When learning our last target bird, Nuttall’s Woodpecker, we discovered that in learning one bird, we can often actually learn three—a birding trifecta. The trifecta is also possible with our next bird, but finding the third bird in this trifecta is more difficult than it was in the woodpecker trifecta, which featured Nuttall’s, Acorn and Downy Woodpeckers. For many birders and nature lovers, the most welcome sign of the fall […]
Nature
Target Bird: Nuttall's Woodpecker
Learning the common birds around you is one of the best ways to appreciate nature. Birds are a “value-added” feature of any region, and knowing the birds often results in a deeper knowledge of your local environment. When used as a supplement to a good bird guide, the forthcoming Birding Sites of Stanislaus and Merced Counties, from Stanislaus Audubon, will make learning local birds even easier. Meanwhile, there’s a short essay […]
How to Really Learn the Birds
Anyone who has never witnessed the migratory passage of Western Tanagers through the parks and gardens of the Northern San Joaquin Valley is missing one of our grander local spectacles. Male Western Tanagers have brilliant, flame-colored faces atop a bright yellow body cloaked in handsome black wings. Though stunning, they are easy to overlook as they pass through only during spring and fall migration. Nonetheless, with a little practice, almost […]