The American Goldfinch - Sonoma County’s golden bird.

Greetings!

Don’t get me wrong - warblers are beautiful little birds, but when I long to see a brilliantly yellow percher, it’s the American Goldfinch I’m raising my birding binoculars in search of. Just take a moment to gaze at this pair of American Goldfinches, shown right. I think you’ll agree, the male bird is a special fowl, with a color combination of canary yellow and black that is truly memorable and unique in our corner of the globe.

What I love best about the American Goldfinch
His ability to perch on a weed is such a winning quality. Imagine what it would be like to be so tiny, so light, that a mere blade of field grass seems like a spacious and ample support. Thistles are also preferred resting and feeding stations in the American Goldfinch’s endless pursuit of little seeds to eat. Just last week, my husband and I had the pleasure of standing within feet of a pair of these birds, both clinging to a tall weed in a Glen Ellen playground, swaying gently in the winter breeze.

My favorite American Goldfinch memory
Three years ago, my husband and I were setting up housekeeping in the new home we’d just moved into. Of course, birdfeeders were a required part of making the new house a home, but we had a bit of an accident trying to fill one of the new feeders we’d bought, and our sunflower seeds spilled all over the patio outside the front door.

“Well, the California Quails and other ground feeders will enjoy these,” I reasoned, thus sparing myself the activity of finding the broom to sweep the seeds up.

Yet, imagine our surprise when we awoke the next morning to find our patio literally paved, not with chubby quails, but with a flock of American Goldfinches that must have been 30-40 strong! They were huddled, wing to wing, gaily gorging themselves on our serendipitous spill, and never in my life have I been so sorry I didn’t have a good camera to capture a sight I suppose we may never have the luck to see again. I can hardly find words to describe the lavish yellow of that astonishing cluster of birds against the grey concrete. It was one of the birding highlights of both our lives. And, I do believe it may truly have been a once-in-a-lifetime experience. The goldfinches have never returned to the seeds we now sometimes spill on purpose.

Further field notes on the American Goldfinch, Carduelis tristis
Both the American Goldfinch and the Housefinch are visitors to our hanging tube feeders. We greatly admire the glowing crimson of the Housefinch’s headdress, but he looks a bit untidy and ordinary compared to the smaller, yellow bird. The American Goldfinch measures only 4 1/2″ - 5″ from head to tail, with a wingspan of 9″. The female lacks the black crown, and shows more muted shades of yellow, olive and tan. In winter, the male is less brilliant in hue, but I am still seeing a few black-capped males as late as December, though they are supposed to lose these in the cold months.

The American Goldfinch is a year-round Sonoma County bird. Look for them in your own garden, in parks and especially in pasture lands where they sit in the openings of barbed-wire fences. While feeders are an excellent way to invite goldfinches to your yard, your surest way is to leave weeds unmown along your fences, should you be so fortunate as to have a bit of land. I would say that any habtitat containing the combination of a wire fence and tall weeds makes me automatically look around for American Goldfinches.

One of the distinctive features of this bird is its scalloped flight pattern. Up and down it skips in short swoops as it flies, and this is generally accompanied by its wonderful flight song which, if you wanted to replicate it with a musical instrument, would require a slide whistle or a violin. To my ear, it sounds as though he does an octave-wide slide from upper D to lower D and then back to upper D again, following the up and down swoop of flight. Pretty neat!

American Goldfinches build tidy, cup-shaped nests of grass, plant down and bark in trees or bushes. They lay 3-6 light blue eggs.

Do you have any tips for inviting American Goldfinches to the backyard? Any special foods you’ve noticed them taking a shine to? If so, we’d love to hear your comments here.

The Northern Red-shafted Flicker - a helping bird.

Greetings!

I have to say, over the past year, my appreciation for local woodpeckers has really increased. They are fascinating birds to observe, and the Red-Shafted Flicker, Colaptes auratus certainly deserves notice and, I would add, honor for his important role in the world of birds. If you are a new birdwatcher, you may be surprised by what you see in my sketch. To be sure, the Northern Red-shafted flicker looks like a breed apart compared to other local woodpeckers such as the Pileated Woodpecker, the Downy Woodpecker or the Red-breasted Sapsucker.

