What’ve We Been Up To?

Long time, no talk, friends! We hope everyone is reading this while safe and healthy.
 
Fires are raging across the West Coast, and in August, the Walbridge Fire evacuated us from our house for a week. Residential areas of Guerneville and the surrounding towns were generally spared thanks to the herculean work of the incredible firefighters. Their tireless efforts also prevented damage to the Colonel Armstrong tree – the oldest tree within Armstrong Redwoods State Natural Reserve, estimated to be 1,400 years old!
 
Yesterday, along with the entire Greater Bay Area and beyond, we woke up to this surreal skyscape.

We’ve also been working hard on an upcoming free webinar for Sonoma Land Trust set for September 24: Birdwatching to Reduce Stress, Anxiety and Social Isolation.
 
This topic is near and dear to our heart, and one of the main reasons we fell in love with birding. We’re excited to explore how birding is a perfect way to cope with these anxiety-inducing times we’re all experiencing.

Still, we managed to take advantage of some smoke-free days to visit a few nearby birding spots – most recently, Bodega Bay. Fall migration is underway, and though the day was quiet on the migrant front, any day outdoors with the birds is a good one!
 
We finally photographed a Yellow Warbler at eye-level.

This darling Wrentit poked its head out as its mate bopped around a couple feet away.

A flock of 20 or so Bushtits blew through the low brush.

At Hole-in-the-Head, a commotion at the pond caught our attention. We looked just in time to see two Belted Kingfishers tussling so low they both dipped briefly into the water. What followed was a most incredible chase display! Slack-jawed, we watched the kingfishers chase each other in circles for 10 minutes straight, both emitting a constant barrage of aggressive rattles and screams.
 
Though we can’t be certain of the exact nature of the conflict, perhaps one bird had already laid claim to the pond while a second migrating bird thought it looked like a pretty nice spot to set up shop for the winter.

Listen below to a recording of the fierce chase-calls. After plenty of standard “rattle” calls, the intensity really ratchets up at 0:30 seconds. The grunting calls at 0:38 seconds were a fun new sound for us. We felt so lucky to observe such an awesome and extended behavioral display unfold!

A morning spent exploring Russian Gulch State Beach yielded an especially fun surprise – a female/immature-type Hooded Warbler! Rare in Sonoma County, Hooded Warblers are an East Coast bird so the sight of it was quite unexpected.
 
At first, the bright lemon-yellow underparts and olive back and wings evoked a Wilson’s Warbler flitting through the willows. But, we noticed a distinct dark semicircle pattern surrounding its yellow face. Because the bird was so incredibly skulky, we only managed a few looks – it darted low and deep inside the tangle, only occasionally appearing at the edge.
 
We took the world’s worst photograph of the back of the bird – still, it showed a sliver of the yellow face bordered by an olive semicircle “hood” with a darker section of black.

Willow Flycatchers have been fairly abundant during this year’s fall migration. Here’s one of several we observed that same day at Russian Gulch.

During migration, Willow Flycatchers typically make their common “whit” call, but one morning while exploring Willow Creek Road we heard a “zree-bew” phrase, more often given on their breeding grounds.

For reference, here’s the Willow Flycatcher’s more typically heard “whit” call.

Also at Willow Creek, this mantis caught our eye… looks like we caught its eye as well!

We enjoyed our first Jenner Hawkwatch of fall – spotting Red-tailed Hawks, Turkey Vultures, a few American Kestrels, and one Osprey. Though the raptor action was slow this early in the season, the magnificent creature below graced us with its presence on a nearby ridge.

We visited West County Regional Trail, another favorite locale, where this Green Heron kept watch above a farm pond.

A Hutton’s Vireo explored trail-side, while its congener the Cassin’s Vireo flitted around nearby. Though similar, the Hutton’s Vireo is a more diffuse olive color overall, while the Cassin’s Vireo sports a smooth gray head that contrasts with its white throat. The Cassin’s Vireo also typically shows a dark line between the eye and bill that creates a characteristic “spectacled” look.

As golden hour approached, this California Towhee (one of our special favorites) molting its head feathers soaked up the late afternoon sun.

We hope all of you are safe and sound out there during these uncertain and trying times. Please join us and register for our free September 24 webinar if you can!
 
May the birds help keep us all sane!