Western Bluebird

Lots are Western bluebirds are around, focusing still on the hole in the phone-pole. There’s a flurry of activity every morning. Then they move off somewhere until the next morning.

California Quail

I went out along the levee at lunchtime, looking for a reported varied thrush. I didn’t find it but was delighted by a covey of about 20 California quail, nervously beetling along the fence.

Senegal Parrot

I don’t think I’ve ever been at a meeting presided over by a parrot before. We’re working on the Green Summit for our region. Yoda here had lots to say about it…

They're Back, and Just as Hard to Draw as They Were Last Year

I don’t know why I have such a hard time with these guys. White-crowned sparrows are large, they work busily near the front and back doors, and I have a hard time with them.

Looks like it’s back to Sparrow School for me. Luckily, there’s just such a thing coming up in Stockton…

Red-tailed Hawk

Still very windy. The red-tails soar up and back down over the trees.

Mourning Dove

It’s very windy at the moment but the mourning doves are somehow hanging on to the wire…

Western Scrub-jay

It’s acorn burying time again! Traces of the rain from the other day have disappeared and the ground’s as hard as rock again, making it tough for these birds to bury the acorns that will keep them a) busy and b) fat all winter…

White-tailed Kite

I might as well call Monday “Raptor Day.” Only today I didn’t go to the Raptor Center; I rode my bike out along the levee west of here to see if I could find any warblers.

There were a few yellowrumps I could hear off in the distance but I did come across this kite, a female northern harrier, and a kestrel. I have yet to post a sketch of a kestrel on Bird by Bird and will try to remedy this soon.

Say's Phoebe

The storm we had on Friday seems to have blown a lot of birds in. (We got a call today about a chestnut-sided warbler but we were not able to go after it, having been working a bike event in Sacramento.) Many yellowrumps, and this Say’s phoebe…

Lunchtime Birds

Orange-crowned, yellow, and yellow-rumped warblers, Hutton’s and warbling vireos, and the remains of a hapless scrub-jay. I’m enjoying these Thursday lunches with campus birders…