My Mexican Dress - Expressing My Love of Birds

Greetings, Birders!

Today I’d like to share something a bit different with you. To the right, you will see the traditional Mexican Puebla Dress I recently sewed and embroidered. My family owns a beautiful heirloom dress of this kind from Oaxaca, Mexico, but it had become very time-worn over the years. When I couldn’t find a good local source to buy a new dress, I made a careful study of the construction of the original and then wrote out a set of instructions for myself from which I could re-create it. What you see is the results of my labors.

One of the best joys that I know in life comes to me when I am in the company of wild birds. Painting them is an additional happiness, and when I took up my needle and embroidered these soaring Tree Swallows, I felt this same sense of pleasure, wonder, and bliss. I am by no means an expert seamstress, nor an expert needle artist, but I discovered that this simple folk garment was assembled of just 5 easy rectangles, and when it came to embroidering it, I simply let my imagination take flight.

After I’d completed the dress, I realized that I could share what I’d learned with others. As you may know, my husband and I run a web design company, and we set to work creating www.themexicandress.com in order to offer a downloadable illustrated instruction booklet. The response has been simply fantastic, and it is an especial delight to me that people are remarking on the realistic quality of the Tree Swallows. I have loved these brilliant birds all my life, and I must say, I think they’ve been particularly abundant this year in Sonoma County. I wanted my dress to say something about the woman I am, and wild birds symbolize so many of the things that I like best about myself and my life.

If you can sew basic seams, I think you’ll really enjoy making this classic cotton sundress. It is the most comfortable article in my wardrobe, and I love the fact that the roots of this garment go back to 17th century Mexico. Please take a moment to stop by my new website and let me know what you think! Visit www.themexicandress.com.

Purple Finch and House Finch - Learn to tell them apart!

Greetings, Birders!

Today, I’d like to share some tips with you to help you learn to distinguish between the common House Finch, Carpodacus mexicanus, and the rarer Purple Finch, Carpodacus purpureus. I’m doing this today because, just last week, my husband and I were lucky enough to see our first ever Purple Finch and it was an unforgettable thrill.

No matter where you live in Sonoma County, chances are, House Finches are a familiar sight to you. These 6″, talkative little birds get their name from their habit of hanging around houses. They build their nests in the eaves of buildings or in trees, and their warbling, liquid song is a constant around the bird feeder. Despite their familiarity, however, House Finches can pose a puzzle for beginning birders who catch sight of a bird with an extreme amount of red on its head and chest. Could this be a Purple Finch?, the birder may wonder. In point of fact, I recently saw an experienced birder remarking on how commonly House Finches are misidentified as Purple Finches. It’s true, many of them do have a tremendous amount of red and the color can be so intense, but if you were to see one standing side by side with a real Purple Finch, you’d instantly observe the difference. That’s why I’ve made the above sketch, and I’ve been very careful with this to show just how different the colors of these two birds are.

The red of the House Finch can best be described as crimson. A real firecracker color. The head and a small portion of the chest are the main tinted areas of this bird, and in shape, he is slender and long. The Purple Finch is actually the same length, but his more compact build gives him a chubbier, sturdier appearance. And when it comes to colors, there is a marked difference.

The best description I’ve heard of the Purple Finch is that he looks ‘dipped in strawberry’. From head to tail, he is an irridescent magenta color that simply glows. Purple may be a misleading description for this bird. When I think of purple, I think of the color of a plum or a violet or a purple gumdrop…not really the jewel-tone magenta of this bird. However, I clearly saw touches of lavender on the backside of the Purple Finch we met last week, so I guess the name will just have to do. Whatever his name, he is enchanting, and I instantly knew I was NOT looking at a House Finch when I saw him perched amid the branches of a leafy, green tree.

Compare the wings of the two birds in my sketch. The House Finch has the dusty brown colors, but the brown of the Purple Finch’s wings has been washed in a watercolor-like infusion of strawberry. The bellies are different as well, with pink tones creeping into the streaking on the Purple and plain brown on the House.

Unlike the House Finch, Purple Finches are not really drawn to human dwellings, preferring wooded areas. Purple Finches prefer to nest high up in conifer trees, and both species lay between 3-5 pale blue eggs. The females of both species are brown and white birds, and the facial markings of the female Purple Finch are more pronounced and defined. The song of the Purple Finch is somewhat like the House Finch’s, but less varied in pitch. Both birds are year-round Sonoma County residents.

Further notes on these fine finches
Perhaps, in certain parts of California, there is a more even distribution of these two species, but you are far more likely to see a House Finch than a Purple Finch in the Bay Area. Somehow, the rarity of the Purple makes it a special treat, but I always give thanks for every House Finch I see at my feeder because of the eye disease that is destroying populations in the east. I can’t imagine a world without these familiar finches, and I sincerely hope that ornithologists can develop a plan to stop the spread of the disease.

