(July 6-9, 2007) - The first bird I spot this week is an adult male WESTERN TANAGER, an uncommon sight this time of year. The bird everyone talks about one morning on the Bird Walk is an adult male HOODED ORIOLE. He poses for a minute on a palm tree, and we “ooh” and “aah” for a minute while viewing that beautiful bird through binoculars. The three young COOPER'S HAWKS are jumping from branch to branch and occasionally flying to more distant perches. It’s thrilling to watch them learn the fundamentals of flight. One afternoon while I am looking toward the nest, a clumsy young hawk nervously flies a few feet over my head before landing awkwardly on a nearby branch. A guest behind me comments that she thought the hawk was going to land on my head.

38 species

(June 29-July 2, 2007) - As I relax in a hammock under the large oak tree near the mountain hike stretch area, LAWRENCE’S and LESSER GOLDFINCHES attack the thistle seed as if they haven’t eaten for days. BLACK-HEADED GROSBEAKS linger in the tops of the tree, trying to muster the courage to approach the mixed seed feeder while I lounge a few feet away. ANNA’S HUMMINGBIRDS buzz by my head, chasing one another in their never ending battles over territory. A red bird with a black face calmly flies by and lands in a nearby bush. The adult male NORTHERN CARDINAL may be calm, but I’m not because it’s the first cardinal I’ve ever seen at the Ranch. Tempering my excitement only slightly is the realization that Northern Cardinals in this region are considered cagebirds that have either escaped or been released. So, technically, we shouldn’t count them since they don’t arrive here on their own. However, being the rebel that I am, I’m adding it to my personal Ranch list. Please don’t report me to the authorities.

At least three of the four COOPER’S HAWK chicks perch on branches outside the nest. The fast growing adult-size youngsters do not hesitate to return to their place of birth, however, when a parent delivers a tasty snack or meal into the nest.

46 species

(June 22-25, 2007) - Four COOPER’S HAWK chicks stare out from their treetop nest into their fresh new world. The two biggest ones stand erect like seasoned yoga students; brown streaks flare out from the necks and foreheads of their mostly white bodies. A smaller sibling shows only hints of brown marks, and the smallest hawk wears an entirely white wardrobe which contrasts with its bluish eyes and dark beak.

Other species of interest:

WHITE-TAILED KITE
DOWNY WOODPECKER
WHITE-BREASTED
NUTHATCH ASH-THROATED FLYCATCHER
PHAINOPEPLA
COSTA'S HUMMINGBIRD
BLACK-CHINNED HUMMINGBIRD
WESTERN BLUEBIRD
YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT
LAWRENCE’S GOLDFINCH

42 species

(June 15-18, 2007) - A fuzzy white COOPER’S HAWK chick peers out of its treetop nest near the labyrinth. Although it’s difficult for us to see into the nest, based on the nesting results of the Cooper's Hawk during the past four years, this young hawk is probably sharing its room with siblings.

One morning the early-rising YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT repeatedly sings its varied song at 5 a.m., 38 minutes before sunrise. Five baby CALIFORNIA QUAIL sprint across the track while following their parents. What bird has a blue head and a mostly brown body? My 100th Ranch species of 2007, also known as a first summer male BLUE GROSBEAK. Other species of interest: ASH-THROATED FLYCATCHER LARK SPARROW SAGE SPARROW HOODED ORIOLE LAWRENCE’S GOLDFINCH

46 species

(June 8-11, 2007) - Fledgling WESTERN SCRUB-JAYS, sporting their youthful gray heads, hop from branch to branch and fly short distances in the trees and shrubs along the east end of the wooden bridge. When a cat crosses the bridge, the jays’ parents leap into action and become both extremely protective of their children and mighty combative toward the four-legged threat.

A COOPER’S HAWK sits at attention in its nest. Unfortunately, with every passing day the likelihood of producing chicks lessens because they have been on the nest for a long time. Hopefully, I will be proven wrong. A WHITE-TAILED KITE suns itself on its favorite perch atop a towering eucalyptus tree along the creek-side perimeter of the Rolling Hills trail. A DOWNY WOODPECKER calls from south of the Sand Volleyball court, the first time in nearly two months I have heard the Downy, a rare woodpecker in Baja. For a few seconds I get a glimpse of its white back patch before it flies. Every day six LAWRENCE’S GOLDFINCHES feast at the same feeder previously frequented by grosbeaks. The tiny birds consume the seed at a faster rate than the much larger BLACK-HEADED GROSBEAKS did a month ago.

Other species of interest:
COSTA’S HUMMINGBIRD
YELLOW WARBLER
COMMON YELLOWTHROAT
YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT
WESTERN TANAGER
BLACK-CHINNED SPARROW
BULLOCK’S ORIOLE
HOODED ORIOLE

45 species

(May 19-26, 2007) - The May Bird Week features nesting birds, hummingbirds and a shy bird that breaks out of its shell.

