Date/time: Saturday 2022-02-19, 08:00-09:30
Location: Natural Bridges State Park
Weather: Chilly (8.3C), as sun hadn’t yet risen above the roofs of the houses nearby; very light breeze
For Day 2 of the 2022 Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC) I went to Natural Bridges, not suspecting that I would be able to ID and count so many species literally just inside the park boundaries. I ended up dividing my observation period into three locations and spent about half an hour at each.
Observation spot #1: Just inside the park boundary on Delaware Avenue (see map below)
- Ruby-crowned kinglet (Corthylio calendula): 2
- Anna’s hummingbird (Calypte anna): 3
- Lesser goldfinch: (Spinus psaltria): 4
- Golden-crowned sparrow (Zonotrichia atricapilla): 14
- Purple finch (Haemorhous purpureus): 2 (1 female + 1 male)
- Spotted towhee (Pipilo maculatus): 1
- Chestnut-backed chickadee (Poecile rufescens): 4
- California towhee (Melozone crissalis): 1
- Red-shouldered hawk (Buteo lineatus): 1
- American crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos): 4
- American robin (Turdus migratorius): 12
- Bushtit (Psaltriparus minimus): 4
- Song sparrow (Melospiza melodia): 1
TOTAL = 13 species
Observation spot #2: Along the boardwalk of the monarch butterfly sanctuary
- Yellow-rumped warbler (Setophaga coronata): 4
- California towhee: 1
- Chestnut-backed chickadee: 2
- Ruby-crowned kinglet: 3
- American crow: 13
- American robin: 10
- Bewick’s wren (Thryomanes bewickii): 3
- Anna’s hummingbird: 4
- Song sparrow: 2
- Downy woodpecker (Dryobates pubescens): 1
- Spotted towhee: 4
- Lesser goldfinch: 2
- Dark-eyed junco (Junco hyemalis): 2
- Red-shouldered hawk: 2
TOTAL = 4 new species
Observation spot 3#: Sandy beach
- Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos): 13 (5 female + 8 male)
- Snowy egret (Egretta thula): 12
- Brown pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis) on water: 4
- Western gull (Larus occidentalis): 4 (on the arch)
- Snowy egret: 2 (on the arch)
- Brandt’s cormorant (Urile penicillatus): 46 (on the arch), starting to build nests
- American crow: 4
TOTAL = 5 new species
For my nature journal I did more of a formal Grinnell-style entry, which works well for this kind of observation set.
I was enjoying myself so much that I honestly didn’t realize how much time had passed. Super fun morning!