BACKYARD BIRD OBSERVATIONS
FROM OUR MEMBERS AND FRIENDS
May was a delightful month for backyard birders! This month’s theme turned out to be first sightings. Many contributors shared their excitement about seeing a new bird species at their feeders, in their yards or neighborhoods, or soaring the skies over their homes.
Acorn Woodpeckers, Oak Titmice, Brown-headed Cowbirds, and Black-headed Grosbeaks made their first appearances at some feeders and windows, and Western Kingbirds were found nesting for the first time on one contributor’s farm. Spring and summer are a good time to see cowbirds, which are more readily found in backyards during the breeding season. This is also a good time to spot grosbeaks and kingbirds, which arrive here in the spring to nest.
Looking to the skies, you documented your first Vaux’s Swifts, Snowy Egrets, Bald Eagles, and Violet-green Swallows over your homes. In a local park, you found Yellow Warblers and Wilson’s Warblers for the first time. These swifts, swallows, and warblers are migratory birds that spend the breeding season here, and the month of May is a good time to find them.
We thought that the pace at which you’d find new species might slow down this past month - but we were wrong! In May, you added six new birds to our collective backyard bird list, including Warbling Vireo (seen at Ulistac Natural Area in Santa Clara), Wilson’s Warbler (reported at both Ulistac and a neighborhood park in Milpitas), and Western Tanager (also Ulistac and Milpitas). Eurasian Collared-Dove and White-throated Swift were seen in a Milpitas neighborhood, and Vaux’s Swift was spotted flying over a San Jose yard. With these observations, our All Around Town checklist has reached 110 species.
Here are your stories, notes, photos, and sketches from the month of May:
The view from Kristin’s window: A California Scrub-Jay (left) appears to be watching an Anna’s Hummingbird in flight.
Kristin Lynn (San Jose) tells us: “In May, my two steady regulars were the House Finch and the Anna's Hummingbird. A California Scrub-Jay also recently entered the rotation. I saw a little less of the Lesser Goldfinches and Dark-eyed Juncos, but they still made appearances in the early morning and/or late afternoon/early evening. I think I also saw my first Oak Titmouse very briefly (who reappeared recently). Mourning Doves stopped by on two occasions; they're such characters!”
A Mourning Dove grooms another dove at Kristin’s home. This behavior is called allopreening and is thought to help Mourning Doves build pair bonds. Mourning Doves have turquoise eyelids, providing them with a pop of color!
Kristin adds: “Overhead and across the way, I also saw crows, gulls, geese (I love them), a Great Blue Heron (I love him also), and a Red-tailed Hawk. Also, we always have those really large gliding birds overhead” - Turkey Vultures!
A male Downy Woodpecker at Emma’s feeder
Emma Shelton (Menlo Park) writes: “Our fun bird of the month is the woodpecker, only because we got to see four species in our yard! Downy Woodpeckers and Nuttall’s Woodpeckers are regulars, and we see them when we’re looking every day. On May 1, I saw what looked like a Downy on steroids with a long bill. Studying my Sibley’s bird book and my Audubon app, I figured it had to be a Hairy Woodpecker.”
An Acorn Woodpecker visits Emma’s feeder for the first time ever! Note the entirely black back, which differs from our other three common woodpeckers (Nuttall’s, Downy, and Hairy), and the golden eye color, which is present in adult Acorns. Acorn Woodpeckers are larger than the frequently seen Nuttall’s Woodpecker. They are social birds and can often be heard calling.
“Then on June 1 there was this big woodpecker on the backyard feeder, and both our jaws dropped while I fished out my iPhone. My husband says, ‘That’s a big one!’ We’ve seen a very occasional Acorn Woodpecker in our neighborhood, actually seen one maybe once a year, and here she was!”
A Mourning Dove enjoys a cool spot in Emma’s yard.
She adds: “On a really hot day, I was sitting in the backyard in my camp chair watching a Mourning Dove dig around in the flower bed I had just watered by hand. Then the bird settled into the nice cool soil for a spa treatment.”
An Anna’s Hummingbird explores a red geranium flower in Emma’s yard.
Emma also had her first-ever Brown-headed Cowbird at her feeders.
Here’s Emma’s yard and neighborhood list for May:
Rock Pigeon
Mourning Dove
Anna’s Hummingbird
Gull species - Frequent flyers over our street and nearby. I haven’t found a good place to stop and introduce myself.
