Author: dchung7

Date: 04/28/20

E-bird link:

https://ebird.org/checklist/S68085412

Date:  04/29/20

Location:

Hidden Valley Pkwy, Corona US-CA 33.89817, -117.53110

Site Description:

The terrain was similar in certain respects and I took a new path today. I went through the first part of the park as usual. As a result, the terrain was an open grassland with low cut grass and one very large deciduous tree along with a large fence used for baseball. There was a hillside at the park with shrubbery and some coniferous and deciduous trees. However, this is where the similarities end. The new path I went on consisted of walking along a large hillside with lots of shrubbery and bushes, with a few low hanging trees mixed in here and there. I walked along the street on the sidewalk so there were bushes and shrubbery on one side everywhere I went with cement to the other side. The key bird species I observed today was Anna’s hummingbird. I observed many of them along the treelines darting around quickly and from tree to shrub. I just really enjoy the brightness and vibrancy of anna’s pinkish-red and aqua-green.

Species account:

Today I chose to pursue the elusive red-tailed hawk. Seeing as I only was able to observe it from a distance, I cannot say much about how I found it, other than the usual. I was looking upwards in search of soaring birds and came across a trio of hawks, which was a bit of an unusual sighting. I looked through my binoms to confirm what I had seen, by taking note of the tinged-red of the tail of the hawk rather than it being a red-shouldered hawk, which I often get it confused with. However, the patterning and coloring allowed me to distinguish the birds. They soared upwards, riding the warm currents of ari still in the air. Red-tailed hawks generally are found soaring highly elevated in the air, unless they are perched. They generally perch on the edges of trees, telephone poles, or even street lights. They have red-orangish tails and pale undersides accentuated by dark black marks across their chests. Being hawks, they have very broad, long wings used for soaring. Red-tailed hawks generally feed on small mammals such as rabbits or rodents. They can also be known to feed on birds, reptiles and fish, all relatively small-sized.

Narrative:

The weather was cooler than it has normally been these past few days as it changes to summer, but it was still hot, and also very sunny. I went out later than normal this time, around 5:53pm. I just wanted to see if any different birds would show up at different times of the day. However, I didn’t really see any new particularly fascinating species. I also decided to take a different route and go farther than I normally go, while still maintaining social distancing guidelines. Along the route, I did happen to see a larger number of Anna’s hummingbirds than I was accustomed to. I really enjoy the vibrancy and uniqueness of Anna’s pinkish-red and aquq-green colors. I also decided to take my dogs with me on the stroll, as they are generally well-behaved and needed a walk. Overall, a great birding experience that sadly lacked any major findings.

E-bird link:

https://ebird.org/checklist/S68085347

Date: 04/21/20

E-bird link:

https://ebird.org/checklist/S67822796

Date: 04/22/20

Location:

900–918 Coopers Ave, Corona US-CA 33.89521, -117.54194

Site description:

I took my normal route once again but cut it a bit shorter to minimize my contact with other people. The terrain consisted of a low cut grassland with one large deciduous tree along with some smaller sized deciduous trees. There was a large fence generally used for baseball games that birds tend to roam around. There were also some more coniferous trees at the park, along with a small hill filled with shrubbery. The key bird species found here is usually the song sparrows- they can be heard all around the park.

Species account:

I chose to focus on the rock pigeon because it was so out of place. I did not expect to find it where I did, and so I wanted to delve more into the life of this bird. I found it as I was walking in the park along the fence next to the elementary school. It was on the ground foraging for food, and I wasn’t sure if it was truly a rock pigeon. I gave it a closer look with my binoms and discovered that it had to be the rock pigeon. The characteristics and colors were spot on. I kind of just followed it around for a bit because it didn’t seem to mind my presence too much. I took note of its odd coloration and signature eyes. This one happened to be more orange-brownish, which is acceptable. Rock pigeons are actually large doves that reside commonly in cities or farmland, which is why I found it strange to find it where I did. They generally eat seeds, insects, and plants. They go foraging on the ground in groups generally (again, weird that I found it alone).

Narrative:

I left the house at 2:08pm, so right in the middle of the day. The day was actually very hot and sunny, prime time weather for going to the beach. Surprisingly, people came out even with it being as hot as it was. As a result, I just stuck closer to my house at the park to avoid all the people walking around. Covid-19 continues to impede our lives and make it more difficult, but at least everyone wears masks now. I didn’t actually see anything too interesting this time other than the rock pigeon, which still surprises me. I stayed my 6ft apart and tried my best to note all the birds I saw.