You’d be right to think that black-and-white are the colors of choice for most woodpeckers. However, if you take a gander at other woodpecker-type birds such as the Gila Woodpecker, or the Red-bellied Woodpecker, which live in the south and east of the U.S., you will begin to discern a much stronger family resemblance. Additionally, you’ll want to know that three types of flickers inhabit North America: the Gilded Flicker of the southwest, and the 2 types of Northern Flickers - red-shafted and yellow-shafted.

Note the beautiful markings of our local Northern Red-shafted Flicker. The distinctive, velvety black bib and spots on the under side, and the burnished bronze wing feathers with their black striping. The heads of both males and females are a soft grey with a wash of bronze toward the beak, but only the male features the vermillion cheek streak. The infinite wonder and creativity of creation is so evident in this wild bird, and his markings call to my mind the artworks of the Art Nouveau and Arts and Crafts eras. And yet, the best surprise is only visible when the Northern Flicker takes flight and the stunning salmon underwings and tail are displayed. They seem to blaze out with warmth on sunless days and to gleam on sunny ones. What a pleasure to see!

Further field notes on the Northern Red-shafted Flicker
Northern Flickers love my corner of Sonoma County. I hear their burbling chuckles every day, and also, their piercing kwee-ahr call that is an excellent mimic of a hawk. They are quite talkative birds, and I like to think of them as winged philosophers, laughing at their own absorbing thoughts and ideas. Yet, despite their gregariousness and sturdy size (some 12 1/2″), flickers can be surprisingly hard to spot when perched amidst the silver and buff branches of winter trees. Many times, I have stood at the foot of a walnut tree, trying in vain to follow the sound of flicker calls to its source. Patience may be needed, though, if a flicker spots you coming too close to his roost, he is likely to take off and you will only catch a glimpse of his flaming wings in retreat.

As I’ve said, flickers deserve our honor for the service they provide to many other birds with their powerful habits of excavation. The holes they drill are large enough to accomodate nearly any hole-nesting bird in Sonoma County, and I feel a special respect for creatures who, like the beaver, create environments that benefit others.

Flickers lay 5-10 white eggs in their nesting holes. Insects are the preferred food of the flicker, and berries are eaten in winter. Unlike most other woodpeckers, flickers forage mainly on the ground for their food, so the observant birder will often have the luck of seeing one in plain view on a lawn or in a clearing beneath trees.

Where can you see flickers in Sonoma County, California?
Happily, the Northern Red-shafted flicker is a common enough bird here, and there is an extemely vibrant population during winter at Jack London State Park. As my accompanying map shows, a walk along the path by the silos is almost sure to enable you to add this bird to your lifelist, if you’ve yet to do so. On our last promenade around this area of this fabulous park, I would estimate that we saw upwards of 30 flickers. Don’t forget to bring along your birdwatching binoculars. Jack London State Park is literally bursting with wild birds - some are winter-only species, and some, like the Northern Red-shafted Flicker, are year-round neighbors for Sonoma County birders.

The Hooded Merganser - A wild and wondrous winter water fowl!

Greetings!
It would be understandable if we Sonoma County residents had come to believe that ducks are tame creatures, eager to waddle up on banks in search of the bread park-goers bring them. Places like Howarth Park in Santa Rosa engender this idea of water fowl, and while it is fun to take a little one to feed the Mallards and geese that live year-round in such places, the truly wild duck elicits quite a different feeling from me. His often brilliant plumage, powerful flight and obvious reserve set him apart from the noisy quackers I delighted in as a child.

This week, my husband and I came upon a pair of Hooded Mergansers at a small pond in the Jack London Estate section of Glen Ellen. This was the first time we had ever seen these birds not in captivity, and we were awed by their colors, their sturdiness, and the obviously strong pair bond between the two birds.

My accompanying sketch shows the splendour of the male Hooded Merganser’s plumage. Not only is the combination of black, white and cinnamon striking, but the fully crested head is most unusual. My sketch shows the crest at half-mast, as it were. But, the Hooded Merganser can raise these crown feathers up into a complete circle, giving his head a rather enormous appearance, and fully displaying the patch of snow white. His wife - a brown and golden fowl - also has this ‘hammerhead’ crest. Side by side, the two of them swam, and I fancied that their world was such a private one, a self-sufficient unit unto themselves.

