Birds I'm Watching: Spring Lake/Lake Ralphine

I just got back from a walk around the two lakes in Santa Rosa (near Howarth Park). Nothing unusual, but got a very good look at the spotted sandpiper that's been on the right side of Lake Ralphine (with the boathouse behind you; top photo). Also saw the bittern at Spring Lake, the osprey there (watched him land and rise up again with a huge blue gill), and saw three moorhens, and a red-shouldered hawk. There are still about a dozen common mergansers on Lake Ralphine and buffleheads on both lakes. Saw a noisy flock of bushtits along Spring Creek earlier in the day (bottom photo).


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

Birds I'm Watching: Feeder Wars and Woodpecker Blues

Woke up this morning to the sound of a pair of acorn woodpeckers banging on the gutters and then fighting with the scrub jays over access to the bird feeder. Both birds are big enough to trip the anti-squirrel device on the feeder (their weight lowers a sheath over the feeding holes), but both are smart enough to have learned to hold the holes open with one foot long enough to grab something. If I were a blues musician, I would have written something like this.

Woke up this morning, woodpeckers on my roof

Woke up this morning, woodpeckers on my roof

Never heard so loud a bangin'

Done knocked my head right off

Although a recipient of a Living Blues Award,  I'm not a blues musician, so I'll leave it at that.

Also had a big flock of bushtits at the fountain this morning--probably about thirty. I love to watch them flop around in the water, twittering all the while. Who says Twitter is new?