dalemeister's Favourites

So... I'm trying to back up my driveway to the house....This individual was munching on stuff it found in the grass at the edge of the long driveway....I stopped got out of the truck, took pics, got back in the truck, started backing up again...think it would fly away?? Nope....When I got too close, it only moved a couple of inches at a time & 'guided' me all the way up to the garage....taking its' own sweet time too!!! I have a pic of it that I took thru the rear view mirror...she was right at the back of the truck...still munching & moving at HER leisure!! It took me 5 mins to get up to the house, & then she calmly continued to stroll around to the back of the house. I sure hope she doesn't do that out on the road!!

FEMALE California Quail. Compared to male: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/243199007

California Quail is the State Bird of California. Coastal California Quail (Callipepla californica ssp. brunnescens) is the local subspecies in Monterey County: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/164840165

California Quail (Callipepla californica) is a native, mostly ground-dwelling bird in the New World Quails (Odontophoridae) family. There are several subspecies.
California Quail "have a teardrop shaped crest or plume, made of six feathers, that droops forward: black in males and brown in females. Chest feathers have heavy, white streaks. Male has black face and longer, more curled crest than Female. They are usually seen in flocks running on the ground in open, scrubby habitats and sometimes in trees in oak woodlands.
Female lays 10-16 eggs, usually 13-14. They are dull white to pale buff, variably marked with brown. Two females sometimes lay eggs in same nest. Incubation is by female only, about 18-23 days. The downy young leave nest within a day after hatching. Both parents tend to the young, with female often brooding them when small, with male perching high and acting as sentinel. Young feed themselves. Quail diet is mostly seeds and young leaves and shoots. It also eats acorns, berries, flowers, bulbs, and insects. Listen for frequent, three-noted call, audible at long distances.
California Quail is separated from similar-looking Gambel’s Quail by range. Gambel's Quail (desert habitats) has a longer crest at 2.5 inches (6.4 cm), and lacks the white streaked chest feathers of the California Quail. Compare observation of male Gambel's Quail in the Mojave Desert: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/200280540

The Cornell Lab (Birds in U.S. and Canada): https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/California_Quail/

Ebird with species description, range map and sound recordings: https://ebird.org/species/calqua/

Audubon Guide to North American Birds https://www.audubon.org/bird-guide and https://www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/california-quail

Xeno-canto: Bird songs, sound recordings, bird range and migration map: https://xeno-canto.org/species/Callipepla-californica

National Geographic Field Guide to the Birds of Western North America, ed. Jon L. Dunn, 2008, pp. 60-61.

Monterey Birds, Don Roberson, 2nd ed. 2002, sponsored by Monterey, Peninsula Audubon Society, p. 173.

Irene's New World Quails (Odontophoridae) observations on INaturalist, worldwide: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?taxon_id=1278&user_id=aparrot1

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Merlin Bird ID: How to use/get the portable App (Bird ID help for 8,500+ species) https://merlin.allaboutbirds.org/

Found Feathers Resources (comprehensive list with links by INat featherenthusiast): https://foundfeathers.org/resources/
Found Feathers: INaturalist Project: https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/found-feathers
Found Feathers (worldwide) I.D. Tool: https://www.fws.gov/lab/featheratlas/idtool.php
Irene's Feather observations on INaturalist, worldwide: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?project_id=125924&ttl=900&v=1725598515000&place_id=any&verifiable=any&subview=grid&user_id=3188668

Irene's Ebird Profile: https://ebird.org/profile/MTIwNjIzMg and my worldwide bird checklists: https://ebird.org/mychecklists

Irene's (aparrot1) Profile Page on INaturalist listing Nature Resources (includes online references with links) for Plants, Birds, Fungi, Lepidoptera, Arachnids, Reptiles, Amphibians, Marine Life, Plant Galls, and more: https://www.inaturalist.org/people/3188668

2 Wrens at Hacienda el Bosque, high in the Andes, at about 3900m? (12,800 ft) elevation.

Ebird Checklist (#18 in list): https://ebird.org/checklist/S191402450

Mountain Wren (Troglodytes solstitialis) is a high-elevation perching bird in the Wrens (Troglodytidae) family.

