Yard Birds and Loon

On Wednesday I was driving by the Cap Sante Marina on my way to do errands when I spied a loon in the NW corner of the basin. I had almost taken my camera with me but since I hadn’t I made a quick trip back to the house to retrieve it. By the time I returned the loon had disappeared. I finally found it once more but was unable to get any photos before it again mysteriously disappeared. All told I had at least an hour and a half of search time with nothing to show for it but a couple of close-up photos of a White-crowned sparrow… but it was sitting on a marina cart which reduced my appreciation of the photograph.

I’ve spent considerable time on at least two afternoons this week watching and photographing birds in the yard. The biggest news with respect to yard birds is that the quail are back. I had a male and female fly into bushes only about eight feet from me on one occasion but they quickly left when they realized I was so near. We’ve seen a total of four so far (and possibly more this Sunday morning) and are hoping for a successful breeding season. The quail have been quite scarce for the past many months, possibly due to the presence of one or more coyotes in the Cap Sante area.

The next biggest piece of news is that we still have at least three Golden-crowned sparrows (see photo) on the premises with no apparent effort to leave for their breeding grounds north of here. Two of these individuals are in full breeding plumage and the other is either in transition or possibly a female. The usual course of events is that the birds leave just about the time they are acquiring their breeding plumage.

One of the neighbors, who is a jogger notified me last week that she had found a ‘bird’ in the street by my house and left it for me. It turned out to be a White-crowned sparrow and I had seen only one in the yard up until that time. It worried me that I might have none this spring, but in watching my brush pile yesterday I discovered that I had at least four, a record for this location.

Other birds visiting the yard or feeders: American robin(s) (whom I suspect are nesting in the forest nearby), Rufous hummingbirds, Northern flickers, a Downy woodpecker, a single Bushtit (a rarity in terms of sightings in the yard and whom I again suspect must be nesting nearby), one or two Pine siskins, American goldfinches (my sunflower seed versus the neighbor’s thistle seed), crows, Rock pigeons (I need to be more proactive in sending them on their way), House sparrows and House finches. Unfortunately I’m still waiting to see some spring warblers. I should also probably mention that we had a Douglas squirrel in one of the fir trees this week, a welcome change from the Eastern Gray squirrels.

I continue to refine my yard habitat, mostly with the goal of obtaining better photos of the visiting birds. Yesterday I was utilizing a special feeder I’ve made for photographic purposes and I have to say that it is working perfectly and exactly as designed/intended. However I do plan some enhancements to it.

This was such a good photo of a male Rufous hummingbird that I couldn't help but post it, despite the fact that it was sitting on a feeder.  I waited a long time for it to come to the water feature but it didn't during the time I waited. 

Female Rufous hummingbird in water feature...

White crowned sparrow...

Golden-crowned sparrow...