Acorn Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Nuttall’s Woodpecker
Hairy Woodpecker
California Scrub-Jay - Seeing multiple birds these days, being pretty bold. Kind of like the squirrels.
American Crow - Still fairly bold but not as much as last month.
Common Raven
Violet-green Swallow - What I thought were Tree Swallows before may have been the Violet-greens. When they sit on the power lines in the front yard in the afternoon I can see that the tails are shorter than the wings. They move so fast it’s hard to tell the coloring, but plenty of white.
Chestnut-backed Chickadee - lots
Oak Titmouse
White-breasted Nuthatch - lots
Pygmy Nuthatch - They went on spring break in April, but are all over the place now.
Bewick’s Wren
House Finch - LOTS
Lesser Goldfinch - LOTS and lots
Dark-eyed Junco - LOTS
California Towhee
Spotted Towhee
Brown-headed Cowbird - saw one on the feeder on May 13
A baby California Quail at LC’s home
LC Boros (San Jose) says: “The most interesting bird thing here is of course all the baby birds. Ten of our sixteen nest boxes have seen activity with almost all resulting in fledged broods — some boxes are even being used a second time. In addition, a bazillion House Finches and Lesser Goldfinches have fledged but fledglings tend to crash into windows, even ones with decals and anti-strike measures installed, but knock on wood, no fatalities.”
(Editor’s Note: If birds visit your yard, please consider treating your windows to reduce the possibility of collisions, as LC has done. Sadly, even if a bird flies away after colliding with a window, it often dies later from internal injuries, so every strike prevented helps birds.
The Cornell Lab of Ornithology has put together this list of window treatments that can help prevent bird strikes; there are options for different lifestyles and budgets. You can also reduce collisions by placing your feeders within 3 feet of a window - a bird leaving these feeders usually can’t gain enough momentum to harm itself if it hits the window - or more than 30 feet from a window.)
A Wild Turkey chick explores LC’s property.
LC continues: “Late in the month we also started seeing newly-hatched California Quail and Wild Turkey.”
A Turkey Vulture drinks at one of LC’s bird baths.
“As always our water offerings attract a wide and varied selection of birds. One of our resident Turkey Vultures likes to pop in for a sip in the mornings while the Anna’s Hummingbirds prefer the early evening hours to quench their thirst.”
A Western Kingbird with nesting material in LC’s garden
LC says: “The standout for the month though is a pair of Western Kingbirds nesting up by the well tank: our 75th documented species here at the farm!”
A female (left) and male (right) Hooded Oriole visit Becky’s oriole feeder.
Becky Ewens (San Jose) reports: “I’ve had a large number of Anna’s Hummingbirds and Hooded Orioles visiting lately. Both species use the hummingbird and the oriole feeders. The hummingbirds have been engaged in constant battle over the feeder, and I’ve seen as many as seven trying to guard the feeders and chasing each other. It’s amusing to watch the hummingbirds even charge the orioles, who pay them no mind.”
An immature male Hooded Oriole plays on Becky’s shepherd’s hook. This individual likely hatched last year and has yet to reach adulthood: the wing feathers still resemble those of an adult female, but he already has the black throat of an adult male.
More young oriole antics
Becky also spotted an immature male oriole, one that likely hatched last year: “He spent a lot of time playing on the shepherd’s hooks, then would chirp to an adult male when he came near. The adult male wanted nothing to do with him.”
A juvenile Nuttall’s Woodpecker in Becky’s yard. Note the red stippling on the front half of the crown, marking the bird as a young one (juvenile males, and some juvenile females, show some color on the forehead). The red crown seen on adult males is located further back on the head, on the back half of the crown and the nape.
She continues: “I have Nuttall’s Woodpeckers that visit from time to time. My backyard seems to be a place they groom in. I really enjoy hearing them.”
A female or immature Black-headed Grosbeak. The name “grosbeak” derives from French and means “big beak”! Note the large, thick bill on this bird, which allows it to eat tough seeds and insects.
“In May, I was excited to see a Black-headed Grosbeak at the seed feeder, but like every year, they only seem to stay for a few days at a time.”
A White-breasted Nuthatch at Becky’s feeder. Dominance studies among feeder birds have shown that White-breasted Nuthatches do indeed dominate House Finches, as Becky observed.
