Natural History Journal

White Wagtails are one of the most familiar species of songbird across much of Europe and Asia, but here in North America, any time one of these Old World beauties shows up as a vagrant, it causes quite the stir in the birding community.  And just before Christmas, that is exactly what happened on the coast of Central California, near the beach town of Santa Cruz. Rare White Wagtail in Santa Cruz, California Earlier this week, Eric and I drove over to Wilder Ranch State Park, where this bird has been reliably re-found almost daily for the last three weeks, to try to get a glimpse of this rarity.  The catch was that this small seven-inch-long black-and-white bird had been hanging out on a beach that is closed to human visitors (to protect Snowy Plover nesting habitat) and viewable only from a cliff-top overlook.  The beach is nearly a quarter of a mile in length, and at times the wagtail was reported to have been spotted only very distantly, way down at the far end of the...

Birding may be described as equal parts science, art, and sport.  And on the first of the year, one of the many games of birding begins: the honor system-based competition among birders to see the most number of species in x region during  y  timeframe.  On this day, many birders begin their quest to find as many species as they can during the course of the year, month or day, whether that be within one's own backyard, county, state, country or even across the whole world !   The combination of "games" birders can devise for themselves is nearly endless, and each year is different.  Some may do a "green" Big Year, counting only species they see while on foot or by bicycle .  Some may only count birds within their home patch, or birds they were also able to photograph.  Birders may do a Big Day of birding, a Big Year , or just challenge themselves to what they can find in an hour!   Many birders are diligent list-keepers, carefully...

As those of us in the northern hemisphere enter into the season marked by the longest nights and shortest days of the year, I can't help but reflect on the pervasiveness of light in our lives, despite the seasonal rhythms of darkness in the natural world.   In spite of these short winter days, or perhaps because of the long hours of darkness, Christmas is the best season in which to celebrate light.  For, it is at Christmas that we celebrate that: The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in a land of deep darkness a light has dawned.  Isaiah 9:2 Ironically, it is during the depths of the northern winter that nature treats us to some of its most conspicuous and glorious displays of light.   In the winter, we enjoy late morning sunrises and early evening sunsets.  Though our nights are long and cold, in clear weather they are filled with the brilliance of starshine and moonlight.  For those in the far north, this is t...

Can anyone really argue that there is a more iconic bird of Christmas in North America than the strikingly scarlet Northern Cardinal?  With brilliant crimson plumage that both matches red holly berries and contrasts beautifully with evergreen foliage and white snow, the cardinal seems to embody everything in the natural world that is beautiful in wintertime - and by extension, Christmastime.  (Check out this article for more reasons why the Northern Cardinal is the ideal emblem of Christmas.)  But, there may be more than one iconic winter bird out there that deserves to grace wintery Christmas cards and the December page of the calendar.   Join me in a little festive bird-related fun as I muse over a few additional species that I wouldn't mind seeing crafted into Christmas tree ornaments, shaped into sugar cookies, and emblazoned on Christmas sweaters! A somewhat wintery Northern Cardinal... in Texas.  Hands down, the most iconic bird of Christmas in North...

During the first week of April, Eric and I spent six amazing days birding in South Texas, starting in the McAllen area and ending on South Padre Island.  Follow along with our journey here: Part I:  Lower Rio Grande Valley Thornscrub and Woodland Part II:  Coastal Prairie and Thornscrub Part III:  Gulf Coast Wading Birds Part IV:  South Padre Island Neotropical Migrants Situated along the western edge of the Gulf of Mexico, 113-mile-long Padre Island holds the distinction of being the world's longest barrier island.  South Padre Island, as the southern portion of the barrier island is known, is a renowned beach vacation destination, spring break hot spot, and (most importantly) the location of extraordinarily good birding, particularly during spring migration.   From late March through mid-May, birds migrating north from their wintering grounds in Central and South America to their breeding habitat in North America follow invisible yet ancient mig...

During the first week of April, Eric and I spent six amazing days birding in South Texas, starting in the McAllen area and ending on South Padre Island.  Follow along with our journey here: Part I:  Lower Rio Grande Valley Thornscrub and Woodland Part II:  Coastal Prairie and Thornscrub Part III:  Gulf Coast Wading Birds Part IV:  South Padre Island Neotropical Migrants Herons and egrets are some of Eric's favorite birds, and for many years, he and I have both been eager to see two species in particular that are not at all common in California: Reddish Egret and Roseate Spoonbill.   Happily, the Gulf Coast of Texas is an excellent place to find both of these species (and many more), so it was with great excitement that we made our way out to South Padre Island, to spend the day birding the boardwalks and mudflats along the Laguna Madre.    White Ibis, Roseate Spoonbill and Snowy Egret, living life along the edges of the Laguna Madre Tucked am...