about 200 feet veer to the left at the University of Washington Medical Center Extra Parking sign - (Not down a viaduct ramp to a stoplight as the Seattle Audubon website indicates due to road closure & detour of viaduct on 45th). Turn left onto Montlake and drive northeast staying to the right around the north side of the UW athletic complex parking lot to just past the Burgermaster restaurant you'll see on the left. At that next light (Mary Gates Memorial Drive) turn right and head south, passing the first turnoff on the right (Golf Driving Range) and enter the next turnoff, which is a small narrow entrance into a parking lot for the Center for Urban Horticulture (CUH). Parking is free here just obey the "no parking" signs. Walking the loop trail on the west side of this parking lot (Wahkiakum Trail) is comfortably flat and I suggest staying on the trail to protect the habitat. I suggest you take the first trail that veers to the left which heads directly to Turtle Logs through the Riparian habitat and passed the swamp toward the swampy area.

You can also explore the grounds south and east of CUH, and the fields and ponds north of Wahkiakum Trail. Good year round; early mornings are best. No amenities available at the Union Bay Natural Area, but if the CUH is open, restrooms and vending machines are available. Avoid University of Washington football Saturdays, as parking is difficult. (I went in the afternoon after lunch and found plenty of birds and good lighting for photographing species.

My advice is to keep in mind that while weekends are terrific for birding you'll have to leave earlier to make up time for construction, detours and extra traffice due to the Montlake Bridge opening periodically for boats to pass.

I found the best birding along the slough or the southeast riparian habitat, and at the "Turtle log" pond. However I spotted many warblers and sparrows I did not identify in the northwest section of the paths that cross sect with another pond area. It's not a problem to wander as all paths intersect. It is a problem to trample on wild flowers and grassland habitat just planted. My belief is if it is there to preserve wildlife then leave it as you found it. No smoking, no trash, and no trampling native plants!

Beside birds I spotted several odes including damselflies hovering in the damp grasslands mainly in the low-lying areas near ponds.

This is my bird species list from Sunday, Sept. 5, 2010:

Canada Goose
Wood Duck
Mallard
Mallard x Swedish Duck hybrid
Blue-winged Teal
Northern Shoveler
Ring-necked Duck
Greater Scaup
Ruddy Duck
Pied-billed Grebe
Double-crested Cormorant
Great Blue Heron
Green Heron
Osprey
Mew Gull
Ring-billed Gull
Western Gull
Glaucous-winged Gull
Rock Pigeon
Anna's Hummingbird
Rufous Hummingbird
Belted Kingfisher
Northern Flicker (Red-shafted)
Willow Flycatcher
American Crow
Purple Martin
Barn Swallow
Black-capped Chickadee
Chestnut-backed Chickadee
Bushtit
Bewick's Wren

Ruby-crowned Kinglet

American Robin

European Starling

Cedar Waxwing

Yellow-rumped Warbler

Song Sparrow

Swamp Sparrow

Purple Finch

FACTS ABOUT HUMMINGBIRDS

2010-08-04T10:41:00.000-07:00

Female Anna's Hummingbird feeds on nectar. Copyright ©2010 Luv2bird Jill Rucker

Why is it that facts about hummingbirds inspire us to wonder?

All the facts about the hummingbird are unique and makes them special among birds:
Small size - The hummingbird species has the renown honor of including the "Bee Hummingbird" of Cuba, the smallest bird in the world. Gorgeous plumage - The male "Ruby-Throated Hummingbird" was named because of the iridescent feathers on it's neck which reflect sunlight and gives the appearance of glistening rubies. Enormous metabolism - On an average day a hummingbird consumes half of it's weight in sugar. Natural co-existence - An ability to pollinate flowers which remarkably have co-evolved with them.

Migration: The "Rufous Hummingbird" has the longest migration route, flying as much as 3000 miles from Alaska to Mexico. The "Ruby-Throated Hummingbird" also has a very long migration route which includes the incredible task of flying 500 miles non stop across the Gulf of Mexico!

Species: Hummingbirds have the second largest number of species of any bird in the world.
These facts about hummingbirds, have historically intrigued humans for centuries past and continue to intrigue to the present day. As we continue to learn about the hummingbirds through ornithological studies, banding, and greater correspondence among enthusiasts, our knowledge and marvel about these birds should increase.

HUMMINGBIRD SOUNDS

What sounds do Hummingbirds make? Everyone enjoys bird songs but hummingbird sounds are not as melodious as other birds. The voice box or scrinz, pronounced (sir‘ingks) is extremly small and not capable of complex vocalizations. If you listen while your hummingbirds are zipping from flower to flower, you’ll hear them make a single note, called the chip note, sounding like a series of fast chirps. Amusingly, some hummingbird sounds sometimes can be a poke for us to fill an empty feeder. Hummingbirds can create sounds that are both vocal and non-vocal. Vocal sounds are made with the voice box but the non-vocal aerodynamic sounds are made with their wing and tail feathers. Sometimes male hummers fight for territory by dualing with their beaks and creating the clicking sound you may have heard. Yes, it is true that the super fast beating of a hummingbird's wings (60 beats per second) does create the humming sound giving this bird its name!

TO LISTEN TO THE SOUNDS OF A HUMMINGBIRD GO TO - >
http://www.hummingbird-guide.com/hummingbird-sounds.html

A Common Myth About Hummingbirds: It is generally believed that all hummingbirds make the same high pitched sounds referred to as "squeaks" or "twitters." Actually, there is a great deal of variation in sounds among species except those that are closely related. You can identify species of hummingbirds by their sounds. For example, an adult male Red-billed Streamertail has an elongated tail and produce a "whirring sound" during flight. The male Broad-tailed hummingbird produces a "shrill wing whistle." Anna’s hummingbirds are famous for their "very loud chirp" made with a vibrating tail during courtship displays.
Listening to the vocalizations of hummingbirds gives us an even greater insight into the world of these fascinating creatures. Are they hungry, scuffling with each other over territory, fighting off other types of birds who might have an interest in their nectar feeders, or communicating with a possible mate? What species of hummingbird do we hear? It is fun to listen and attempt to understand how hummingbird sounds communicate in their natural world and sometimes the poke they give us.

REPRODUCTION

Hummingbird Mating: There are many astonishing facts about hummingbird mating. In the Eastern United States and Canada mating of the Ruby-Throated Hummingbird begins in early spring upon return from their remarkable migration from Mexico and Central America. In the western United States other species such as the Anna’s Hummingbird start to mate in late December and early January.

