It Takes a Village: San Diego’s Acorn Woodpecker
In the 1920s, an American ornithologist called this bird “our native aristocrat—unruffled by the operations of the human plebs…” In that same decade, an avian researcher proclaimed that these birds practiced communism. More recently, their social behavior has been likened to a noisy avian Keystone Cops routine, featuring loud calling, bobbing, wing displaying, and jockeying…
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Mosquito Presentation at the Nature Center
In Living Color: Black-headed Grosbeaks are Back in Town
Just before my shift started, I walked into the baby bird room at the wildlife rehabilitation center. A distinctive sound ringing through the room—”WEE-urrr, WEE-urrr”—transported me back more than five years and 1,000 miles. The soundtrack of late summer in the pinyon-juniper habitat of our previous home in the Colorado mountains—baby Black-headed Grosbeaks were in…
Read MoreBuena Vista Audubon 9th Annual Birdhouse & Nature Art Auction
The Buena Vista Audubon Society hosts its 9th annual Birdhouse Auction Fundraiser and Open House on Saturday, March 16th, from 5-8 pm at its nature center (2202 S. Coast Hwy, Oceanside, 92054). Both a silent and live auction will feature unique birdhouses and other nature-themed art handcrafted by local artists. Festivities include music from CJ…
Read MoreAvian Architects Setting Up Shop
They typically nest in large colonies, occasionally numbering in the thousands. Within these noisy, chattering colonies, they push “neighborliness” to the limit, laying eggs in or even moving their eggs into their neighbors’ nests. They recognize the voices of their offspring even among thousands of other kids squawking to be fed. They spy on their…
Read MoreMelrose Drive Link Meeting
What ever name you know this project by, it’s been resurrected by the Oceanside City Council. The plan is to connect Melrose, from Santa Fe through the south end of Guajome County Park to Spur Avenue. This ineffective link is environmentally unsound. Wetlands and endangered species habitat will be destroyed.The City’s value engineered conceptual plan…
Read MoreFamiliar Friend The Lesser Goldfinch
Naming a species a “least” this-or-that or a “lesser” such-and-such smacks a bit of disparagement. The bird exists only in relationship to a larger/greater/“better” bird. The Lesser Goldfinch’s comparator is its Spinus congener, the American Goldfinch. In this context, the Lesser Goldfinch comes up short in several ways. It measures ½” (10%) shorter and weighs…
Read MoreSummary – Oceanside (CAOV) Christmas Bird Count – 2018
A big thank you to Kirsten Winter for writing this compilation of results: The 73rd Oceanside Christmas Bird Count was held on December 29, 2018. It was a clear and cold day, breezy in the morning. A talented group of 121 birders logged 231 hours and 451 miles, and recorded approximately 29,100 individual birds –…
Read MoreBVAS Galapagos Island Birding 2019
Looking to get away and do something exciting in the New Year? Well join BVAS in 2019 for our birding trip to the beautiful Galapagos Islands. Visitors to the Galápagos Islands are intrigued by the endemic flora and fauna, geological activity, volcanic terrain, and unique human history. Accompanied by an onboard naturalist-guide, this 7-night small…
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