American Pipit-a wonderful and rare find… Five years ago, rain loomed in the forecast for our first Oceanside/Carlsbad/Vista Christmas Bird Count. My rain gear and waterproof binoculars stood at the…
Read MoreOceanside Christmas Bird Count 2021 (December 26, 2021) PDF of summary results
Metallica—The Allen’s Hummingbird
Living in Colorado, we had a pretty easy time identifying the four common hummingbird species. Sounds like a cricket flying by, showing bright red throat feathers? Broad-tailed. Slender, dark-headed with…
Read MoreThe Ubiquitous Mallard—A Cautionary Tale, by Tina Mitchell
Mallard Batiquitos Hardly in need of an introduction, the Mallard is our most familiar, common, and widespread duck, residing almost everywhere in North America at some point during the year. …
Read MoreOn Display—The Western Tanager, by Tina Mitchell
An amazing variety of birds in the western hemisphere are called “tanagers”—estimates range from 300 to 400 species in all. During breeding season, the U.S. routinely hosts only four tanager…
Read MoreThis Neighborhood Jukebox Plays for Free — The Northern Mockingbird
“Hush little baby, don’t say a word. Pappa’s gonna buy you a mockingbird. If that mockingbird won’t sing, Papa’s gonna buy you a diamond ring.” Northern Mockingbirds pretty much do…
Read MoreBuena Vista’s Charming Symbol, The Ruddy Duck
Sporting a dapper black cap, a sky-blue bill accentuating a chestnut-brown body, a gleaming white cheek patch, and black perky tail feathers, a male Ruddy Duck in breeding season assumes…
Read MoreThe Cuckoo in the Coal Mine
Yellow-billed Cuckoos (Coccyzus americanus) are fairly common in the eastern U.S. But in the last half-century, they have become rare in the West. Over the past 10 years in San…
Read MoreUnder the Mistletoe—Phainopepla
A member of the silky-flycatcher family, the Phainopepla inhabits the Southwest and Mexico. The male has a thin frame; shiny black plumage; piercing crimson eyes; and a sparse, cow-lick crest.…
Read MoreOur Friend Flicker
Late one winter when we lived in Colorado, a female American Kestrel had roosted for several weeks on a ledge above our neighbors’ garage. Thinking perhaps she might consider breeding…
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