Posted by: AVianAdMin
on Mar 13, 2010
Friday was such a nice day! I spent about an hour in the morning out on my deck drinking coffee, soaking up some sunshine, and enjoying the view and wildlife.
I noticed a couple of new bird species that confirms spring is close: my first Violet-green Swallow circling over my house; and a Rufous Hummingbird visiting my feeders amid the numerous Anna's. This is remarkable since my feeder seems to be perpetually frozen until today!
In the evening, Christine and I made a quick tour of the BVS Lakes and discovered a huge flock of Violet-green Swallows swooping over the north-west corner of 4-Island Lake. There must have been 100 of them!
And today I woke up to snow again, which seems par for the course in spring around here - the weather is schizophrenic!
So keep your eyes open for first of spring sightings! The fun's about to begin.
Richard
Posted by: AVianAdMin
on Nov 1, 2009
I found several Golden-crowned Kinglets yesterday on Bear Mountain in the morning, and more at Mountain Park in the late afternoon. Both times they were in a large "pocket" of other birds - Mountain Chickadees, White-breasted Nuthatches, Pygmy Nuthatches, Ruby-crowned Kinglets, Brown Creepers, Steller's Jays, Dark-eyed Juncos, and White-crowned Sparrows.
I also spotted a large group of Mountain Quail and a female White-headed Woodpecker at Mountain Park. There hasn't been a reported White-headed Woodpecker sighting for many, many months.
Richard
Posted by: AVianAdMin
on Oct 2, 2009
September 28 I spotted a Ruby-crowned Kinglet for the first time this fall. It was on Bear Mountain in Bear Valley Springs.
Then, on October 1 I found a Golden-crowned Sparrow with the many White-crowns that are now in my yard. White-crowned Sparrows in my yard are now numbered in the dozens!
Keep 'em comin'!
Posted by: AVianAdMin
on Sep 24, 2009
Hey, fall is in the air and we're starting to see movements of birds. The migrants have been passing through, and now I'm noticing a few winter residents beginning to arrive.
On Tuesday, September 22, Christine saw our first White-crowned Sparrow at our water dish in the back yard, and it was a full adult!
But migration isn't over yet. Just today I was looking at the same back yard water dish and the towhee there turned out to be a beautiful Green-tailed Towhee with rich colors!
Anyone else seeing migration activity, or winter species appearing? Let us know!
Posted by: AVianAdMin
on Sep 16, 2009
Over the past week we have been seeing Vaux's Swift migrating past our home in Bear Valley. The numbers vary from one or two to dozens at a time.
This reminds us of a birding field trip to Sawyer Lake several years ago when we encounters hundreds of Vaux's Swift swarming low near the lake at about 7:30AM. They apparently had roosted overnight and where preparing to continue their journey south. It was quite a site, and unexpected. Now I always keep an eye out for them in September.
According to the website Birds of North America, Vaux's Swift is a diurnal migrant. They generally fly high, often at the limit of sight, but may be much lower (i.e. 3-7 feet above ground) in cooler weather or in headwinds. Along the California coast in spring, largest flights seen along coast when low clouds and fog force swifts to migrate at treetop level. Often migrate in large flocks, roost in hollow trees and chimneys at night.
Data suggest that it takes about a month for individuals to travel from NW Washington to SW California, which allows individuals to replenish body fat reserves along the route. Location of these known roost sites suggests that individuals migrate between the Coastal Range and the Cascade Mountains in Washington and Oregon and west of the Sierra Nevada in California. Roost sites used during migration also occur in NE Oregon and SE Washington, but it is not known if swifts migrate immediately south or first fly west to the Willamette Valley before moving south.
Breeding populations of NW U.S. and Canada and possibly NE Mexico migrate south to S Mexico, Guatemala, and Honduras, overlapping with resident breeders which appear to be permanent residents. Small numbers of breeders winter in the U.S. from central California south, and possibly in S Louisiana and W Florida
