Natural History Journal

A bird of the arid southwest, the Black-throated Sparrow ( Amphispiza bilineata ) is a fairly common inhabitant of desert scrub.  As Eric and I prepare for our annual springtime pilgrimage south to scope out desert wildflowers and birds, it seems only fitting to review a species we are likely to encounter!  (The following photos were all taken in 2016 at Joshua Tree National Park.)     Unlike some birds, the Black-throated Sparrow doesn't seem to have adapted well to suburban environments.  As a result, numbers may be decreasing in areas where development and suburban sprawl are eating up large chunks of desert wilderness.  The diet of the Black-throated Sparrow consists largely of seeds, though they consume more insects during the summer months (which also contributes to their water intake).  These striking little birds forage on the ground, but like many birds, the males perch conspicuously and sing to defend their territory (as the fellow in these photos was doing),

While birding at a couple of my favorite places along the coast last weekend, I was able to get a few decent photos of one cool duck: the Red-breasted Merganser ( Mergus serrator ).   Male Red-breasted Merganser in the harbor at Moss Landing   Found along the Pacific Coast during the winter months, the Red-breasted Merganser keeps to salt water (unlike its freshwater kin, the Common Merganser ) and catches fish by diving; they are powerful underwater swimmers.  Birds, by definition, lack teeth, but Mergansers have sharply serrated bills that allow them to keep a tight grip on wriggly prey items.   Female (or non-breeding male) Red-breasted Merganser, Pacific Grove   Like so many of our waterfowl species, Red-breasted Mergansers are most abundant in California during the winter months.  They are often found in bays, estuaries and harbors, and I've had luck seeing them in the Monterey-Pacific Grove area as well as in the harbor Moss Landing.     Red-breasted

I am fortunate enough to live within about a two-hour drive of the Pacific Coast (which is far enough away to avoid the traffic and potential earthquake damage, but close enough for day trips!).  Some of my earliest and fondest childhood memories involve days spent on the beach at Carmel, and entire weekends and weeks spent along the rocky shore in Pacific Grove with my dad, building sandcastles and poking around in tide pools.  Until I began birding seriously a few years ago, most of my time along the coast was spent like this: Following in the footsteps of "Doc" Ed Ricketts: tide-pooling in Monterey's Great Tide Pool area ... Looking for things like this: Hermit Crab ... And this: Anemone ... And this: California Sea Hare (found already dead, washed up on the beach) I was aware of "seagulls" and "sandpipers," maybe even vaguely aware of that mystical group known as the "sea birds" which exist somewhere out the

Grebes of the family Podicipdedidae are a group of aquatic diving birds, representatives of which are found of every continent except Antarctica.  Of these 20 species, the most widespread in North America is the Pied-billed Grebe ( Podilymbus podiceps ).  Often found next to the  loons (family Gaviidae) in field guides, these two groups of birds are both poorly adapted to life on land, with feet placed very far back on their bodies.  Though it makes them appear ridiculous and nearly helpless ashore, this arrangement serves aquatic birds well as they swim underwater, using their feet for propulsion.  Grebes often dive below the surface with scarcely a ripple, and have a maddening habit (for the birder with a camera or scope) of surfacing many meters away from the point where it disappeared.  Grebes (as well as loons) are also known for their submarine-like habit of sinking stealthily beneath the surface until only its periscope-like head remains above the water.  The life of t

One of my favorites, the cute little Ruddy Duck ( Oxyura jamaicensis ) is a species of diving duck found across wetlands of the Great Central Valley during the winter and early spring.  They are a small, compact duck, often associated with other diving ducks, such as Buffleheads.  Of the six "stiff tailed" ducks in the genus Oxyura , the Ruddy Duck is the only species found in North America.     While the massive flocks of geese and Sandhill Cranes have nearly all left the Merced National Wildlife Refuge, the wetlands are still teeming with ducks!  Yesterday, I saw nearly a dozen different species of duck, which is almost all that one would expect to find there at this time of year.  (If you're curious, there were Blue-winged, Cinnamon, and Green-winged Teal, Northern Shoveler, Gadwall, American Wigeon, Mallard, Northern Pintail, Ring-necked Duck and Bufflehead, in addition to around 100 Ruddy Ducks.  Species not present (or that I missed) were Canvasback, Redhea

Reminiscent of a large, bizarre-looking tern, Black Skimmers ( Rynchops niger ) are one of those really neat, must-see species any birder should have on his or her list.  Their black-white-and-red coloring is as striking and attention-grabbing as their uniquely-formed bill. Skimmers are in the same family as terns and gulls (Laridae), and last weekend, the flock we saw along the San Francisco Bay in Foster City was happily sharing its sand spit with numerous Ring-billed Gulls and Forsters Terns (not to mention hundreds of sandpipers and plovers, among others). The laterally compressed bill of the Black Skimmer appears thick and bulky from the side, but is knife-thin when viewed from the front.  The lower mandible protrudes farther than the upper, giving the birds the appearance of an under bite.  This special design allows skimmers to literally plough through the water as the bird flies low over the surface, its bill open, lower mandible slicing through the water.  As the bir

As birders in California, particularly in the Great Central Valley, there are a few species we see nearly every time we go out.  Some are native to California (like Northern Mockingbirds and California Scrub-Jays ) or even endemic to the state (Yellow-billed Magpies), while other ubiquitous birds have been introduced to North America from Europe (House Sparrows and European Starlings).  But just because a bird is seen daily doesn't mean that it's boring!  (I'm guilty of passing by a Scrub Jay and failing to notice its brilliant blue plumage, or walking right past a singing Mockingbird without pausing to listen to its intricate song.)  Black Phoebes frequently fall into this category of ho-hum birds as well.  They're small and perhaps a little "drab" in their simple black-and-white attire, and it seems like I see them almost everywhere I go.  They are common residents anywhere there are insects and a little bit of fresh water, from suburban backyards to riv

The protected wetlands of the Great Central Valley are teeming with life at present, but the great abundance of avifauna won't last much longer.  I was able to sneak in a few hours of birding at Merced NWR between rainstorms this week, and can report that the tens of thousands of overwintering ducks, geese, and Sandhill Cranes are still around.  But many will be heading back to their northerly breeding grounds very soon.  The majestic Sandhill Cranes will be nearly all gone by the end of March, and once again we will await their return in September. In the wetlands, signs of spring are in the air.  Grasses, tules and cattails are turning green and putting on abundant new growth.  Marsh wrens are chattering away as they busily go about building their nests.  A Burrowing Owl sits outside its burrow enjoying a day of sunshine, while nearby a Great Horned Owl is already sitting on her nest.  (Think of her, sitting there in the top of a leafless tree in all that rain yesterday!)  The