Miscellaneous: Local Birds

I took a walk around Spring Lake, in Santa Rosa, today for the first time in quite a while. It's a bit late for migrants passing through and a bit early for overwintering birds to be here in force, but it's always a pleasant walk and I did see some local regulars. In particular, I get some good shots of a male Common Yellowthroat, which, while not an uncommon bird, is one that's rather secretive and difficult to photograph. I also got a shot of a Ruby-crowned Kinglet showing its ruby crown – which is rather rare. 

Birds I'm Watching: Kinglet Feet (February 1, 2012)

Recently I've been photographing a lot of birds for use on my birding website. I was recently looking at photographs of Ruby-crowned Kinglets and I've begun to notice that there is a very big variation in the color of the feet of these birds. Some have feet about the same color as their legs, some have feet that are strikingly yellow. No one I've asked seems to think the color indicates anything especially useful about the birds. They ascribe it to individual variation. I continue to wonder about kinglet feet.... Compare the feet of the bird above and the bird below. Hmmmm......

For information about bird watching in Sonoma County, see my Website Sonoma County Bird Watching Spots.