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.
This winter has brought a few rare birds to Santa Cruz County and this week a Hooded Warbler showed up at Natural Bridges State Beach. This is an East Coast bird that was last seen in the county in 2006.
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.
The Scissor-tailed Flycatcher (Tyrannus forficatus) is a rare visitor for the central coast where one was last seen in 2008 at Ano Nuevo State Park (per ebird database). So needless to say, I was off in search of this rarity when I got an ebird email alerted of the flycatcher's presence at Miramontes Point area in San Mateo California.
Sometimes looking out your window reveals the familiar but when I pick up my camera my sense of observation turns the familiar into something new and exciting.