Species exhibiting nesting behavior include:
PACIFIC-SLOPE FLYCATCHER
HOUSE WREN
OAK TITMOUSE
COOPER’S HAWK
CALIFORNIA QUAIL
SAGE SPARROW
BUSHTIT
WESTERN SCRUB-JAY
AMERICAN CROW
HOODED ORIOLE

The hummingbird population is healthy this week, and it includes good numbers of three species: ANNA’S, COSTA’S and BLACK-CHINNED.

The YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT is usually an elusive bird that hides in thick foliage. Our chat is anything but that, boldly perching many times a day on an exposed snag while singing its wonderfully varied song. Perhaps it’s trying hard to find a mate. Maybe it has just completed a course in Toastmasters to help it overcome the fear of chatting in front of groups. Whatever the reason for its public showings, it is voted the Bird of the Week.

In the Bird Count Contest, the MK2 team identifies 48 species in the 26-hour event. A very impressive total, considering a total of 57 species are seen during the entire week.

Thanks to Phil Pryde for his presentations, for leading our inaugural Birding by Ear workshop, for co-leading the Bird Walks and especially for finding the LAZULI BUNTING on the Mountain Bird Walk. Thanks to Neil Solomon for his top-notch bird photography presentations and for his well-attended photography workshops. Thanks to the guests for their enthusiasm and thanks to the birds for being themselves.

The final 2007 Bird Week will be November 3.
2008 Bird Weeks will be January 19, April 5 and November 15.
I'll be away next week. Next RLP Bird Report will be in two weeks.

For those of you who are curious, here are the 57 species identified during May 19-26 Bird Week.

blackbird, Brewer’s bluebird, Western bunting, Lazuli bushtit chat, Yellow-breasted cowbird, Brown-headed crow, American dove, Mourning finch, House flicker, Northern flycatcher, Ash-throated flycatcher, Pacific-slope gnatcatcher, Blue-gray goldfinch, Lesser grosbeak, Black-headed hawk, Cooper's hawk, Red-tailed hawk, Red-shouldered hummingbird, Anna's hummingbird, Black-chinned hummingbird, Costa’s jay, Western scrub kestrel, American kite, White-Tailed mockingbird, Northern oriole, Bullock’s oriole, Hooded pewee, Western Wood phainopepla

phoebe, Black pigeon, Rock quail, California raven, Common sparrow, Black-chinned sparrow, House sparrow, Rufous-crowned sparrow, Sage sparrow, Song starling, European swallow, Cliff swift, White-throated tanager, Western thrasher, California titmouse, Oak towhee, California towhee, Spotted vulture, Turkey warbler, Orange-crowned warbler, Wilson’s warbler, Yellow waxwing, Cedar woodpecker, Acorn woodpecker, Nuttall's wrentit wren, Bewick's wren, House yellowthroat, Common

(May 11-14, 2007) - While I am reading bird-related emails in the staff office, just out the window a male NORTHERN FLICKER lands on the brick patio and probes its bill into the spaces between the bricks in search of ants. He easily gets his quota.

In the south vineyard HOUSE WRENS are nesting in a cavity in the sycamore tree, the same hole used by bluebirds last year and originally carved by woodpeckers. OAK TITMICE are nesting in a willow tree cavity outside the Main Lounge.

Notable species:
LAZULI BUNTING
YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT
SAGE SPARROW
LARK SPARROW

New Birds for my Year List:
SWAINSON’S THRUSH
WHITE-THROATED SWIFT
NORTHERN ROUGH-WINGED SWALLOW
YELLOW WARBLER

53 species

(May 3-8, 2007) - My six-day Central Park birding adventure in New York is well worth it. Although the locals tell me that the peak of migration has not occurred yet, from my perspective the park is crawling with birds and with birdwatchers.

I bird in the park either with friends, sometimes alone, and on three occasions I pay a small fee to join an organized group. One day our group learns of a rare bird at Strawberry Fields, so we step briskly to that area. When we arrive there’s already a crowd, including three bird photographers with gigantic lens and tripods, a dozen or so birdwatchers, and several non-birders wondering what everyone is looking at. Two young ladies sunbathing off to the side are probably thinking, “Finally, we’re getting the attention we deserve.” But we are looking at a little bird with an olive-green topside, a yellow underside and dark sideburns. This species usually hides in the underbrush, but our individual parades on the lawn in plain view for half an hour. A couple of local birders who have never seen this elusive bird are so excited it’s so close and so visible that they have difficulty maintaining their composure. They joyously and repeatedly exclaim, "holy %#@&*!, holy %#@&*!"

