Western Scrub-Jay

The Western Scrub-Jay is a year-round resident of Aldea. They are very quick so it was difficult to get great photos, and it took a lot of patience, but I was finally able to get one “scrubbing” in one of the low granite bird baths. That is not where their name comes from as their name alludes to the “scrub” of their range of habitat including scrub oak, woodland areas, and chaparral.

This bird is a medium-size crestless jay with a blue head, wings and tail. It has a gray mask, back and pale underparts. Its bill, legs and feet are black. This jay is stunning in the right sunlit angle.

In a recent meeting of the Aldea Birding Group, it was noted that folks sometimes confuse all the variety of “blue-colored” birds found here. Most often locally the Western Scrub-Jay is confused with Pinyon Jays, Stellar’s Jays, Western Bluebirds, and Mountain Bluebirds. I will try to do a post of all the confusing blue-colored birds once I can snare photos of them all. The Mexican Jay is similar but they are found only in the very southwestern-most part of New Mexico, not in Aldea.

Those that inhabit the interior states of the U. S. have slightly different feather patterns and markings from the coastal states Western Scrub-Jays. At one point ornithological organizations were considering separating the two by name, but so far that has not happened. The range maps show these beautiful blue and gray colored birds are found throughout New Mexico and on down into central Mexico.

The Western Bluebirds currently bringing up new hatchlings in a nesting box in our backyard create quite a commotion when the jay arrives in the yard. Many of the other birds join in the chorus to deter the jays. This is because the Western Scrub-Jay will eat the eggs and young of other birds given the opportunity. Thankfully, the hole in the bluebird nesting box is too small for jays. That is the theory anyway.

A group of jays is known as a “band”, “cast”,”party”, and “scold” of jays.

Click on photos to enlarge.

Yellow-rumped Warbler

The warblers are arriving in Aldea. Today a Yellow-rumped Warbler was in the backyard for a few minutes. Long enough to snag a few photos to prove it was here. I love it when birds like this just “show up”. It makes the day interesting and keeps me on my birding toes. 

This is the first time I had seen one in Aldea. Although they are one of the most common warblers in North America. They frequented our backyard during the winter months in San Francisco so I was familiar with them by the flash of their yellow rumps. The visitor today did not stick around long enough for me to get a bright yellow “rump shot” however.

Yellow-rumped Warblers are a medium-sized warbler with dark-streaked, blue-gray upperparts and the characteristic yellow rump. Throat and belly are white and breast is black. Head is black with a yellow crown, white eye-rings, and faint eyestripes. Wings are dark with yellow shoulder patches and two white bars. Female is duller than the male.

The range maps show Yellow-rumped Warblers here in Santa Fe in the summer months and then they winter in the southern half of New Mexico and down into Mexico. They are found year-round in the southeastern part of New Mexico. They also winter in the southern states, which is the southern part of their breeding range. They are highly adaptable and found in a variety of habitats.

There have been other reported sightings of warblers within the last week in Aldea. Be on the lookout for the following:

Yellow-rumped Warbler

Wilson’s Warbler

Orange-crowned Warbler

MacGillvray’s Warbler

Virginia’s Warbler

Yellow Warbler

A group of warblers is known as a “bouquet”, “confusion”,”fall”, and “wrench” of warblers.

Click on photos to enlarge.

Chipping Sparrow

The Chipping Sparrow is a regular visitor to our Aldea backyard this spring. I was only seeing one solitary loner up until today when a pair frequented the yard on and off all day. I hope they will be nesting nearby as I love the rusty-brown with gray overall coloration in the mix of all the birds that have been zooming around here this spring.

The head cap is rufous, nape is gray, throat is white, and face stripes are black with white, but not as graphically striking as a Lark Sparrow, but perhaps the Chipping Sparrow embodies a sense of visual refinement (to me anyway) that the Lark Sparrow lacks.

The Chipping Sparrow is found in most of North America in the summer, but migrates to the very southern parts of the U.S. and throughout most of Mexico in winter. It is here in Aldea in the summer for breeding. Both the Lark Sparrow and the Chipping Sparrow have been in our yard this April. Along with many White-crowned Sparrows. It's kind of been like a sparrow convention this April.

The particular Chipping Sparrow photographed below is in our Aldea backyard most mornings just outside the kitchen window foraging for small insects. Great for getting some clear photos of what the actually look like. I learn a lot from this photos as I hope you readers all do as well.

