The Birders Report

A Nuttall’s Woodpecker And The Ospreys For Bird Photography Weekly

by Larry Jordan on May 17, 2009

Nuttall’s Woodpecker Female Injured photo by Larry Jordan

Friday, as I was getting off of work, my friend John, who had left just a few minutes before me, called and told me there was an injured bird in the parking lot right outside the hospital. He found this female Nuttall’s Woodpecker on the pavement, and being a bird lover, he attempted to move it off of the hot pavement. When he did, she actually took a short flight to a cooler, safer spot in the shade below this huge wall of windows.

Large buildings with walls of windows are a major cause of bird deaths. See my post on birds colliding with windows.

She didn’t look good. Her eyes were closed and she was panting. We didn’t know what had happened to her but she was hot and dehydrated. We offered her water and allowed her to get her beak wet and take fluid at her own pace. My guess is that she was stunned from colliding with the window.

When a bird collides with a window, you never know if it is simply stunned or has internal injuries so we decided to take it to the Shasta Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation center. We are lucky to have this great resource right here in Shasta County. Here is a picture of this little cutey as she arrived at the center riding in my hiking boot.

I left her in the excellent hands of the staff where she was checked for injuries and released the next day.

At this point, I bet you are wondering where the Ospreys come in right? Well, the Shasta Wildlife Rescue Center is located in Anderson River Park, which is one of Shasta County’s great birding hot spots, located on the Sacramento River.

This 440 acre park has some excellent birding trails and is one of the regular sites visited by the local Wintu Audubon Society for bird walks. The park also has a pair of Ospreys building a nest atop one of the soccer field light towers and I thought I would stop by and check them out.

Osprey Pair In Nest Atop Light Tower [continue reading…]

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Great Horned Owl For Skywatch Friday

by Larry Jordan on May 15, 2009

Great Horned Owl Up Late photo by Larry Jordan

This Great Horned Owl mother has been up all night feeding her chicks but she came out into the sunlight for a photo op. Notice how her brows shield her sensitive eyes from the light of the morning sun. Take a look at her three chicks who all fledged about two weeks after this shot. Then so see the other great Skywatch Friday posts!

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A Birdhouse, A Bird Feeder And A Fresh Water Source

by Larry Jordan on May 12, 2009

Western Bluebirds Building a Nest photos by Larry Jordan

Last year I built my mom a bluebird house in the hope that she would be able to have a pair of Western Bluebirds grace her yard. She loved watching birds when she was a kid and I knew she would appreciate watching birds nesting in her own backyard. I was a bit surprised when she called me just a few days later to tell me that there were bluebirds in her backyard on top of the birdhouse!

My Mom’s Backyard

Her backyard is simple, maintenance free yard, with some flowering shrubs and trees as well as a few irises she planted by the fence. We put in a birdbath and a simple tray feeder and she had more avian visitors in no time.

Northern Mockingbird

A couple of weeks ago when I took her back home after a short stay at our house, I got up in the morning and counted over a dozen species of birds that I saw from her backyard within just a few hours. In addition to the Western Bluebirds nesting in her birdhouse, I saw a Northern Mockingbird and several Mourning Doves. The neighbor’s trees offered a great vantage point, not only for the bluebirds but House Finches, Lesser Goldfinches and this Anna’s Hummingbird.

Lesser Goldfinch Male

I spotted several Brewer’s Blackbirds and this American Robin sitting on her fence.

Flying overhead were Turkey Vultures, a Northern Harrier and a Great Egret!

There were also lots of Tree Swallows flying around. A few were eyeballing the already occupied birdhouse being defended by the male bluebird.

The funniest thing I saw in the few hours I spent birdwatching from her yard that morning was a California Quail running along the top of her fence! I quickly turned my camera to capture the fleeting female when I saw the male running after her!

It is nice to know that it doesn’t take much to get several avian visitors to your yard. A bird feeding station, a water source and a birdhouse and just about anyone will have many birds in their yard to enjoy.

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American Goldfinches Arrive For Bird Photography Weekly

by Larry Jordan on May 11, 2009

American Goldfinch Male with Females photos by Larry Jordan

American Goldfinches are showing up at my feeders and my water feature of late. They are always mixed in with the Lesser Goldfinches but in their breeding plumage the bright yellow of the male stands out over the yellow of the male Lesser Goldfinch.

American Goldfinch Male

Plus their pale orange beak and bold wing bar sets them apart from the Lesser Goldfinches.

American Goldfinch Female

The American Goldfinch is also slightly larger than the Lesser Goldfinch.

With summer coming on, make sure you have a good water source for your birds by offering a birdbath, pond, fountain or water feature for their drinking and bathing pleasure. See my post on waterfalls, ponds and fountains for more information. And make sure you check out more great bird photos at Bird Photography Weekly!

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