Today we headed up to the forest above Pioneer to seek out a pair of Northern Spotted Owls that Achille has studied in the past. Not only was I able to add this wonderful bird to the year list but we were rewarded with four other species that aren't commonly seen, especially near our home in the foothills.
Halfway out to the site we stopped by a little meadow that Achille knew there was, back in the 1960's a small corral and home site. The day was gorgeous and the meadow was sprinkled with bright yellow monkeyflowers and dominated by a stone foundation and forgotten food tins and beer cans. It was really lovely, but the hallmark of the stop was the Western Tanager that dropped in to see what we were up to. We love tanagers, their bright colors are reminiscent of parrots almost in the way that their vivid oranges and yellows grade into each other with a distinct delicateness. We also saw a few Stellar's Jays and Red Tails not to mention the Black-headed Grosbeak.
Eventually we made our way out to the nest site of the Spotted Owls and immediately Achille, in his very talented way called out the typical call of the bird. I swear that man is 1/4 owl. After a few moments of scanning the forest for flight movement we heard the response call about 300 yards to the left of us and so we hiked out into the woods, the baby on my hip. As we neared the site the spots of white-wash and owl pellets full of rodent bones showed us that were getting close. Finally, about 10 feet up an Incense Cedar, a large male Spotted Owl peered down at us as if to say, "Hoo Hoo Who the hell are you?" He took off and then quickly alit about ten yards away in another tree, looking towards his female, a bird about 3/4 size of the male with large dark eyes and the appropriate spotted back. We sat with them for about 20 minutes and watched as the female regurgitated and the promptly flew over to her mate where they called to each other, he with his his typical Spotted Owl Call: "Hoooouuu Hoo Hoo Hooooouuuu" and her with her response call, a soft ascending "sawwweeeeee" We sat and watched them while Locke played on the ground and looked up at the birds.
As we were driving away from the site we spotted a flycatcher perched about 50 feet up a tree. It's dark back and obvious white splotch on its back gave it away as an Olive-sided Flycatcher, a bird that we've seen before but new to the year list.
About 20 minutes later we were zeroing in on the nest sites of several Northern Goshawks. Achille headed out on foot to the nests which were close to the road, asking me to give him a warning if the aggressive bird came down to defend its nest from the 6 foot primate. Fortunately/unfortunately the nest sites were inactive. However we were granted the presence of a Band-tailed Pigeon, a bird that I find rather lovely and graceful, no matter what their city-living cousins may represent.
As we were leaving the Goshawk location, after many sightings of mystery birds that remain unidentified (CURSE YOU PILEATED WOODPECKER!) I spotted a woodpecker swoop across the sky and land in a tall tree to the South, with a quick flick of the binocs I evaluated its solid black body and crisp white head, a small dark line behind the nape of its neck, and added the White-headed Woodpecker to my year list, booyah!
David Sibley describes the White-headed Woodpecker as a bird with a coloration like no other bird in North America, I have to say that as excited and pleased I was with the Spotted Owl sighting today, the White-headed Woodpecker really made a wonderful finish to a lovely day.
On a side note, I would like to add that I realize that I have not added very many photos to this blog. There are a few reasons for this
Halfway out to the site we stopped by a little meadow that Achille knew there was, back in the 1960's a small corral and home site. The day was gorgeous and the meadow was sprinkled with bright yellow monkeyflowers and dominated by a stone foundation and forgotten food tins and beer cans. It was really lovely, but the hallmark of the stop was the Western Tanager that dropped in to see what we were up to. We love tanagers, their bright colors are reminiscent of parrots almost in the way that their vivid oranges and yellows grade into each other with a distinct delicateness. We also saw a few Stellar's Jays and Red Tails not to mention the Black-headed Grosbeak.
Eventually we made our way out to the nest site of the Spotted Owls and immediately Achille, in his very talented way called out the typical call of the bird. I swear that man is 1/4 owl. After a few moments of scanning the forest for flight movement we heard the response call about 300 yards to the left of us and so we hiked out into the woods, the baby on my hip. As we neared the site the spots of white-wash and owl pellets full of rodent bones showed us that were getting close. Finally, about 10 feet up an Incense Cedar, a large male Spotted Owl peered down at us as if to say, "Hoo Hoo Who the hell are you?" He took off and then quickly alit about ten yards away in another tree, looking towards his female, a bird about 3/4 size of the male with large dark eyes and the appropriate spotted back. We sat with them for about 20 minutes and watched as the female regurgitated and the promptly flew over to her mate where they called to each other, he with his his typical Spotted Owl Call: "Hoooouuu Hoo Hoo Hooooouuuu" and her with her response call, a soft ascending "sawwweeeeee" We sat and watched them while Locke played on the ground and looked up at the birds.
As we were driving away from the site we spotted a flycatcher perched about 50 feet up a tree. It's dark back and obvious white splotch on its back gave it away as an Olive-sided Flycatcher, a bird that we've seen before but new to the year list.
About 20 minutes later we were zeroing in on the nest sites of several Northern Goshawks. Achille headed out on foot to the nests which were close to the road, asking me to give him a warning if the aggressive bird came down to defend its nest from the 6 foot primate. Fortunately/unfortunately the nest sites were inactive. However we were granted the presence of a Band-tailed Pigeon, a bird that I find rather lovely and graceful, no matter what their city-living cousins may represent.
As we were leaving the Goshawk location, after many sightings of mystery birds that remain unidentified (CURSE YOU PILEATED WOODPECKER!) I spotted a woodpecker swoop across the sky and land in a tall tree to the South, with a quick flick of the binocs I evaluated its solid black body and crisp white head, a small dark line behind the nape of its neck, and added the White-headed Woodpecker to my year list, booyah!
David Sibley describes the White-headed Woodpecker as a bird with a coloration like no other bird in North America, I have to say that as excited and pleased I was with the Spotted Owl sighting today, the White-headed Woodpecker really made a wonderful finish to a lovely day.
On a side note, I would like to add that I realize that I have not added very many photos to this blog. There are a few reasons for this
- I am an avid photographer and have many photographs of my adventures in birding, however I often update this blog from my Toshiba Notebook which I have no photos on
- The camera I currently own is not of a high enough quality to take good photos of the birds I see. I am in the shopping process for an awesome camera so please bear with me. I will go back and post photos of birds that I have seen once I take a picture of them
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