The Barn Owl

Tonight I heard a barn owl, and my dad saw it.  It was flying and screeching.

Barn owls are found all year round in the coastal and southern United States and down into Mexico, but are not too common.  They can be found hunting (at night, of course) in brushy areas, farmlands, and fields for small mammals.  During the day they sleep in barns, caves, or trees.  They make a few different strange noises, including almost ghostly screams.  My mom and dad have also heard them make 'ick ick ick' noises that sound like squeaky bicycle wheels.  Chicks sometimes make noises that sound like sweeping brooms.  Barn owls are very beautiful owls.  They are white below, and grayish-tawny on their back.  They have a heart shaped facial disk and dark eyes.  Below is a photo I took last year of one that was sleeping in my jacaranda tree.  It was being scolded by a hooded oriole.  I'm sorry that there is a branch in the way.  When I tried to go outside to take a better photo, it flew away. 

Barn Owl

Turkey Vultures and Killdeer

Yesterday, I saw four red-tailed hawks all flying together, which was a little strange.  Usually there aren't more than two hawks together unless they are young siblings.  I suppose they could have been a family group, but it was still a little odd, especially for this time of year.

At school today, I saw a turkey vulture flying over.  Turkey vultures are found all year round in the southeastern and southwestern areas of the United States and Mexico.  In the rest of the United States up to southern Canada, they are only found in the summer.  I believe they winter in southern Mexico or farther south.  They can be found in different habitats but are particularly common in open areas.  They are often found alone or in small groups, but occasionally they can be found soaring in groups of over a hundred.  They eat only animals that have already died; they do not kill animals.  They are very large and dark with long wings and naked red head.  Young ones have gray heads, though, and can be confused with black vultures.  Turkey vultures, however, are a little bigger than black vultures and have much longer wings.  Below is a photo of a turkey vulture on a telephone pole in front of my house.

Turkey Vulture

At school, I've also occasionally seen killdeer on the grass patches throughout the school (early, when hardly anyone is there).  Killdeer are common plovers found on almost any open ground, from fields to small dirt lots.  They are found all year round in the southern United States and Mexico, in the summer in the north, and in the winter in far southern Florida and Mexico.  They have a white belly, brown back, reddish tail, and two black bands on their chest.  They are often found in groups.  When flying, they can sometimes be mistaken for doves, but their wings are more slender and they are often making a lot of noise, including crying "kill deer!"  They are one of those birds that lay their eggs completely exposed on the open ground.  However, they often do "acts" to either scare or lead the danger away.  For example, they might fly up into the face of a cow to scare it away, or pretend to have a broken wing to lead a predator away.  However, their nests are still pretty vulnerable, so during nesting season, tread carefully in fields.  Below is a photo of one at the San Elijo Lagoon in Encinitas.

Killdeer

Two Bluebirds on a Wire

Yesterday, I saw two western bluebirds on a telephone pole and wire.  Below are pictures of both of them.  I didn't have time to post them yesterday.

Western Bluebird

Western Bluebird

The Buena Vista Lagoon

It rained today, though it stopped around noon.  The rest of the day was foggy.

Yesterday it had rained at school and I heard two frogs or toads croaking in the bushes and a song sparrow singing.

I spent this morning at the Buena Vista Lagoon, which is in Oceanside and Carlsbad.  On the last Saturday of every month, there is a birding class and a bird count where we go to different places around the lagoon to birdwatch, and later count and record the species we saw.  Recording the species allows visitors to the lagoon to have an idea of what they can see, and keeps track of bird populations.

Although it rained, a lot of people came.  All together we saw forty-six different species.  If you ever happen to be near the lagoon, the monthly class and count are definitely worth going to.  Below are some photos of the lagoon and of birds at the lagoon.

Below are two views of the lagoon.

Below is a photo of a song sparrow in the cattails.

Song Sparrow

Below is a great egret that was sitting on top of a bush next to a small road.

Great Egret

Below is a snowy egret.  It was just below the great egret.  Notice the differences between it and the great egret above.

Snowy Egret

Below is a European starling in a pine tree.

European Starling

Below are two photos of a Say's phoebe.  Say's phoebes are not as common as black phoebes.  They are found in open areas in the summer on the northern and middle west coast all the way up to Alaska, and are around all year in the southern west coast.  They winter in the far southern west coast and Mexico.  They are more slender than black phoebes, and are grayish-brown on their heads and backs, and pale orange on their chests and bellies.  Also, unlike black phoebes, they making whistling noises.  The two photos below are of the same phoebe.

