US birding update in the California desert

[marg]

and a pair of Canada Geese

[Kitsafari]

lucky geese to have a swimming pool all to themselves. 

 

[marg]

and the bad news....two days ago in the morning the ravens were noisy and flying around.  I went outside but did not see anything until 7:30.  It must be a Canada Goose but killed it?  Hawk?  Bobcat? Coyote?   There were feathers in the yard and in the pool.  Sometime late afternoon it was gone.  And, at 7:00in the evening  I found the head in the yard confirming that it was a Canada Goose.  The next morning the head was also gone.  And, what took the body and the head?  A goose now swims alone.

[marg]

and the good news....Last summer a female Ring-necked Duck was a first sighting.  Now, there are two and the male is a first.

[marg]

There are Kingfishers here in the desert but not often seen and even more difficult to photograph.  It is a Belted Kingfisher.

[Peter Connan]

Kingfishers in the desert? Fascinating!

[marg]

@Peter Connan  yes, a nice surprise and just an occasional sighting.  They are easier to hear with a raspy call and then they just take off.  Larger than the kingfishers in Africa.

[marg]

and spring is in the air for Snowy Egrets....

[marg]

I occasionally see one or several terns flying over.  But, it has been seven years since I have seen one up close.  Last week the next to the last day of the golf courses being open an Elegant Tern was fishing out on one of the lakes.

[marg]

The next day and the last day of golf for who knows how long....duckings.  Nine then but there are probably not that many now.

[marg]

Last night....first a rainbow.  Then birds.  I did not know what they were until I looked at the photos.  This was a flock of Turkey Vultures.  I had seen only one three years ago.  Later it was Pink Moon Eve.

[marg]

Spring arrived and so did the White-winged Doves, Great-tailed Grackles and the Northern Orioles.  Then, two weeks ago winter returned.  Five days of rain and cool weather.  And, snow in the mountains.

[marg]

Our golf courses have been closed and we are allowed to walk them.  First, in between rain showers and now in the sunshine.  A few sightings:

Say's Phoebe

Western Kingbirds

Western Bluebird

Ladder-backed Woodpecker

Costa's Hummingbird

Phainopepla

 

 

 

 

 

Edited April 20, 2020 by marg
two birds on a line

[marg]

The news just announced is that the courses will reopen tomorrow.  I will miss those early morning walks.  But, luckily we have Northern Oriole activity in our yard.  And, why do yellow birds go to yellow blossoms?

[marg]

We were eating breakfast this morning when something flew by....a Red-tailed Hawk.  A couple of days ago out on the golf course I did find a hawk nest with two heads in it.  It is in a dense tree in area where in the past there have been Red-tailed Hawk nests.  So, stay tuned....

[Soukous]

15 hours ago, marg said:

A couple of days ago out on the golf course I did find a hawk nest with two heads in it

 

just the heads? 

[marg]

@Soukous...I will go out later today with the binos so will hopefully get a better look.   heads....the tops of heads moving.

[marg]

Well, I did go to check out the nest.  The first visit last week does not show much.  But, the second viewing two days later.....  it is a Common Raven sitting on the nest.  We do not need more of them here.  What a disappointment!

 

But, the ducklings....this week there are still nine.  It is amazing that all of them have survived.

[marg]

It is hot here now.  Even the birds need to get cool.  A couple of days ago I spotted this Cooper's Hawk in the creek by our yard.  It was in the water for a long time.  Three hours later when we were eating dinner something flew by.  Dinner time also for the hawk as it landed on our roof.

[marg]

I am tardy in posting but last evening had another first!  So, catching up will be done later.  Just before dinner I looked out and saw a bird and thought that it was probably a hawk.  No.  It was a Peregrine Falcon.  I did not know that there were  any here in the desert.  It looks like it caught a juvenile Black-Crowned Night Heron.

[Soukous]

how lucky was that? awesome!

[marg]

@Soukous..thanks!  yes, very lucky.

[offshorebirder]

Superb yard drama!

[Peter Connan]

Wow!

[marg]

Before I return to the birds must show you the sun this morning.  Because of the wildfires the air is thick but the smoke is high up in the atmosphere so we do not smell it.  The sun was beautiful.