Common Poorwill

Latin Name:  Phalaenoptilus nuttallii
Spanish common name:  Pachacua Nortena

I really hadn't wanted to say anything about the Common Poorwill until I had my very own picture, but I have decided that may never happen with the camera I have so this photo is a borrowed one.
  She comes to the garden after dark to eat moths, grasshoppers, and beetles.  We often see her leap into the air to catch some unsuspecting insect, but long before I could focus the camera, she has hiden herself in one of the herb beds.  If I persue her too aggressively, she disappears from the garden for days at a time. 
We enjoy her too much to scare her away. 
Learn more about the Common Poorwill in Wikipedia. 

Canyon Towhee

Latin Name:  Pipilo fuscus

Spanish common name:  Rascador Arroyero

4/14/11

Whatever you might think about birds, you have to admit, these are about the cutest little guys you've ever seen.  I am almost positive they are Canyon Towhees, but these birds are cuter than anything I found on the Internet.  The ID give away is the dark spot on the chest.  Habits and general physical characteristics match perfectly.

If you have another idea about the bird's identification, let me know.
To learn more about this bird's closest relative the California Towhee, click here.
There are many pictures of Canyon Towhee on Internet, but they don't look like our birds.  For that matter, they don't look like each other.  It is very confusing.

Contact me with any ideas you might have about the birds ID.

6/26/11
No longer any doubt about their identification.  Still cute!

Scott's Oriole

Latin Name:  Icterus parisorum

Spanish common name:  Bolsero Tunero

4/12/11

We have seen this lovely bird make three appearances in the garden, but for some reason I think he is still around.  Perhaps it's just my imagination, but I think I hear him from time to time.

I learned a valuable lesson with this bird.  Always look at all the pictures in the Bird Identification Book before you throw up your hands in despair.  For the longest time I was convinced he was a Bar-winged Oriole, blown off course.  That would have been a real stretch since the Bar-winged Oriole hangs out in El Salvador.

At any rate, on one of his visits, he twisted and turned and posed and I had a great time with the camera.

To learn more click here.

6/26/11

Just as I suspected, he's been here all along.  Finally, I was able to connect the bird with his song.

Black-chinned Sparrow

Latin Name:  Spizella atrogularis
Spanish common name:  Gorrion Barbinegro

What a songbird!  I knew he was out there, but I could never find him.  These guys stay in protective cover as much as possible. 


To learn more, click here.  You will note the difference in this picture and the one on the web site.  My bird book identifies this one as the "basic" variety.  I could not find supporting information on the web.

Summer Tanager

Latin name:  Piranga rubra

Spanish common name:  Tangara Roja

We have no idea where this beautiful bird was all spring.

I'm sure had he been in our garden, we would have

noticed him long ago.

Two days after our return, I noticed an unfamiliar

flash of red in the pecan trees.

A little research and a lot of luck went into

the photo above.

What a beauty!

To learn more click here.