A GREAT PERFORMANCE

It is the female who chooses her mate in all species. Male hummingbirds are aggressive in attracting females. They duel beak to beak in mid air. What female can resist the stunningly handsome male hummingbird with his beautiful iridescent feathers and dashing gorget? The mating dive is an astonishing showy flight with many loops and zigzags.
Usually the male flies up to an unbelievable 150 feet in the air and then plummets straight down pulling up just before impact. The courtship dive of the Anna’s Hummingbird is the most spectacular of all. This bird falls comparably faster than a jet fighter at full throttle or even the Space Shuttle entering the atmosphere! Despite this showy performance, the male hummingbird does not mate for life. He does not help the female in any way to build her nest or care for her chicks. He simply waits to mate with the next females that enter his territory.

MUSIC TO HER EARS

Hummingbirds make many sounds during courtship. These chirps and whistles are very enticing to the female bird. An interesting fact about the Anna’s Hummingbird is that research has proven that some of the mating vocals are not vocal at all. Instead, the loud sounds are actually created by the bird’s tail feathers. This is a fascinating adaptation due to the bird’s tiny vocal cords. Overall, there are some differences and similarities among species in regard to hummingbird mating. We have only attempted to highlight several here.

NESTING

The Hummingbird Nest: Many people are curious about hummingbird nests. Most of us are awe inspired at the very thought of how tiny these nests must be. What do they look like?
What are they made of? Where are they? Few people have actually ever seen a hummingbird nest. Once again, we are talking about the amazing hummingbird. So nothing can ever be dull! There are several similarities and some differences between the species in regard to nests. The nests are not always the same size. Some species of hummingbirds build nests that are only about half the size of a walnut shell. Other larger species build them proportionately bigger. Most are built from 10 feet to an incredible 90 feet high in shrubs and trees. Hummingbird nests are built with soft plant fibers and leaves. Most hummingbirds use spider silk as threads to bind their nest together. How cute is that?
Usually they are tiny cup shapes with cozy spongy bottoms for the comfort of the babies. (Yes, they are good mommies). It is interesting that certain species return to the same nest in successive years to rebuild. (What a memory!) So the nest ends up with a layered appearance at the base. It is fascinating that they have elastic sides that stretch as the babies grow. Did you know that we humans can help the hummingbirds with nest building?
We can plant trees and shrubs to provide the shelter they need. Especially helpful would be trees and shrubs with soft fibers such as Pussy Willows, American Elm, Poplar, Cottonwood, and Mulberry. Grow flowers and vines with soft foliage. Clematis and honeysuckle are very good examples. It's probably not practical for the average hummingbird fan to stock spider webs and lichens in their yard. But there is a man-made alternative! "Hummer Helper" is the first commercially available product that has proven appealing to hummingbirds. The all-natural material (specially processed with oil left in) is contained in a wire frame painted red to attract a hummingbird's eye. It has the potential to help bring in more hummers, close by where you can observe them, and to increase the odds that they will nest near you. With the diminishing habitat for hummingbirds today.
We can do our part to help the hummingbird survive. Let’s not let the hummingbird be added to our ever-growing endangered species.

BABIES - FLEDGLINGS

The Baby Hummingbird: A baby hummingbird is truly a wonder of nature. They begin life as the smallest eggs in the world. Weighing approximately 0.62 grams these white non-glossy eggs are less than ½ inch long. Their small size is often compared to a jelly bean.
The mother hummingbird usually lays only two eggs. Occasionally, there may be only one.
Two is probably the best number of eggs for one hummingbird to care for. She incubates the eggs for about 2 weeks... longer in colder climates. This is a relatively long time for a bird incubation. When baby hummingbirds are still in their eggs, they have strong neck muscles and a hook on their short bill in order to peck their way out. Hummingbird babies are born blind and naked without feathers. At first, the hummingbird mother will keep her babies warm by sitting on the nest. Have you ever watched any baby birds feed? Did you know that many chicks including hummingbirds can feel the wind from the wing of their mother as she approaches the nest. So although, they are born blind, this is how they know to lift up their tiny heads and open their hungry mouths. The newborns cannot feed on their own. The mother inserts her beak into the throats of her babies dropping the regurgitated insects and nectar. Since these babies grow quickly (doubling in size everyday during those first days), she can soon leave the nest more frequently in order to catch insects and gather nectar to feed them. As the chicks get older the mother spends extended periods away from the nest. After they grow, she begins to give the chicks independence. In about a week or so the growing chicks will be covered with fuzzy new feathers. Even so, it takes at least 9 days before they can regulate their own body heat. After about two weeks, they start to look more like small adult hummingbirds. By then, they have grown real feathers and their beaks (depending on the species) are often longer. After three weeks, the young birds are ready to leave the nest forever. Sometimes, she watches them from a nearby branch. If you are fortunate to see this, there is no need for any rescue. Instead you can enjoy hosting your young hummingbird family. Once they fly away, they won’t return to the nest again. For a few more days, hummingbird mothers continue nurturing their young. They remain close, leading them to the best food sources.
I (original author of web page article) actually had the privilege of seeing this:

One day as I was looking out at the hummingbird feeder on my back porch, I saw a female come close as if to sip nectar. However, she only hovered nearby signaling her baby hummingbird to the feeder. After the baby had it's fill, the older hummingbird took her turn. We hope that as you learn about the habits of hummingbirds, you will begin to notice a variety of behaviors to enhance your enjoyment even more.

FLIGHT

Hummingbird Flight: Watching a hummingbird flight, zooming around our feeders, flower gardens, decks, and patios is to witness a flash of iridescent beauty and resulting joy.

Anna's and Rufous Hummingbirds fight over nectar at feeder. The aggressive Rufous wins.
Copyright ©2010 Luv2bird Jill Rucker

Nature’s Flying Machine

Hummingbird’s never walk or hop around like other birds. Their feet are designed only to perch. Even a mother hummingbird cannot stand to care for her young. Instead she will just lift up and down from her nest like a helicopter.