However, our chance for observation was much limited by the fact of these birds’ wildness. Clearly, they are not at all comfortable around humans, and quiet as we were, they took off once they spotted us, not to return, their wings producing a loud trill as they went. I was sorry to have disturbed their peaceful promenade around the pond.

Further notes on the Hooded Merganser, Lophodytes cucullatus

I wish I had a definite location to share with you for seeing the Hooded Merganser, but he is an uncommon bird, and a winter migrant through our area. You are most likely to see one at a woodland pond. However, I know for a fact that we are unlikely to see this pair again at the pond in Glen Ellen. We monitor this little environment on a weekly basis, and this is the only time we have had the luck to encounter the Hooded Merganser there. No doubt, the birds had merely stopped for a rest and chance to search for the snails, fish and insects they eat before moving on to some more favored spot. A group of 15 very handsome Mallards has been there for the last couple of weeks, but they, too, are shy, very wild birds.

Hooded Mergansers’ voices are described as soft croaking sounds. They nest in cavities in dead trees, and compete with Wood Ducks for homes. They lay 8-12 white eggs. The males apparently dance elaborate courtship dances, but unfortunately we are unlikely to have the chance of ever seeing this in Sonoma County as Hooded Mergansers set about the work of starting a family in other parts of the U.S and Canada.

Nevertheless, a local winter sighting of these birds is a memorable event. Their unusual appearance makes them very easy to identify, and I wish you luck in adding them to your lifelist one day soon!

Chestnut-backed Chickadee; charm, cheer and chirping!

Greetings!
I’ve been looking forward to doing a sketch of the Chestnut-backed Chickadee. I consider him to be one of the most darling of all Sonoma County birds, and our birdfeeder is currently a favorite neighborhood destination for a flock of these bitty fowls.

His plumpness makes him sweet and the chubby white cheek patches seem only to add to his jolly aspect. And yet, I wouldn’t want to sum up the Chestnut-backed Chickadee’s whole character in his cuteness. We have found him to be, in fact, one of the most interesting backyard birds in all Sonoma County.

The complex and curious behaviour of the Chestnut-backed Chickadee

Nothing provides the birder with so constant an opportunity for observation as the presence of a feeding station in the garden. We like the tube-like feeders, and fill ours with organic sunflower seeds from the market. This is certainly simpler than taking extra trips to buy so-called ‘birdseed’, and by offering organic food to the birds, we know we are doing them no harm. If you’ve been reading the Birding Sonoma County blog, you know by now that our simple feeder brings in nearly 20 species of winter wild birds. We love to observe their behavior. Some are bold, some are bullies, some are timid and secretive. The Chestnut-backed Chickadee is quite a brave bird, allowing us to approach within a few feet of him while he eats, and it is this circumstance that has enabled us to notice a strange and thought-provoking habit of his.

Invariably, without fail, the Chestnut-backed Chickadee takes 2 sunflower seeds each time he perches on the feeder. The first one he drops to the ground. The second one, he eats himself. Why, we have asked ourselves, is he doing this? We would like to propose the 3 following theories:

a) He is gardening. He drops a seed in hopes of planting it and farming a crop for himself of sunflower plants that will ensure food next season.

b) He has an agreement with the birds who find it easier to eat on the ground - the sparrows, towhees and juncos. He either is doing this out of generous friendship, or he is bartering with them for something else he needs. A worm in return? Alarm calls from bigger birds when a predator is near?

c) We are witnessing chickadee religious practices. In his gratitude to the Creator for a stable food source, he is putting part of his harvest back into the ground, as many early cultures have done.

It may be that after reading our theories, you will think we are a bit loopy, but my husband and I are firm believers in the concept that human inability to understand the language and behaviours of animals is what has lead to the accepted thought that animals are somehow different than we and that everything they do falls under the rather broad and unsatisfactory heading of ‘instinct’. If the human species continues to evolve, we may, perhaps, one day become smart enough to comprehend what is now a mystery to us, and what we only sense a hint of in the extreme examples of dolphins, monkeys, whales. In fact, a recent study on the language of Black-capped Chickadees shows human strivings toward understanding how other animals converse. It is no surprise to us that the findings of this study indicate that the simple-seeming chatter of these birds is far more complex than had ever been realized before.

