The Birders Report

Western Tanager Male photos by Larry Jordan

Western Tanagers are a summer visitor to Northern California where some may breed and others may simply be passing through.  The male of the species is a striking bird with his tropical colors of bright yellow and a red-orange head.  He is also distinguished by his wide yellow upper wing bar.

The female Western Tanager is olive on the back, and yellowish below with two narrow white wing bars.

These gorgeous birds hawk insects from the tree tops and will also eat fruit.  They are a pleasure to watch as they grab insects in mid-air and fly back to their perch.  Here is one more shot of this male scanning the sky for bugs.

Have a great birding weekend and go see more super sky photos at Skywatch Friday!

Ash-throated Flycatchers Begin Nesting all photos by Larry Jordan

It started out with the unmistakable song as I checked my bluebird trail at Lema Ranch this morning.  This is what it sounded like: Ash-throated Flycatcher Song.

So I spot one of the Ash-throated Flycatchers on the ground.  What is it doing?  Gathering nesting material.  Now I am getting excited.

I follow it to a nearby oak tree where, sure enough, the pair are building a nest.

If you keep your ears and eyes open, many times you may be able to find birds nesting sites and be able to follow their progress from mating to fledging their young.  You want to make sure that you don’t disturb the nest in any way.  You want to simply be a good observer.  You may also want to help Cornell Lab of Ornithology by joining Nest Watch!

Here’s a photo of the Ash-thoated Flycatcher peeking out of their new home.

I get excited finding these nest sites because I am able to literally watch nature unfold.  If you have cavity nesting birds in your neighborhood and put up birdhouses, it’s even easier to observe their behavior because you have a front row seat!

Click on this photo to see a larger image

Ash-throated Flycatchers are a cavity nesting bird that will use a standard bluebird house or if you want to build your own, you may make the floor size a bit larger.  Either way you will have loads of fun watching them and hearing their sweet, bubbly song.

If you want to see more cool bird photos, fly on over to Bird Photography Weekly and join in the fun!

Western Kingbird In Flight photos by Larry Jordan

The Western Kingbird is a Tyrant Flycatcher, or New World Flycatcher, that make up the largest family of birds in the world.  They are also the most widespread kingbird in the West.  The flycatcher family of birds also includes the Ash-throated Flycatcher, one of my favorite birds that will nest in birdhouses.

Western Kingbirds arrived in Northern California a few weeks ago from their winter grounds in southern Mexico and Central America and have really been putting on a show.  They catch insects on the fly like Ash-throated Flycatchers but are more conspicuous.  You will often find them sitting on wires or fences in open areas that have some trees or shrubs nearby.  This bird was sitting on a fence behind the hospital where I work hawking insects.

I believe there are a pair ready to nest in this area as this Western Kingbird was interacting with his own reflection in one of the huge windows of the hospital building.  I believe he thought it was a rival for his mates affections.

I will be following these two if they nest nearby although I have not been able to locate an easily visible Western Kingbird nest as yet.

To see more cool critter photos, visit Camera Critters and have a great weekend!