Hello everyone,
Several juvenile robins were out and about looking cute with their speckled plumage. The Mourning Dove is still on her nest and she gave us a look that told us that we’d better move away. We spotted an Orchard Oriole with a caterpillar in its mouth and then watched it take the tasty morsel to a nest where chicks must have been waiting for breakfast. Although we could see the nest we couldn’t see the chicks.
A Black-crowned Night Heron was fishing at the base of the waterfall in the Japanese Garden, not moving a muscle while watching intently for the fish to come by. We also had a Great Egret stalking fish like a cat! It locked eyes on its prey, wiggled its butt, and plunged its beak into the water to try and grab the fish. Unfortunately, it came up empty but it was sure fun to watch the wiggling butt.
We saw a Herring Gull catch a fish. We had great looks at a Willow Flycatcher who was throwing back its head and calling “fitz-bew” repeatedly. And, the Willow Flycatcher was perched in a willow, so we had a herring with a herring and a willow in a willow!
There were a lot of carp swimming near the surface near the north bridge, their mouths poking out of the water, which looked kind of creepy. They ducked under when the swallows swooped down towards the water, which was an interesting behavior to observe.
BIRDERS: Mike R., Jen, Mike M., Jennie, Marian, Katie, Traci, Gary, Kristin, Hal, Howard, Luther, Cheryl, Caterina, Simone, Robert, Mark C., Jeff, Madhu, Eric, Leslie, Roger, Pam, Daniela, Mark W., Marisa, Rob and welcome to Melody, Alex, Blake, and Kelly.
TIME: 8:00am to 11:30am
WEATHER: 62 degrees, cloudy
Compiler: Cheryl
Canada Goose Number observed: 68
Wood Duck Number observed: 5
Mallard Number observed: 17
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon) Number observed: 3
Mourning Dove Number observed: 1
Chimney Swift Number observed: 9
Ruby-throated Hummingbird Number observed: 3
Killdeer Number observed: 1
Ring-billed Gull Number observed: 8
American Herring Gull Number observed: 1
Caspian Tern Number observed: 2
Double-crested Cormorant Number observed: 2
Black-crowned Night Heron Number observed: 2
Green Heron Number observed: 3
Great Egret Number observed: 2
Great Blue Heron Number observed: 2
Cooper's Hawk Number observed: 1
Downy Woodpecker Number observed: 1
Hairy Woodpecker Number observed: 1
Northern Flicker Number observed: 1
Eastern Wood-Pewee Number observed: 2
Willow Flycatcher Number observed: 3
Eastern Phoebe Number observed: 2
Eastern Kingbird Number observed: 3
Warbling Vireo Number observed: 8
Red-eyed Vireo Number observed: 2
Blue Jay Number observed: 1
American Crow Number observed: 3
Black-capped Chickadee Number observed: 2
Tree Swallow Number observed: 4
Purple Martin Number observed: 14
Northern Rough-winged Swallow Number observed: 3
Barn Swallow Number observed: 8
Cliff Swallow Number observed: 3
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher Number observed: 2
Northern House Wren Number observed: 3
European Starling Number observed: 20
Gray Catbird Number observed: 5
Brown Thrasher Number observed: 1
American Robin Number observed: 9
Cedar Waxwing Number observed: 7
House Sparrow Number observed: 2
House Finch Number observed: 4
American Goldfinch Number observed: 8
Chipping Sparrow Number observed: 1
Song Sparrow Number observed: 6
Orchard Oriole Number observed: 3
Baltimore Oriole Number observed: 8
Red-winged Blackbird Number observed: 18
Brown-headed Cowbird Number observed: 6
Common Grackle Number observed: 6
Common Yellowthroat Number observed: 2
Yellow Warbler Number observed: 20
Northern Cardinal Number observed: 6
Indigo Bunting Number observed: 1
If you’d like more information about a bird, check out the All About Birds ID guide:
https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/
Corrections, additions, and comments are welcome.
Good birding everyone,
Jennie
Photo: Common yellowthroat by Randy Streufert