Because of this, we would assert that it isn’t all that far-fetched to theorize that chickadees have a very reasonable motive for this seed dropping habit we have observed. Unfortunately, we can only guess at what it is, and would enjoy hearing other theories on this. The Oak Titmouse also drops his first seed from time to time, but not with the same regularity. Interesting to note that the two birds are relations. I have seen the Housefinch do the same - but it strikes me as messiness in his case.

Further Field Notes on the Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Parus rufescens

North America is home to 6 kinds of chickadees:
Chestnut-backed Chickadee
Mountain Chickadee
Black-capped Chickadee
Mexican Chickadee
Boreal Chickadee
Grey-headed Chickadee

The only kind you are ever likely to see in Sonoma County, California is the first on that list. You’d need to go far north to see the Black-capped, or to the Yosemite region to see the Mountain Chickadee. Fortunately for us, our local bird is one of the prettiest of them all.

Measuring at some 4 1/2″ - 5″ from head to tail, his rufous back and sides set him apart from all of his relations. Look for him in forest and gardens, very often in flocks. The preferred nesting method is to excavate a rotten tree stump and then line the hole with soft moss or with hair. 5-8 cream colored eggs are common. He is a year-round bird here, but to my observation, seems most abundant and visible in the cold months of the year. I always eagerly expect visiting flocks to neighborhood conifers in October or November. Our birdfeeder seems to do the trick in inviting them to stick around the house for many, many weeks.

Take some time to enjoy the vigorous, agile foraging of the Chestnut-backed Chickadee this winter. You’ll seldom see a sweeter or more interesting local bird.

Birds in abundance - Downy Woodpecker and others today.

Greetings,
As most local birders know, the Audubon Society’s Christmas bird count is just around the corner. Folks will be covering numerous regions in our area, trying to form an idea of how the bird populations are doing this year. My husband and I do our own mini-bird counts every few weeks, just to keep tabs on who is in the neighborhood. Today was a fine day out, in the neighborhood and on our drive to the market. Here is today’s list:

Cedar Waxwings
American Robins
Spotted Towhee
Varied Thrush
Mallards
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Chestnut-backed Chickadee
Oak Titmouse
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Red-shafted Flicker
Red-shouldered Hawk
Dark-eyed Juncos
White-crowned Sparrows
Bushtit
American Goldfinch
Housefinch
Red-breasted Sapsucker
California Towhee
Great Egret
Hooded Merganser
Downy Woodpecker

That brings today’s total up to 20 wild birds and, we are thrilled to share that the last two birds on this list - the Hooded Merganser and the Downy Woodpecker, go on the lifelist for us.

Notes on the Downy Woodpecker
When you are looking in your birding field guide, no doubt you will feel a bit exasperated by the fact that Downy and Hairy woodpeckers have practically identical markings. So, how do you tell them apart? Size is the simple answer. The Downy Woodpecker is the smallest woodpecker you will ever see in Sonoma County - only 6 3/4″ from head to tail. He really is strikingly small. Think about the size of Dark-eyed Juncos, White-crowned Sparrows or House Sparrows and you’re in the right range. By contrast, the Hairy Woodpecker is 9 1/4″ - a little larger than the sturdy California Towhee.

The Downy Woodpecker we observed today was a female - quite similar to the male, but lacking the red head patch. She was in a walnut orchard, and for so little a bird, her tree tapping was audible. It reminded me of someone hitting a pencil on a table, and it was louder than the soft knocks of the larger Red-breasted Sapsucker.

Downy and Hairy woodpeckers are distinguished by the large white patch on their backs. Look at the back of the bird. If it is heavily striped from wing tip to shoulder - chances are you are seeing Nutall’s Woodpecker. If a big white patch is there, it is likely one of these other two woodpeckers. So, at that point, you are left with judging size and this may seem impossible unless you manage to climb up a tree with a ruler! However, I would say, if the bird strikes you as a very little fellow, it’s probably a Downy. One further field mark is that the Downy’s beak is short and the Hairy’s is longer, but this may be difficult to observe out in the field.