Of course, I visit the pond from where we can view the famous Red-tailed Hawk nest on a 5th Avenue building. Five minutes later I watch Lola fly into the nest and Pale Male fly out. Although they are sitting on eggs, according to the regulars they have been on the eggs too long, so it’s unlikely they will produce baby hawks this year.

Here are some of my favorite sights and sounds. My Life Birds are indicated by (L):
Common Loon (first bird I see floating on the reservoir) Eastern Screech-Owl (L) (three owlets perched in a tree) Chuck-Will's-Widow (L) (found by an observant birder who notices grackles mobbing something) Chimney Swift (L) Veery (repeating its lovely call from a low perch) Wood Thrush (singing fragments of its beautiful song) Chestnut-sided Warbler, Magnolia Warbler, Canada Warbler, Prairie Warbler, Palm Warbler, Kentucky Warbler (aka "the holy %#@&*! bird"), Swamp Sparrow (L) Blue Grosbeak.

Total species I see in Central Park in six days: 79

Thanks to my New York friends who treated me so well, to the friendly Central Park birders, and to other New Yorkers who were kind and helpful. I enjoyed New York City much more this time than during my last visit in 1973. I am not a city kinda guy, but I felt quite comfortable in the Big Apple. Would I go back? Yes, in a New York minute.

(April 27-30, 2007) - On a breezy afternoon we watch two RED-TAILED HAWKS fly high in the sky and close together with their landing gear down. Then we notice another pair doing the same thing. Apparently a mating ritual that goes with the season.

After sitting on the nest for seven weeks, the RED-SHOULDERED HAWKS have been off the nest for three days now, and there’s no sign of baby hawks. The same thing happened last year, but eventually they resumed nesting activities and produced two chicks last June. Hopefully we’ll have a similar outcome this year.

Mandela, the lean black cat with the white throat patch, walks awkwardly across the wooden bridge in the Arboles area. My first thought is that he has an injured leg. But he’s ok, at least physically. He is suffering some stress, however, because two WESTERN SCRUB-JAYS, who may be telling Mandela that they have a nest in the area, are taking turns dive-bombing the cat. While one bird distracts Mandela, the other one dives in from behind and startles him. Mandela will probably fully recover from this ordeal after a long nap.

Notable species:
CEDAR WAXWING
LAWRENCE’S GOLDFINCH
SWAINSON’S HAWK
YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT
LAZULI BUNTING

51 species

Remaining Bird Weeks for 2007 are May 19-26 and November 3-10.

We've selected the following dates for Bird Weeks in 2008:

January 19-26
April 5-12
November 15-22

The next RLP Bird Report will be in two weeks. I’m off to NY May 2-9 to bird Central Park. If you are in the area and wish to bird together on Sunday, May 6, I'm meeting a group at 9am for a bird walk. Go to birdingbob.com for details.

(April 14-21, 2007) - We see or hear 74 species during Bird Week. The guests have fun exploring the wonders of the avian world, and the birds seem to enjoy themselves as well.

Highlights include:

Four species of hummingbirds flying circles around us all week. Besides our resident hummer, the ANNA’S, we are blessed by several COSTA’S, a few BLACK-CHINNED, and a RUFOUS that single-handedly claims the orange aloe flowers outside the lounge as his exclusive food source.

Daily sightings of LAWRENCE’S GOLDFINCHES as they feed on the mustard plants on the inside of the track.

Stumbling upon a CASSIN’S VIREO on a Mountain Bird Walk as it flits about in a bush along the top switchback of the River Trail.

The impact of the WESTERN TANAGER on the guests. During a morning Bird Walk
18 guests get a grand look at the brilliant yellow body and red head of an adult male as it feeds in a live oak tree. Earlier in the week a dozen birdwatchers view a male in a distant eucalyptus tree, and then the colorful bird flies directly at us, lands in a tree right above us and begins to call “prid-id-dik.” It’s no surprise the guests select the Western Tanager by a nearly unanimous vote as the Bird of the Week.

In the Bird Count Contest, “The Oregorioles” (two birdwatchers from Portland, Oregon) identify 47 species in the 26-hour friendly competition. They cleverly make sure at least one of them attends every Bird Walk of the week, so they become familiar with the expected species by contest time.

Thanks to Phil Pryde for his leadership, knowledge and humor on the Bird Walks and for his afternoon program on “Saving New Zealand’s Birds.” Thanks to Neil Solomon for his stunning photography, his eagle and hummingbird presentations, and his photography workshops. Thanks to all the guests who joined us for one or more walks, and thanks to the birds for showing up and showing off.

Remaining Bird Weeks in 2007 are May 19 and Nov 3. Bird Weeks in 2008 will include the week of April 5. Other dates will be announced soon.

