Everybody just has to sing. House Finch, Song Sparrow, Red-winged Blackbird, Cassin’s Finch, Lesser Goldfinch filling the air with songs of spring.
Townsends Solitaire, Red Crossbill and Female Williamson’s Sapsucker among list of forest birds.
Zoom, a rocket approaches out of the east. Overhead, big circle swoop. Zoom, gone back to whence it came. Peregrine!
Kinglets all about, showing off their red top-knots.
White-headed, Pileated and Hairy Woodpeckers, Northern Flicker and Red-breasted Sapsucker sightings make for a wood-whacker extravaganza.
Look at my gorgeous red hat
Piers at Upper Truckee Marsh
Stormy to the east, sunshine to the west, clouds coming and going. Just another beautiful Tahoe morning for birding.
Eagle ! Eagle! Eagle!
Steller’s Jays squawking outted Baldy perched in the pines. As we looked up from underneath, it was time to leave…
Who invited the duck?
Shorebirds stop at Tahoe on migration to breeding grounds further north. This group of American Avocets was joined by a Green-winged Teal.
First Osprey of the season soars overhead
Cruising downstream above the Upper Truckee came an Osprey – our first of the season. Suddenly, with a flare upward, it paused for a moment in flight, then dove and rapidly left. What???
A 2nd-3rd year Bald Eagle – note the white armpits
Then Lynn spotted an immature Bald Eagle perched in the pines across the river.
A winter’s morning in spring. Despite the clouds and chill, singers were out, marking territory and looking for mates. Robin and Junco and Song Sparrow, with Red-winged Blackbirds off in the marsh across the river.
Have I mentioned there’s always something interesting at Cove East? How about a band of Bushtits flitting in the willows? Little birds not exciting enough? How about something big?
White Pelicans stopping by the Upper Truckee delta
Not far from the Pelicans, an early flight of American Avocets took a rest on their way north.
With fresh overnight snow, we strapped on our brand new XC skis and headed out to Osgood’s Swamp. Since beaver took over some years back, it’s not so much a swamp as a pond, but ducks like it and there are usually forest birds about.
Well, not so much this Sunday. Ice was the order of the day on the pond. And the woods were surprisingly quiet. We did have one delightful sighting. A brilliant red Pine Grosbeak male perched in a dead fir top. There was a female too, flitting in lower branches, not very visible. Usually, Pine Grosbeaks are found at higher elevations. Very kind of them to come down and visit.
Getting out of the truck, first bird of the day – a White-headed Woodpecker. Nice beginning to a birding outing. A Northern Flicker pounds away at someones siding. A Robin squeaks. Pygmy Nuthatch and Mountain Chickadee chime in from the canopy above, as Steller’s Jays scold someone about something a little ways off. Yes, a nice beginning.
Upper Truckee Marsh after late March snow
After a spring-like winter, and an ongoing drought, it’s nice to have the snow that brightens the Upper Truckee Marsh.
Marsh wrens are claiming territory early this year
Red-winged Blackbirds greet the morning, singing away in the willows. Song Sparrows and a Marsh Wren add to the chorus. With all the warm weather Tahoe has had, spring seems so early, they’ve already been singing for weeks.
Common Mergansers splashing about
Looks like the resident beaver have been busy again. The water level in the marsh has been down, then up, down, and now up again. There is a dam out beyond this picture and more off to the right that make this pond in Trout Creek. My speculation is something has been dam-busting, but have no idea what.
The pines are a favorite Bald Eagle perch – but not today.
The Upper Truckee Marsh is usually a good spot for birds of prey. Not this day.
We’ve been very lucky over the last year with Bald Eagle sightings, but it’s been two weeks now. Osprey should be returning to Tahoe any day – there’s a colony over in Emerald Bay.