From a small town to a big city...
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A Birding Blog
By Jared Conaway
From a small town to a big city...
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Hello all! Haven't posted in a few, so thought I'd get some photos of everyday birds and maybe spot something regular but uncommon, however, my common-bird-birding took an interesting turn of direction and for the better. My casual birding started when I heard a RED-SHAFTED NORTHERN FLICKER making his epic jungle call (one of my favorite bird sounds now)! I quickly and franticly snatched the camera, as he would be a fun bird to put on my blog. I got some decent, satisfying snapshots of him. Before I could turn around to go back in side, a GILA WOODPECKER flew in right below the flicker. Got pics of him too! I don't know about you guys but seeing 2 woodpecker species side by side is always fascinating, probably because you typically just have only one dominant species ( in this case the Gila Woodpecker) and they are a more uncommon yard bird, but still an everyday one. I started pointing my camera in every direction I heard a bird calling, including a nice below-view of a NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRD. After that, the always exciting ROSY-FACED LOVEBIRDS flew in to snack on the fruits or nuts of our neighbor's tree! (99% of yard birding takes place in that tree!) The Lovebirds are always noisy, very social, acrobatic while feeding, and are challenging to photograph because they never stop moving. Tons of Mourning, Collared, Rock, and Inca Doves frequented the yard and made pests of themselves by eating grass-seeds (Trying to make the yard green again, has been lifeless for months because no one was managing the yard before we moved in!) The House Sparrows, being always hungry, helped the doves out. The EUROPEAN STARLINGS were mimicking so many different bird songs that they, for once, have earned the right to have their name in all-caps for this post. Bird calls incorporated into their songs were; Grackle, Lovebird, Flicker, Verdin, House Sparrow, and the most interesting being the noise that a Mourning Dove makes when its wings flap. While enjoying and photographing the Lovebirds, my Mom asks if a hummingbird on my feeder is "my hummingbird" as in, if it's the one I pet. That turns me around, and sure enough, it is! The little COSTA'S HUMMINGBIRD was sitting completely still on the feeder, not even feeding. This sounds crazy, but I think when he sits still on the feeder like that and leans in like the way he was, it means he actually wants me to pet him! I say that because of 2 reasons: 1. This is the second time now that he has landed on the feeder without taking a sip, and is not even the least bit worried anymore when I approach him. 2. I believe he lands on the feeder without feeding because he uses it as "home base perch" to get away from the Anna's that never stops bullying him. He lands on the feeder and not anywhere else because he is very sure that I will be there, waiting to pet him. Here's where the theory really comes into play. He wants me to pet him or be right in front of him because he knows that that Anna's is much more afraid of me than he is, the Anna's Hummer will not go anywhere near him if I'm right next to him or have my finger on his back. So long story short, he uses me as a line of protection, if that Anna's wants to be a bully to Costa's, he'll have to get passed me first. This really proves that Hummingbirds are super intelligent and can think of ways to defend themselves without having to grow a stinger or sharp teeth. Always SO cool to encounter the Costa's Hummer! Anyways I tried to get photos but the camera wouldn't focus. So I ditched the camera and reached out my hand to pet him, but he flew off as the Anna's flew in to chase him off. (Note: I was standing a couple feet back, which is why the Anna's wasn't afraid to chase away the Costa's). That was the last I saw of the Costa's Hummingbird today. I decided to wait for a while for him to return so I could feel his fluff, but I started getting really bored. I decided to amuse myself with the other birds. I got my first photos of AUDUBON'S WARBLERS, and heard a few WHITE-CROWNED SPARROWS as I stood atop a bench, it is a bird I haven't had in my yard (or neighborhood) in a month or so. Many Great-tailed Grackles flew overhead, and the foreign pigeons and Collared-Doves. So, now that I have kept you on the edge thinking about the "And a Superb Surprise!" part of my title, this is where the second half of the title fits in. A un-ID'd bird flew into the tree next door. Based on size and shape, it appeared to be the Say's Phoebe that has not frequented in quite some time. Because this would be a cool bird to put on my blog (because he's uncommon in the hood) I raced to the camera and focused on him as quickly as I could. First snapshot: "That looks like him." I Review the snapshot: "Is that him?" Second snapshot: "Ok, that looks different, what is that?" I review the second snapshot: " umm, that looks like a Tanager!" I run in side " Guys! I just got a lifebird, a Tanager!! I thought it was the Phoebe so I grabbed the camera, but after a couple pictures I saw its bill was to fat for a flycatcher, and to big and long for a finch so I really think it's a tanager! I'm going to grab my field guide to see which kind!" I franticly ran to the bookshelf and looked for the Sibley Guide. Once found, I yanked it from the bookshelf and ran to my room. I crashed to the floor and flipped crazy fast through the guide until I found the Tanagers. I worked my way from the Scarlet to Hepatic to Western to Summer. No wing bars or markings, huge bill, and plain olive-yellow coloration are what confirmed it as a SUMMER TANAGER!!! (!!!) Then I started thinking, "Holy Crap this is SUPER late for them! The observation makes perfect sense, because the bird was a juvenile with an incompletely molted tail. Juv. birds are almost always the latest migrants or vagrants. His unusually shaped tail would keep him grounded till fully regrown as it would prevent proper steering. Hopefully he sticks around in the hood! What an EPIC sighting to finish off my casual birding! So glad I obtained a photo as well! Northern (Red-shafted) Flicker Gila Woodpecker Abert's Towhee Northern Mockingbird Rosy-faced Lovebird Anna's Hummingbird Audubon's Warbler The Grand Finale: Summer Tanager! The Summer Tanager observation is unique, not just because he's a lifer, but also the fact that he is an EXTREMELY LATE migrant. I thought for sure I would have to wait till next summer to find one atop Mt. Ord! A VERY UNEXPECTED lifer, right next door (or in this case, right next wall) as a bonus!
Please leave a Like and a comment, hope you enjoy my postings! I'm Jared Conaway, and stay tuned for my next post!
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About meJared Conaway Month Archives
December 2019
Categories
Life List
Birds |