Tag Archives: Cornell Lab of Ornithology

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One of my favorite birds is the clown-faced Acorn Woodpecker. They often appear at our birdfeeder. Clay Yale and Siegfried Matull recently photographed two Acorn Woodpeckers. Both photos show a female. First here is Siegfried's photo.

Female Acorn Woodpecker by Siegfried Matull

And next is Clay's photo.

Female Acorn Woodpecker by Clay Yale

To show you the difference between a male and female Acorn Woodpecker, here is a photo taken by Jim Garlock. The female is on the right and the male is on the left. Note that the red on top of the male's head is bigger and there is no black between his white and red feathers on his face.

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The sound of Acorns is quite distinctive. Some describe it as "waka waka." To hear for yourself, here's a link to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology: http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/acorn_woodpecker/sounds

Thanks to Siegfried, Clay and Jim for allowing me to share their photos with you here.

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A rare visitor to the Mendonoma Coast, a Pacific Golden-Plover was spotted by Richard Kuehn.

Pacific Golden-Plover by Richard Kuehn

This bird gets its name from the gold color etched on its wings.

To hear the call of this shorebird, here's a link to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology: http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Pacific_Golden-Plover/sounds

Thanks to Rich for allowing me to share his photo with you here.

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Mark Simkins photographed a juvenile Red-shouldered Hawk recently. They are hawks of the forest, hunting prey such as frogs, mice and snakes.

A juvenile Red-shouldered Hawk by Mark Simkins

And Richard Kuehn photographed a juvenile Northern Harrier. They fly low over the land hunting their prey, small animals.

A juvenile Northern Harrier by Richard Kuehn

To hear the call of a Northern Harrier, here's the link to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology: http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Northern_Harrier/sounds

To hear the call of a Red-shouldered Hawk, here is the link: http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/red-shouldered_hawk/sounds

Thanks to Mark and Rich for allowing me to share their photos with you here.

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Jan McCormick spotted a Wandering Tattler wading through the surf.

Wandering Tattler by Jan McCormick

Their breeding grounds are far to our north, in the mountains of Alaska and north-western Canada. They over winter on the west coast of California, Baja and all the way down to South America.

They come by their name "Tattler" because they give a warning call when disturbed, warning other birds too. To hear their calls, here is a link to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology: http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Wandering_Tattler/sounds

Thanks to Jan for allowing me to share her photo with you here.

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Pigeon Guillemots lay their eggs in crevices or small cavities in rocky cliffs or islands. There are two known Pigeon Guillemot nests on Gualala Point Island. Craig Tooley recently photographed this pair.

Pigeon Guillemots by Craig Tooley

These two are in breeding plumage. Non-breeders have mostly white heads and white underparts. Notice their bright red/orange feet! They are only found in the northern Pacific Ocean.

Adults are busy feeding the young in their rocky nest. We hope to see them fledge in the days to come.

To hear their calls, here is the link to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology: http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Pigeon_Guillemot/sounds

Thanks to Craig for allowing me to share his photo with you here. To see much more of Craig's nature photography, here is his website: www.ruffimage.com