“I took my seed feeders down for several weeks after seeing several ill House Finches. I just put the seed feeders up again and within fifteen minutes, an Oak Titmouse and a Chestnut-backed Chickadee were happily feasting. A White-breasted Nuthatch also showed up right away. I enjoy watching the nuthatch hang from the shepherd’s hook and stare, which seems to frighten the House Finches away.”
A Bewick’s Wren in Becky’s yard
She adds: “Every year I have some Bewick’s Wrens who spend time in an umbrella tree. This year was no exception, with what seemed to be a breeding pair, then three juveniles. One juvenile has stuck around. There was also a juvenile House Sparrow making the most noise, trying to get a parent to feed it. The juvenile Bewick’s seemed very interested in the sparrow and did the funniest thing. The wren kept hopping around the sparrow on the branch, making lots of noise directed at the sparrow.”
Becky also reports Mourning Doves, a Red-tailed Hawk, American Crows, Bushtits, Lesser Goldfinches, and California Towhees in and near her yard. She has also had a pair of Brown-headed Cowbirds, a male and female who have been regular feeder visitors and that are new to her yard this year.
Are you wondering about the contemplative White-throated Sparrow? This species is a winter resident of Santa Clara County. Most of these birds leave our area in April, heading to their breeding grounds elsewhere.
Francesca Ricci-Tam (Santa Clara) sent us this watercolor pencil drawing of some of the birds that she saw at the Ulistac Natural Area in May, including spring migrants like the Warbling Vireo and the brightly-colored Yellow Warbler, Wilson’s Warbler, and Western Tanager.
A Wilson’s Warbler at a neighborhood park in Milpitas. Note the fairly long tail (longer than a Yellow Warbler’s). Adult males have a black crown, which can be seen in Francesca’s drawing above.
A contributor in Milpitas writes: “I’d like to report my very lucky sightings of the Wilson’s Warbler, the Western Tanager, and the Yellow Warbler all on the fabulous morning of May 4 at my neighborhood park.”
A Yellow Warbler at the same park in Milpitas. Yellow Warblers are larger than Wilson’s Warblers and generally have a stouter bill. Note the short tail and compare it to the longer tail of the Wilson’s in the photo above. Yellow Warblers lack the black crown of the adult male Wilson’s.
“The Wilson’s and Yellow Warblers were seen at two opposite corners of the park.”
A Western Tanager shows up brilliantly next to these bottlebrush flowers. This individual has the reddish-orange head and throat of a breeding male. Females and non-breeding males have yellow heads.
“I was following the Wilson’s Warbler, while it sang loudly and jumped from trees to bushes, when a gorgeous male Western Tanager appeared in my camera view.”
“I also have seen several White-throated Swifts circling the neighborhood in the evening but they are very hard to capture in pictures.”
A Eurasian Collared-Dove in Milpitas. Note the squared-off tail and part of the black “collar” around the back of the bird’s neck. By contrast, the Mourning Dove has a long tail that tapers to a point, quite different from the Collared-Dove.
This birder adds: “I have seen two or three Eurasian Collared-Doves when taking walks in my neighborhood. They are not as numerous as the Mourning Doves, which can show up by the dozen in the early morning, but I like to see their wide square tails which they fan out when they fly. It’s a pretty sight to see.”
Barbara Coll (Menlo Park) wrote to say: “For the first time ever I was so excited to see an adult Bald Eagle circling over our house with all its feathers fully extended! Magnificent! It was accompanied by a few California Gulls, who by comparison looked small. This brings my yard life list to 73 species, tracked over 29 years.”
Steven Rice (Palo Alto) has had a very quiet month: “The birds have forsaken me,” he writes, “even the juncos.”
(Note: Feeder activity does tend to ebb and flow throughout the year. Seed offerings may decline in popularity during the breeding season, when natural sources of plant material are more abundant, and when many birds need insects to feed their young. You may see an increase in activity again when young birds fledge and join their parents to forage for food.)
Jack Cole (San Jose) spotted a Vaux’s Swift over his yard in May. He writes: “The swift was quite high but the flight was distinctive.” On May 9, he told us: “A couple of Band-tailed Pigeons made a brief appearance in my yard this morning. They are always fun to see. I’m still waiting for my first Eurasian Collared-Dove.”
