Gardened a bit today before the week of rain. Pruned the big Joseph's Coat climbing rose and cut back the flowering perennials inside the deer fence. For the third year, I was surprised to find that the native Hillside Gooseberry
(Ribes californicum) has begun blooming. I never remember to look for it in the "dead" of winter. The hummingbirds find it, though.

#CAbirds #gardening #nativePlants #NevadaCountyCA

A White-faced Ibis with a pink crustacean.

#CAbirds #YubaCountyCA #birding #crayfish #NaturePhotography

Good #funny #bird #birb read. My photo – #birb and #floof. Dark-eyed Junco.

https://www.audubon.org/news/when-bird-birb-extremely-important-guide

#CAbirds #birding #naturePhotography

Here's a female Downy Woodpecker using her stiff tail feathers for stability as she examines oak nooks and crannies for insects and spiders. She holds on with her zygodactyl feet – two toes pointing forward and two toes pointing backwards – a woodpecker characteristic that's uncommon in birds.

#Birds #CAbirds #BirdPhotography #NaturePhotography #BirdsOfNorthAmerica #NevadaCountyCA

...Also found while scouting for the Dec. 30 count: 12 White-throated Swifts, flycatching over the lake. Much less common than the Phoebe; hope they'll stick around a week.

Yes it did take a lot of frames to get this shot. Thank science for digital cameras.

These swifts remind me of orcas.

#NevadaCountyCA #birds #BirdPhotography #CAbirds

GM on #Solstice +2. Please enjoy this Black Phoebe, photographed while I was scouting for our Dec. 30 annual bird count. Here in #NevadaCountyCA, they are our only year-round resident flycatcher.

#birds #BirdPhotography #CAbirds

The Golden Gate Bird Alliance blog has 7 Last Minute Gifts for “the Bird-Obsessed.” Includes anti-collision stickers; bird poetry; and catio plans. https://goldengatebirdalliance.org/blog-posts/7-last-minute-gifts-for-the-bird-obsessed/

#birds #birding #CAbirds #KeepCatsIndoors #CamelCase

Seriously, I believe that I will make magnetic signs for the sides and rear of my SUV for my next bird count. "I AM COUNTING WILD BIRDS." People react suspiciously to people that stop in front of their home and stare at their yards thru binoculars. Always get at least one person who comes up to ask what I'm doing (which is fine, I'm happy to share my eco-messages). They say, "Just trying to keep out the riff-raff."

#birds #CAbirds #Birding #ChristmasBirdCount #NotCasingYourNeighborhood

@checkervest Miners in the Yukon at the turn of the twentieth century woefully referred to the Golden-crowned Sparrow as the “no gold here” bird, because its song resembled that depressing phrase.

My photo from the Marysville CA Audubon bird count, Dec 18.

#BirdPhotography #Birding #CABirds #NaturePhotography #CamelCase