Birds of Colombia, by Steven L. Hilty, March, 2021 (excellent color illustrations, species distribution maps, QR codes) p. 434.

(Compared to Grass Wren which is found in the way north corner of Colombia, Hilty, p. 435.)

Irene's Wrens (Troglodytidae) observations on INaturalist, worldwide: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?taxon_id=15964&user_id=aparrot1

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Merlin Bird ID: How to use/get the portable App (Bird ID help for 8,500+ species) https://merlin.allaboutbirds.org/

Found Feathers Resources (comprehensive list with links by INat featherenthusiast): https://foundfeathers.org/resources/
Found Feathers: INaturalist Project: https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/found-feathers
Found Feathers (worldwide) I.D. Tool: https://www.fws.gov/lab/featheratlas/idtool.php
Irene's Feather observations on INaturalist, worldwide: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?project_id=125924&ttl=900&v=1725598515000&place_id=any&verifiable=any&subview=grid&user_id=3188668

Irene's Ebird Profile: https://ebird.org/profile/MTIwNjIzMg and my worldwide bird checklists: https://ebird.org/mychecklists

Irene's (aparrot1) Profile Page on INaturalist listing Nature Resources (includes online references with links) for Plants, Birds, Fungi, Lepidoptera, Arachnids, Reptiles, Amphibians, Marine Life, Plant Galls, and more: https://www.inaturalist.org/people/3188668

There are 7 confirmed species of Eighty-eight (genus) butterflies in Colombia on INaturalist as of 9/6/24: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?place_id=7196&quality_grade=research&taxon_id=69885&view=species

There were several species of butterflies gathered around a large pile of scat. They were nectaring on the minerals in the scat. (Is that the right verb, nectaring?)

My favorite Eighty-Eight (genus) observation: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/233387691

Folded-wing pattern looks like "89" when it's facing right: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/233387691
Folded-wing pattern looks like "98" when facing left: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/240232869
Wings wide open: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/133366738 and https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/237592459

Irene's Brush-footed Butterflies (Nymphalidae) on INaturalist, worldwide: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?place_id=any&taxon_id=47922&user_id=aparrot1&verifiable=any

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Lepidoptera: a Sensory Visual Treat of
Butterflies in Colombia on INaturalist (2177 confirmed species): https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?place_id=7196&quality_grade=research&taxon_id=47224&view=species
Moths in Colombia on INaturalist (2850 confirmed species): https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?place_id=any&project_id=86876&quality_grade=research&ttl=900&view=species

INaturalist Project showing (mostly) Butterflies at Biodiversidad de la Reserva Natural Tinamú Birding: https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/biodiversidad-de-la-reserva-natural-tinamu-birding-manizales-colombia?tab=species

Only Moths from Colombia: INaturalist Project: https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/only-moths-from-colombia
"In the order Lepidoptera there are reported about 160,000 species, of these approximately 20,000 are butterflies. These numbers give a ratio of about 7 species of moths to each species of butterfly. In Colombia, there are 3,877 species of butterflies, which using that relationship would give us at least 27,139 species of moths for the country. This project is created to help build the list of moths present in Colombia, even if their identification is not available and that it serves as a complement to "Polillas de Colombia" that accepts only confirmed Moth species."

Irene's Colombian neotropical butterfly observations on INaturalist: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?place_id=7196&taxon_id=47224&user_id=aparrot1&verifiable=any

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Glossary of Butterfly (and Moth) Terminology by Art Shapiro: https://butterfly.ucdavis.edu/resources/glossary

Caterpillar Anatomy (simple diagram) and Lepidoptera Basics: https://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/butterfly/activities/printouts/caterpillarprintout.shtml Life Cycle of a Butterfly: Egg --> Larva (the caterpillar) --> Pupa (the chrysalis or cocoon) --> Adult.

