Cherry trees in bloom as well as other flowering trees at Huntington Central Park.I took two short walks on Saturday and Sunday at Huntington Central Park. Spring is definitely waiting in the wings. The tattered remnants of last year's Monarch Butterflies are fluttering through the trees and over the bushes. Flowers are starting to blossom, and little leaf nubs ready to unfurl are evident on the bare trees. The House Finches are starting to sing.
Winter is still hanging on, but waning. The bare-branched trees made patterns against a beautiful blue sky scattered with white, wispy clouds.
A Mourning Dove picks among the Sycamore seed balls.
The Dark-eyed Juncos are back. This one sitting in a small redwood tree.
Here is one on the ground.
Cooper's Hawk chasing an immature Red-Tailed Hawk . Click to enlarge.
I saw a Cooper's Hawk chasing an immature Red-Tailed Hawk. The immature Red-Tailed Hawk can be a challenge. So the thing to look for is the dark leading edge of the shoulder area and the belly band whch are the field marks of a Red-tail in the absence of the red tail. While not as apparent in this photo, the field marks were apparent in other photos. Click on the photos to enlarge the photos. The smaller hawk is not a Sharp-shinned because it has a rounded, not straight tail. The legs trail against white feathers. Again, a Cooper's Hawk.
Immature Red-Tailed Hawk. Click on the picture to enlarge and see the black leading edge of the shoulder wing area and the light belly band.
Audubon Yellow-Rumped Warbler in a cherry tree that is blossoming by the library. The tree was filled with Anna's Hummingbirds and Allen's Hummingbird as well.
A male Mallard, far left, a female Mallard behind a male American Wigeon on the lower right.
Large flocks of Ring-billed Gulls have been flying over Huntington Central Park and stopping at the Lakes and ponds.
Townsend's Warbler Foraging in A Pine Tree from OC Birder Girl on Vimeo.
I was stationed under a pine tree when a Townsend's Warbler started foraging among the Pine Cones.
A male Western Bluebird . Not surprising since there are Bluebird nesting boxes in Huntington Central Park . Also in Mason Regional Park.
Male Western Bluebird trying to get a grip on a caterpillar.
Dark-eyed Junco.
Again, a Dark-eyed Junco.
Dark-eyed Junco among the pine cones.
Allen's Hummingbird catches some rays. This transition between Winter and Spring is a wonderful time to bird. The winter birds have not yet left and the Spring birds are arriving. The Spring songs are beginning. So have fun birding in Orange County when the birds of both seasons are right here in our parks and neighborhoods.
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