For those of you who are interested, here are the 74 species identified during April 14-21 Bird Week.

blackbird, Brewer’s bluebird, Western bunting, Lazuli bushtit cowbird, Brown-headed crow, American dove, Mourning finch, House flicker, Northern flycatcher, Ash-throated flycatcher, Olive-sided flycatcher, Pacific-slope gnatcatcher, Blue-gray goldfinch, Lawrence’s goldfinch, Lesser grosbeak, Black-headed hawk, Cooper's hawk, Red-tailed hawk, Red-shouldered hawk, Sharp-shinned hummingbird, Anna's hummingbird, Black-chinned hummingbird, Costa’s hummingbird, Rufous jay, Western scrub junco, Dark-eyed kestrel, American kingbird, Cassin’s kingbird, Western kinglet, Ruby-crowned kite, White-Tailed mockingbird, Northern oriole, Bullock’s oriole, Hooded phoebe, Black pigeon, Rock quail, California

raven, Common roadrunner robin, American sparrow, Black-chinned sparrow, Fox sparrow, Golden-crowned sparrow, House sparrow, Rufous-crowned sparrow, Sage sparrow, Song sparrow, White-crowned starling, European swallow, Cliff swift, Vaux’s tanager, Western thrasher, California thrush, Hermit titmouse, Oak towhee, California towhee, Spotted vireo, Cassin’s vireo, Warbling vulture, Turkey warbler, Black-throated gray warbler, Hermit warbler, Nashville warbler, Orange-crowned warbler, Townsend’s warbler, Wilson’s warbler, Yellow-rumped woodpecker, Acorn woodpecker, Downy woodpecker, Nuttall's wrentit wren, Bewick's wren, House yellowthroat, Common

(April 6-9, 2007) - Thirty-five GOLDFINCHES (LAWRENCE’S and LESSER) talk amongst themselves in a small leafless tree. If you take one goldfinch’s song and multiply by 35, you get an amazing amount of lovely chatter. All winter our RUBY-CROWNED KINGLETS say "jid-it" and nothing more. This week we hear one practicing its lengthy song. Soon it will migrate north with hopes of impressing a prospective mate with its vocal talents. The BLACK-CHINNED SPARROWS have recently returned to our area, and they are serenading us on the mountain with their ubiquitous song. One morning while we stand on the track, we hear a Black-chinned Sparrow singing from the base of the mountain. First time I’ve ever heard one without having to climb the mountain. The BLACK-HEADED GROSBEAKS have discovered the seed feeder, which means I’ll be filling that feeder more often. It will be a pleasure because in exchange the guests will be getting great views of that colorful Summer visitor.

Spring Migrants:
WESTERN TANAGER (males)
WILSON’S WARBLER (only migrating warbler so far)
WARBLING VIREO
RUFOUS/ALLEN’S HUMMINGBIRD
ASH-THROATED FLYCATCHER
BLACK-CHINNED HUMMINGBIRD
CASSIN’S VIREO (a new Ranch bird for me)
BARN SWALLOW (another new Ranch bird for me)

55 species

The next report, which will be in two weeks, will cover April 14-21, which is the first Bird Week of 2007.

(March 30-April 2, 2007) - On Monday a snake flies over my head. No, this isn’t an April Fool’s Joke. The snake has wings above it and talons wrapped around it, and those talons and wings belong to a RED-SHOULDERED HAWK. For some mysterious reason the snake flies directly toward the hawk nest in the eucalyptus tree by the tennis court, where soon it will become a former snake.

Signs of Spring:
BLACK-HEADED GROSBEAK
A singing CALIFORNIA TOWHEE, the first time I've ever identified its song.
Our first-winter WHITE-CROWNED SPARROWS are showing signs of maturity; they are sprouting black specks in their crown feathers. Soon they will head north for the summer.
A SWAINSON’S HAWK (new Ranch bird) floats high over the Ranch as it migrates north. Its graceful glide is interrupted momentarily by a COOPER’S HAWK, whose brief act of aggression reminds the Swainson’s to not even think about stopping in our area.

Other notable sightings:
25 CEDAR WAXWINGS
20 LAWRENCE’S GOLDFINCHES
SAY’S PHOEBE
LARK SPARROW

51 species

(March 23-26, 2007) - Ranch guests often get excited when they view a bird through our binoculars or telescope, but two sisters from Boston start grinning and shouting when I tell them that the bird they are watching is a NUTTALL’S WOODPECKER. The reason for their celebration: That species of woodpecker is named after Thomas Nuttall, a noted English botanist and zoologist who lived and worked in America from 1808 to 1841, and Thomas Nuttall also holds the distinction of being the great-great-great grandfather of these two siblings. They are viewing “their” bird for the first time.