INaturalist Project: Lepidoptera (worldwide): https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/lepidoptera

INaturalist Project: Butterflies of the World: https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/butterflies-of-the-world

Irene's Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths) observations on INaturalist, worldwide: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?place_id=any&taxon_id=47157&user_id=aparrot1&verifiable=any

Irene's (aparrot1) Profile Page on INaturalist listing Nature Resources (includes list of online references with links) for Plants, Birds, Fungi, Lepidoptera, Arachnids, Reptiles, Amphibians, Marine Life, Plant Galls, and more: https://www.inaturalist.org/people/3188668

Jemima, the neighborhood scrub jay, has a favorite perch in the lemon tree. He/she thinks I will bring a peanut, which is probably true. Jemima is one of 3 siblings that were born in the Oak woodlands nearby, about 5-6 years ago. That summer, two parents and three youngsters regularly visited the backyard birdbath. Two of them still come around almost daily to drink in the bird bath.

California Scrub-Jay (Aphelocoma californica) is medium-sized bird, 27–31 cm (11–12 inches) long, in the Crows, Jays, and Magpies (Corvidae) family. In colloquial English, Corvidae are known as "Corvids". California Scrub-Jay has a royal blue head, wings, and tail, gray-brown back, grayish underparts, and a white eyebrow. Throat is whitish with a blue necklace (not connected in front). There are several (8) subspecies. Jays are very intelligent birds. Like many members of the Corvidae family, they have a mischievous streak. They’ve been caught stealing acorns from Acorn Woodpecker caches, and some even steal acorns they’ve watched other jays hide. When these birds go to hide their own acorns, they check first that no other jays are watching.

Link to my favorite California Scrub-Jay observations:
Grumpy: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/150036933
Intense: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/182282176
Sweet Jemima: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/188322941

Ebird with species description, range map and sound recordings: https://ebird.org/species/cowscj1/

Xeno-canto Bird songs, sound recordings, and species range map: https://xeno-canto.org/species/Aphelocoma-californica

National Geographic Field Guide to the Birds of North America, ed. Jon L. Dunn, 7th ed., 2017. pp.368-369

National Geographic Field Guide to the Birds of Western North America, ed. Jon L. Dunn, 2008, pp. 280-281.

Monterey Birds, Don Roberson, 2nd ed. 2002, sponsored by Monterey Peninsula Audubon Society, p. 338.

Audubon Guide to North American Birds https://www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/california-scrub-jay

2 Corvid Projects on INaturalist I like:
Corvid Behavior: https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/corvid-behavior
Corvidae of the World: https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/corvidae-of-the-world

Irene's Crows, Jays, and Magpies (Corvidae) observations on INaturalist, worldwide: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?place_id=any&taxon_id=7823&user_id=aparrot1&verifiable=any

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Merlin Bird ID: How to use/get the portable App (Bird ID help for 8,500+ species) https://merlin.allaboutbirds.org/

Found Feathers Resources (list/links by INat featherenthusiast: https://foundfeathers.org/resources/
Found Feathers: INaturalist Project: https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/found-feathers
Found Feathers (worldwide) I.D. Tool: https://www.fws.gov/lab/featheratlas/idtool.php
Irene's FEATHER observations on INaturalist, worldwide: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?project_id=125924&ttl=900&v=1725598515000&place_id=any&verifiable=any&subview=grid&user_id=3188668

Irene's Ebird Profile: https://ebird.org/profile/MTIwNjIzMg and my worldwide bird checklists: https://ebird.org/mychecklists

Irene's (aparrot1) Profile Page on INaturalist listing Nature Resources (includes online references with links) for Plants, Birds, Fungi, Lepidoptera, Arachnids, Reptiles, Amphibians, Marine Life, Plant Galls, and more: https://www.inaturalist.org/people/3188668

Did you know that hummingbirds . . .

Are the smallest migrating birds? Their average weight is less than a nickel.
Get their name from the humming sounds their wings make.
Can perch, but cannot hop nor walk on their tiny legs.
Have no sense of smell, but have excellent color vision.
Can consume nectar up to twice their body weight in a day.
In a flock may be called a bouquet, hover, glittering, shimmer or tune.

