A Bird Blog! (Surprise...)

That's right, my horizons are broadening and what have a found to stare at now? Creatures of the avian variety of course!
While I was at the farm, I saw all kinds of fancy birds. I spent quite some time freezing my tush off while stalking some kites. Now that may sound foolish, but not if they're white tailed kites catching voles!

 They're pretty good at it. Watching them hover and hover and hover is a lesson in patience.

But there were other birds to tail (har har har) like this northern Mockingbird

I co-wrote a project proposal last year about doing research on mockingbirds (Mimus polyglottos), without having ever really seen one and consciously recognizing it at as a mockingbird.


We learned some cool things which I have since completely forgotten, but you have to be amused by a bird that tries to mimic a hawk, or will harry much larger birds for territory.

I spotted a few yellow billed magpies too. It's funny how your perspective on things change as you age. I found them so obnoxious as a kid, but now they seem intiguing. The fact that they're endemic to the Central Valley also increases their cool factor. (Pica nuttalli)

Some of the birds I haven't been able to identify, being new to this bird thing and all. The Sibley guide is excellent, but its a bit difficult when you don't know where to start. So... I don't know what the one to the right is.         Or even the one below.

 According to Orlando, these are Cedar Waxwings (Bombycilla cedrorum).

After seeing the kites, I started seeing these critters too. To myself, I called them baby hawks. They were much smaller and more difficult to pursue because of that. And being baby hawks, they obviously would have excellent vision and so notice me sneaking up on them... Long story short I believe them to be American Kestrels (Falco sparverius). 

 White crowned sparrows (Zonotrichia leucophrys), everywhere!!!! Hanging out in the berry vines...

 Preening and scratching...


 Congregating and agitating and flitting around...
Want to play the how-many-can-you-see game?

 

I count four. Nope, there are five. Ok so I looked again. There are 6. I thought I was being clever, but now I feel foolish....

Here's a male trying to look imposing and daunting.

Looking alert, and posing for the digital soul capturing device.

My sparrow fun was abruptly interrupted when this fine lady swooped in and settled in on the rose hip bush. Maybe a Cooper's hawk or a Sharp-shinned hawk, according to my birdy sister.                                                                              She sat there for several minutes surveying her surroundings, possibly looking for all the little sparrows she scared away. Then she looked directly at me (hiding  like a bird paparazza in the living room frenetically snapping pictures) snapped out her wings, and laboriously flapped up, up, and away.

Today, Leonie spotted a varied thrush (Ixoreus naevius) in the yard. I squealed with glee. I searched through my Sibley to verify my ID, slammed it shut in triumph... and oh hey. The cover drawing is a varied thrush! Ha. Silly Phoebe.

Otherwise, life progresses. There's a not-too-new bad bug on the farm. Some sort of leaf legged (true) bug (order Hemiptera, family Coreidae)

I think they are rather  captivating, but that doesn't stop them (or anything) from being a dratted farm pest. Apparently they drill into almonds and gum them up, turning them from delicious nuts to sappy inedible non-almonds. From what I understood.

This one sort of escaped shortly after this picture. The next one was not quite so lucky...

But look at that proboscis, its easy to imagine how they can get into all sorts of places. It runs about 2/3 of the body length.

 As luck would have it, I made it back to Washington. It snowed, and we lost power for New Years. But, through some MacGyvering Brandon's stepdad hooked up a running car battery to something else and Lo, there was light. Well, two lamps and the Christmas tree. This is Sadie, the ferocious Pomeranian. Her joys include peeing on the floor when visitors arrive, fighting with her food, and looking mildly frightened 50% of the time...

Then... Brandon's car decided it was the optimal time to throw a terrific hissy fit. A leak in the head gasket, failing alternator hissy fit. But after some more stepdad MacGyvering, the car worked and we made it to Bellingham. And I made it back to work. The ferry ride was blinding, especially considering I usually do that journey in the dark. 

And here I am, back in Port Angeles. For the time being.