Other notable sightings:
DOWNY WOODPECKER
WESTERN MEADOWLARK
10 LAWRENCE’S GOLDFINCHES with 10 LESSER GOLDFINCHES

Notable sightings on the mountain:
RUFOUS-CROWNED SPARROW
BLACK-CHINNED SPARROW
BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHER

49 species

(March 16-19, 2007) - For the first time I find six woodpecker species in the same week. In fact, they all appear Saturday morning between 6:00 and 6:45. (Note: we are not yet on Daylight Saving Time, so it's still light before 6 a.m.).
RED-NAPED SAPSUCKER
RED-BREASTED SAPSUCKER
NORTHERN FLICKER
ACORN WOODPECKER
NUTTALL’S WOODPECKER
The surprise is a male DOWNY WOODPECKER, the first one I’ve seen at the Ranch in three and a half. The key to finding it is first hearing its loud, descending call.

Signs of Spring:
A RED-SHOULDERED HAWK is now on the nest around the clock. Three spring/summer Ranch birds show up earlier than I’ve seen them before. WESTERN KINGBIRD, four days earlier; PACIFIC-SLOPE FLYCATCHER, one day earlier; LAWRENCE’S GOLDFINCH, 15 days earlier.

Other notable sightings:
PHAINOPEPLA
BULLOCK’S ORIOLE
LINCOLN’S SPARROW
50+ CEDAR WAXWINGS
20-30 AMERICAN ROBINS

While a dozen birdwatchers aim their binoculars at the top of a sycamore tree to view a brilliantly colored male HOODED ORIOLE, one of our young male fitness instructors happens to be walking by in front of us. As the birders find the oriole with their eyepieces, several voice their excitement with statements like: “Look at him, he’s beautiful!” and “Oh my god, he’s gorgeous.” Although the fitness instructor knows they are not talking about him, he nevertheless slows his pace slightly, pulls in his gut a little and pokes his chest out a tad, just in case.

47 species

(March 9-12, 2007) - Signs of Spring: For at least the fifth year in a row COOPER’S HAWKS have built a nest in the oak grove, this time at the top of a tall oak a short distance beyond the labyrinth. A group of four to five adult male BULLOCK’S ORIOLES fly over our heads, then land and linger in a tree long enough to show off their brilliant colors. HOUSE WRENS sing their bubbly song as they prepare to nest. House Wrens had been out of sight or sound for several months, until this week.

Other notable sightings:
RED-NAPED SAPSUCKER
RED-BREASTED SAPSUCKER
GREATER ROADRUNNER (heard)
WESTERN BLUEBIRD
FOX SPARROW
GOLDEN-CROWNED SPARROW
first MOURNING DOVE of 2007

42 species

(March 2-5, 2007) - Strong winds blow during the first three days of my four-day week, and for the first time since last October, I tally fewer than 40 species in a four-day stay. I suppose many of our birds are wind-sensitive and decide to spend those breezy days hiding deep in the foliage. Yet some are wind-tolerant. AMERICAN ROBINS fly endless reconnaissance missions from the pine tree by the main pool, down to the pyracantha bushes and back. Also joining the berry-fest are HERMIT THRUSHES, HOUSE FINCHES and one or two CEDAR WAXWINGS. One species that fears neither wind nor anything else is ANNA’S HUMMINGBIRD. Thanks to their superb maneuvering skills, hummingbirds can and will hover and feed at a flower in still air or gale-force winds.

Saturday afternoon I lead the Rolling Hills hike, and as we stride along the home stretch, that long, straight path that parallels the fence line, we are moving at a snappy pace, pushed along by strong tailwinds. One hundred feet ahead of us on the top wire of the fence three WESTERN BLUEBIRDS sit 20 feet apart from each other. They lean into the wind, gripping the wire tightly with their little feet, demonstrating that they are wind-tolerant. Yet they are people-tolerant only up to a point. When we are within 50 feet of the first bird, it launches off its perch, banks sharply and turns downwind, rapidly flying over its friends before turning back into the wind to softly alight upon the wire again. Then when we approach within 50 feet of the second bluebird, it also leaps off the fence, banks, turns and flies downwind before landing on the wire again. Then the third one does the same. Then the first one repeats the routine, then bird number two, then bird number three, and on and on. Their finely-timed aerial ballet is quite lovely, and reminiscent of a Cirque de Soleil performance.

33 species

(Feb. 23-26, 2007) - Someday I may perform the Heimlich maneuver on a choking bird. A HERMIT THRUSH grasps a red berry with its beak, tears it off the pyracantha bush and attempts to inhale it. But, out of the hundreds of berries on the bush, the thrush has selected the biggest one and it can’t get it down its pipe. It tries to swallow it again. And again. And again. With each attempt it exerts more effort, shaking its entire body up and down. Finally, the berry disappears down its throat. As the saying goes, the seventh time is the charm.

