I Am Yardbirder

Google. Facebook. Netflix. Apple. Bourbon, Bastards, and Birds. What do all these entities have in common? Well, yes...we are all on the internet, that is true. But what you are supposed to deduce is that we are all giants of Silicon Valley. That's right...BB&B pulled up stakes from Albany and Alameda County and moved right into the dark heart of the future of the world, which is in San Jose, California. I'm not endorsing this future, but it's here and people seem to love it.

One reason we are here in San Jose is because of the house we are renting. The house is a very typical suburban home, ideal for the familial situation I am currently in. But the house is ideal in another way...it has a yard...right next to a couple of ponds and Guadalupe Creek, meaning the yardbirding potential is very good. Despite my total lack of interest regarding living in San Jose I couldn't say no to this house. I work from home now, so what better way to stay sane than to yardbird like a fiend?

Our neighbors have a large pepper tree that attracts quite a few birds. A flock of Cedar Waxwings were in this tree every day earlier in the spring.

I knew this place could be interesting, but the yardbirding has totally exceeded expectations so far. As you can see above, in the month of May, Rancho del Bastardos recorded the highest yard list in all of California. Amazing! I've recorded a number of semi-rarities that were flagged in eBird, and one very popular rarity that was chased by a large number of people...luckily they could get to it from the other side of the ponds, instead of rampaging through my yard. I'm still missing a lot of locally common birds though, so when fall rolls around I think I'll be adding a great number of species. 80 species is the current grand total for Rancho del Bastardos, which I am chuffed with since we've only lived here since late April. The water level for one of the ponds behind the house is currently dropping, so if I'm lucky I can get a shorebird or three in July when the migrants return (so far I only have Killdeer and Spotted Sandpiper). Ideally, a violetear or something like that will show up at the hummingbird feeders in the meantime (hey, it happened in Berkeley), but I ain't holding my breath.

Of course, this isn't the first time I've had good yardbirding...field housing can be very rewarding, particularly in places like Veracruz, Mexico, the Aleutian Islands, Midway Atoll, southeast Arizona, etc. Lots of great birds in those yards. However, I was only at those places a few months each...Rancho del Bastardos is my real home, where bastards roam free and I can actually put up 10,000 feeders if I wanted to.

Power lines are unsightly, but they provide great perches! Northern Rough-winged Swallows perch over the yard regularly, since they are often out foraging over the ponds. So far, 5 species of swallows seen from the backyard and 2 species of swift, all of which are here on the reg. I did look for Black Swift last month but it looks like I will have to try again next year.

This Budgerigar was not an expected bird at all. It was here for two or three days and vanished.

Mourning Doves are pleasantly common in the yard. Even more pleasantly, there are not many Eurasian Collared-Doves around here - I have only seen one so far from the Rancho. That's a good dove ratio. Now if only the cowbirds and House Sparrows would stay the fuck away...

Some people, namely Flycatcher Jen, think it's just hilarious that I've apparently gone full Geri and gotten so into yardbirding. I think it is perfectly normal...I just haven't had a suitably birdy yard (not counting field housing) since 2005 or something like that. My last "yard" in Albany was a thin strip of cement, and before that in Oakland it was a cat-ridden hell...attracting birds would have been a bad idea. At any rate, yardbirding is just a natural extension of my birdfiend tendencies, you see?

Any serious yardbirder in this day and age of digital crushing needs to put up more than feeders to optimize their yard...they need to put up some fake perches! This one can support the weight of a couple Band-tailed Pigeons. The Band-taileds are still pretty wary, I had to shoot through the sliding glass door while rolling around on the living room floor all ninja style to get this. Not too bad though eh? That is the power of the fake perch. In fact, I'm considering quitting my day job to become a fake perch consultant.

BB&B has been in the blogosphere since 2008. We are ancient, in blog years. Since then we have told many stories, featured many birds, made fun of many birders. What we have never done in all that time is post a picture of an Oak Titmouse. Let me put your titmouse worries to rest; they are, indeed, still extant. Luckily, titmice are frequent visitors to our feeders and this one decided to use one of my fake crush-perches to work on a sunflower seed.

