Everywhere I walk this time of year I hear, and often see, song sparrows singing. They have a distinctive and melodious song. So I’m sharing with you my collection of these songsters.
While reading up on song sparrows, I learned that the males are the singers and the females do most of the nest-making. He sings, she builds. Then they both care for the young. Listen while you walk and you may hear him, too.
The Western Kingbird (Tyrannus verticalis) was a new bird for me, spotted on the last day of last week’s Half Moon Bay Coastside Trail walk. It’s a multi-pastel-colored bird (a type of flycatcher) that’s a little smaller than a robin.
According to Alvaro Jaramillo’s Field Guide to the Birds of California, this bird is a migrant here for the spring through summer breeding season. The Sibley Field Guide to Birds of Western North America says this kingbird is seen singly or in small family groups. We watched three to five together in the coastal scrub. It’s a beautiful visitor. I was happy to make its acquaintance.
Here’s my final set of best shots from the last leg of the south-to-north trek along the Half Moon Bay coast from Princeton-by-the-Sea to Moss Beach.
Enjoy and get outside. There’s so much to see.
Here’s the key by column:
Column 1: House Sparrow, Snowy Egret, Caspian Tern, Brant (geese), Common Loon, Spotted Towhee
Column 2: Western Kingbird, Red-tailed Hawk, Red-shouldered Hawk, California Towhee, Green-tailed Towhee, Song Sparrow
Column 3: Wilson’s Warbler, Steller’s Jay, Warbling Vireo, Purple Finch, Turkey Vulture
And, that’s it from me for awhile.
These are my best shots from the next part of the south-to-north trek along the coast of Half Moon Bay to Princeton-by-the-Sea. We spent our time close to shore buffeted by coastal winds.
Here’s the key by column:
Column 1: Snowy Plover + Sanderlings, Snowy Plover, Caspian Tern, Caspian Tern, Elegant Tern (flying)
Column 2: Whimbrel, White-crowned Sparrow, Bewick’s Wren, Common Yellowthroat
Column 3: Western Tiger Swallowtail (butterfly), Red-tailed Hawk, Eared Grebe, Northern Gannet (in the wrong ocean)
Here are my best shots from the first part of the south-to-north trek along the coast of Half Moon Bay. (Best doesn’t mean great, just those good enough to post.)
Enjoy.
Here’s the key by column:
Column 1: Savannah Sparrow, White-crowned Sparrow (feeding a youngster), Great-horned Owl, decorative garden grasses (I liked the pattern)
Column 2: Anna’s Hummingbird (male), cypress grove (for the pattern), Hutton’s Vireo
Column 3: American Robin, Surf Scoter, Western Bluebird
WordCraft.NatureFocus 