Southern California's winters aren't very deep, so it's sometimes hard to catch the signs that it is ending. I've been feeling very Spring-like, lately, as the chorus of resident birdsong increased, but I felt like today we were turning the corner when I saw some Northern Rough-winged Swallows hawking insects over the lake at La Mirada Park. These lightning-quick brown birds were the first spring arrivals I've seen this season - migrating north out of Central America on their way to breed here in the United States or Canada.
It's exciting to feel the pulse of the earth quicken. New signs of life were bursting all around the park this morning. I saw a Cassin's Kingbird shredding tissue paper for its nest in a nearby palm's crown. Not far away, a Common Yellowthroat broke out into full-throated song. Even the Townsend's Warblers in the park, winter visitors, warbled softly as they foraged in the bright green of a trees' renewing leaves.
It's still early, and winter hasn't gone completely, as the chorus of chipping Yellow-rumped Warblers testify, but I can already hardly wait until a flash of bright yellow will announce the arrival of our gaudier neo-tropical migrants. Orioles, Vireos and Warblers, oh my!
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Southwestern Road Trip Bird List
I've been wanting to put this down here for future reference, and as a redundant record, ever since we got back from the trip. Our readers are welcome to tune out now. I'll annotate it from memory (a bit old by now).
1. Mallard (waterfowl found in three locations: Bosque del Apache, Casa Grande and Sweetwater Wetlands)
2. Green-winged Teal
3. American Wigeon
4. Northern Shoveler
5. Cinnamon Teal
6. Redhead
7. Ring-necked Duck
8. Bufflehead
9. Ruddy Duck
10. Gambel's Quail (first seen at Sweetwater Wetlands, but also seen east to Bosque del Apache)
11. Pied-billed Grebe (Arizona and Bosque del Apache)
12. Turkey Vulture (a kettle in Blythe)
13. Cooper's Hawk (uncommon throughout)
14. Harris's Hawk (Sweetwater Wetlands only)
15. Red-tailed Hawk (common along roadsides throughout southwest)
16. American Kestrel (common throughout southwest)
17. Prairie Falcon (a single bird at Casa Grande)
18. Common Moorhen
19. American Coot (common around water)
20. Rock Pigeon (anywhere there are people)
21. Mourning Dove (common all over)
22. Common Ground Dove (a small flock at Sweetwater Wetlands)
23. Anna's Hummingbird (our lone hummingbird for the trip was a single male at Sweetwater)
24. Gila Woodpecker (a couple of birds at Sweetwater)
25. Northern Flicker (common throughout low elevation wooded habitat in southwest)
26. Ladder-backed Woodpecker (same as Flicker)
27. Say's Phoebe (common through southwest)
28. Vermillion Flycatcher (a female at Casas Grande and an imm male at the Continental School near Green Valley)
29. Loggerhead Shrike (relatively common throughout southwest)
30. Common Raven (very common at all elevations)
31. Verdin (a few birds in Arizona)
32. European Starling (wherever there are people)
33. Yellow-rumped Warbler (much less common than in Southern California, but there were a few here and there in low elevations throughout our trip)
34. Canyon Towhee (uncommon throughout our trip)
35. White-crowned Sparrow (common through our trip - most abundant sparrow)
36. Yellow-headed Blackbird (large numbers at Sweetwater Wetlands)
37. Red-winged Blackbird (common around water throughout)
38. Great-tailed Grackle (common, especially in cities, throughout southwest)
39. Brown-headed Cowbird
40. House Finch (common throughout)
41. House Sparrow (wherever there are people)
42. Lark Sparrow (grassland x mesquite woodland below Santa Ritas)
43. Vesper Sparrow (same as Lark Sparrow)
44. Black-throated Sparrow (same as Lark Sparrow, also desert scrub)
45. Northern Mockingbird (common throughout)
