Tag Archives: what they eat

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Craig Tooley spotted this Spotted Towhee feeding her hungry chick. The chick is on the right, with its beak open wide.

Here's a photo of a Spotted Towhee taken some years ago by Bill Frizzell. They are beautiful birds that love to search for seeds, berries and insects on the ground. We often see them at our place, underneath the bird feeder. The Steller's Jays often knock seed out of the feeder, thus helping out the Spotted Towhees.

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

The third call on their list, the California recording, is what I often hear.

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

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Gray foxes have had their kits, and the kits are growing up. They love to play with each other and they are very cute to see. Grace O'Malley has had two healthy-looking kits coming to her place near Timber Cove for water.

Young Gray Fox kit by Grace O'Malley Gray Fox kit by Grace O'MalleyMaya Looney photographed what looks like an adult near The Sea Ranch.

Gray fox by Maya LooneyAnd Karen Scott has this adult Gray fox visit her compost pile, eating the kale she had tossed in.

Gray Fox visits a compost pile by Karen ScottGray foxes are great rodent hunters. They also eat wild mushrooms, berries, and now we know they eat kale!

Thanks to Grace, Maya and Karen for allowing me to share their photos with you here.

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Kathy Bishop came across two Great Horned Owls that were roosting. She snapped a couple of photos and then beat a quick retreat. One of Kathy's photos was published in yesterday's Independent Coast Observer in my Mendonoma Sightings column. You can see it on-line at mendonoma.com. The other two photos I am pleased to share with  you here.

What beautiful owls! Here it what the Cornell Lab of Ornithology says about Great Horned Owls:

"With its long, earlike tufts, intimidating yellow-eyed stare, and deep hooting voice, the Great Horned Owl is the quintessential owl of storybooks. This powerful predator can take down birds and mammals even larger than itself, but it also dines on daintier fare such as tiny scorpions, mice, and frogs. It’s one of the most common owls in North America, equally at home in deserts, wetlands, forests, grasslands, backyards, cities, and almost any other semi-open habitat between the Arctic and the tropics."

That stare is a little intimidating! Their call is the "hoo hoo" call. Hear it at this link:
http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/great_horned_owl/sounds

Last year Rick and I were privileged to take part in a release of two Western Screech Owls back into the wild, about ten miles north of where we live in Anchor Bay. Here is the link to learn more about this heartwarming event: http://www.mendonomasightings.com/2012/12/15/two-western-screech-owls-released-back-into-the-wild/

Thanks to Kathy for allowing me to share her photos with you here.