Wing and Tail Structure

In contrast to most other birds, which have movable joints that bend and fold in the middle, those of the hummingbird are rigid. It does not flap its wings. The shoulder joint is a ball and socket joint. This allows the hummingbird to rotate its wings at its shoulders in all directions. With this anatomy and strong wings, which account for 30% of its body weight, the hummingbird has extraordinary maneuverability. We enjoy watching this bird fly forward, backwards, sideways, and upside down. The tail is short to act as a brake for stops in mid air. What a spectacle it is to see the "hummingbird flight!" Tiny Acrobatic Wonder - Unlike other birds, the hummingbird doesn’t fly flat. They sweep their wings backwards and forward pushing the air downwards instead of backwards. This allows them to fly upright. We can only smile, as they seem to face us. Hummingbirds can change direction quickly by twisting 90 degrees to enable the air to continually push downward.
Flying at a speed of 30 mph, they beat their wings 80 beats per second. During a courtship dive, some species beat their wings an incredible 200 times per second while flying at a speed of up to 60 mph. When hovering, a hummingbird's wings move forward and then the top edge rotates moving back again creating a figure eight. These tiny creatures can accelerate extraordinarily fast from a perch. The birds bathe in misters and dew drops while flying. Since the migration route of some species is extremely long, hummingbirds are capable of enduring long distance flight. The Rufous hummingbird flies 3000 miles from Alaska to Mexico. Within the long flight of the Ruby-throated hummingbird is a famous feat; they fly 500 miles non-stop across the Gulf of Mexico. To sum it up, a hummingbirds flight is aerobatic, fast, and enduring. If any among us has dreamt of flight, wouldn’t we choose to dream of the flight of the hummingbird?

SOURCE OF ARTICLE: http://www.hummingbird-guide.com/hummingbird-sounds.htm

PHOTOS DEPICTED HERE: Copyright© 2010 Luv2bird Jill Rucker. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Drive to Seattle for July Vacation

2010-07-31T14:14:00.000-07:00

Heading to Seattle I couldn't help but notice all the raptors along Highway 99 in Central California, along I-5 through Northern Califorina, and in Oregon straight through to Washington State.

I counted 117 Turkey Vultures besides the 79 Western Tiger Swallowtail Butterflies.

Here are a few of the images of birds I identified along my route. The raptor photos are courtesy of Google images.com.

American Kestrel - Google images.com

Cooper's Hawk - Google images.com

Ferruginous Hawk - Google images.com

Golden Eagle - Google images.com

Marsh Hawk - Google images.com

Northern Harrier - Google images.com

Northern Goshawk - Google images.com

Peregrine Falcon - Google images.com

Prairie Falcon - Google images.com

Dark Morph Red-tailed Hawk - Google images.com

Red-shouldered Hawk - Google images.com

Additional nature images appear below that I photographed. Several rest stops in Oregon afforded me incredible views of warblers, sparrows, swallows, and waterfowl.

Barn Swallows at rest area in Central Oregon

Mount Shasta Northern California view from Dunsmuir

Talus slope in Siskiyou Mountains

Mule Deer nibbling on native plants

Steller's Jay in silhouette

American Bittern N. fork of Umpqua River along fish ladder in Central Oregon

Fresno Wastewater Treatment Plant, Mendota, Kerman and Firebaugh, CA

2010-07-05T11:37:00.000-07:00

Bird outing 7/4/10
Bird Species List:
Brant (Western Black Morph) – Near Firebaugh, CA at 36°54’46”N, 120°34’50”WNorthern Pintail (female breeding w/ 10 ducklings)Least Sandpiper
Wood Duck (Hen w/ 12 ducklings)
Mallard
Cinnamon Teal
Northern Shoveler
Redhead
Lesser Scaup (pair)
Ruddy Duck
Pied-billed Grebe
Eared Grebe
Great Egret
Great Blue Heron (Rookery w/hatchlings) - Ripperdan/Avenue 7 at 36°51’3”N, 120°13’23”W

Snowy Egret
Cattle Egret
Black-crowned Night-Heron – Ripperdan / Avenue 7 at 36°51’3”N, 120°13’23”W
White-faced Ibis
Northern Harrier
Red-tailed Hawk (Western)
Swainson's Hawk (Light Western Morph) – Main Street Near Firebaugh, CA & nesting pair at Avenue 7
American Kestrel
American Coot
Killdeer
Black-necked Stilt
American Avocet
Greater Yellowlegs
Western Sandpiper
Long-billed Dowitcher
Wilson's Phalarope
California Gull
Tern (Forster’s or Caspian)
Rock Pigeon
Mourning Dove
Burrowing Owl
Black Phoebe
Western Kingbird
Loggerhead Shrike - Douglas Avenue at Hwy 33, near Firebaugh, CA
American Crow
Tree Swallow
Cliff Swallow
Barn Swallow
Marsh Wren – Near Firebaugh, CA at 36°54’46”N, 120°34’50”W
American Robin
Northern Mockingbird
European Starling
Red-winged Blackbird
Brewer's Blackbird
Western Meadowlark – Mendota, CA
Great-tailed Grackle
Brown-headed Cowbird
House Finch
House Sparrow

Fresno County record drawing birders from everywhere. Brant - pacific Black morph

Fresno Audubon Society's Bird Box program assists breeding species like this Wood Duck.

Late season Fresno County record.

Ellen Davies uses binoculars & spotting scope to see nestlings

Least Sandpipers

Wilson's Phalaropes

Eared Grebe

Wood Duck Hen w/ 12 ducklings

Pair of nesting Swainson's Hawks

Odonata:
Green Darner Dragonfly
Black Saddlebags Dragonfly
Red Saddlebags Dragonfly
Widow Skimmer Dragonfly
Variegated Meadowhawk Dragonfly
Flame Skimmer Dragonfly
Western Pondhawk Dragonfly
Northern Bluet Damselfly

Other animal species:

Western Pond Turtle
Western Cottontail (Brush Rabbit)
California Ground Squirrel
Fox Squirrel
Caterpillar

Fuzzy wuzzy wuzza hitchhiker

Birders Aid Recovery by Reporting Their Sightings

2010-06-17T08:10:00.000-07:00

Birders Aid Recovery - Report Sightings

In the face of large-scale disaster, one of the first keys to recovery is the ability to quickly assess damage and prioritize efforts. The Cornell Lab and Audubon have mobilized birders in all the Gulf Coast states to report their sightings to eBird. Since May 4, volunteers have submitted more than 175,000 observations--key data that can be compared with past years to understand the oil’s impact on birds and pinpoint locations for immediate and long-term recovery.

Please contribute your sightings to http://www.ebird.org/.

DONATE
Use Cornell Lab of Ornithology's secure server to donate online or call (866) 989-BIRD.

CA Condor chick sick with lead poisoning

2010-05-17T11:34:00.000-07:00

Condor chick sick with lead poisoning

Sat., May 15, 2010.

SAN FRANCISCO — A California condor chick that was the first to hatch inside a national park in more than a century has become sickened with lead poisoning.

Biologists are treating the bird and its male parent at the Los Angeles Zoo and are looking for the female parent to determine if she also needs treatment. All live in Pinnacles National Monument.

They say the chick likely became sick from eating meat contaminated with fragments of lead bullets. Researchers say the presence of lead fragments in animal carcasses is the biggest threat to the recovery of the species. There are only 91 California condors in the wild in the state.

