Birds I'm Watching: Great Horned Owl (January 18, 2016)

A Great Horned Owl appeared in a tree across the street from my house this morning. I was alerted to its presence by a neighbor. The bird allowed me to take its portrait. It has a rather amiable look, but Great Horned Owls are among the most powerful predatory birds in North America. They happily eat skunks and have been known to go after fairly large pets. He was mobbed by about 100 crows off and on for several hours today. The  bird appears to be there still but all is quiet now. Yard bird number 68.

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

Birds I'm Watching: The Common and the Not-so-common (January 10, 2012)

Last month was the busiest December I've had work-wise in my 12 years here as a freelance translator. Usually, December is quiet. As a result, I've had little time for chasing birds recently, but a quick trip to San Rafael on Tuesday (January 8) on a tip about a Long-eared Owl (Asio otus) was worth the dash. What a magnificent bird. They are rare here. Not more than one or two show up each year in the area--if that. So, I was pleased to be able to add this fellow to my life list.

I also got some interesting photographs of the many Yellow-rumped Warblers that were flitting about. These are our single most common warbler. They are abundant in the winter months. Some birds are not well named. Others, like the Yellow-rumped Warbler, are rather aptly named, as the photo below should demonstrate.

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