Locals & Visitors

 

Rose-breasted Grosbeak (Immature Male), Golden Gate Park

I wonder if all the rough weather east of the Rockies has made a few birds change course and come to California. Whatever the reason they're here, I hope they find everything they need to continue their journey.

This is a medley of birds I was able to photograph yesterday after the great blue heron flew away.

The Downy Woodpecker was going to town inside a small hole.

Note the tiny wood chips flying out.

It finally managed to pull out a few small grubs.

Handsome Fellow

Some Pygmy Nuthatches were in the trees nearby.

And farther west, into the Rhododendron Dell, I was able to observe a couple of Red-breasted Nuthatches.

A Wilson's Warbler made a quick pass through the cycads north of the Lily Pond.

I figured this bird was some kind of sparrow, but I wasn't familiar with it. Apparently it's a Chipping Sparrow.

The chipping sparrow and this female Lazuli Bunting were feeding in a mixed flock of sparrows and juncos (which are also technically sparrows).

I thought this guy might be another ovenbird, but it's a local Song Sparrow gleening insects in the Chilean rhubarb.

I don't know if this junior Rose-breasted Grosbeak was nervous around me, but I didn't see it actually eat any of the cotoneaster berries.

After awhile it flew east and out of sight.

Prince of the Sprinkler, a Western Wood Pewee

The wood pewee is a flycatcher, and it was busily snapping after insects that I never got a look at. Meanwhile, a nearby Western Flycatcher snagged a honeybee. In the original image you can see a droplet of something (poison?) on the tip of the bee's stinger.

I don't think it stung the flycatcher, but the bird dropped the bee and didn't go after it again.

I wouldn't have posted this shot of the Anna's Hummingbird except that it's nectaring on some bear's breeches, one of the first horticultural flowers whose name I learned when I moved to California back in the '80s.

A couple of frisky Townsend's Warblers were chasing around the Dell but stopped just long enough for me to snap a couple of frames.

I fired off many frames trying to get good shots of the Brown Creepers, some of which were sweetly calling to each other.

I just love the feathered cape on these guys.

American Robin on the attack.

The worm tried to hold tough, but the robin didn't give up.

And it eventually won its prize.

Nearby, other robins opted for cotoneaster berries.

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