A 2008 law banned the use of lead bullets within the 15 counties that make up the endangered species' territory.

SOURCE: The Associated Press.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Editorial

Condors still cling to a shaky precipice

Mon., May 17, 2010.

News coming from Pinnacles National Monument, east of Salinas Valley, was cause for celebration in April: "First Condor Chick Hatches at Pinnacles National Monument in Over 100 Years." A milestone in the recovery of the nearly extinct California condor, it seemed, had been crossed.

But last week, the news turned somber: "Wild Condor Chick Evacuated from Pinnacles National Monument due to Lead Exposure." Biologists found that the 2-month-old chick had extremely high levels of lead in its blood – as did the chick's father.

Lead poisoning has been a serious threat to wild condors. These birds are scavengers, and lead bullet fragments in animals shot and left in the field are believed to contribute to the problem.

Beginning July 1, 2008, California banned the use of lead ammunition in condor range for hunting deer, bear, wild pig, elk and pronghorn antelope – as well as coyotes, squirrels, and other non-game wildlife. The first California Fish and Game Commission report (June 2009) was hopeful.

Blood lead levels in free-flying condors were lower during the second half of the year – after the ban took effect – than in the first half. The report concluded: "If this initial pattern holds in the future, this should be beneficial to the recovery of the California condor."

That's little consolation to the condor chick, which had been expected to take its first flight in early October. Recovery of the California condor species clearly remains fragile.

SOURCE: The Sacramento Bee: Read more: http://www.sacbee.com/2010/05/17/2754748/condors-still-cling-to-a-shaky.html#ixzz0oCo1dIxQ

Pinnacles National Monument - Condors, webcam, press releases: http://www.nps.gov/pinn/naturescience/condors.htm

Other news sources:

http://www.kionrightnow.com/Global/story.asp?S=12485891

http://www.ksbw.com/news/23556577/detail.html

Fresno Audubon Society Outing - Sycamore Island

2010-05-12T11:05:00.000-07:00

Fresno Audubon Society

Outing to Sycamore Island

Osprey

Saturday, May 8, 2010 - Trip List

Mallard

House Finch

Mourning Dove

Rock Dove

Western Kingbird

Northern Mockingbird

Canada Goose

California Quail

Cliff Swallow

Double-crested Cormorant

Red-tailed Hawk Western Light & Dark Morphs

Bullocks Oriole

Brown-headed Cowbird

Brewer's Blackbird

Tree Swallow

Song Sparrow

Western Scrub-Jay

Nuttall's Woodpecker

Killdeer

Ash-throated Flycatcher

Spotted Towhee

Osprey

Turkey Vulture

Anna's Hummingbird

California Thrasher

House Wren

Bewick's Wren

Cedar Waxwing

Black-chinned Hummingbird

American Kestrel

Swainson's Hawk - Western Light & Dark Morph

Red-winged Blackbird

Great-tailed Grackle

American Coot

Forster's Tern

Great Egret

Great Blue Heron

European Starling

Red-shouldered Hawk

Belted Kingfisher

Green Heron

Gray Flycatcher

Warbling Vireo

Bushtit

Great Horned Owl & 3-branchers

American Robin

Townsend's Warbler

American Crow

Our side excursion about "Entomology" the study of bees.

Chris Hiatt is the beekeeper pictured here. He's also a new Fresno Audubon member, and owner of Hiatt Honey.

Chris led us to the hives where he showed us colonies, and honey.
He even handed me a dying honey bee. He said "Don't worry Jill, it already stung me."

Later we hike along the San Joaquin River and see a pair of copulating Tree Swallows, and a neck breaking look at Great Horned Owl adult with three owlets - partly branching out.

One of the Tree wallows is shown here.

Oil industry fighting transparency and accountability

2010-05-12T10:35:00.000-07:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 12, 2010

In midst of massive spill, oil industry fighting transparency and accountability
Senate should pass Cardin amendment to financial reform bill

Washington, DC – In the midst of an unfolding environmental disaster in the Gulf of Mexico, the oil industry is supporting secrecy and business as usual on Capitol Hill by opposing a critical amendment to the financial reform bill. The bipartisan amendment would increase financial transparency in the oil, gas, and mining industries and provide valuable information to investors in the United States and to citizens in poor countries around the world, says international humanitarian organization Oxfam America. The amendment is likely to face a floor vote this week.

“The recent oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico reminds us of the potentially devastating impacts of oil, gas, and mining activities on the environment and nearby communities, especially in developing countries,” said Raymond C. Offenheiser, President of Oxfam America. “More transparency and stability in this sector could help protect these communities by increasing the accountability of oil, gas, and mining companies and governments of host countries where secrecy has undermined development, democracy, and human rights for decades.”

Amendment (3732) to the Restoring American Financial Stability Act (S. 3217) would require all oil, gas, and mining companies registered with the US Securities and Exchange Commission to report how much they pay governments for access to their natural resources. The amendment, introduced by Senator Cardin (D-MD) and supported by Senators Lugar (R-IN), Durbin (D-IL), Schumer (D-NY), Feingold (D-WI), Merkley (D-OR), and Johnson (D-SD), is based on a bipartisan bill introduced last September by Cardin and Lugar, the Energy Security through Transparency Act (S.1700).

“As the oil industry fights a public relations battle in the fallout of the oil spill, they are also fighting a political battle on Capitol Hill to ensure that much of their financial transactions around the world remain secret. For decades, we have seen the dangerous effects of secrecy on poor people in developing countries, including government corruption, violent conflict, and poverty. Instability in these regions poses a long-term threat to national security, foreign policy, and American jobs,” said Offenheiser.

The American Petroleum Institute sent a letter opposing the amendment to Senate Banking Chairman Dodd, Ranking Member Shelby, and other Senate offices last week. Oxfam, along with partners in the Publish What You Pay Coalition, strongly support the Cardin amendment, which would help prevent the misuse of revenues in a multi-trillion dollar industry, inform investors, and level the playing field for US companies by creating a low-cost, uniform transparency method for more than 90 percent of internationally operating oil companies.

“If passed, this amendment would help unlock billions of dollars in resource-rich countries that are home to more than half of the world’s poorest people. We commend the Senators for this effort and urge the Senate to stand with investors and poor people in resource-rich countries by approving this crucial amendment,” said Offenheiser.

For more information, contact:

Maura Hart, Extractive Industries & Humanitarian Response Press Officer

(202) 496-1196 (office)
(202) 476-0093 (mobile)
mhart@oxfamamerica.org

Mulberry Trees - Bringing Berries and Birds to the Garden

2010-04-29T07:46:00.000-07:00

Mulberry Trees - Bringing Berries and Birds to the Garden by Arlene Marturano

Read about how to find & order an organic (beneficial bug feeding) tree: http://www.organicgardening.com/

For the gardener who loves both berries and birds, one mulberry tree fills the bill. This valuable tree brings an abundance of fruit and feathered friends to the garden.