A man shows up on the first Bird Walk of the week with a pair of binoculars that may be older than some of the birdwatchers in our group. He tells me that he has birded all around the world and many times in Mexico. Still, he manages to get three Life Birds in his first two days at the Ranch (CALIFORNIA THRASHER, CALIFORNIA TOWHEE and NUTTALL’S WOODPECKER). After all the birding he has done, it’s satisfying to see how excited he gets seeing a new bird.

Other notable sightings:
SHARP-SHINNED HAWK
RED-NAPED SAPSUCKER
WHITE-BREASTED NUTHATCH
RUFOUS or ALLEN’S HUMMINGBIRDS (first signs of Spring migration)
PHAINOPEPLA SAGE SPARROW (a few on the mountain)

44 species

(Feb. 12-16, 2007) - Nesting preparations are underway. One of the RED-SHOULDERED HAWKS flies from the nest tree to a neighboring pine tree to grab needle branches, perhaps to create a pine scent in their established nest. A female ANNA’S HUMMINGBIRD repeatedly visits a flowering bush behind Kuchumaa Gym, where it collects fluffy white nest material before zooming off to its secret nest site.

One morning while strolling through the oak grove I hear two GREATER ROADRUNNERS conversing with soft, descending coos. I search for them with my binoculars by scanning the boulders on the mountain slope, but I can’t find them. As I walk beyond the oak grove I’m surprised that I can still hear one of the roadrunners. Finally, I notice it sitting high atop the mountain on a rock next to Alex’s Oak Tree. No wonder its voice carries so well.

While I am leading the Saturday afternoon Rolling Hills walk, I tell two women walking with me that if we pay close attention, we may see a roadrunner dart across the trail ahead of us. I remind them that it could happen quickly and if we blink, we might miss it. Several minutes later one of the women points to the right and asks, “Joe, what’s that building over there?” I turn my head to the right and during that very brief moment one of the women gasps, “Oh my god, a roadrunner just ran across the trail!” Yep, I miss it because I’m not paying attention.

Other notable sightings:
RED-NAPED SAPSUCKER
WHITE-TAILED KITE
FOX SPARROW

40 species

(Feb. 11 - 12, 2007) - I spent only two days (Sunday and Monday) at the Ranch this week because on Friday and Saturday I was perched at the San Diego Bird Festival. The Festival was fabulous. Every workshop I attended was top rate and educational.

Meanwhile, back at the Ranch (that's my favorite phrase), six hardy birdwatchers show up for the Sunday afternoon walk, despite rainy conditions. A surprising number of birds show up as well. We see four woodpeckers: ACORN and NUTTALL’S WOODPECKERS, NORTHERN FLICKER and RED-NAPED SAPSUCKER. Also, our SUMMER TANAGER drops by to say hi.

However, the highlight of the walk is not a bird but a birdwatcher. A young lady on her first ever group bird walk cannot control her enthusiasm. She excitedly exclaims that she’s having a great time, and that’s before we even leave the gazebo. Several times during the walk she fires questions at me: “Joe, what’s that bird in the bush? What’s that bird in the sky? What’s that bird at two o’clock in that tree?” She doesn’t know what she’s finding, but everyone’s impressed by her ability to spot birds. I encourage her to return the next morning for the next bird walk and she says she’d really like to, but she’s planning to go to yoga everyday at 9 a.m. The next morning she skips yoga and is classified AWOL, Absent With Ornithological Leanings. She shows up for her second bird walk instead, finds us some more birds and with a huge grin on her face, she quietly announces how much fun she’s having. She considers every bird she sees a special gift, and she’s joyfully overwhelmed by the number of gifts she’s receiving. Clearly, she’s already hooked on birding. At the end of the walk I intend to tell her to go to the concierge office and borrow binoculars, but before I can do that she disappears. A few minutes later I walk into the office and she’s standing at the desk asking for a pair of binoculars. The world is now a slightly better place because another dedicated birder has been added to our ranks.

Other notable sightings:
ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER
COMMON YELLOWTHROAT
CEDAR WAXWING
BEWICK’S WREN

31 species (2 days)

(Feb. 2 - 5, 2007) - The SUMMER TANAGER captures and eats three bees in quick succession as it bounces from branch to branch in a blossoming fruit tree behind Kuchumaa Gym. Then, deciding to calm down and digest its meal properly, it poses for a few minutes, long enough for all seven of us to view the “Bee Bird” through the scope from a mere 25 feet away.

