Several people have sent in photos of CA Quail chicks. One is Craig Tooley.
And Jon Loveless saw a family too. I count 11 balls of feathers. Jon said there were 13 in all.
Here's a close-up of a male by Michael Reinhart. Such beautiful birds...
Thanks to Craig, Jon and Michael for allowing me to share their photos with you here.
Drippy fog this morning has evolved into brilliant sunshine this afternoon. Summer on the Mendonoma Coast!
Michael Reinhart found a Common Raven eyeing twp Pelagic Cormorant nests with chicks inside.
The Raven swooped down and the cormorants "yelled" at the bird.
The raven had its eye on a nest with a single chick. Look how the mama bird protects her offspring, with her wing spread.
The Raven was unsuccessful on this day, but we know ravens steal a great many cormorant eggs and chicks. It's one of the many reasons we humans shouldn't feed ravens, especially close to the bluff edge. The cormorants are much shyer birds so you don't want to attract ravens to their traditional nesting area.
Thanks to Mike for allowing me to share his dramatic photos.
Another sunny, warm day on the Mendonoma Coast!
Michael Reinhart recently photographed a male American Goldfinch in breeding plumage.
These birds love thistle seeds. They seem to like each other's company, as they travel together in large flocks.
Thanks to Mike for allowing me to share his photo with you here.
ooo, it's so windy today! It's sunny and mild, but the wind is brutal. My non-native lilies are having their blossoms ripped off today. Life on the Mendonoma Coast!
Michael Reinhart was photographing Pacific Wrens last week. I often hear them but rarely see these tiny birds. Mike's first photo here made me laugh - the male has his mouth open wide, like an opera singer!
The Cornell Lab of Ornithology describes their songs thusly: "Their song is a sweet series of tumbling, trilling notes with a staccato quality. Pacific Wrens have a large catalog of complex songs. Males sing for 5 to 10 seconds, stringing together as many as 50 different phrases." You can listen to their calls at this link: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Pacific_Wren/sounds
In these days when we are filled with worry, it's good to remember that life goes on, and that male Pacific Wrens are singing for mates.
Thanks to Mike for allowing me to share his photos with you here.
We are having a "wait five minutes" type of day. Sometimes brilliant sunshine, sometimes a little rain, with dramatic clouds drifting in. It's quite lovely.
I find hummingbirds difficult to photograph unless they are resting on a branch. Michael Reinhart obviously has no trouble photographing one on the wing.
And here the little Anna's Hummingbird rest on a branch.
Thanks to Michael for allowing me to share his photos with you here.
Storm report: We received 2.80 inches at our house in Anchor Bay. Today we are bathed in sunshine.