Downy Woodpeckers make rattles and a gentle pik sound. They are year-round Sonoma County wild birds. It’s important to note here that the birds of our Pacific region show a grey-brown wash below, as opposed to the whiter birds of the East. The birds nest in holes in dead trees and lay 4-7 white eggs.

How is your own bird count coming?
If you are following the Birding Sonoma County blog and would like to share your sightings with us, we’d be more than happy to receive your comments here. Photos or drawings are welcome, too. To us, the fact that a simple walk around a Sonoma County neighborhood can not only bring in a total of 20 bird identifications, but also adds two names to our lifelist is a cause for celebration. We hope to be following up soon with a post devoted to today’s other lifer - the Hooded Merganser!

The Oak Titmouse - a trusty backyard bird in Sonoma County

Greetings!

The Northern Oriole has opulence, the Great Horned Owl, mystery, the Mockingbird is a musical genius, but the common Oak Titmouse has comfortable familiarity in his favor. This bright-eyed little fellow is a standby in Sonoma County gardens, orchards and forests, year-round. His dependable presence lets me know I’m home, and assures me that I’m keeping my garden bird-friendly.

At one time, this bird was grouped with other subspecies under the heading Plain Titmouse, but now birds living along the Pacific coastline have their own identity. I think Oak Titmouse is a fitting handle when I watch these birds moving briskly though the wonderful oak trees of our local meadows. However, since childhood I have had my own name for this small fowl. I call him Mousekin. This comes from a children’s book - Mousekin Finds a Friend by Edna Miller. The Mousekin series was a favorite of mine as a girl, with its light-handed watercolors featuring small tableaux from the natural world. In this particular book, a lonely mouse goes looking for companionship, and he comes face to face with a titmouse. I was so captivated by the visual similarity between the mouse and the bird, and that is how the Oak Titmouse got a special name in my personal birding lingo.

Further field notes on the Oak Titmouse
As my accompanying sketch shows, this bird has an overall, warm taupe hue, with hints of pale yellow and various greys. His peaked cap sets him apart from other garden birds. In point of fact, if you see a bird with a peaked cap in Sonoma County it is most likely an Oak Titmouse, a Cedar Waxwing, a Stellar’s Jay or a Pileated Woodpecker. And, because these birds are all extremely different from one another, this field mark of the raised head feathers should make identification easy even for a brand new birder.

He is a dimutive perching bird - some 5″-5 1/2″ from head to tail. Commonly, one observes pairs of Oak Titmice, but they do sometimes travel in larger flocks. His call is very special. You might reasonably think that it would be our local Chestnut-backed Chickadee who sings out chick-a-dee-dee, but it is, in fact the Oak Titmouse who vocalizes thus. I like to think he is looking for his smaller, chubbier friends, asking for them by name. The sound is quite audible for so small a bird, and has a certain buzziness or raspiness to it. I consider this a conspicuous bird in the garden, particularly for his constant chatter.

Berries are a preferred food, and my Mousekin birds absolutely love the sunflower seeds I put out in my birdfeeders. Oak Titmice build nests of grasses and soft matter in crevices, tree cavities or holes in fences or buildings. They lay 5-8 white eggs with brown speckles.

Where to see the Oak Titmouse in Sonoma County, California
Nearly any garden with a bit of green growth will be a good place to look for these birds. You will often observe them in evergreen trees, too, frequently in the company of chickadees. Suburban parks and creekside trails would be smart habitats to investigate if you are aiming to add the Oak Titmouse to your lifelist. They are not overly shy, and you should have plenty of opportunity to observe their highly active ways. Remember to listen for the chick-a-dee-dee call and you are sure to hone quickly in on this smart little backyard bird.

Bird Book Review - Tim Gallagher, In Search of Birds and Wild Places

Greetings!
It is my pleasure to offer the following birding book review of the brand new book by Tim Gallagher, In Search of Birds and Wild Places. Like most folks, we first learned about Tim Gallagher via his association with the rediscovery of the Ivory-billed Woodpecker, and his book on the subject, The Grail Bird, was simply riveting. I strained my eye muscles the day I got that book, because I couldn’t stop reading it! What I didn’t know about Tim Gallagher is that he has been writing about his widely varied experiences in the field of birding since the 1970’s, and this new book is a collection of these writings.

