Southwest Hummingbirds Part 2: Anna's and Costa's - Winter Hummers

WINTER HUMMINGBIRDS

Anna's Humminbird showing off its colorful crown and gorget, Famosa Slough, San Diego, CA; 4/7/2012.

Along with the Black-chinned Hummingbird (Fri. 7/27/2012 Post), Anna's Hummingbird (Above) are pobably the most common hummers I have seen in the times I've been to the Southwest in the past few years. In fact if you see a Hummingbird somewhere inside the borders of the U.S. during the winter months, it is undoubtedly an Anna's. They reside along the Pacific Coast the entire year and will broaden their range in the winter months by extending into Mexico.  I have seen many Anna's in Arizona in the winter and in California in the spring and summer.

Anna's Hummingbird, Riparian Preserve, Gilbert, AZ; 4/12/2012.

To see more of my photos of Anna's Hummingbirds, check out my 4/22/2012 post about them earlier this spring:

http://northernillinoisbirder.blogspot.com/2012/04/annas-hummingbird.html

The only other Hummingbird that could possibly be seen in the winter months is the Costa's Hummer. It will hang out in the far Southwest corner of Arizona and the southern tip of California all year round, as well as the Baja Peninsula. In the summer, they will migrate slightly north into central California and the western edge of Arizona.  In the winter months it will spread south along the Pacific Coast of Mexico.

Val's photo of a male Costa's Hummingbird, Sonoran Desert Museum, Tucson, AZ; 12/27/2009.

 I saw a Costa's this Spring in the Kofa National Wildlife Refuge in the Southwest corner of Arizona, near Yuma. My photo (Below) wasn't very sharp, but Val caught an excellent close up of one at the Sonoran Desert Museum, near Tucson a couple of years ago (Above). Male Costa's have a beautiful purple gorget, which wings out to the sides of the throat.

A female Costa's Hummingbird, Kofa Nat. Wildlife Refuge, Yuma, AZ, 4/6/2012.

So unles you are are south of the border, Costa's and Anna's are likely to be the only hummers you'll see in the Winter.

Short-billed Dowitchers - Famosa Slough

Short-billed Dowitchers on the Famosa Slough, San Diego, CA; 4/7/2012.

As long as I have been talking about Dowitchers this weekend (my past two posts), I saw my first Short-billed Dowitchers (Above) last week at the Famosa Slough, which is a nicely preserved wetlands not far from the Ocean Beach area in San Diego, CA.

A Short-billed Dowitcher searching for its meal, Famosa Slough, San Diego, CA; 4/7/2012.

Like its Long-billed cousins, Short-billed Dowitchers are common on mudflats and shallow ponds and sport the long bill. They look very much the same and are difficult to ditinguish from eachother. Short-bills are only a 1/2" smaller than their long-billed cousins and their bills are just slightly shorter (hence their names); however, out in the field this is not always evident.

Short-billed Dowitchers, Famosa Slough, San Diego, CA; 4/7/2012.

A better way of differentiating between these two similar sandpipers is during the breeding season, the Short-bill's plumage has more white on its undersides (Above), whereas, the Long-bills have more of a solid rufous coloring.

A Short-bill coming for a landing, joining its sleeping brothers, Famosa Slough, San Diego, CA; 4/7/2012.

Except for wintering on the Californian Pacific Coast, Short-billed Dowitchers are more likely to be found in the Eastern half of the U.S. especially during migration seasons. They will spend winters along both coasts, but when they migrate to their Summer grounds in the northern reaches of Canada and along the southern coasts of Alaska and the Aleutian Islands, they can be found inland in the Central and Eastern States, but are more likely to be found along the coasts on salt-water marshes. The famosa Slough, where I spotted these guys is a salt water marsh. Long-bills will winter inland on fresh water ponds and mudflats.

American Avocet - again

American Avocet, Famosa Slough, San Diego, CA; 4/7/2012.

