I vowed to do a better job at updating my blog but it looks like I haven't done my work lately. Here's an update.
I just returned from a trip to Missouri/Iowa but I'll post about that trip later. For now, some more recent pictures from the Sacramento area.
WHITE-THROATED SWIFTS are year-round residents here which was a new concept for me when I moved here back in 2011. I won't complain, I love having them around:
A PACIFIC LOON was found on Lake Natoma in Sacramento County a while back. A decent record for inland CA, I think there are actually more PALO records for Iowa than Sacramento County. I finally got up to see it and was pretty surprised at how photogenic it chose to be:
This is the spot that this loon has been seen:
Also present were some RUFOUS-CROWNED SPARROWS and this PEREGRINE FALCON:
There have been some crossbills irregularly at the Sacramento City Cemetery this winter. I spun up recently to see if I could relocate them again but no luck. However, I did find this RED-BREASTED SAPSUCKER, my first for this location:
There is hardly a lack of phoebes around here in the winter. Here is a SAY'S PHOEBE from our local patch here in Elk Grove:
... and the related, quite abundant, BLACK PHOEBE:
There have been at least two FERRUGINOUS HAWKS at our local patch as well this winter. Yesterday this one came right overhead which is somewhat unusual:
If you wish, you can see my full checklist from this visit to our local patch here.
