A “tall, thin tramp in a swallow-tailed coat.” A “long striped snake on two legs.” A lanky, blue and purple cartoon character with a flopping crest, constantly foiling Wile E. Coyote. What do these descriptions have in common? They all belong to the Greater Roadrunner. A large, loping, ground-loving member of the cuckoo family, this…

Walking past the sage-scrub open space in the pre-dawn winter twilight, I heard a number of birds singing loudly. Some sounded like Song Sparrows improvising a different intro and jazzier closing notes—maybe a different song for winter than summer? Others made me think of extremely musical Spotted Towhees, although Spotteds (and most songbirds) don’t sing…

Summary, Oceanside (CAOV) Christmas Bird Count—2019 Kirsten Winter (CBC Compiler) Download a PDF copy of the results here. The 74th Oceanside Christmas Bird Count was held on December 21, 2019. It was a clear and pleasant day, with light breezes. Temperatures ranged from approximately 35−40 degrees F in the morning to about 60−70 degrees in…

In March, there are two important ballot measures regarding land use in San Diego County. One is Measure B, the Newland Sierra development in North County (Vote NO), and the other is Measure A, Safeguard Our San Diego Countryside (SOS), a countywide measure (Vote YES). MEASURE B-NEWLAND SIERRA The proposed Newland Sierra project, located north…

I had done my homework before releasing a Western Grebe from the wildlife rehabilitation center. “Western Grebes are incapable of walking on land,” due to how far back their legs are set on their bodies. Even the ultimate resource, the Sibley Guide to Birds, agreed. I’d need to wade a few feet into the reservoir…

Christmas Bird Count 2018, Anstine Audubon Preserve in Vista. Our small group climbs a hill and checks for birds. Craning my neck, I mutter, “I hear Cedar Waxwings.” We all start scanning the tops of trees, the sky, in all directions. Nowhere to be seen. As the enumerator, I could just mark down “1” and…

When I used to monitor nestboxes, I would listen carefully as I approached a box, trying to hear what birds were in the area. One especially bubbly, bouncing song would alert me to potential problems for the other cavity nesters in the vicinity. A 21st-century “troglodyte”—a.k.a. a House Wren—was looking to set up housekeeping. …

Anyone who enjoys bird song dreads summer’s end as a bit of an auditory desert. But if you live near California Thrashers, you can take heart. These songsters will actually begin ramping up their voices again in late August. Slightly larger than a California Scrub-Jay, a California Thrasher features a long, heavy, and distinctly…

Wildfire and wildlife—what’s the first image that comes to your mind? I’m 7 years old, sitting in a darkened movie theater, watching the fire scene in the Disney animated classic Bambi. Birds, squirrels, rabbits, raccoons, our protagonist deer all flee through scorching embers, swirling smoke, and crashing, flaming branches. That scene seemed to last for…

Feeding hummingbirds can be simple and inexpensive. Here’s a time- and hummer-tested recipe. Use a 1-to-4 ratio of white table sugar to water (for example, ¼ cup of sugar to 1 cup of water). Don’t use honey, brown sugar, organic cane sugar, artificial sweeteners—just table sugar. Heat the water in the microwave; in my microwave,…

The 2019 Christmas Bird Count Results are in!

YES ON PROP “A” & NO ON PROP “B”

Nature’s Path Back

Hummingbird Feeders