Don’t expect a cohesive story here, as with The Grail Bird, but do expect to take flight along with the author on a number of unforgettable adventures. From the last minute, desperate attempt to save the California Condor to scaling Icelandic cliffs in search of the Gyrfalcon, the author has been in amazingly right places at crucial moments. This book treats heavily on various birds of prey, and in the telling, we also meet some of the unique individuals who have dedicated their lives to the study and preservation of the world’s wild birds.

Of particular poignancy for me was the brief picture we are given of a Belgian man named Dany whose life has involved a series of personal migrations, in search of country where people and animals live in harmony with one another. At one point, he asks the author if the people of New York are ecologists. Somehow, this wistful question gave me a sense that I am not the only innocent dreamer left in the world, that I am not the only one who longs for a kinder, gentler Earth.

Indeed, Gallagher’s book leaves you with a strong sense that our planet is full of people who feel such a powerful devotion to birds, be they falcons, condors or eagles, that individual life paths are paved around the need to watch, to study, to save birds.

There are many memorable moments in In Search of Birds and Wild Places, but hands-down, my very favorite one is in the account of the Big Day Gallagher spends with his colleagues from Cornell University. Calling themelves the Sapsuckers, this group of guys crisscross New Jersey in a competitive 24 hour search, the goal of which is to see more birds in that time period than any of the other groups who are playing the ‘game’. Big Days happen all over the U.S., and it was almost like being with the Sapsuckers, reading Gallagher’s journal of the day. I burst out laughing when, at the beginning of this passage, the men have all walked down to some polluted, urban marsh, just before midnight. As they are walking, they see some hoodlums passing nearby on the railroad tracks. Sounds pretty dangerous! Midnight tolls and the Sapsuckers errupt into a cacaphony of bird calls, trying to get a response in the darkness from the marsh birds. The hoodlums take one look at this and run away into the night! I just loved this picture, and it is a good example of how the author blends both interesting information and a lighthearted style in his writing.

I enjoy that the tales in this book present not only detailed images of the birds in question, but also of environments. The section on the Everglades was particularly informative. The book is embellished with a handful of Gallagher’s really excellent photographs of loons, raptors, ptarmigans and other birds he has spent time observing.

Tim Gallagher is the editor in chief of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s Living Bird magazine, and no doubt his experience in this position has enabled him to develop his very readable voice. However, the one thing I could have wished to be done differently with this new book was some work on the editing of the sections. Because these writings were, no doubt, culled from the author’s journal, there are some issues with repetition of information that I found confusing. I think some of the pieces would have been stronger without the recapping of events that were described in full in earlier passages. However, this is a minor complaint, and I would gladly recommend this book to any birder.

It is a real pleasure for a birder like myself, who has not been blessed with the rugged health it takes to set out on grand-scale explorations, to get to go along in spirit with an adventurer like Gallagher. These glimpses into the many, many small worlds that birds and birders inhabit enrich my life, and my love of birds.

See a Sora at Shollenberg Park in Petaluma!

Greetings!

My husband and I have been eagerly awaiting the day when we could add a Sora to our birding lifelist. We knew that Soras are a permanent marsh bird in this area of California, and that they live at Shollenberg Park in Petaluma, yet, to date, we had never spotted one. We are happy to announce that today was our lucky day!

We identified not one, but two Soras, near the main entrance to the park, and a kindly gentleman happened to be there at the same time, looking at one of the birds through a terrific scope. The view he shared with us through this looked like the cover of a National Geographic magazine, so clear and up close was it. Thanks to that nice fellow, whomever he was!

Soras are shy, secretive birds, and both of the ones we saw were half hidden amongst the heavy reed beds the park so amply offers. Just one of the benefits we enjoyed from today’s sudden, welcome burst of sunshine was that we could really see the Sora clearly, and the light illuminated his eyes so that they had a burgundy tone to them. The sturdy yellow beak and legs were also nicely visible.

Further field notes on the Sora, Porzana carolina

The Sora is a member of the Rail family, and the Audubon Society classifies it in the chicken-like marsh birds group. I have to say, I find rails to be comical birds because it always strikes me that their legs appear to be placed too far back. A disproportionate amount of them seems to be up in front, and makes me fear they are about to fall right over onto their beaks. Yet, their strong, thick legs seem to keep them upright as they seek nourishment. The Sora’s length from beak to tail is about 8″-9 1/2″.

