Hooded orioles, vibrant migrants from Mexico, are now reaching nectar and jelly feeders in Marin.
People ask me a great deal of concerns about birds. So let’s clear up some things.
• “When do the hummingbirds get here?” They are constantly here. In the Bay Area, Anna’s hummingbirds prevail throughout the year. Although we do get an extra increase of smaller sized, rusty-sided Allen’s hummingbirds in spring and summer season, they are constantly in the minority compared to the much more plentiful Anna’s hummingbirds.
• Backyard bird ID lightning round: “What is the big yellow bird on my hummingbird feeder?” That’s a hooded oriole, simply showed up back from Mexico. They take pleasure in both nectar and jelly. “What are the little yellow birds on my seed feeder?” Mostly lower goldfinches, with American goldfinches in some lawns. “What are the red birds on my feeder?” Those are male house finches, while the streaky brown birds of the exact same sizes and shape are female house finches. “What is the really loud bird I hear singing even at night?” A mockingbird, our most remarkable vocalist. See what replicas you can acknowledge and enjoy their tunes.
• Bird ID beyond the feeders: “What are those flocking black birds with red on their wings?” Red-winged blackbirds, normally discovered near ponds and wetlands. “What’s that really fast hawk that chases the little birds in my yard?” Probably either a Cooper’s hawk or their smaller sized lookalike cousin, the sharp-shinned hawk. “What’s that really big hawk perched in a tree?” Probably a red-tailed hawk. Adult plumage is a bit various than juvenile plumage — just adult birds have red tails, and even then it is just plainly red from above. The pattern to try to find on perched red tails is a dark helmet, then a lighter “bib” at the top of the chest, with more marking lower on the stomach.
• “What do I need to watch birds?” Only 2 things — a guidebook or app and field glasses. If you’re simply starting, I advise an easy, fold-out, laminated guide to yard birds of our location, such as David Allen Sibley’s “Backyard Birds of Northern and Central California.” The complimentary Merlin Bird ID app from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology is likewise an effective tool. For field glasses, it’s finest to enter into a store where you can attempt them out face to face, however as a basic suggestion I would recommend either a full-size 8-by-42 design or a mid-size 8-by-30 or 8-by-32 design if a lighter weight is more comfy for you.
Photo by Mick Thompson
Ducks start heading north in April. Visit ponds like Las Gallinas this month to see ruddy ducks and other waterfowl.
• “Where can I go to see birds?” My very first idea is to browse you; the birds in your own backyard and area are the ones you can see every day, and which for that reason have the best capacity to improve the general texture of your life. For your very first specific “bird walk,” my go-to suggestion is the Las Gallinas Valley Sanitary District ponds in San Rafael, where wintering ducks will continue to exist in April together with a wide range of songbirds. The fastest method to accelerate your knowing is to go out with proficient observers; sign up with an approaching complimentary public walk from Marin County Parks or Marin Audubon.
• “Do bird houses really work?” Bird homes, or nesting boxes, are gladly accepted by a variety of types that generally nest in tree cavities, consisting of titmice, chickadees, wrens, bluebirds and some swallow types — get them up as quickly as possible to bring in a nesting family this spring. Many other birds, consisting of finches and hummingbirds, build open cup nests and will not utilize nest boxes.
• “I’ve heard about avian flu this year — is it safe to feed birds?” It is still safe. While bird influenza is highly affecting poultry, waterfowl and raptors, it does not considerably impact or spread out through songbirds. Both the USDA and Cornell Lab of Ornithology concur that removing feeders is not an efficient intervention. Putting out seed or suet for yard birds does not trigger reliance or hinder migration, however can be an enjoyable and important method for you to get more acquainted with the birds in your backyard.
There is constantly more to find out about birds. But among the terrific things about that procedure is that every action — from determining the most typical and ordinary types for the very first time to keeping in mind the modification of seasons through a bird’s abrupt look — is individually gratifying and deeply satisfying.
Recognize a single bird and your life ends up being a little richer.
Jack Gedney’s On the Wing runs every other Monday. He is a co-owner of Wild Birds Unlimited in Novato and author of “The Private Lives of Public Birds.” You can reach him at [email protected].
