The times I hear of a rare bird in my area I get excited especially when it is a lifer. So when I heard a report of a Painted Bunting in San Benito County just over the Santa Cruz County line I went for it.
Viewing entries tagged
rare
It's always exciting to find a rare visitor to your area but when you also get the opportunity to observe behavioral interactions the encounter becomes even more special. I was leading a Santa Cruz Bird Club field trip along the north coast of the county when I got a call from one of the birders in the group that he had found an immature Ferruginous Hawk interacting with Red-Tail Hawk.
This little bird is about 5.75" long with a wing span of 10" and only weighs .63oz (18g) but like warblers they are constantly moving in search of insects. I first saw this bird on Dec 31, 2011 a few days after it showed up at the Santa Cruz Court house which is located along the San Lorenzo River.
Black and White Warblers show up somewhere in Santa Cruz County each year and this winter is no different. A B&W was spending time in a 4 block long green space called Bethany Curve in Santa Cruz proper.
Wrens are very common in Santa Cruz County with the Bewick's being the most common and wide spread. We also have the Marsh, House, and Pacific Wrens but they are common in the appropriate habitat. So, when a Rock Wren showed up last weekend it was a big deal for the area birders.