Though Soras live here in Sonoma County year-round, elsewhere, they undertake long, nocturnal migrations. Their calls are described as a whinny and sharp, rising whistle. They weave a basket for a nest in marshes or grass and lay up to 13 brown spotted eggs.

According to the bird list provided at Shollenberger, the marsh also plays host to both the Virginia and Clapper Rail, and we hope to have the luck of identifying them one day soon. If you’ve yet to pay a visit to the wetlands, there’s no time like the present. Please view our map of Shollenberger Park in Petaluma.

Today was a great day to be at Shollenberger
Apart from the new-to-us Sora, we spotted Pied-billed Grebes, Northern Shovelers, Coots, various hybrid ducks and a fabulous Northern Harrier. And…perhaps most surprising and delightful of all, a charming muskrat making his watery way from one side of the creek to the other, via a concrete pipe. His dear little nose glistened in the sun as he pushed along, beaver-like. Truly, this marsh provides a home to so many important species of birds, animals, reptiles and plants. A dry, clear day and a busy wetland make for priceless memories.

Winter showers mean Egrets everywhere!

Greetings!
It seems to us that now is an apropos time to post about Sonoma County egrets. If you live out in the country, or take country drives for pleasure, you are certain to see these long-legged waders in almost any flooded field. Of course, a visit to local wetlands, marshes and ponds really increase your chances, too. Yet, those new to birding may not realize that we have not one, but two egrets in this area, and the aim of this post is to teach you how to identify them.

As you will see from my accompanying sketch, there is quite a size difference between the Great Egret, and the smaller Snowy Egret. Standing at an average of 24″ in height, the Snowy Egret is 3/5 the size of the larger bird. But, unless you’re lucky enough to see the two similar species standing side by side out in nature, knowing that one is big and the other little isn’t going to be of much help to you in distinguishing them. Fortunately, nature lets we birders identify field marks that we can memorize. With local egrets, you have 2 surefire ways of telling one from the other.

The Beaks
If the bird you see has a yellow beak, it’s a Great Egret. If the beak is black, it’s a Snowy Egret. Simple as that.

The Feet
Greats have black feet, and Snowies have yellow feet. Both birds have black legs, so look at the feet. I’ll note here that should you see a Snowy Egret with yellow legs, it’s a young bird.

So, paying close attention to beaks and feet can make you a pro when it comes to identifying egrets. The more experienced you become at birding, the more rules of thumb such as these you are likely to have stored in your mental index file.

Further Field Notes on Egrets
When I was a little girl, I mistakenly thought egrets were cranes. Cranes, however, do not live in Sonoma County. If you see a big white wader, it’s most likely an Egret. I think of them now as cut-out birds. So blankly white is their plumage that they look like a missing area in a landscape…a space God forgot to fill in! Breeding plumage of the Snowy Egret is particularly fluffy and wispy between February and July. They look like such delicate birds, yet their long legs are surprisingly strong and they will stand absolutely still for long periods of time, in water, waiting for fish, frogs, and other prey to pass by. Then, sploosh, down goes the head to catch a meal.

Great Egrets seem to have the most zen-like ability to become one with their surroundings, whereas the smaller birds often run about on their quick little legs in search of food. In flight, both species are exquisite to watch.

My earliest memory involving a Great Egret, Ardea alba is of being in a swampy region of Annadel State Park with my father. Dense green tangles of trees and grasses trapped the humid air around us where we quietly walked. All at once, a huge white bird passed over us through the misty verdure. “A pterodactyl,” my father informed me gravely and I stared in half-believing wonder. Indeed, dinosaur roots seem a thing of only yesterday when one contemplates the upright habit and form of the Great Egret, and that is an enchanted memory for me that has always made me feel as though I know what the Earth was like in the day of the dinosaur.

I only became aware of the Snowy Egret, Egretta thula when I started seriously birding, and figured out the feet and beak rule. Now, I cannot say which of the two birds is my favorite.
As mentioned above, any water-based habitat is a likely place to see egrets of both species. You will see the species together in mixed flocks or singly. Both birds lay 3-6 pale blue eggs in platform stick nests. Both species also boast incredibly long, agile necks that s-curve up, down, in and out in a manner that is fascinating to observe.

