While at the Left Coast Crime Conference, I did not leave the hotel for almost 72 hours. The best cure for cabin fever is a birding outing with Jenny.
While out, I added a few new species to my Tahoe Big Year tally. Above are American avocets. I wish I could have gotten closer so you could see the uniqueness of its bill which is black, pointed, and curved slightly upwards towards the tip. It is long- twice the length of the bird's small, rounded head.
Another new find for me was the Say's Phoebe.
While not a new species for me, I loved these two images of the Northern flicker (Colaptes auratus), a medium-sized bird of the woodpecker family. It is native to most of North America, parts of Central America, Cuba, and the Cayman Islands, and is one of the few woodpecker species that migrate. In addition, flickers are the only woodpeckers that frequently feed on the ground. Isn't he pretty?
I love Robins!
Magpies are very common here. I think they are so uniquely beautiful.
This little guy refused to look at the camera but we think it might be a Savannah sparrow. If so, that would be my third new find of the day.
My fourth species is this beautiful Cinnamon Teal duck. There is little information on Cinnamon Teal population numbers, but the species appears to have declined between 1966 and 2015. This duck rates a 10 out of 20 on the Continental Concern Score, a common bird in steep decline. I feel so fortunate seeing one today.
Art was found in the frozen tree branches along the lake's edge.
"The most beautiful attractions
don't have a box office."
posted under |
2 comments:
Yeah...we love watching the Flickers...They have the weirdest tongue...looks like a long piece of spaghetti that "flicks" out of its mouth so fast...maybe that's how the bird got it's name????
Wow. That flicker is gorgeous!
It seems like a perfect day for bird watching!
Post a Comment