Swans

Got 8 swans today at Church Rd. @ Green Lane this morning. They were most likely Tundra but could have been Trumpeter b/c they had no yellow on their bills. The sun was shining in my face and eve with the scope it was hard to get any good detail b/c they were so far away. Might have been significant but I guess we will never know. I drove by again after running some errands but the Geese had pushed them out by then.
Either way that is a lifer for me!
Peace

Ben's Bullock's

Ben,

Thought it would be intersting to add this range map for the Bullock's oriole.  Who would have thought you would get one in your PA backyard two years in a row?!?

I have been out of birding-commission for over a week.  Next week, I will be in Utah (hopefully picking up at least Black-billed Magpies and Chukars).  I plan to spend a full day at the Great Salt Lake.  Unfortunatley, I'm not sure if I will make it up into the mountains to pick up the crazy birds that live there.

Best,

Kevin

This Week in The Davies Back Yard

Hey guys. I have been focused on farm stuff this week since we have had beautiful dry weather and I needed to get the greehouse ready to start onions and leeks. So no birding has taken place other than keeping my eyes peeled while working outside. I set up my spotting scope by the greenhouse door often too. Below is what I have seen. Still a pretty impressive list and I even was able to add the Bullocks to our Big Year list. We are pretty blessed with a hot back yard. Love you guys.

American Kestril

American Robin

Black Vulture

Bluejay

Boat Tailed Grackle

Bullocks Oriole

Canada Goose
Chikadee Sps.

Dark Eyed Junco

Downy Woodpecker

Eastern Bluebird

European Starling

Gold Finch

Great Blue Heron

Hairy Woodpecker

House Finch

House Sparrow

Mallard

Mourning Dove

Northern Cardinal

Northern Flicker

Northern Harrier

Northern Mockingbird

Red Bellied Woodpecker

Red-tailed Hawk

Red-winged Blackbird

Ring Billed Gull

Rock Dove
Tufted Titmouse

Turkey Vulture

White Crowned Sparrow

White Throated Sparrow

White-breasted Nuthatch

He's Back

Subject: Bullock's Oriole In Barto, PA (Montgomery County), 1/24/2012
From: "Howard B. Eskin" <hbeskin AT VOICENET.COM>
Date: Fri, 24 Feb 2012 10:37:39 -0500

Ben Davies (123 Robin Dr, Barto, PA 19504-9371)  called and asked me to 
post that a male Bullock's Oriole is coming into their feeders (seed and 
suet) as well as their
backyard apple orchard this morning. Visitors are welcome but please 
park in the road and do not block neighbors' driveways...thanks!

Regards,
Howard

Howard B. Eskin, Ph.D., P.E.
Harleysville, PA

Black Vulture

Hey gang,

We already have this bird on our list this year - but I think it's noteworthy/bragworthy here.

Yesterday I had a Black Vulture over Goleta.   This is significant because there are virtually no Black Vulture here - the first ever record in SB county being last year around this time.  It is very well the same bird - and I was lucky to see it yesterday.  Somebody reported it earlier this week, and I was fortunate to have it fly over yesterday morning when I was looking for the Grace's Warbler. (which I was still not able to locate.)

Owl Video

Guys since we have been on an owl binge this year I thought you'd like this video.
Check It
I haven't been birding this week other than my scoping of the Harriers and Kestrils behind our place. Been busy getting the greenhouse in shape and w/ farm stuff. Hopefully I will get to some more spots next week though.
Peace

Short-Eared Owl

[Updated Post: I forgot to mention that I saw Lawrence's Goldfinches (212) last Sunday at UCR. A taste of Spring!]

Last December, I got a really poor look a Short-Eared Owl in a field outside SJWA.  I have been visiting that spot frequently, but hadn't seen the bird for our 2012 list.

SE Owls are nocturnal, but they can be seen in the daytime more than other owls (especially during sunrise or sunset).  Last night I decided to set up shop where I had seen the owl in the past.  I drove down there via Lake Perris where everybody but me seems to see Bald Eagles, and arrived at the field at 4:30pm.  At around 5:00pm, I thought I saw an owl flying low in the distance, but it soon went out of my view.  I thought I saw it, but couldn't get enough field notes to ID it!

At around 5:30pm it was starting to get pretty dark and I was thinking of packing up.  Just then I saw Short-Eared Owl (211) flying in my direction!  Although it was dark, I was able to get a decent look and ID the bird.  It's a good bird to add to our list (Owl #8), and now I don't have to stress about it on my SWJA visits.

I was also able to get a lot of good/new UCR birds this week: Mountain Chickadee, Downy Woodpecker (good for Riverside), flyover Cormorants, Band-Tailed Pigeon, House Wren, Allen's Hummingbird, and a nesting Anna's Hummingbird.  I also spent about 30 minutes trying to turn a Ruby-Crowned Kinglet into a Hutton's Vireo on campus this morning.

Best,

Kevin

Canyon Wren

Micah and I had a CANYON WREN singing (what I think is) the most incredible bird song in Santa Barbara.

