Contribution of Photos on Count Day

Christmas Bird Counts require LOTS of people to spend the day birding. The more eyes to the skies, trees, lakes, and ground, the better. The following photos are contributed from some other birders in the Idyllwild Christmas Bird Count.The above photo is taken of some Pine Siskins that were really enjoying this tree.

Here is another Pine Siskin joined by a White-crowned Sparrow.

 

Varied Thrushes, rare to Idyllwild

Another uncommon sight, the Lewis's Woodpecker

Golden-crowned Sparrow

 Townsend's Warbler,  one who decided not to migrate south

 White Pelicans

Northern Harrier with a newly caught rodent

 Red-shouldered Hawk with unlucky Coot

Spotted Towee

 Hermit Thrush

Glimpse of a Red-naped Sapsucker (uncommon sighting)

Unidentified Woodpecker

 White-winged Dove (usually in the desert)

Pinyon Jay

Townsend's Solitaire through a scope.

Western Bluebird

Red-breasted Sapsucker

Contributions were made by Avianna Jones, Bob Ross, Maricela Archer, Sherri Domenigoni and David Tafoya.

Thanks! It was a great day for everyone!

114th Annual Christmas Bird Count

What a day! Nine hours, 7 hiked miles, 32 species and over 411 birds counted by my team of 3 in our small patch! No doubt we missed some. Combined recordings of other teams in different "patches" brings the species count to 100.

I always feel like a treasure hunter when I'm actively birding. There's no guarantee you'll find what you are seeking but when you do, it's fantastic!

My favorite moment of the day was when the Canyon Wren which we heard but could not see came out of his hiding from the boulders and perched on a tree stump and performed for us. It was the first time any of us had seen this beautiful bird clearly.

For me, birding by ear takes a LOT of practice. I was thrilled when I positively identified the White-headed and Nuttall's woodpeckers from each other since their calls are similar. They have been a challenge for me.

In one area that was predominantly filled with Acorn Woodpeckers, a Red-breasted Sapsucker surprised us with his quiet probing in the trunk unlike the others whose calls filled the air.

In another spot, we couldn't understand why we saw mobs of Steller's Jays surrounding us until we found a lady hidden from our sight who was throwing peanuts off her balcony - A Jay's delight!

Climbing to a higher elevation, we found Cassin's Finches, a new bird for us, with a huge flock of Western Bluebirds. Their presence dominated all other birds with their constant eating, flying and splashing in the newly melted snow puddle.

 I went back the next day for another peek at the birds I had seen without luck. Even the crowd of bluebirds had dispersed. I was reminded that truly special moments are to be appreciated since they rarely can be duplicated.

At the end of the day as we were tallying up the reports, I learned that someone else found the birds I was hoping to find - Varied Thrush and Lewis's Woodpecker Lucky for them! The "treasure hunt" for them will continue another day.

Best of all, I spent the entire day outdoors with my family with the sole purpose of giving some attention to the wildlife that lives nearby.

A Day to Count Birds and Furry Animals

Snow at last! Although most of it has melted in town, the mountain peaks are still covered in white. "It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...."

 

For 115 years, Christmas Bird Counts have been held throughout the US. Tomorrow we will be participating in our first Audubon CBC in Idyllwild. Our goal is to count as many birds as possible in one day. We will keep a record of the furry animals we encounter as well.

Over the last few days we have been looking for good places to count birds. Some birds like the Acorn Woodpecker are pretty easy to spot since they live in groups and loudly greet each other.

Others like the Hermit Thrush take more searching since they are pretty quiet in the winter and hang out in underbrush.

 Then there is the challenge of not being fooled by great imitators like the Steller's Jay who can imitate a variety of birds including the Red-shouldered Hawk.

 Merriam's Chipmunks have a call they do while wagging their tails that sounds like a mystery bird calling in the woods.

We are hoping to catch another glimpse of the Varied Thrush which is a rare visitor to Idyllwild. We were shocked to see 3 of them in a tree after the snow had just fallen.

We were equally surprised to see this Raven with a funky beak. Not sure how he eats!

Whatever other wildlife we see is a bonus. Today we saw 3 coyotes in a grassy meadow. One leaped in the air before pouncing on its prey.

 We also saw 5 Mule Deer. Instead of fleeing in the woods which they normally do, one of the adult females groomed a younger deer who seemed to enjoy it a lot!

No matter how many birds we see, it will be great to spend the day outdoors.

Greys, Greens and Shiny Red - Rain Colors

Last week, the first significant rainfall in months arrived and more is on the way. The rain soaked the earth, filled the dry creek beds and brought life to ephemeral puddles.

Raindrops transformed the Manzanita bark to shiny red; bright green moss and lichens burst with color.

Puddles became bird baths and watering holes to all kinds of wildlife.

Dormant larvae come to life when the conditions are just right. I was surprised when these miniscule little grey flecks swirled together in a mass and began hopping in their newly formed pad in this puddle filled depression.

 I was excited to see this American Kestrel on a line after the rain. He perched motionlessly waiting for something delicious to appear.

After many poor imitations of a squeaky mouse, he finally looked my way for a second so I could capture his beautiful profile.

Living in the dry West during a drought has given me an even greater appreciation for the rain and snow!

The grey clouds have returned today. The prediction is for rain and snow to fall for the next few days. Hopefully, the next entry's colors will be full of white!