Posts Tagged ‘monthly newsletter’
On 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…
Read MoreDoing Just Fine, Thank You—The Black Phoebe
“Hey—grab the scope! What’s that bird?” I pointed to a small, dark bird with a distinctly dipping tail, sitting upright on a distant branch overhanging the river. For the Colorado…
Read MoreA Joy to Behold— San Diego’s Spotted Towhee
When I started working at the wildlife rehabilitation center 15 years ago, I knew nothing about wildlife rehab. But as a birder, I knew birds and their habitats. The staff…
Read MoreThe Greater Roadrunner Beep! Beep!
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.…
Read MoreLike Rogers and Astaire The Western Grebe
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…
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