Saturday, April 11, 2026

Winter Wren, Sapsuckers & NOMO

 


The last week or so has been nice in Windsor. 

I try to go for a walk every day after work - and I have seen some neat birds. Hearing a Winter Wren singing while walking at Black Oak last week was pretty exciting.

I've had good luck with Yellow bellied Sapsuckers. I'm quite tuned into their calls and even their tree tapping sounds which are quick distinct from other woodpeckers.






I even heard, then saw a Northern Mockingbird at Black Oak. A lady from PPNP was already looking at it and got me on it. I had assumed (by ear) that it was a brown thrasher but was mistaken. 


Lastly, my local habitat has yeilded daily looks at YBSS, towees, Ruby crowned Kinglets and for the last few days, Brown Thrashers! I have to give credit to the rasperry pi computer running bird-pi audio software for reporting the bird to me. I heard it briefly today but was unable to find it. I love the song of a Brown Thrasher. Always makes me smile



Backyard Kinglet

Backyard Brown Thrasher
Black Oak Yellow Bellied Sapsucker



Good birding!

Dwayne



Friday, April 3, 2026

Easter Phoebe!?!?!

 


Hey All,

Today is Good Friday - a holiday celebrated by billions  of Christians all around the world. I went to Good Friday mass at the historic Assumption Church in Windsor and it slowly dawned on me that a bird was in the church! I identified it by its flight style, perch flycatch perch... I id'ed it as an Easter(n) Phoebe !

To my amazement, it perched in a few different areas but at one point, it landed on a perch in front of the cross!  I took some photos from my seat with my camera, which has a 10x optical zoom.

Part of me wants to beleive that in a small way - this was an Easter Miracle - and this beautiful migrant breifly paid hommage to the king of kings before continuing his northward migration.

This isnt my first good bird at Assumtion Church, occasionally I will see a Perigrine Falcon perch on the steeple. This church is close to the Ambasador Bridge - which has had many breeding peregrine falcons breeding and hunting from its high perches.


Back in the Dodge...

I had the day off from work and birded Black Oak Herritage park this morning and had my first of season Yellow Bellied Flycatcher. Its one of my favirite birds and I got some great looks at it! 




Hermit Thrush

Fox Sparrow

Horned Grebe

Amazingly, I was planting some perenial plant seeds on my back porch this afternoon and heard a woodpecker pecking on a Shagbark Hickory behind my house. Sure enough... it was another yellow bellied sapsucker. 


Backyard ybss!

Spring is officially started!


Good birding!

Dwayne







Sunday, March 29, 2026

Birding Sedona AZ & the Grand Canyon


Lucy's Warbler - My first of 16 lifers on this trip!

I think this southwestern usa trip resulted in about 16 life birds - and one of my first new birds -a surprise- was a Lucy's Warbler! I was at a train area and a scrubby area nearby was alive with birdsong. Merlin revealed this warbler to me and I attempted to find it quickly. 

Sedona AZ was a town we passed through which was quite beautiful. The red soil and mind blowing geography really makes this place quite special. My family hike a nature trail called "devils bridge"... we didnt make it as we were weary after 1 mile into the path.










Anicia Checkerspot

My target bird from Sedona was a single bird species - a Juniper Titmouse!  Along the this great bird... I had seen a Juniper Hairstreak as well as a Brown Elfin flitting around the juniper and desert scrub habitat. 

Juniper Titmouse - in a Juniper

We moved on from Sedona AZ up to Flagstaff AZ, then William's AZ (famous for being part of "Route 66"--- the purpose being to visit the Grand Canyon. 



It was quite beautiful. This was a "Bucket list" item I had long wanted to acheive. I didnt make too much effort on birding but I did carry a camera on my shoulder to document any birdlife. Western Bluebirds, Mountain Chickadee, Stellars Jay and Woodhouse Scrub Jay were noteworthy birds that I noted. I would have loved to have seen a California Vulture but I dipped on this carion loving giant. 

Grand Canyon

Mountain Chickadee

Woodhouse Scrub Jay

Stellar's Jay


Checkered white (or Spring White)




I had some good luck with birds on this trip, but my butterfly watching efforts were relatively poor. Many butterflies simply flew off without landing which was quite upsetting. I occasionally wondered if I should just give up on lepidoptera observing... . But in the grand scheme... I can't complain. I am blessed that I can travel and show my family the vast beauty of North America. If I can do some modest birdwatching while doing that... then its a bonus on top of a blessing.

Good birding,
Dwayne

Lifer summary:

Juniper Titmouse 487
Woodhouse scrub Jay 488
Lucy's warbler 489


Tuesday, March 24, 2026

Birding Silverwood Lake in San Bernadino California

 

Silverwood Lake State Park - San Bernadino California

Part 1 - Trestles Beach - San Clement CA

Part 2 - (this post) Silverwood lake - Cajun Pass CA

Part 3 - Grand Canyon Birding -Williams AZ 



Hey Y'all,

I had a few birding and butterfly sightings on my most recent trip out to the southwestern corner of the USA.

During the last week my family visited a few spots in the southwest such as Phoenix AZ, Flagstaff AZ, Williams AZ then we moved towards California. Arizona is breathtakingly beautiful... as is California.

At Silverwood Lake ... some targets were:

Oak Titmouse

Mountain Quail

California Scrub Jay

Wrentit


The Oak titmouse was a big priority for me as one of the first sparkbirds for me was the lovable "tufted titmouse" back in Windsor.


California Thrasher

Acorn Woodpecker


Lewis's Woodpecker
Lewis's Woodpecker

Mountain Quail

California Scrub Jay

Western Bluebird


Oak Titmouse

Wrentit

Seeing a Lewis's Woodpecker (4!) Was a brilliant surprise! A lewis's woodpecker has dramic perch - flycatch - return flight... remenisent of an olive sided flycatcher.

This was a beautiful spot, and my son Micheal joined me here while my wife and my older boy spent the morning rail fannning.


Some butterlies seen here were: 

Sara Orangetip

Western Brown Elfin

Propertius Duskywing

Funereal Duskywing

Painted Ladies 

Others...


Propertius Duskywing


One the way to this park, I stopped along a valley bottom with scrub - desert- meadow habitat and the bird life was impressive.

Merlin picked up golden crowned sparrow, bells sparrowand a few other cool birds but I was unable to see them. 

I had also birded a park which was supposed to have Sonora Blue Butterflies but I was unable to find them. I did however pick out a Swainson's Hawk overhead. 

Silvery Blue (western)
Sara Orangetip
Swainson's Hawk
Bushtit


Another random beach that we visited on route to San Clemnte feature the following birds:

Rock wren
Loon Sp.
Spotted Sandpiper

Hudsonian Whimbrel



Good Birding!


Lifer summary: 

Oak titmouse 481

Mountain Quail 482

Wrentit 483

California Scub Jay 484

California Thrasher 485

California Towhee 486




LinkWithin

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...