Also, of interest to note, you may occasionally see a male House Finch with a tangerine or lemon colored head. My husband and I call these ‘citrus birds’. They are always such a surprise. I recently read an interesting study on this phenomenon in the species that discovered that, while ‘citrus birds’ may be especially appealing to us, they apparently make the least desirable mates as far as female House Finches are concerned. Their broods contain fewer eggs, and when they do have young, they feed them less often than do males with vibrant scarlet heads. So, apparently, if you are a female House Finch, the best husband will be the most crimson one. Interesting stuff!

Where to see the Purple Finch in Sonoma County, CA.
We’re in luck. A valued reader has shared the tip that she is seeing Purple Finches in the Willowside Rd. area of Santa Rosa. This seems like good habitat for them, so you might want to head out there for a look around the creek and neighborhood. We saw our Purple Finch in Marin County, in the parking lot of Heart’s Desire Beach, just a few yards away from the bay. This is a must-see birding spot, full of Osprey (nesting right now), hawks, warblers, vireos, and what seems like 500 Swainson’s Thrushes. Well worth the hour’s drive.

It was a pleasure painting these pretty finches and I hope this little lesson has helped you to feel more confident in making a correct birding identification.

Birding Calaveras County - Pt. 3 of our birding trip

April 27, 2007
Angel’s Camp, California

Well, it’s taken me almost a month to post this third part of our birding trip. Here it is May, and we’ve done so much birding in the past few weeks that my memories might reasonably be less clear of the 3rd and final day of our exploration of Calaveras County, but such is not the case. The first two days of our trip treated us to one wonder after another. Maybe it would have been too good to be true to get yet another fantastic day.

To tell the truth, this last day was a bit of a disappointment. It was so very muggy and hot and if there’s one type of weather I really hate, that’s exactly what it is. We’re coastal people, and though we do get our muggy days in the valleys by the sea, they can’t quite compare to the close, stale feeling of a muggy day further inland. Nevertheless, we did manage to add two new birds to our lifelist, so it’s worth blogging about!

Taking our cues from the only document we could turn up on birding Calaveras County, we decided to head south from Angel’s Camp to the tiny town of Copperopolis. I love that name, and I must report, the soil in this place is actually copper colored. Really neat. The document suggested we head north-west from Copperopolis on Rock Creek Rd. to the Salt Springs Reservoir. The heat, the lack of road signs and the fact that Salt Springs Reservoir, at the end of a long road, turned out to look rather like a hole in the ground with virtually no trees around it and would have cost $15 to get into didn’t win our birding seal of approval. However, if you want to add the Western Kingbird and the Tri-colored Blackbird to your lifelist, Rock Springs Road is the place to go.

The Western Kingbird, Tyrannus verticalis was one of the birds on our wishlist for this area, and he obliged us by immediately appearing as soon as we entered the pastureland on this road, with it’s golden weedy field and old wire fences. We were thrilled, pulled over and hopped out of the car for a better look. The smoke blue/grey head and pale yellow belly of this wild bird look powdery soft. You’d like to touch him, but the birds we saw were fairly shy. Notice his unique, stubby little bill and his large, pretty eye. Perhaps the most distinctive feature of the Western Kingbird are the pencil-thin white lines along the outer edges of the tail, particularly visible in flight.

With his delicate hues and unusual form of body, you can imagine this bird being at home in South America during the winter. In the summer, the Western Kingbird is present throughout all of California except…and this is why seeing him was so great…along the coastline. Western Kingbirds are sometimes reported in these areas because they are migrating through, but for Sonoma County residents, your best chance is to head east to check this bird off your list.

There must have been at least several hundred of these birds along the fences in this area, and we got to hear their interesting pidik pik pidik peekado calls. It was a real privilege to finally see one for ourselves, and though they may be a daily sight to locals, to us, they were simply lovely.

Reason #2 to check out Rock Springs Rd. is the Tri-colored Blackbird. He is of about the same size as the kingbird (an average of about 8 3/4″ from beak to tail), and if you weren’t keeping a sharp lookout, you might drive by these birds on the assumption that you are seeing the common Red-winged Blackbird, but to me, the two birds were different enough that I shouted for my husband to halt the car again for a good look.

Both kinds of blackbirds are listed as being year-round residents of both western and central California. It’s likely all of us have seen them many times. But on this trip, my eyes were so attuned to anything with wings that a group of Tri-colored blackbirds we saw really confirmed the differences for us. You have to look at the wing patch, and here is where people get confused.