Three species of mulberry are found throughout the United States. Red mulberry, Morus rubra, is native to North America. The white, M.alba, and black, M.nigra, mulberries are native to Asia. While mulberries need full sun and adequate space to mature to a height of 30 feet, the deciduous tree with round domed crown is an excellent shade tree for yards and parks. Newer smaller cultivars of weeping mulberries like 'Chaparral' don't produce fruit but make attractive ornamentals or a child's reading tree.

Mulberries thrive in any well drained soil and tolerate drought once established.

Identification

The dark glossy green leaves of the mulberry are oval with toothed edges. Many leaves are lobed like a mitten resembling fig and sassafras leaves. In fall leaves turn yellow.

Recognized as the last tree to bud in spring, gardeners use it as a sign that danger of frost is past. The plant's genus name, Morus, means "delay" in Latin. Small green cup-shaped green flowers appear in March and are wind pollinated. Fruits are similar in shape and size to blackberries.

Mulberries are propagated by seed, grafting, and hardwood, softwood and root cuttings.

Uses of Mulberries

In 1621 the white mulberry was introduced to Virginia for the new silkworm industry expected to burgeon in the south. Colonists were required to care for the trees whose leaves were the diet of the silkworm. For two centuries the silkworm industry flourished in the United States, but by 1839 cheaper labor in foreign countries, severe cold in winter, and disease brought the industry to a close.

Wildlife is attracted to the tree. If they miss getting fruit on the tree, the ripe berries drop readily covering the ground where butterflies, fireflies, gray squirrels, wild turkeys, and songbirds congregate at a messy mulberry pub room floor.

The Cornell University Lab of Ornithology ranks the mulberry as one of seven important plant groups for bird habitat. They provide food during the nesting season along with shelter and nesting sites. Over 60 species of birds feed on mulberries including robins, bluebirds, cardinals, grey catbirds, mockingbirds, cedar waxwings, orioles, tanagers, and vireos.

Children love mulberries almost as much as do birds. It's no secret where they have been when they enter the house with fruit-stained fingers, feet, clothes, and tongue. Mulberries make a perfect after school snack. A cup of raw mulberries contains 60 calories and is high in dietary fiber, riboflavin, iron, magnesium, potassium, Vitamin C, Vitamin K and very high in iron.

The easiest way for humans to harverst large quantities for freezing or baking is to spread a plastic tarp under the tree and shake the branches. Ripe berries fall like rain.

Berries vary in flavor from sweet to tart depending on the variety. They are delicious in tarts, muffins, breads, pies, and crisps.

In Medieval England mulberry puree was added to spiced meat or eaten as pudding. In Tibet dried mulberries were ground into flour and mixed with dried almonds for a staple food in winter. Stories from England report that ladies would take afternoon tea, scones, and cream under the mulberry tree letting the fruit drop down into the cream.

Mulberry leaf tea originated in the Orient and is used as a medicinal herbal tea.

In the United States fruit farmers often planted mulberry trees as decoys keeping birds away from the more treasured and less abundant berries. The common practice of planting mulberry trees on farms near barns and homesteads served both domestic animals and the farm family.

Mulberry trees bear an abundance of fruit and pleasure to humankind and wildlife over their lifetime. Red mulberries live up to 75 years and black mulberries have been known to produce fruit for 300 years.

Read more at Suite101: Mulberry Trees: Bringing Berries and Birds to the Garden http://landscaping.suite101.com/article.cfm/mulberry_trees#ixzz0mV0MX4pW

Defending Ones Honor - even after death

2010-04-28T18:40:00.000-07:00

Below, a sad but heartening video shows a loyal squirrel defending his fallen friend from a group of hungry crows. "Someone pin a tiny medal on this courageous critter," Asylum says. WARNING: MAY NOT BE SUITABLE FOR YOUNG CHILDREN

FOX SQUIRREL

The fox squirrel (or eastern fox squirrel, Bryant's fox squirrel, Delmarva fox squirrel) (Sciurus niger) is the largest species of tree squirrel native to North America. They are also sometimes referred to as the stump-eared squirrel, raccoon squirrel, or monkey-faced squirrel.

Despite the differences in size and coloration, they are sometimes mistaken for American Red Squirrels or Eastern Gray Squirrels in areas where both species co-exist.

SOURCE: Wikipedia . com

BEHAVIOR

Fox squirrels depend primarily on tree seeds for food, but they are generalist eaters and will also consume buds and fruits, cultivated grain, insects, birds' eggs, lizards and small snakes. Cannibalism has been reported, but should be considered very rare. In their regular diet of nuts, fox squirrels are classic scatter-hoarders that bury caches of nuts in dispersed locations, some of which are inevitably left unretrieved to germinate.

Fox squirrels are strictly diurnal, non-territorial, and spend more of their time on the ground than most other tree squirrels. They are still, however, agile climbers. They construct two types of homes called "dreys", depending on the season. Summer dreys are often little more than platforms of sticks high in the branches of trees, while winter dens are usually hollowed out of tree trunks by a succession of occupants over as many as 30 years. Cohabitation of these dens is not uncommon, particularly among breeding pairs.

There are two breeding seasons, one peaking in December and the other in June. The young are blind, without fur and helpless at birth. They become independent at about three months and maturity is reached after one year. In captivity, they have been known to live 18 years, but in the wild most fox squirrels die before they become adults. Their maximum life expectancy is typically 12.6 years for females and 8.6 years for males. Humans, hawks, owls, snakes and bobcats prey on the squirrels. Their agility and maneuverability in the trees is used to escape predators. They will also emit alarm calls that alert other squirrels when they see a predator. Due to overhunting and the destruction of mature forests, many subspecies (the Delmarva fox squirrel for example) of fox squirrels are endangered.

They are gregarious and playful, often chasing each other up and down trees and across yards and clearings. They have a large vocabulary, consisting most notably of an assortment of clucking and chucking sounds, not unlike some "game" birds, and they warn the listening world of approaching threats with distress screams. In the spring and fall, groups of fox squirrels clucking and chucking together can make a small ruckus. They also make high-pitched whines during mating. When threatening another fox squirrel, they will stand upright with their tail over their back and flick it.

They are impressive jumpers, easily spanning fifteen feet in horizontal leaps and free-falling twenty feet or more to a soft landing on a limb or trunk.

SOURCE: University of Michigan Museum of Zoology.