46. Spotted Towhee (Florida Canyon area, Bosque del Apache)
47. Ruby-crowned Kinglet (very common in any forested area)
48. Green-tailed Towhee (Florida Canyon area)
49. Phainopepla (wintering birds in Carlsbad Canyon National Park and same habitat as Lark Sparrows)
50. Rufous-crowned Warbler (3 birds! in Florida Canyon) (Lifer)
51. Canyon Wren (Florida Canyon)
52. Indigo Bunting (a single female in Florida Canyon) (Lifer)
53. Lincoln's Sparrow (in brushy habitat throughout)
54. Crissal Thrasher (one bird in oak woodland in lower Florida Canyon) (Lifer)
55. Hammond's Flycatcher (Florida Canyon)
56. Kentucky Warbler (single vagrant male in Florida Canyon) (Lifer)
57. Western Bluebird (flocks in Florida Canyon and near Grand Canyon)
58. Black Phoebe (near water throughout southwest)
59. Mexican Jay (Madera Canyon)
60. Wild Turkey (Madera Canyon, Rattlesnake Springs)
61. White-winged Dove (Continental School near Green Valley - a small flock)
62. Acorn Woodpecker (Madera Canyon)
63. Northern Beardless Tyrannulet (a single bird at the Continental School near Green Valley)
64. Gray Flycatcher (Florida Wash)
65. Bridled Titmouse (Madera Canyon)
66. White-breasted Nuthatch (Madera Canyon)
67. Brown Creeper (Mexican variety) (Madera Canyon)
68. American Robin (uncommon throughout southwest)
69. Hermit Thrush (uncommon throughout southwest)
70. Townsend's Warbler (Madera Canyon in mixed flocks)
71. Chipping Sparrow (Madera Canyon)
72. Dark-eyed Junco (Oregon, Pink-sided and Gray-headed in Madera Canyon, widespread elsewhere in southwest, too)
73. Brewer's Sparrow (1 near Continental School)
74. Lesser Goldfinch (uncommon throughout southwest)
75. Pine Siskin (Madera Canyon)
76. Sandhill Crane (first seen flying over highway 10 near Wilcox, then many at Bosque)
77. Ferruginous Hawk (one near Wilcox along 10, one off highway nearer to Carlsbad in Texas)
78. Pyrrhuloxia (common in Chihuahuan desert scrub)
79. Eastern Bluebird (at a roadside rest near Guadalupe National Park)
80. Ring-billed Gull (in Carlsbad parking lots)
81. Sage Thrasher (common in Chihuahuan desert scrub of Carlsbad Caverns NP)
82. Rufous-crowned Sparrow (lifer for Libby - near Carlsbad National Park Visitor's Center)
83. Greater Roadrunner (Carlsbad NP visitor's center area and Rattlesnake Springs area)
84. Song Sparrow (Rattlesnake Springs)
85. Northern Cardinal (Rattlesnake Springs)
86. Belted Kingfisher (Rattlesnake Springs)
87. Great Horned Owl (Rattlesnake Springs)
88. Brown Thrasher (Rattlesnake Springs) (Lifer)
89. Eastern Phoebe (Rattlesnake Springs) (Lifer)
90. Merlin (Rattlesnake Springs)
91. Eurasian Collared Dove (roadsides throughout and near Grand Canyon's rim)
92. Snow Geese (Bosque)
92. Ross's Geese (Bosque)
93. Canada Geese (Bosque)
94. Bald Eagle (Bosque)
95. Northern Pintail (Bosque)
96. American Crow (Bosque)
97. Chihuahuan Raven (Bosque)
98. Common Merganser (Bosque)
99. Hooded Merganser (Bosque)
100. Gadwall (Bosque)
101. Greater Yellowlegs (Bosque)
102. Ring-necked Pheasant (Bosque)
103. Greater White-fronted Geese (Bosque)
104. Steller's Jay (Sandia Crest and Grand Canyon)
105. Mountain Chickadee (Sandia Crest and Grand Canyon)
106. Gray-crowned Rosy Finch (Sandia Crest - one Hepburn's, the rest interior birds)
107. Brown-capped Rosy Finch (Sandia Crest) (Lifer)
108. Black Rosy Finch (Sandia Crest) (Lifer)
109. (Woodhouse's) Western Scrub Jay (Grand Canyon)
110. Juniper Titmouse (Grand Canyon) (Lifer)
111. Clark's Nutcracker (Grand Canyon)
112. White-throated Sparrow (Bosque) (Lifer)
113. Meadowlark species (roadsides throughout grasslands in trip - two or three species possible if Lilian's is split as new research suggests it should be)
I hope I didn't miss anything. Not so many, but we didn't try for a big list. If I did it again I would have made time to look for wintering Larkspurs, but I'm very happy with what we did see.
