Nature Where I Live: San Francisco: The Shy & The Bold

Northern Flicker, Golden Gate Park

The oak woodland around the Horseshoe Courts was very birdy today, as was the Fuchsia Dell across the street. I was surprised to see so many flickers and varied thrush. It felt ridiculous at one point where every step I took flushed another unseen flicker from wherever it was feeding on the ground. They are very shy birds.

The new growth of grass, miner's lettuce, fumitory, oxalis, manroot, and other groundcover was tall enough to completely obscure the presence of the flickers, which are as big as robins. You expect little juncos and other sparrows to be unseen down there (my first-of-season white-throated sparrow was "the one that got away" today), but not their much larger kin.

There were also quite a few varied thrush in the same area as the flickers. I walk by that area once a week and have never seen it so busy. When the brown creepers flew onto some nearby trees I felt an embarrassment of riches, having to choose which bird to aim for.

On a side note, I've been feeling like my collection of field guides has been relegated to the nostalgia bin by sources available on the internet. With apps like Plant Net, Merlin Bird ID, and iNaturalist, who needs to thumb through field guides anymore? Also, our small bookcase of field guides is right next to a larger bookcase of CDs, which I also rarely pull off the shelves anymore since it's so easy to play music off a smartphone. And when I want to re-read a regular book from our shelves, I often check to see if it's available as an ebook from the library, and read it on my tablet instead.

Still, there's something nostalgic about all those books and CDs. I moved so often in my life before I met my wife that I never accumulated much stuff. I used to be such a minimalist that I'd always be throwing unnecessary things away (and occasionally having to re-buy them later!), but now I'm surprised to find myself comfortable with all our stuff.

Even though it's easier to get identifications online, it's still enjoyable to thumb through one of these old things once in a while.

A Townsend's warbler doesn't usually seem so well-camouflaged.

Varied Thrush in Dappled Light

I was surprised to see the varied thrush snag an acorn and fly off with it.

It was kind of dark beneath the oaks, so I popped a flash on this relatively close brown creeper.

My shutter speed had to be low enough for the flash, but I forgot to increase it when I switched my aim toward a flicker, resulting in a slightly soft disappointment.

Brown Creeper on Oak Trunk

Flicker on an Oak

Varied Thrush in the Oak Woodland

Looking Both Ways Before Flying Away

The varied thrush were generally very shy, but occasionally one would risk exposure to resume feeding.

With so much activity, I wonder if the varied thrush and flickers are nesting here in the city.

Steller's Jay with Sprouting Acorn

I didn't see this hairy woodpecker break into any of those round black cramp balls, but it looks like somebody did.

The other side of the hairy woodpecker.

Clip of the hairy woodpecker in motion.

It was surprisingly un-birdy at the Lily Pond this morning. I haven't seen the green heron in the last two or three weeks. I liked how the red-eared slider above showed its plastrom as well as its carapace. It seemed interested in something above it and to the right, but I couldn't tell what it was.

I've become addicted to the Big Bear Eagle Cam. I checked in last night when I saw on the news that SoCal was getting a storm, and found this incredible scene of the nest full of snow.

The sitting eagle was taking it all in stride, seemingly completely unperturbed by the cold snow and wind.

When the other adult flew in to trade places, the resting adult stayed put.

The other guy stuck around for just a bit to make sure its services weren't needed yet...

...then exited, stage right.

I've usually got the web camera open on another browser window when I'm working at the computer. If I hear eagles calling out, I switch over and get the screenshot clipper ready.

This time, the eagle who'd been sitting on the chicks immediately got up and flew away when the other adult arrived. Note the two chicks are getting close to having their sibling emerge from its egg. It seems to be quite a long process -- more than a day -- for the chick to break out after opening the first pip.