PROJECT SQUIRREL . com

What We've Learned

Project Squirrel was originally created by Wendy Jackson and Joel Brown, and has been operating since 1997. During this time, over 1000 people have participated, provided observations, and filled out the survey. We have been able to learn a great deal about these squirrels, particularly in the Chicago Metropolitan Region. Observations from other parts of the country have also been welcome and interesting. Many participant's comments are shared under What People Have Said.

The Coexistence of Fox (Sciurus niger) and Gray (S. caroliniensis) Squirrels
in the Chicago Metropolitan Area. From van der Merwe, M., J.S. Brown, and W.M. Jackson. 2005. Urban Ecosystems 8:335-347.

Fox squirrels were more likely to be observed in the western and especially southwestern suburbs. There were 27 zip codes where only gray squirrels were recorded, compared to only two zip codes where only fox squirrels were recorded (60104 in the village of Bellwood and 60402 in the village of Berwyn). There were 85 zip codes for which both fox and gray squirrels were recorded.

Results include more fox and fewer gray squirrels than expected in areas with single-family homes. The incidence of both species together was also higher than expected in these areas. This is in contrast to multiple-family units, highrise buildings, parks and campuses, where the pattern was reversed and where more than the expected number of gray squirrel observations and fewer than expected fox squirrels observations were made. Amongst multiple-family units, high-rises and on campuses, fewer than the expected number of observations that included both species was recorded. Results for multiple-family units and high-rises were in accordance with the pattern of gray squirrels being more common in areas of higher population density. However, parks and campuses are not always situated in areas of high population density, and the gray squirrel association with these areas may be more closely tied in with the results for different tree species.

Gray squirrels were found more often than expected in association with oaks and pines, whereas fox squirrels were associated with elms and maples. The acorns from oak trees are an important food source for tree squirrels, and as a general rule, areas with large numbers of oak trees can probably support higher squirrel densities than areas with few oak trees. The cacheability of acorns is especially important for winter survival (Husband, 1976; Havera and Nixon, 1980; Thompson and Thompsen, 1980; Korschen, 1981). The noticeable abundance of oaks in parks and campuses of the Chicago Metropolitan area may be tied in with the preponderance of gray squirrels in these land use types. Pines, though not as important as oaks, also provide cacheable food. Trees like maples and elms provide food in the form of new spring growth, but the lack of cacheability of these food types restricts their importance to shorter time periods. Taken together, the data for land use and tree species variables seem to support the notion that gray squirrels are strongly associated with areas of high human population density and an abundance of oak trees. Fox squirrels are more likely to be associated with lower human population densities in areas with single-family homes and where elms and maples are the dominant tree species.

Apart from high human population density and oak trees being associated with gray squirrels, therewas also a significant pattern with cat abundance. The number of observations where only fox squirrels were observed was different from the expected number. Fox squirrels were more likely to be observed in areas of high cat abundance and less likely to be observed in areas of lowcat abundance. Though not significant, the same trendwas found for dogs: the public made more fox squirrel observations than expected in areas of higher dog abundance. Fox squirrels are larger than their gray squirrel counterparts, and differences in body size have been suggested to result in trade-offs that could promote coexistence (Kotler, 1984; Lima et al., 1985). Larger and more mobile prey is more difficult to subdue by predators, whereas smaller foragers can be more efficient due to lower metabolic foraging costs. This mechanism is supported by all the observed patterns from our study. In areas where predation risk is relatively minor and where food is abundant, gray squirrels may have the competitive advantage due to being more efficient foragers. In areas where pets (as potential predators) are more prevalent, the larger fox squirrels may have a competitive advantage over gray squirrels. This is in accord with the favored natural habitats of the two species, where fox squirrels do better in the more risky open areas and forest edges, and gray squirrels prefer denser forest.

Gray squirrels were associated with densely populated areas, parks and campuses, fox squirrels with suburban areas. Compared to gray squirrels, fox squirrels were more likely to be observed in areas of high cat density. In the suburb of Oak Park, the current trend seems to be an extension of gray squirrel distribution and a decrease in fox squirrel distribution. Our study provides support for the idea that fox and gray squirrel coexistence is facilitated by a trade-off between managing the cost of predation and foraging efficiency, gray squirrels out-competing fox squirrels in areas of high food and low predator (or pet) density.

SOURCE: University of Illinois Chicago - Project Squirrel - and the Chicago Academy of Sciences.

RESCUE? For California Squirrels call WCA at 916-965-WILD.

Occasionally squirrel leaf nests are destroyed in storms and young squirrels fall to the ground. Unless squirrels are functioning independently of the mother, they need to be brought to a wildlife rehabilitator IMMEDIATELY. since baby squirrels dehydrate quickly in the sun and are chilled easily on cold nights. Cold babies should be lightly wrapped in a cloth (no terry cloth) and placed in a covered box on a heating pad set to low. If the squirrel is uninjured, appears healthy, and the mother is around, it is possible that she will retrieve the baby and return it to the nest. If she doesn't retrieve the baby within two hours, it should be rescued.

Wild animals NEVER make good pets!

Please do not attempt to raise or keep a wild mammal. When young, they need specialized diets and will develop bone and lung problems if fed incorrectly. Young mammals grow into unpredictable animals that can be dangerous. Adult mammals and reptiles will bite and scratch, and can carry diseases and parasites.

Speier has billion dollar plan to restore wetlands.

2010-04-28T18:07:00.000-07:00

CORTE MADERA, CA (KGO) -- With bay wetlands behind her, San Mateo Congresswoman Jackie Speier announced Friday she is authoring a bill to restore wetlands areas around San Francisco Bay.

"It's time to save the bay again," Speier said.

Speier's legislation calls for $1 billion over the next 10 years to restore 100,000 acres of wetlands; two-thirds of the former wetlands that have been drained or lost to development.

The Bay Institute's program director tells ABC7 restoring wetlands makes economic sense because wetlands protect the rest of the shoreline from erosion.

"By restoring those wetlands that are there, we can move those forces off shore again and begin to, again, put in that kind of natural barrier against flood protection," Marc Holmes said.

"Something that's already been done, I might add, in Chesapeake Bay and the Great Lakes and all we're saying is we deserve our fair share," Speier said.

Speier says the Great Lakes got $475 million last year when the economy was tanking.

But ABC7's political analyst points out; it is not the same economic environment in Washington D.C.
"You had a kind of 'let's spend our way out of economic troubles' attitude last year," Bruce Cain said.

Cain says this year the rising deficit is much more of an issue and even though Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi's office says she is supportive of Speier's bill, the fact is there are other parts of the country that are far more politically competitive.

