Jo's Morning Walk: Spotting the Spotted Towhee

Getting back to my morning walks, I've been looking for the latest bird that all the photographers and birders are looking for... the Vermilion Flycatcher. I have gone to the Rios and Santa Carina trails several times looking for the Flycatcher but it hasn't appeared in my field of vision.

Starting the day at the Santa Carina trail at San Elijo lagoon, hoping the flycatcher may have come this way. This is my favorite time of the year. Such amazing colors and fragrances in the air. A beautiful cluster of wisteria is seen next to the street.

My first bird subject as I made my way to the lookout point at the Santa Carina trail was this handsome Western Meadowlark.

Western Meadowlark, Sturnella neglecta measures 9.5 inches with a wingspan of 14.5 inches.

They are ground feeders eating seeds and insects. They have an interesting method of probing for insects in the ground called "gaping". Having a very strong muscles that open their beaks, they probe into the soil or bark and force open a hole to access insects.

Males and females look alike. The males usually have two mates at the same time but the female does all the incubation and brooding and most of the feeding of the young. These birds are very flighty and hard to sneak up on for a close-up. This is as close as I have been able to get to one.

Checking on the White-tailed Kite's nest, I find that one of the adults is hunkered down in the nest bowl incubating... indication that the nest is still viable and should have chicks soon.

Walking past the Kite's nest site, I hear a male Towhee singing his heart out and spot him perched on a small willow branch. I get as close as possible but he is in the shade with a few willow branches blocking a clear shot. I wait for the breeze to move the blocking branch and manage to get a few shots of this colorful large sparrow.

Spotted Towhee, Pipilo maculatus measures 8.5 inches with a wingspan of 10.5 inches.

This is a male Spotted Towhee. Males have the jet black head with black wings with white spots. The flanks are rufous colored. Females look exactly like the males except instead of black head and neck, they have dark brown coloring and the flanks are lighter in color.

In the breeding season , the males will spend 70 to 90 percent of their mornings singing their hearts out. Once they attract a mate... they will only sing about 5 percent of the time.

In breeding season, they feed mainly on insects. Many types of beetles... also weevils, ladybugs, grasshoppers, crickets, caterpillars, moths, bees and wasps and spiders, millipedes, and saw bugs. They also eat berries, acorns, poison oak, nightshade, chickweed and a variety of seeds such as oats, wheat and corn which make up most of their diet in winter. All info from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

Leaving the Towhee to sing his heart out, I spot some beautiful wildflowers on the trail.

Heading back to the parking area, I spot what appears to be a Northern Rough-winged Swallow. My first photo of these quick fliers.

Northern Rough-winged Swallow, Stelgidopteryx serripennis measures 5.5 inches long with a wingspan of 14 inches.

Arriving at the North Rios trailhead, I check out the willows for the flycatcher but find a Lesser Goldfinch on a nearby fiddleneck plant instead.

Lesser Goldfinch, Spinus psaltria measures 4.5 inches long with a wingspan of 8 inches.

They are mainly seed eaters. Occasionally they will supplement their diet with insects such as plant lice.

It is always nice to see the Hermit Thrush. They always look so curious about what we are doing in their world.

Deciding to walking down the peninsula trail at Rios to see if the flycatcher may be in this area. My first subject there was a male Green-winged Teal dabbling near the trail.

Finding only ducks at the pond, I decided to walk over to the Pole Road Trail where one of my photographer friends had caught a shot of the Vermilion Flycatcher near the salt flats. Found more Green-winged Teals busy dabbling in the pond near the pump house.

Close-up of this handsome duck.

No flycatchers on the pole trail, I headed back towards the peninsula trail. I was delighted to find an American Avocet in breeding plumage at the pond.

Feeling confident that there were no predators around, he folds his legs and submerges his body into the water for a quick bath.

Covering himself with water.

Done and out.

Shaking out the water.

Air drying.

Love to see the wings stretched out.

These birds are so graceful and beautiful. Love the cinnamon color on the head and neck.

He calls out... alerting to something.

Three more Avocets land in the pond. All are in breeding plumage.

Just a little movement of my camera and they are spooked into a short flight. You can see that the Avocet on the right of this photo has a more turned-up bill compared with the one in the center of the photo indicating that it is a female.