What Luck! Yesterday I posted photos of my first sightings of American Avocets from last December in the Riparian Preserve at Water Ranch in Gilbert, AZ. I was lamenting that the Avocets I saw were in their non-breeding plumage and that someday I would love to see them in their breeding plumage. Well, just yesterday I saw a pair of American Avocets in their full regalia of color (Above) while I was taking my Spring Break in the Southwest. Val and I were once again in Arizona, and on a whim, Val and I set out towards San Diego for a day trip, and we discovered this great wetlands, Famosa Slough, which is not too many blocks inland from the ocean beaches. We spent a couple of hours hiking the trails around the slough. I saw up to 40 different species of birds, ands among them were these beautiful birds.



A pair of American Avocets in their breeding plumage,  Famosa Slough, San Diego, CA; 4/7/2012.



Sage Thrasher at Mono Lake, CA

A Sage Thrasher checking out its territory at Mono Lake, CA; 6/16/2009

As I was chasing Violet-Green Swallows around the unique formations of Mono Lake a couple of years ago, another bird appeared suddenly scattering all the swallows off their perches. It was a Sage Thrasher (Above) which posed proudly for a few seconds before disappearing again.

The same Sage Thrasher

Its long bill and yellow eyes, a trademark of most thrashers, were very evident even while I was several yards away. This is the only time I have seen a Sage Thrasher and upon seeing it, I guessed it was a thrasher or thrush  of some type. After getting a better look at it on my computer, I was able to identify it in my Sibley Guide. Sage Thrashers are fairly common in the sage brush plains of Wyoming, Nevada , Utah, and Colorado, as well as further north into Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and Montana, and slightly into Western California. I probably saw this guy in its farthest western range. During the Winter months it will migrate into southern Texas, Arizona, and the Baja Peninsuala and much of Mexico.

The unique calcium-carbonate spires of Mono Lake, CA; 6/16/2009.

While researching places to visit during our trip to Yosemite Nat. Park, I came across images of Mono Lake, and knew right away that I didn't want to miss this area with its unique towers (Above) made of calcium-carbonate. I certainly wasn't disappointed. it was a very photogenic lake.

The snow-streaked Sierra Nevada Mountains prove to be a great backdrop for the spires of Mono Lake, CA; 6/16/2009.

White-headed Woodpecker & Black Bears on North Dome Trail, Yosemite Nat. Park

Val's photo of a White-headed Woodpecker on the North Dome Trail, Yosemite National Park, CA; 6/21/2009.

Two years ago while hiking on the North Dome Trail in Yosemite National Park, I kept seeing an interesting woodpecker with a white head along the trail, but by the time I could get a focus on it, it was gone. After that hike, wherever we went hiking in the park, I kept an eye open hoping to get another chance to see this woodpecker. But didn't see another one for the week we spent in Yosemite. Since we were tent camping (with no electricity), we couldn't always have access to see our photos, so some evenings we went to a local lodge to plug in our laptops and check out our photos.  A couple of days later while Val and I were looking at our pictures, I noticed she had a couple of photos of the White-headed Woodpecker (Above and Below).

Another of Val's photo of the White-headed Woodpecker.

White-headed Woodpeckers are not very common, but when they are observed, they are usually seen in mature coniferous woods. They are found mostly in the Northwest and California. They have a black body with a ... guess what ... a white head and a white patch on their wings. Val took a photos of the female, as the male looks the same except with a red crown.

Val on the North Dome Trail, Yosemite National Park, CA; 6/21/2009.