The one indelicate thing about egrets are their calls. Talk about dinosaurs! The incredibly loud, groaning, croaking squawks of these birds are rather unforgettable and always make us laugh because they seem so incongruous with the refined appearance of the fowl.

Where to see egrets in Sonoma County
One of the most exciting egret sightings is of flocks roosting in trees. Check all along the Petaluma River for this. Shollenberger Park in Petaluma is a reliable spot, too. Last spring, on one of our many walks along Willowside Creek at the western edge of Santa Rosa, it seemed to us that Egrets were flying overhead about every 4-5 minutes. A real abundance! Just outside Sonoma County, on Hwy 1 between Tomales and Pt. Reyes Station, we have seen fabulous roosting trees of mixed Egrets and Great Blue Herons. You could hardly see the leaves for all the birds! But, really, this is one bird you shouldn’t have to look hard to find at this wet season of the year. Just keep your eyes open for that missing white patch in the landscape.

Do you know your Dark-eyed Juncos?

Junco hyemalis is far from a plain little bird

We Sonoma County residents may come to take the humble Dark-eyed Junco for granted, so common a bird is he in our area. Right this moment, a small flock of them are hopping about beneath my Gravenstein apple tree, as they do almost every day. It does seem that nearly every hedgerow in the county houses at least a few of these dependable fowls, and this can lead us to overlook them. When we do that, we may miss some of the interesting variations that are present in the Junco family.

Californians have the chance to see 3 variants of the Junco, and my accompanying sketch illustrates these. Bird #1 is the Slate-colored Junco, and as you can see, he is a sooty and white bird, quite different from his browner brothers. Slate-Colored Juncos winter here, so be observant in the field and you may note them. Birds 2 and 3 are commonly referred to as Oregon Juncos, but within this category there is a light and dark variety. The birds I see most often here in Sonoma County are the light ones. Due to my own lack of careful observation, I am not sure I have ever actually identified the darker birds, and am now eager to. It may be that, one day, Juncos will be officially broken down into different species, with different names. I think this would be a good idea, as there are currently 6 recognized sub-species of Juncos in the United States.

Further field notes on the Junco

Do you think of Juncos as ground feeders? So did I until I watched them figure out my feeder. We have a simple tube feeder that we keep filled with organic, shelled sunflower seeds - no fancy ‘bird seed’ for us. The Juncos love to sit on the perches, and their sturdy little weight makes the feeder go round and round, like an aerial merry-go-round. Rather an amusing sight! I’d like to add that I have even see California Towhees accomplish perching on the feeder, which really amazed us…and, that cantankerous Scrub Jays have knocked the feeder right to the ground!

Perhaps the thing I have become most fond of in Juncos is the pleasure they give in flight. All at once, the earth-toned birds flash up from the ground, their tails beribboned with streamer-like white feathers. Watch for these if you have yet to add a Junco to your lifelist, and the streamers will help you confirm your identification.

Female Juncos are paler, duller versions of their husbands, and they lay 3-6 pale blue, mottled eggs in a nest made of a wide variety of materials, protected by a rock ledge, log or weeds. You will find them both in forests and in backyards. Their call is a repeated zick and they also make trilling sounds.

Where to see Juncos in Sonoma County
Take Hwy 12 east from Santa Rosa or west from Sonoma. Turn on Lawndale Rd. near the little town of Kenwood, and follow the road until you come to a very small parking lot. This lot is at the foot of one of the many entrances into Annadel State Park. Even if you’re not a great walker, never fear. A great number of Dark-eyed Juncos are almost always on the ground right by the gate of the trail.

This is a super trail, if you’ve never hiked it. Even a 15 minute walk on it will likely show you California Quail, Spotted Towhees, various sparrows, Hermit Thrushes, Northern Orioles and a variety of hawks at different times of the year. This trail will always be particularly special to us as it was where we one day added the Northern Pygmy Owl to our list! Annadel is a Sonoma County treasure, with abundant birding opportunities and a fabulous variety of habitats to explore.

The lesson from today’s blog post is to be especially observant when birding. Noticing a regional variation in a bird you thought you knew so well can really make your day!