More Blathering About Birds

We're 20 days into 2020 now. As I type, the sky is gray and the heater is on. We had a bit of rain this week, exclusively on the day of the 5.5 hour hike called the "epic journey". I combined my group with another one, into a combined force of over 40 kids, 4 cabin leaders, and 2 field instructors. The dumping rain and the plummeting temperature reduced a portion of the group to shivering misery, so we turned around, did a game inside for awhile (Coyote Dodgeball), and then took advantage of a break in the weather and tried again.

It hailed on us.

Fortunately, this proved to be the most exciting part of the hike for the majority of the kids. We danced as we were pelted by shards of ice.

I had a girl in my group who had arrived from Kenya just last Wednesday. She seemed to know only a few words of English, but the smile she had on her face was evidence that the week was a successful one, as far as she was concerned.

Saturday, I went over to Palo Alto Baylands for a few hours. I missed the Murray Bowles celebration at Gilman St. yesterday, (he passed away last month) and in fact, never left the house (I watched four episodes of The Rivals of Sherlock Holmes and listened to music, among other things). Today is Martin Luther King day, so I'm home typing rather than out hiking. The beginning of my work week seems to coincide with more rain.

Here are some photos from the last week.

California Scrub Jay in the garden:

Yellow-rumped Warbler sitting in a tree on the trail we refer to as Ranger Road:

The Red Crossbills were back for a second week in a row, but without the Pine Siskins in tow:

I still don't have a great picture of a Cedar Waxwing, but for now, this will do:

Dark-eyed Juncos are the most common bird at camp, perhaps because they don't seem to mind the presence of people as much as some birds do, and so are less likely to vacate the scene before they're spotted. In fact, it feels like we're constantly in danger of tripping over them.

Tying for the "most common bird" award is the Steller's Jay:

The fire pit, after Thursday's storm:

Female Northern Flicker:

Our resident Red-tailed Hawk has a friend now:

At Palo Alto Baylands, I got photos of a couple of birds I hadn't yet photographed, namely the Canvasback and Greater Scaup.

I've decided to finally start learning the difference between different species of gulls. This is a Ring-billed Gull, I think:

Male and female Common Yellowthroat:

Great Blue Heron:

Bushtit:

A Northern Harrier, uncooperatively being just far enough away so I couldn't get a good shot:

Currently listening to Low "A Lifetime of Temporary Relief: 10 Years of B-sides & Rarities"