Things I learned on this hike—the Sepulveda Dam wall is 3 miles (5 km) long, and you can climb onto it. When the basin floods, fish are stranded on the trails. Egrets eat other birds!
Ardea alba
Tag: birds
more eggs
Astur cooperii
The hawk dropped down to the ground and poked a bit, then jumped back up on the fence, and then down on the other side of it. Eat a gopher, please!
Dryobates nuttallii
I see acorn woodpeckers all the time, but rarely spot a Nuttall’s.
Caloptes aurates
I’m a total sucker for a bird with spots, so of course the gorgeous Northern Flicker is one of my faves. I was so happy to hear and see them on Friday’s hike.
Sialia mexicana
Western Bluebird on the fence at Las Virgenes Reservoir.
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
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.
Spizella passerina
A new-to-me bird … they are not rare, but I apparently haven’t been observant enough to notice one before today.
Callipepla californica
What fun, a covey of California quails in the backyard this morning. First time I have seen the state bird of California in our yard. I hope they return!
hashiworks 