For most anyone else, the black-and-white bird that flew in front of Harold and Sharon Reeve on May 20 as they were driving along a country road in northeastern Stanislaus County might not have seemed unusual. For the two veteran birders, it was a singular event. “Eastern Kingbird,” shouted Harold, as the bird flew by and then landed on a fence some sixty feet ahead. In the rarefied world of […]
Birds of the San Joaquin Valley
Learn 100 Common Valley Birds #23 and 24: Tits, Nuts, and Creeps
Educator, naturalist, and photographer supreme, Jim Gain’s Reflections of the Natural World offers a trove of concise lessons in natural history as well as excursions into the beautiful world of avian diversity as revealed in images as far away as Central and South America and as close to home as your own back yard. We’re proud to publish episodes number 23 and 24 in Jim’s series, Learn 100 Common Valley […]
Learn 100 Valley Birds #21: Swainson’s Hawk (species #33)
An educator and naturalist, Jim Gain is also a superb photographer. We’re proud to publish his series, “Learn 100 Common Valley Birds.” Here is post #21. Be sure to visit Reflections of the Natural World for more of Jim’s fine work. ed. Swainson’s Hawk (Buteo swainsoni) is a migratory raptor that breeds in North America and winters in South America. In the Central Valley of California, Swainson’s Hawks typically arrive […]
Learn 100 Valley Birds #9: Killdeer
The Killdeer (Charadrius vociferous) is a Common Resident in the San Joaquin Valley. Killdeer belong to the plover family Charadriidae, with 68 species worldwide. As their Latin specific name indicates, they are quite noisy (vociferous). Description Killdeers’ upperparts are mostly brown with white underparts. Their upper chest is interrupted by 2 black bands. The sexes are monomorphic (alike) and plumages are essentially identical throughout year. Distribution Killdeer can be found from Canada, […]