Astonishing!! That loud, repetitively piercing wicka-wicka-wicka call directs us to a large, distinctive forest bird showing dark breast polka-dots, an improbable black bib and a long, stiff, spikey tail veritably dripping in red! That “take-no-prisoners” dynamic upstart has most certainly returned! Astonishing! is not a hyperbolic description but rather a quite sober appraisal of a [...]

Dynamic flashes of yellow and black flitting through the treetops and leafy bushes announce the presence of a vibrantly colorful winter visitor, the Townsend’s Warbler. At a less than 5” in length, this diminutive, active feeder continuously gleans insects, spiders and moth larvae from the leaves and branches in densely forested environments. It travels about [...]

The Black Phoebe is a favorite resident songster in our parks, yards and nature corridors wherever a water source is present.The sharp whistled call of the Black Phoebe is a very typical sound along creeks and ponds throughout the southwest. They abundantly sing out their name, phoe-be, phoe-be!, boldly declaring their vibrant presence. Solitary feeders, [...]

Warblers are generally recognized as the tiny, flashing, colorful jewels of the forest. They are typically few in number and often artfully conceal themselves until the male decides to dramatically reveal his presence in vibrant song. Each species of warbler has a unique, memorable song that signals his arrival, his presence, and his intention. The [...]

The Common Yellowthroat is a year-round resident of the Urban Forest, found regularly near the low-lying creek-side pathways.This diminutive wood-warbler is just 5 inches in length and flits around secretly, staying low near dense shrubs and marshy areas. In springtime the male announces its presence vibrantly with a remarkably loud rolling wichity wichity witchity wich [...]