1. Mallard (waterfowl found in three locations: Bosque del Apache, Casa Grande and Sweetwater Wetlands)
2. Green-winged Teal
3. American Wigeon
4. Northern Shoveler
5. Cinnamon Teal
6. Redhead
7. Ring-necked Duck
8. Bufflehead
9. Ruddy Duck
10. Gambel's Quail (first seen at Sweetwater Wetlands, but also seen east to Bosque del Apache)
11. Pied-billed Grebe (Arizona and Bosque del Apache)
12. Turkey Vulture (a kettle in Blythe)
13. Cooper's Hawk (uncommon throughout)
14. Harris's Hawk (Sweetwater Wetlands only)
15. Red-tailed Hawk (common along roadsides throughout southwest)
16. American Kestrel (common throughout southwest)
17. Prairie Falcon (a single bird at Casa Grande)
18. Common Moorhen
19. American Coot (common around water)
20. Rock Pigeon (anywhere there are people)
21. Mourning Dove (common all over)
22. Common Ground Dove (a small flock at Sweetwater Wetlands)
23. Anna's Hummingbird (our lone hummingbird for the trip was a single male at Sweetwater)
24. Gila Woodpecker (a couple of birds at Sweetwater)
25. Northern Flicker (common throughout low elevation wooded habitat in southwest)
26. Ladder-backed Woodpecker (same as Flicker)
27. Say's Phoebe (common through southwest)
28. Vermillion Flycatcher (a female at Casas Grande and an imm male at the Continental School near Green Valley)
29. Loggerhead Shrike (relatively common throughout southwest)
30. Common Raven (very common at all elevations)
31. Verdin (a few birds in Arizona)
32. European Starling (wherever there are people)
33. Yellow-rumped Warbler (much less common than in Southern California, but there were a few here and there in low elevations throughout our trip)
34. Canyon Towhee (uncommon throughout our trip)
35. White-crowned Sparrow (common through our trip - most abundant sparrow)
36. Yellow-headed Blackbird (large numbers at Sweetwater Wetlands)
37. Red-winged Blackbird (common around water throughout)
38. Great-tailed Grackle (common, especially in cities, throughout southwest)
39. Brown-headed Cowbird
40. House Finch (common throughout)
41. House Sparrow (wherever there are people)
42. Lark Sparrow (grassland x mesquite woodland below Santa Ritas)
43. Vesper Sparrow (same as Lark Sparrow)
44. Black-throated Sparrow (same as Lark Sparrow, also desert scrub)
45. Northern Mockingbird (common throughout)
46. Spotted Towhee (Florida Canyon area, Bosque del Apache)
47. Ruby-crowned Kinglet (very common in any forested area)
48. Green-tailed Towhee (Florida Canyon area)
49. Phainopepla (wintering birds in Carlsbad Canyon National Park and same habitat as Lark Sparrows)
50. Rufous-crowned Warbler (3 birds! in Florida Canyon) (Lifer)
51. Canyon Wren (Florida Canyon)
52. Indigo Bunting (a single female in Florida Canyon) (Lifer)
53. Lincoln's Sparrow (in brushy habitat throughout)
54. Crissal Thrasher (one bird in oak woodland in lower Florida Canyon) (Lifer)
55. Hammond's Flycatcher (Florida Canyon)
56. Kentucky Warbler (single vagrant male in Florida Canyon) (Lifer)
57. Western Bluebird (flocks in Florida Canyon and near Grand Canyon)
58. Black Phoebe (near water throughout southwest)
59. Mexican Jay (Madera Canyon)
60. Wild Turkey (Madera Canyon, Rattlesnake Springs)
61. White-winged Dove (Continental School near Green Valley - a small flock)
62. Acorn Woodpecker (Madera Canyon)
63. Northern Beardless Tyrannulet (a single bird at the Continental School near Green Valley)
64. Gray Flycatcher (Florida Wash)
65. Bridled Titmouse (Madera Canyon)
66. White-breasted Nuthatch (Madera Canyon)
67. Brown Creeper (Mexican variety) (Madera Canyon)
68. American Robin (uncommon throughout southwest)
69. Hermit Thrush (uncommon throughout southwest)
70. Townsend's Warbler (Madera Canyon in mixed flocks)
71. Chipping Sparrow (Madera Canyon)
72. Dark-eyed Junco (Oregon, Pink-sided and Gray-headed in Madera Canyon, widespread elsewhere in southwest, too)
73. Brewer's Sparrow (1 near Continental School)
74. Lesser Goldfinch (uncommon throughout southwest)
75. Pine Siskin (Madera Canyon)
76. Sandhill Crane (first seen flying over highway 10 near Wilcox, then many at Bosque)
77. Ferruginous Hawk (one near Wilcox along 10, one off highway nearer to Carlsbad in Texas)
78. Pyrrhuloxia (common in Chihuahuan desert scrub)
79. Eastern Bluebird (at a roadside rest near Guadalupe National Park)
80. Ring-billed Gull (in Carlsbad parking lots)
81. Sage Thrasher (common in Chihuahuan desert scrub of Carlsbad Caverns NP)
82. Rufous-crowned Sparrow (lifer for Libby - near Carlsbad National Park Visitor's Center)
83. Greater Roadrunner (Carlsbad NP visitor's center area and Rattlesnake Springs area)
84. Song Sparrow (Rattlesnake Springs)
85. Northern Cardinal (Rattlesnake Springs)
86. Belted Kingfisher (Rattlesnake Springs)
87. Great Horned Owl (Rattlesnake Springs)
88. Brown Thrasher (Rattlesnake Springs) (Lifer)
89. Eastern Phoebe (Rattlesnake Springs) (Lifer)
90. Merlin (Rattlesnake Springs)
91. Eurasian Collared Dove (roadsides throughout and near Grand Canyon's rim)