Chipping Sparrows build nests so flimsy you can see light right through them. A group of Chipping Sparrows are collectively known as a “tournament” of sparrows.

Click on photos to enlarge.

Bewick's Wren

The sassy, energetic Bewick’s Wren is a lot of fun when it enters our Aldea yard. It is entertaining to watch it frenetically forage on the ground digging into areas beneath grass clumps for insects.

One moment it can be on the ground and then the next moment it zips up to the top of trees and bursts into song with spring jubilation. Lots of fun to watch. Very animated. I recently photographed one as it was digging under a new grass outcropping capturing its under-tail detailing. I have included that photo below. Beautiful patterning that I had not photographed or seen before. Mooning, eh?

In fact, they are so active they are difficult to photograph. I have many blurred photos of them. I do like their distinctive stance and shape also as shown in the photos below. They have scolded me many times from their perches on a coyote fence or the stucco walls of our Aldea neighborhood.

Bewick’s Wrens are a year-round resident of northern New Mexico and the southwestern U.S., although I don’t remember seeing one in our yard this past winter. But there is one that has been here consistently almost every day this April. 

As a lure, I put up a wren nesting box but so far there have been no takers. Wrens prefer cavities in rock walls or any available cavity that works it seems here in Aldea as there have been a few nests that neighbors have noted in rock walls in past years. 

The Bewick’s Wren was name by Audubon for Thomas Bewick, the English naturalist. A group of wrens has many collective nouns, including a “chime”,“flight”,”flock”, or “herd” of wrens. 

Click on photos to enlarge.

Lark Sparrow

Said to be rare in Aldea, we have had a lone Lark Sparrow foraging on the ground in our backyard this April. Others in Aldea have noted that the Lark Sparrow is not common here. I have been observing the sparrow walk and explore on the ground as shown in the photos below. That walking on the ground to forage, not hopping, is characteristic behavior. They hop only during courtship.

I love the brown, black and white graphic striping on its head and below its eyes in combination with its grayish beak. This one blended into the dried grass areas so much so that I needed my long lens just to get a reasonable photo of it, but its head gave it away from a distance. Beautiful. 

The graphic head separates it from the Chipping Sparrow which has a redish-brown crown on its head. The Lark Sparrow and a Chipping Sparrow have been in the yard this April.

In reviewing the range maps, the Lark Sparrow is here in northern New Mexico in the summer months and then migrates to Mexico for the winter. Usually they are seen in groups, so I am surprised we have seen just one sole Lark Sparrow here. A group of sparrows is known as a “crew”’ “flutter”, “meinie”. “quarrel”’ or “ubiquity” of sparrows.

Click on photos to enlarge.

Say's Phoebe

This spring for the first time we have been lucky to have a Say’s Phoebe present in our Aldea backyard. These wonderful flycatchers are mostly solitary except during breeding season. They have a pleasant demeanor that is curious about people on some level, at least this particular one is I have observed. This one guards or watches over the birdbaths, similar to the way the Black Phoebe behaved in our San Francisco backyard.

The Say’s Phoebe swiftly flies up from a perch as they efficiently catch flying bugs from a watchful perch. They hover above grasses when hunting in open areas.

This quite active and animated bird has gray-brown upper parts and head with a pale golden-rufous belly and under tail. This particular bird calmly allowed me to photograph it through the kitchen window.

The bird was named for Thomas Say, the American naturalist. They are a summer resident of Aldea but winter not far from here in the southern half of New Mexico and down into most of Mexico.

Say’s Phoebe’s are monogamous. The Say’s Phoebe is in decline due to loss of winter habitat and suitable habitat in breeding areas. A group of flycatchers is known as an “outfield”, “swatting”, “zapper”, and “zipper” of flycatchers.

Click to enlarge photos.

Western Bluebird / Five Eggs in Nest Box

There were five beautiful Western Bluebird eggs in the nesting box in our backyard as of yesterday. The process took about five days, with one egg laid every day. The nest the pair built this year was quite a bit deeper that last year's model. See photos below.

Since there were not more eggs laid today, we think the the female will settle down on the nest shortly. She can be seen peering out of the nesting box in the photo below. Last year the first group fledged around May 10. That was our first year of having bluebird fledglings.

So it is with great anticipation that we are looking forward to this year's broods. We have a good supply of freeze-dried mealworms on hand so the all the bluebirds have a steady high-protein diet. The parents run themselves ragged to make sure the fledglings are well-fed. This will be very interesting to blog about. So check back as May and June unfold.

Click on photos to enlarge.