This is a brief on the birding experience while visiting western coast of US.
During this time mainly observed birds around LA, California.
Explained below are the different areas where birding is done followed by the list of birds with some brief about the behavior I observed and their similar birds in India.
A small city just east of LA. I lived here at my sisters place and went around in small parts, school grounds and around the house for birding. Mainly urban birds seen in gardens and grounds habitat were seen here.
Western medowlark - A lark type bird, seen on ground most of the times, camoflagues completely with the ground. Seen on school ground near house. Very beautiful yellow on throat and breast.
House Finches - very much like rose finches with red on forehead and throat. Seen outside house atleast 5-10.
Yellow rumped warbler - very common, seen almost every where in city parks also and even around buildings. Seen in school ground, behind house outside garage, on trees, at glendora, monrovia
Says phoebe - similar to black but light colored underbelly
Black phoebe - a flycatcher seen everywhere. School ground, parking lot in front of house, glendora, monrovia
Mourning dove - Very common in cities. Seen on telephone wires and footpaths outside house and on roads.
European Starling - Common in cities. Seen sitting on electricity poles and wires. Making some crackling low intensity noise. Seen outside house, along the roads everywhere, not much in forest.
Lesser goldfinch - Seen outside house eating mapple tree fruits (a pair). Seen plenty atleast 10-15 on big dalton trail, glendora. Distinguished from american goldfinch by black back till head.
Northern Mockingbird - Seen in cities on small bushes.
American Kestrel - A small prey bird seen in cities. Seen on electric poles in front of house and with binocs farther away.
Plumbeous Vireo - A small warbler like bird with very similar behavior seen catching insects on Maple tree.
California Gull - Seen at many places even within city. Seen one below at a parking lot of a shopping complex.
Allen's Hummingbird - Regularly seen visiting flowering trees in the gardens.
Its a part of wilderness park located in a small city of Gelndora east of LA at the base of San Gabriel Mountains.
Red tailed hawk - very common around city as well as forest. Glendora and Mt Baldy
Coopers / Sharp shinned Hawk - In flight almost similar wing structure like shikra. Not sure which one as got a few shots. Saw at Calfornia science center near rose garden. As per ids coopers has a round tail while sharp shinned has a square tail
Dark eyed junco (oregon Junco) - Similar to our black headed munias but with less contrast and pale pink bill. Seen at ski lifts of mount baldy and big dalton canyon trail end, glendora.
Nuttall's woodpecker - a very small woodpecker found only in oak wood region of california.
Acorn woodpecker - plenty seen in forested areas and houses near forests. Seen 30-40 in GWP, a pair outside monrovia, eaton canyon. At glendora 3 of them were on the same tree and 2 were looking like they were doing some display.
Cassin's vireo - Few of them seen in GWP along with yellow rumped warblers
Eastern Towhee - A small robin like bird seen scrambling in dry leaves below a shrub.
Bushtit - Very very small birds fliterring around in a flock on small grasses seen in GWP
Oak Titmouse - Small bird generally seen in pair or single. Seen in GWP
Wrentit - Robin like bird moving like thrushes in the under growth and making a lot of noise of the dry leaves. Seen in GWP. Very difficult to see even if it is very near because of fast movements and that too in undergrowth
Turkey vulture - Seen flying very high in the GWP
Its a snow covered peak and the highest peak in San Gabriel Mountains at a height of 10000feet. Its base is at around a height of 6000feet.
Mountain Chickadee - A tit like bird seen on mountains. Seen at the ski lifts of mount baldy.
Stellers Jay - very common in forest. Not seen in city. Saw a pair collecting nut seeds and atleast 30-40 in glendora wilderness park (GWP)
Western scrub jay - distinguished from Florida scrubjay by the absense of white forehead. Seen not commonly. Seen at Monrovia and Glendora.
During this time mainly observed birds around LA, California.