Say's Phoebe

 

Say's Phoebe

 

Below is a male Allen's hummingbird in the cattails.

Allen's Hummingbird

 

Advice and the American Kestrel

I'm sorry I didn't post yesterday, but I was really busy.  That might happen sometimes because of school.

Advice

Sometimes, because of lighting, angle, or the posture of the bird, it can look very different from its picture in a in a field guide.  That is why I often show multiple photos of the same species.  It is also a good reason to buy a book with many illustrations.  Illustrations are better than photos because a photo is of one individual bird, while an illustration is an overall representation of the bird.  A field guide with many illustrations can show many different postures and phases of a bird.  My personal favorite American birds field guide is the Sibley guide by David Allen Sibley, but there are many other good ones out there, and not just for the United States (also, when looking for a field guide, range maps and good descriptions of the birds are very helpful).
Below is an example of how a different posture can make a bird almost appear as if it were a different species.  The photos are of a silhouetted Cooper's hawk; the first of it in a field guide pose, the second of it bent over and puffed up.

Cooper's Hawk

Cooper's Hawk

Today and yesterday, I've seen American kestrels.  American kestrels are common falcons found throughout the United States, Canada, and Mexico.  They are found in many open habitats where they hunt insects and small mammals.  They are the smallest and most colorful falcon in the United States, being only nine inches long from beak to tail tip.  Males have gray-blue on their crowns and wings, black and white faces, orange on their backs and tails, and black-spotted fawn-colored chests.  The females have dark and white faces, white chests with orange streaks, and orange and black backs and tails.  They can be told apart from other falcons in flight by their orange tails and very small size, and are overall more colorful than other falcons.  Their shape, however, is like other falcons, so if they are a distance away, it can be hard to tell them apart from the other small falcon, the merlin.  Below is a photo of a male American kestrel.

American Kestrel

Mallard Ducks

This morning, there were mallard ducks on the artificial pond.  It's the first time I've seen ducks on the pond.

Advice

 

Although it may be tempting to toss bread to the ducks, it isn't healthy for them.  It fills their stomachs but doesn't provide them with nutrients.  Seeds and corn are much better for any birds than bread.  I know it's nice to have the ducks come up and take the bread, but please try to resist the urge to give it to them.

Mallard ducks are probably the most common and widespread ducks in the United States.  They are found throughout the United States, Canada, and northern Mexico, and are also found in other parts of the world.  They can be found on any shallow freshwater lagoons or ponds, or on the grass in parks.  Some mallards have been domesticated, so feral ducks may be seen among the wild ones.  The feral ducks can be told apart from the wild ones by their larger size, deep bellies, and different colors; feral ducks often have large dark or white patches.  Female mallards are brown and streaked.  Males have black tails, pale gray bodies, brown chests, a white neck ring, and green heads.  They are dabbling ducks, so they tip their front ends under the water to get food off the bottom.  They never dive.  Below are two photos of mallards; the first of two females, and the second of a male.

Mallards

Mallard

Many Common Birds

Yesterday, I saw a sycamore tree full of lesser goldfinches.  Below is a photo of one of the goldfinches; a female.  Sycamore trees seem to be very popular with goldfinches.  They like to eat the seeds.


Lesser Goldfinch

Today I saw a northern mockingbird standing on a telephone pole (singing, of course).  Below is a photo.

Northern Mockingbird

A Bewick's wren came right up to me again when I made 'pst' noises.  If you are trying to get a wren closer, 'pst' and 'psh' noises have never failed yet.  Here is the wren.

Bewick's Wren

A black phoebe also came when I made the noise, which had never happened before.  It probably came just out of curiosity, because phoebes do not made any 'pst' noises.  They only make cheeping noises.  Here is the phoebe.

Black Phoebe

I've been seeing more mourning doves than Eurasian collared-doves, which is good, because mourning doves are native.  Eurasian collared-doves do not migrate, but there seem to be less of them in winter, and I'm not sure why.  Mourning doves are very common doves found throughout the United States, southern Canada, and Mexico.  They are grayish-brown, and unlike the larger collared-doves, they do not have a collar, have long, pointed tails, and have black spots on their wings.  They are often found in groups in suburban areas, farmland, or other habitats with brush and open areas.  They are called 'mourning' doves because their song (cooing) sounds mournful.  Here are three photos of the doves.

