You can see the crow's head. Observed crow going into nest and sitting on it. See 28 April, and 20 May observation where the crow can be seen flying away from the nest.
In home, on my monitor, chasing the cursor. Tried to get better picture of face/eyes. Was still there next morning. Video (7 sec).
See 20 April observation where the head of the crow sitting on the nest is visible.
Here is my sequence of shots of the crow attempting to grab a duckling.
the duckling resurfaces in the last shot. whilst a Red-winged blackbird tries to shoo the crow away.
Almost all of the birds that were collected within a few hours from three regions in the island (Sarakiniko, Karave, Kastri - but mostly the first area).
A mass migratory bird death event took place in the island this season. Its probable cause was strong North winds that caused a 1-2 week delay in Africa-East Europe migration. Many birds arrived to the island in critical condition, which was worsened by the lack of food and water. Most died of starvation and exhaustion and many were killed by cats and dogs.
Species found on May 4th- including those not in the photo:
Garden Warbler (30+), Spotted Flycatcher (20+), Wood Warbler (15+), Barn Swallow (15+), European Bee Eater (15+), Sedge Warbler (9), Icterine Warbler (4), House Martin (4), Western Yellow Wagtail (3), European Turtle dove (2), Golden Oriole (2), European Pied Flycatcher (2), Collared Flycatcher (1), Blue Rock Thrush (1), Tree Pipit (1), Eurasian Collared Dove (1), Common Snipe (1), Common Sandpiper (1), Wood Sandpiper (1), Squacco Heron (1), Great Reed Warbler (1), Eurasian Blackcap (1), Common Nightingale (1)
Hummingbird mating display dive and aero-squeak! There are 3 squeaks; the first is 30 seconds in.
I had started to record audio of the birdsong and by chance observed the dives but wasn't able to record video in time. Too awestruck!
Another hummingbird, possibly the intended female, had a front row seat on a powerline during the whole display.
I believe this is an Anna's based on the sound profile.
More info: https://www.audubon.org/news/hummingbirds-shake-their-tail-feathers-generate-high-pitched-sounds
And
https://www.berkeley.edu/news/media/releases/2008/01/30_hummingbird.shtml
Chickens chilling in front of KFC
Orca present: T87, T90s, T071B1, T071B2, T123s, T049A1, T124A1, T124A2s + more
First, I heard the insistent calling of the young Starling. When I looked out the window, I saw the adult coming to feed it.
European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris) Introduced/naturalized/INVASIVE. Starlings are responsible for the decline of many native species of birds including bluebirds, swallows, woodpeckers, and purple martins on the Monterey Peninsula and in Carmel Valley. It is common and widespread.
Monterey Birds, Don Roberson, 2nd ed. 2002, sponsored by Monterey Peninsula Audubon Society, p. 380.
European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris) "is known simply as the Starling in Great Britain and Ireland. It is a medium-sized passerine bird in the Starling family, Sturnidae. It is about 20 cm (8 inces) long and has glossy black plumage with a metallic sheen, which is speckled with white at some times of year. The legs are pink and the bill is black in winter and yellow in summer; young birds have browner plumage than the adults. It is a noisy bird, especially in communal roosts and other gregarious situations, with an unmusical but varied song. Its gift for mimicry has been noted in literature including the works of Pliny the Elder and William Shakespeare." https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/14850-Sturnus-vulgaris
The Cornell Lab (Birds in U.S. and Canada) https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/European_Starling/
Audubon Guide to North American Birds https://www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/european-starling
Ebird with species description, range map and sound recordings: https://ebird.org/species/eursta/
Xeno-canto Bird songs, sound recordings, and species range map: https://xeno-canto.org/species/Sturnus-vulgaris
National Geographic Field Guide to the Birds of North America, ed. Jon L. Dunn, 7th ed., 2017
National Geographic Field Guide to the Birds of Western North America, ed. Jon L. Dunn, 2008
Merlin Bird ID (great app available for mobile devices) by The Cornell Lab (Bird ID help for 8,500+ species) https://merlin.allaboutbirds.org/
Comprehensive Feather I.D. tools and more: https://foundfeathers.org/resources/
Found Feathers (Worldwide): https://www.fws.gov/lab/featheratlas/idtool.php
so cool to watch this fledgling Raven with a parent!
Leucistic or otherwise irregular coloration - pictured next to other geese for direct comparison
Distinguishing feature is that tepals twist over the ovaries as they wither. At least 250 plants in several patches on this ‘beach access’ grassy coastal bluff, growing in pockets of soil in the rocks. Most flower stems 200 cm.
Heard extra deep and guttural call notes from the pair
Entry is for fly on the left.
For fly on the right, see: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/213301875