June 1, 2021
June can be a hit-or-miss month for sunshine in California. After seeing a weeklong forecast of cold, cloudy weather in San Diego, my sister and I decided to follow the sunshine (and the birds) east. With our tent and sleeping bags in tow, we drove to Big Bear Lake to hang out with forest birds and squirrels. Yay!
I woke up early in the morning to a handsome Chipping Sparrow hopping around our campsite. The lovely morning glow did wonders for accentuating his bold rufous crown, white eyebrow, and solid gray breast. I’ve always considered this species a real beauty of the sparrow world.
Not far from the Chipping Sparrow, a male Acorn Woodpecker stood on a branch defending his territory. A female, presumably his partner, flew up to a perfectly circular cavity in a nearby tree and completely disappeared into it. I had my camera lens aimed at the cavity waiting for her head to pop out, but she never emerged. The male on the other hand was exposed, offering great views of his white cheeks, light eyes, and vivid red crown. Females have a black segment of feathers between their red crown and white forehead; males lack the said characteristic, as depicted in the photograph above.
Speaking of woodpeckers, a male and female Northern Flicker made an appearance as well, flashing their white rump patches in flight. The woodpecker photographed above is a male Red-shafted Northern Flicker, denoted by his red mustache and bright pink wing undersides.
Steller’s Jays reside in western North American forests, south into Central America. They add a vibrant pop of blue to the overwhelmingly green landscape.
Down at the lake, two Brewer’s Blackbirds scuttled around the beach with their mouths full of bugs. The two birds above are a great example of sexual dimorphism (differences between male and female plumage), which is one of my favorite aspects of birdwatching. In this case, the female’s ashy brown head blends into her dark body, while the male is uniformly jet black with piercing white eyes.
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Gone Birdin' 