Irene's Hummingbird (Trochilidae family) observations on INaturalist, worldwide: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?place_id=any&taxon_id=5562&user_id=aparrot1&verifiable=any

COMPARISON OF 4 California Hummingbirds: Costa's, Anna's, Allen's and Broad-tailed Hummingbird:

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Costa's Hummingbird (Calypte costae) is a medium-size hummingbird in the (Trochilidae) family that is 9cm (3.5 inches) long. Costa's are a bit smaller with a more hunched posture than Anna's. Bill is a little longer than Anna's Hummingbird. Both sexes have a green upper body. Adult male has a deep violet crown and a gorget that extends far down the sides of neck. Female is green above, white below, with NO chin spots (like Anna's). Immature males have streaking on neck, with spots of purple feathers increasing with age. Costa's has longer length wings than Anna's (when perched, the tail of Anna's extends farther past the wings).
Costa's is a desert adapted hummingbird. Natural desert habitat includes washes, stream sides, creosote brush scrub, mostly in dry and open places having a good variety of blooming plants.
Conservation Status: Vulnerable in California. It is common but numbers have declined where the desert has been cleared for development. In some places it has adapted to nesting in suburbs.
Diet is mostly nectar and sometimes tiny insects, especially during nesting season. It looks for nectar on native desert and garden plants. (See https://www.desertstrawhouse.com/plant-nursery for native plants to attract birds and butterflies to your garden). You can supplement native plant nectar with a hummingbird feeder. 4:1 (or even 3:1) is a good ratio of water to sugar. Change the solution at least weekly before it gets cloudy or moldy, and NEVER add red dye!
Feeding Hummingbirds (The Cornell Lab) https://www.allaboutbirds.org/news/feeding-hummingbirds/

Link to successful hatch of Costa's hummingbirds in a neighbor's orange tree in the desert in February. Nest is the size of half a golf ball made of feathers and small bits of plant material: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/151012296

Link to brilliant adult MALE Costa's Hummingbird: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/144253292

Link to dozens of Costa's peacefully sharing hummingbird feeders: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/144476737

Male Costa's call is a loud "zing," a thin, high-pitched whistle.
Xeno-canto Bird songs, sound recordings, and species range map: https://xeno-canto.org/species/Calypte-costae

Ebird with species description, range map and sound recordings: https://ebird.org/species/coshum/

Audubon Guide to North American Birds https://www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/costas-hummingbird

National Geographic Field Guide to the Birds of Western North America, ed. Jon L. Dunn, 2008, pp. 238-239.

National Geographic Field Guide to the Birds of North America, ed. Jon L. Dunn, 7th ed., 2017, pp. 96-97.

Merlin Bird ID: How to use/get the portable App (Bird ID help for 8,500+ species) https://merlin.allaboutbirds.org/

Comprehensive Feather I.D. tools and more: https://foundfeathers.org/resources/

Found Feathers (Worldwide): https://www.fws.gov/lab/featheratlas/idtool.php

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COMPARED TO

Anna’s Hummingbird (Calypte anna) is a medium-size hummingbird in the (Trochilidae) family that is 10cm (4 inches) long. Anna's are larger with a less hunched posture than Costa's. Bill is straight (and shorter than Costa's Humminbird). Both sexes have a green upper body. Adult male head and throat are fuchsia (deep rose red), with color extending a short distance onto sides of neck. Female's throat usually shows rose-red flecks or spots. She is dingy gray below with extensive green flanks turning to green spots at tail end (compared to female Costa's that is more pure white below). Anna's has shorter length wings than Costa's. When perched, the tail of Anna's extends farther past the wings (Costa's wings are a bit longer). Gorget can look like black upward-pointing triangle.
Range: Abundant in coastal lowlands and mountains in California, and also in deserts, especially in winter. It is a year round resident in Monterey County. In recent decades the species has expanded its range north to British Columbia and east to Arizona, probably helped along by flowers and feeders in suburban gardens.
Anna's Hummingbird is a very distinctive bird with its iridescent ruby-colored throat, which is called a gorget. The male's gorget extends over its head, like a hood. Interestingly, the female Anna's also has a very small gorget, a red patch on her throat, whereas most female hummingbirds do not.
Back in the early 1900s, Anna's Hummingbirds were found only in Baja California and Southern California. Today, their range extends from southwestern British Columbia to southwestern Arizona and extreme northeastern Mexico.

