Snowy Plover

This bird is a small plover that inhabits sandy beaches. In some areas populations of this species are threatened and conservation efforts are under way to increase their numbers. They are reasonably common in the Moneterey area of California. They are found over a large area spanning parts of North America, South America, Africa and Eurasia.

They are difficult to see and most people walk right by them because of their excellent camouflage. Often they rest in the footprints left by people walking on the beach.

California Thrasher

During the spring, this bird is very noisy, singing from trees and bush tops to make others aware of its territory or perhaps availability. Thrashers are members of the bird family Mimidae which includes mockingbirds and many know how noisy mockingbirds can be.

In the autumn, this bird is generally quiet and skulks around in dark edges of, forests or in heavy brush. This one came out in the open because the red berries shown in the photo are an inviting morsel.

Western Stone Nuthatch

As Floy has mentioned we have been away for about three weeks. Our trip through Southern Turkey was not a birding expedition, but I did what I could in the way of bird photography much to the chagrin of our fellow travelers. I tried not to hold up the group, but sometimes it was not easy.

Wherever we went that had stone ruins we would hear this strange call that sounded vaguely like a Canyon Wren. It took awhile to locate the source, but eventually I found it usually perched on the top of an ancient structure. It has big powerful claws and hangs vertically, high on stone faces. Meet the Western Stone Nuthatch found in a relatively narrow band from Croatia east to Iran.

Unfortunately I did not have my usual birding camera, so this photo will have to do.

Istanbul Travel

We recently returned from a trip to Turkey and this is one of the travel sketches I made in Istanbul. There was a small garden outside our hotel with pepper plants and laughing doves.

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Red-breasted Nuthatch

This perky little bird mostly works tree trunks searching for insects. They have a funny call that sounds like a high-pitched horn. They can walk up, down and sideways on vertical surface.

We saw many of this species at the Malheur Lake Visitors Center which is a a birding hot spot, especially during spring and fall migrations.

Mountain Bluebird

The Mountain Bluebird is one of my favorites. Where we normally see them, their surroundings are drab. So seeing one of these pastel-blue birds is a real eye opener. They are usually out in the open, but they are shy and do not let me approach for a close photo. This one was taken with a 400 mm telephoto lens on an overcast day.

Lesser Goldfinch

Lesser Goldfinch are common in our yard and have been the subject of many of my paintings. They almost always appear in flocks and it is fun to design a composition around a group of birds together.

Lesser Goldfinch 14” x 14” acrylic on canvas

Lesser Goldfinch 14” x 14” acrylic on canvas

Pileated Woodpecker (Dryocopus pileatus)

First heard calling and drumming then eventually seen. For such a large, colorful woodpecker they sure camouflage well. This is a male which is determined by the red cheek. This is a large woodpecker and it is the size of a small crow. As with all of my sightings of this species, it was not far from the ground, this one was probably about 2 m from the ground on a barely surviving English walnut tree.

Yellow Warbler and a Bee

I was inspired by the yellow warbers Dave and I saw a few days ago and also by the photos he took. My show titled ‘Birds and a Bee’ opens this week at Viewpoints Gallery, Los Altos, CA, and I have been experimenting adding bees to my bird paintings.

Yellow Warbler and Fennel 12” x 6” acrylic on wood panel

Yellow Warbler and Fennel 12” x 6” acrylic on wood panel

Yellow Warbler

In the California county in which we live, Santa Clara County, there are well known migration paths used by passerine birds. These paths are usually creeks and small rivers that provide food and water to birds as they fly from as far as Alaska heading south to their boreal winter grounds ranging from Mexico to South America. The Yellow Warbler is one such species and every fall they appear reminding us that another northern hemisphere breeding season is ending.

Crested Caracara

A strange bird indeed. It behaves much like a vulture and looks a lot like a hawk, but it is actually a falcon. This species is often seen walking on the ground and feeding on carrion. It is an opportunistic feeder and will eat items other than carrion such as fish, insects, etc. They are unable to open large carcasses so they are often found with buzzards who open the carcass allowing the Crested Caracara to feast.

We have seen this species in Texas at the Brownsville Landfill associating with Black Vultures. Much to our surprise we saw one not far from Portal, Arizona where this species is not common.