Accipiter striatus

Accipiter striatus

I thought it was a kestrel, but iNaturalist told me it was a sharp-shinned hawk lying dead beside the main road, its eyes being devoured by ants. I didn’t have any gloves or a bag or anything with which to safely examine it, so I just turned it over with a stick and took some photos.

Corthylio calendula

Corthylio calendula

The ruby-crowned kinglet is a winter visitor to these parts. One of North America’s tiniest songbirds, it feeds primarily on insects but also eats fruits and seeds. It searches restlessly among the lower branches of shrubs and trees, and its constant wing-flicking is a distinctive trait that helps with identification. Only the males wear the ruby crown.