OCWA

Our one and only Orange-crowned! 79th species of the season.

Orange-crowned Warbler

Orange-crowned and Bushtit

Though these two species frequent similar habitat, I was fairly weirded out to see them sitting so close together for some reason.

Sweetwater Wetlands

After the night in Madera Canyon I packed up before sunrise, heading off to Tucson, making a quick stop at Florida Wash to find the Crissal Thrasher that had been spotted the night before.


Though I was planning to spend the whole day in Tucson, I decided to just make a morning of it, spending a few hours at Sweetwater Wetlands before making the trek to Oakland later in the day.

Verdin were much more common at the wetlands than anywhere else I had visited, giving me great looks at these yellow-headed bushtit-types.








Cinnamon Teal are always lookers.


One of about 4,000 Northern Shovelers.


There were a good number of Sora calling from the cattails, and I was lucky enough to have this tame one walk along the trail next to me for a bit.




My first Orange-crowned Warbler of the year.




American Coot, look at those lobed toes!


First Black-and-white Warbler of the year


A somewhat out of place Solitary Sandpiper

Songbirds (97) and Raptors (50+)

Great day up at the ridge today. I started off helping with passerine banding shortly after sunrise. We thought it might be a good day, and I knew it would be once I arrived at the ridge and found huge flocks of warblers moving through. We ended up with 97 birds of 21 species. Highlights were Western Palm Warbler, Gray-cheeked Thrush (life bird), Magnolia Warblers, Blue-headed Vireos, Mourning Warblers and full on adult male American Redstarts.

Blue-headed Vireo


Orange-crowned Warbler, not super exciting for me, but fairly uncommon here!


Mourning Warbler


After the songbirds slowed down I spent the rest of the day banding with Frank, ending with around 55 raptors for the day, mostly sharpies, a couple of Cooper's, a Northern Harrier and a Merlin.

Female Merlin


Young male Northern Harrier


Adult female Cooper's

Going back home to the EAST coast

Orange-crowned Warbler taking off


A birthday creation and a creepy shirt.


Brent with his first hummingbird


Steller's Jay release


Birds in bags. After taking them out of the nets we keep the birds in these bags until we are ready to process them.


Rufous Hummingbird finally taking off



Photos by Alicia Arcidiacono

Juvenile growth

Juvenile orange-crowned warbler growing in flight feathers


Growing in belly feathers, not to be mistaken for a brood patch

Orange-crowned warbler

Our first capture of the spring, as well as one of our first breeding male bird.