Cosmic Strings

Today was yet another day with no sightings of pine siskins. They may have moved on to their winter feeding grounds (wherever that may be).

Acorn Woodpecker 2
Nuttall’s Woodpecker 1 (female)
Red-breasted Sapsucker 1
Dark-eyed Junco 8
Golden-crowned Sparrow 4
Lesser Goldfinch 3 (1 male, 2 female)
Western Bluebird 2 (1 male, 1 female)
Scrub Jay 3
Steller’s Jay 1
Band-tailed Pigeon 10
Anna’s Hummingbird 1 (female)
White-breasted Nuthatch 2
Oak Titmouse 2
House Finch 4

This morning had gorgeous weather and I decided it would be nice to take and hour
and survey the birds in the my yard. Nothing unusual today except that there were no pine siskins (I saw one yesterday, but they may have left the mountain).

Today’s tally:

Oak Titmouse 2
White-breasted Nuthatch 2
Dark-eyed Junco ~12
Golden-crowned Sparrow ~8
Nuttall’s Woodpecker 1 (female)
Western Bluebird 3
Acorn Woodpecker 2
Lesser Goldfinch 2 (male & female)
Scrub Jay 4
Steller’s Jay 2
Red-tailed Hawk 1
House Finch 2 (male & female)
Band-tailed Pigeon 6
Common Raven 1

Last night, just as I was starting to drive down to San Jose, I saw a poorwill sitting
in the road. It flew off just as my car got to it, but I was surprised to see one (I rarely see this bird and this was the second one in two weeks!). I continued on down to town and had the misfortune of having a screech owl fly into my car (it didn’t survive the encounter – making it the 3rd owl to have a fatal encounter
with my car – I have exceedingly bad owl karma).

It seems that a blog is the easiest way for me to keep track of what birds I see
here in my yard. Today started off well with my adding a new bird to my life list:
Cedar Waxwing. There was a flock of about 20 of them flitting around the oak tree that has lots of mistletoe on it outside my bedroom window. I had been told they were around here, but after looking for them for a couple years I still hadn’t
seen one. Then today, luckily a big flock so I got a pretty good look at them. With that sort of start to the day, of course I had to see what else I hanging out in my yard this morning.

Nuttall’s Woodpecker 1
Acorn Woodpecker 2
Steller’s Blue Jay 3
Scrub Jay 4
Dark-eyed Junco 6
Golden-crowned Sparrow 10
Cedar Waxwing 20+
Oak Titmouse 2
White-breasted Nuthatch 2
Anna’s Hummingbird 1
Band-tailed Pigeon 4
Lesser Goldfinch 2

I just got back from a few days out of town and discovered it was so windy that some of my birdfeeders had been blown down. I put them back up and within
minutes many of the regular birds were back (scrub jays, juncos, titmice, nuthatches). I did get a view of a new bird (for me anyway) today here on Mount Hamilton, a rock wren. Keith, a colleague of mine, caught sight of a red breasted
nuthatch here. I added another bird to my life list down in Grant Park a few miles from here – a merlin. It flew across the road in front of my car with something fuzzy in its talons. It is always nice to see new birds here that I’ve never seen before.