The North Dome Trail was a great trail with super scenery and vistas (Above). On our return back to the trail head there was a couple from Norway that was a good hundred yards ahead of us. About midway back I noticed that we were gaining on the couple, even though we ahdn't picked up our pace. I figured they stopped for a snack or to take photos and that slowed them up. Pretty soon I noticed that, not only were we gaining on them very quickly, but  they were actually coming back towards us. When they reached us, they told us there was a mother bear and her cubs on the trail, and were afraid to walk past it. I suggested that we all walk past together. The general rule of thumb is that bears will not attack a party of three or more, and since there were four of us, that was pretty good odds. As we approached, the bear was feeding next to a fallen log (Below) not more than a few feet off the trail, and its two cubs had climbed up the sides of two separate tree trunks behind her, probably from orders of their mother for safety. As we walked past the bear, she didn't even give us a look - just kept feeding. I assume that as long as her babies were behind her, they were protected and she felt they were safe from us. It would have been a different story if we happened to get in between her and her cubs - that's when mother bears get aggressive - if they feel their cubs are in danger. As we walked past, I tried to get a few photos without actually stopping because I didn't want the mother to feel threatened.

A mother black bear on the North Dome Trail in Yosemite Nat. Park; 6/21/2009.

Even though the bear above is brown, it is still considered a black bear, not a grizzly (which are cosidered the brown bear). Many black bears, especially those in California are lighter and more on the brown side than black. It's cub however was more on the black side (Below) and would probably turn lighter as it matured.

One of her cubs clinging to the side of a tree trunk. I didn't get a photo of the the other club, as I felt it wasn't in our best interest to loiter around the area.

Nothing makes for a good hike than great scenery and the added plus of wildlife. The bear and her cubs weren't the only bears we encountered on this hike. I took another interesting photo of a bear (Below).

It looks kind of like a bear head, doesn't it? North Dome Trail, Yosemite Nat. Park; 6/21/2009.

Actually it wasn't a real bear. It was a tree that had a growth on it's trunk that seemed to be in the shape of a bear's face (Above). I love nature!

Acorn Woodpecker

An Acorn Woodpecker, Yosemite, National Park, CA; 6/17/2009.

One of our best trips within the past few years took us out to the iconic Yosemite National Park. Within minutes of getting out of the car on our first day in Yosemite Valley, a woodpecker (Above) landed in a dead tree just yards from where we were admiring Upper and Lower Yosemite Falls.  I had no idea what kind of woodpecker it was. Later, after returning to our campground, I pulled out a copy of my National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Birds, I figured out that it was an Acorn Woodpecker.

The same female Acorn Woodpecker in Yosemite Valley.

As one can see by the numerous tell-tale holes bored into this dead tree (Above), it must have been a favorite spot for this Acorn Woodpecker.  These woodpeckers are found along the Pacicic Coast States of Oregon and California, as well as in Arizona, New Mexico, the extreme Southwest corner of Texas and into Mexico. They are year round residents in these states as they do not migrate. Both males and females have a glossy bluish/black body with a white belly, black breast, yellow/white throat, a white wing patch and rump, and the wide bold white eye ring. Both have red crowns, however, the male's stretch all the way to the its white forehead, while the female's red crown doesn't connect with the white forehead but is separated by a black forecrown.

Upper and Lower Yosemite Falls, the view we were looking at, when the Acorn Woodpecker entered my life; Yosemite Nat. Park, CA; 6/17/2009.

Petrified Wood National Park - Meadowlarks & Western Birds

The "Painted Desert" of the Petrified Wood National Park, AZ; 6/20/2011.

Just to break up our road trip from the West Coast back to the Midwest, we decided to drive through the Petrified Wood National Park in Arizona, and Wow, were we glad we did! The actual pieces of petrified wood (Below) we saw were pretty, but it was the colorful landscape (Above) that impressed us.

A piece of petrified wood near the Southern Visitor's Center of the Petrified Wood National Park, AZ; 6/20/2011.