On one breezy afternoon several of the birds we find are soaring high in the sky, either riding ridge lift or circling in thermals. In a span of 5 minutes, we tilt our heads back to admire 6 soaring species:
WHITE-TAILED KITE
RED-TAILED HAWK
COOPER’S HAWK
RED-SHOULDERED HAWK
TURKEY VULTURE
COMMON RAVEN

I stop by a toyon bush that’s been a popular dining spot for robins and waxwings. While I stand motionless with my back to the bush, I am facing a tree from which CEDAR WAXWINGS leap and dive with wings held tight against their bodies. They look like bullets. Since I’m between them and the object of their desire, the sleek and slender birds free-fall right at me and then spread their wings to float over my head and land softly atop the berry-filled bush. Quite an adrenaline rush for me, and perhaps for the birds as well.

Other notable sightings:
RED-NAPED SAPSUCKER
PHAINOPEPLA
FOX SPARROW
GOLDEN-CROWNED SPARROW

45 species

(Jan. 26 - 29, 2007) - Near daybreak 20 AMERICAN ROBINS sit quietly atop a leafless tree near the main pool, waiting for the morning sun to warm their brick-red bellies. Ten CEDAR WAXWINGS share the same branches, as does a lone WESTERN SCRUB-JAY, who is feeling like an outsider. It’s amusing how fast the bird scene can change.

Without warning half of the robins explode out of the tree and almost as quickly 10 additional waxwings settle onto the branches. Then in an instant the entire mixed flock blasts off, leaving the leafless tree birdless.

At the beginning of a Bird Walk we hear RED-SHOULDERED HAWKS screaming from the eucalyptus tree where they nest every spring. So we walk a few steps from the gazebo to the Mercado to see if we can spot the hawks in the tree. Lucky for us, one of them is sitting on the nest. Although they probably are merely inspecting their digs but not yet actively nesting, Ranch guests nonetheless are thrilled to peer at a hawk through the spotting scope.

We aim our binoculars at a CASSIN’S KINGBIRD, as it proudly displays its yellow belly from high atop a sycamore tree behind Kuchumaa Gym. When it flies toward another sycamore, I yell to the group, “Keep your eye on it!” It lands on a branch and immediately bullies a bird sharing the branch. That other bird is our wintering SUMMER TANAGER, and as it avoids a confrontation by leaping off its perch and gliding to another branch. I yell again, “Forget the kingbird, keep your eye on the tanager!”

Other notable sightings:
AMERICAN KESTREL
GREATER ROADRUNNER
HOODED ORIOLE
BOBCAT (a mammal with markings that rival those of birds)

47 species

(Jan. 19 - 22, 2007) - Two p.m. is not considered a prime time to birdwatch, nor are windy and cloudy conditions with intermittent drizzle, but apparently on Friday afternoon no one bothers to tell the birds they aren’t supposed to be out and about. In 90 minutes I see five woodpecker species, dozens and dozens of towhees and sparrows, including a WHITE-THROATED SPARROW busily digging in the dirt by the sycamore tree in the south vineyard. Most likely the same individual seen in December.

Other surprises occur on other days. An adult male HOODED ORIOLE poses for everyone on Monday’s Bird Walk. Never before have I seen one here in January.
Two RED-BREASTED SAPSUCKERS cling to opposite sides of a large oak tree trunk and play peek-a-boo. First time I have seen more than one of that species at the same time. A flock of ten WESTERN BLUEBIRDS, the most I’ve ever seen at the Ranch, add color this week. And 15-20 AMERICAN ROBINS feast on red berries by the main pool every day.

The surprise of the week occurs on Saturday when I am birding with one other person. East of the oak grove we flush a group of towhees and flickers. One of the flickers immediately grabs our attention because it has yellow under its wings and tail. It lands, and we approach a bit closer. It has a gray face and a light brown crown and does not sport a malar strip or “mustache,” so it’s a female. Its chest patch looks more oval than a Northern Flicker, like a clown’s smile. I am not familiar with this species, but unless someone out there convinces me otherwise, I believe we have our first GILDED FLICKER at the Ranch. The next two days I unsuccessfully try to re-find the bird of the week.

Other notable sightings:
SUMMER TANAGER
WHITE-TAILED KITE
CEDAR WAXWING
FOX SPARROW
GOLDEN-CROWNED SPARROW

55 species

(Jan. 12 - 15, 2007) - On Saturday, six fellow employees and I drive two hours east and half an hour south for a six-hour hike starting at Canon de Guadelupe in the Sierra Juarez Mountains. Birdwatching is a challenge because I’m hiking at a swift pace with a group of non-birders. But I manage to sneak peeks at a few desert species anyway, including Phainopepla, which has been seen at the Ranch, and Black-throated Sparrow and White-winged Dove, which have not.

Meanwhile, back at the Ranch. On Sunday while the group is standing by the hummingbird feeder on the dining room patio, the SUMMER TANAGER flies into a nearby bush and demands our attention. We comply. It drops to the ground right in front of us, jumps into the water channel to get a drink, pops back up onto the brick pathway, tosses its head back to swallow the water, and says, “Ahhh.” Ok, it doesn’t say it out loud, but clearly, in its own way, it’s saying “Ahhh.”

