Tag Archives: Cornell Lab of Ornithology

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The male Goldfinch in his breeding plumage is a joy to see. Chris Grossman photographed a pair. The female is on the left and it looks like they are gathering nesting materials.

American Goldfinch (Carduelis tristis), Mendocino County, California

American Goldfinches are the latest songbird to breed. They depend on thistle seed and have to wait to see how abundant it will be.

Rick and I have lured them to a thistle feeder and we enjoy seeing them during the spring and summer. Pine Siskins also join them at the feeder, along with a clever Acorn Woodpecker now and then.

To hear the song of a Goldfinch, here's the link to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology: http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/american_goldfinch/sounds

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

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George Marshall caught this dramatic photo of an Osprey peering at him. You can see the yellow eyes, eyes that can see between three to five times better than humans.

The eyes of an Osprey by George Marshall

Ospreys dive for fish but they can only go about three feet underwater. Their excellent eyesight allows them to see their prey in the water.

The Osprey nest that I can see through a spotting scope at our house in Anchor Bay looks to be successful. Yesterday I witnessed the male exchanging places with the female on the nest, allowing her to feed.

These birds have recovered from the effects of DDT, which weakened the eggshells so when the parent sat on them, they broke. Once on the endangered species list, they are now thriving.

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

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

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Whimbrels fly great distances and often need to rest and feed on quiet beaches. Carolyn Case photographed two of these shorebirds recently.

Whimbrels by Carolyn Case

They use their long, curved bill to dig in the sand, searching for invertebrates. They also eat insects and berries.

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

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

 

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Drew McCalley found this young Cooper's Hawk perched on top of his bird feeder recently. The hawk wasn't looking for birdseed, that's for sure. Cooper's Hawks eat smaller birds.

If you see a hawk staking out your bird feeder, you could take the feeder down for a day or so, encouraging the hawk to move on.

Cooper's Hawks are very agile fliers and very fast! They are year round residents of the Mendonoma Coast.
To hear their calls, here is a link to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology: http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/coopers_hawk/sounds.

Thanks to Drew for allowing me to share his photos with you here.

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This is a fun bird to see as it looks like it is having a bad hair day! Belted Kingfishers, Megaceryle alcyon, are seen on the Mendonoma Coast more often in the wintertime. Craig Tooley recently photographed one, this one a female.

You can tell this is a female because she has two breast bands, one gray near her neck and a brownish one further down. Belted Kingfisher females are more brightly colored than their male counterparts - something rather unusual in the birding world.

Kingfishers mostly eat fish and they fish by either plunging directly from their perch or by hovering over the water. They breed far to our north.

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

Thanks to Craig for allowing me to share his photo of this fascinating bird. To see much more of Craig's nature photography, here is the link to his website: www.ruffimage.com