I had planned to write about the bird activity in my backyard in the previous post but another subject completely took that over.
In 2016 the ravens no longer rule the neighborhood. It seems the drought has caused some patters to change and the ravens now stay low key due to the Red-Tailed Hawks that are hovering overhead more-so than before. The ravens did enjoy their yearly gathering where distant relatives come and they all soar overhead playing games with each other but their numbers were drastically lower than last year – perhaps due to hawks but more likely due to water issues. I no longer see the ravens perched in their nest in the same area I have for the past five years and am not sure where their new home may be.
A few days ago the robins returned. In Ohio, robins are everywhere pretty much all the time but here they only come in late December, early January to feed on the abundant red berries which ripen at this time. It is easy to notice the robins as they often congregate on my birdbath like ladies at the spa.
With the other birds, the brown sparrows and finches are plentiful and we did even see a Downy Woodpecker for the first time at the bird feeder. The only other birds I’ve noticed recently are the Stellar’s Jay and Spotted Towhee.
Well, work calls and I need to make it over to the East Bay.