As far as birding in the desert went, I didn't go there expecting to see much in the middle of the afternoon in the hot desert sun, but I did manage to see a few birds, most commonly were Mourning Doves,  House Finches, Common Ravens and American Crows. But I did manage to see a bird that is on my hard to photograph list - a Horned Lark, which I had also seen for the first time on Santa Cruz Island just a couple of days prior to this. So I was glad to have another opportunity to try to add to my photograph files. Near the Visitor's Center on the north end of the Park, I also saw a Northern Mockingbird, A Great-tailed Grackle, an Eastern Meadowlark (which initially I thought was a Western Meadowlark) and a Western Kingbird.


An Eastern Meadowlark, Petrified Wood Nat. Park, AZ; 6/20/2011.

The Eastern Meadowlark (Above) that I saw was sitting on shrubbery quite a distance away. It wasn't singing and I assumed it was a Western species, but upon looking at the photographs I decided it was an Eastern for two reasons. 1.) Its malar is white, whereas the Western's yellow throat extends onto its malar all the way to its cheeks (Below top), and 2.) In flight the Eastern's tail has more white on the edges (Below bottom).

Western Meadowlark, near Mono Lake, CA; 6/16/2009.

The wide white feathers on the sides of the tail show this to be an Eastern Meadowlark, Petrified Wood Nat. Park, AZ; 6/20/2011.

I was a bit disappointed that it wasn't a Western Meadowlark. I was hoping for more pics of a Western. What is an Eastern Meadowlark doing in Arizona anyway?

Another Eastern Meadowlark, Texas, 6/22/2011.

The same E. Meadowlark singing away.

Just two days after I photographed an Eastern Meadowlark in the Petrified Wood NP, I had an even better photo op on my Sister's homestead in Texas as an Eastern alit on a telephone wire just above me, and stayed put singing its song (Two photos Above).

Another colorful landscape of the Petrified Wood National Park, AZ; 6/20/2011.

I can't help but show another photo of the exquisite colors of the "Painted Desert" (Above) of the Petrified Wood National Park. The photo (Above) shows the lavender/bluish colors of the Blue Mesa Canyon, which were very beautifully contrasted against the the more reddish rocks.

Sunset of the Day

What better time is there than to show off a beautiful Arizona sunset, Phoenix; Dec., 2006.



Brewer's Blackbird - Western Birds

A male Brewer's Blackbird, looking for free handouts at an outdoor restaurant, Ventura, CA; 6/19/2011.

After our Wildlife Cruise to Anacapa Island in the Channel Islands National Park, we relaxed at an outdoor restaurant before we resumed our trip back towards the East. A Brewer's Blackbird (Above) made itself welcome at several tables on the patio. The wait staff was continuously chasing it away, but it was pretty persistent.

A female Brewer's Blackbird in a grocery parking lot, Newport Beach, CA; 6/15/2011.

A few days earlier, while we were restocking our groceries for our trip a female Brewer's Blackbird (Above) was very bold in the parking lot, looking for goodies that shoppers might have left behind. Needless to say, Brewer's Blackbirds are not shy and are very opportunistic for their food supply.

A Brewer's Blackbird, Rock Mt. Nat. Park; 7/8/2010.

That is not to say that brewer's Blackbirds cannot survive without human rubbish. They can and do. When we were camping in Rocky Mountain National Park last summer, there were lots of Brewers living off the fat of the land.

Great Blue heron, Ventura, CA; 6/19/2011.

Another bird made an appearance just outside the restaurant at which we were eating. A great Blue Heron (Above) landed on the dock just yards from where we were eating.

Tomorrow I will start posts from birds we saw in Arizona's Petrified Wood National Park.

Sunset of the Day

Well, actually a moonrise. Perfect conditions - a clear sky, a full moon, a still lake and snowcapped mountains contributed to this scene in Yellowstone National Park, WY; 6/11/2006.



Pink-footed Shearwater - Channel Islands Nat. Park

A Pink-footed Shearwater, Channel Islands Nat. Park, CA; 6/19/2011.

