Bird Watching Tips from Jenny Wise

"Hi!

People look at me like I’m crazy when I tell them how much I love birding -- they think it’s just something older people do. But I’ve gotta tell you, that is not the case! Birding is an exciting, captivating, and great way to enjoy the outdoors, and people of all ages enjoy it as a pastime.

I wasn’t always this gaga for birds, but after a red-tailed hawk landed in our backyard one day,

I was hooked. Mostly because I kept hoping this bird would return, and she has from time to time, but she opened my eyes to a whole new world. The beauty of this hobby is that anyone can do it, whether you live in the city or the country. You can be young or old, you can do it any time of the year, and, best of all, it’s free!

If you have never considered bird watching before, I highly recommend getting a bird feeder. It’s a great way to start learning about birds, and it’s fun to watch what they do. If want to learn even more about birding, I’ve gathered some great resources below that you might be interested in, plus maybe your readers would enjoy these, too. What about placing them here:

Birding for Beginners

Lifelong Birders: Introducing Your Kids to Bird Watching in Your Backyard

The Rise of Young Birder Clubs

The Audubon Guide to Bird Gear

A Homeowner's Guide to Animal Control Problems: What to Do & Who to Call

*This is a helpful article in case you see a bird that appears to be ill or injured, or if one manages to find its way inside your home.

I hope these resources are useful in some way.


Thank you for your time, and happy bird watching!

Best,

Jenny Wise

Specialhomeeducator.com / jennywise@specialhomeeducator.com

700 N Valley St Suite B Anaheim, CA 92801"

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Thank you, Jenny, for sending me this information.  My wife and I are moving from Red Bluff, California, to the City of Vancouver, in the State of Washington. We will be living on the north side of the Columbia River with Portland on the south side of the Rive - a large metropolitan area.  I am sure Karen and I will see many new species of birds while living 500 miles north of where we lived for 19 years in Red Bluff, California.  

Just, yesterday, in Red Bluff, 3/28/17, I was walking under some pine trees and I disturbed a large barn owl.  The owl flew over my head and out into the large eucalyptus trees.  Last week, Karen sighted 2 large wild turkeys in Debbie's yard.  

We will both miss the many backyard birds we enjoyed watching for 19 years in the North Sacramento Valley near Red Bluff, California.  

Barn Swallow, Hirundo rustica ASFGC 317
Black Phoebe, Sayornis nigricans, BNC 248
Blue Jay See Western Scrub-Jay
Blackbird - Brewer, Euphagus cyanocephalus, BNC 351, Present all year
Bluebird - Western, Sialia mexicana ASFGC 325
Bullock's Oriole, Icterus bullockii,. BCFG 347
Bushtit, Psaltriparus minimus, BNC 281

California Quail (Phasianidae Callipepla) BNC 127
Canada Goose, Branta canadensis ASPN 266
Cedar Waxwing, Bombycilla cedrorum, BCN309, Februrary
Coot - American, Fulica americana, BNC 133, January in ricefield
Crow - American, Corvus brachyrhynchos, BNC 266
Cowbird - Brown-Headed, Molothrus ater, BNC 352
Ducks and Geese - scores of thousands fly overhead in the winter months.
Egret - Great, Ardea alba, BNC 62
Egret - Snowy, Egretta thula ASPN 262

Flicker - Northern, Colaptes auratus, BNC 237
Geese and Ducks - scores of thousands fly overhead in the winter months.
Goldfinch - American, Carduelis tristis, BNC 364
Goldfinch - Lesser, Carduelis psaltria, BNC 363
Great Egret, Ardea alba, BNC 62
Great Horned Owl, Bubo virginianus (Karen and I observed a very large Great Horned Owl up high in the
cottonwood tree over the middle pond on 9/23/2003.)
Grosbeak - Black Headed, Pheucticus melanocephalus
Guinea fowl Numida meleagris

Hawk - Red-Tailed, Buteo jamaicensis, BNC 112 Hawk by the pond, 8/29/07
Hawk - Red-Shouldered, Buteo lineatus, BNC 110
Heron - Green, Butorides virescens ASPN 262
Heron - Great Blue, Ardea herodias, BNC 61
Housefinches, Carpodacus mexicanus, BNC 359
Hummingbirds - Anna's Calypte anna
Hummingbirds - Black-chinned Archilochus alexandri Hummingbirds - Rufous Selasphorus rufus

Junco - Dark Eyed, Junco hyemalis, BNC342, March, December
Kestrel - American, Falco sparverius, BNC 116
Killdeer, Charadrius vociferus, BNC 139 Lay their eggs on the open ground. Mothers are great actors
that try all kinds of actions to get you to walk away from their exposed nests.
King Bird - Western Tyrannus verticalis
Least Bittern Ixobrychus exilis

Magpies - Western Magpies, Yellow billed Pica nuttalli (Mike's favorites: curious, noisy, social, colorful, big.)  In the summer of 2004 we found two dead magpies in the yard. By the end of the summer, our large local group of over 16 magpies had disappeared. Some local birders say that the magpies were killed by the West Nile Virus.

Mallard Duck, Anas platyrhynchos, BNC 80
Meadowlark - Western, Sturnella neglecta, BNC 349
Mockingbird - Northern, Mimus polyglottos, BNC 304. Singing from high perches for hours.
Mourning Doves, Zenaida macroura, BNC 200
Oriole - Bullock's, Icterus bullockii,. BCFG 347
Pheasant - Ring-Necked, Phasianus colchicus, BNC 121
Quail - California, Callipepla californica, BNC 127
Red-winged blackbirds, Agelaius phoeniceus, BNC 347, Spring and summer visitor.
Rock Dove, Columba livia, BNC 198
Robin, Turdus migratorius, BNC 301, springtime visitor
Rufous-sided Towhee, Pipilo erythrophthalmus, spring

Snow Goose, Chen caerulescens ASPN 265
Sparrow - House, Passer domesticus, BNC 366
Sparrows - Many varieties
Starling - European, Sturnus vulgaris, BNC 307
Swan - Tundra, Cygnus columbianus, BNC 75, Winter visitor
Turkey vulture, Cathartes aura, BNC 68
Western Meadowlark, Sturnella neglecta, BNC 349 Western Scrub-Jay, Aphelocoma californica, BNC 261
Woodpecker - Acorn, Melanerpes formicivorus, BNC 228