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Darwin
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Apr 27, 2012 - 04:12pm PT
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Thanks all. I saw a new one today for the stby, and got a photo of it. Hint: I never realized how small they were, and I think the yellow leg color came through well enough.
I'm pretty sure Tony has put photos of these on this or the birds thread, but it's the first shore bird I have ever photographed up close, and it landed right in front of me.
(ps: Nita thanks for help on the wildflower IDs in past years. )
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Crimpergirl
Sport climber
Boulder, Colorado!
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Apr 27, 2012 - 05:36pm PT
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Loving the photos and the thread! Still way too much work and travel going on to participate much (other than enjoying anyway). Did get some Common Grackles on the back porch today! (no photo)
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Darwin
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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I know they are mostly as common as dirt, but we don't have them over the winter and it was new for me for the stby and I can't compete with all the awesome photos you're showing on the "birds" thread. So:
And to show it's not a Rusty (which would have been cool)
And finally the first duckling of the year. I saw mom and several ducklings a few days ago, but it looks like she's down to one. Two males were still contending for mom.
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StahlBro
Trad climber
San Diego, CA
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A few more showed up in the backyard
28 - Blackheaded Grosbeak
29 - Bullocks Oriole
30 - Redwinged Blackbird
Need to get off my butt and ride to Lake Hodges. Can probably double the tally if I do.
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Crimpergirl
Sport climber
Boulder, Colorado!
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I got a Mallard in the back! Flew by. Sure no one has seen one of those yet...well since Darwin anyway. :)
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Darwin
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Crimpergirl: :-)
So was it a Cardinal? My guess is yes, but we don't have them here and not too many Cow Birds.
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Tony Bird
climber
Northridge, CA
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bump for a big year--didn't know what this was about, but wife brought the movie home the other day.
isn't it wonderful to have a cutthroat competition based on the honor system? there is hope for humanity.
best birding site i know of is malibu creek lagoon during migratory season, which i suppose is now over. i wandered there several weeks ago, however, and saw several notable solitaries: a male pintail, a male avocet and a female black scoter.
coming back from horse flat in the fog last weekend, out of the corner of my eye, two quite dunnish gallinaceous flush next to the roadcut, likely mountain quail. the san gabes in that neighborhood is supposedly a well-known target for that species among big year birders. i saw one, once previously, crossing the road, its straight twin head feathers clear as day. that was several years ago, but i feel it gave me the sense of what a mountain quail is, and there aren't many california quail in that neighborhood. is this good enough for a big year? i have to sleep well at night, right?
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Crimpergirl
Sport climber
Boulder, Colorado!
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May 13, 2012 - 11:24am PT
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Hee hee! Give them an almond Reilly. It's is Amazonian crack.
Just saw a Lazuli Bunting in my backyard. First time I've ever seen one there.
I haven't lost interest in this at all. I'm not one to compete, more just one to share. I've been traveling a ton too so I've not been able to actively recruit birds on foot or bike. Maybe that'll change soon.
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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May 13, 2012 - 12:56pm PT
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Red-tailed Hawk
Coopers Hawk
Turkey Vulture
Great Horned Owl
Anna's Hummer
Mourning Dove
Lesser Goldfinch
Bushtit
Nuttal's Pecker
Acorn Pecker
Black Phoebe
Mockingbird
Red-whiskered Bulbul
Amazon Green Parrot
Wrentit
Brewer's Sparrow
English Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
Crow
House Finch
A paltry 20 - doesn't say much for suburban diversity.
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jbaker
Trad climber
Redwood City, CA
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May 13, 2012 - 02:56pm PT
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I'm at about 65. Need to find the list. I went out to Radio Road this morning and saw a bunch of new stuff, but I'd driven instead of biked, so it doesn't count for the list.
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Rockhopper
Sport climber
California
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May 16, 2012 - 07:38pm PT
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Ah,the big year....
I had 133 species in the middle of March this year in one day. The route was Bart to Fremont and then saddling up on the bike and rolling to Lake Elizabeth, down Alemeda Creek to Coyote Hills, Hayward marsh, Arrowhead marsh, lake merritt, Emeryville areea to Berkeley Wharf to the the Tilden crest and home. I think when it was done it was 80 plus miles by bike.
