He was checking out the peach tree while I was watering the plants in the other corner of the yard but I was able to get quite close to him to see all of his gorgeous markings. After he flew off, I went over to the peach tree to water it and heard a woodpecker calling fairly close by. I figured it was in the dense branches of the pine trees behind my neighbors house so I didn’t really look for it. Then I see something larger than the usual finch or sparrow bouncing around in the bottle-brush right behind the peach tree. As I stepped forward to look closer, he came right into clear view – a Nuttal’s Woodpecker with it’s distinctive all striped back and red crown on top:

Beautiful!

Next time, I’m carrying the camera around my neck just in case. Which will most likely be followed by a post titled “wet cameras don’t take good pictures!”

As a size comparison, they are slightly bigger/bulkier than a House Sparrow or House Finch and have, as you can see, a rather long tail.

Normally anyway. Then his guy showed up in my yard this week:

Something seems to be missing here

The shape reminds me of a baby chicken

He seems perfectly fine. I've seen him over several days now and he hops around and flies off as easily as the others

I do wonder though – how did he lose all of his tail feathers so completely without any further injury? Do Towhee’s have a lizard like capability to abandon their tails and then grow them back?

I guess we’ll see!

On another birding note – I went for a run last weekend on the trails. Yes, a run. Meaning no camera to slow me down. Which was unfortunate since the birds were literally posing everywhere I went! In fact, I added a new bird to my Life List (which I actually need to put together again perhaps on an added page here?). Anyhow, I *may* have seen this bird before but couldn’t specifically identify it. As I said though, birds were just flat out posing and if I’d HAD my camera, I’d have a gorgeous photo but instead I have to steal one from the web:

Rufous Crowned Sparrow - the one I saw stood on a fence post & pretty much looked at me like this

The Rufous (birding ID for Brick colored) crown was very prominent

I think I need to get back out there with my camera

I had spotted Gonzales Canyon a few weeks ago while going for a quick walk near the freshman baseball field at the high school. Turns out there’s a whole series of really nicely plotted trails just north of the school. Nice, wide, utility access roads doubling as trails. Very hilly and also descending into what looked like some pretty thick brush and a tree lined canyon going along a creek bed. It also did not look very populated so I didn’t want to explore it alone. (Torrey Pines Reserve for instance, has folks hiking on it constantly so is completely fine to hike alone). It just figured that the day that I was able to have time, and a hiking companion, also happened to be the first really sunny, dry, warm day in months. In other words – hello Spring – and? Hello previously slumbering reptiles

Western Bluebird in the Eucalyptus trees

Yes, it’s small, but those suckers are FAST! They are flycatchers after all. I spotted it hunting bugs above my head and when it settled I pretty much just pointed my camera up the air in the general direction of the tree branches and went for it

It’s been a fun week for nature – spring must really be approaching despite all the rain. This week during our lunch time walks out on the utility road portion of the Torrey Pines reserve, my coworkers and I saw a roadrunner – now that’s kind of rare! I knew they are up there, but I don’t see them very often and it’s been a few years at least. This one – true to his name, ran across the road and then alongside it for a bit up ahead of us. Naturally, I don’t have my camera with me on our walks so you’ll have to settle for this picture I snagged off google:

Then, we had some drama. Snakes! One day someone thought she was stepping over a stick and then it moved (yipes!). She jumped a few feet in the air naturally. Then Friday we saw one slithering back into it’s hole and it was BIG! At least 6 feet long and pretty thick. Also, very very pretty and NOT a rattlesnake. We figured out later that it was a Southern California variety of King Snake. This is a pretty good likeness:

Clearly I need to carry my phone or bring my camera with me on the walks!!

Juvenile Sharp Shinned Hawk resting in my yard

For a better perspective of size in relation to the yard, I pulled back a bit. Sharpie was quite content there and didn’t seem disturbed or able to detect me behind the french door. It even stretched out so that I could see the complete set of streaks under it’s wings & super long tail.

Feeder is abandoned - wonder why? Humminbirds hovered near, but didn't divebomb.

After about 5 minutes Sharpie flew up just above to a pine tree in the yard next door where I could get a better view of how long his tail is. It also provided him the classic hawks eye view of the yard just in case an unaware dove decided to come to the feeder.

Unfortunately for both Sharpie and me, no lunch presented itself & eventually he flew off.

Next time

Mini Daffodils in bloom

Thanks to a very wet December, and then a fairly busy January, I’ve been unable to do any birding or hiking. The highlight of my backyard has the daffodils above which I posted on my main blog a couple of weeks ago. Bird activity has been slower than last year at this time. Same cast of characters so far with House Finches & Sparrows, White Crowned & the very occasional Song Sparrow too. There have not been as many of the latter two and they have not been as vocal with their beautiful songs as they were last year. At least, not so far. Mourning Doves have been abundant and are still the biggest teasers of the cats They’ve grown so accustomed a dozen or so finches & sparrows on the feeder that they simply ignore them, or maybe watch with a bored expression (is that ALL?) But as soon as a dove lands in the yard, I know because I hear the chittering begin. We’ve also had flocks of Bushtits flitter through, a quick flash of yellow from an Orange Crowned Warbler or two.I’ve heard some Butterbutts (Yellow Rumped Warblers) and the Anna’s Hummingbirds still hang out in the bottlebrush tree behind my yard.A Black Phoebe hangs out at the top of the peach tree branches now & then. However, no woodpeckers or orioles or wrens yet.

Also must admit to being disappointed that my yard has not seen much hawk activity! Given the preponderance of doves (a favorite meal for a Sharp Shinned or Red Shouldered Hawk), and that I did see them twice alight on the back fence – still no evidence that they’ve enjoyed a meal here. Bummer!

As far as hiking – well, with The Boy playing freshman baseball since football ended, Saturday mornings have been blocked off for his games. My workout group has been having Sunday sessions since the new year so I’ve not been able to find a good time slot for heading back out on the trails.

Yet