Explained below are the different areas where birding is done followed by the list of birds with some brief about the behavior I observed and their similar birds in India.
West Covina
A small city just east of LA. I lived here at my sisters place and went around in small parts, school grounds and around the house for birding. Mainly urban birds seen in gardens and grounds habitat were seen here.
Western medowlark - A lark type bird, seen on ground most of the times, camoflagues completely with the ground. Seen on school ground near house. Very beautiful yellow on throat and breast.
House Finches - very much like rose finches with red on forehead and throat. Seen outside house atleast 5-10.
Yellow rumped warbler - very common, seen almost every where in city parks also and even around buildings. Seen in school ground, behind house outside garage, on trees, at glendora, monrovia
Says phoebe - similar to black but light colored underbelly
Black phoebe - a flycatcher seen everywhere. School ground, parking lot in front of house, glendora, monrovia
Mourning dove - Very common in cities. Seen on telephone wires and footpaths outside house and on roads.
European Starling - Common in cities. Seen sitting on electricity poles and wires. Making some crackling low intensity noise. Seen outside house, along the roads everywhere, not much in forest.
Lesser goldfinch - Seen outside house eating mapple tree fruits (a pair). Seen plenty atleast 10-15 on big dalton trail, glendora. Distinguished from american goldfinch by black back till head.
Northern Mockingbird - Seen in cities on small bushes.
American Kestrel - A small prey bird seen in cities. Seen on electric poles in front of house and with binocs farther away.
Plumbeous Vireo - A small warbler like bird with very similar behavior seen catching insects on Maple tree.
California Gull - Seen at many places even within city. Seen one below at a parking lot of a shopping complex.
Allen's Hummingbird - Regularly seen visiting flowering trees in the gardens.
Big Dalton Canyon trail
Its a part of wilderness park located in a small city of Gelndora east of LA at the base of San Gabriel Mountains.
Red tailed hawk - very common around city as well as forest. Glendora and Mt Baldy
Coopers / Sharp shinned Hawk - In flight almost similar wing structure like shikra. Not sure which one as got a few shots. Saw at Calfornia science center near rose garden. As per ids coopers has a round tail while sharp shinned has a square tail
Dark eyed junco (oregon Junco) - Similar to our black headed munias but with less contrast and pale pink bill. Seen at ski lifts of mount baldy and big dalton canyon trail end, glendora.
Nuttall's woodpecker - a very small woodpecker found only in oak wood region of california.
Acorn woodpecker - plenty seen in forested areas and houses near forests. Seen 30-40 in GWP, a pair outside monrovia, eaton canyon. At glendora 3 of them were on the same tree and 2 were looking like they were doing some display.
Cassin's vireo - Few of them seen in GWP along with yellow rumped warblers
Eastern Towhee - A small robin like bird seen scrambling in dry leaves below a shrub.
Bushtit - Very very small birds fliterring around in a flock on small grasses seen in GWP
Oak Titmouse - Small bird generally seen in pair or single. Seen in GWP
Wrentit - Robin like bird moving like thrushes in the under growth and making a lot of noise of the dry leaves. Seen in GWP. Very difficult to see even if it is very near because of fast movements and that too in undergrowth
Turkey vulture - Seen flying very high in the GWP
Base of Mt Baldy
Its a snow covered peak and the highest peak in San Gabriel Mountains at a height of 10000feet. Its base is at around a height of 6000feet.
Mountain Chickadee - A tit like bird seen on mountains. Seen at the ski lifts of mount baldy.
Stellers Jay - very common in forest. Not seen in city. Saw a pair collecting nut seeds and atleast 30-40 in glendora wilderness park (GWP)
Western scrub jay - distinguished from Florida scrubjay by the absense of white forehead. Seen not commonly. Seen at Monrovia and Glendora.
2 comments:
Great Blog as well as great photography I found these are nice pics.Elevator India
Beautiful, Alok! West coast has tons of bird species.
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