Natural History Journal

I really like blue-colored birds: Blue Grosbeaks, Lazuli and Indigo Buntings, Tree Swallows, Steller's Jays, and of course the bluebird trio (Western, Mountain and Eastern Bluebirds).  One day, I would love to see Black-throated Blue Warblers and Cerulean Warblers, east coast birds which only very rarely turn up in California, mostly along the coast during migration. But my list of blue birds wouldn't be complete without a small, often overlooked insectivore, the Blue-gray Gnatcatcher ( Polioptila caerulea ). I spotted the bird in these photos while birding along the coast in Monterey recently and, in the bright sunlight, managed to get a few decent photos.  (As I've said before, I'm not much of a photographer, but I do try!) Gnatcatchers are agile and quick, almost constantly in motion as they move through trees and shrubs gleaning tiny insects from leaves and bark. Blue-gray Gnatcatchers range across much of the United States, though many populations are...

One of the greatest things about being a new homeowner, for me as a naturalist, has been having the space and freedom to cater to the wild birds by landscaping with native plants, installing nest boxes and setting up a bird feeding station.  Now, I watch with a smile as flocks of House Finches, American and Lesser Goldfinches, and White-crowned Sparrows show up each morning to patronize my birdfeeders.  Mourning Doves clean up seed that falls to the ground, and a few Golden-crowned Sparrows and Dark-eyed Juncos round out the assemblage.  Yellow-rumped Warblers visit the birdbaths, while American Robins and Cedar Waxwings perch at a distance in the pecan tree.  But of course, as a birder, I always want to see more birds and new species , and occasionally, something really amazing comes along, like the Peregrine Falcon  that visited last week.  I have, in the back of my mind, a list of less common birds that could someday turn up at my backyard feeders, bird...

Found in every state in the continental United States as well as in most Canadian provinces, the Downy Woodpecker ( Dryobates pubescens ) is certainly a crowd favorite.  Downies favor open woodlands, particularly deciduous forests along streams, but take readily to parks and backyards landscaped with a variety of deciduous trees; in many parts of their range, Downy Woodpeckers are the most likely woodpecker species to visit backyard feeders.  And with the distinction of being North America's smallest woodpecker, this diminutive darling is an undeniably "cute" bird. In my neck of the woods San Joaquin Valley oak savanna, Downy Woodpeckers stick pretty closely to riparian areas: forest fragments along the Merced, Tuolumne, Stanislaus and San Joaquin Rivers offer suitable habitat, along with shrubby areas along Dry Creek, Del Puerto Canyon Creek, and other creeks and wetland areas with willows and deciduous trees.  Since my town is situated miles from the nearest river...

There is no quiet like the stillness that comes with a dense early morning fog, a heavy blanket of gray mist wrapped snugly around the immediate world, insulating and isolating.  Sounds come through faintly, if at all, heard as if from a great distance.  There is no sunrise, just a gradual lightening as the day dawns and the very atmosphere, rather than the sky, fades from slate, to smoke, to silver and pearl. Squinting into an enshrouding mist, eyes stinging with cold, shapes begin to appear: Tundra Swans glide elegantly, silently past; Northern Harriers course low over leaden water; a White-tailed Kite perches motionless, nearly invisible, a study of black-on-white-on-gray. A White-tailed Kite, mid-afternoon on a cold, damp, day  (San Joaquin River NWR) The seasons in central California are unique.  In many parts of the temperate world, the dazzling brilliance of ruddy autumn fades into the piercing cold of a white winter as wild storms blow, blizzards rag...

Shortly after sunrise this morning, I glanced out the window to see if my daily breakfast crew (a flock of American and Lesser Goldfinches, House Finches, White-crowned and Golden-crowned Sparrows, Dark-eyed Juncos and Mourning Doves) had arrived at the backyard feeders yet.  But my attention was caught by a dark form perched in the pecan tree: a Cooper's Hawk.  (That explained why the bird feeders were empty!) Cooper's Hawks are fairly common around our neighborhood, and neighborhoods across most of the United States, but since they're not an everyday occurrence in our backyard, I pulled out my camera and snapped a couple of photos.  Then I noticed something else - bigger, darker, even more interesting - perched at the top of a nearby Deodar Cedar.  I brought my binoculars up, expecting to see our neighborhood's Red-shouldered Hawk, but instead, was amazed to see something much more exciting: a Peregrine Falcon! Absolutely thrilled, I watched the Peregrine fo...

The joys and delights of replacing our lawn with a garden of California native plants are many - and ongoing!  From reduced water use and maintenance, to the fragrance of Salvias and the beauty of year-round blooms, we couldn't be more pleased with the outcome of our project. And the best part?  The neighborhood birds certainly approve of our plant pallet! Just recently, I glanced out the kitchen window on a cold, cloudy morning and spotted this little ray of sunshine, an Orange-crowned Warbler, foraging for tiny insects in a 'Pozo Blue' Cleveland Sage.  He hung around long enough for me to snap a few photos through the window. Orange-crowned Warblers are one of our winter warblers here in the Central Valley of California, but they are not nearly as abundant as Yellow-rumped Warblers.  Small insectivores, they are usually seen hopping around in shrubs and low trees, gleaning insects from the foliage.  Their "orange crown" is seldom visible, and perha...

A new year - a new decade, even - is upon us!  Perhaps a New Year's resolution of yours is to be more active outdoors this year, to walk more, to travel, or to learn something new.  If so, birding might be just the thing for you!  (If you have no idea what birding is or why it's so great check out my list of  the many joys and benefits of birding .) Whether you are brand new to birding or a seasoned pro, we can always learn new things and improve our skills.  This year, I have a few birding goals in mind, along with plans I'd like to implement in order to improve.  (Seabirds, for example, are a group of birds I plan to work on!)  So, each month throughout 2020, as I learn and develop my birding, I will offer a tip for how you too can become a better birder, naturalist, and citizen scientist.  January in Central California tends to be foggy and cold, with stretches of dreary and dismal gray days punctuated by spells of bright sunshine and bi...