Natural History Journal

Every once in a while... a birder wakes up in the morning without the slightest inkling that by the end of the day, he or she will have seen a stunning new bird, perhaps one from the other side of the world!  (No, I'm not talking about the sea eagle... unfortunately.) Such was the case earlier this week, when I received a mid-morning e-mail (Thanks again, Rich!) alerting me to the presence of just such a bird, literally down the street from my house at our local park.  You can bet I scooted over there as soon as I could!   And after a brief search... this is what I found: The Mandarin Duck of China is widely considered to be the world's most beautiful duck! Not what you were expecting, perhaps? Exotic Mandarin Ducks are native to China, but their incredible beauty has made them tempting treasures for those who keep private waterfowl collections around the world.  Outside of their native range, they are sometimes found around ponds in city parks, particularly in the U.K. and wes

Winter is not only the best time in Central California to head out to the wetlands , but also the prime season for viewing a diverse array of raptors on the prairies.  Largely reduced to a fringe of remnants ringing the Great Central Valley, California's grasslands support a number of very special species that are with us only during the winter months.   ( Follow this link to learn about the value of California's grasslands! ) Ferruginous Hawk North America's largest hawk, the Ferruginous Hawk (pictured both above and below), breeds in open prairies of the West.  In California, these regal raptors begin to arrive in October and November, and stay through March. Ferruginous Hawk Arctic-breeding Rough-legged Hawks migrate south in the fall to spend the winter months in open country across much of the United States.  The small bill and small feet are hallmarks of this Arctic species, along with feathered legs, a trait shared only with Ferruginous Hawks and Golden Eagles.  Whil