On the common Red-winged Blackbird, you will see a stripe of vivid scarlet, and under it, a slimmer stripe of vibrant yellow. Yes, I know that makes this bird tri-colored, but sometimes ornithologists don’t seem to have the sense they should. Now, on the Tri-colored blackbird, you will see a small patch of dusty, muddy red with a wider stripe below it of pale yellow or cream. That’s the big difference. The color of the Red-wing’s wing badges is extremely bold. The Tri-color’s badges are duller and, to me, have a somewhat blurry appearance. I should note here that we do have one other kind of blackbird - the Bi-colored who lacks the yellow/cream stripe on his wings.

The Tri-colored Blackbird, Agelaius tricolor is a bird that out-of-state birders come all the way to California to see. We are extremely lucky to live where they do, and if you are in the Calaveras County region, head over to the Copperopolis, Rock Springs Rd. area for a very good chance to view this bird for yourself.

These were the highlights of the day for us. After this, we headed south of Copperopolis to the Tulloch Reservoir where, frankly, the only good thing we saw was an Osprey nesting on a telephone pole. I’m betting that natives have secret paths to get down to this incredibly large lake that could yield some decent birding. My huge dream was to see a Phainopepla which is listed as being there, but when we got to the North Shore, the only access to the lake appeared to be through a motel with a boat dock. We then wended our way on what seemed like an endless road to the South Shore, and the lake here looked kind of bleak…a place for people with loud boats, not quiet birders with binoculars. Again, this was a fee-charging recreation center, and not the natural environment we’d hoped for.

You have your stunning days and your blah days in birding. That’s just how it goes. We added 6 new birds to our lifelist in a 3 day trip…something to be incredibly excited about. This exploration also taught me something I want to pass on to Sonoma County birders. If you are planning a birding trip to the Calaveras County area, you are likely to have the best experience by sticking to the forests and the high country. I think the lakes and open places we have here at home are, in a word, better than what you’ll find in Calaveras. But what they do have there that we don’t have here are the high mountains and the sequoia forest that makes for breath-taking, heart-thumping birding.

Big Trees State Park and the portion of Hwy 4 between the park and Bear Valley is one of the most uplifting, aweing stretches of road in California. We can recommend it to you with all our hearts!

Read Part 1 of our Calaveras County Birding Exploration
Read Part 2 of our Calaveras County Birding Exploration.

Birding Willowside Creek, Santa Rosa. See Black-headed Grosbeak!

Greetings!
A few days ago, we posted our bird alert that the Bullock’s Orioles have arrived in the Bay Area and that we’d spotted our first at the creek on Willowside Rd. Willowside Rd. deserves a post of its own for anyone who doesn’t know about one of Sonoma County’s best birding spots. Read on to learn about this special riparian habitat, and meet the newest bird on our lifelist:

The Black-headed Grosbeak

Up until last week, we could only dream of seeing this unusual summer migrant with his distinctive fat beak. He might remind you a little of an oriole, a little of a Spotted Towhee, or even a parrot, but his shape, song and color are truly one-of-a-kind in our local birding world. Notice that large head, and the pattern of white-speckled black wings, black hood, ruddy neck and underparts and the glowing yellow spot on the belly. His eye is large and intelligent.

His song is reminscent of the complex whistle of the American Robin, but a little faster and higher pitched. He is usually solitary, keeping to the upper levels of trees, where he feeds on insects, fruit and seeds. This is exactly where we spotted our very first Black-headed Grosbeak, Pheucticus melanocephalus at Willowside Creek, perched at the top of an oak tree, filling the creek bed with his song.

Now is the time to visit Willowside Creek to look for this delightful, bright wild bird who winters in Central and South America and is only with us in the Western United States during the warm months. He measures 6 1/2″ - 8 1/2″ from his fat beak to his pretty tail. Black-headed Grosbeaks build scrubby, shallow nests in trees and high shrubs and lay 3-5 pale blue, spotted eggs. Look for these birds in any riparian habitat during the next few months.

Birding Willowside Creek
My husband has made a helpful map to give you directions to Willowside Creek, which is located in the westside of Santa Rosa, CA. In recent times, considerable efforts have been made to begin restoring the habitat in this precious area. There are 4 paths flanking the creek. Our particular favorite is the path on the left, heading west, if you are driving north on Willowside Rd.
On this path, during the past year or so, we have seen:

Bullock’s Oriole
Black-headed Grosbeak
Swainson’s Thrush
Song Sparrow
Bushtit
Oak Titmouse
American Goldfinch
Lesser Goldfinch
Great Blue Heron
Great Egret
Snowy Egret
Red-winged Blackbird
Red-tailed Hawk
Dark-eyed Junco
Wilson’s Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Downy Woodpecker
Nuttall’s Woodpecker
Spotted Towhee
California Towhee
Black Phoebe
And more….

