I've written many posts about the wildflowers on our property, so it's time to turn my attention to the birds. We feed them regularly using squirrel-proof feeders. The feeder is surrounded by a cage, so only those birds small enough to fit through the square openings can get food easily. Bigger birds search the ground for the dropped seeds left by the smaller birds. Some birds, like humming birds, ignore seeds, preferring to suck the nectar out of the many pollinator friendly flowers we've planted.
Quail, which seem to prefer hanging out in the lavender plants, might grab a seed from the ground once in awhile, but I typically see one of the perched up high as a lookout. The flock (which is very small this year) drop by for water either from the pond or the bird bath.
I started using Cornell's Merlin bird identification app. It has an amazing ability to identify birds even as they are all chattering different songs. This is a list of the birds I see frequently:
Spotted Towhee
California Towhee
Lesser Goldfinch
Mourning Dove
Dark-eyed Junco
American Robin
Warbling Vireo
Cassin's Vireo
Wild Turkey
Chestnut-backed Chicadee
Acorn Woodpecker
Titmouse
Black Phoebe
House Finch
Western Flycatcher
Band-tailed Pidgeon
Once in awhile I see a Pileated Woodpecker, but I more often hear the pecking. We have two types of Owls, but I rarely hear them. When they do "speak" at night, it is usually a conversation between two distant owls. One warm days when there is an updraft, we see up to seven vultures catching the wind currents. Once in awhile, we see a crow or two.
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