This is a mating flight of Northern Pintails. One female leads a bunch of males through complex flight maneuvers to gauge which is the fittest to mate with. But here's the thing. Dosen't this mean that the female is at least as fit as the very fittest male!?!? #birds #nature #girlpower #science

Urban birding can yield some wonderful moments, like finding this young White-crowned Sparrow (Zonotrichia leucophrys) charmingly perched on a bush. #birds #photography #nature #city

Spotted Towhees (Pipilo maculatus) are common in suburban areas. In such areas, domestic cats are prominent predators of adult birds, eggs, and young as this species nests on or close to the ground. Please keep cats indoors, and help protect these beautiful birds! #birds #nature #conservation

My mom died unexpectedly in October and today is her memorial. She loved hummingbirds, and so sharing this set of Anna's Hummingbird photos seems a fitting tribute. Beyond that, I really don't have words today. #hummingbirds #loss

Stopped by the iconic Moe's Books in Berkeley and found a particular volume that seemed familiar! #books #birds #BirdsOfTheCaliforniaDelta #nature #writing

None of this is normal! #Venezuela #ICE #NoHate #fuckice

In light of the USA capturing the president of Venezuela, taking over the country, and the likely increase in fossil fuel extraction, I have some thoughts (see the video linked below).

Bird knowledge! Chipping Sparrows (Spizella passerina) are found in many different habitats including doing well living close to humans! I photographed this bird Eureka, Nevada! #birds #photography #nature #science

Today marks the anniversary of a violent attempt to overthrow the USA federal government. Never forget. #jan6th #maga #antifascist

This young Golden-crowned Sparrow (Zonotrichia atricapilla) and I would like to wish you all a happy National Bird Day! It's raining where I am, but I'm still enjoying some backyard birds. Are you going to do any birding today? #bird #NationalBirdDay #photography #nature #birding

Spent part of my New Years Day at Delta Meadows State Park in Locke enjoying a walk through the Delta. It was nicely birdy and highly mushroomy! #nature #walking #sacramentosanjoaquindelta #deltameadowsstatepark #NewYearsDay

I hope we all fly into a bright new year! Thanks to all who have joined me! #birds #nature #HappyNewYear

Tule fog is amazing! It has been getting less common over the past couple of decades, but that may be getting back to normal! Give my new video a watch to see what I mean (linked below). #fog #tulefog #California #centralvalley #nature #ABirdingNaturalist #YouTube

Action sequence!!! The male American Kestrel (Falco sparverius) was not happy when an adult Red-shouldered Hawk (Buteo lineatus) passed through its territory. Some serious tail-chasing ensued! #birds #raptors #nature #photography #ABirdingNaturalist

Savannah Sparrows (Passerculus sandwichensis) are beautiful studies in browns. A wonderful example of the beauty that can be seen when looking closely. The yellow lores amd fine streaking on the belly also help! #BirdsOfTheCaliforniaDelta #birding #nature #photography

Bird knowledge! Double-crested Cormorants (Nannopterum auritum) are highly adaptable birds found around salt and fresh water. This bird was flying low over a choppy Sacramento River between storms. #bird #nature #photography

Bird Knowledge! Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus) are very commonly seen in humam-impacted environments, yet they remain wary of people. #bird #nature #science #photography

Which of the bird(s) in this photo make the famous "quack quack" sound? Leave a guess in the comments, and go check out my new YouTube short to find the answer! #birds #nature #science

Sharing bird knowledge! American Pipits are not bothered by the cold tule fog we have been experiencing in the California Central Valley. In fact, a snowstorm in Wyoming once buried a bunch of AMPI nests for about 24 hrs. All the nestlings 11+ days old survived! #birds #wildlife #photography

The #birdoftheday theme is #sratchersandpreeners so here is a photo of a pair of Common Ravens (Corvus corax) preening each other in Canyonlands National Park.

Sharing bird knowledge! Canvasbacks (Aythya valisineria) are large ducks that gather into rafts of thousands and even tens of thousands of birds during the winter! #birds #nature #science

This female American Kestrel (Falco sparverius) was hunting for insects in the tule fog. This is the smallest species of falcon in North America, but they are oh so firece! #birds #raptor #nature #photography #female

I was sent a copy of this cool book, and I am so enjoying it! I'm only halfway through, so there will definitely be more to come, but what I can say is that the photography is BEAUTIFUL and the range of topics is fantastic! Thanks Heyday Books and Andrea Burnett PR! #naturewriting #book #birds

Dark-eyed Juncos have been found to be evolving to better adapt to urban environments. Specifically, there is a gene that gives higher tolerance to heavy metals (ABCB6) that is becoming more common in urban Juncos as compared to more wilderness-living Juncos. #birds #nature #science

Ferrugenous Hawks (Buteo regalis) are a special central valley winter birding treat! This species gets its name from the rusty red feathers of the adults (especially on the legs of adults like this one), ferrous referring to rusted iron. #birds #raptor #nature #photography

