Birds of the Oakland Hills

Western Bluebird
6"x6" watercolor, watercolor pencil, gouache & beeswax

Three more Birds with Attitude: Western Bluebird, American Kestrel and a Leucistic Red-tailed Hawk.

Smaller than a robin, the brilliantly colored Western Bluebird is a Navajo symbol of sunrise and renewal. Ornithologists have yet to determine bluebird seasonal migration routes. Bluebirds reappear at Sibley Volcanic Preserve in the spring.

The American Kestrel uses strong winds and updrafts at Sibley to his advantage, hovering above an open field on rapidly beating wings. When prey--a lizard, rodent or small bird--is spotted, the Kestrel rapidly tucks wings and streaks downward, head first. Most prey are caught on the ground although insects and birds are sometimes taken in flight.

It is not uncommon for Red-tailed Hawks to exhibit leucism, which results in a loss of feather pigmentation. I've seen plenty of Red-tailed Hawks at Sibley but have yet to see a leucistic one. . . here's hoping.

American Kestrel
6"x6" watercolor, watercolor pencil, gouache & beeswax

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Leucistic Red-tailed Hawk
6"x6" watercolor, watercolor pencil, gouache & beeswax

California Raptor Class field trip

Learning a lot and having a blast hanging out with other raptor enthusiasts in the Audubon Society's California Raptors Class led by Eddie Bartley of the Golden Gate Raptor Observatory.

On Sunday's field trip to Rush Ranch and Jepson Prairie near Rio Vista, spotting scopes on tripods gave me a great opportunity to sketch from live birds. The most exciting moment was discovering a Great-horned Owl snoozing (with one eye open) above our picnic table lunch at Rush Ranch. He sat there for hours.

Later in the day I saw my first Ferruginous Hawk sitting on the ground in the sunshine and two Burrowing Owls hanging out near, and in, their ground burrow. I sketched in waterproof ink onsite and added watercolor later at home at the kitchen table.