Springtime in the Western States heralds the welcome return of the sky-blue headed Lazuli Bunting and its bubbly springtime song. The Lazuli Bunting is named for a vibrant blue gemstone, lapis lazuli. During its breeding season, a male Lazuli Bunting has bright cerulean-blue head and back, white wing bars, a rusty breast, and white belly. [...]

Barn Swallows return! The diving and darting Barn Swallows overhead have returned to Orange County to breed after spending the winter in the tropics. Watch for their long streaming tail and rusty-orange breast and throat as they devour 60 insects per hour on the wing. The Barn Swallow is a long slender swallow with glittering [...]

Red-Winged Blackbird The Red-winged Blackbird is a common spring & summer breeding bird in Huntington Central Park favoring the dense reedy edges of Lake Huntington, Talbert Lake and Blackbird Pond where boisterous males atop cattails and bulrushes vigorously defend breeding territories with their trademark vocalization, a loud, ringing conk-la-REE!! that culminates in an intimidating trill.  Male Red-winged [...]

Dark-Eyed Junco The Dark-eyed Junco is a dapper-looking, ground feeding sparrow with a distinctive charcoal black head resembling a hood extending to its breast, contrasting with a rusty back and white belly. Its dark head is offset with a small, startlingly pink bill. Females display a more muted, grayer black hood. The Junco has a [...]

The stately Say’s Phoebe is a slender, medium sized flycatcher with muted gray-brown, earth-toned plumage and a blackish tail that fans as it’s pumped repeatedly by the perched bird. It shows a creamy salmon colored wash on its belly and underparts. Keep your eyes low to the ground and watch for quick movements from low [...]