Link to close-up of MALE Anna's with bright fuchsia gorget : https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/190601885

Ebird with species description, range map and sound recordings: https://ebird.org/species/annhum

Audubon Guide to North American Birds https://www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/annas-hummingbird

National Geographic Field Guide to the Birds of Western North America, ed. Jon L. Dunn, 2008, p. 238-239.

National Geographic Field Guide to the Birds of North America, ed. Jon L. Dunn, 7th ed., 2017, pp. 98-99.

Monterey Birds, Don Roberson, 2nd ed. 2002, sponsored by Monterey Peninsula Audubon Society, p. 297.

Xeno-canto Bird songs, sound recordings, and species range map: https://xeno-canto.org/species/Calypte-anna

The Cornell Lab (Birds in U.S. and Canada) https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Annas_Hummingbird

You can supplement native plant nectar with a hummingbird feeder. 4:1 (or even 3:1) is a good ratio of water to sugar. Change the solution at least weekly before it gets cloudy or moldy, and NEVER add red dye!
Feeding Hummingbirds (The Cornell Lab) https://www.allaboutbirds.org/news/feeding-hummingbirds/

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COMPARED TO

Allen's Hummingbird (Selasphorus sasin) is a small, fast-flying bird in the Hummingbirds (Trochilidae) family. It common breeds along the Central Coast of California and in lower Carmel Valley and Salinas Valleys. Diet is mostly nectar and insects. It takes nectar from flowers, and will feed on tiny insects as well. It favors red tubular flowers such as penstemon, red monkey-flower, red columbine, paintbrush, scarlet sage and also flowers of other colors, such as the yellow blooms of tree-tobacco. It will also feed on sugar-water mixtures in hummingbird feeders.

Link to young MALE Allen's Hummingbird: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/214726565

Audubon Guide to North American Birds https://www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/allens-hummingbird#
"A close relative of the Rufous Hummingbird, Allen's has a more limited range, nesting mostly in California. This is one of the two common nesting hummingbirds in northern California gardens (Anna's is the other). Females and immatures of Allen's Hummingbird are almost impossible to separate from Rufous females without close examination."

The Cornell Lab (compare 4 hummingbirds): https://www.allaboutbirds.org/news/search/?q=Selasphorus%20sasin

National Geographic Field Guide to the Birds of Western North America, ed. Jon L. Dunn, 2008, pp.240-241.

Monterey Birds, Don Roberson, 2nd ed. 2002, sponsored by Monterey Peninsula Audubon Society, p. 301.

You can supplement native plant nectar with a hummingbird feeder. 4:1 (or even 3:1) is a good ratio of water to sugar. Change the solution at least weekly before it gets cloudy or moldy, and NEVER add red dye!
Feeding Hummingbirds (The Cornell Lab) https://www.allaboutbirds.org/news/feeding-hummingbirds/

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COMPARED TO

Broad-tailed Hummingbird (Selasphorus platycercus)
Males do NOT have an iridescent crown (like male Anna's Hummingbird).

Link to confirmed observation of Broad-tailed Hummingbird in Morongo Valley, CA: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/45882012

Ebird with species description, range map and sound recordings: https://ebird.org/species/brthum/

Xeno-canto Bird songs, sound recordings, and species range map: https://xeno-canto.org/species/Selasphorus-platycercus

Audubon Guide to North American Birds https://www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/broad-tailed-hummingbird

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Irene's Ebird Profile: https://ebird.org/profile/MTIwNjIzMg and my worldwide checklists: https://ebird.org/mychecklists

Irene's Bird (Aves class) observations worldwide on INaturalist: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?place_id=any&taxon_id=3&user_id=aparrot1&verifiable=any