Birding blitz

I did some heavy birding for two consecutive days. The first day I rode with Mike and Cecilia to look for the Nutting's Flycatcher. We dipped on that bird, but had a fun day and saw lots of good birds. (Candid photo of me by Mike Gray.)

Barely rested early the next day, Judy Sims and I set out to bird Candelaria Wetlands. Had a great time and saw great birds. I added nine species to my Presidio County list. The one that most surprised me was a Williamson's Sapsucker. We had made a quick stop at Shafter on our way home, and as we were leaving there Judy spotted a woodpecker on a utility pole. She was going to get out of the car to get her far-superior camera from the backseat, but upon immediately seeing that the bird was a Williamson's, I asked her to let me snap a photo through the windshield first... just in case it flushed. As it turned out, that's the only photo we got. Not good, but diagnostic.

Today was spent doing baking and housework while watching out the window regularly to see what birds were around. My husband sits on the patio all day and if he sees a different-looking bird he calls me. He saw one and called out to me, but I had the TV on and didn't hear him. So he called me on the phone. That worked. It was a Black-crested Titmouse, the first one seen at my water feature here.

That, a Gray Catbird, and three species of hummers still here, brightened my day. Tomorrow I'm headed to CMO to service feeders there. Probably do some watering too (it's been nearly two weeks since we got that big rain.) Hoping for good birds there.