Canyon Wren Video/Song

 Last year I was lucky and these wrens were nesting in an unfinished house that I was working on.  While we were installing window and doors - the Canyon Wrens were flitting in and out of the rooms that we were working in.  Their beaks are so long, one guy even asked, "what are those, hummingbirds?"

Flamingo

Hey Matt and Kevin did you guys see American Flamingos in addition to the Lessers at the Salton Sea b/c if you did it is not recorded on the list.

Snowy Owl in our Back Yard

Just kidding...
Went birding this morning with Mike Rinker. It snowed a few inches last night and we hit up a bunch of spots around Green Lane Park. It was snowing most of the time we were birding, the trees and brush were all covers in a light dusting of snow and mist was mingling with the tops of the trees. Over all there was not much action. Some Ring Billed and a Lesser Black Back Gull, Gadwalls, Mallards, Common Mergs, Red Tails, Black Ducks. Our last stop gave us a nice look at some Wigeons cruising on the water close bye while a flock of Yellow Rumpies frolicked in the junipers next to us. It was a really nice way to start the weekend. Love you guys. Alpen Friends Forever.

House Wren

I woke up to a HOUSE WREN this morning.  Making a racket just as I was standing up out of bed.   I looked out the window - and there it was.   Grayish overall - perhaps a first year bird.   Nice one

Going for Williamson's Sapsucker and Townsend's Solitare tomorrow am.

Good Birding

Hey gang,

Good birding this past week.   Ben and Karah, It's a rewarding feeling to leave your house in pursuit of an elusive bird, and by days end, successfully locate that bird.   Way to go on the Northern Shrike

Kev, way to Rock the Inland Empire.  You have just about squeezed all the raptors out of the area.  HOT DOG!

I have unfortunately gotten fairly SKUNKED the past week and a half.  After about 6 or 7 visits to Bella Vista Open Space, I have not been able to locate the Grace's Warbler.  I will continue to try and locate this bird, since I think it would be a really great bird to have on our list, especially when the old granny's at the park are seeing the bird during the day, and a guy just posted about the "continuing Grace's"

Here is a story from my Grace's Warbler files this past week:   I roll into the park after a particularly laborious work day.  I'm pumped to find the bird, especially because I'm lucky to have gotten some good afternoon sun hitting the tops of the pines that I know the warbler has been frequenting.  I grab my binoc's and hurry out of the car,  unknowingly locking it in the process.  As I'm walking to the bird spot, I notice a lady smoking a cigarette, watching her dog take a dookie on the grass of this public park.  She is watching, totally aware of the #2 - but obviously not motivated to care or pick up after her canine friend.  So I yell over to her, "YO, CAN YOU PICK THIS UP"  She says "YAH" but doesn't move for the next 15 minutes.  During that time, I'm trying my damndest to locate a Grace's Warbler in the midst of 100 Yellow Rumpies.  I also realize during that time that I locked my keys in the truck.   No one else is around, so I have to ask the DOGGY DUMP LADY to use her telephone.  She reluctantly helps me.  So I call AAA, and the guy says he'll be out to pluck my lock in about 30 minutes.  I think, "Great, this will give me some time to hopefully locate the bird."  I look and listen and listen and listen and watch and scan......finally, I think I see the bird, I am pretty confident, but I need a better view, and I'm waiting for the bird to re-emerge.  At the same time, I see the AAA guy drive up and stop next to my car.  I am about 150 yards away from him.   I know though, that if I take my eye off this bird, I will lose it, and probably not be able to re-find it quickly.   So, I hold my position, hoping that the AAA fella wont drive away.   After about 3 or 4 minutes, he drives away!   I can't ID the bird officially.   I ask the doggy dookie lady for her phone again, and she rolls her eyes - gives me her phone and still hasn't picked up her dogs shit.  I call AAA man, and he comes back in a few minutes and instantly flat bars my truck's lock open!  Great,  I lean in, get my wallet, give him a few bucks.   He gets in his truck, I go back to the bird.   Can't find the bird.  It's getting dark.  I turn back to the truck, hoping to come back the next day for another shot.  Get back to the truck,  it's locked again, the keys are in there again!   I must have locked it again in all the hustle and bustle of the bird and the guy and the.....damnit!

I'm too embarrassed now to call AAA again, so I knock on a neighborhood door, and ask a nice guy for a wire so I can fasten my own hook.   I get super lucky, unlock the door, and get the hell out of there.  No bird.   Geez.

