Amazing plumes! Study 3 Birds With Us Today.

January 21, 2007 on 3:45 pm | In Daily Local Birder |

Greetings!

Somewhere, at the back of my mind, I had a small fear that once we’d reached 100 birds on our lifelist, it would be a long time before we would be able to add any more. Living in Sonoma County, I should have known better. It only took a nice drive into the countryside yesterday to add 2 new birds to our list, so we’re now up to 103. Watch our dust!

And Wingo is its name-o….
Wingo has got to be our new favorite word, as well as our new favorite place. As described in our previous post about the Napa Sonoma Marshes Area, we recently discovered a way to get into the marsh, at the bottom of Buchley Station Rd. This may just be the best birding spot in all of Sonoma County, and yesterday we had enough daylight to discover that this particular area offers a circular path around a pond that is simply bursting with birds.

Readers will know that I am no hiker, and because of this, I can soundly recommend this path around the pond to others who aren’t in the best of shape. It’s completely flat, and indeed, it is carpeted with a short dense covering of velvet-like grass. It can’t even be 1/16th of a mile to complete the circuit…but I hope it takes you a good half hour to walk the path because you need to go slow, with your eyes and ears alert. If you do so, you may get to see these fabulous birds:

1) The Marsh Wren, Cistothorus palustris
I named this post Amazing Plumes because all three of the beautiful birds we’re talking about here boast remarkable feathers. The little Marsh Wren, who is no more than 5″ from beak to tail, gives a rich chestnut impression when glimpsed. And the fact is, most of the time, you will only be glimpsing this bird as he darts with almost magical speed from branch to stem in the undergrowth, bracken and grasses of the pond. He is what ornithologists call a ’secretive’ bird, but if you hear rustling in the vegetation along the pond path, stand very still, watching for movement, and with any luck, the Marsh Wren will pop into view on top of a blade of grass or a reed, long enough for you to admire him. Then, POP! he will vanish right before your eyes again.

It was because of this bird’s brisk, hiding habit that my husband and I had never before been able to identify him correctly. “What IS that?”, we’ve lamented many times. But there seems to be a veritable enchantment on this special pond, and the Marsh Wren came out many times yesterday to sing a brief solo in the winter sunshine.

Two specific markings enabled us, and will help you, to be certain of your identification of this bird. There are several other small brown wrens, all with that uplifted tail so characteristic of wrens, but note the strong striping shown on the tail in my illustration. And, more importantly, note that shoulder patch of black and white stripes. This was what clinched the deal for us, and we were thrilled to finally be confident that this elusive bird was indeed the Marsh Wren.

Check, check, check his sharp little call goes, and his longer song is somewhat blackbird-like. I think the brisk call suits the Marsh Wren, as he quickly checks to make sure no predators are near. Being safe and unseen is so important to the Marsh Wren that he builds ‘dummy’ nests in addition to his own to secure the safety of his eggs. 5-6 dark brown spotted eggs are contained in a dome-shaped nest which is fastened to the stalks of the marsh reeds. He dines entirely on insects. The Marsh Wren is such a little bird, which makes his intricate pattern of stripes and varying hues all the more pleasing.

The Common Yellowthroat, Geothlypis trichas

Never was a bird so poorly named, for if you ever see this one, you will agree there is nothing at all common about him. In point of fact, if you know what this bird looks like, there is no chance of misidentifying him because no other bird in North America even resembles him, with his curious, broad black mask. His yellow breast and belly simply gleam! What a yellow! Rivaled only by the American Goldfinch, I would say.

The upper parts of the bird are a dull olive-brown, and please note the white stripe that rims the black mask. Like the Marsh Wren, he is secretive, though not quite as quick in his movements. Both of these birds were skipping amid the dense growth of the pond, and light enough to balance on a blade of grass. Like the Marsh Wren, he is a good parent and has separate paths for visiting and leaving his well-hidden nest to prevent predators from getting a handle on where the nest is located. His choice of habitats is much more varied and widespread that the wren’s. Marshes, meadows, streams and fields are all good places for the Common Yellowthroat, and the first time I saw this bird was in some blackberry bushes right by the sea at Limantour Spit in Marin County. Yesterday was our second sighting of this brilliant bird, and the first time my husband really got to look at him.

Again, look for rustling movements in the vegetation, keep still, and look for that special yellow color.

3) Wilson’s Snipe, Capella gallinago
Thank goodness I am not a stuffy scientist, because then I’d be afraid to admit here that some birds make me laugh. People would probably think my husband and I were totally nuts if they’d seen us sitting in our car yesterday, slapping the dashboard, hooting and crowing to ourselves as we watched Wilson’s Snipe foot it through the grass at the roadside. Together with dowitchers and the Woodcock, snipes have heads that remind me so much of squids. That narrow head with the long, long beak and the eye set in a position that looks a little too far back just has that strange, long-legged look of a squid. When you add to this the fact that he lops along like a rabbit, and then jackhammers his probing beak down into the grass with the precision of a woodpecker, you’ve got one silly, wonderful wild bird.

Yesterday was our first encounter with Wilson’s Snipe (also sometimes called the Common Snipe), and it was so fun watching his behavior. And then, admiring his fabulous feathers which are so detailed and rich in pattern. Indeed, in some places, he looks marbled. I am sure that the snipes are also around the pond, as they prefer marshy habitats, but this fellow was a ways down Buchley Station Rd., on our ride home. Wilson’s Snipe measures 10″, and he builds his nest in a grass-lined depression. He strikes me as such a charming, peaceful little fellow, and woe be it to anyone unkind enough to view this special bird as a shooting target. I have read more than one Victorian-era novel in which manly men go snipe-shooting. Sitting beside this amusing and dear fowl, it was really brought home to me how unmanly I think anyone who would harm a Wilson’s Snipe.

So, all in all, it was another stupendous day in Wingo. We now have reason to believe the area is currently home to not one, but a pair of Ferruginous Hawks, and visitors will also be treated to views of Red-tailed Hawks, Northern Harriers, American Avocets, Black-necked Stilts, and a fine assortment of ducks. Please, do comment here if you visit Wingo after reading about it at Birding Sonoma County. We want to know what you see there, and what you think of this special place.