Curt Bianchi (Saratoga) reported in mid-May that he had just seen a Black-headed Grosbeak at his front yard feeder. He says, “I’ve never gotten really good looks at one, so this was a pleasant surprise. I hope it comes back!”
Eve Meier (San Jose) writes: “I was sitting on my deck the afternoon of May 16, talking on the phone with a friend, and a Snowy Egret flew over the house. I think that may be a new backyard bird for me!”
A Bewick’s Wren in Mary Ann’s yard, its barred tail feathers visible
Mary Ann Robertson (Los Altos) tells us: “I usually view my backyard birds from beneath a locust tree. (I don’t have bird feeders.) I was photographing a Bewick's Wren on May 5 and when I looked at the photos on my computer I was intrigued by the patterns of the underside of its tail and of the undertail coverts. I wondered if the patterns were part of the wren ‘display’ or a warning to another bird behind the wren.”
One of the Oak Titmouse juveniles that fledged from Jennifer’s nest box this year
On May 9, Jennifer Oliver (San Jose) reported: “All three Oak Titmouse fledglings are doing well. I’ve been seeing them in our trees since they fledged. Here was one of them recently. So cute and fluffy!”
She adds: “We wondered if the adult male titmouse is the same bird that nested in our box last year. Usually there’s no way to tell, but we noticed this year that he is missing a toe on one foot, so we are hoping to see him and tell that it’s him maybe next year!”
Happy backyard birding in June, everyone!
What birds are you seeing and hearing in your yard and neighborhood?
Send your notes, lists, and photos to backyardbirds@scvas.org. We’ll feature them in our next edition of All Around Town.
Bird species reported to All Around Town
from October 2020 onwards
(species in bold are new this month)
Greater White-fronted Goose
Canada Goose
Mallard
Bufflehead
California Quail
Wild Turkey
Indian Peafowl (feral)
Rock Pigeon
Band-tailed Pigeon
Eurasian Collared-Dove
Mourning Dove
Vaux’s Swift
White-throated Swift
Anna’s Hummingbird
Rufous Hummingbird
Allen’s Hummingbird
Killdeer
California Gull
Great Blue Heron
Great Egret
Snowy Egret
Black-crowned Night-Heron
Turkey Vulture
White-tailed Kite
Golden Eagle
Northern Harrier
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Cooper’s Hawk
Bald Eagle
Red-shouldered Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
Ferruginous Hawk
Barn Owl
Western Screech-Owl
Great Horned Owl
Red-breasted Sapsucker
Acorn Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Nuttall’s Woodpecker
Hairy Woodpecker
Pileated Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
American Kestrel
Merlin
Olive-sided Flycatcher
Western Wood-Pewee
Pacific-slope Flycatcher
Black Phoebe
Say’s Phoebe
Western Kingbird
Hutton’s Vireo
Cassin’s Vireo
Warbling Vireo
Steller’s Jay
California Scrub-Jay
Yellow-billed Magpie
American Crow
Common Raven
Chestnut-backed Chickadee
Oak Titmouse
Northern Rough-winged Swallow
Tree Swallow
Violet-green Swallow
Barn Swallow
Bushtit
Wrentit
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Red-breasted Nuthatch
White-breasted Nuthatch
Pygmy Nuthatch
Brown Creeper
House Wren
Bewick’s Wren
European Starling
California Thrasher
Northern Mockingbird
Western Bluebird
Varied Thrush
Hermit Thrush
American Robin
Cedar Waxwing
Scaly-breasted Munia
House Sparrow
House Finch
Purple Finch
Pine Siskin
Lesser Goldfinch
Lawrence’s Goldfinch
American Goldfinch
Chipping Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
White-crowned Sparrow
Golden-crowned Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
Savannah Sparrow
Lincoln’s Sparrow
California Towhee
Spotted Towhee
Western Meadowlark
Hooded Oriole
Bullock’s Oriole
Brown-headed Cowbird
Orange-crowned Warbler
Yellow Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Townsend’s Warbler
Wilson’s Warbler
Western Tanager
Black-headed Grosbeak
Lazuli Bunting
Hybrid ducks, domestic ducks, unidentified gull species, and Allen’s/Rufous Hummingbirds have also been reported to All Around Town.
All Around Town is compiled by SCVAS Member Julie Amato.
Banner Photo: Baby California Quail by LC Boros