Anyhow, I did get up to the Horned Lock flock in the Santa Ynez Valley this past weekend.   Some of the most tedious birding I've ever done resulted in one shitty look at a LAPLAND LONGSPUR from about 400 yards away.  Good bird for our list though.  It was also a busy bluebird day, it was nice to be surrounded by blewies all day.   Thats it for now.   Micah and I continue on the quest for Spotted Owl this weekend, along with the Grace's and a Williamson's Sapsucker.

long post, sorry -  no pics
matt

To wrap up a marathon birding week Karah and I met up with Ryan and Chelsea at John Heinz NWR. John and Heather offered to watch the kids for the afternoon/evening. We started the day off at Green Lane Reservoir with a beautiful flock of Ring Neck Ducks and American Wigeon and then dropped off the kids. We knew that there wouldn't be too much action at John Heinz but had heard reports of a Norther Shrike.When we got to the visitor center a few birders were about to go see a Great Horned Owl that had just been discovered sitting on its nest that morning. Later we met up with a volunteer who took us to the spot. The mother owl was just sitting there watching us, peaking out from her nest. With our new scope it was a nice treat to just relax and watch her. I brought my moms little digi-cam and snapped a few photos through the scope.

Next we watched some Norther Shovelers roosting on the water and some GBH's roosting above them on the far shore of the lake. Ryan started getting a bit rowdy and taking his social birding too far yelling "bye!" and waving at the roosting Owl so we started walking out. We had pretty much given up hope on seeing the Shrike. As we rounded a corner Karah started screaming profanities and pointing up at a bird on the topmost branch of a nearby tree. "Its the Shrike" she said.

And that it was. I still get butterflies when I think about it. Our trip was a success. I also want you guys to know that I am going to try and take pics of significant birds to share with you. I am clearly not shooting for high quality but I just want to share these birds with you guys. Peace, Love, and bubblegum.

SJWA: Golden Eagle and Rough-Legged Hawk

In "A Birder's Guide to Southern California", Chet McGaugh suggests that the San Jacinto Wildlife Area is one of the best inland spots for winter birding in the United States.  This winter has certainly backed that up, especially when it comes to raptors.

Because of this, I have been trying to spend as much time as possible down there before the raptors head north.  Today I entered the park from the opposite side that I normally enter from to look for the "other" Rough-Legged Hawk that had been in this area.  Ramona Expressway is not a fun place to pull off (especially during the morning rush), but I saw two birds in the area where the bird had been reported.  After breaking out the scope, the first bird was a Red-Tailed.  I expected the second bird to be the same, but to my surprise it was the Rough-Legged Hawk (201)!  It felt good to get a bird that had been so elusive for me this winter.

After that bird, I spent about an hour looking for the Gyrfalcon.  When it didn't show, I went to a new spot where some Golden Eagles had recently been spotted.  After about 15 minutes of watching Red-Taileds, an immature Golden Eagle (202), flew into the area!  Three Red-Tailed Hawks and a Crow mobbed the Eagle for about 5 minutes before it decided it had enough.  The size of the Eagle was pretty amazing; it made the Hawks look tiny.  At a few points, the Eagle seemed to twist upside-down to try to catch the Hawk on its way in.

Still outside SJWA, I was able to spot at least twenty Sage Thrashers (203) that had been in the area.  This is a good bird on its own, but the sheer number of them was pretty crazy.

I was also able to spot an immature Ferruginous Hawk inside the park, and a "Harlan's" Red-Tailed Hawk.  The Harlan's Hawk looks like a Black/White Red-Tailed Hawk.  If I'm not mistaken, it used to be it's own species.  If they ever split the species again, we can add one to our list.

Other cool birds included a Long-Billed Curlew, Burrowing Owl, Loggerhead Shrike, Gadwal, Cinnamon Teal, Common Mergansers, Osprey, Bufflehead, and Ruby-Crowned Kinglet.

Matt Grube is generously allowing us to enhance our blog with his photos, just as along as nobody uses them for commercial purposes.  Below is a picture he took of the same Rough-Legged Hawk I saw (notice the missing primary).  Also below is a Golden Eagle shot--probably not the same bird, but it was taken at the same spot.  Finally, check out that YouTube video of a Golden Eagle showing off its strength and athleticism (start at 0:42).

Best,

Kevin

Itinerary

Guys we finally hit some spots around here that I have been wanting to visit. First we visited Nockamixon State Park/Reservoir  to try for the Icelandic Gulls (no luck), then made our way to Merrill Creek Resevoir to get the snowy owl that has taken up residence there since Nov. 2011. Then on to Green Pond and the Church Road Bird Sanctuary at Green Land Park. Our list included the following: Black Vulture, Turkey Vulture, Snowy Owl, Wild Turkey, Ringneck Duck, Common Merg., Hooded Merg., Coots, Pintails, Gadwalls, Black Duck, a flock of snow geese stretching from one horizon to the other, Gulls (Greater & Lesser B-Back, Ring billed), Canada Geese out the %^&*, Mallards, Belted Kingfisher, Rock Dove, Mourning Dove, Redtail H., Kestril, Mute Swan... Ellis and Henry came along for the ride and had a great time. Ellis loved the Snowy Owl. We arrived home to to find the long awaited Alpen 788 waiting for us! We are real birders now. I have a video of the Snowy Owl to upload once I transfer it from our camera. Happy Birding guys!

The First Annual Davies Family Winter Bird Outing

Some domestic Mallard genes.

Maybe one of the top five coolest ducks for me.

Aberrant plumage Canada.

Mythical Snowy Owl