Reflective Bushtit

 

Bushtit on Van Window, The Haight-Ashbury

After seeing another report of a special bird in the Haight this morning, I figured I'd try to find it one more time. The description of where it has been seen was precise to two particular tree species -- ficus in front of a particular address on Waller Street, and a pair of Metrosideros on Clayton. I tell you I looked and looked, but struck out yet again. I think this was the fourth or fifth time I've tried to find it. Maybe the special bird, the Swinhoe's white-eye, is not a morning bird.

[UPDATE: I finally saw two of them on April 18. It looked like an adult might have been feeding a hungry fledgeling, since one bird flew back and forth a few times from a tree on the southeast corner of Waller & Clayton streets, to another tree just like it on the northeast corner. Then they both flew to a different tree along the north side of Waller, whereupon one of them flew down to pick off an apparent insect (I never saw what it was after) no more than 15-20 feet from me. Unfortunately, my camera was unable to focus on the bird in the dim light (it looked right at me, giving me an excellent view), and it quickly flew back up into the densely branched tree, never to be seen again.]

My hopes rose when I heard some bushtits around Waller and Ashbury, since birds of a feather really do flock together, at least sometimes. But it was just a pair of bushtits -- strange enough in itself, for how often have you ever seen just two bushtits? One of the two, however, was behaving as if there were three, and the third one was most definitely not invited. The interloper, of course, was its own reflection.

The Bushtit Attacks!

After pecking at the intruder in the window for a bit, the bushie would flit back to the branches of a sidewalk tree next to the van, only to resume his attack a moment later.

Bushtit vs. Reflection

I was surprised to see this red-tailed hawk swoop across the intersection of Lawton Street and 7th Avenue to land on a house gable (kitty-corner from the Garden for the Environment). I don't think it liked the busy intersection, or the shutterbug across the street. I snapped this shot just as it was about to fly away.

Clayton Street Architecture

Squirrel, Prepared to Flee at a Moment's Notice

As I was trying to get closer to the flicker, a boy and his dog (no, it wasn't Don Johnson) walked down the trail and spooked it away.

Varied Thrush in the Oak Woodlands

Hairy Woodpecker in the Oak Woodlands

Echium (a.k.a. Pride of Madeira) has been starting to bloom around the city.

Crime Scene, 10th Avenue

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