"If they're going to give goodies out, it's going to be focused in the areas where they're thinking of losing seats," Cain said.

Concord Congressman George Miller is a co-sponsor of the bill and admits $1 billion is a heavy lift.

"We're probably not going to get $100 million this year, but we've got to start down that road and increase it until we can get this work done to protect and preserve San Francisco Bay," he said.

One more economic reason for restoring the bay wetlands -- they act as filters to clean the water and they provide habitat for all kinds of wildlife. But again, getting the rest of Congress to go along is the big hurdle. (Copyright ©2010 KGO-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.)

Wanna be reporter

Peeps the rescued hummingbird

2010-04-28T18:00:00.001-07:00

The story of Peter and Peeps the rescued hummingbird.

JUST SAY NO TO SOLARGEN ENERGY INC.

2010-04-23T00:14:00.000-07:00

For each species you watch in the slideshow,
PLEASE remember that not EVERY Panoche Valley bird
you see WILL live long enough or evolve -
to learn how to live in harmony with-
MAN AND HIS SOLAR PANELS

From Save Panoche Valley - Say NO to Solargen Energy Inc.

PLEASE SAVE PANOCHE VALLEY

2010-04-20T14:37:00.000-07:00

Range

The western United States of America and southwestern Canada. It is fairly numerous in open, semi-arid, rocky areas, especially cliff faces, and talus slopes.

Identifying Field Markings

Buff and black terminal tail bands, cinnamon rump, and fine breast streaks.

Appearance

A pale gray bird of rocky areas, the Rock Wren is found throughout arid western North America and parts of southwestern Canada during summer or nesting season.

Similar Species

Canyon Wren is much darker, with a white throat, a rufous-and-black tail, and a different voice.

Adult Description

Small songbird
Pale gray back
Faintly striped throat
Long, barred tail
Long, thin bill

Immature Description

Juvenile similar to adult, but duller, darker, and with little or no streaking on underparts.

Measurements

Both Sexes

Length: 4.7–5.9 in 12–15 cm

Wingspan: 9.1 in 23 cm

Weight: 0.5–0.6 oz 15–18 g

Other Names

Troglodyte des rochers (French)

Chivirín saltarroca, Troglodita saltarroca, Saltapared roquero (Spanish)

Behavior & Diet

It bobs up and down, and calls as it forages for insects and anthropods. It "gleans" prey from rocks, removes prey from spider webs; repeatedly hops vertically from ground to capture flying insects.

Cool Fact

The Rock Wren is not known to drink water, but instead gets all it needs from its food. Even five birds kept in captivity did not drink water when it was available.

Song & Call

The male Rock Wren is a truly remarkable singer and can have a large song repertoire of 100 or more song types, many of which seem to be learned from neighbors. Wrens sing a series or repeated couplets plus tinkling notes. Its call is buzzy and sounds like tick-ear.

Video - Rock Wren Call & Song

Filmed 4/7/2010, at sunrise atop Friant Dam, Millerton Lake State Recreation Area in Fresno County.

Nesting

Nest Description

Nests are built on the ground usually a loose cup built with grass, bits of wood, bark, moss, hair, and occasionally fresh plant material in shallow space; lined with rootlets, hair, wool, spider silk. Placed in cavity or crevice in or among rocks, usually with foundation of stone and often with pavement of small stones extending from nest to entrance of nest cavity and sometimes beyond. The Rock Wren usually builds a pavement or walkway of small, flat stones or pebbles that leads to the nest cavity. The nest is usually located in a rock crevice out of sight, but the pavement may give away the nest's location. The function of this pavement is unknown.

Nesting Facts

Clutch Size: 1–10 eggs

Egg Description: White with fine spots of reddish brown.

Condition at Hatching: Helpless, with some down.

For more information use the online identification guide by www.enature.com or check out a field manual at your local public library. To find a field manual, go to your local public library and search "Field Manual" or "bird identification guide" or by authors such as Sibley, Kauffman, Peterson, National Geographic, Stokes, American Bird Conservancy, or the National Audubon Society, to name a few, but there are more. There are also many books on the subject of behavior and individual bird families that are helpful if you are new to bird watching. These books assist with gaining knowledge about identifying markings on birds, and general overviews about families of birds and their habitats.

Fresno Bird Count - Citizen Science Project

2010-04-14T16:57:00.000-07:00

Spring 2010 April 15th - May 15th

The Fresno Bird Count (FBC) is a citizen science project dedicated to mapping the distribution of the City’s bird populations. The project is a joint effort of both local bird enthusiasts and the Reconciliation Ecology lab at California State University-Fresno.

We are currently looking for participants for this project . If you are an active bird-watcher in this area, looking to lend your skills towards some active science and conservation efforts, and have some time available this spring, do check out the participation link (at the top of this page) on this website, and join our project by sending your email and contact information to aphelocoma@fresnobirds.org.

If you wish to keep up with the project, we invite you to join us on Facebook and become a fan of Fresno Birds.

Urbanization is among the biggest conservation challenges of this century, for cities increasingly dominate the landscape, with ecological effects reaching well beyond their boundaries.

Urbanization affects the distribution and abundance of wildlife throughout the world, with birds being conspicuous examples, but our understanding of the underlying processes remains highly inadequate. This project addresses the impacts of urbanization on the distribution and abundance of birds species in Fresno, California. We are a volunteer citizen network established to conduct bird counts in the field. This website is our main web-portal, a digital gathering place for data-entry and interactive display of results, modeled after the long-running Tucson Birds project in Arizona, and the more recent Ottawa Birds in Canada. We plan to disseminate the knowledge generated among various urban constituencies including developers, city planners, architects, conservation practitioners, and ordinary citizens. It is a modest contribution to the effort to reconcile human development with biodiversity conservation in this rapidly urbanizing region - home both to an incredible diversity of species (birds being one good indicator) and some of the most productive farmland in the world. [www.fresnobirds.org/]

Fresno Bird Count - Instructions and Protocols

Please read all instructions prior to surveying your route(s). Adherence to these instructions will lead to more accurate and useful results. We’d like to give credit to the Tucson Bird count for developing the following protocols.

Scouting

Being that this is the first survey for the FBC it would be beneficial to visit your site before the actual survey. We have tried to screen census sites so that they are in an accessible area. In the event that a site on your route is not accessible (in a yard, in a restricted area, etc.), choose an alternate site as close as possible to the original site on your route map. Do not attempt to conduct counts on any property without consent of the owner, and only count on private property if no publicly accessible location is nearby. If the original site is in a yard or alley, move it to the nearest publicly accessible spot (street, park, etc). If you move a site mark the exact location of the new site on your route map with a red ‘X’ and the Site ID number, and submit details on the new site location, providing GPS coordinates if possible. Your markings will be used to update sites in computerized FBC maps for data analysis and for locating the same site in future years.