I've been using a squirrel-proof tube feeder and a hummingbird feeder so far, and just added a nyjer feeder and another hummingbird feeder. Nobody has discovered the nyjer feeder yet, but hopefully the goldfinch hordes will descend upon us soon. A substantial amount of the yard vegetation that was here when we moved in has been removed and replaced...we've planted a grip of salvias and some other stuff too (a coffeeberry is our pride and joy) but none of it has really taken off yet to the point that it is bloggable. We will get there soon...maybe too soon.

How about some of the pond birds? This Mallard family sneaks under the fence to come to our feeder. Black-crowned Night-Herons are always lurking around, but unless I set out a tub of crawfish I don't think I will be feeding any.

This drain is a popular feature among the local pond-lurkers. There are a couple pairs of Green Herons around, presumably nesting in the riparian along the creek on the other side of the ponds. This is a very nice bird to see from your yard on the reg.

Here it is, the star rarity I've found so far...I present to you, in all its irony, a Common Loon. The ponds behind my house are not the sort of place you would expect a loon, and certainly not one arriving in late May. I knew it was a good bird, but I couldn't believe how many people chased it! I would sit here at my desk, look out the window and see birders coming to chase it day after day. Hilarious. Other eBird-flagged birds recorded here so far are Cackling Goose, Ruby-crowned Kinglet and Myrtle Warbler, all of which were unseasonally late.

This is the second loon species I've seen in Santa Clara County...the first was Yellow-billed!

Despite daily disturbance from off-leash dogs that go running by about 10 feet away (who go swimming in the pond) and trespassing fishermen, the Pied-billed Grebe nest below the yard managed to hatch chicks! There are six chicks, all of which have survived their first couple weeks of life. I'm not sure if this grebe pair is super smart for nesting where they did or just super lucky, but they are good parents, dutifully covering up the eggs (which were large and bright white) with algae whenever a dog or person was too close and slinking away inconspicuously. Now they can't slink away as well because of the train of stripey baby grebes that follow the adults around.

Moonrises are crushable from the yard too. Good times at Rancho del Bastardos.

What will the next addition to the Rancho list be? Hell, it's June, it could be anything...the only birds still migrating through the area are eastern vague runts, and I'm not expecting a Rose-breasted Grosbeak on the feeder (though obviously I am constantly hoping for one). Let's face it, Brewer's Blackbird is probably next.

I'll keep you posted on the avian events at Rancho del Bastardos as time goes on...after all, this is where I do most of my birding.

Semilocal Birding - Love, Contempt, a Prairie Falcon and a Falcon of the Prairie

Common as they may be, I've never been ungrateful for Common Loons...they have one of the best bird calls in the world, forage for crabs excellently and dive righteously. They are better-looking than Red-throated Loons, more approachable than Pacifics/Arctics, and only occasionally resemble Yellow-billed Loons...which are probably a more interesting bird, but I've only seen a couple. Emeryville Marina, Emeryville (duh), California (duh duh duh).

In recent years it has been a struggle to keep up with my formerly furious pace of blogging that once went hand-in-hand with The Perpetual Weekend...what is dead may never die. This is not due to a decreased interest in the Birdosphere or even laziness (!), but due to the horrible reality of having a permanent, full-time job...and now a full-time baby. Looking at my recent posts, I am happy to see a wide range of subjects being covered...Puerto Rico, eBird, Humboldt County, Ventura County, the "internet" (whatever that is), and best of all, Cass' Swainson's Thrush post...but one topic is noticeably absent. Where the fuck is the local birding?

Somehow, the bread and butter of almost all bird blogs has gone woefully unblogged in the past couple months. This blog glitch will now be fixed.

Pick your jaw up off the floor, dear reader...yes, this really is a SPOTTED SANDPIPER.