On our way back to the marina in Ventura, CA, from our Anacapa Island (Below) Wildlife Cruise in the Channel Islands National park, we encountered another pod of dolphins, and among them were the usual flocks of shearwaters (mostly Sooty) and Western Gulls. In fact I assumed that all the shearwaters were of the Sooty species, but upon looking at my photos, one shearwater that was floating on the sea's surface near our boat looked a bit diffrent than the rest. It had a paler bill and lighter throat. So researching photos and information about the seven differen shearwaters that can be found in different locations of the Pacific, only the Pink-footed Shearwater (Above) has a bill of this color that could be found off the coast of California. The only other species that has a pinkish bill is the Flesh-footed Shearwater from New Zealand, but it is dark overall.

A view of Anacapa Island of the Channel Islands Nat. Park, CA; 6/19/2011.

A Pink-footed Shearwater, Channel Islands Nat. Park, CA; 6/19/2011.

The Pink-footed Shearwater (Above) became #312 on my birding Life List. Thank you to the pod of dolphins (Below)  that attracted this bird to our boat. These shearwaters are common visitors from its nesting grounds off the South American coast of Chile.

A dolphin mugging for the camera in the Channel Islands Nat. Park, CA; 6/19/2011.

Sunset of the Day

The evening sunlight cast a red glow on the craters of Mauna Kea, the highest peak in Hawaii. What makes this photo interesting is that we drove up a long road to reach this point. The road began beneath the clouds of a gray day. Then as we ascended, we rose above the clouds to give this rather unearthly view; 7/1/2008.



Anacapa Island - Brandt's, Pelagic & Double-crested Cormorants

Sea Lions, Cormorants, Pelicans, and Gulls, Oh My!

An arch on the wild side of Anacapa Island, Channel Islands Nat. Park, CA; 6/19/2011.

California Sea Lions resting after a hard day's work, Anacapa Island, Channel Islands Nat. Park, CA; 6/19/2011.

It seems like the majority of the wildlife we saw on our Anacapa Island Wildlife Cruise were Western Gulls, Brown Pelicans, Sea Lions (Above), and Cormorants. The three different species of Cormorants we saw were Double-crested (Below - which I have seen in many places before), Brandt's and Pelagic, both which are new additions to my Life List (#308-309).

A rookery of Double-crested Cormorants, Anacapa Island, Channel Islands Nat. Park, CA; 6/19/2011.

Double-crested Cormorant, Anacapa Island, Channel Islands Nat. Park, CA; 6/19/2011.

Double-crested Cormorants have a lifespan of 16 years compared to most wild birds that only live 6 - 7 years.

Brandt's Cormorants, Anacapa Island, Channel Islands Nat. Park, CA; 6/19/2011.

Brandt's Cormorants were a new species for me. They can be found all along the Pacific Coast from the Baja Peninsula to British Columbia. They are simmilar in size and shape of Double-crested Corm. Where Double-crested Cormorants have an orange throat and lores, the Brandt's have a pale throat patch (Above & Below) on an otherwise dark body.

A flight of Brandt's Cormorants hanging around a Brown Pelican, which appears to be "King of the Hill" on this rock on Anacapa Island, Channel Islands Nat. Park, CA; 6/19/2011.

Brandt's Cormorants (the one on the right shows its blue chin), Anacapa Island, Channel Islands Nat. Park, CA; 6/19/2011.

Some Brandt's Cormorants have a blue chin next to its pale throat patch (Above).

Pelagic Cormorants, Anacapa Island, Channel Islands Nat. Park, CA; 6/19/2011.

Another new species for me was the Pelagic Cormorant (Above & Below), which is quite smaller than Double-crested and Brandt's. Pelagics grow to 28" long, while D-C and Brandt's can get up to 33" - 34".  Pelagics are dark all over and other than its smaller size, a very good identifying trait is its very thin dark bill.

A Pelagic Cormorant flying over tghe bay at Anacapa Island, Channel Islands Nat. Park, CA; 6/19/2011.

A sunset brightening up storm clouds in Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming; 6/15/2006.