We have new babies!!

No, not in our house, but on the golf course. Let me explain myself.

I was curious as to why a pair of Canada Geese (Branta canadensis) had not left with the rest of the flock. I watched and last week saw three babies accompanying the parents around a pond on the golf course. Ahhh, mystery solved.

Then, today, I saw two separate families of Canada Geese, one with three new goslings, and one with two. Now the babies are about half the size of their parents and following them around. It was fun to watch the little ones mimicking their parents. When the adults dipped their bills into the pond, so would the babies. I will keep an eye on the new arrivals and keep track of their progress.



I also noticed something while taking the family photos. One of the adults, the female I think, has a narrow white ring around the base of the neck and was somewhat smaller than the other. I thought it was an Aleutian, but the bill seems too long and the ring on my bird was too narrow according the picture in Sibley's guide. I thought it might possibly be a Cackling Goose, but the head was not round and the bill too long on my bird, although the neck ring is narrow and more subtle on the Sibley guide picture like my bird. I am wondering if it is just a variation of the more Common Canada Goose, with a necklace, or a hybrid Aleutian and Common subspecies? I am open to any suggestions, please email me at philparker02@gmail.com.

Note the subtle ring around the base of the neck of this bird. It is hard to show here, but this is somewhat smaller than its' partner.

This is the partner and clearly a Common Canada Goose, (Branta canadensis), for comparison.


While following and watching the geese, I saw a family of Mallards, (Anas platryhnchos), swimming in the pond. It was great watching the little squadron moving in a controlled manner around the edge of the pond.


I also saw what I believe to be a Spotted Sandpiper, (Actitis macularia) working its way around the edge of the pond. This one had the particular bobbing behavior I read about. This means the bird probed the mud along the waters edge, then looked like it was going to sit down, then changed it's mind and stood up, then sit, then stand, bobbing up and down three or four times. It would then walk along probing the mud, then bob up and down three or four times again.


I saw this bird while photographing the geese, and when I walked toward it saw it disappear on the near bank of the pond. I walked to where I saw it vanish, and couldn't find it. Then, within a foot of my, well...foot, the bird flushed and flew to the far bank and went about it's business as if nothing had happened.

I saw a couple other birds while wandering around the golf course, one was an American Widgeon, (Anas americana), sitting with a pair of Mallards. I don't know why this one did not leave with the flock of several hundred that come each year and leave in April sometime. Any ideas?


Also, skimming the top of the pond for bugs was a Kingbird, (Tyrannus verticals).


You might be a birdnerd if...you spend a beautiful Sunday morning walking the golf course taking family photos of the birds who have taken residence there.

Last Birdwalk at CV Wildbird Center for the year

Awww! Today was the last birdwalk of the season for the Coachella Valley Wildbird Center. Sandy Swan led the group, fighting through a case of laryngitis to do so. Elizabeth and her fiance helped spot birds, calling out from time to time. He was amazing at spotting birds without using binoculars. Well done, sir!

It was an amiable group of about 13 people who braved the rising temperatures to wander around the wetlands searching for birds. Or perhaps in order to earn the cinnamon rolls Linda York was baking back at the main house. Either way, it was fun.

We started out on the ponds, but today the only thing we saw on the closest pond was a "No Swimming" sign. It was a good thing there was this warning, too, as it would have been very difficult to swim there safely. At one point a Canada Goose with two adopted goslings walked across this pond to sit lazily in the shade behind the main house.


We walked, talked, and called out birds we saw as we chattered away walking from the ponds, to the large Cottonwood trees at the east end of the property. We then wandered along the fence toward the ponds and had a Killdeer, (Charadrius vociferus), very upset at us for getting too close to her nest. The vociferus portion of this bird's name is very apt. During our walk there were several Killdeer being very vociferous. We never found a nest, but the birds made every effort to gain our attention and take it away from the nest. They called loudly, ran in front of us, flew in circles close by trying to draw us into a chase away from the area. The only thing we didn't see was the injured wing act, in which the Killdeer drops one wing down and drags it as it limps away in order to make the predator believe it is injured and vulnerable, only to fly away when the attacker tries for the easy meal. As Sandy said, we walked past in order to keep the Killdeer from getting a heart attack they were so alarmed.