Thus was surprising. These are not the best photos, but look how different the head colors show up on this young Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) just depending on which way the head is turned! #photography #birds #nature

Band-tailed Pigeons (Patagioenas fasciata) eat a lot of acorns when they are available. As you can see in these photos, the Band-tails swallow the acorns whole! #birds #nature #ornithology #photography

Yesterday was World Soil Day, and I spent it working with the SLEWS program to help students begin a habitat restoration project that will improve riparian habitat and promote healthy soils! #science #conservation #education

National Parks (like Canyonlands and all the rest) are treasures beyond value! Lending my voice to this topic, I made a video on why National Parks are important and what threats they are facing. Check out the link in the first comment below! #NationalPark #conservation #ProtectOurParks #nature

The #BirdOfTheDay theme is #LookingAtYou and that is just what this Gambel's Quail (Callipepla gambelii) is doing!

Ruby-crowned Kinglets (Corthylio calendula) are found across North America. They can be identified by the pair of side-by-side wingbars (one white, one black) and their behavior of flicking their wings as they hop around. #birds #nature #fieldmarks #photography

Here is a very dapper looking Nuttall's Woodpecker (Picoides nuttallii) for the #birdoftheday theme of #stripes

This male (1st photo) and female (2nd photo) Lesser Goldfinch (Spinus psaltria) represent s species responding to climate change. Lesser Goldfinches are rapidly expanding their range norhth, particularly into the Pacific Northwest. #birds #science #photography #nature

1500 subscribers on my YouTube channel! Thank you all SO much! youtube.com/@abirdingnat...

This morning, I watched this Anna's Hummingbird (Calypte anna) bathing in water collected in the leaves of this shrub. Feather maintenance is very important for all birds, and bathing is often plays a big part. #birds #nature #photography #Hummingbird

There are about 7 million Wild Turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo) in the USA, today. They have spread extensively across North America, and are now found in every state except Alaska! #turkey #bird #Thanksgiving

Yellow-rumped Warblers (Setophaga coronata) are wonderful birds! The yellow throat on this individual marks it as a member of the Audubon's subspecies. With the effort to move away from naming birds after people, what do you think a better name for this subspecies could be? #birds #nature #photo

This yellow-flowered plant is Rubber Rabbitbrush (Ericameria nauseosa), a native to the southwestern USA. Not generally used much by large mammals, this shrubs is used as a source of cover and food by many birds and insects. #nature #plants #photography #ecology

The Rock Squirrel (Otospermophilus variegatus) is a mammal of the desert. They are a species of groundsquirrel that are so well adapted to dry conditions that they can go for as long as 100 days without water! #Wildlife #nature #ZionNationalPark #photography

I'm fairly sure this is either a Desert Spiny Lizard or a Yellow-backed Spiny Lizard. It was hanging around the campground my family and I stayed at in Zion National Park. #Lizard #reptile #NationalPark #nature #photography

Ever wondered if Great Egrets (Ardea alba) eat anything other than fish? Well check out this in eating a crayfish and wonder no farther! #bird #nature #photography

This Hudsonian Whimbrel (Numenius hudsonicus) could not be bothered to hang out with me. #bird #nature #shorebird #California

Getting ready to present two projects for funding by the Wildlife Conservation Board. This will represent about $32 million in river restoration and increased river flows all to benefit Salmon and Steelhead in California! #Wildlife #science #conservation #salmon #ABirdingNaturalist

I photographed this Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus) at the Stone Lake National Wildlife Refuge while scouting for my bird walk/book talk with friendsofslnwr and @aseatatthetablebooks. A beautiful example of why public lands are so important! #birds #nature #photography #publiclands

Blue-winged Teal (Spatula discors) like this pair (left: female, right: male) are beautful ducks that are becoming more and more common across California! #birds #nature #photography

I manage several grants that fund projects in the same areas that this article covers. It has been really exciting and rewarding to see the salmon respond and return! www.hcn.org/issues/57-11... #conservation #science #salmon #ecology #California

Greater White-fronted Geese (Anser albifrons) can live to be 25 years old and will often stay with mates, siblings, and offspring on and off throughout their lives! These birds were all photographed in the California Central Valley. #birds #science #photography #nature

A study in Stilts, Black-necked Stilts (Himantopus mexicanus) to be precise! These birds were beautiful to watch through the tule fog as they foraged for food. You can learn a bit more about them by checking my new short video. #birds #nature #photography

Two different birds of prey seen in CA that each belong to two different groups of birds. The Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) is more closely related to any of the other Hawks and eagles. The American Kestrel (Falco sparverius) is more closely related to parrots. Bird taxonomy is wild! #birds

Song Sparrows (Melospiza melodia) have a lot of variation in color, but not much variation in genetics. There's your fun bird fact for the day. #birds #funfact #science #photography