Fascinating that so many sandpiper and plover species can cram into so many different habitats, but the Spotted Sandpiper alone (in North America anyway) is willing to breed along rivers, creeks and mountain lakes. An ingenious move, as far as avoiding competition. Maybe this explains why they are so undiscerning about habitat selection outside of the breeding season...once they've mastered habitats that no other shorebird would dare to breed in, they can live anywhere.

Sadly, living in California does come with birding disadvantages, and the lack of sea duck diversity is one that stings every winter. Sure there are a couple Black Scoters here and a Harlequin Duck there, but Surf Scoter is the only common one. Keeping in line with this trend, Long-tailed Duck is a nice low-level rarity, and two in one place is a lot in California. These were the only Long-tailed Ducks I saw last year 😥. By the way, the caption in the Blogger toolbar for that emoji reads "Disappointed but relieved face."

San Francisco isn't that far from the east bay, but I've yet to bird it in 2017. I've caught a couple good shows there at least.

In January, very soon before Annabelle was born, I convinced Billy that going to see a Black-tailed Gull in Monterey was important for some reason. I thought I would dip...my luck with chasing Vague Runts had been exceptionally good for almost a year, and I was due to miss out on a lifer...and miss it we did! There were hardly any gulls to look through, and the bonus Slaty-backed Gull that had been hanging around was also absent. The lone birding highlight of the day was noticing a pair of Tundra Swans in a small slough as we ripped through the sky drove above them on an overpass.  Ah, what a relief...a sweet sweet self-found rarity, and a bird I missed entirely in 2016. Photographed south of Castroville.

After dipping on the Black-tailed Gull, I figured it was time I dip on something closer to home...the Harris's Sparrow at the Las Gallinas Ponds in Marin. This highly desirable bird had been present for several weeks, and it was high time I unsuccessfully searched for it. Despite putting in a great deal of time loitering around the parking lot waiting for the bird to show, I failed. Fortunately, this is a very birdy site in winter, so all was not lost. Lincoln's Sparrows are usually on the retiring side, but this one was bolder than most.

Song Sparrows are a great deal more common and confiding. Unlike their Lincoln's brethren, who swear a vow of silence every winter, Song Sparrows happily sing year-round.

Since we are on the topic of common birds that some of you are probably wincing at, this Common Yellowthroat should not surprise you. Sadly, California has just four common warbler species that overwinter - Yellow-rumped, Townsend's, Orange-crowned and yellowthroats. This is not an ideal situation. Hopefully a certain proposed split will pass, and we will have five species of warblers instead. Speaking of which...

Large numbers of Audubon's (above) and Myrtle Yellow-rumped Warblers both winter in the area. Perhaps no bird more personifies the phrase "familiarity breeds contempt". There is nothing at all about them that is not likable, they are just so fucking common that by the time you have been birding in this state a few years you have said or thought the phrase "Just a Yellow-rump" more than any other phrase you've said or thought in your life.

Here is a Myrtle, for your edification. I'm a bit more partial to Myrtles than Audubon's, partially because they have a more interesting face pattern and partially because they are kinda rare down Ventura way, which is where I started birding. Unfamiliarity breeds love. The vast majority of Audubon's and Myrtle alike will be gone within a month, but we will see the likes of them again.

Few of California's birds spend more time on the wing than the White-throated Swift, which are often easier to see near freeway overpasses (where they will roost and nest) than traditional birding spots. The Las Gallinas Ponds are a haven for swift and swallow alike throughout the year, so they can make for a good place to get good looks and poor photos of our only expected winter swift.

Good morning old friend.

Ah, the Sora. Few birds are so humble, yet so successful. You can see a Sora in the Yukon Territories, you can see a Sora in Ecuador. They are pleasant to come across wherever you may be.

