Mistaken identity

Hutton's Vireo (Vireo huttoni)

As are vireos, this bird is an active forager in mixed oak-evergreen woodlands.  This is a year-round resident species throughout its range.

It's range, on a continental-scale, is limited; the West Coast and portions of the southwestern United States.
As such, it can be and is sometimes mistaken for the far more widespread Ruby-crowned Kinglet (Regulus calendula) from birders and naturalist from other parts of the continent less familiar with this vireo.

Hutton's Vireo

In life, have you ever been mistaken by others about who, what and how you truly were? I certainly have been.

A variation on a Zen proverb is "... listen (*and look, too, in our case) twice, speak once."

Even the Common

The Wrentit (Chamaea fasciata) is the only member of the babbler family, Family Timaliidae, in North America.

Nevertheless, the wrentit is a common species of the coastal chaparral of the West Coast of the United States.  This skulker, with a peculiar long tail, and light-colored iris, are often detected by their "bouncing ball" vocalization.

A common species on the West Coast.

Wrentit

Even the common are part of the greater beauty.

Hudsonian Godwit conitinues..

... this AM, 17 October 2015.

Found by visiting Arizona birders, the godwit is at "Struve Slough - Lee Rd.", Watsonville, Santa Cruz county.

As was described yesterday, today's views were via scope; not allowing for decent photos.  Atleast not from me.

The following is a general range map for the Hudsonian Godwit:

On the move..

Fall migration.

I encountered a couple of Swainson's Thrushes (Catharus ustulatus) this morning on the back corner of the UCSC - Arboretum.  One, I never saw only hearing the call note coming from the Baccharis-pocked grassland adjacent to the north end of the arboretum.

However, this one popped up near the trail.  It didn't give much of a photo opportunity while eye-balling me.

Swainson's thrush, likely heading south.  Look again.  It is in there.

Clay-colored Sparrow Continues..

Clay-colored Sparrow (Spizella pallida)

The Clay-colored Sparrow continues at Homeless Garden in Santa Cruz, near Antonelli Pond.

It is associating with numerous White-crowned (Zonotrichia leucophrys) and Golden-crowned Sparrows (Z. atricapilla).

The following is a general range map for this species:

image by Whatbird.com

October on the Water

Yesterday, 10 October 2015, my friend and I took our last pelagic birding trip of the year.  This particular trip was out of Monterey.

I will update the official species to this post when it is made available.

The ultimate noteworthy sightings was a probable WEDGE-TAILED SHEARWATER (Puffinus pacificus).  Next in the noteworthy line was a Manx Shearwater (P. puffinus).

No photos, from me on the above two birds but I did manage a few photographs during the, grueling at times, boat trip.

This high count species is one that should be off the coast of southern California.  They must be about "drained" of Black-vented Shearwater (P. opisthomelas) because we had them in the thousands up here.

Black-vented Shearwater

Black-vented Shearwater

In the morning the marine layer was really socked in and we plowed through the fog. This was when we had most of our Northern Fulmar (Fulmarus glacialis)

Northern Fulmar

The further we went out, the chance of albatross was better.  Yesterday's trip we had one, this Black-footed Albatross (Phoebastria nigripes).

Black-footed albatross

When you are out on Monterey Bay this time of year, you stand a good chance of seeing Humpback Whales (Megaptera novaeangliae).  Yesterday did not disappoint.

the tail and fluke of one of many Humpback Whales we encountered

It's Yellow, It's Green....

It's Yellow-green.  Vireo.

Yellow-green vireo (Vireo flavovirindis)

This rare active songbird is continuing, as of this post, at Laguna Grande Regional Park in Seaside, Monterey County.

Actively foraging during this particular encounter, the Yellow-green vireo is primarily a passerine of Central America and Mexico.

The morning marine layer, and a super quick mover successfully foraging all the while made for a poor photo opportunity.  However, most importantly it made for a delightful observation shared with Kaia.  An enjoyable time respectfully experiencing a personal intersection with this being's life.

We all find ourselves a little wayward in life from time to time.  For this vireo, it seemed to have plenty to forage on and adequate shelter to use while it finds its way through this life.
I do too, and am quite thankful for it.

This bird continued to forage along the bank-side willows across from the restrooms on Virgin Ave side of the park.

The following is a general range map for yellow-green vireo: