Natural History Journal

In the world of birding, " Big Days " are competitions to see how many species of birds a birder can find in a specified area in just one 24-hour period.  They range from formal to informal, and the competition may be shared with others or simply with oneself.  This month, Eric and I were excited to set aside a whole day for our own, unofficial, just-for-fun "Big Day," setting ourselves the challenge of finding 100 species (or more) in our own county.   Here in North America, January is not the time of year when most Big Day birding events take place.  (In fact,  Global Big Day , a birding event in which birders from around the world participate, takes place annually in May - a much more reasonable season to be out birding!)  At this cold and often dreary time of year, many birds across much of the U.S. have migrated south for the winter, and most habitats are just too iced over to yield a great deal of bird diversity.   But here in the Cent...

On a recent birding trip to Merced National Wildlife Refuge, I tallied up a list of sixteen different species of ducks.  Only a few more species, around twenty in total, are expected in the Central Valley of California's freshwater marshes during the winter, so I consider that to be an excellent day for ducks! North American ducks are broadly separated into two categories, largely based on their methods of foraging for food.   Dabbling ducks , also known as "puddle ducks," tend to frequent shallow water, where they are commonly seen tipping bottoms-up to feed on plant matter and invertebrates in the water and on the muddy bottom.  They are most at home in water, but walk easily on land as well, as their legs are positioned near the center of their bodies.  The wings of dabbling ducks are relatively large, which allows them to take off from the surface of the water, straight up into their air.  Dabbling ducks almost all nest on the ground, near water....

As 2023 winds down, it seems fitting that I share a few photos, recently obtained, of a somewhat elusive but common bird across the entire North America continent.  Named this year's Bird of the Year by the American Birding Association, the Belted Kingfisher is an impressive presence just about anywhere there is a calm, clear body of water in which it can hunt, preferably with some cover at the edges and handy perches nearby.   Perched strategically over the water, kingfishers scan for prey, which includes a wide variety of fish, crustaceans, amphibians, and even small mammals.  Once a hunting kingfisher has sighted her target, she dives, bill-first, into the water to nab said prey item.  Held fast in her bill, she brings her meal triumphantly back to her perch, where she proceeds to beat it soundly against the branch before swallowing it whole.  Super amusing to watch. Kingfishers may also hover or "kite" over a body of water in search of prey, which is a...

Given my predilection for marshy, swampy places, it should come as no surprise that on my very first morning in Maine, the first place I headed was... a saltmarsh.  Scarborough Marsh, to be specific, south of Portland on the winding Nonesuch River.  It was here, in a drizzly rain shortly after dawn, as we squelched through mud and shooed away mosquitoes, that I fell in love with the state of Maine: dark green woods bordering the vividly verdant saltmarsh, brooding clouds reflected on the surface of glassy water, crisp air perfumed with a delightful combination of saltmarsh and conifers that I can't quite describe, and, of course, birds.   It was during my marshland reverie, as we attempted to cross a particularly soggy spot on a precarious plank, that Eric, hood drawn tight against the increasing rain and droning insects, mused aloud that this particular part of our "vacation" would be difficult to explain to our friends and family back home. The Nonesuch River meand...

Spring.  This is the Valley at its best.  The color pallette is glorious: green and blue, white and gray, subtle and brilliant all at once.  And the birds!  The birds are at their best as well, as colorful neotropic migrants arrive: orioles, grosbeaks, tanagers, warblers and others that have spent the last five or six months in the New World tropics.  Resident breeders are busy as well, defending territory, courting, nesting and beginning to incubate eggs and raise young.   The wetlands and riparian forests that make up the Central Valley's San Joaquin River National Wildlife Refuge are full of song and color and movement this time of year, a true delight for the senses!   A couple of days ago, I spent the morning slowly wandering and delighting in the birds and the clouds.  I invite you to check out a few of the photographs I came home with, captured moments showcasing what I believe to be the very best of this humble but very special p...