Birds I'm Watching: Ninth St. Rookery, Spring Lake (April 15-16, 2011)

I visited the "Ninth St. Rookery" for the first time this season on the 15th. The "rookery" is nothing more than four or five large trees in the median strip on West Ninth St. in Santa Rosa used each year by Great Egrets, Snowy Egrets, Black-crowned Night Herons, and Cattle Egret as a nesting site. The place always has a surreal quality. The trees are filled with starkly white birds making the strangest of noises--saying things that sound like "wubba-wubba, wubba-wubba." Usually active between late March and June, it's good place to see these birds up close.

Yesterday, I took a walk around Spring Lake and had the unusual pleasure of seeing an American Bittern that stood still long enough to photograph (below). Usually these birds are so well camouflaged that you simply don't see them, or the moment they see you, they're gone with a loud squawk! amid a noisy flapping of wings. I hadn't been to Spring Lake in quite a while. There were orange-crowned warblers singing everywhere, and enough Spotted Towhees to compare the rather similar trills these two birds make (I always have trouble telling them apart). Some of the Golden-crowned Sparrows were in their full breeding plumage, sporting starkly black-gold-black heads. I also saw the Great Horned Owl nesting at the lake again this year. A good way to start the day--before heading home to sit at the computer to work all day.

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

Birds I'm Watching: The Ninth St. Rookery, Santa Rosa

My son's clarinet lesson happens to be near what is locally known as the "Ninth St. Rookery," a spot in the middle of Santa Rosa that herons and egrets have used as a nesting place for many years. I had heard about it, but never been there. Today, while waiting for my son to finish, I drove by.

It's remarkable. In three or four large trees in the median on Ninth St. (between Stony Point Rd. and Dutton Ave., but closer to Stony Point) there are three large trees that now have about 100 nests in progress. I saw snowy egrets, great egrets, cattle egrets, and black-crowned night herons (photo) in the trees or flying around, bringing in nesting material. Of all the suitable trees in the area, why do they choose to use these that are right next to a busy street? Who knows?

The birds made the strangest noises. I'm not aware of any of these species ordinarily vocalizing much, but there was a constant undertone of bizarre sounds that at first reminded me of Pokémon, but Pokémon wasn't quite right. Still, there was something very familiar about the noises. After some thought, it finally hit me: It was one of the ringtones built in to the iPhone. Turn on your iPhone. Go to Sounds. Choose Ringtones, and then go to "Robot." That's what these birds sound like.