A mixed flock of AMERICAN ROBINS and WESTERN BLUEBIRDS fly above the track, then settle onto a leafless tree for a meeting, perhaps to discuss their differences. The afternoon sun accentuates their spiffy colors.

I tally the only GOLDEN-CROWNED SPARROW of the week while I am assisting 11 a.m. yoga on Monday. Yes, I am paying attention to the yoga students in the room.

I just happen to glance out the window of Montana Gym for one incredibly brief moment and there’s the sparrow, feeding on the grass.

Other notable sightings:
GREAT EGRET
CEDAR WAXWING
the Sunday MERLIN

34 species at the Ranch (3 days)

(Dec. 29, 2006 - Jan. 1, 2007) 42 Species

New Winter arrival:
A white-striped adult WHITE-THROATED SPARROW. The rare visitor to this area perches in an olive tree in the South vineyard and also drops to the ground to feed alongside large numbers of the similar looking WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW.

Other notable sightings:
WARBLING VIREO
RED-NAPED SAPSUCKER
MERLIN: same perch, same day of week, same hour of day (four of the last five weeks)

SUMMER TANAGER: Not as predictable as the Merlin. I’ve seen the tanager five times in five different locations, this week in a bush on the west patio of the dining room. Most of the birdwatchers catch a glimpse of the orange/yellow bird with red streaks before it flies. Because it has been here at least since November 17, it appears to be wintering with us, and that’s a wonderful treat for us.

My goal for 2006 was to identify 100 species of birds at the Ranch, and my final tally was 108 species. So my Big Year was a Good Year. In fact, I reached 100 species on May 1st, and the only expected species that eluded me the whole year was Pine Siskin. Now that 2006 is over, there’s only one thing for me to do: begin a Big Year for 2007 and find that darn siskin.

If you’re thinking of starting a Big Year for 2007, first define your boundaries. Do you wish to count the number of species in your yard, city, county, state, country, continent or planet? It’s your Big Year so you can do it however you want. When you begin a Big Year, you will become more alert, focused and determined than ever, and you will discover fascinating details about the birds around you that you currently cannot imagine. You also will have fun for the next 365 days. If you go for it, send me an update on your Big Year once in awhile.

Happy Big Year.

(Dec. 22-25, 2006) - We have installed a hummingbird feeding station on the west patio of the dining room. Sunday afternoon I remove the two cylindrical containers and take them to my room to wash and refill them. When I return, someone is waiting for me. As I begin to raise the feeders to hang them from the stand, I hear loud buzzing behind my head. An adult male ANNA’S HUMMINGBIRD is glad to see me.

Hummingbirds like to feed every 15 minutes or so, and I was gone 30 minutes. He begins to feed from one of the containers while I hold it in my hand. He’s a bit nervous at first, but he soon calms down, sits on the feeder’s perching platform and satisfies his sugar fix.

A WARBLING VIREO, a common migrant in Spring or Fall but a rare visitor in winter, hops from limb to limb in the tamarisk trees in the Arboles area. A few hours later, another Warbling Vireo, or perhaps the same individual bird, appears in a tree near the Mercado.

Other notable sightings:
adult male BULLOCK’S ORIOLE
COMMON YELLOWTHROAT
WHITE-BREASTED NUTHATCH

As it has for three of the past four weeks, the MERLIN shows up on the same day of the week (Sunday), during the same hour (4-5 p.m.), and perches in the same tree and on the same branch.

46 species

(Dec. 15-18, 2006)- Outside the dining room a RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET hops up and down on the lawn. It’s not feeding; it’s bathing. The kinglet repeatedly buries its head in the grass while beating its wings against the moist blades of grass. Each tiny leaf is adorned with a bead of water on its tip. Then the Ruby-Crown flutters up
several inches and moves on to another wet patch.

New Fall/Winter arrival:
A few weeks ago I may have seen a WESTERN MEADOWLARK from afar, but this time I definitely see nine meadowlarks up close when they explode out of the dry grass beside the Rolling Hills trail as I pass by.

Other notable sightings:
adult male BULLOCK’S ORIOLE

Notable sounds:
A choir of LARK SPARROWS singing harmony

Saturday greets us with a chilly and drizzly morning. OK, perhaps not as dreary as some of you up north or back east may be experiencing right now, but by Ranch standards our current climate is less than favorable. A few of us continue to bird beyond the official end of the Bird Walk, but few birds are around. That fact is evidence that birds may be smarter than humans because they often have enough sense to get out of the wet and weary weather. I finally suggest we take refuge in the lounge, and as we approach the shelter shivering and sniffling, I imagine that most of the Ranch birds are inside the building relaxing next to the fireplace with their feet up, sipping chamomile tea.

41 species