Sharing the Joy
Tuesday 24 July 2018
80 °F
Birding is best when shared, and today I shared my love for summer birding with Fernando, a 14 y.o. who is visiting a friend of the family’s from Spain. He is QUITE the birder, very impressive, and has seen nearly 400 species himself!
This female AMERICAN KESTREL was a life bird for him at our first stop, Bartel Grassland.
Though it managed to go unphotographed, my favorite bird of the day was a NORTHERN BOBWHITE we immediately heard and briefly saw at Bobolink Picnic Area in the Bartel Grassland.
Molting male BOBOLINK:
Male HENSLOW’S SPARROW, a life bird for F:
Monarch:
SWAMP SPARROW, I think:
DICKCISSEL:
Juvenile CEDAR WAXWING:
SONG SPARROW:
Female BOBOLINK:
Oriole - female Baltimore or Orchard? Always confusing for me.
At Orland Grassland South, F impressively spotted this far-away bird which turned out to be a GRASSHOPPER SPARROW, a life bird for him!
SEDGE WREN, another lifer for him!
At Swallow Cliff Preserve we found this juvenile EASTERN TOWHEE, yet another lifer for F:
BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHER:
EASTERN WOOD-PEWEE:
EASTERN PHOEBE, a life bird for him:
ACADIAN FLYCATCHER, our best find at Swallow Cliff and another life bird for Fernando:
OSPREY flying over Cap Sauer Holding:
Male AMERICAN GOLDFINCH:
Fernando’s favorite American woodpecker, the RED-HEADED:
We ended the day with a bang with one last life bird for Fernando, this GREEN HERON along the road:
What a morning! Birds-of-the-day to the Northern Bobwhite and Acadian Flycatcher. Stay tuned for another birding adventure coming up saturday and then on sunday, my departure for my annual trip to Idaho.
Good birding,
Henry
World Life List: 950 Species
So jealous you got to see the bobwhite! Also the oriole is Baltimore
by Isoo