Equipment Checklist:

transportation (car or bike for areas with roads, boots for more ‘remote’ areas)

GPS unit (recommended)

binoculars

pencil or pen with dark ink

watch with second hand timer

field guide

clipboard

FBC instructions, route map, and data sheets

FBC business card

water, sunscreen, hat, etc. A few routes have remote sites, plan accordingly and do not

do remote routes alone. The same may apply to some urban routes in certain

neighborhoods.

Data Sheets: To download a copy of the FBC data sheets click datasheet.pdf

When to Run Routes

Survey your route on a morning of your choosing during the survey period, April 15 - May 15. Many routes have one or more sites near roads that are noisy with weekday traffic; weekend mornings generally provide better counting conditions.

Starting and Traversing Sites in a Route

Choose a path connecting all the sites along your route in a way that will minimize (roughly) your total travel time (Site ID numbers are for identification only; you don’t need to survey them in numerical order). Begin counting at your first site as close to sunrise as possible (as early as 30 minutes before sunrise). No counting should take place more than 4 hours after sunrise. If all sites along a route are not surveyed within this time, survey unfinished sites another morning. Report that this was done in the “Notes” section of your data sheet, with a brief explanation (e.g., “sites x, y, and z involved hiking”).

Acceptable Weather

Occasional light drizzle or a brief shower may be acceptable, but fog, steady drizzle, or prolonged rain should be avoided. Counts should not be done if the wind exceeds 12 mph (loose paper and dust are raised, small branches on trees move).

Counting Birds

Only one observer should conduct the 5-minute point count at each site. Count from a stationary point outside of a car. Count every bird seen or heard by the primary observer during the 5-minute period. On the point count data sheet check the S box for seen, the H box for heard or both. Only birds within an estimated radius of 40 meters should be counted. It is important to count each bird only once, even if it leaves the site. For large groups of birds, estimate the number. Do not exceed 5 minutes because you are sure a certain "good bird" is there and not calling — valid negative data are as important as positive in this survey. If you observe, but do not identify, a bird during a point count, it's OK to spend time after the point count working on the ID. Record such birds as being in the point count. Don't use any method of coaxing birds ("spishing", tape playbacks). It's important that all point counts be done consistently to produce reliable results.

Supplemental Observations: Birds detected by other observers in the group, detected outside the 5-minute window, or detected during your transit between sites, should be recorded in the Supplemental Observations Data Sheet. It is only necessary to record on this sheet those species that were not observed already during the Point Count for that site.

Rare or Unusual Birds: Any reports of rare species in the Central Valley or unusual in the area being surveyed should be supported by including some details of the observation in the "Notes" section. Include all features you used to determine ID.

Temporary Noise, Interruptions

If a temporary noise (e.g., passing car) or interruption (e.g., inquisitive resident) interferes with your ability to count birds at a site, pause the count (and the clock) for the duration of the interruption, and resume counting when the interruption has passed. Total time counting birds (that is, not including interruptions) for the point count should be 5 minutes. Birds observed during an interruption, but not otherwise during the 5-minute count, should be reported in the Supplemental Observations column.

Constant Excessive Noise

If constant noise interferes with your observations at a site, try to return to survey the site on a morning when it's quieter. The goal is to accurately survey birds at all sites — documenting the birds in a parking lot is as useful as recording the birds in a wash. Thus, surveying the original site at another time is preferable to moving the site. If returning is impractical, move up to 50 walking paces (but no more) to a spot where the noise is reduced. Report noisy conditions (see Recording Data, below).

Submitting Data

Please submit your data within one week of your count date. Please mail (1) your Route Map, (2) updated site locations, and (3) all completed Route Data Forms to the address below. You may wish also to keep a copy for your records.

Mail completed forms to:

FBC c/o Madhusudan Katti
Assistant Professor
Department of Biology, M/S SB73
California State University, Fresno
2555 E. San Ramon Ave.
Fresno, CA 93740-8034

Contact Information: If you have any questions, don't hesitate to contact the TBC Project Coordinator, Bradley Schleder, (599) 623-9495 (home/voicemail) Fresno Bird Count web page: aphelocoma@fresnobirds.orghttp://www.fresnobirds.org/

Recording Data

This section details the fields on the FBC Route Data Form sheets. Record all data on these sheets, up to 4 sites per sheet. Use as many sheets as are required for your route, but don't include sites from more than one route on the same sheet.

ROUTE section:

Record the Route Number and Primary Observer name on each sheet, and names of Others Present on the route's first sheet.

SITE section:

Site ID #.

Each site gets a column. Write the full Site ID number here.

Date & Site start time.

For each site, record the date, and the time at which the point count was started.

Site Status.

Check one box. Check “new or moved” if the site is in a physically different location from

previous years.

Site Location.

Site at which point count is conducted. This description must accurately describe the count location to within 30 feet. This information will be used to ensure that future FBC's count birds at the same locations.

Sites on or near streets. Report the adjacent street address (e.g., “in front of 4549 Maple St”) or nearest street or wash intersection. Report side of street or corner of intersection (e.g., “20 ft SE of SE corner of Bullard and Blackstone”). If no marked address is near, record distance and direction along street from nearest street. Include any nearby landmarks, especially those likely to appear on maps (e.g., “Woodward Park, 100 ft NE of parking lot”). Including GPS coordinates (in addition to the above) if possible, though not essential if detailed street locations are provided.

Noise level.

Moderate = your ability to detect birds by sound is hindered somewhat; extreme = hindered almost completely.

NOTES section:

Use this section for details of site relocations, sightings of unusual species, recording accessibility issues (e.g., "in the middle of golf course, receive permission from clubhouse or call 555-5555 in advance"), or any other important information about a site. Begin any notes with the relevant Site ID number.

BIRDS section:

Write the Site ID # at the top of each column. In the species column on the left use the Species List to write in the common name, or code, of the species encountered . If writing the common name, please include the whole name with no abbreviations. In the Point Count column, record the number of individuals of each species seen/heard during the 5-minute point count. If you use tick marks to tally birds as you observe them, be sure to also write a distinct arabic number of individuals for each species observed, and circle it to avoid confusion.

Citizen Science can be fun!

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Species insider - Steller's Jay

Steller's Jay

Keys to identification Help

Typical Voice

Size and Shape

Color Pattern

Behavior

Habitat

Field MarksHelp

Steller's Jay

Adult Pacific form

Steller's Jay

Adult Pacific form

Steller's Jay

Adult Pacific form

Steller's Jay

Adult

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