You are browsing the archives of 2005 March.

Golden-browed Warbler Basileuterus belli belli
Desierto de los Leones, Mexico City, 26 March 2005

The only species of Basileuterus endemic to northern Central America, the Golden-browed Warbler is fairly common and found in pine-oak forest (like that at Desierto de los Leones) and cloud forest with a dense understory from 1300-3500m. Birds are sedentary and pairs remain […]

Sara and I awoke to a gray, drizzling Easter morning determined to cram as much sightseeing as possible in our final full day in Seattle. The first order of business, after breakfast of course, was our traditional Easter morning hike. Since we were prudent enough to visit Mt. Rainier, our original hiking destination, a couple […]

Bainbridge Island is just a short ferry ride across the Puget Sound from downtown Seattle. Though the island, considered the gateway to the Olympic Peninsula, boasts abundant historical and cultural charms, we were going for the birds. We learned through the Seattle Audubon Society chapter website of a terribly intriguing guided birding tour of Bainbridge […]

Desierto de los Leones Recreational Park, Mexico City26 March 2005.
 
Mexico City is located near the southern end of the plateau of Anáhuac, at an altitude of c.7,800 ft (2,380 m). The horizons of the city are almost obscured by mountain barriers, and the peaks of Popocatapetl and Iztaccihuatl are not far off. The climate is […]

Feeling thoroughly refreshed well before sunrise, an unhappy but not unexpected result of the time difference between the East and West Coasts, we had no recourse but to return to Volunteer Park while awaiting breakfast. We spotted the same species from the previous day as well as a couple of lifers. The first was Pine […]

Sara and I have both jointly and independently criss-crossed this majestic country of ours, but neither of us had ever explored Washington State. As we were able to carve out a bit of free time and line up first-class babysitting for Mason (thanks, Grandma Ann!) that regrettable situation has at last been rectified. The Core […]

“Red” Fox Sparrow Paserella iliaca iliaca
Central Park, New York
 

 
Photos copyright Charlie Moores
 

Lesser Scaup Aythya affinis
Bolsa Chica Wetland, California: 14 March 2005

Both Lesser and Greater Scaups winter in Southern California, and can be difficult to separate. Whilst this short note is not intended in any way to be an identification article the following points may be helpful to birders coming across male Lesser Scaups for the first […]

The taxonomic practice of speciation must be more art than science. After all, there are at least six distinct and recognizable populations of Dark-eyed Junco (Junco hyemalis) yet different species of scaup or Empidonax flycatcher are practically indistinguishable without resorting to DNA testing. Most higher animals are separated biologically, by the likelihood of gene flow […]

2nd year (apparent) Kumlien’s Gull Larus glaucoides kumlieni
Hidden Lake Park, Milpitas, California: 07 March 2005
 
This second year gull was found by Al Jaramillo on Feb 22 2005. Photos and a discussion are on Al’s site at http://www.birdsofchile.com/iceland.

For more photos (taken on 24th Feb) and further discussion on this bird have a look also at Les […]