92. Snow Geese (Bosque)
92. Ross's Geese (Bosque)
93. Canada Geese (Bosque)
94. Bald Eagle (Bosque)
95. Northern Pintail (Bosque)
96. American Crow (Bosque)
97. Chihuahuan Raven (Bosque)
98. Common Merganser (Bosque)
99. Hooded Merganser (Bosque)
100. Gadwall (Bosque)
101. Greater Yellowlegs (Bosque)
102. Ring-necked Pheasant (Bosque)
103. Greater White-fronted Geese (Bosque)
104. Steller's Jay (Sandia Crest and Grand Canyon)
105. Mountain Chickadee (Sandia Crest and Grand Canyon)
106. Gray-crowned Rosy Finch (Sandia Crest - one Hepburn's, the rest interior birds)
107. Brown-capped Rosy Finch (Sandia Crest) (Lifer)
108. Black Rosy Finch (Sandia Crest) (Lifer)
109. (Woodhouse's) Western Scrub Jay (Grand Canyon)
110. Juniper Titmouse (Grand Canyon) (Lifer)
111. Clark's Nutcracker (Grand Canyon)
112. White-throated Sparrow (Bosque) (Lifer)
113. Meadowlark species (roadsides throughout grasslands in trip - two or three species possible if Lilian's is split as new research suggests it should be)
I hope I didn't miss anything. Not so many, but we didn't try for a big list. If I did it again I would have made time to look for wintering Larkspurs, but I'm very happy with what we did see.
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Mammoth Trip
We got back Monday from a winter trip to Mammoth over the holiday weekend. It was a good trip, if short.
Some highlights:
- The snow was really wonderful. It was dry, settled powder most of the trip. It snowed a couple of inches on Sunday, and it was dumping as we left.
- The heavy snow made our trip home a lot more interesting than normal. We needed chains from Mammoth all the way to Sherwin Grade. Snow was falling in Bishop when we arrived, and again in the Coso Junction area. Thankfully the storm was gone by the time we arrived at Cajon Pass, but we could see it accumulated on either side of the road.
- Joe Profita spent Saturday night at the cabin.
- The cabin was wonderfully comfortable, and the solitude was wonderful. Going up there in the winter is a really great way to get away from it all. There was only one other cabin occupied while we were there, and we only saw them on Monday right before they left. We didn't even know anyone else was around all day Saturday and Sunday.
- Dad and I took a night ski down up the uranium mine road, back down, and then out onto Lake Mary. It was exciting going downhill with only a few yards of track illuminated ahead of you.
- We saw a Golden Eagle right by the road on the way up! Just a couple of feet off to the left side of 395 and right on the ground. What a wonderful, enormous bird.
- We spent all of our time skiing up and around behind the cabin. Mom and Dad went to Emerald on Sunday, and Libby and I joined them in a ski up to the meadow below it on Monday before we skiied out to the car.
- It stayed around 20 degrees most of the time we were there, which was quite comfortable when you were skiing and kept the snow in great condition.
Well, there are a few memories for posterity. We definitely had a good time, over all. It was nice to take a break from school for Libby, and I also enjoyed the change of scenery.
Some highlights:
- The snow was really wonderful. It was dry, settled powder most of the trip. It snowed a couple of inches on Sunday, and it was dumping as we left.
- The heavy snow made our trip home a lot more interesting than normal. We needed chains from Mammoth all the way to Sherwin Grade. Snow was falling in Bishop when we arrived, and again in the Coso Junction area. Thankfully the storm was gone by the time we arrived at Cajon Pass, but we could see it accumulated on either side of the road.
- Joe Profita spent Saturday night at the cabin.
- The cabin was wonderfully comfortable, and the solitude was wonderful. Going up there in the winter is a really great way to get away from it all. There was only one other cabin occupied while we were there, and we only saw them on Monday right before they left. We didn't even know anyone else was around all day Saturday and Sunday.
- Dad and I took a night ski down up the uranium mine road, back down, and then out onto Lake Mary. It was exciting going downhill with only a few yards of track illuminated ahead of you.
- We saw a Golden Eagle right by the road on the way up! Just a couple of feet off to the left side of 395 and right on the ground. What a wonderful, enormous bird.
- We spent all of our time skiing up and around behind the cabin. Mom and Dad went to Emerald on Sunday, and Libby and I joined them in a ski up to the meadow below it on Monday before we skiied out to the car.
- It stayed around 20 degrees most of the time we were there, which was quite comfortable when you were skiing and kept the snow in great condition.
Well, there are a few memories for posterity. We definitely had a good time, over all. It was nice to take a break from school for Libby, and I also enjoyed the change of scenery.
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