Mourning Dove

Mourning Dove

Mourning Doves

 

A Lizard and Two Hummingbirds

Today I didn't see anything special.  There were no thrushes or chickadees, or at least I didn't see them.  The persimmons are all gone, so there are no more birds in that tree.

I saw my first two lizards of the year.  It was quite a bit warmer today than it has been, so the little reptiles were out sunbathing.  Here's one of the lizards.  I only noticed it because it was next to a yellow-rumped warbler (which didn't stay still for a photo).  The lizard is a western fence lizard.

Western Fence Lizard

Advice

 

When putting out hummingbird feeders, put them in the shade.  If they are in direct sunlight, the water will evaporate faster, and it can leave a sticky mess inside.  Also, make sure to put something to keep the ants and other insects out.  Many stores sell such things, like cups of water that hang above the feeder on the same string.

 

Hummingbirds are not the only birds attracted to sugar water.  Often, large, colorful orioles will come to hummingbird feeders.  If you are worried that the orioles will scare away the hummingbirds or drink up all the sugar water, there are special feeders available just for orioles, or try putting out jam or oranges cut in half.

 

Sometimes there are problems with feeders, such as bugs that have found a way to get around the water cup, or the feeder is just too messy. If that is the case, try planting flowers. Hummingbirds seem to particularly like tube-shaped flowers. If you plant flowers, native flowers are always best. If you plant a non-native flower, try not to plant something that is likely to spread.

The hummingbird advice is because I saw both Anna's and Allen's hummingbirds today.  That isn't unusual, but today I got photos of both of them.

Anna's hummingbirds are the most common hummingbirds in my area.  They are found all year round in the far western part of the United States.  The females are grayish-green overall and paler underneath.  The males are brighter green with bright red iridescent heads.  They, like most other hummingbirds, make very high pitched whistling and buzzing noises, and are very fearless.  I've even seen them chasing hawks.  Below are three photos of female Anna's hummingbirds.  I haven't been able to take a photo of a male yet.

Anna's Hummingbird

Anna's Hummingbird

Anna's Hummingbird

Allen's hummingbirds are found in the summer in southwestern Oregon, California, and Arizona.  They are also found in Mexico, and rarely in the southeastern United States.  In a very small part of coastal southern California, including where I live, they are around all year.  Allen's hummingbirds, unlike Anna's, have reddish patches on their faces, tails, and bellies.  They are very similar to rufous hummingbirds.  The male Allen's, unlike the rufous, has a green cap and back.  The females, however, are almost impossible to distinguish from each other.  I only know the female hummingbirds I'm seeing are Allen's because the rufous is only here in the summer and isn't as common.  Below are two photos, the first of a female Allen's, the second of a male.

Allen's Hummingbird

Allen's Hummingbird

A Chickadee, the Thrush, and a Wren

I'm now opening my blog to comments, so if you would like to comment, now you can. Also, I'm sorry if I ever repeat myself in a blog. Sometimes I forget what I've said.

Today I saw a mountain chickadee in my backyard! It was high up in the jacaranda tree singing.  The photo below is of one I saw a couple years ago.  Mountain chickadees are most commonly found in forests in the mountains of the western United States and Canada.  However, they can sometimes be found in other places as well, such as my backyard.  I do not live very near the mountains, but I've seen the chickadees a few times in my yard before.  They are the only chickadee in my area.  They, like other chickadees, eat seeds and bugs, can hang upside-down, and sing the 'chickadee dee dee' song.

Mountain Chickadee

Advice

When approaching a bird, especially a shyer one, walk very slowly and try to make very little noise unless it's a 'pst' or similar noise.  however, if you are close to the bird, don't make loud 'pst' noises.  Make the noises very soft, or don't make any.  Never go directly toward it.  Make a curve or go some indirect way when you walk.  Also, never take your eyes off the bird, because if it starts to hop away, stop.  Unless it keeps going and doesn't look like it will stop, wait before you go closer.  If it is looking at you, don't move closer.  Wait until it's looking away or not too focused on you.  Nothing seems to work with some birds, however.  Hermit thrushes, for instance, are gone as soon as they see me.

