Category Archives: Discovery

Courtship Ritual

Anna's Hummingbird © Edgar Paul Coral, taken from Cornell Lab of Ornithology page
Anna’s Hummingbird © Edgar Paul Coral, taken from Cornell Lab of Ornithology page

Anna’s hummingbird
Up, up, up! Arcing fall — SQUEAK!
Courtship ritual.

On Wednesday, February 11, I was assisting BLM geologists in the field when I witnessed a marvelous behavior: the male Anna’s hummingbird courtship display. The tiny bird, less than four inches in size, would hover over a burned manzanita bush then quickly ascend into the air, rising at least 50 feet, and possibly quite more according to bird guides. When he reached altitude, he would pause, then dive in a dramatic, arcing fashion. The speed was tremendous for something so small. At the very bottom of his arc, he would emit a loud ‘squeak!’ which I learned is made by his tail feathers – I still do not understand the mechanics of the sound. Then he would return to hover above the shrub before repeating the cycle. This was one of those wonderful moments when I realize how little I know and see everyday in the world around me, and it was awesome to witness just this one special action.

On a similar note, on Tuesday, February 10, I was hiking for work in the Sacramento River Bend Outstanding Natural Area when I heard an echo of history: sandhill cranes trumpeting to each other as they flew overhead. Even from a great distance, these are magnificent birds, and I wish every visit to the Bend could be accompanied by their bugling call.

For more information about Anna’s Hummingbird or the Sandhill Crane, visit the embedded links or search for The Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

Have a happy Friday the Thirteenth, Valentine’s Day (may your courtship dances be seen and your bugles be heard!), and weekend!

A clairvoyant gift from my parents when they visited in November; they must have known I would be smitten with hummingbirds!
A clairvoyant gift from my parents when they visited in November; they must have known I would be smitten with hummingbirds!

Snow Goose Festival

Great blue heron - don't tell me you can't see him! #worstbirdpic

Six plus hours birding.
This is what I have to show.
(Hashtag) Worst Bird Pic

On Sunday, January 25, Laura B. and I “Bird[ed] the Shores of Black Butte Lake” as part of the 16th Annual Snow Goose Festival of the Pacific Flyway. It was great fun, and I will include a full species list as well as some commentary below, but in this very moment, I would like to celebrate my talent for #WorstBirdPics.

#WorstBirdPic is a legitimate thing, as evidenced by this Buzzfeed (my favorite is #18): 23 of the Worst Photos of Birds.

So with that for a backdrop, I think you will find new appreciation for my opening photo; you can see the great blue heron, right? No?

Let me show you:

He's right here!

He’s right there! #WorstBirdPic

Okay, that one was kind of tough. Let’s try another. Do you see the bird:

Western meadow lark

Hint: it’s a western meadowlark! ….

….

No? I’ll show you:

Western meadow lark circled

Right there!

I know, I am clearly a prodigy, because I did not practice at all and produced these.

On a more serious note: Birding was terrific! I am so glad we participated in the festival. Below is a full list of the species we saw. Happy birding!

Birders extraordinaire!
Birders extraordinaire!
  1. Western meadowlark
  2. Rock wren
  3. Double-crested cormorant
  4. Gull sp.
  5. Dark-eyed junco
  6. Western grebe
  7. Song sparrow
  8. Goldfinch sp.
  9. American kestrel
  10. Loggerhead shrike
  11. Killdeer
  12. Black phoebe
  13. American coot
  14. Bufflehead
  15. Common goldeneye
  16. Ruddy duck
  17. Acorn woodpecker
  18. Northern flicker
  19. Nuttall’s woodpecker
  20. Mallard
  21. Turkey vulture
  22. Great egret
  23. Great blue heron
  24. Common merganser
  25. Northern harrier
  26. Red-tailed hawk
  27. Western bluebird
  28. Say’s phoebe
  29. Kinglet
  30. American robin
  31. Glaucous-winged gull
  32. California towhee
  33. Spotted towhee
  34. Golden-crowned sparrow
  35. Western scrub-jay
  36. Mourning dove
  37. Yellow-billed magpie
  38. White-crowned sparrow
  39. Lewis’s woodpecker
  40. White-tailed kite
  41. Ring-necked pheasant
  42. Red-shouldered hawk

Oh, and there was a delicious post-birding trip to the Sierra Nevada Taproom. Yum! Yum!

Sierra Nevada

Two Months (plus a little)

I am amazed that we are already well into November, which means I am two months (plus a little) into my year-long internship with the Bureau of Land Management (BLM).  It is going by so fast!

On the whole, it has been an easy transition (read: I don’t have too many of those “what was I thinking?” moments). I find it surprising (in a good way) that I can move across the country and resume my usual habits – running, internet-ing, shopping at Trader Joe’s – without much difficulty. Of course,  the actual mechanics of moving were onerous, but those are behind me now. Since moving and settling, the most substantial change to my daily routine has been the brand of bread I buy (no Arnold’s or Pepperidge Farm here). Reflecting on this makes me realize how ingrained my own habits are, and I am good with that. I like my system, and I like that it is transposable.

The bigger changes are outside of how I manage my life, they are: my social connections and my work. Continue reading Two Months (plus a little)