E-bird link:

https://ebird.org/checklist/S67822815

Date: 04/15/20

E-bird link:

https://ebird.org/checklist/S67297082

Date: 04/12/20

Location:

900–918 Coopers Ave, Corona US-CA 33.89521, -117.54194

Site description:

I went on my normal walk today so the terrain again remains the same. I walked through the park, which contains both deciduous trees and some coniferous trees. The majority of the park is low grassland with some shrubbery, but not much. The path I walked along contains mostly shrubbery with low hanging trees. The key bird species I saw today was the bushtit. Bushtits, as shown below, have very round bodies, almost circular seeming, with long tails. When I observed them today, they were traveling in a very large group, over 15 of them at a time. They usually forage low through bushes and shrubbery for food.

Species account:

I first spotted the Western Tanager out of the corner of my eye as I was walking in the park. It was a flash of light, a bright barrage of color. As it whizzed by, I followed its path with my eyes. I saw it perch onto a tree and rest there, but it was clouded from my view. I quickly grabbed my binoms and went in closer to observe. The first thing I noticed was the bright yellow body of the bird. I wasn’t sure what bird it was until I finally got to observe it at a closer look. I noticed the stark red head against the black wings. I looked up what type of bird this could be and once I saw the description of the Western Tanager, I knew that this was the bird I had seen. Considering that these birds are generally found in higher elevation areas, I thought it was quite unique that I saw it where I did. Western Tanagers generally eat berries, fruits, and insects. They generally winter in Central America.

Narrative:

It was actually quite a crazy day birding. I saw a lot of birds I don’t normally see out there so that was nice. It was also a very eventful day because I went out for another walk later in the day and saw a bat for the first time! That was actually crazy, I had never seen a real live bat ever prior to that. It was a sunny day when I went out for the walk and a very bright day in general. I was using my binoculars so much that I’m pretty sure someone thought I was trying to stare at someone, so needless to say it was a little bit awkward. Seeing all these new birds also just was a great spark of re-interest because it was a bit dull only seeing the same birds every time I went out. Granted, it allowed me to study them a little more in-depth and look at the nuances, but it was still refreshing to see new things.

E-bird link:

https://ebird.org/checklist/S67112370

Date: 04/07/20

E-bird link:

https://ebird.org/checklist/S66789437

Date: 04/08/20

Location:

900–918 Coopers Ave, Corona US-CA 33.89521, -117.54194

Site description:

Once again, I took a stroll in my neighborhood due to quarantine so the terrain remains the same- there is a park that contains some coniferous trees and shrubbery. The path I take also contains some shrubbery and a few long hanging trees along the way, along with the houses. The key bird species is again the crows and ravens.

Species account:

The species that I chose to look at this week was the Mourning Dove. I spotted these doves when I walking through the park in my neighborhood. I recognized their beige-colored bellies as they were flying around. Mourning doves have very chunky bodies when sitting, small heads, and pointed tails. They also have noticeable dark spots on their wings. The terrain that I found them in actually coincides perfectly with where they are most commonly found- near shrubbery and trees in the suburbs. They are unique in that they feed almost entirely on seeds alone. Mourning doves generally mate for life.

Narrative:

The day was quite better than the past few days have been. It was a sunny day in what had otherwise been a rain-filled week. I left the house at 4:31pm, which was a bit later than I had planned but I had some errands to run. I had just taken out my dogs before to get some fresh air, so this was my second time around. There were actually quite a few people outside that I saw on my walk. I figure people want to get as much fresh air as they can with everything going on. I was forced to wear a mask and practice my social distancing but luckily it did not interfere too much with my birding.

E-bird link:

https://ebird.org/checklist/S66844110

Date: 04/01/20

E-bird link:

https://ebird.org/checklist/S66509566

Date: 03/31/20

Location:

797 Navarro Dr, Corona US-CA 33.89454, -117.53964

Site description:

The terrain around my house is fairly plain, as it is located in a suburban neighborhood, meaning there are lots of houses but not too much shrubbery. Luckily, my house is next to a park that has some trees but is mostly open grassland terrain. There are a few coniferous trees scattered here and there along with some shrubbery in the park. The key bird species here again, are the American crows and common ravens.

Species Account:

The species I decided to look more closely at this week was the White-throated Swift. I came upon these at the edge of the park where there were some fences, which was a bit peculiar because they are generally found near rocky cliffs in deserts. I noticed a couple of them by their flight patterns and white throats. White-throated swifts also have narrower wings than swallows along with a white underside and long tails. I didn’t recognize its screeching sounds though, not until after I had identified it to confirm.

Narrative:

Overall, it was actually quite a gloomy day as the weather called for very abundant clouds. It was cold outside and there was very little sun. I set out at about 3:11pm, so in the afternoon. Along my trek, I once again saw few people due to the quarantine. As it appears to get worse however, I see more people starting to come out to get some fresh air and exercise I suppose. My journey was the same as last week as my family worries about me venturing too far away from home to go birding when I should be inside. Again, no rare bird sightings but I am holding out for the possibility.

E-bird link:

https://ebird.org/checklist/S66459705