Among the many joys of birding, the arrival of winter visitors is an ongoing thrill. With September looming, birders and nature lovers will be looking forward to the arrivals of White- and Golden-crowned Sparrows as well as the distinctive “little birds with the hoods.” Here, Jim Gain gives us his usual spectacular images and the proper name of our distinctive winter visitors, those, “little birds with the hoods.” They should […]
Learn 100 Valley Birds #4: Western Kingbird
Number 4 in Jim Gain’s “Learn 100 Valley Birds” series is the Western Kingbird. Anyone who’s driven along the Valley’s many country roads during spring and summer has seen Western Kingbirds, whether or not they know the name. Below, Jim describes the field marks for these beautiful birds, and also alerts observers to watch for the far less common Cassin’s Kingbird. Western Kingbirds are Common Summer Visitors to the San Joaquin Valley […]
Learn 100 Valley Birds #3: Common Valley Owls
Today’s post is another three-fer offering that includes the three owls that most Valley Visitors are likely to encounter in an urban setting: Great Horned Owl, Barn Owl and Western Screech-Owl. There are other possible owl species that one might come across in the grasslands and foothill woodlands away from town. One of those, the Burrowing Owl, will have its own future post and the others are considerably less likely […]
Learn 100 Valley Birds #2: Anna’s Hummingbird
Jim Gain calls Anna’s Hummingbird, the second in the “Learn 100 Birds” series, a “three-fer” because it illustrates one of the basic tactics for building a local birding list. This tactic involves knowing a birding fundamental: Learn the most common bird and you will often also learn one or two other similar but less common birds. The Anna’s Hummingbird offers a classic case. In the San Joaquin Valley, if you […]
Learn 100 Valley Birds with Jim Gain
Jim Gain’s Reflections of the Natural World is one of the finest online explorations of nature anywhere. Jim has graciously permitted us to publish his new series, “Learn 100 Common Valley Birds.” While it may sound daunting, with Jim’s expert help and superb photos, learning to identify 100 common species is not only possible, it’s a great incentive to get outside and enjoy the Valley’s splendid natural history. Here’s Jim’s […]
When One “Least” Bird Leads to Another — a Rare Find
Jim Gain’s Reflection’s of the Natural World offers a record of his experiences in nature, documented by beautiful photographs and exciting narratives. He is one of our best local naturalists and photographers. The following is adapted from his latest post; the original has a bit more detail. The Discovery It was 6:30 am and I found myself, once again, in a restricted area at the southern part of the […]
Ultra-rare Gull Visits Stanislaus County
Few experiences in birding match the thrill of finding a “first” record, which involves not just seeing a bird for its first occurrence in a given place, but documenting (recording) its presence. His impressive skill at photography has enabled Jim Gain to document many of our rarest visitors, including the ultra-rare gull he found a few days ago. More of Jim’s birding adventures and superb photos are at his website, […]
The Raven
Jim Gain is one of the San Joaquin Valley’s most accomplished naturalists and photographers. We’re pleased to publish one of his most recent posts. Find more of Jim’s fine work here. “Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary, …” This post was supposed to be about Short-eared Owls, not about the embodiment of a symbolic metaphor for never-ending remembrance. THE PLAN WAS… Early yesterday morning as […]