The first time we visited this creek, herons and egrets were passing over the corridor in astonishing numbers. About 1 bird every 3 minutes. We also went crazy trying to locate Swainson’s Thrush whose electronic, metallic song is, perhaps, the most astonishing in Sonoma County. It is likely that other migratory warblers can be seen here, and there are reports of both Yellow-breasted Chats, Western Tanagers and various flycatchers here.

Willowside Rd. is truly a remarkable spot, rich with birdlife, and well worth a visit.

*Do be advised that there is a pretty big mosquito issue here, and sadly, vector reports indicate that several birds have been collected from this spot that were infected with West Nile Virus. Chances are, you will be safest birding very early in the morning, wearing full-coverage clothing and insect repellant. We also suggest that you bird this area with a friend, rather than alone, as there is some evidence of people residing in the creek.

Bay Area Bird Alert - Bullock’s Oriole!

I’ve been waiting to say this ever since we launched the Birding Sonoma County blog:

THE ORIOLES ARE HERE! THE ORIOLES ARE HERE! THE ORIOLES ARE HERE!

Above you will see my sketch in praise of what is, without a doubt, one of the most opulent, splendiferous birds we ever see in Sonoma County and the greater San Francisco Bay Area: Bullock’s Oriole. I wait for the coming of this wild bird as I imagine my ancestors awaited the coming of spring sunshine. The merest glimpse of Bullock’s Oriole is, to me, like taking a bite out of the perfect mandarin orange.

Measuring some 8″-9″ from beak to tail, Bullock’s Oriole, Icterus bullockii, presents a unique pattern of black beard, cap and eyestripe against the glowing orange of his eyebrow and cheek. The orange then continues over the front of the bird, generally turning more yellowish toward the belly. Fully adult male birds are the most vibrant, with juvenile males being more of a deep yellow, and females being paler yellow and grey. Note the brilliant white wing bars and strong, pointed beak. I love the excellent justice in the fact that just shortly after we have lost our halloween-colored winter Varied Thrushes, Bullock’s Orioles arrive from Central and South America to light up the spring with their gem-like hues.

Where to See Bullock’s Orioles
Any place in the SF Bay Area that features a combination of deciduous trees, brushy growth and open space may potentially be hosting these birds for the warm season as they glean fruit, nectar and caterpillars. Fortunately, I can be even more specific than this. If you want to see Bullock’s Orioles, go to the creek on Willowside Road in Santa Rosa, CA. between the end of April - June. They are there right now (May 4th, 2007). We saw a fabulous male perched in the willow and oak growth along the path beyond the west entrance to the creek.

Last year, we had our greatest ever oriole experience in this same spot. A flock of 20 or more birds made the creekside come to life with dazzling color, right above our heads. Amazing! Listen for their long rich series of whistles that sound like jazz or classical music, depending upon the bird you tune into. They also give off short, blackbird-like calls.

And, speaking of blackbirds, did you know that orioles and blackbirds are relations in the Icterids family? Your first thought might rightly be, “but orioles are so vivid and blackbirds are so plain.” Let me start to make the relationship clearer by pointing you to this photo of a Yellow-headed blackbird, which winters in the Central Valley of California. Compare that with our Bullock’s Oriole, above. Are you starting to see some similarities of that glossy black + brilliant color combination? Orioles come in black combined with orange, yellow and red. Blackbirds come in black combined with orange, yellow and red. The overall shapes of the two kinds of birds, right down to their beaks are quite similar. If we Bay Area residents think of orioles as astonishing and blackbirds as plain, this is because the blackbirds we see here (Brewer’s, Red-winged and Tri-Colored) are rather subdued compared to other species in their family. Believe me, the Scarlet-headed blackbird of South America would knock your socks off! All in all, the Icterids group represents some of the world’s most colorful wild birds.

Further Notes on the Bullock’s Oriole
This bird is also sometimes referred to as the Northern Oriole but this name encompasses both Bullock’s and the eastern Baltimore Oriole, which looks similar but has an entirely black head. The two birds frequently hybridize. 3-6 streaked, white eggs are laid in a finely-woven basket, often near water. Look for them both in low brush and up in trees.

Our other visiting oriole is the Hooded Oriole, Icterus cucullatus which looks comparable to Bullock’s with it’s black beard, but lacks the eye stripe and cap. On rare occasions, Scott’s Oriole and the Orchard Oriole have been spotted in the North Bay.

Now is the time to get out there and look for Bullock’s Oriole - a bird of surpassing splendour!