I was as tired from the big day as any day in climbing, even the days with a mountain and big distances, maybe more so. Birding is hard! Next year we will go for 145 plus in April....
Bay area birders have an advantage over the rest of the country with the range of habitats we have. Another reason to live in the bay. I think the green one day day record is around 170 set by a non climber in Marin this April, the optimal time.
But birding is not about numbers. Biking into work this morning I had a dainty red necked phalarope picking food off the bay about 10 feet away. as good as it gets.....
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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May 16, 2012 - 07:42pm PT
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Hey, Rockhopper, what number are you wearing in the Tour de California?
Geez, dood, I'm gonna go take a nap after reading about doing 80 miles!
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cyndiebransford
climber
31 years in Joshua Tree, now Alaska
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May 18, 2012 - 01:09am PT
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Just saw two sandhill cranes in a pond at the end of my road.
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Chinchen
climber
Way out there....
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May 18, 2012 - 01:46am PT
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Worst movie I have ever seen.
And I like all those actors.
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Crimpergirl
Sport climber
Boulder, Colorado!
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May 18, 2012 - 08:52am PT
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Saw a Mallard in my front yard! First time ever - think they are nesting in someone's yard. Fun.
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Tony Bird
climber
Northridge, CA
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May 18, 2012 - 10:43am PT
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sorry i messed up. i gotta get a job one of these days.
our backyard is not exactly a bird mecca, but we have this sign up for birds who can read:
mostly english sparrows, mourning doves, odd mockingbirds (myself included), and those protective homies, american crows, who keep the hawks away from the central SFV. earlier this spring we had a group of audubon's warblers.
not gonna ride the bicycle up to horse flat, but i do often ride down to balboa lake. about a month ago i saw swans. i should have looked for the yellow dot on the beak which would have identified nondomesticated, "wild" tundra/whistling swans, which, the book says, migrate through here, and are known to alternate from atlantic to pacific flyways.
prod didn't say anything about domesticated/feral/oversummering. i'll check the lake again. if they don't have the dot, they'll be wards of the city of los angeles. if they're gone, they would have headed for the tundra and you can count 'em, danno.
i don't think chinchen has seen many movies if the big year is rock-bottom worst. if he needs to detox, try jack black in school of rock. (p.s.--crystal crag there?)
p.p.s. walked around the lake today and saw a white swan with an orange beak, which would make it some sort of domestic implant. so forget it, danno, except that we drove to the lake.
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nutjob
Gym climber
Berkeley, CA
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May 20, 2012 - 07:14pm PT
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My kids and I just saw two Clapper Rails on the bike trail from Berkeley toward Point Richmond, along the bay and salt marsh.
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dee ee
Mountain climber
citizen of planet Earth
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May 21, 2012 - 03:07pm PT
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I'm off to a slow start. Just wait till I ride down to the Upper Newport Bay!
PC= Peter's Canyon by bike
White Tailed Kite
Anna’s Hummingbird
Rufous Hummingbird
Mockingbird
Roadrunner-PC
Crow
Raven
Red Tailed Hawk
Cooper’s Hawk
Mourning Dove
Western Bluebird
American Robin
Black Phoebe
Hooded Oriole
Band Tailed Pigeon
Mallard
Calif. Towhee
Canada Goose
Bewick’s Wren
Yellow Warbler- PC
Tree Swallow
Brewer’s Blackbird
Bushtit- PC
Spotted Towhee- PC (by call)
Rock Dove
Pacific Slope Flycatcher
Western Wood Pewee
House Finch (red and orange)
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cyndiebransford
climber
31 years in Joshua Tree, now Alaska
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May 30, 2012 - 09:51pm PT
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I had a Yellow-rumped warbler at my feeder this afternoon. I also heard a Golden-crowned Kinglet and a Ruby-crowned Kinglet on a bike ride this morning.
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dee ee
Mountain climber
citizen of planet Earth
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May 30, 2012 - 10:58pm PT
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A few more for the home list (PC=Peter's Canyon- by bike).
House Sparrow-PC
Common Yellowthroat-PC
Red Winged Blackbird-PC
Killdeer-PC
Lesser Goldfinch-PC
Ruddy Duck-PC
Western Grebe-PC
Fox Sparrow-PC
Am. Coot-PC
Allen's Hummingbird
Brewer's Sparrow
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