Black eyed Junco and Black Bill Magpie

Today I think it's a black thing....I got the Black eyed Junco....common bird I know....and then I have the Black Billed Magpie...not common where I live...I spotted this when I was visiting a friend in the interior of British Columbia...Again if you click on the photo you can see an enlarged virsion of the picture.....

Although a somewhat common bird..I do appreciate their colour and antics....the Blach eyed Junco...

The Black Billed Magpie

Various Birds

Stellar Jay

Bald Eagle and 2 Juvenile
Golden Eagle(?) Any suggestions?

Cormorants

Looks like a juvenile

Blue Herons

By clicking on any of the photos you can get a better look. I am not certain about the one that I have labled juvenile I wonder if it is a hawk.....any suggestions?

Golden Crowned Sparrow

This morning was no exception the small birds were here in an abundance. The Golden Crowned Sparrow made an appearance and I was able to get a little video clip of it....Do you hear the birds in the background? If so do you recognize their call? I was just wondering if it is the Song Sparrow I am hearing.
And the bird seen with the Golden Crowned is that Female house Finch? In observing this video the stripe on the Sparrows head does look white...but believe me it was yellow very different from the White Crowned Sparrow who frequents here as well.

Rufous Humming bird....

Hot off the presses.....just captured this...if you click on the photo it will enlarge and you can appreciate the iridescence in the plumage of this bird....

Male Rufous

Female Rufous

American Goldfinch et al..............

This time of year the birds are in an abundance......living where I do I am fortunate that I don't have to travel to far to experience the splendars of nature......here are but a few samplings of the vistors to our property.......

The American GoldFinch(Carduelis tristis)


And here it is with some Pine Siskin


Although not a very clear picture in this photo you have the Purple finch(in center of the photo and off to the left just behind the grass you will find another)the American Goldfinch, and more Pine siskin

Purple finch(male)Carpodacus purpureus

I believe this is a female House finch(Carpodacus mexicanus)
And of course this guy didn't want to miss out on all of the fun....here we have the California Quail male (Callipepla californica)
We get a lot of quail on the property and this time of year it is so much fun to see them come out, mom, dad and the babies...I have seen up to 14 at once all travelling in a row.

Fox Sparrow and White Crowned Sparrow

Yesterday as I was standing at my kitchen window I kept seeing this bird at the feeder and on the ground...Can you help me name this bird...you can click on the photo to enlarge it if need be
It has a very speckled breast and seems to have a hew of green to it.......

In reviewing my book "Birds of Coastal British Columbia" by Nancy Baron & Jon Acorn I think this bird might be a "Fox Sparrow" Based on it's antics and their Towhee relative(which there are a lot of here). The description they give is that the Fox Sparrow are larger and darker than the song sparrow and that they like to "scratch" out a living. How true...as the whole time I was observing this bird that is exactly what it did. As you can see by the photo I spotted it amongst dense vegetation which apparently is where they are mostly found. They describe the markings of the Fox Sparrow as having a heavily streaked breasts with inverted "v's" the tail is rusty and the lower mandible is yellowish....this description seems to fit this bird....but what do you think.


I believe this one to be a White-Crowned Sparrow. The White-crowned is a gray sparrow with brown back and wings, and a white and black striped crown. Again seems to fit. The bill is pink or yellowish. Immatures have rusty brown crown stripes. This one seems to fit the bill don't you think....and again it would be appropriate if there were to be seen with the Fox Sparrow and the Towhee......