When Hermit Warblers arrive in our neighborhood to breed each spring, we always have the darnedest time seeing them. The males prefer to stick to the tip-tops of the tall conifers, their presence generally undetected if not for the frequent broadcasting of song. Even less often do we glimpse a female, as they remain quiet while collecting nesting material high in the dense trees.
So, imagine our elation when we discovered a Hermit Warbler wintering around the house, sometimes viewable at eye-level! Continue reading “A Winter Warbler Surprise”
Category: Sonoma County Birding
Sit Spot on the Russian River
We’ve been visiting a sit spot along the Russian River just a 7-minute walk from our house in Guerneville. Last month, we documented several days’ worth of observations. Though this beach is a popular summer hangout, in fall and winter we usually have it all to ourselves.
Sit spots are the shelter-in-place version of birding. Instead of roaming far and wide in active search of our feathered friends, we instead stay put, pull up a chair, and let the natural world unfold in front of our eyes. Continue reading “Sit Spot on the Russian River”
Some Autumn Birding
Hello, readers – hope you all are warm and healthy! We’ve done some autumn birding locally, and wanted to share a few of the birds we’ve observed.
But before we begin with the birds, we’re excited to report our first-ever observation of a Long-tailed Weasel! We enjoyed a distant view of its periscopic head swiveling back and forth, ever alert. Continue reading “Some Autumn Birding”
PWA Monthly Bird Survey at Shollenberger (10/29/20)
Thursday, October 29, was the bimonthly bird survey at Shollenberger Park for the Petaluma Wetlands Alliance (PWA). The group gathered early, and the soft pink sunrise did not disappoint!
As with all survey mornings, a bevy of Red-winged Blackbirds declared “Good morning!” from the tules. As the sun rose, hundreds emerged en masse – here’s what it’s like to be beneath one of the emerging flocks. Continue reading “PWA Monthly Bird Survey at Shollenberger (10/29/20)”
Gualala Point Regional Park & Campground
Last week, we camped a night at Gualala Point Regional Park. Driving north along Highway 1, the scenery was jarring. The Meyers Fire had burned parts of the terrain all the way down to the ocean. Continue reading “Gualala Point Regional Park & Campground”
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. Continue reading “What’ve We Been Up To?”