This may look like a run-of-the-mill Red-winged Blackbird to you, but this is a mellow oh-that's-nice bird for discerning bay area birders. Bicolored Blackbirds are the abundant Red-winged form here, and females are extremely drab and dark, looking eerily similar to Tricolored Blackbirds. Bright, well-marked females like this are clearly from other realms, and stand out readily from the locals.

A solid highlight of the morning was Haynoring a Prairie Falcon perched on a transmission tower a mile away for a self-found sweet-but-hearty Marin County bird. Well, checking eBird, it looks like someone else found it a couple weeks earlier, but hey I didn't know that at the time. Speaking of falcons of the prairie...

Mmm yes, a prairie falcon indeed...this "Prairie" Merlin jumped off a fence post and took a bath in a puddle. This is what some would call a "lifer situation". I only see 1-2 Prairie Merlins per winter in California, so this crisp blue-backed bastard was a very good follow-up to the Prairie Falcon.

No Harris's Sparrow, but very good birding otherwise...my Marin County Snow Goose was foraging near the access road on the way out. Two Marin birds! Billy didn't go into labor while I was birding! Great success!

Black, White, Gray, Brown

It's winter now. All the birds seem to be black, white, gray, brown. When I first started birding, Horned Grebes were relatively uncommon where I lived. For some reason, part of my brain now thinks they are uncommon everywhere, so I still get a little worked up whenever I see more than a couple in one spot. Of course, in the bay area, not only are Horned Grebes common, they are easily crushable. Photographed at the Berkeley Fishing Pier.

I first started birding the Berkeley Fishing Pier (next to the Berkeley Marina...in Berkeley) a few years ago when someone found an approachable Yellow-billed Loon. Of course, I never saw it (my success rate when chasing this species is famously low), but its a fun nearby place to check in winter for loons, diving ducks, etc. There's always a few Common Loons hanging out.

The only place I've ever taken Bufflehead photos that I like is at Lake Merritt. It's also the only place where I've gotten likable shots of Tufted Duck, Common Goldeneye, Canvasback, Redhead...you get the idea. Go there some time.

When I first started out birding, the rainbow of colors locked away in the blackness of the bird's head always fascinated me. It was impossible to see at any distance, but close up, the greens/blues/purples lit up in a certain way that I've still not quite seen on any other bird. It still mesmerizes me.

High on the list of birds that no one wants look at pictures of is female Surf Scoter. Visually, she just doesn't have much to offer besides an oversized bill and a white spot on the cheek. Female Surfs get misidentified as Black Scoters from time to time, due to the variety of cheek patterns they can sport; at times they can appear almost white-cheeked, like a female Black. The bill size should always give these birds away though, as Black Scoters are not nearly as obnoxious looking. Sorry you had to see this. Photographed at the Berkeley Fishing Pier.

Of course, adult male Surf Scoters are very pleasing, although they look manic and depraved much of the time. Photographed at the Berkeley Fishing Pier.

Even more uninteresting than a female Surf Scoter is a young male Surf Scoter. I would say they go beyond boring to actually unpleasant to look at. Gross.

Speaking of boring and unpleasant, here is a molting male Eurasian Wigeon photographed earlier in the fall. You can see some of the gray feathering coming in on the back that we are more accustomed to seeing on males this time of year. Photographed at the Corte Madera Wetlands in Larkspur, CA.

It's nice to have a lot of shorebirds around in winter, although the rare shit from earlier in the fall almost never sticks around for the cold months. Oh well, sometimes quantity over quality can be ok. Photographed at Shoreline Park in Oakland, CA.

Black-necked Stilts are an abundant bird on the west coast. Those in the east (and other stilt-depauperate areas of the world) are most unfortunate. Photographed at Arrowhead Marsh in Oakland, CA.

In northern California, we are blessed/cursed with a widespread population of moffitti Canada Goose, which are introduced from other parts of the country. While some consider them a minor nuisance and they surely have some sort of impact on native species, they do attract native goose species in fall and winter who are more than happy to join the flock. Why are moffitti so successful here? Berries, of course.

