it's been too long!

I know I haven't been keeping up-to-date on my birding blog, but that doesn't mean I haven't been birding. As always, when a new class starts, I spend most of my mornings holed up in a computer lab, making maps. So, that's where I've been when I'm not birding, and not working. I haven't had too much time for updating the blog. Besides that, you may have noticed that I've introduced capital letters to this blog - don't get used to it. It is a bad habit that I acquired while writing resumes and professional emails. I hope to be back to my lazy writing style some day soon. So, here are some updates.

Tecolote Project:
I have kept up. I did one count in mid-June, while following up on a reported LEAST BELL'S VIREO sighting. Alas, there was only one singing HUTTON'S VIREO at the reported location. I have also gone twice this month. Lists Below.

On a drizzly day in June:
PACIFIC-SLOPE FLYCATCHER
COOPER'S HAWK
NUTTALL'S WOODPECKER
HOUSE WREN
SPOTTED TOWHEE
CALIFORNIA TOWHEE
SONG SPARROW
ANNA'S HUMMINGBIRD
BUSHTIT
WRENTIT
HUTTON'S VIREO
ASH-THROATED FLYCATCHER
HOODED ORIOLE
CALIFORNIA THRASHER
AMERICAN RAVEN
WESTERN SCRUB JAY

July:
4 HOODED ORIOLE
2 NUTTALL'S WOODPECKER
3 WESTERN SCRUB JAY
4 LESSER GOLDFINCH
1 COOPER'S HAWK
4 ANNA'S HUMMINGBIRD
3 CALIFORNIA TOWHEE
2 BLACK PHEOBE
5 BUSHTIT
1 SPOTTED TOWHEE
4 MOURNING DOVE
6 PACIFIC-SLOPE FLYCATCHER
3 WRENTIT
3 CALIFORNIA THRASHER
3 BEWICK'S WREN
1 AMERICAN RAVEN
1 AMERICAN CROW
1 ASH-THROATED FLYCATCHER

The two lists are very similar, but that's because I birded the same section of the canyon every time (I know, I know...)

Besides the Tecolote Project, I've kept up my banding, and am finally getting good at extracting birds from nets, and taking measurements in the hand. Aging birds is still something of a mystery to me. I understand the concept of aging by molt and plumage, but recognizing molt stages by feather type (adult/juvenile), and age by plumage differences in specific bird species is something that requires years of experience to do reliably. I laugh now when I hear birders age birds with just a quick look through binoculars. Many times while banding we have to use calipers to measure certain plumage characteristics to accurately age a bird. And even then the certified bander often has to make a best guess, not a definite proclamation, as to the age of the bird.

I've also been out birding at the San Diego River mouth, Mission Bay, San Dieguito Lagoon, Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery, and Kitchen Creek Road. The last in a most likely successful attempt to locate GRAY VIREO. I say 'most likely' because the GRAY VIREO is a bird that is notoriously hard to catch a glimpse of. This drab little gray bird blends in seamlessly with the dense scrub it calls home. Because of this birders rely a great deal on hearing it's call for identification purposes. Now, I have no experience whatsoever with the call, but when I was out there I did hear one very vireo sounding bird calling. I wrote it down as "'chee-yoot chee' burry'. When I got home and searched through recordings online, I found that my bird's call was a nearly identical match (it was still ringing in my head) to one of the phrases in its long and complicated 'official' song. After doing more research I learned that GRAY VIREOs in San Diego are often know to sing only a shortened version of their more complex song. And you know what? that shorter version sounded, when written out (because I couldn't find any San Diego recordings), just like my bird! So, even though I won't officially count it on my list, I do believe that I was hearing a GRAY VIREO while out at Kitchen Creek Rd.

GRAY VIREO



Also, yesterday (7/27), a neighbor called to report an injured COOPER'S HAWK in her back yard. I responded swiftly, scooping the bird up, after chasing it into a neighboring yard, and placing it in a box. It was taken to Project Wildlife this morning. What a murderous beauty that hawk was. Its face had such an intense glare - he really did look ready to attack me at a the drop of a hat. I wanted to give him a good inspection, like we do while banding. I wanted to extend a wing and inspect his feathers, give his feet a close look, and really drink in the rare chance to have a COOPER'S HAWK in hand. And I would have done so if it weren't an injured bird. Well, maybe next banding session we'll catch one...