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| Great Egret |
This time of year is full of countdowns...the arrival of the first snow, Christmas morning, New Year's Eve, and the annual Audubon Christmas Bird Count.
As I started writing this blog entry, one of the countdowns has begun. We are finally getting our first snow of the year (not counting last week's high country event). Yahoo! Soon I won't be able to see outside since nightfall is coming soon but we will awaken to snow on the ground tomorrow!
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| Snowy Egret |
In a few days, another countdown will be here - the Idyllwild Christmas Bird Count. Fortunately, Frank Chapman with the newly formed Audubon Society suggested that instead of trying to hunt as many birds as possible on Christmas, let's count the birds. In 1900, this wonderful new tradition began. Before laws were passed around this time, egrets like the ones above would end up decorating ladies' hats.
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| White-headed Woodpecker |
Throughout the country, 15-mile diameter circles designate the area where volunteers grab their binoculars, start searching for birds, and record what they find. The results go back to the National Audubon Society. Here in Idyllwild, we will be looking for our yearlong resident birds like this handsome woodpecker but we also search for birds that have migrated to our area for the winter- the "snowbirds".
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| White-crowned Sparrow |
This "snowbird" is ubiquitous in the winter. They also are one of the few birds that add a bit of music to the mountains with their long whistle.
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| Golden-crowned Sparrow |
Wintering songbirds tend to flock together. When you look at a group of birds, try to look at each one because you might find one unique bird in the group. There are far fewer golden-crowned sparrows in our area and they tend to hang out with the White-crowned sparrows.
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| Western Bluebird |
The beautiful Western Bluebird is a year-round resident. If you see a tree covered in mistletoe, look for these birds.
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| Mountain Bluebird |
If you are birding in Garner Valley, you might get lucky and see a few Mountain Bluebirds that have left the Sierra mountains for the winter.
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| Lewis's Woodpecker |
I love all woodpeckers but I must admit, this one is the most exciting for me to see! They are an irruptive species. Sometimes they show up in large numbers in the winter and in other years, none show up. A few days ago, I found this one in a park in San Diego. In 2018 and 2019, we had lots of these pink-bellied beauties in our forest but I haven't seen one this year.
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| White-tailed Kite |
Finally, these are two of my very favorite winter birds that I look for every year! The White-tailed Kite and Ferruginous Hawk can only be seen in Garner Valley with large open landscapes to hunt.
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| Ferruginous Hawk |
They are both inspiring to see! I have seen both of them this winter but I am hoping to get a closer look and another photograph!
Spring is typically the time people think of birding since the birds are singing and more noticeable. However, I highly recommend that you get out during these cold, wintry days and look for some of the birds that only live here at this time of year. Consider joining a Christmas Bird Count. They are lots of fun!