Bucolic Lake Merritt and its winter legion of scaup.

Nobody Likes A Cynic

Marbled Godwits leave their high tide roost to go kill some invertebrates. Mudflat-dwellers beware. Arcata, CA.

Good day to you birder, and welcome to another fantastic, hubris-filled edition of Bourbon, Bastards and Birds. I know you must be frothing at the mouth to hear what I have to say....the proverbial Good Word, if you will.

Well...although I am, without doubt, a Leading Light in the birding community...I'm a bit too caffeinated (on shade-grown coffee, of course) to think straight. So here is a hodgepodge of pictures, with a few nonbirds for a change. Cool.

A Yellow-rumped and a Palm Warbler. Conveniently, the sign explains where this is...too bad those birds aren't always conveniently perched there.

While I was studying gulls, this man was slow-jogging backwards. What is weirder? I do not recommend this mode of transportation at any time, for any reason. Lake Merced, CA.

Common Raven. Not much to say. I dig this picture though. San Francisco, CA.

Pacific Chorus Frogberry. Arcata, CA.

Common Loon, crabcrusher. Unlike weakling sea otters, loons do not require rocks to smash their prey into oblivion.

A swarm of birders descend upon Lake Merced in search of a Louisiana Waterthrush. I particularly enjoyed the circle of loud, gossiping birders that drowned out all sound anywhere near them. That is the most efficient way to attract rare birds.

Female Northern Shoveler. She is a master of water-filtration. Fremont, CA.

Bill Murray...Many Souls Must Be Trampled...Never Trust An Addict...The Turtle Mountains

I ran into a Black Tern nesting colony on my way to the Turtles, and was obliged to stop and have a cup of tea with them.

Oh man. It's another day in North Dakota. There's kind of a Groundhog Day vibe going on here recently. Call me Bill Murray. Or not. That would be weird, I don't look like him, but there are worst names to be called right? Sure. Anyways, every day is a little different, but one thing remains same. Every fucking day I have to endure Two And A Half Men blaring in the goddamn living room for hours at a time if I want to be able to get internet access. Goddamn...who are these people? Where did they come from? And why do they insist on watching this shit? Can evolution skip a generation? I mean, I can cope with the constant South Park, Family Guy, Tosh.0....but being subjected to this show over and over again brings on a sharp and sudden sense of Fear and Loathing. Hunter S. Thompson once said, "For every moment of triumph, for every moment of beauty, many souls must be trampled." This is true. For every picture I posted today I had to listen to the soulless dialogue of a Two And A Half Men Episode. 

Remember....never trust an addict. Especially the television sort.

Anyways. I feel like a true creature of habit. The slowly changing birdlife does, peripherally, keep me informed that time marches on, despite the Two And A Half Men reruns telling me otherwise.

A little bit ago I took a camping trip to the Turtle Mountains, which straddle the Canadian border. It was a good change of pace...prairie birds were replaced with things like Yellow-throated and Philadelphia Vireos, Great-crested Flycatchers, Chestnut-sided Warblers. Mountain lakes contained nesting Common Loons, Red-necked Grebes, and Buffleheads. If you're ever in the state and want something to do other than the gratuitous Sprague's Pipit and Baird's Sparrow hunt, go turtling!

The deadly gaze of a Red-eyed Vireo.

Common Loony Tunes.

Franklin's Gulls were working the flooded Souris River, swooping down for the occasional bit of edible flotsam. It reminded me of how at home they can appear over an ocean, rather than a prairie.

Ahhh, the muskrat. They will burrow their way into your heart. You may take that figuratively or literally.

The towhee of mystery. Sang Eastern and Spotted songs. Looks more like an Eastern, but with a few extra spots? Hybrid? 

I've come to the logical conclusion that Swainson's Hawk is my spirit bird for 2011....I did work at Swainson's Hawk Bird Observatory in Mexico, after all, and some of the tens of thousands I saw down there could be the same ones that call North Dakota their summer home. Sick.