This morning, something odd happened.  I've never seen black phoebes fighting before, and often they're very cautious, but this morning, there were two crazy ones!  They were fighting in the air, and nearly hit me in the head!  They were so close I felt the wind of their wings.  Before, that had only happened with hummingbirds.  It was very strange!

Speaking of hummingbirds, here is an Allen's hummingbird with its head in a flower.  I saw it right after I saw the phoebes.  I can tell it's an Allen's because of the rufous sides near its tail.

Allen's Hummingbird

I have found another bird that likes cat food: the hermit thrush!  It wasn't there for very long, but it was at the cat food bowl, and then hopped around in the middle of the yard for a little while.  However, as soon as it saw my cat (which hadn't even see the bird), the thrush was gone (which is a good thing; birds should be cautious).  Here it is below.

Hermit Thrush

Another little bird I saw today was a Bewick's wren.  It came out of nowhere when I made a 'pst-pst' noise, because they make 'pst' noises themselves.  The photo below was taken a week or two ago, but it is probably the same one I saw today.  There seem to be two wrens that live in my yard, because I've only ever seen two together, and they're always in the same places.  Last year they tried to make a nest in my birdhouse, but gave up.  Bewick's wrens are common in brushy areas along the west coast and the southwest and middle of the United States and Mexico.  Like most wrens, they are small and brown and often have their tails pricked up.  They often make harsh noises, but can also be very musical.  They often sound similar to song and white-crowned sparrows.  The one below was hopping up a tree eating the aphids under leaves.

Bewick's Wren

A Thrush, a Dove, and Two Little Goldfinches

This morning, the birds were out earlier than usual.  They were out around eight to eight-thirty.  I also heard a coyote yipping when I got up.  Speaking of coyotes, I heard two or three of them last night, all yipping at the same time.

Back to the birds, I saw a Cassin's kingbird in one of the trees in my backyard, a tall jacaranda. It was flying from its perch to catch the tons of little flies flying around.  Unfortunately, I didn't get a photo of it.  Actually, I've never gotten a photo of a Cassin's kingbird, even though there are many of them around all year round.  However, I've gotten multiple pictures of western kingbirds, which are only here in the summer.

I also discovered that the hermit thrushes have not left!  I saw one in my yard, though it quickly hid when it saw me.  I got a photo of it.  Here it is below.

Hermit Thrush

There was also a Eurasian collared-dove walking around in the grass.  I don't know about other places, but in my neighborhood, the collared-doves are very big.  They look like they're almost the size of small chickens.  They also make strange dinosaur-like noises.  Here's a picture of one of the giant doves.

Eurasian Collared-Dove

Two tiny birds that I saw this morning were lesser goldfinches.  Lesser goldfinches are the smallest goldfinches in the United States, being only about four and a half inches from beak to tail tip.  They have yellow and greenish-yellow bodies with dark gray and white wings and tails.  Males have black caps on their heads.  They live all year round in most of the southwest United States and Mexico.  They eat weed seeds, like dandelion seeds, and are very common visitors at thistle feeders.  They are often very noisy.  Here is a photo of a male.

Lesser Goldfinch

Egrets, a Hawk, and a Coyote

I learned that the 'artificial' pond was not originally the way it is now.  There used to fields there, and I believe a creek or some other bodies of water.  However, when the housing developement came up, the people cut it off and the fountain was added, so I guess it is somewhat artificial.  There must be fish or other creatures in there, because today I saw two snowy egrets fishing.

 

Here is another photo of a snowy egret.  This one is fishing; crouched to chase after the fish.

Snowy Egret

 

 

I know that the animal below is not a bird.  It's the back of a coyote that my mom and I saw when we were walking our dog.  As well as birds and poetry, I'm interested in mammals and every other creature.  Most of the coyotes in my neighborhood are not healthy, but this one was very healthy looking.  We often hear them howling at night.  They're probably catching the many rabbits and ground squirrels around.  It's too bad I couldn't get its face in the photo!

Coyote

Also on the walk, I saw a red-tailed hawk sitting in a tree.  Below is a photo of it.

Red-tailed Hawk

I also saw a great egret.  It was flying over the neighborhood.  They are very beautiful, big, white birds.  It was close enough that I could tell it was a great by size alone.  Here is a photo of it flying away.