We saw a small flock of Yellowheaded Blackbirds that disappeared before I could get a picture. At the ponds we saw male and female Cinnamon Teal, (Anas cyanopthera), Redhead, (Aythya americana) as well as Shovelers and Mallards, Coots and Moorhens.

Sandy was able to help some of us tell the difference between the Canvasback (Aythya valisineria) and the Redhead. The Redhead, which we had at the ponds, has the blue bill with the black tip and the darker gray body. The body is gray as the Canvasback, but the Redhead is a little darker, which is a good secondary feature to look for, but the bill color is a clincher as the Canvasback is black.

(A Redhead between two Eared Grebes)

Don, one of the leaders of the birdwalks at The Living Desert, called out Eared Grebes(Podiceps nigricollis) on the first pond, but no one else saw them. They turned out to be on the second and third ponds, in full breeding plumage. Someone called him the Nostradamus of birdwatchers, seeing birds in the future.

(A pair of Eared Grebes that Don predicted would appear)

(A Ruddy Duck in full breeding plumage)

Later, Elizabeth found a Western Grebe, (Aechmorphorus occidentals), in the last pond we strolled around. This was after she retrieved a used Marsh Wren nest and proudly displayed it as she walked back to the group.

Speaking of Marsh Wrens, (Cistothorus palustris), there were many in the reeds around all of the ponds. One of the wrens was building a nest near the tower. I was able to get closer and got a couple pics of the little fellow industriously weaving his nest. It was fun to note that he used wet pieces of reed that had fallen into the water as material to weave together as a nest. I always marvel at their skill in nestbuilding, without the use of hands. I can't build furniture from IKEA with directions and a helpline, as well as hands and opposable thumbs, so using feet and a beak is amazing to me.


After wandering the ponds and seeing Caspian Terns, White-Faced Ibis flying overhead, a Red-Tail Hawk landing in a large Cottonwood tree near the entrance, we went back to the main house where the cinnamon rolls were ready. Coffee, cinnamon rolls and a couple bird guides were on the table as the count of the day was tallied. Linda's baby ducks, Burrowing Owl, Kestrel, and other patients were witness to the last day of the season. I am sure they were, like us, looking forward to October when the birdwalks will start up again.

(Elizabeth and Sandy on the left working on the count of the day)

You might be a birdnerd if... you hike for hours for cinnamon rolls.

Backyard surprises

Ok, so I am retired and hanging around the house a lot. I have had the opportunities to do a lot more birding than I have before, such as all the Christmas Bird Counts, outings at the Coachella Valley Wildbird Center, The Living Desert and more. It has been great.

So, while I am puttering around the house I noticed something different at the feeders. This is late April early May, so Spring is ending and all the snowbirds (both literally the migrating birds and the Canadians who come to the desert for winter), have fled to cooler climes. So this time of year we see several birds come through our yards, such as the Black-Headed Grosbeak, and Hooded Orioles. Every year I see a few Brown Headed Cowbirds show up at my feeders. This year I have seen flocks, sometimes fifteen to twenty at a time. Today, in amongst the Brown Headed Cowbirds, I saw something different.

I was sitting with Andi, my lovely wife of nearly 30 years, on our patio talking, when I jumped up and ran to the bedroom, (now, now, this is a family blog!) grabbed my camera and rushed back. There he was, a Bronzed Cowbird, (Molothrus avenues), was feeding at one of my feeders. As you can see from this photo, it is larger, and has a very red eye. It wasn't a life bird like I first thought, but it had been years since I had seen one. I apologized to my wife, but by this time she was very understanding.




The next day or so I walked by an open window at the front of my house and looked over at the golf course that we live across the street from, and saw something exciting. I again rushed for my camera, and out into the golf course I went in my flip-flops and dirty t-shirt.

I stalked my prey and was able to snap some photos of a mother and father Mallard duck,(Anas plantyrhinchus), and their duckling.


But my real prey was much bigger. Literally, two Canada Geese, (Branta canadensis), were herding their three goslings around the pond on the course. I was allowed some photos with promises of some wallet sized for their albums, and share them with you today.

Notice the size of the baby goose compared to the Widgeon, (Anas americana), that is full grown and really should have left for the north a couple weeks ago. Now he is the favorite uncle and helping out the proud parents.

You might be a birdnerd if... you lose all your manners and rush to see a new bird in the middle of a conversation. You might be married to a birdnerd if you understand completely, because it has happened so many times before.