Even the most common bird species offer a wealth of fascination if you simply tune in to the minutia of their daily lives. Breeding season is fantastic for observing behavior, as bird activity is bustling. Our dedicated home-patch birding during the pandemic has allowed us to closely follow the progression of breeding activity in our neighborhood. Continue reading “Home-Patch Breeding Bird Activity”
Author: Miles & Teresa Tuffli
1-Mile Radius Discoveries
When the COVID-19 shelter-in-place order was initially issued back in March and the county parks subsequently shut down, it became clear to us that non-essential travel was prohibited. Since we interpreted driving to see birds as sadly non-essential, we knew we had a lot of neighborhood-birding in store! Continue reading “1-Mile Radius Discoveries”
25 Birds of the Redwood Forest & Russian River (Spring Edition)
Coast redwoods and douglas-firs dominate our home patch near the Russian River in Northern California. A short distance from our front door, we can view the river from above and can also access a fire road that winds through the mixed evergreen forest. With spring breeding season in full swing, we wanted to share some species we’re fortunate to observe on a typical walk. Continue reading “25 Birds of the Redwood Forest & Russian River (Spring Edition)”
Birding By Ear Lesson #3: Cooing Columbidae – Mourning Dove, Eurasian Collared-Dove, and Band-tailed Pigeon
In this third Birding By Ear lesson, we’ll address three members of the Columbidae family (doves and pigeons) – the Mourning Dove, Eurasian Collared-Dove, and Band-tailed Pigeon.
All three make similar but distinctive “advertising coos.” Each of these three sounds are most often performed by a male looking to attract a mate or defend a breeding territory, and thus, are generally recognized as songs. These three “songs” might be heard year-round, but performances peak in breeding season. Continue reading “Birding By Ear Lesson #3: Cooing Columbidae – Mourning Dove, Eurasian Collared-Dove, and Band-tailed Pigeon”
California Towhee: Friend of the Fox
We’ve arrived at the end of our California Towhee Week. After flooding your inboxes with all things Cal Towhee, we’re pleased to report we only lost one blog subscriber! Our last post is about an encounter that left us scratching our heads. Continue reading “California Towhee: Friend of the Fox”
California Towhee: The “Birb” Factor
For Day 6 of California Towhee Week, we’re presenting the “birb” factor of this charming bird. Continue reading “California Towhee: The “Birb” Factor”