Great Egret

Snowy Egrets

This morning, when I was going to school, we drove past a small artificial pond with a fountain.  We pass by it every morning.  It used to have reeds all around it, but those were taken away.  I highly doubt anything lives in it, but often I see a little snowy egret trying to fish there.  I always wonder what it's trying to catch.  I never see any other egrets or herons, or even any other birds at the pond.  However, maybe there are little creatures in the pond that I don't know about.  Whatever it is, that egret's always trying.

Below are two snowy egrets.  Snowy egrets are small, common egrets found in the southern United States.  They live all year round on the coasts, but are only around in the summer or in migration inland.  They eat fish, and hunt by crouching, then running after the fish.  They are very similar to the great egret, and from a distance, it's often hard to tell their size (great egrets are large- 'great').  The key features that distinguish the snowy from the great, besides size, are its black legs with yellow feet, its plumes, and its black beak.  You can see all of those in the photo below.  These two were at the Oceanside Harbor.

Snowy Egrets

 

Below are the same two egrets.  I'm showing another photo of them because in this one, their long necks are stretched out, and their plumes are more visible.  Plus, the egret in front looks pretty funny (it was a windy day, that's why its plumes are fluffed up).

 



Snowy Egrets

The Coot's Toes

I'm sorry this post is so short, but today I've been given a lot of homework, so I don't have a lot of time.

Here's a photo of an American coot.  I just wanted to post it because you can clearly see its very long green toes.  All rails have long toes, but not as thick as the coot's.  The coot's are almost humourously long, somewhat reminiscient of a clown's shoes.  It's one of the features that separates them from ducks, and can help sometimes because often coots look and act duck-like.  Also in the picture, you can clearly see the 'shield' above an un-duck-like beak, another feature that separates them from ducks.

American Coot

American Crows and Ring-billed Gulls

This morning at school I saw many small flocks of lark sparrows flying by.  Two other birds common at the school, and anywhere in the United States, are American crows and ring-billed gulls.

American crows are found throughout the United States except in Alaska and the desert.  They can be found wherever there is open space, from farmland to cities to open woods, and will eat nearly anything they can find, including garbage.  All crows are also very intelligent birds.  They and ravens are some of the most intelligent birds in the world.  They can get food out of hard to open bags, use tools, and solve problems.  They like windy days when they can play around in the air.  The one below I photographed in Guajome Park.

American Crow

The gull below is the ring-billed gull.  It can be found throughout the United States around any bodies of water, like rivers and lakes, not just the ocean, which is why it's not always accurate to call a gull a 'seagull.'  They can also be found in cities.  They are particularly common at my school when there is a storm over the ocean.  More of them come inland to escape the rough waves.  They hang around in a very large group at the school, and make all sorts of odd noises, including a very dinosaur-like noise that gave me a scare!  This one below is not at my school, however.  It was flying past my yard.  For some reason, I've never been able to take a really good picture of them, even though they're so common.

Ring-billed Gull

The Phoebe, the Bluebirds, and the Doves

I still haven't seen or heard the hermit thrushes, and I think that they've gone.  It's sad.  they were very pretty birds, and the only ones that have ever stayed here.  Maybe they'll come back next year.

Today I did nothing special, but I have a few pictures to share (not nearly as many as yesterday).  Birds that I did not get a chance to photograph were two common ravens and two red-tailed hawks, all of which I saw at the same time.

Below is another black phoebe.  The phoebe has been hanging around the yard all day catching tons of insects.

Black Phoebe

Below is a western bluebird.  Bluebirdshave not always been found in my yard.  Maybe only about a year or two ago, they first appeared.  Since then, they've become almost permanent residents.  Some days I don't see any, but they're always back within a couple of days.  They're found in the southwest United States and Mexico, and often use birdhouses.  They're found wherever both trees and open ground can be found, where they eat bugs.  They're often at my school in the morning.  If you set out a feeder for them, they love mealworms.

Western Bluebird

Below are two Eurasian collared-doves.  As their name reveals, they are not native to California; they're from Eurasia.  They're common in both Eurasia and in the southern United States.  They were introduced to Florida and have spread very rapidly since then.  I remember the first time I saw one; it was in the Wild Animal Park (now renamed Safari Park).  That was also the year they first appeared in my neighborhood.  They have never left since then.  They are much larger than the native doves here, mourning doves, and are sometimes aggressive towards them.  Though they are pretty, they are not nice.

Eurasian Collared-Dove