June Recap
In case you missed it you can find last month's newsletter here: june newsletter
June bird walk
In June we birded at Blue Heron Lake and Strawberry Hill in GGP.
I made a checklist from what I could recall. Might be missing a couple.
I kept it running for another half loop of the lake after most of the group disbanded so there are a couple others added in like the brown creeper and red-winged blackbird.
Special shoutout to Taylor who made a most wanted checklist and a larger list of possible birds to look out for
The goal was to look for breeding behaviors so it was pretty neat to see the goldfinch and hairy woodpecker adults feeding the fledgelings and also the juvenile robins. Thank you to everyone who came out!
Summer Break
July is looking fully packed so we're going to take a one month summer break
before picking back up again in August. Remember to bring those binoculars on your summer vacations:)
Spotlight Bird: Lesser Goldfinch (Spinus psaltria)
Seeing the lesser goldfinch family feeding was a highlight of our walk so I thought they'd be a good choice as our bird of the month.
Fun Lesser Goldfinch Facts:
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If you look up pictures of them online you'll see some with an all black back, but the ones we see
here on the west coast have the green back. These are sometimes considered the subspecies Spinus psaltria hesperophilus,
or greeen-backed lesser goldfinches, but subspecies classifications are often debated.
The paper titled Geographic variation in color, measurements, and molt of the Lesser Goldfinch in North America does not support subspecific designation argues that these variations are color morphs rather than actual distinct subspecies. I recommend going down the rabbit hole by reading the wiki on Phenotype plasticity - They are in the same genus as the american goldfinch and pine siskin. They are in the same family as the house finch.
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They are found in sf year round.
ebird weekly bar chart for sf - Outside of SF they are seeing range expansion in the pacific northwest. Check out this paper for more.
- Our word of the month is geophagia, which is when you eat the earth. Apparently lesser goldfinches have been observed eating soil.
- Besides soil... they mainly eat seeds. In the pictures from our walk you see them on what I think is a thistle plant which is one of their favorite seed-producing plants to feast on.
Member Submissions
Thank you to everyone who sent me photos of the birds they saw!
To lead off Gus and Anjali up in Seattle did a lil birding
Next up Janet caught a junco working on its nest here in the city. If you recall last month we saw two submissions of the junco nests. Very impressive builders
Frank and Theresa saw some egrets and a fantail.
Aarsh birded around the south bay
Rick did some birding down south in Temecula
Kelly and baby John were back at it in their local pond in the east bay!
Erin W birded across the pond
Dom saw a bushtit nest in santa barbara
Adam is back
Katlyn returned to strawberry hill and saw what looks like an osprey. Would've been a sick spotting on our walk there I didn't know they pop futher inland like that.
Ani went for the rare birds this month on a trip to Seattle
Most of my June birding was done without a camera but I have a few to share
Closeout
That's all; happy birding